__largepreview__.webp){kind=icon}
DEVOTIONS
Click to edit your text
A Study in 1 John
Sunday, October 19th - Sunday, November 16th
MONDAY, OCTOBER 20TH 2025
CONFIDENT FAITH
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13
The Apostle John, one of Jesus’s original disciples, is the last surviving disciple of the twelve. He previously served as a pastor and leader for a number of churches in Asia Minor, including the city of Ephesus. But now, he is eighty or ninety years old as he writes the letter known as 1 John. He writes because a group has split off from the church and is teaching things contrary to what John has taught. He writes to address the confusion and insecurity that has developed and to give them confidence in the truth he has taught.
As we spend the next five weeks in 1 John, we will see its importance for us today. Those of us exploring faith or returning to faith may have questions or doubts. Others of us believe and call ourselves a Christian, but we have nagging doubts about that belief: Am I really a Christian? Does God see me as a Christian? John’s letter answers these questions and gives us the confidence we need to grow in maturity in Christ. We will see that God’s desire is for us to have assurance and peace because he loves us.
Settle into a comfortable chair and read or listen to the entire book of 1 John. With just five chapters, it shouldn’t take long. Most people will finish in ten to fifteen minutes. Take your time and ask God to help you understand this important letter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OxjLFQowvM
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21TH 2025
GOD REACHED DOWN
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. John 1:1-2
As John begins his biography of Jesus, he uses two phrases that he repeats in the letter of 1 John: “in the beginning” and “the Word.” By using “in the beginning,” John teaches that Jesus existed as the Son before the creation of the world. By introducing Jesus as “the Word” with the Greek word “Logos,” John taps into ancient Greek thinking as a way of describing how the universe came into being. Because Jesus is the “Logos,” John says the universe comes from and was created by Jesus, the divine Word. But even more amazing is that this eternal Word “became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). This means we can be confident about our faith because God reached down.
The Christian faith is the only faith where God enters into his world to rescue us. Every other faith system in the world is reaching up. They all have a set of requirements for us to prove our worthiness to be saved, to reach enlightenment or to earn heaven in the afterlife. Our faith is the only faith where God reaches down to pull us up. Every other faith system is based on our life; the Christian faith is based on his life. In any other faith, we can never be certain. The Christian faith is the only faith where we can be confident of where we stand with God.
Memorize the key text of 1 John 5:13, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” By committing it to memory, you will be able to recall it anytime you begin to have doubts about your faith or your salvation.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22nd, 2025
HISTORICALLY RELIABLE TESTIMONY
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life. 1 John 1:1
The stories of what Jesus did and taught aren’t works of fiction, nor did they float down from heaven for someone to discover. In 1 John, the apostle tells his readers, “We were there!” John says he is passing on what the disciples heard, saw and touched. They were around the table with Jesus, on the road, in the boat and in the garden with him. They were at the foot of the cross and in his empty tomb. John spoke with him, listened to him teach and witnessed his miracles. Simply put, John was with Jesus and wrote down what he experienced (along with three other writers of the gospels).
The testimony of the gospel writers is historically accurate. We know this because of what we see when we compare the gospels to outside (non-Christian) sources. The Jewish historian Josephus mentions Jesus, James and John the Baptist in his first-century writing. Lucian, a Greek-influenced Syrian from the second century, mentions Jesus’s crucifixion and the habits of his followers. Celcus, a second-century Greek philosopher, said Jesus was born in Judea, lived in Egypt, was a miracle worker and used “magic powers.” These references in non-Christian sources mean we can know that Jesus existed, was crucified and, according to many eyewitnesses, came back to life. Our faith is reliable and trustworthy.
Pray with gratitude for the reliability of our faith. “Father, thank you for sending Jesus and for giving us the Bible, including 1 John, so that I can know I have eternal life. Help me live with confidence in this truth every day. Amen.”
THURSDSAY, OCTOBER 23rd, 2025
GOD IS PERSONAL
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:3-4
After writing about the reliability of the Christian faith, the Apostle John turns to the subject of fellowship. He says the point is not just believing the truth; it’s about relationships. Relationship first with God and then with other believers. He says it’s not just about believing the right stuff and avoiding hell; it’s ultimately about experiencing God in the context of the church.
We can have this fellowship because God is personal. God speaks, guides, provides, comforts and challenges us through His Word, the Bible. By reading the Bible, the living and active Word of God, we hear his voice. Also, if we have followed Jesus for some time, it is likely we have many examples of the reality of Jesus in our lives. Both of these can result in “complete joy.” Complete joy is the type of joy we continually desire. It is a joy that persists through pain and suffering. A joy not rooted in what’s going on outside but in what is real inside of us.
Invite God to be real in your life. Ask him for help as you read the Bible, with a decision you need to make or for a friend to encourage you. If you’re a long-time believer, set aside time to remember the ways God made himself real to you in the past. Then, ask him to move again. After you do, thank him for his goodness and faithfulness.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24TH 2025
Question: Why did Jesus die on the cross?
Answer: Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice to atone for our sins and reconcile us to God.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2
John identifies Jesus as “the atoning sacrifice for our sins,” revealing why he died. Sin separates us from a holy God, requiring payment. Before God sent his Son, animal sacrifices could temporarily cover sin but were inadequate for permanent forgiveness. Sin is a human problem, and a sinless human had to die (Hebrews 2:17, Leviticus 1:3).
This presented an impossible dilemma until God did something radical: the second person of the Trinity became human. Jesus, the sinless God-man, could represent both parties in the broken relationship. His death was a purposeful, substitutionary sacrifice. He took our place, bearing the penalty we deserved, satisfying God’s justice and making forgiveness possible for all people.
This sacrifice transforms our understanding of sin and God’s love. The cross reveals the seriousness of our rebellion—it required the Son of God’s death to atone for it. Yet, it simultaneously displays God’s love. He was willing to suffer personally to reconcile us to himself. When John calls Jesus our “advocate,” he emphasizes Christ’s ongoing representation before the Father, ensuring permanent forgiveness. His atonement extends to “the sins of the whole world,” making salvation available to anyone who believes. The cross demonstrates both justice and mercy—God upholds his righteous standards while providing the way for sinners to be forgiven and restored to a relationship with him.
Contemplate the cross, reflecting on your sin’s seriousness and God’s love demonstrated there. Thank Jesus for becoming your atoning sacrifice and taking the penalty you deserved. Consider sins you need to confess and trust in Christ’s complete forgiveness. Remember that Jesus continues as your advocate, giving you the confidence to approach God.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 27TH 2025
THE CHARACTER TEST
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
John writes to believers grappling with a fundamental question: How can they be certain their faith is real? False teachers had entered their community and created confusion about salvation and faith. John offers what might be called “assurance tests.” The tests aren’t hoops to jump through to earn God’s love. Instead, they evaluate whether there’s evidence of salvation in someone’s life. Authentic believers don’t continue in patterns of rebellion against God. True faith is evident in character transformation over time. We all wrestle with doubts about our salvation at some point. John’s words speak directly to our struggles with assurance, just as they did to his first-century readers. The obedience test isn’t about perfection; it’s about direction. If we find ourselves continually rebelling against God’s leadership without any desire to change, we should examine ourselves whether we’ve truly trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Authentic faith involves more than saying the right words. It requires surrendering our lives to Jesus and allowing him to transform us from the inside out. Take an honest look at your life. Do you see evidence of God’s transforming work? Don’t struggle in silence if you’re battling doubts about salvation. Talk to a trusted Christian friend or a pastor who can point you toward the assurance that comes through Christ.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28TH 2025
OBEDIENCE IS EVIDENCE
We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 1 John 2:3
John declares that authentic faith produces obedience. Those who truly belong to God listen to his voice and obey him. John states bluntly that anyone who claims to know Jesus but shows no interest in doing what he taught is a liar. There is no such thing as authentic faith without obedience. John gets even more specific, explaining that whoever claims to know Jesus must live as Jesus did. Authentic believers become more like Jesus throughout their lives. This transformation is supernatural evidence of salvation because becoming Christlike is impossible through human effort alone. We can see God’s supernatural transforming work most clearly when he works against the grain of our sinful bent. Our obedience, combined with the Holy Spirit, equals transformation into Christlikeness. It’s God’s work when someone bent toward speaking harshly begins speaking with grace and kindness. We also see God’s transforming work in areas of brokenness. When anger is transformed into self-control, worry gives way to peace or when hatred gives way to love. The transformation of our sinful tendencies and our brokenness reveals the work of the Holy Spirit. Journal about how God has transformed you. Look back and identify areas where God has worked against your sinful bent or transformed your brokenness. Where have you seen movement from impatience to patience, harshness to gentleness, or other character changes that point to Christ’s work in you?
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29TH 2025
DON’T HIDE
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5
John echoes a pattern present throughout Scripture. God is light, and darkness represents sin. The natural progression of sin is to hide it. Living in the light means living in alignment with who God is. It means confessing sin instead of hiding it. This tendency to hide sin appears early in the Bible in Genesis 3. After Adam and Eve disobey God, they immediately hide from God instead of admitting their sin. When God calls to them, they cover themselves and try to avoid his presence. This pattern of sinning and then hiding has been going on ever since. John calls believers to break this cycle by walking in the light through honesty and transparency. We follow the same pattern. Instead of confessing our failures to God and those around us, we often lie to ourselves about our actions. We say it’s not really that bad and avoid admitting it to God or others. We prefer to live in the darkness because exposure feels uncomfortable. We often hide in three ways. 1) From ourselves by denying our problems. 2) From God by avoiding honest prayer. 3) From each other by maintaining facades. But the way of Jesus is to live in the light. Our relationship with God begins with admitting we are sinners who need rescue. Today, Confess any sin in your life first to God and then to a trusted Christian friend. Bring it into the light instead of keeping it hidden in the darkness.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30TH, 2025
GOD IS PERSONAL
But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 1 John 2:1
John writes to encourage believers not to sin. He then immediately offers reassurance for when they do fall short. He introduces Jesus as their advocate —a word meaning “one who comes alongside to help.” The closest parallel might be a defense attorney arguing in court. It’s as though Jesus stands before the Father, defending believers when they sin. John explains Jesus can defend them because he is the atoning sacrifice for sin (1 John 2:2). The word “atoning” describes how Jesus absorbed God’s judgment on sin when he died on the cross. Jesus paid the penalty that sin demanded. Because of his sacrificial death, Jesus can advocate for believers by declaring to the Father, “I paid for that sin.”
It can be easy to think of Jesus as an advocate for Christians in general. But sometimes, it’s harder to see him as our personal advocate and atoning sacrifice. But Jesus’s atoning sacrifice and his role as advocate assure our salvation. Jesus won our salvation for us through his death and resurrection. We cannot out-sin God’s grace. Even our battles, struggles and fights against sin serve as evidence of authentic faith rather than reasons to doubt our salvation.
If you’ve never put your faith and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, do so today. Simply tell Jesus you know you’re a sinner and that you believe he died and rose again to pay for your sin. If you have believed, give thanks to God by worshipping with the song “Finished Work of Christ.” Praise God that there’s “Nothing left for me to do, it is finished, it is finished, I’m completely forgiven.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TtAyiYBCCs
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31ST 2025
QUESTION
Question: What is the significance of Jesus’s resurrection?
Answer: Jesus’s resurrection proves his divinity, breaks death’s power and makes our resurrection possible.
“…who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:4
Paul writes that Jesus was “appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection.” Jesus was already God’s Son, but this event confirms his divine identity. Jesus’s human lineage connects him to King David, but his resurrection demonstrates his divine lineage with absolute clarity. This supernatural act authenticates everything Jesus claimed. The resurrection is God’s declaration that he accepted Jesus’s sacrifice. Jesus’s teachings are true, and his identity is genuine. This physical resurrection also transformed Jesus’s body into an immortal one. He is the first fruits of a new human existence that conquered death itself (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Everything changed when Jesus walked out of the tomb. He broke death’s grip on creation, destroying its power (2 Timothy 1:10). Jesus’s resurrection enables and guarantees our own. Paul writes, “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” (1 Corinthians 6:14). Jesus’s resurrection means our sin has been fully paid for and accepted by God. The new life Jesus lives is available to us through faith immediately, not just after we die. This is why Paul says, “Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). The resurrection proves that Christianity isn’t merely a moral code but a living relationship with the risen Christ who dwells in believers through his Spirit.
Consider how Jesus’s resurrection changes your life. Thank him for conquering death and making eternal life possible. Reflect on how his resurrection power is available now through his Spirit. Ask God to help you live as someone raised to new life in Christ. If you face difficulties, draw strength from knowing that the same power that raised Jesus is at work in you.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD, 2025
KNOW GOD’S LOVE
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
God loved first. This is the core of biblical teaching. God creates people to love him, but then people rebel. God continues to show love to people, choosing the ancient Hebrews to be his representatives in the world. Then, as John 3:16 says, God’s love culminates by sending Jesus to rescue those who believe in him. It’s a rescue accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus. John walked and talked with Jesus. He witnesses the love of God in Jesus’s interactions with those around him, through the crucifixion and in conversations with the resurrected Jesus. John knows that God loved first. He was confident in God’s love, even referring to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 21:20-24).
Abiding in God’s love is foundational to the Christian life. If we get this backward, we’ll never feel confident and secure in our faith. Because of God’s love, we don’t have to fear. We don’t have to fear judgment, abandonment or rejection. The cross has reconciled us to God, and we are now part of his family. If we can find a way to anchor our life and identity in God’s love (like John did), we can live with incredible confidence and navigate whatever life brings us.
Carefully consider where you are experiencing fears, insecurities or anxieties. In your journal, write two to three of those areas down. Below your list, write this simple prayer, “God, I trust your love and give these concerns to you. Help me to know I’m loved by you and live out of that love.”
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH, 2025
WHAT WE LOVE
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 1 John 2:15
John uses strong language to warn his readers. He tells them that if they love the world, they don’t love God. John doesn’t mean that the physical world is bad. He’s talking about loving the things that culture says will make someone happy, the things people pursue for satisfaction or meaning outside of God. John tells his readers that those things don’t last. Only a life built on love for God stands the test of time.
It’s no different for us today. Our desires cannot be truly met through the values of our culture. No relationship, account balance, experience, job title, social media following, health status or academic achievement will ultimately satisfy us. We were created by an infinite God to have desires that only God can meet. When we love the world instead of God, we take something that’s meant to be enjoyed and turn it into the most important thing in our lives. Like John says, that means we love something other than God. If we do that, we have to ask ourselves whether we love God or not.
Spend time in confession. Identify the thing you are tempted to think will satisfy you. Confess that to God and ask him to turn your heart toward loving him. Use this model prayer as a way to turn to God instead of the world: “I confess that I’ve been chasing _______ for fulfillment. I know fulfillment is only found in you, God. Help me to grow my love for you. Amen.”
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2025
SHARE GOD’S LOVE
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:1
John writes to Christians about how they should love each other in their church community. He goes right to Jesus to define love. Jesus’s willingness to die for others is the best example of what it means to love. It’s sacrificial love. He also writes about meeting the tangible needs of other believers. Showing love isn’t shown only with words. Showing love in actions and in truth is a test of authentic faith, a way to know whether someone truly follows Jesus.
How our church community takes care of each other matters. When we serve each other, it shows God’s love to the world. When we give our time to invest in the spiritual growth of the children at Relevant Church, it’s showing love. When we warmly welcome people to Sunday service or coffee with a smile, it’s showing love. We show love when we use our talents to help a small group member with a home repair, serve as a financial coach or join the worship team. We declare God’s love when we give for the first time or give sacrificially on a regular basis so the church can continue to show the love of Jesus to Southern Maryland. It’s putting our love into action in tangible ways.
Ask God how you can put your love into action in tangible ways. Perhaps it’s volunteering with a ministry. Maybe it’s using your skills to serve others. Or maybe God is calling you to greater financial generosity. Whatever God reveals—take action.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH, 2025
SHOW GOD’S LOVE
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:20
John knows the brokenness of the world results in people treating each other poorly. However, John makes it clear that’s not how people should treat one another in the church. He says if someone treats another person poorly inside the church, it makes them a liar when they say they love God. It’s another test of faith. John knows this is significant because he heard Jesus say that how believers treat each other will be how unbelievers know whether someone is a follower of Jesus or not (John 13:34-35). Believers can be confident their faith is real as they start treating others in the church community with love.
It’s so easy to be critical and mean. Sometimes, it’s like we are looking for reasons to be offended. But that’s not the way of Jesus. One of the fruits of the Spirit is forbearance (Galatians 5:22-23), patiently bearing with those in our church community when we would rather turn against them. When we struggle to love a fellow believer, we must remember what God has done for us, pray for that person’s wellbeing, ask God to change our heart and look for opportunities to selflessly serve them. It doesn’t mean we don’t ever get upset. It means we don’t stay angry or bitter. We focus on what we have in common instead of where we may disagree.
Focus on someone you have a hard time loving in our church community. Remind yourself of what God did for you and them, pray for them, ask God to change your heart and look for an opportunity to serve them.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2025
JESUS OUR MEDIATOR
Question: What does it mean that Jesus is our mediator?
Answer: As our mediator, Jesus represents us before God and restores our relationship with him.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. 1 Timothy 2:5-6
Paul declares the profound truth that Jesus Christ stands as the one and only mediator between God and humanity. Without Christ, people are enemies of God, alienated from him because of their sin (Col. 1:21). Humanity needed a mediator to go before them, to make a way to God because they could not do it themselves. Jesus accomplished this by enacting a new covenant in his blood (Luke 22:20). Through Jesus, internal devotion replaces external religion. God gives people new hearts and new spirits, writing his laws on their hearts and changing them from the inside out (Ezekiel 36:26-27). God offers to embrace all people in this new covenant through faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus continues to be our mediator today. He interceded for us before the Father (Romans 8:34). His mediation changes everything about how we approach God. We don’t come to God as condemned criminals or fearful servants but as reconciled children whose mediator has already made peace. Jesus has torn down the barrier between humanity and God, opening the way for an intimate relationship with our Creator. His ongoing work as our mediator means we can approach God with confidence, knowing our mediator understands both our human struggles and God’s holy nature perfectly.
Thank Jesus for serving as your mediator, making it possible for you to have a relationship with God. Pray with confidence, knowing that Jesus has secured your access to the Father and intercedes for you.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH 2025
JESUS OUR TEACHER
Question: How should we respond to Jesus’s teachings?
Answer: We should follow Jesus as our teacher, obeying his commands and imitating his example.
“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” John 13:15
After washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus explains he has given them a pattern to follow. This is at the heart of discipleship. Jesus calls his disciples to follow his example of humble, sacrificial service. Jesus called Matthew, Peter, James, John, and the other disciples by saying, “Follow me”. Rabbis used this phrasing when they wanted younger men to spend time with them and learn from their wisdom. They are to pattern their lives after the rabbi’s. This call is another way of saying, “Come, be like me.” Jesus sets a high standard. Whoever wants to be his disciple must deny himself and take up their cross daily and follow him (Luke 9:23-24).
Jesus sets a high standard for us, too. Following Jesus’s example is a goal we pursue for the rest of our lives. Yet this isn’t about earning salvation—that’s a free gift. It’s about recognizing that following Jesus transforms every aspect of our lives. Jesus is our model of life and love. He shows us what it means to love sacrificially. As Peter encourages Jesus followers, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Jesus calls us beyond a standard expectation to care for others. He calls us to serve and give our lives away, as he did for us.
Consider one specific way you can follow Jesus’s example today. Ask God to help you imitate Jesus’s actions, whether through serving others, showing patience or demonstrating sacrificial love. Read John 13:1-17 and reflect on how Jesus’s example of humble service challenges your attitudes and actions.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH 2025
THE TRUTH TEST
I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 1 John 2:21
John, the aging disciple, writes a letter to believers in Ephesus because he is concerned about them. False teachers and prophets are trying to lead them away from Jesus with incorrect teachings about him. These teachers claim to know the truth about Jesus, but they are teaching lies. They deny that Jesus was fully human and fully God. John had already taught these believers the truth about Jesus. Now he tells them to stay with that truth and not listen to the lies. To spot what is false, they must first know what is true.
The same is true for us today. We must grow in our knowledge of the truth. Doing so helps us identify and resist that which is false. Social media, podcasts, books, TV series and music allow people with varying perspectives to share their ideas and beliefs. Many people and voices offer their thoughts on what is true, including those related to Jesus Christ. But we must recognize that many of the voices in our world today share lies (even if they contain a hint of truth).
Commit (or re-commit) to be a student of the truth. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). God’s Word, the Bible, is our source of truth. We need to read, study, memorize and obey Scripture, allowing it to shape and direct our lives. Ask God to help you become a more faithful student of his Word. Ask him to help you learn to turn from every wrong path, through understanding Scripture.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH 2025
ANTICHRIST
Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 1 John 2:18
John desires to see his spiritual children remain in the truth. He writes to warn them about the “antichrists.” These false teachers threaten believers’ ability to remain in the truth. John tells of a primary antichrist—a key and powerful world leader who deceives many, opposes God and persecutes the church. He also warns of many “antichrists,” some of whom had been part of their community. The “antichrists” include anyone who opposes Jesus and deceives others about him.
It is crucial that we hold a correct view of Jesus and his finished work. The greatest threat to the church isn’t external, it’s internal. It’s believing an almost truth or a distorted truth about Jesus. We must be grounded in the core truths of the gospel and the Christian faith. The heart of true teaching about Jesus includes at least three correct beliefs about him: Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the Savior. Jesus is the King. To remain in the truth, we must be convinced of these realities and resist teachings that suggest the contrary.
Take action to protect yourself from distorted teachings about Jesus. Make a list of the spiritual voices you listen to regularly. Ask yourself, “Do they teach that Jesus is the Son of God? Do they teach that Jesus is the only way to God? Do they treat Jesus as the ultimate authority?” Ask God for help in recognizing when someone is distorting the truth about Jesus.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH 2025
FALSE PROPHETS
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1
John warns his readers about false prophets. In Scripture, a prophet represented God to people. Scripture tells of many true prophets, such as Moses, Elijah and Jeremiah. They spoke God’s words to people. In contrast, false prophets misrepresent God to people. John teaches believers to “test the spirits.” By this, John is encouraging them to exercise spiritual discernment. They are to check both the content and character of their spiritual influences. If their content and character do not align with God’s already-revealed Word, believers should not listen to them. Similarly, we need to be careful and discerning with the voices we listen to today. Two questions can be helpful in this process of discernment. 1) Does this message align with the Bible? 2) Does this messenger look and sound like Jesus? The content and character of a messenger of God should align with Scripture’s teaching and the fruit of the Spirit. This is also why we need to regularly study our Bibles and put Scripture’s teaching into practice. The more familiar we become with Scripture’s teaching, the more we can discern right from wrong in both character and content.
Commit God’s Word to memory to discern truth from error. Commit 1 John 4:1 to memory, which is a charge to “test the spirits” or exercise spiritual discernment. As you memorize these words, ask God for the wisdom, help and strength to put this charge into practice.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH 2025
OVERCOMERS
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
John warns his readers about some of the spiritual dangers of their day. However, John also gives them good news. A greater spiritual force lives within them. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth who guides God’s people into the truth. John writes to encourage these believers that they can discern the truth because they have the Holy Spirit within them. The Spirit will help them and guide them as they seek to remain in the truth.
The Holy Spirit is still actively at work within God’s people today. The Spirit helps us better understand and walk in the truth. One of the best ways we can discern the Spirit’s leading is whether an inclination aligns with the Word of God. The Holy Spirit works in tandem with the Word and will never contradict what the Bible says. This is like two-factor authentication. As a result, we need to read and study the Word of God for ourselves. We should also surround ourselves with mature believers who know Scripture and its teachings. Intentional relationships with other believers can help us stay close to Jesus and his Word.
The Holy Spirit guides and leads God’s people. Bring your questions and need for discernment to God in prayer. Ask God to help you discern his leading. Also, ask a mature Christian friend to pray with you to help discern God’s leading. As you do, be encouraged that the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH 2025
THE A – Z LIST OF THE RICHNESS OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHILD OF GOD.
And this barley scratches the surface!
Drink from the waterfall of the richness of what it means to be God’s Child!
ADOPTED
He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Eph 1:5
BELOVED
As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved… Col 3:12
You are His beloved son and daughter.
CHOSEN
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world…. Eph 1:4
For those abandoned by a parent or spouse – Know that He picked you.
DELIVERED
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness… Col 1:13
Many here can testify: “I’ve been delivered.”
ESTABLISHED
Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel… Rom 16:25
In Jesus you have the most solid foundation possible.
FORGIVEN
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 Jn 1:9
Past, present, and future sins - gone.
GIVEN EVERYTHING YOU NEED
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life… 2 Pet 1:3
You lack nothing in Christ.
HELPED
In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. 2 Cor 6:2
You are never alone; you have a divine Helper.
INVITED
Whoever comes to me I will never drive away. Jn 6:37
You have 24/7 access to the throne room of the King.
JUSTIFIED
Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom 5:1
When God looks at you, He sees the sinless perfection of Jesus.
KNOWN
You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. Ps 139:1
He knows you better than you know yourself.
LOVED
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice… 1 Jn 4:10
God is love, and He has set His love on you.
MASTERPIECE
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works… Eph 2:10
Humanity is the Apex of God’s creation. The redeemed of the Lord are His Masterpiece.
PAUSE – Everybody take a breath… we’re only halfway through the waterfall.
NEW CREATION
If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Cor. 5:17
New identity. New heart. New future.
OVERCOMER
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater… 1 Jn 4:4
You have Victory in Jesus.
PURIFIED
…having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience… Heb 10:22
You are “Washed as white as snow”.
QUALIFIED
…who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. Col 1:12
He made you worthy to be in His family.
REDEEMED
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins…” Eph 1:7
Making “Beauty for ashes” is God’s specialty!
SEALED
…with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Eph 4:30
You are secure in Christ.
TRANSFORMED
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Rom 12:2
Metamorphosis—like a butterfly leaving the cocoon.
UNITED WITH CHRIST
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ…. Phil 2:1
You are with Jesus; nothing can separate you.
VICTORIOUS
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 15:57
Victory over sin, evil, and death.
WELCOMED
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Eph 3:12
God welcomes you with open arms.
EXQUISITELY MADE
You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Ps 139:13
You are not an accident. Crafted on purpose.
YOKED WITH CHRIST
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me… Matt 11:28–29
His way is the life-giving way.
ZEALOUS
Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ…” Eph 2:4–5
He pursued you. He wants you. His desire is for you. He is zealous for you!
THIS IS WHAT IT MEAS TO BE A CHILD OF GOD.
It’s like trying to drink from a waterfall.
THIS IS GRACE! You didn’t earn this. You didn’t deserve it. It’s pure gift.
No wonder John exclaims …
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are.” 1 John 3:1
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH 2025
CONFIDENT IDENTITY
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1
John teaches the believers in and around Ephesus core truths about who they are in Jesus. One foundational truth he emphasizes is that something important marks their identity. These young believers are struggling to understand that they are God’s children. They have put their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. Now, John reminds them, they can live confidently because they’ve been adopted into God’s family. In a city like Ephesus, where child abandonment was practiced, these believers may not have known their biological parents. John writes that what is most true about them is not who abandoned them, but that God has adopted them. They are his beloved sons and daughters.
Our relationship with our parents affects us deeply. Family relationships form a significant part of our identity. In much the same way, God wants our relationship with him as his adopted children to be the most significant part of our identity. When we let this new identity change our lives, we will find joy, purpose and healing. This week, we will look closely at our identity in Jesus, who we will be in the future and how we can live out our identity today.
If God has already brought you into his family, thank him that your true identity is found in him. If you have yet to place your faith and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin, open your heart and life to him and the grace and mercy found only in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Begin your journey with Jesus and the life he offers today. If you have questions about faith in Jesus, email me at pastormark@RELEVANTchurchMD.com. I would love to talk with you.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH 2025
WHO WE ARE
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1
As John teaches the believers in Ephesus about how to live with confident faith, he draws their attention to God’s great love for them. God’s love should cause awe and wonder. It is a love so amazing that they should struggle to find words to express it. It should leave them speechless! John uses the word lavished, which means “over the top.” Then, John tells them that this over-the-top gift is that we “should be called children of God!” He intends to overwhelm them with this description and leave them in awe of this amazing love. God’s love is so wonderful, and John wants them to know that they are now children of God.
There is a difference between understanding God’s love theoretically and sitting in awe and wonder at being God’s child. This reality changes everything when we internalize it and make it the most significant part of our identity. This past weekend, we used the alphabet to look at many of the different things God says about us as his children. In Christ, we are adopted, beloved, chosen and so much more.
Review who you are in Christ from A to Z. Then, in your journal, list any lies you’ve believed about your identity that need to be replaced with something from the A-Z list. Memorize that verse so you can recall it quickly whenever you question your identity.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH 2025
WHO WE WILL BE
What we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2
John writes that one day, believers will be face-to-face with Jesus. Not only will believers see what Jesus is like, but they will also be like him. They will no longer sin and no longer want to sin. Plus, their bodies will be without pain, disease, decay or death. All these things are part of being a child of God! It includes a transformed character and a new body from God. For those in Ephesus who were struggling with deteriorating bodies and incurable diseases, this was amazing news. John tells them that everything will be different when Jesus returns.
Being a child of God means that we, too, will inherit from God a transformed character and body (way better than anything we can ever get from the gym). The apostle Paul says the same thing in Romans 8:21: “Creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” Creation is waiting in eager expectation for the children of God to be fully revealed because when Jesus returns, we will be like him. We will no longer be marred by sin and will no longer exploit creation. It will be glorious and beyond what we can imagine. Listen to the song “Who You Say I Am”. Make the lyrics a prayer of praise to God that “I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who you say I am.”
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST 2025
WHAT WE DO
All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:3
John tells the believers in Ephesus that knowing their identity as children of God isn’t enough. They need to live out of this identity. He reminds them that God is “pure,” so they should be pure. They need to root out selfishness and any destructive behaviors. They have no place in the life of a child of God. Believers don’t purify themselves to earn God’s love. They already have that through Jesus. Rather, they purify themselves in their daily living because God has already purified them. This isn’t about self-improvement but living out who they already are in Christ.
A life based on our identity in Jesus should lead to purity in every part of our lives. Throughout this series, we’ve learned we can be confident in our faith in Jesus. We can have the hope John talks about. But we need to do something with this confidence. Confidence in our identity should change the way we live. We are to live as God’s beloved children. If our identity is anchored elsewhere, such as in achievements, appearances, or our net worth, we need to move away from it and trust what God says about us. We should look more and more like Jesus the longer we journey with him. If there is a part of our life that we have “walled off” from God, this is probably the area we need to focus on first.
Go back and re-watch a sermon in this series. Pick the one that spoke to your biggest need or the one that inspired you the most. Invite a friend to watch it again and discuss what you heard.
FAITHFULNESS
The Life of Samuel
Devotionals for our 6 Week Sermon Series Through 1 Samuel
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2025
"FAMILY PAIN"
He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 1 Samuel 1:2
If you’re the member of a family, you will experience pain. It’s a given. Families are the testing ground for learning—or not learning—to deal with hurts, angers, jealousies, provocations, and the disappointments of life. The closer we are to people, the more we’re affected by their sin. And there’s no place closer than the family unit: those we care about the most can hurt us the most.
Hannah and Peninnah are caught in a family where each of them lack something of huge value. Peninnah has children, but lacks the love of her husband Elkanah. Hannah has his love, but is barren. Both women are deeply hurt, but deal with it differently. Peninnah finds relief by tormenting her barren rival while Hannah suffers in a silence that turns into sickness and tears.
This week we are challenged to consider how God works in our lives through emotional pain. We can choose “relief” by destroying ourselves and others, or we can choose to give our pain to God and wait in faith for his solution. When Hannah finally cries out to God, his plan unfolds in her life.
This week identify a situation in your family (or extended family) which could provide you with an opportunity to trust God more deeply. Pray as Hannah did, on how you should react through the process.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2025
LAMENT
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me” (Psalm 13.1)?
Because the silence of God can intensify our pain, it’s easy to wonder why a loving God allows us to suffer. But Hannah shows us what can come from intense, deep pain when we cry out to God—built-up pain can intensify our prayers, drawing us closer to him through our deepest longings.
Hannah reaches the brink of what she can endure and falls into the waiting arms of God through her prayer of lament. When God seems distant, it’s not that he left, but he’s allowing our pain to draw us closer to him on a deeper level of faith.
A heart of lament is a heart God can shape. Today, write your own prayer of lament to God concerning a painful situation you’re suffering through right now. Don’t be afraid to pour out your true feelings, but make sure to end with the hope you have in God. For help, read Psalm 13 and see how David pours out his lament to God and then glorifies him at the end.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2025
BELIEVE IN GOD
“I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman” (1 Samuel 1.15-16).”
Up until the day she became completely undone, Hannah acted out her sorrow and stress over being childless by crying and not eating. Elkanah, her husband, thinks his love should be enough. But his love is not enough to take away the shame and hurt a woman in that culture felt about being a childless failure.
Yet, after she poured out her heart to God, she explained to Eli (the priest who thought she was drunk), “I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman” (1 Samuel 1.15-16).” She goes away at peace with God, no longer sad. True peace only comes from bringing our whole self to God; giving it all to him and holding back nothing.
As Jesus says in Matthew 11.28-30, when you are ashamed, and weary from the pains of this world and come to him, “. . . you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2025
MERCY & MOVEMENT
Peter tells us, “There is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while…these trials are only to test your faith…”1 Peter 1:6-7
God lets us endure pain because he has a plan—he wants us to learn and grow through the pain as we await his mercy. As we trust him we can say, “Here I am what’s left of me, where Glory meets my suffering, I’m alive” (MercyMe, “The Hurt and the Healer”).
Listen to the song “The Hurt and the Healer,” by Mercy Me. As you welcome God into your day, reflect on how he has grown you through the pain in your life.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER, 12TH 2025
GIVING BACK
When Hannah cries out to God for a child, she makes a sacrificial promise to give the child back to God. God gives her a son, Samuel, and when he is weaned she does just that—she releases him to God. In our culture it’s difficult to understand why she’d be willing to give up the child she so deeply and desperately wanted.
The answer is in her attitude toward God. When she gets up from her prayer of lament, Hannah is no longer troubled. She’s at peace, showing she totally and completely trusts God. She truly believes if he gives her a child, this child already belongs to him and will be safe and secure as his dedicated servant.
By dedicating Samuel to God, Hannah gives Israel one of its strongest and godliest leaders. By taking him to the temple at such a young age, he’s raised in an atmosphere that teaches him what he needs to know and believe to serve God and his people well.
If you’ve been given children, consider dedicating them (and you as a parent!) to God. If you haven’t done so already, plan to dedicate your children at Relevant Church. Reach out for more information.
MONDAY, SEPT 15TH
FAITHFULNESS
This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for they were treating the LORD’S offering with contemp. 1 Samuel 2:17
On Sunday we described the culture of temple life during the adolescent years of Samuel. Two priests, Hophni and Phineas, were living in open rebellion to God and treated God’s sacrifices with “contempt” (1 Samuel 2.17). Even though their father was Eli, the head priest, they still walked in open opposition to God, abusing the sacrifices and violating the women who served in the temple courts. This was the example that was being set for young Samuel.
Despite this, Samuel “continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people” (1 Samuel 2.26). Amazingly, Samuel was able to thrive in an environment that was anything but conducive to growth. Samuel is fully devoted to God, living a life of integrity in the middle of an institution marked by serious corruption.
Many of us face similar challenges every day: the environments in which we work or live can be challenging to live with integrity, purity, and mission. Yet, as people transformed by walking with Jesus, we have the potential to grow and shine just as Samuel did.
The One Big Question for you to consider this week is. . . In what environment do you find it incredibly difficult to live as a fully-devoted follower of Jesus?
TUESDAY, SEPT 16TH, 2025
TIME’S UP
"The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age. . .” 1 Samuel 2:31
For years Eli, the head priest, allowed his priest sons to live in open contempt of God’s worship. Their behavior was abominable as they used their position and authority to fleece God’s people and take advantage of women serving at the temple gates.
It may have seemed like God was not paying attention to these atrocities, but he was fully aware and eventually his patience ran out. Eli and his family had ample opportunity to repent and return to God, but God had waited long enough. God’s response: “Time’s up!”
Eli received a troubling message from the Lord, “The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age. . .” (1 Samuel 2.31). God was going to end Eli’s lineage.
This passage serves as a warning to all of us. God regularly presents himself to us in Scripture as a gracious, loving Father (which he is!), but he also takes sin and rebellion very seriously. If you’re living in open rebellion to God, know for sure God is aware and cares deeply. He wants you to turn around, let go of your habit or rebellion, and step into the light.
Today, spend some time journaling a prayer of disclosure to God. If the Holy Spirit is prying at something in your heart, confess it to God in prayer and consider confessing to a fellow Christian. King David’s prayer in Psalm 139.23-24 is a great model of inviting God to search our hearts. Use his words to guide your own prayer.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT 17TH 2025
LISTENING
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10
At Relevant Church we talk often about having a “relationship with God.” That’s a tricky statement for the simple fact that God is invisible—we don’t actually see him. This reality was also difficult for Samuel. As a young boy, in the service of the temple priests, God spoke to Samuel while he was sleeping.
While not being able to see God made his relationship a little more complicated, Samuel eventually learned to listen to God and became a great spokesman for God to the people of Israel.
In our relationship with God we, too, need to learn how to listen to the invisible creator God—a God who wants to have intimate and regular conversation with us. A primary way God speaks to us is the Bible; hence the Bible is often referred to as “God’s Word.” One way of listening to God from the Bible is the practice of contemplative prayer: intervals of prayer revolving around one specific passage of Scripture.
Today, spend some time praying over Psalm 1. Try reading the passage, asking God to teach you from it, and then simply meditate on the text. Repeat the process focusing on different portions of the passage. Try reading it in different translations of the Bible. The goal of this exercise is to quiet all the other voices competing for your attention and just listen to God speaking through his Word.
THURSDAY, SEPT 18TH 2025
SPEAK TRUTH
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:15
The Apostle Paul teaches that the Church, the Body of Christ, exists to help people become mature in their faith and walk with Christ (Ephesians 4.11-13). One of the chief ways we accomplish this is by speaking the truth to one another in love (Ephesians 4.15). In relation to our study in 1 Samuel 3, the boy Samuel had the incredibly difficult task of speaking the tough truth to his mentor Eli (1 Samuel 3.11-21).
Some people pride themselves in “speaking the truth,” which is really just a defense for being nasty towards others. This is not what Paul is talking about. The aim of our truth-speaking is to build others up. When we have others’ best interests in mind, we love them with the truth.
The reverse is also true. We can say we love someone, but if we withhold the truth from them in fear they may be offended, we’re not really loving them at all. We’re just coddling their insecurity.
Truth in an atmosphere of grace is the medicine we all need. The message of the cross is the perfect example: none of us likes to hear we’re separated from God for eternity because of our sin, but without grasping that reality we’d never understand and accept Christ’s gracious work on the cross.
As you welcome God into your day, consider how you can “speak the truth” as you ask God to give you the courage and compassion you need.
FRIDAY, SEPT 19TH 2025
STAND OUT
“the light of the world, a city set on a hill” Matthew 5:14
Because Samuel began his ministry in a dark season of Israel’s history (1 Samuel 2-3), he could’ve just blended in: follow the crowd, blame his surroundings, and worship just like everyone else. But he didn’t! Samuel decided to stand out. In the same way, we can point to a host of cultural pitfalls that might cause us to blend in–but we shouldn’t. In fact, God desires for us to shine bright in the darkest environments. Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, declares his disciples are “the light of the world, a city set on a hill” (Matthew 5.14). As transformed followers of Jesus, we actually become beacons of truth and hope to a searching world. As I said on Sunday, we can either “blend in or stand out.”
In places of constant bickering, we can offer a kind word. In places of deceit, we can offer truth wrapped in love. In places of immorality, we can offer a life lived with integrity and purity as unto the Lord. Though you may not see the results immediately, God is using you as a beacon to draw others to himself.
Today, consider again the environments that offer you the greatest opportunity to stand out. Then, take out a piece of paper and list the individuals you know who present significant challenges in those places. Finally, ask God to give you a soft heart towards these people as you demonstrate kindness, truth, and integrity.
MONDAY, SEPT 22ND 2025
SPIRITUAL CRISIS
So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods … and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. 1 Samuel 7:3
The temple of God seems an unlikely place to experience crisis, but spiritual crisis was running rampant throughout Samuel’s ministry: the priests cared more about their stomachs and women than honoring the Lord, the Ark of the Covenant had been captured, and Israel was greatly influenced by the surrounding nations which worshipped statues in place of God.
Twenty years pass and Samuel reenters this story after a period when God no longer pacifies the people’s offenses. Instead, the Lord reveals his established consequences for sin.
Wherever the Ark of the Covenant went, people cowered and panicked knowing the presence of the Almighty God was near. But not Samuel! He refused to shy away in fear, back down in the face of major spiritual crisis, or push the issues of sin under the rug.
Samuel courageously moves toward the spiritual crisis with truth, reminding the people of God’s instructions and his compassion and graciousness toward all who turn from their sin.
Just as Samuel guided the nation of Israel through their spiritual crisis, we can move forward spiritually without fear.
As you begin your week, consider the areas where something spiritually is holding you back or weighing you down. Whatever it is, don’t delay in asking for help: call a trusted friend or your small group leader to help you walk in truth and remember, as Samuel reminded the Israelites, if you choose to return to God, then God will deliver you.
TUESDAY, SEPT 23RD 2025
ONLY
So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods … and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. 1 Samuel 7:3
Samuel addresses Israel’s idolatry when he declares, “. . .rid yourselves of the foreign gods… and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only . . .”. In one word Samuel communicates that God is not one of many, but the one and only God.
“Only” is a word of priority, simplicity, and exclusivity. While the importance of prioritizing and need for simplicity is easily admitted and admired, the idea of exclusivity is not often praised. Rather, uneasiness seems to accompany the concept of “only” in our culture, especially in terms of love, sexuality, religion, and even salvation. Perhaps this perspective resonated in Israel as they worshipped a multiplicity of other gods.
If we’re honest we, too, have idols. We often look to people and things around us to fill an inner void for security and significance. Even good things creep in and we fail to see them as vying for our love—and competing for the place of God—in our hearts.
In fact, our hearts are idol factories. Rather than ridding ourselves of idols, we give up one and quickly turn to another. But God desires the priority and exclusivity of our hearts even as we battle with competing desires.
This week’s One Big Question is … What in your life is competing for total devotion to God? Take time to humbly encourage and pray for one another to serve God only.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT 24TH 2025
CONFESSION
On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” 1 Samuel 7:6b
This past Sunday we pointed out the brevity of Israel’s statement, “We have sinned against the Lord” (1 Samuel 7:6). Israel’s confession is simple but profound. They not only admitted their need for God’s help, but they agreed with God about their sin: they confessed their actions as a direct offense against God himself.
Sadly, when we find ourselves in a spiritual predicament where we need God, we’re often unwilling to admit our wrongdoing in the matter. We struggle to let God reveal where our thoughts, words, or actions missed the mark as we refuse to see sin as it truly is—an offense against God himself. We may attempt to ignore the situation or try to muscle through, but God is neither oblivious nor obligated to bless us.
Israel experienced consequences for embracing other gods: they couldn’t live under the favor with God unless they confessed their sin. This warning for Israel is also huge for us! If we run from God—if we defy him—and ignore all of the warnings he sends, we can’t think he’ll obligate himself to bless us.
However, “if we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Stand firm on that promise and begin a regular practice of confessing sin by writing out a prayer specifying ways you have offended God today.
THURSDAY, SEPT 25TH 2025
EXPECTATIONS
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12
Although Israel recognized their sin and admitted their offense against God, their confession didn’t change their circumstances: the religious culture didn’t change, the racial tensions didn’t disappear, and the attacks kept coming. When the Philistines prepared their next assault, Israel quickly embraced fear resulting in panic. Even though they cried out to Samuel for spiritual intervention, they still had to go into battle.
Sometimes we expect God to intervene by removing a difficult situation. But like Israel, God may cause us to walk into our fears (by faith) as we trust he is with us. Without conquering the Philistines, Israel would never have said, “Thus far the Lord has helped us”. God strengthened Israel’s faith that day when he sent them into battle again.
Perhaps you have set up false expectations of God, believing he should remove a struggle when in reality he may want to strengthen you in that struggle. The attacks may keep coming, but cry out to God as he promises to be with you.
Today, praise God for a time when you cried out to him, he helped you in your struggle, and you were able to say, “Thus far the Lord has helped me.”
FRIDAY, SEPT 26TH 2025
DELIVERANCE
“Thanks be to God who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 7:25
Over twenty years pass for Israel without experiencing the favor of God or deliverance from oppression. When the Ark returns, Samuel steps up and God shows up. But Israel’s long-anticipated deliverance won’t truly come until God raises up a long-awaited son, who would be set apart for God, be found in the temple as a boy (Luke 2:46), grow up in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52), and become a faithful prophet bringing deliverance to the people of God.
Samuel’s life and Israel’s deliverance foreshadows an even greater deliverance to come—the deliverance from sin. Hundreds of years later, God sends his own Son, Jesus, to grow up as a faithful prophet and become the sacrificial payment for sin: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Now, because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, each of us can experience eternal deliverance from sin.
When you humble yourself to receive God’s gracious gift, you can praise God as Paul did, “Thanks be to God who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25). Just as the Israelites agreed with God about their sin and called on Samuel to find God’s deliverance, call on the name of Jesus Christ today for your deliverance from sin. Then share your story by emailing pastormark@RELEVANTchurchMD.com
MONDAY, SEPT 29TH 2025
FAITHFULNESS
15 Samuel continued as Israel’s leader all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also held court for Israel. And he built an altar there to the LORD. 1 Samuel 7:15-17
Much of our life, on a day-to-day basis, could properly be described as “mundane”: common and ordinary. But it’s in this “ordinariness” of life we learn faithfulness, a “slow and steady” type of faithfulness we demonstrate by showing up again and again. It’s the same type of faithfulness Samuel exhibited as he served as an itinerant judge in Israel.
Operating in a four-town circuit, Samuel served as a judge and preacher, meting out justice as cases (perhaps the toughest ones) were presented to him. “Year to year” he made his circuit, faithfully hearing the testimony and examining the evidence. He was persistent, dedicated, and unwavering.
It’s this faithfulness to God, as he called people back to obedience to God, which qualified Samuel for spiritual leadership and resulted in God’s blessing for Israel. God used his faithfulness in the “small,” day-to-day things to prepare him for larger tasks.
But it’s in the “ordinariness” of life where we’re most likely to quit: a dead-end job presenting no challenge, caring for aging parents, never-ending school, ministry with minimal—or no—results. It’s exactly here where God calls us to faithfulness, to follow him as he prepares us for larger tasks ahead.
Today, listen to the song “I Will Follow” by Vertical Church Band as you commit to following God in the ordinariness of life.
TUESDAY, SEPT 30TH 2025
SECURITY
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.” 1 Samuel 8:19-22
With Samuel now very old, and having experienced the dishonesty of Samuel’s sons, Israel’s leaders use this pretext to request a king. But their real reason is security—they want someone to lead them to victory in battle. Rather than trust their security to God, who had led them successfully to the Promised Land by providing food and water during their journey from Egypt, they wanted to trust it to a human leader. Their security was misplaced.
We, too, have a tendency to misplace our security. Instead of placing our security in God, we place it in our bank accounts, retirement portfolios, a spouse (or spouse-to-be), or abilities (including athletic). We mistakenly believe these can “win” our “battles.” Battles with insecurity, fear, frustration, and inadequacy.
This leads to the One Big Question. . .Where do you tend to look for a sense of security? When you identify it, confess it before God. Then remind yourself security is to be placed in God alone, “For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings” (Psalm 61:3-4).
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, 2025
REJECTION
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Samuel 15:58
Israel’s request for a king hit Samuel hard. He took it as an “in your face” rejection of his godly, faithful, leadership over many years. Year after year he faithfully administered justice and proclaimed God’s truth as he continually called Israel to obedience. Only to hear, as he neared the end of life, “Give us a king” (1 Samuel 8:6).
It’s at this point Samuel hears directly from God (even in the Bible this is very rare), “. . . it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king” (1Samuel 8:7). It’s as though God wanted Samuel to know his work had not gone unnoticed. God noticed and he knew Samuel needed to hear it.
We need to hear it as well. As you “labor” today (and for you it may truly be labor!), allow these words to sink deep into your soul: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain”.
As you welcome God into your day, be reminded he notices as you labor for an audience of One.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2ND, 2025
INTEGRITY
Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. 2 Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. 3 Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.” 4 “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.” 5 Samuel said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” 1 Samuel 12:1-5
As the transition is made from Samuel to Saul—Israel’s first king—Samuel has the opportunity to address the nation. It must have been a powerfully emotional moment as he asks if there is anyone who can accuse him of taking a bribe or perverting justice (remember, he served for years as an itinerant judge).
Recognizing he had lived with total integrity, the people respond, “You have not cheated or oppressed us. . . You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand”. What a satisfying moment this must have been for Samuel, especially in light of his previous rejection by the nation!
We can imagine Samuel, looking back on a lifetime of faithful service, knowing he lived a life of integrity before both God and the nation. While opportunities to pervert justice were certainly present, he didn’t succumb. He needed no courage to ask the nation if he had wronged anyone—he knew he hadn’t.
Living a life of integrity allows us to stand with a clean conscience “in the presence of the Lord and his anointed”. Today, memorize 1 Samuel 12:24 and call it to mind when you’re tempted to think, say, or do something which doesn’t meet God’s standard of integrity.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3RD
IDENTITY
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[e] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:9-14
We spend much of our lives defining who we are: the neighborhoods in which we live, the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, our friends, and our accomplishments can all be used to give us identity. We use all of these—and more—to form our identity and security. But as Jesus followers, our identity and security is to be found only in him. The apostle Paul, a first-century church planter who wrote much of the New Testament, details part of this identity in Colossians 1: “…bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God…giving joyful thanks to the Father…sharing in the inheritance of his holy people…brought into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”. As a Jesus follower, this is who you are!
The reality is: we’ll move in and out of neighborhoods, trade in old cars, outgrow our clothes, see friends come and go, and dust old trophies. But our identity and security in Christ is sure and never changing.
Today, meditate on Colossians 1:9-14 (try reading it in a different translation) and thank God for your identity in Christ.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 6TH 2025
FEAR VS FAITH
When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. …Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. 1 Samuel 13:6-10
King Saul has problems. . .big ones! He has a massive and well-armed Philistine army preparing to wipe out him and his ragtag band of soldiers. His problems only get more complicated when his soldiers start deserting and hiding in “caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns” — not really a picture of bravery and courage.
Samuel told Saul to wait for him seven days at Gilgal so Samuel could properly offer sacrifices. But when Saul saw his men running and hiding, he acted out of fear and offered the sacrifices on his own, without Samuel.
While Saul needed to trust God’s plan and promises in the midst of his trials, his fear-based decision-making ultimately ruined him. God had promised Israel if they would obey and follow him, he [the God of all creation] would fight for them. Saul needed only to remember the Israelites’ history to realize God makes it a priority to come through on his promises.
We, too, can be easily paralyzed by the enormity of the conflicts around us. But our response should be grounded in faith, not fear. We can embrace each circumstance with the conviction God’s going to treat us according to his promises and character.
Take a moment to list the circumstances you regularly face that cause you to react with fear. Then take a moment to pray over your list, releasing those fears to God and asking him to help you trust his promises.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7TH 2025
HEART
But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22
King Saul was given the task of taking care of some unfinished business: completely annihilating the Amalekites. Early in Israel’s history the Amalekites had cruelly slaughtered many of Israel’s weak and unarmed, so God vowed to “blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven” (Deut. 25:17-19).
Samuel’s instructions to “totally destroy all that belongs to them” (1 Samuel 15.3) may seem harsh, but this was God’s fulfillment of justice on a people who inflicted incredible injustice on his people. Saul’s job was simple and clear: don’t leave anything or anyone behind.
Saul successfully began his mission by defeating the Amalekites. But somewhere in the course of his conquest he suffered a change of heart—he thought it might be a good idea to spare the best of the livestock and the Amalekite King, Agag. His excuse for this change of heart: he wanted to use the livestock for sacrifices (1 Samuel 15.15). Samuel’s rebuke is powerful: “to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15.22b). In other words: God wants your obedient heart more than he wants religious activity.
Living for God [religious activity] without having a relationship with God is a dangerous reality we can easily fall prey to. Attending church services, giving gifts of gratitude, and serving are all good things, but God doesn’t need our sacrifices. God really wants our hearts! In fact, other passages in Scripture point to the fact that God disdains our religious activity when our hearts are far from him (Hosea 6.6; Matthew 9.13). True worship starts in the heart.
Reflect on the song “The Heart of Worship,” performed by Sonic Flood, and consider ways you may have elevated your religious activity above simply giving God your whole heart. Ask God to strip away any pretenses of a religious activity and to help you grow in real relationship with him.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8TH 2025
FEAR
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. 25 Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.” 1 Samuel 15:24
After Samuel confronts Saul for bringing back livestock he was supposed to destroy, Saul responds with a simple confession revealing his true motive: “I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them”. Saul’s fear of his own men caused him to disregard God’s clear commands in his life.
Fear prevents us from accomplishing our most significant tasks in our most important roles. This was utterly true for Saul—fear crippled him from leading God’s people in an hour when they desperately needed him—and it rings equally true for each of us. We live in various roles: parent, spouse, child, employee, friend and fear can easily cripple us in those areas if we give way to it.
But this isn’t God’s plan for your life. Throughout Scripture God reminds us over and over he’s the bringer and establisher of peace.
God tells Joshua, an Old Testament leader over God’s people, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1.9). Jesus tells his disciples on the eve of his arrest, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you…Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14.27).
God’s plan for each of us is to live in peace and confidence, not fear and doubt. This week’s One Big Question is…In what area of your life are you tempted to live in fear?
Take time to discuss this with close friend. As you identify those areas, encourage one another to invite God into those moments and ask him to deliver you. God is with you and he is not afraid; he is your peace and your hope today.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9TH 2025
PATTERNS
Take time to read 1 Samuel 15:24-35
We can choose our sin, but we can’t choose our consequences. King Saul made two monumental mistakes: offering an unlawful sacrifice and not fulfilling his mission to wipe out the Amalekites and all their possessions (1 Samuel 13:8-14;15:1-9)
I’m sure Saul did not anticipate his consequences being so harsh. God rejected Saul as king and ripped the kingdom from his hands (1 Samuel 15:6-28). Not only did Saul lose the kingdom, but he also learned if he had obeyed, God would have established his kingdom over Israel forever—a reality Saul forfeited by his rebellious activity (1 Samuel 13:13-14).
Our habits and patterns eventually reap either rich blessing or devastating consequences, outcomes over which we have no control—that task is God’s alone. Patterns of arrogance and self-reliance can utterly ruin us, whereas humility and selflessness spanning a lifetime can reap the richest blessings.
We may think we’re getting away with a deviant habit today, but we’re actually building a case against our own character and ensuring heavy consequences.
As you welcome God into your day, complete this exercise: jot down on a piece of paper the top three or four qualities you hope to be remembered for; such as faithful, joyful, patient, loving, or generous.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10TH 2025
REPENTANCE
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:17
Repentance, by definition, is to simply “turn around.” But when it comes to sinful habits, it’s significantly easier to say than it is to do—especially those habits and patterns we’ve developed over the years.
When we realize we’re walking down a path contrary to God’s desire for our lives, he wants us to “turn around” and starting walking after him. King David, in Psalm 51, gives us an excellent example of what repentance looks like. David had just committed some major moral mistakes and his prayer of repentance gives us insight on what real repentance involves.
Repentance can be broken down into three C’s: contrition, confession, and change. True repentance starts with contrition—a broken heart over sinning against God. Then we must confess to God our error. The truth is, he already knows; but there’s power in verbalizing and owning our fault before God. It frees us from the power of secrecy. Finally, we must change our actions and begin to obey.
Repentance comes full circle when we’re actually obeying God from our hearts: obeying him because we want to.
Today, memorize Psalm 51:17 which talks about the beginning of repentance: having a broken and contrite heart. Ask God to break your heart for the things that break his as you daily turn back to him and away from sin.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13TH 2025
BEYOND GRIEF
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” 1 Samuel 16:1
Grief knocks the wind out of you. Devastated by Saul’s failure to obey God’s instructions, (whose failure was evidence of a heart that didn’t love God and resulted in God rejecting Saul as king) Samuel spiraled into a deep period of mourning. So much so God eventually asks him, “How long will you mourn for Saul. . . ? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way…”. God was calling Samuel to a hope beyond his grief.
God created us to grieve. It’s important for our emotional health. There should be a period of mourning when we experience the loss of a family member, career, or even a dream. But there will come a day when we need to say “enough,” put the Kleenex box aside, and move forward.
God doesn’t just want us to move on, but forward. God wants us to give him our broken heart in such a way that we’re drawn deeper and closer into his presence as he uses our grief for his good. Imagine the good God can bring from your grief (remember Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:1-20.
There may be something you are grieving. As you welcome God into your week and day, listen to “Oceans” by Hillsong United and soak in these words: “Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith will be made stronger, in the presence of my Savior.” As you do, trust God for the hope that comes from him through your grief.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH 2025
HEART MATTERS
The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7b
God removed Saul as King of Israel because “he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions” (1 Samuel 15:11). By rejecting the word of the Lord, Saul revealed a heart of fear and a lack of love and obedience for the God who made him king.
So, God sends Samuel to anoint a new king from one of Jesse’s seven sons. When Samuel sees the oldest son he assumes, based on his appearance, he is the new king. But after seeing this son and six more, God lets Samuel know, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (16:7b).
We often tend to be like Samuel: evaluating by physical appearance, skills, and intelligence. We tend to look at the immediate and external and are so easily fooled we can even fool ourselves! But God sees our heart. The impressions we leave may be an unreliable criteria of our spiritual health.
While we may exhibit pure motives, devotion to him, and a humility of spirit, God may actually be seeing resentment, competition, envy, pride, and a heart turned inward toward “self.”
Today, take some time to consider this week’s One Big Question. . .What areas of growth or change would move you closer to reflecting the heart of God? Then read Psalm 139 and pray for God to “search me and know my heart….and lead me in the way everlasting”.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15TH 2025
DAILY CLEANSING
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9 Sadly, King Saul has become an example to us of a man who took action motivated by fear rather than faith in God’s Word. Full of self-deception, lies, and excuses, he blatantly disobeyed God and said, “I have carried out the Lord’s instructions” (1 Samuel 15:13).
But when God looked into his heart, he saw fear that led to disobedience. God tells Samuel he is looking for “a man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14); a man who has a heart that beats with God’s heart.
In reality we’re no different than Saul. We have thoughts and fears that stray far from the heart of God. If we aren’t careful we, too, can become self-deceived and full of excuses. Keeping a short account with God opens us to experience the cleansing forgiveness offered to us by the blood of Jesus shed for our sins.
We can experience the inner growth that comes from the power of the Holy Spirit working within us (Ephesians 3:16-19).
Today, begin the habit of daily cleansing, called “confession.” Ask God to show you even the sins you may not be aware of (Psalm 139:23-24), and then trust him to cleanse you as you sincerely confess them. Doing this is an act of obedience that shows God how much you love him and releases his power into your life.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16TH 2025
YOUR LEGACY
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-5
Once David is anointed as king, Samuel takes more of a “back seat” in the remainder of 1 Samuel. But in 1 Samuel 28:3 some important information is slipped in, “Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah.” Samuel left behind an amazing legacy of service and faithfulness.
From the day he was dedicated to the temple by his mother, until the day he died, he modeled consistent and steadfast faith toward the call of God’s purpose in his life. He lived in such a way that the whole country mourned his passing and felt his absence.
As believers and followers of Christ we also have a calling and purpose. Consider the calling and purpose God has given you. Consider how your absence would be received if you were removed from your family, job, and church.
Take some time to write your own legacy, how you want to be remembered. Then consider how you need to live in order to fulfill what you’ve written.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17TH 2025
FINISH WELL
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
As we look back over the life of Samuel, we see a man who finished well. He lived his life with integrity, continuity, and faithfulness (1 Samuel 12:1-5). When those around him faltered, he stayed the course.
In fact, as we look at many of the leaders in the Bible, few stayed the course through the beginning, middle, and end as Samuel did. David started and ended well, but had a period of faithlessness in the middle. Solomon started well, but ended poorly. Paul started poorly but ended well.
“Holy redundancy” is the phrase that can be used to describe Samuel’s life. He went through the circuit of his responsibilities day after day, year after year. His pattern of faithfulness not only served others well, but served him well. When he faced countless crises as the last “judge” of Israel, he knew how to trust God out of habit. May it one day be said that we lived a life of “holy redundancy.”
May we all, like Paul as he faced execution, be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).