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!

The Eye-Opening Wonder of Jesus TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 27, 2024 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” ISAIAH 9:6 PONDER THIS The baby Jesus was born King. We didn’t elect Him, and we’ll not impeach Him. He is King. He is Lord. Some ask, “Have you made Him Lord?” But you’re too late for that. God has already declared Him Lord. This is His sovereign nobility and right. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. The question is not whether He is Lord but whether you have recognized His place in your life. He is Lord, but do you live like it? Do you stand in awe of Him? If not, the problem is not with Him but with us. Jesus is incomprehensibly wonderful. A man was riding on a train, looking out the window and saying, “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.” The man sitting next to him asked, “Why do you think everything is wonderful?” He said, “I’ve been blind. I’ve just had surgery, and I’m seeing things that I had long since forgotten how beautiful they were. They are wonderful to me.” If Jesus is not wonderful to you, you need your spiritual eyes opened to see just how wonderful Jesus is. How have you recognized Jesus’ position as Lord over your life? What areas are difficult to surrender to Him? How has your awe of Jesus changed over time? Is this positive or negative? Why? PRACTICE THIS Take time to marvel at God whether through prayer, song, or journaling.

Our Incomparable God TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 26, 2024 “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” HEBREWS 1:1-4 PONDER THIS There’s no way to rightly understand God by human investigation. There’s no way to come about it by logic. There’s no way by philosophy, science, or mathematics to figure out the Holy Trinity. There is no reason for confidence in a God you can understand on your own. He is beyond logic and beyond comparison. What are you going to compare God to? You can compare one man to another man, one chair to another chair, one piano to another piano, one carpet to another carpet, one building to another building, or one bug to another bug. But there’s only one God. You’re not going to compare Him to anything. He is above and beyond any created thing. As we move toward a new year, it is worth spending time reflecting deeply on who God is. What about God brings you wonder and awe? Where do you currently need to trust God with the things about Him, the world, or your life that you do not understand fully? PRACTICE THIS Surrender to God the things you are struggling to understand right now.

What Will You Do with Jesus this Christmas? TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 25, 2024 “So they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.”’ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.’ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” MATTHEW 2:5-11 PONDER THIS As a boy, I once came into the kitchen as my mother was making a pie. I hung around to watch and wait. But in an instant, I had a moment of great disappointment. She opened the oven, and what she pulled out was a pie shell. She’d not put the filling in, but it was a lemon meringue pie. I didn’t understand how pies were made. Who would bake a nothing pie? That's what the Old Testament is if disconnected from Jesus: just a pie with nothing in it. Jesus is the theme of the Bible. “Search the scriptures,” He says, “these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). And He showed them in the prophets, in the law, in Moses, and in the Psalms, all “the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). He has shown you who He is, not just in the Gospel accounts or in the Christmas story, but throughout Scripture. The question this Christmas and every day is: How will we respond? The question is always, “What will you do with Jesus?” You accept Him or you reject Him. But one thing you cannot be with Jesus is neutral. How are you responding to Jesus today? Why is it important that we meet with Him and respond to Him every day, all year long? PRACTICE THIS As you celebrate Christmas today, worship Jesus through all the festivities.

God’s Love Came Through Jesus TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 24, 2024 “’For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” LUKE 2:11-14 PONDER THIS Helen Keller was born both blind and deaf. Of course, this was a challenge for Helen but also for those near her. Consider the challenge of being the parent of a child unable to see or hear you. Helen Keller’s mother said, “Oh, my precious child, your mother loves you so much, but precious little thing, how can I let you know?” But as Helen grew, there was a breakthrough. With the help of a special teacher, they learned how to communicate with her. When I think about our faith, I see how God, in a sense, had the same kind of problem as Helen Keller’s mother. He said, “My precious child, I love you so much. How can I make you know how much I love you?” Jesus is the answer to that problem. He came to reveal the heart of God, the mind of God, and the love of God. Why the Savior’s birth? It was a ministry of redemption. Why the Savior’s birth? It was a ministry of revelation. Why the Savior’s birth? It was a ministry of restoration, that we might be born again, recreated into what God made us to be from the beginning. How do you see the love of God when you consider the nativity? Who are some people you know that remain lost and blind without Christ? How can you show them the love of God this Christmas? PRACTICE THIS Ask God to open your spiritual eyes to see His love for you and for the lost. Seek to share the love of God in a tangible way with someone who does not know Him.

We Do Not Witness Alone TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 22, 2024 “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” ACTS 5:32 PONDER THIS On occasion, I have been told, “You would have made a great salesman.” Maybe so, but I don’t know. I might have been a flop, but preaching is not being a salesman, and witnessing is not being a salesman. I’ve said this thousands of times: anything I can talk you into, somebody else can talk you out of. When I’m preaching, I need the Holy Spirit of God to be going up and down these aisles, saying, “Amen, you’d better listen to him. He’s telling the truth.” The Bible says when we are filled with the Spirit, He witnesses with us. I would not think of walking out here on this platform to preach without a conscious anointing of the Holy Spirit of God. I get on my knees and pray for the anointing before I speak because, in spite of my own personal convictions and in spite of the confirmation of the Scriptures, there’s still another ingredient needed: the Holy Spirit of God needs to speak to your heart. It’s wonderful when God’s Holy Spirit sweeps across a congregation. The Church is not just an organization, we’re an organism, and God’s Holy Spirit is active here. What is the problem with sharing about Jesus in our own strength and power? What are some ways you seek to stay connected to God as you live out your faith? PRACTICE THIS Ask God to lead you to specific people with whom you can share your faith and to help you with each conversation.

Who is Actually Lord of All Humanity? TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 21, 2024 “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” ACTS 10:36-38 PONDER THIS I was in Moscow over Easter on a trip for a preaching engagement. After the event we decided to visit the tomb of Lenin, the leader of the Soviet people. It was such an experience to see the crystal sarcophagus. They had embalmed his body and kept it in wonderful condition. There inscribed in the tomb, it read: “He was the greatest leader of all peoples, of all countries, of all times. He was the lord of all humanity. He was the savior of the world.” One thing to notice: it’s all past tense. He was the lord. He was the savior. He was the greatest. What a contrast from our faith. Jesus is the greatest. Jesus is the Lord. He is the Savior. When Peter gave witness to Jesus, he essentially said, “We saw it. We saw His virtuous life. We saw His vicarious death. We saw His victorious resurrection. And this is what we want to share with you.” Peter was totally convinced. Are you totally convinced? Not only are we witnesses; we ought to be part of the evidence. Jesus as Lord should be evident in how we live and submit to Him. Jesus as alive should be evident in our hope, even when all seems like it has gone wrong. Why is it important to remember Jesus as our living and continuing hope? When have you been hurt or felt like all hope was gone? How has hope in Jesus helped you through these moments? PRACTICE THIS Discuss with another believer how Jesus being our living Lord changes life today.

Too Small a God to Worship TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 20, 2024 “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’” 1 CORINTHIANS 2:7-9 PONDER THIS I’m not trying to prove to you that Jesus is the Messiah. True faith is rooted in evidence, but it goes beyond evidence; true faith becomes its own best evidence. We can’t find God based on human reasoning. Nothing will hold anything beyond its own capacity. Do you think you can cram God into your mind? Your mind doesn’t have the capacity to contain God. So, don’t try to eliminate God because you don’t understand Him. To have a God that I can worship, He must be a God greater than my mentality. If I could understand God, God would be no bigger than my intellect, which is far too small a god for me to worship. If we could understand God, we wouldn’t need God, but we don’t have to understand Him to know Him. When I was a little boy, my dad used to go off to work. I didn’t know where he went, nor what he did, but I knew he was my dad; I knew him personally; and I loved him. You don’t have to understand how God runs the mighty Universe to put your faith and trust in Him. I’m telling you by faith you can know the Lord Jesus Christ. When have you tried to understand God and His ways? What happened? How have you seen God at work in some of the ways you couldn’t understand at the time? PRACTICE THIS Go to a place in nature that reminds you that God is bigger than you and bigger than anything you can understand. Sit for a while, praying and praising God.

Unlock the Mysteries TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 19, 2024 “‘To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.’” ACTS 10:43 PONDER THIS Would you like to understand the Old Testament? Well, there is a master key that unlocks the mysteries of the Old Testament: the Lord Jesus Christ. If you find a Christocentric approach to the Old Testament, it will burst into flame in your hands. As a matter of fact, if you read the Old Testament and you don’t find Jesus, you need to go back and reread it because you missed the message. The Old Testament is about the Lord Jesus Christ. When people were challenging Jesus about His authenticity and His Messiahship, He looked them straight in the eye and said, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). When Jesus Christ said that, the New Testament as we know it didn’t exist. It was being formed, but it was not yet written. He was talking about the Old Testament. Without Jesus, the Old Testament is a list of unexplained ceremonies that won’t make sense. If you try to live by the Old Testament without the Lord Jesus Christ, you will not make it. If you try to read the Old Testament without Him as your lens, you are missing God there. Have you ever tried to read the Old Testament? What did you learn? Why do you think there sometimes seems to be a disconnect between the Old Testament and the New Testament? PRACTICE THIS Praise God for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Glue That Holds the Church Together TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 18, 2024 “And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.” ACTS 10:39-42 PONDER THIS There must be the personal confidence when you start to share your faith. If you’re not sure about your own faith, you’re not going to make a soul winner. Peter said, “We are witnesses of all things which He did.” That is a powerful statement! There is no reasonable way on earth to dispute the witness of these early apostles. You think about who was witnessing. These twelve apostles gave a united witness of what they’d seen and heard, saying, “We are eyewitnesses.” They were a very different group of people with the same conclusion. Think about the category of persons. There was the Apostle John, who was young, observant, and philosophical. There was Peter, a loudmouth fisherman. There was Simon, who was a political zealot. Nathaniel and Thomas were somewhat skeptical. Matthew was a little dishonest in his business before he got saved. Andrew was kind and compassionate. In the Body of Christ there are so many different kinds of people. What would happen if we went into a church and asked the question, “What holds you people together? How do you have this unity? Where does this spirit come from? What is the glue that holds the Church together?” Is it preferences? Is it race? Is it culture? No, it has been and always should be Jesus. We’re so different, but we need to come together in unity around the One we know and worship. Do you experience unity with the Body of Christ? Why or why not? What gives you confidence in your faith? How do you share that with others? PRACTICE THIS Talk to a friend from church about what it looks like to have only Christ in common.

No One is Too Far Gone TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 17, 2024 “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all.’” ACTS 10:34-36 PONDER THIS No matter who you are or where you are, God is not saying, “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, this must stay and this can go,” concerning Heaven. No. God wants everybody saved. I believe that. Jesus loves the little children of the world; they are precious in His sight. While salvation is very broad in its availability, it is very narrow in its source. The source is the Lord Jesus Christ. There’s no other way. Do you believe that? If Jesus Christ is not the only way, then He’s none of the ways. If Jesus Christ is not the only way, then He is a liar, a fake, a fraud, an imposter. But He’s not one of those things because a liar is no one’s Savior. And Jesus has cornered the market on salvation. Any people, anywhere, anytime can be saved, but if they are saved, they’re going to be saved through Jesus Christ. There’s no other way to be saved. That’s the way Peter begins his testimony to Cornelius. He said, in effect, “Look, Jesus alone can satisfy your hunger, Cornelius. Jesus alone is God’s answer to your sin. Jesus alone can give you the meaning of life and death. Jesus alone can take the sting out of sin. Jesus alone can take the pain out of parting. Jesus alone can take the dread out of dying. Jesus alone can give a hope that is steadfast and sure.” Who are some people you know who may feel too far gone to be saved? Who have you shared Jesus with? What did you share with them? PRACTICE THIS Pray and ask God to open your eyes to the people who want to know Him more. Ask Him to give you the words to show that there is no other way but through Jesus.

The God of Automatic Doors TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 16, 2024 “Then the angel said to him, ‘Gird yourself and tie on your sandals’; and so he did. And he said to him, ‘Put on your garment and follow me.’ So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, ‘Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.’” ACTS 12:8-11 PONDER THIS Do you remember the first time you saw an automatic door? It was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. As amazing as that is, this is not an entirely new occurrence. Here in Acts chapter 12, this iron gate just opened of its own accord and Peter walked on out. It’s interesting that Peter’s deliverance came at the last moment. I want you to see how God’s power is working here. Some people might have thought that God was weak or that God was unconcerned and did not care. You may say in your problems, “Where is God? Is God able? Doesn’t God care?” If you’re in a situation and God doesn’t deliver you it’s not because He can’t. If God is not working according to what you can see, it doesn’t mean God is not working. And if evil seems to succeed, the success of evil is only temporary. When you hit a crisis, please remember these things: Don’t demand to understand; you’ll never figure it out. Remember the resource of prayer. Set your eyes on God, rest in His love, and expect God to move in His own time and in His own way. He will do it. He’s the Christ of every crisis. What are some of the crises you are facing? What would change if you were to remember Jesus is the Christ of those crises? When have you felt like God was distant or didn’t care? What did you do? Practice doing that.

Do You Know God? TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 15, 2024 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” JOHN 17:3 PONDER THIS A woman was in her house, and a knock came on the door. When she opened the door, the man standing there asked her, “Do you know God?” She was flustered, taken aback. She stuttered and stammered and was embarrassed; she just stepped back and shut the door. The man bowed his head and walked away. Later the woman’s husband came home. She said, “Darling, let me tell you what happened today. A man knocked at the door of our house, and he asked me if I knew God. I didn’t know what to say. I shut the door in his face. I wish I could find him and apologize to him.” He said, “Apologize? You should’ve slammed the door in his face. What right did he have to ask you such a question? Why didn’t you tell him we are members of the biggest church in our city? Why didn’t you tell him we’re reputable people, that we have a good reputation?” And she said, “He didn’t ask that. He only asked if I knew God.” That’s what I want to ask you today. Not if you’re a member of a church. Not whether people think you’re fine. Not if you have manners and culture. Not even whether you have religion. Do you know God? The unsaved person encounters hurt, and he’ll go to some looking for a quick fix and say, “Pray for me for all these areas of hurt in my life; I don’t want this trouble.” More than a quick fix, what that person needs is God. Only through Christ can you know God and truly live satisfied. Do you know God? How do you grow in your knowledge of Him? Who are some people around you who do not know God? PRACTICE THIS Talk to a friend who does not know God about how he or she copes during tough times.

Where Does Self-Centeredness Lead? TODAY'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL December 14, 2024 “‘How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.’” ISAIAH 14:12-15 PONDER THIS What is self-centeredness? At its core it is pride. Do you know what made the devil the devil? Self-centeredness. What do you see in this passage about the enemy? Over and over again he says, “I will.” What did Jesus teach us to pray? “…not my will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). What did Satan say? “Not Your will, but mine, be done.” How do you think Satan got Eve to take of the forbidden fruit? He appealed to her pride. He said, “You can be like God.” What causes unbelief in the Word of God? Pride. What made the devil the devil? Pride. If you want what is real, you go to the Word of God; you lay your intellectual pride in the dust; and you call out to Jesus for mercy. Pride may be satisfying for a little while, but the fruit of self-centeredness is bitterness and bondage. Did you know why so many of us have trouble? Because we are bitter and in bondage. So many of us have met religion but have never met Jesus. We may have surrendered one area of our lives to Him, but we have not given Him our all. We are not lying broken at the foot of the cross daily. We are not constantly leaving our pride in the dust. The Spirit of God is not in these people, and they are troublemakers everywhere they go because their religion has never satisfied them, and it never can. What areas of your life have you not surrendered to God? What would it look like to surrender those areas to God? PRACTICE THIS Think about where you wrestle with pride the most, pray about it, and write down some ways you can acknowledge God in those areas.