Hoisington, Kansas
Devotionals
Our Devotionals come from Love Worth Finding, the ministry founded by Adrian Rogers who has since graduated to Glory. These are so relevant even today!
Building a Bridge Over Niagara Falls TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 23, 2025 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 CORINTHIANS 5:7 PONDER THIS Faith is belief with legs on it. We are to run with endurance. How does an Olympic runner develop his skill? There’s only one way: not by studying books about running, but by running. How are you going to develop your faith? You do this not just by listening to sermons on faith but by believing God. Find something you can believe God for and begin to believe Him. And you’ll see yourself growing in grace. I was reading a book about how they built the first bridge over the Niagara River at Niagara Falls. It was very interesting: First, to cross the river, they tied a string to a kite and flew it to the far side. Then, to that string, they tied a cord and brought the cord back across to the first side by pulling the string. From that cord, they tied a rope and brought it back across to the far side again. Lastly, to that rope, they tied a chain and brought the chain back across to the first side. They tightened the chain to build a solid line, and as a result they were able to build a mighty bridge. Growing in trusting God can start out like this: Begin by believing God for something. He can build our belief into mighty faith. Think about a time when you had to believe God? How did this stretch and challenge you? What are some things you need to trust God with now? What would it look like? PRACTICE THIS Write down some areas in which you need to practice faith in God. Lift those things up in prayer. Keep up with how you see those prayers answered in the future. Do you live like you have faith that He hears your prayers?

Pray. Believe. Receive. TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 22, 2025 “So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.’” MATTHEW 21:21-22 PONDER THIS I’ve heard many say, “You know, Pastor, I’m saved, but I’m struggling in my Christian life. I’ve got worldliness. I’ve got problems. I’ve got temptations. How am I going to overcome?” Trying to live the Christian life is like struggling to get out of quicksand. The more you struggle, the deeper you sink till you come to the place where you say, “I can’t. He never said I could, but He can. He always said He would, and I’m going to trust Him.” That’s more than a play on words. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. And if you are bound by some problem or some habit, quit trying and start trusting. Believe God for the victory. This is also true for soul winning. How are you going to be a soul winner? By believing God. Spiritual wealth comes by faith. Salvation comes by faith. Sanctification comes by faith. Soul winning comes by faith. Supplication, our prayers being answered, comes by faith. Pray and believe, you’ll receive; pray and doubt, you do without. What are some ways you have tried to live the Christian life on your own? How did that go? Is there a habit of sin in your life that only He can redeem? Are you willing to repent and live in victory through Christ? PRACTICE THIS Speak out loud about God’s ability to change you and grow your faith. Remind yourself of His promises and who He is by saying it loud so you can hear it and remember it.

Faith is More than Positive Thinking TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 21, 2025 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” HEBREWS 11:1 PONDER THIS The world’s definition of faith is: if you believe strong enough, you can make it so. That’s just positive thinking. If you believe hard enough, try hard enough, it’ll come to pass. But that’s not the Bible’s definition of faith. If I don’t believe I can do something, some would say, “Man, just have faith. Believe you can and you can.” No, that’s not true. You can believe that you can fly out of a second story window, but you can’t do it. Believing won’t change that. Faith is the evidence of things hoped for. Things hoped for means they are already there. God has promised them. And, therefore, because God promised them, you can have faith for them. The only reason you can have faith is because it is already so. God has said it’s so. God has made it so. God has given it to you. And, therefore, because God has given it to you, then, correspondingly, you have faith in your heart. That’s the difference between biblical faith and positive thinking. Positive thinking says if you believe hard enough it’ll be so. The Bible says it is so. Believe it! Faith is the evidence of things hoped for. And things hoped for means divine certainty based on the Word of God, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. When have you tried to solve a problem through positive thinking? How did that go? What are some things God has promised that you can have faith in? What of God’s promises are challenging for you? How does today’s passage encourage you in that? PRACTICE THIS Pray for God to grow your faith in His promises.

Seen and the Unseen TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 20, 2025 “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 PONDER THIS The word hope does not imply uncertainty; it implies certainty. We use the word hope differently in modern vocabulary than the meaning the Bible writers conveyed. In the Bible, the word hope means a divine certainty based on a divine promise. Hope means a certainty based on a word from God. Things hoped for are the things God has promised. Have you ever heard the expression: “What you see is what you get?” or “Seeing is believing?” Those are the opposite of the biblical definition of faith. Hebrews 11:3 tells us there is more to the world than what we see. What you can see was made of things you can’t see. We have seen that in the molecular structure of the Universe. Our whole Universe is made of invisible atoms, a molecular structure that we cannot see. This is one of the greatest scientific statements in the Bible before the realm of atomic science ever came. The things that are seen are made out of the things that are not seen. So, faith is the evidence of the unseen. There is an unseen world out there. We as Christians are often looked down on because we have faith in what we cannot see, but that is exactly what we should focus on. What are the unseen things we need to focus on? What are some of the seen things that we get distracted by? How does knowing God created the world out of things unseen change the way you view the world? PRACTICE THIS Worship God and thank Him for all that He has made and for His sovereignty over even the things we can’t see.

Mrs. Harvey’s Ministry TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 19, 2025 “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” COLOSSIANS 4:2-4 PONDER THIS When I was young, I was preaching a revival service in Jacksonville, Florida, with a friend of mine who was from there, and he asked me to meet his mom. I’d never met Mrs. Harvey. So, we went to their small home and this little woman came out and she had crippling arthritis. Her hands were very puffy. Her joints were swollen. She could hardly stand up straight. When we talked to her, she asked about the revival service. I was a young evangelist and full of myself, so I said, “Wonderful! God came down; it was glorious.” I began to tell her all the things that happened. Tears welled up in her eyes. She said, “I knew it.” She said, “Adrian, the whole time you were preaching I was on my knees praying for you.” I was amazed—what pain it must have been for this lady even to get on her knees! But what a ministry! Some of you feel like you have nothing to offer, but you’ve got prayer. Would you pray for your Sunday school teacher, and will you pray for others in the Lord’s Church? That is a ministry! And you’ve been called into the ministry. Who has prayed for you? How has that made a difference in your life? Who do you pray for? How can you build a rhythm of praying for them regularly? PRACTICE THIS Talk to your pastor, Sunday school teacher, or other leaders in your church and ask where they need prayer. Commit to praying for them.

Grateful Giving TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 18, 2025 “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith—to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.” ROMANS 16:25-27 PONDER THIS Did you know every Christian is in debt? I’m not talking about what you owe the credit card company. You’re in debt. On Sundays, you sit in a chair or pew. Where did it come from? There’s a light shining down on your head. Where did that come from? Do you think this all just floated out of Heaven? For generation after generation, the blood, sweat, tears, prayers, faith, and sacrifices of others have provided what we enjoy today. We’re debtors. We’re debtors to the Apostles who suffered, the martyrs of the faith. We are debtors to Jesus Christ and His precious shed blood. Some people think they’ve done God a wild favor by giving a little bit of money. We give not because of obligation or even to pay our debts but out of humility and worship to God because we are grateful for all that He has given us and passed on to us from generation to generation. In response, we give. What are some things you have because someone has passed them on to you? How have people invested in you? How does it feel to know God has been working throughout time, passing His hope and provision across generations for you to know Him? Who is someone from the next generation that needs to know Him? PRACTICE THIS Share your testimony with someone in the next generation.

In Essentials, Unity TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 17, 2025 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4 PONDER THIS Some members of a church stay home when there are fellowship events and say, “I just want preaching, praying, and singing.” When there is a special music presentation, some people say, “Praise God, that was wonderful.” Others say, “Don’t you know we’re in church? Save your applause for the theater. Now that was unto God. You don’t need to applaud some man, some woman, some performance.” Who is right and who is wrong? May I suggest to you neither is right and neither is wrong. It’s just a matter of preference. Don’t look down your nose at somebody else and don’t criticize. We’re never going to please everybody, and if we keep arguing over incidentals, we’re going to divide until there’s nobody left standing. Jesus is the One who should unite us. He died and rose and revived that He might be Lord of the living and the dead. The unity in a church is not in the organization, not in the music, and not in the preaching; it is in Jesus Christ our Lord. In essentials, we must have unity. That will require you to let some things go, let some things not be so big as you have made them, and listen to someone else. We can’t go on insisting on our own way. We are to be united. Do you feel united with your church family? Why or why not? How can you be united to your church family? When have you insisted on your own way in church? How did that affect your unity with others? PRACTICE THIS Meet up with someone in your church this week, seeking to draw nearer in unity.

The Greatest Responsibility in Our Country TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 16, 2025 “Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” ROMANS 13:2-4 PONDER THIS We all need to pray for our leaders. You may ask, “Should I pray for my leader if he’s wicked?” You should pray all the more for him. God can change a ruler, God can remove a ruler, and God can overrule a ruler. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” The greatest responsibility in America is not in the White House but in the church house. We’re to pray for our government. Pray for those who are in authority. We often resist this because we want to be the one in charge. We don’t want to pray because we want things done our way, but even our difference of opinion should not stop us in prayer. First Timothy 2:1-2 says, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” Repeatedly in Scripture, we are called to trust God, even with leaders. Pray for them and don’t let it change your relationship with Him. This is a small part to play, but it is important to God, and it makes a difference…whether you feel like it or not. Why is it important to pray for our leaders? What are some ways you can pray for the leaders in your community, in your country, and in the world? PRACTICE THIS Pray for the governmental leaders in your area, in your state, and in your country.

Should a Christian Pay Taxes? TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 15, 2025 “Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” ROMANS 13:5-7 PONDER THIS Jesus paid His taxes; you ought to pay your taxes. Jesus told Peter, “You go cast a hook in the sea and take the first fish that comes up. Look in his mouth, and you’ll find a coin.” Then Jesus said, “I’m a citizen of another world but, I’m doing this so I don’t offend them” (Matthew 17:24-27, author’s paraphrase). We are called to give what is due from us. It is a part of living in this world. Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). God has our highest, greatest allegiance, but as we live on this Earth, we will be in a certain place at a particular time in history. We will be registered as citizens who are a part of a country, and we give that government what we owe. These things do not always make sense to us, but to participate in government this way is part of our witness as Christians. What is important about giving and contributing to our government through taxes? Why do you think this was something Jesus mentioned on multiple occasions? What are the things that belong to God that you need to give to Him? Which one is more difficult for you to do: give to Caesar or give to God? PRACTICE THIS Pray for a heart bent toward giving. Ask God to grow your willingness to give as you are called.

Not Arguing Over the Color of the Carpet TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 14, 2025 “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.” ROMANS 14:19-21 PONDER THIS So many times, we lose unity over incidentals. The Jews thought it was all right to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols. They also had come out of Judaism and had special high holy days. The Gentiles had not observed these high holy days since they didn’t mean anything to them. Their experiences were so different. Their cultural lens was completely foreign to each other. But Paul said it’s not a matter of diet, it’s not a matter of days, it is a matter of devotion. Jesus is Lord. We can disagree over incidentals, but we must stay united over one thing: Jesus is Lord. When somebody receives Jesus Christ as Lord, we receive them, and we don’t divide over incidentals. Because He is Lord, we don’t have to insist on our opinion when the carpet color is chosen. Because He is Lord, we don’t have to divide on trivial things because we have unity in Him. What are some of the insignificant things over which you have divided with other Christians? What happened? How unified do you feel with your church community? How can you pursue unity with others in your church now? PRACTICE THIS Take one step toward pursuing unity with another believer today.

You Can’t Legislate Morality TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 12, 2025 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” ROMANS 13:1-2 PONDER THIS One reason God has given us human government is to restrain evil. Have you ever heard the phrase; “You can’t legislate morality”? That is absolutely true. You can’t legislate morality. There is not a law on earth that can make you moral. That’s the reason we must have laws that legislate against immorality. Law can’t make you good, only God can make you good. The government is not here to make you good. There’s not a law on earth that can make you love me. So, I have to have one to keep you from killing me. There’s not a law on earth that can make you honest, so we have to have laws that keep you from stealing. There’s not a law on earth that can keep you from lying, so we have to have laws against perjury. Romans 7:7 says: “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet.’” The role of government and law has its place. We have all learned from it and are called to abide by it—not to get God’s favor but to glorify God in the way we live for Him. What are the ways you have seen the law to be helpful? How have you seen the truth that the law cannot make you good? PRACTICE THIS Pray for God-honoring development and execution of laws in our country.

God’s Sovereignty and Wicked Rulers TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 11, 2025 “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” DANIEL 2:21 PONDER THIS The Bible tells us human government is ordained of God. Did you know God sets up and brings down kings? That God ordains rulers, including wicked rulers? God is in control of it all. One of the mightiest rulers in the Old Testament was Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar ruled over ancient Babylon, and Daniel was in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. When Daniel had a chance to testify to the king, he told Nebuchadnezzar where his kingly power came from. In Daniel 2:37 God said through Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, “You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom.” This was not a godly king. This man was stuffed full of himself, but God set him up and brought him down. There have been many wicked leaders God allowed to have power. Romans 13:1 says, “the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Who was the authority when Paul wrote this? Caesar. The Roman government was in power. It was not a democracy. The Christians were disenfranchised. They had no political power. In fact, what they believed was illegal because they refused to say, “Caesar is Lord.” Still, Paul wrote, “the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” If you resist the authorities, you’re resisting God because God set them up. When have you had to trust God and respect a leader with whom you disagreed? How did God help you? What does it look like to respect a leader that God has put into authority? What are some things we do to honor those in leadership, even when we disagree? PRACTICE THIS Pray for the leaders of your country, your community, your church, and your workplace. Ask God to guide them and help you respect them.

A Butterfly from a Caterpillar TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL March 10, 2025 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” ROMANS 12:2 PONDER THIS The word “transformed” is linked to the word “metamorphosis”, which is derived from two words: “meta,” which means a change, and “morphis,” which means a form. It is a change of form. When you present yourself on the altar and the fire consumes you, you are transformed. You’re not conformed—squeezed into the mold of this world—you are transformed. What is metamorphosis? When you took biology in junior high, you learned this. The caterpillar crawls up into a cocoon. He goes through a metamorphosis, and he comes out a beautiful monarch butterfly. What is the nature of that caterpillar after this transformation? It is a monarch butterfly. The inner nature comes to the surface. That’s what metamorphosis is. What is the inner nature of a Christian? Jesus. The devil is trying to stuff Jesus in. He doesn’t want Jesus to come out. He’s trying to “conform” you, so you won’t be transformed, metamorphized; he doesn’t want your inner nature to come to the surface. The inner nature of a Christian is Jesus. And when you present yourself as a living sacrifice, you are transformed, metamorphized. Jesus comes to the surface and that is what people see. I want people to see Jesus in me. Don’t you want people to see Jesus in you? We must be transformed. How has Jesus transformed you? How is your life showing the inner work of Jesus? What are some areas of your life in which you struggle to let go so that Christ can change you? What has kept you holding onto those areas? PRACTICE THIS Share your testimony with someone, telling how Christ has transformed you.