Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: daily devotional

Joel Osteen (March 28, 2024) Daily Devotional: Awaken Faith.

Today's Scripture: And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. Matthew 8:26, ESV

Today's Word: we all face dreams and obstacles that seem too big for us, but God has all the power in the world. The key is our faith. God works through our faith. If you believe little, you’ll receive little. If you think small and talk small, you’ll get stuck where you are.

The Scripture talks about different levels of faith. In Matthew 8, the disciples were in a boat with Jesus when a huge storm arose and the waves swept over the boat. They woke Jesus up and cried out, “We’re about to die!” He responded, “Why do you have such little faith? You’ve seen the miracles I’ve done. You know I can do anything. Why are you still stuck at this low level of faith?” If you’re going to reach the fullness of your destiny, it’s not going to happen with weak faith, doubting faith, or average faith. It’s going to take great faith. The good news is, it’s in you, but you have to awaken your great faith. You have to dare to believe big, to take the limits off.

Prayer for Today: “Father, thank You that You bring obstacles across my path so big that only You can make it happen. Help me to be bold, to dare to believe, to dare to take some new steps of faith. I declare that I will not stay stuck at a low level of faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

John Hagee (March-28-2024) Daily Devotional: 1 Peter 3:15 - But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…

Are you always ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you? We have found our hope in Jesus. Hope for salvation and strength, protection and perseverance, for safe haven and stability. This hope anchors our souls for today and gives us bright expectation for tomorrow. How do we explain the reason for this overflowing hope?

In Matthew 21, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on the back of a young colt. An exultant crowd lined the streets shouting “Hosanna!” and threw down their coats and tree branches to line his path. Thousands of Jews from the then-known world had traveled to the city to celebrate Passover. The crowds were moved by this joyful parade. “Who is this?” they asked curiously. The multitudes answered correctly, but “just the facts” did not amount to the whole truth.

This is Jesus, a prophet. That was a fact, but it was not the whole truth. Hundreds of prophets roamed Jerusalem at that time. Some of them enjoyed fame; others ministered in anonymity. To call Jesus a prophet was to classify Him, to assign Him a place among a faceless mass of others.

He is from Galilee, a city in Nazareth. That was a fact, but it was not the whole truth. Nazareth was a hill country town in northern Israel. It was not Jerusalem, which was known as a religious center. It was not Athens, which was known as an intellectual center. It was not Rome, which was known as a political center. Creator of all…but they attempted to give Him a mailbox.

We live in a world that still wants to know Jesus. They do not know that He is more than a prophet. They don’t know the peace He brings to a tormented heart, the joy that He brings to those who are without strength. They don’t know the burdens He can lift, the yokes He can destroy, the chains He can break. When they ask, are you ready to give a reason for the Hope inside you?

Be careful not to make this great, big, beautiful Savior a small thing. Beware of putting Jesus in a box; it only gives opportunity for people to put a lid on it and push it aside. Be ready to make it all about Him, all about the Hope that fills our every waking moment and promises an even brighter tomorrow.

Today's Blessing:  Heavenly Father, as I spend time in Your presence, may I know You more and more. As I learn, help me to become a worker that isn’t ashamed, one who is always ready to give a reason for the hope that fills me up to overflowing. In the name of Jesus…Amen.

Today's Bible Reading: 

  • Old Testament - Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22
  • New Testament - Luke 8:4-21
  • Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 69:15-36, Proverbs 12:2-3

Rick Warren (March 28, 2024) Daily Devotional: Why the Forgiven Don’t Have to Fear.

“Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now!” - 1 Peter 1:3-4 (MSG)

Fear is nothing new. It’s been with us from the very beginning!

Adam’s first recorded words in the Garden of Eden were, “I was afraid, and I hid.” Humans have been living in fear of God and each other ever since.

Fear is based on ignorance. That means truth is the only cure—and truth can only be found in God’s Word.

Jesus’ resurrection on the first Easter gives you five truths that demolish fear in your life. Yesterday, I shared the first two:

  • You know Jesus tells you the truth.
  • You know death isn’t the end.

Third, you know God loves you extravagantly. God didn’t just send you a postcard with a note saying how much he loves you. He cared enough to send the very best—himself! When Jesus was dying on the cross with his arms outstretched, he was saying: “I love you this much.”

Fear and love cannot exist in the same place. The Bible tells us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18 NIV). When you invite Christ into the front door of your heart, fear goes out the back door.

Fourth, you know God has a good plan for your life. When you open yourself up to God’s love, he takes care of your past, present, and future. Through the resurrection, your sins are forgiven, you get a purpose for living, and you get a home in heaven.

The Bible describes it like this: “Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now!” (1 Peter 1:3-4 MSG). You won’t get that kind of life anywhere else. You only get it through the power of Jesus’ resurrection.

Finally, you know God will take care of your needs. One of the reasons you struggle with fear is that you worry about tomorrow—and worry can’t change anything! It won’t add a single moment to your life, and it won’t solve a single problem.

But the resurrection guarantees that God will meet all of your needs—starting with your salvation—by providing you with the power of his resurrection. Paul writes, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT).

This year, as you celebrate Easter, remind yourself that because Jesus was raised from the dead, you are no longer a prisoner to fear. That’s news so good that you have to share it!

Talk It Over

  1. Is it sometimes difficult to believe that God has a good plan for your life? Why do you think this is so?
  2. Why is fear often based on ignorance?
  3. What need in your life should you ask God to meet with his resurrection power?

TD Jakes Daily Devotional (March 28, 2024) Embracing the Journey with Faith.

Bible Verse: "Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him." - Mark 1:12-13 (NKJV)

I'm getting ready to go off, you know, I just want to be sure. Let's set some rules straight because I might have read it in the wrong turn, and most of the time I was wrong because it is difficult to deliver sensitive information in the text because the text does not give you context.

So as we read this brief statement, these four verses of scripture in the gospel of Saint Mark chapter one, I'm not sure that this text of scripture gives us context. Jesus wasn't born in the wilderness, neither did he grow up in a wilderness, okay, nor was he baptized in the wilderness, and yet he finds himself in the wilderness.

I have been in the same spot that Jesus was in. I had the privilege years ago of going to Jerusalem and not only going to Jerusalem, which is amazing, but going down to the Jordan and across the Jordan River into the country of Jordan. And when you cross the Jordan River, you are standing in what is now currently called Jordan, and you're on your way to Amman, but you have to go through the Wilderness to get there.

Little did I know that the same Wilderness I was standing in is the Wilderness in which Jesus was tempted. It is also the place where Elijah comes, having crossed the Jordan, to be caught up in the Chariot of fire. So the history of the text goes archaeologically deep into the soil of the same space. A lot of things happen in the same geographical location.

So in the same place that God sends a chariot down from heaven to evacuate Elijah out of the human capacities of this mundane, ritualistic world, it is in that same spot where he allows the spirit to carry Jesus to be tempted.

Have you ever had a spot that provoked many different memories? A house you used to live in, and you can remember good times and bad times? A person you grew up with, and you remember something nice, and you remember something, yeah, yeah, yeah, spaces are complicated, and the spirit has brought him to this place.

But I don't want to take the text out of context. It is important that we understand that Jesus has dropped off the scene for at least 18 years. We know nothing, and it is funny to me because the Bible gives us the highlights of the life of Jesus and not the nothing moments of his life.

And the hardest parts of Walking with God are through the days of nothingness. Then neither hot nor cold, they're neither good nor bad, they just to her. I just woke up. I just made it to another day. What you doing? Nothing. You know what you doing now? This stuff, just stuff I gotta do. Can I stay with God through days of nothingness?

18 years that are obscure from us, where Jesus is just some no-name Carpenter's Son. Moving about, growing up from 12 to 30 years old in total obscurity. He doesn't pick up again until this new highly successful and accomplished disruptive thinking John. I call him a disrupter because he broke all of his father's rules and won doing it.

He didn't dress like a priest; he didn't eat like a priest; he didn't function in the synagogue; he was in the wilderness eating wild locusts and honey and dressed in Camel's hair. Don't be scared to be different. Different does not disenfranchise greatness; in fact, it actually confirms greatness. Nobody writes books about ordinary. Go to the library; you won't see any books written about people who weren't disruptive or in some way extraordinary.

And you have to understand that and realize that Jesus was 18 years that we know nothing about, and then at 30 years old, he's in the crowd, not on the stage.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the angels in our wilderness. Guide us through our trials and help us embrace the extraordinary within us. May we trust in Your timing and remain steadfast in our faith. Send Your angels to those in need, and may we all find strength in Your love. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Devotional (March 28, 2024) BECOMING TRANSFORMED INTO HIS LIKENESS.

Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 3:18 - "And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like Him."

Genuine Christianity in its Purest Form is extremely scarce in most parts of the world we live in today. Authentic Christian believers are referred to by the Apostle Paul as "an Epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the Living God..." (2Cor. 3:3a). In other words, we are expected as Christian believers to be the Personification of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which unbelievers can easily gain access to for Salvation. The onus, therefore, lies upon us to experience a Radical Inner Change as we become transformed into His Likeness.

More than a few professing Christians today have had their Christian Witness severely undermined and rendered totally ineffective as a result of a lack of Quality Time spent with the Lord in His Presence. It is practically impossible to fully represent any person you don't really know. This is one major reason the heart cry of Apostle Paul to the Church in Philippi sticks out like a sore thumb: "THAT I MAY KNOW HIM and the Power of His Resurrection and the Fellowship of His Sufferings, being conformed to His Death" (Phil. 3:10). Translated from the literal Greek, the word "know" in the aforementioned Scripture is derived from the word "ginosko" that literally means "knowledge obtained by intimate experience." We obtain this Knowledge whenever we spend Quality Time with the Lord in the Place of Prayer and Worship, oozing the Fragrance of His Glory. We become transformed into His Likeness as we abide in His Presence, becoming a Bodily Expression of His Glory (Ex. 34:33-35).

The One Who you constantly behold is eventually who you become as a person. The tragic fact is that multitudes profess a Jesus Christ they don't even know which is revealed in their interaction with others. The Holy Spirit greatly longs for Intimacy with us, but the reverse is seldom the case even though it ought to be (Jam. 4:8a). The Lord God Almighty grant us the Grace to become the Express Image of our Lord Jesus Christ so that all men would see Him in and through us at all times.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, to You alone do we ascribe all the Glory, Honour and Praise. O Lord, please give us the Grace to tarry in Your Presence and become transformed into Your Image and Likeness in Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen.

David Jeremiah (March 28, 2024) Daily Devotional: In a Flash.

And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. - 1 Corinthians 15:49, NIV

 Recommended Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 - For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Bible isn’t shy about telling us about our resurrection bodies. Job said, “And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:26). Philippians 3:21 says Christ “will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.” John wrote, “We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). Revelation 21:4 says, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain.”

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul wrote, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in the twinkling of an eye…. The dead will be raised incorruptible” (verses 51-52).

Yes, we endure pain and suffering here on earth, but because of the resurrection we’ll soon have glorified bodies, free of illness. What a glorious hope and wonderful anticipation! Shift your focus today toward what’s ahead!

There is a resurrection after death. Let this never be forgotten. The life that we live here in the flesh is not all. - J. C. Ryle

Charles Stanley (March 28, 2024) Daily Devotional: Resurrected for the Present Work.

By God's grace, we are a new creation—made for good works.

Ephesians 2:1-6 - And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Romans 6:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death.” In today’s passage, however, Paul tells the Ephesians (and us) that those wages are fully paid.

“You were dead in your offenses and sins,” the apostle writes (v. 1). We might not have realized it, but in reality, we were dead people walking. Thankfully, like the prodigal son’s father (whom we discussed a few days ago), God doesn’t let us remain that way.

Notice how Ephesians 2:4 begins: The two words “But God” should ring joyously in our ears. Our Father, full of mercy and love, “made us alive together with Christ” (v. 5). He raises people today just as He raised Jesus—only we rise from the walking death of sin to new and eternal life.

That reality shines a bright light on all we’ve experienced. In that light we see differently, finally realizing that sin always leads to death, not freedom. We can also act differently. When Jesus said the kingdom of God was at hand, He wasn’t offering information about our future but transformation for our present life. By grace through faith, we become God’s workmanship, walking not in death but in the life of good works He’s prepared for us.

Bible in One Year: 1 Samuel 15-16

Jentezen Franklin (March 28, 2024) Daily Devotional: Fill Up Heaven With Your Prayers.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9

The most powerful people on the face of this earth are people who learn how to pray—not people who just know about prayer but people who take the time to pray every day. The heroes of the Bible who were “more than conquerors” were men and women of prayer. They learned to prevail in prayer.

Prevailing prayer is not crisis prayer. It is not only praying when there is an emergency but also consistent and continual daily prayer. You bombard heaven, and it becomes a part of who you are. Everything God wants to do in your life is linked to your prayers. Often, the very first thing we do when we get sick is say, “I need to get a doctor’s appointment.” But the first thing we ought to do is pray. When we are going through a crisis the first thing we should do is pray over the situation. 

A picture of prevailing prayer is mighty angels ascending and descending on Jacob’s ladder. Jacob saw, in a dream, the activity of Heaven. He observed the ceaseless motion of angels going up with the prayers of people on earth and descending back down with answers from God. If nothing goes up, nothing comes down. A random prayer every now and then is not a prevailing prayer. Continually fill the arms of angels until your prayers stack up in Heaven. Your prayers will keep building up until they eventually become a memorial in Heaven. 

Abraham also prayed prevailing prayers, and in Genesis 18, he stood before God and said, “Will you destroy the righteous with the wicked? Surely not.” Abraham had a nephew who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah with his family. Abraham bombarded God with prayers in order to spare his family when God was going to destroy the wicked city. The only reason Lot was spared was because God remembered Abraham’s prayers. Don’t neglect to pray for your family and those in your world. Your prayers matter more than you realize.

David Jeremiah (March-28-2024) Daily Devotional: The Need for Remembrance - Turning Point. 

That these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants. - Esther 9:28

 Recommended Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 - INSTITUTION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER - 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.  26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

 
To this day, Jews celebrate the festival of Purim, a remembrance of God’s deliverance of the Jews from the genocide planned by the evil courtier, Haman, in Persia. Purim comes from the word pur, or “lot”—the lot cast by Haman to determine the day of the Jews’ destruction. (See Esther 3:7; 9:24-27.) Annual celebrations of milestone events help us recall the favors of God.

In a similar way, Christ gave to His Church a memorial celebration to observe until He returned to establish His Kingdom on earth—commonly referred to as Communion or the Lord’s Supper. Communion celebrates the passion of Christ at His death. The bread remembers His broken body, and the cup remembers His shed blood (Matthew 26:26-29). Each time we celebrate Communion, “[we] proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Keep Christ’s sacrifice for you current by participating in the Communion celebration regularly. Remembering the past can strengthen the present.

How worthy is it to remember former benefits, when we come to beg for new.  -  Stephen Charnock

Rick Warren (March-28-2024) Daily Devotional: Changing Starts With Choosing - Daily Hope.

“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” - Proverbs 4:23 (GNT)

Are you looking for a fresh start? I don’t mean moving to a new town. I’m talking about a reset in any area of your life that is stuck. You will go through many resets in your life. That’s because God didn’t just create you. He also wants to transform you into what he’s always intended for you to become.

To reset and experience a transformation in your life, the first thing you need to work on is your mindset—how you see yourself, how you see others, how you see your problems, and, most importantly, how you see God.

If you don’t change your mindset first, a change in your location or a change in your scenery is not going to help much. Why? Because you could go to the ends of the Earth, but you will still take you with you wherever you go.

For example, let’s say you’re stressed, so you decide to go to Hawaii for relaxation. But you just end up taking the stress with you because it’s in your body. If you don’t deal with the mental stress first, then it’s going to continue to cause trouble in every other area.

Life change begins in your mind because your thoughts direct your life. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (GNT).

Every action and reaction in your life, everything you feel and do, starts as a thought. It all begins in your mind! If you don’t think it first, it doesn’t happen.

You can use this truth for good or for bad: Good thoughts lead to good habits and good choices; bad thoughts lead to unhealthy habits and behavior. 

The truth is, we don’t realize how often we sabotage our own success by the way we think and talk to ourselves. You’re talking to yourself all the time!

The Bible says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV).

Your relationship problem doesn’t start with the relationship. It starts in your brain. This is true for money, sex, a habit, food, your work, or anything else. You cannot reset any area of your life without first changing how you think.

Changing starts with choosing. You can choose what you think about. It’s time to make choices that reflect the kind of person God wants you to be.

Talk It Over

  • When you are stressed, what part of your body do you normally address first?
  • In what ways have you seen your mindset affect your attitude and your actions in a particularly tough situation?
  • Think of the people who most affect the way you think. How are they helping—or hurting—as you try to make wise choices about what you think about?
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