“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5 NIV) *Enjoying Pastor Greg's devotional podcast? Let us know what you think with this quick survey !* From the day that we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, everything changes for us. Gone is that ever-present guilt that used to nag us day and night. There is no longer an empty hole deep inside of our soul. In the place of those things, God gives us what the apostle Paul refe...
Jul 03, 2025•4 min
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.” (1 John 1:9–10 NLT) *Enjoying Pastor Greg's devotional podcast? Let us know what you think with this quick survey !* One of the most important aspects of the Christian life is to know what it means to confess our sin. In fact, our very forgiveness hinges on our und...
Jul 02, 2025•4 min
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT) *Enjoying Pastor Greg's devotional podcast? Let us know what you think with this quick survey !* The Bible’s greatest example of communicating the gospel is none other than Jesus Christ. Not only is He God, not only is He our Savior, but He also offers the perfect example of communication. He modeled how to communicate. You can read stor...
Jul 01, 2025•4 min
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT) Have you ever had one of those seemingly perfect moments in life when everything just came together? That stunning sunset. Or that beautiful star-filled night. That special moment with someone you love, when you thought to yourself, I always want it to be this way. Of course, it isn’t always that way. Those seemingly perfect moments pass just as qu...
Jun 30, 2025•4 min
“And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.” (Romans 16:17–18 NLT) For years now, we’ve been living in an era focused on sensationalism. I’ve never seen a culture and society so obs...
Jun 28, 2025•4 min
“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.” (Galatians 6:1 NLT) After observing the behavior of some believers, you’d think that they have a verse in their Bibles that says, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, go and tell as many people as possible. And then set about trying to drive that person away fr...
Jun 27, 2025•4 min
“But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” (1 Corinthians 8:3 ESV) Did you know that God is vitally aware of what’s happening in the life of every individual? He is interested in every detail of our lives. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good” (NLT). It makes sense when you stop to think about it. How could He reward and punish otherwise? God is omniscient. He is always aware of everything that is happening. There is not one sing...
Jun 26, 2025•4 min
“That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT) The difference between the way God understands the future and the way we understand the future is much like the difference between an artist’s understanding of a blank canvas and our understanding of a blank canvas. The artist looks at the canvas, takes out a pencil, draws a couple of broad strokes, and then looks at...
Jun 25, 2025•4 min
“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 NLT) If you’ve ever felt scrutinized, as though people were just waiting for you to fail, you’re in good company. King David once wrote of his enemies, “The proud have set a trap to catch me; they have stretched out a net; they have placed traps all along the way” (Psalm 140:5 NLT). But they weren’t about to b...
Jun 24, 2025•4 min
“Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.” (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT) Several years ago, there was a story in the news about a man who had a tree fall on his leg. With no one around to come to his rescue, he took out a pocketknife and proceeded to amputate his leg. Then he made his way up the road until someone picked him up and raced him to help. Amazingly,...
Jun 23, 2025•4 min
“They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” (2 Timothy 3:5 NLT) As an evangelist, I constantly observe how two people who hear the same message will react in two completely different ways. One person will be profoundly moved, while the other will become harder in their sin. We see the very same thing in the story of Cain and Abel. Both men were sons of Adam and Eve. Both were raised in the same home and exposed to the sam...
Jun 21, 2025•3 min
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (1 Corinthians 13:4–7 NLT) Maybe you’ve heard someone say about a happy, loving couple, “They have a marriage made in Heaven.” The implication is that ...
Jun 20, 2025•4 min
“If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed.” (1 Timothy 4:6 NLT) Somewhere along the line, we have separated evangelism from discipleship. But there is no such distinction in Scripture. The idea of the Great Commission is not just to pray with someone to receive Christ and then say, “See you later. God bless you.” That would be like a mother w...
Jun 19, 2025•4 min
“I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.” (1 Corinthians 3:6–8 NLT) In the process of preaching the gospel, every Christian plays a part. Some of us sow seeds. Others water seeds that have already bee...
Jun 18, 2025•4 min
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” (Galatians 5:16 NLT) There are two ways that we can live: the right way or the wrong way. There are two paths that we can take: the narrow road that leads to life or the broad way that leads to destruction (see Matthew 7:13–14). There are two foundations that we can build on: solid rock or sinking sand (see Matthew 7:24–29). The choices we make concerning these things will determine whether ...
Jun 17, 2025•4 min
“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 NLT) Some Christians prefer not to concern themselves with the details of their faith. They may say something like, “I don’t care about theology. I just love Jesus.” That’s a sweet sentiment, but it’s a dangerous one. We need to care about theology. Theology is the study of what God has revealed to us. If we d...
Jun 16, 2025•4 min
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (Philippians 4:6 NLT) The devil doesn’t want you to know this, but the truth is that you can approach the throne of God any time—twenty-four hours a day. The devil wants us to believe that approaching God in prayer is based on a point system. He wants us to think, If I’ve been a good Christian, I can approach God. But if I’ve sinned, God will never hear my voice. The author of...
Jun 14, 2025•4 min
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 NLT) How do you feel about Bible study? Be honest. Is it a delight? Or is it drudgery? Unfortunately, many of us look at our time in God’s Word as mere drudgery. Perhaps it’s the way we read the Bible. Many of us read Go...
Jun 13, 2025•4 min
“You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you. You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is beneficial.” (1 Corinthians 10:23 NLT) As Christians, we need to avoid anything in life that will hinder our spiritual growth. To help you mature spiritually, here’s a litmus test that will assist you in identifying what might weigh you down in your spiritual walk. The first question to ask yourself is: Does this thing benefit me spiritually? The apostle Paul w...
Jun 12, 2025•4 min
“And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor.” (2 Timothy 2:6 NLT) Many times, when people feel burned out or overwhelmed, it’s not because God has given them too much to do. It’s because they haven’t spent time with Him. Psalm 91:1 says, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (NLT). Likewise, the apostle Paul wrote, “And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor” (2 Timothy 2...
Jun 11, 2025•4 min
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31–32 NLT) Frederic the Great, the king of Prussia, once visited a prison and talked with each of the inmates. He heard countless tales of innocence, exploitation, and misunderstood motives. If the prisoners were to be believed, no one in the prison was guilty. Eac...
Jun 10, 2025•4 min
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT) One day, when I was a small boy living in New Jersey, I was walking around my neighborhood with a newly acquired pair of cowboy cap guns. I was feeling pretty tough. I had my little belt on with my holsters and guns. As I walked, I practiced my fast draw, pulling out my pistols and firing away. Before long, a couple of hoodlums saw me and said, “Hey, you, come over here.” They s...
Jun 09, 2025•3 min
“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV) I’m a messy person by nature. I don’t like to live in messy environments, but I make a lot of messes. My approach to cleaning is the path of least resistance. If there’s clutter on my desk, I pitch it into a drawer. Out of sight, out of mind. I tell myself that I’ll get to it later. I allow messes...
Jun 07, 2025•4 min
“Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.” (1 Timothy 4:16 NLT) Have you ever fallen unexpectedly? It happened to me several years ago. I was riding my bike on my way to meet my wife at a restaurant for breakfast. Unbeknownst to me, someone had loosened the levers that held the front tire on my bike. As I was crossing a street and approaching the curb, I pulled up on the handleb...
Jun 06, 2025•4 min
“As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near.” (2 Timothy 4:6 NLT) When you take a trip, you have to leave at a certain time. If your flight departs at 8 o’clock, you have to account for traffic, parking, getting through security, and finding your gate. You need to allow time for all of them. You have to prepare for your departure if you want to arrive at your destination as planned. Of course, how you approach your departure will depend on ...
Jun 05, 2025•4 min
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7–8 NLT) While reading the newspaper one morning, Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist and engineer, was shocked to find his name listed in the obituary column. It was a mistake, of ...
Jun 04, 2025•4 min
“Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.” (1 Timothy 1:19 NLT) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, was a bit of a practical joker. One day, he jotted notes to twelve of his friends and sent them off with no name signed to them. On the notes he wrote these words: “Flee at once—all is discovered.” Within twenty-four hours, all twelve of the people ...
Jun 03, 2025•4 min
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (Galatians 5:22–23 NLT) Many people have a very pessimistic, cynical outlook on life. Screenwriter John Patrick Shanley wrote this for a character played by actor Nicolas Cage: “We are here to ruin ourselves and break our hearts and love the wrong people and die.” Benjamin Disraeli, the former prime minis...
Jun 02, 2025•4 min
“No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.” (Ephesians 5:29 NLT) In yesterday’s devotion, we looked at the problems that arise when you prioritize yourself in marriage. Today we’re going to expand the picture and look at the problems that arise when you prioritize yourself as a believer. So often today we hear about the importance of self-image, self-love, self-worth, and self-esteem. We even hear it proclaimed from our pulpits: “Doesn’t Jesus say...
May 31, 2025•3 min
“So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33 NLT) Selfishness is the secret to an unhappy marriage. Too often two people enter into marriage saying, “I want my way.” The husband says, “You do what I say.” And the wife says, “ I want it my way.” Because of selfishness, couples riddle their marriage with friction. It all comes down to self. Genesis 2:24 says, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, ...
May 30, 2025•3 min
