Scripture:  “Arise therefore, and build…” — 1 Chronicles 22:19 An elderly carpenter, eager to retire, agreed to build one final house at his employer’s request. But his heart wasn’t in it—he used poor materials and cut corners. When he finished, his employer handed him the keys. “This is your house,” he said. The carpenter was shocked! Had he known he was building his own home, he would have built it with better care. David understood the importance of building with purpose.

Scripture:   “First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”  — Matthew 7:5 NASB If you’ve ever watched timber salvaging from the water you know the work can be intense. One of the most intense tasks is when the crews dive deep into murky water searching for massive logs sunken beneath the surface. They can’t see clearly, the water is dark, and everything gets distorted. But they still plunge beneath the sur

Scripture:   “I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers… I appeal to you for my son Onesimus.”  — Philemon 4, 10 Conflict is never pleasant, but in Christ it becomes purposeful. Paul’s letter to Philemon shows us that tension doesn’t have to end in division—it can become a doorway for grace. Instead of running from conflict or trying to overpower it, believers can see it as an opportunity to glorify God, serve others, and grow in Christlikeness. When handled with

Scripture: “How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher?” — Romans 10:14 CSB Devotion: A small island community faced a devastating wildfire. That town had 80 warning signals installed—sirens intended to alert the people of danger. But when the fire approached, not a single alarm sounded. Someone knew the danger was coming, but the people didn’t. And because those who k

Revelation 14:6–7 — “Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim…” Katie and I were once sitting in the DFW airport, waiting at our gate well before our flight. Another plane was boarding beside us, and we listened as the attendant began calling the groups—first class, military, handicapped, then the rows one by one. Finally, she announced: “This is the final boarding call.”No one moved. The gate closed. Moments later, a family sprint

Theme:   Paul’s Final Greeting Observation As you study verses 23-25 make detailed observations in the following areas: Significant words Verb tenses Repetition Figures of speech Theological themes Context Progression of thought Historical and cultural references After completing your observations, summarize your findings in a devotional format. Include any insights or questions you may have for class discussion. Using your Bible dictionary , look up each individual mentioned

Theme:   Paul’s Confidence in Philemon's Decision Observation As you study verses 21-22 make detailed observations in the following areas: Significant words Verb tenses Repetition Figures of speech Theological themes Context Progression of thought Historical and cultural references After completing your observations, summarize your findings in a devotional format. Include any insights or questions you may have for class discussion. Paul gives Philemon a heads up that he inten

Theme:   Paul’s Appeal for Onesimus Observation As you study verses 8–20, make detailed observations in the following areas: Significant words Verb tenses Repetition Figures of speech Theological themes Context Progression of thought Historical and cultural references After completing your observations, summarize your findings in a devotional format. Include any insights or questions you may have for class discussion. Theological Contribution. The Epistle to Philemon is a les

Theme:   Thanksgiving for Philemon’s Faith and Love Using Philemon 4–7, study each verse and make detailed observations in the following areas: Significant words Verb tenses Repetition Figures of speech Theological themes Context Progression of thought Historical and cultural references Review other passages where Paul uses a statement similar to Philemon 1:4 — “I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers.” Instructions: Find and list the references where Paul expr

Using Philemon 1:1–3 , create a short devotional for this morning. As you study each of the three verses, make detailed observations of the following details: Significant words Verb tenses Repetition Figures of speech Theological themes Context Progression of thought Historical and cultural references Click Here to Use a Bible dictionary  to define the names of all characters mentioned in the passage. If you have any questions or insights you’d like to share, please reach ou

Scripture:  “Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city.” — Hebrews 11:16 God delights in those who trust Him and live for eternity. Our faith honors Him—and in return, He honors our faith. Heaven is not a vague dream; it’s a promised home for every believer in Christ. When we live with that assurance, courage replaces fear and hope replaces despair. Reflection:  Are you living today as though heaven is your true home? Prayer:  H

Scripture:  “They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.” — Hebrews 11:16 Every longing for peace, justice, and home points us toward heaven. God has placed eternity in our hearts—a homesickness for His presence. One day, that longing will be fulfilled when we see Him face to face. Until then, our desire for heaven should make us live more faithfully on earth. Reflection:  How does the hope of heaven shape the way you live today? Prayer:  Lord, thank You for prepar

Scripture:  “For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.” — Hebrews 11:14 Perspective is powerful. The people of faith looked beyond what was temporary and fixed their eyes on what was eternal. When we lose sight of heaven, our hearts drift toward comfort and compromise. But when heaven fills our vision, we endure hardship with hope and live each day with purpose. Reflection:  Are your eyes fixed on the temporary or the eternal? Prayer:  God, lift

Scripture:  “They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” — Hebrews 11:13 Believers are not meant to blend in with this world. Like travelers passing through, our values and vision belong to another land—heaven. When we live with eternity in mind, our priorities shift. We love differently, forgive more freely, and live more purposefully. Faith that proclaims reminds the watching world that we belong to Jesus. Reflection:  Does your daily life reflect th

Scripture:  “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off…” — Hebrews 11:13 Faith is not a one-time decision; it’s a daily direction. The heroes of Hebrews 11 trusted God even when they didn’t see the fulfillment of His promises. True faith keeps walking when the path is unclear because the heart is confident that God keeps His word. Persevering faith clings to God’s character, not to visible results. Reflection:  What promise of Go

Scripture:  2 Chronicles 20:3–4; Psalm 46:1 3  Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved to seek the Lord. Then he proclaimed a fast for all Judah, 4  who gathered to seek the Lord. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek him. (CSB) Jehoshaphat did not panic, strategize, or rally his weapons first. Scripture says he “set himself to seek the Lord.” His very first response was to pray. When fear pressed in, he pressed into God. We often do the opposite. We try everyt

Scripture:  2 Chronicles 20:1–2; Ephesians 6:12 2 Chronicles 20:1–2 (CSB) 20  After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, ,  came to fight against Jehoshaphat. 2  People came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast number from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom has come to fight against you; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi). When the report came to Jehoshaphat that a vast army was approaching, he didn’t ignore it. He didn’t pretend ev

Scripture: “ She made a vow, saying, ‘Lord of Armies, if You will take notice of Your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give Your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life.’” — 1 Samuel 1:11 Reflection: One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is our prayers. I was reminded of this when my wife, Katie, spoke with a mother who was overwhelmed with her child’s behavior. She had tried everything she knew to do, yet she felt

Scripture: “This Book of Instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it.” — Joshua 1:8 Reflection: Christian meditation is not emptying our minds—it is filling  our minds with God’s Word and then thinking deeply about what it says. It may sound gross but compare this to how a cow chews its cud: slowly, thoughtfully, and repeatedly to get all the nutritional value. One helpful way

Scripture: “Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.”  — 2 Timothy 2:15 (CSB) Reflection: I want you to know how genuinely excited I am to walk through God’s Word with you in the coming weeks. One of my greatest joys as your pastor is opening the Scriptures—not just to prepare sermons, but in my daily devotional time with the Lord. I want to walk with you through that same process s