NOV. 1, 2026 Heartburn. "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" Lk 24:32 KJV Sometimes you'll get overwhelmed when you remember the shape you were in and the road you were on-then Jesus came. If you can't praise Him for what He saved you out of, maybe you could praise Him today for what He kept you from. Without Him, where would you be? On the Emmaus Road, a man and his companion walked in silence and d

OCT. 31, 2026 The keeper of the springs. "Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Pr 4:23 NIV A quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village in the Alps was hired by a town to keep the pristine mountain springs, the source of the town's water supply, clear of pollution and debris. With faithfulness and regularity, the old man patrolled the hills, clearing away silt and removing leaves and branches from the springs. Over time, the village becam

OCT. 30, 2026 Stop stress-speak. "You are snared by the words of your mouth." Pr 6:2 NKJV Do you realize how often you program yourself for stress by the words you use to describe simple activities that doniẠt necessarily need to be done quickly? It's called "stress-speak"! Instead, begin to look for alternative ways to describe your actions so that you are not "snared by the words of your mouth" and end up in stress mode. Consider the following examples: Stress-oriented: "

OCT. 29, 2026 Pursue excellence. "Approve the things that are excellent." Php 1:10 NKJV A number of years ago, an insurance company ran an advertisement that said: "There was once a man who loved nature with such a deep and moving love that she told him one of her secrets. She gave him the power to create new plants. The man, whose name was Luther Burbank...saw every plant as a child. It had its own face, its own promise, its own unique touch of genius and character. And if

OCT. 28, 2026 "Jesus loves me, this I know”! "We have known and believed the love that God has for us." 1Jn 4:16 NKJV In 1962, the Swiss theologian Dr. Karl Barth did a lecture tour of the United States. Barth is regarded by many within the Protestant tradition as the greatest theologian of the twentieth century. He also made his mark outside the church, hitting the cover of Time magazine on April 20, 1962. After Barth delivered his lecture at Rockefeller Chapel, a student as

OCT. 27, 2026 The happiest people on earth. "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantlyi Jn 10:10 NKJV An English newspaper once posed this question to its readers: "Who are the happiest people on earth?" These were selected as four prizewinning answers: (1) A craftsman or artist whistling over a job well done. (2) A child building sandcastles. (3) A mother, after a busy day, bathing her baby. (4) A doctor who has finished a difficult an

OCT. 26, 2026 God's promise: "I am with you"' (2) "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." Ge 28:16 NKJV One night, Jacob had a dream. He saw a ladder reaching into heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. And God said to him: "'The land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants...You shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

ОСТ. 25, 2026 God's promise: "I am with youỊ(1) "I am with you and will keep you wherever you go." Ge 28:15 NKJV The most frequent promise God makes in the Bible is "I am with you." When it feels as if you are under attack, God says, "When you go out to battle against your enemies... do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you" (Dt 20:1 NKJV). When you are being tested and tried, God says, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the

OCT. 24, 2026 Make every day count. "Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may be wise." Ps 90:12 NCV Author Peter Senge tells of a time when he was leading a seminar at the World Bank, and an employee named Fred revealed that he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Fred was given only a few months to live. So he did just that-he started living as if there was no tomorrow. Like anyone else who gets a devastating diagnosis, Fred went through a period of de

OCT. 23, 2026 Press into God's promises. "You have rescued me, O God who keeps his promises." Ps 31:5 TLB When you find yourself in a crisis, you have to choose: faith or fear? God's purpose or random history? A God who knows and cares or a God who isn't there? If you're wise, you'll choose to trust God's promises. You'll believe that God is up to something good, even though all you see looks bad. You'll sing the hymn with confidence: "His oath, His covenant, His blood, suppo

OCT. 22, 2026 Show your kindness. "To him who is afflicted, kindness should be shown." Job 6:14 NKJV Doctor Pedro José Greer has become a legend in Miami, Florida. As an intern, he treated a homeless man with tuberculosis, a usually curable disease that had progressed to a fatal stage. Greer was appalled that someone in his own neighborhood could be so poor and ignorant that he failed to seek medical treatment. As the man lay dying, Greer spent four days searching the streets

OCT. 21, 2026 Learn to set boundaries. "This far you may come, but no farther." Job 38:11 NKJV Just as God established boundaries for the oceans so that the tides come in only so far, you must set limits on how far you let people go in interacting with you. When you fail to express your boundaries, people become unclear as to what behaviors will be accepted by you. They are left to decide based upon their own preferences, convenience, and whims. God has made you a steward ove

OCT. 20, 2026 Progression giving. 'The path of the just...shines ever brighter unto the perfect day." Pr 4:18 NKJV We've talked about priority giving and percentage giving; let's talk about progressive giving. As long as you're alive on this earth, God intends for your faith to be growing. "The path of the just...shines ever brighter." God's agenda is that you be gradually transformed into the likeness of Christ (see 2Co 3:18). That's the nature of faith. Its progress is stea

OCT. 19, 2026 Temptation: the root, shoot, and fruit. "When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." Jas 1:15 NKJV The root of temptation is a sinful desire, the shoot is a sinful decision, and the fruit is a sure and certain defeat. Let's look at each. (1) The root. The word desire means "a strong urge, a craving of the soul." When you begin to desire something that is outside of God's boundaries, conception takes plac

OCT. 18, 2026 Let God direct your steps. "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." Ps 37:23 NLT How does God lead us? One step at a time. How involved does God want to be in our lives? "He delights in every detail." That means there is nothing too big or too small to trust Him with. The Christian life is a journey, and the Holy Spirit is our guide. He is always guiding us to what is best for our lives. The key to a successful and

OCT. 17, 2026 You are more than a conqueror. "In all these things we are more than conquerors." Ro 8:37 NIV Maybe you're battling cancer, going through a divorce, or drowning in debt. If so, hear this: When you experience a setback, you may take a step back, but God is already preparing your comeback. It was the setback on the cross that set up the greatest comeback in human history: the resurrection of Christ. It's no coincidence that the word testimony begins with the word

OCT. 16, 2026 Persevere, and your vision will be fulfilled. "The vision is yet for an appointed time." Hab 2:3 NKJV Grace Hopper was born with a desire to discover how things worked. At age seven, her curiosity led her to dismantle every clock in her home! She eventually completed a doctorate in mathematics from Yale University. During World War II, she joined the navy and was assigned to its computation project at Harvard University. There she met "Harvard Mark I," the first

OCT. 15, 2026 God blesses givers. "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Ac 20:35 NIV At 53 years old, John D. Rockefeller earned about a million dollars a week. Unfortunately, he had stomach trouble and had to live on a boring diet of milk and crackers. Sleep eluded him as he constantly worried about his money. Solomon said, "As for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep" (Ecc 5:12 NIV). It seemed that Rockefeller's days were numbered. But then he discovered

OCT. 14, 2026 "Be of good cheer" "In the world you will have tribalation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Jn 16:33 NKJV Dr. Ashley Montagu met two young men shortly after the end of World War II. They had spent two years at Auschwitz, the cruel death camp operated by the Nazis. Prior to Auschwitz, they lived in Vienna in a cellar where they had been kept hidden by Christian friends. All of the others housed there with them had been found and exterminated bec

OCT. 13, 2026 The faith-versus-works debate (3) "God made us to do good works." Eph 2:10 NCV Having described a false faith, James illustrated it. He painted the picture of someone in need of food and clothing. A person claiming to have faith put his hand on his shoulder and said, "Have a good day. Be careful out there and try to stay warm. I hope you find something to eat. Bless you." Then James wrote: "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by m