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Attitude Is Everything Jan 27, 2025

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Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:
Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)
Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)
Youtube Video Introducing the Content
Feel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.com
Sponsors:
Jon Cunningham, Owner, Cunningham Financial Group
Website: www.cunninghamfinancialgroup.com
Phone: 205-326-7364
Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer, Statewide Mortgage
Websites: https://statewidemortgage.com/
https://tylercain.floify.com/
Phone: 813-380-8487
I'd like to include the text from Philippians 2:1-5 - Think about the changes Jesus made and why He did so. What if He hadn't done that? What if He waited for us to get to Him? What if He wasn't willing to take the hit since none of this was His fault? Jesus was humble, loving, and exhibited the perfect attitude. Let's learn about that and put it into practice in our lives and relationships.
2:5 Have this attitude [e]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be [f]grasped, 7 but [g]emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and [h]being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death [i]on a cross. 9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew 16 - Daily Bible Devotional Jan 27, 2025

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Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

Good morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:
Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)
Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)
Youtube Video Introducing the Content
Feel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.com
Matthew 16

As Jesus begins to expand His ministry toward Jerusalem, He lays out some strong and needful teaching for His disciples. Firstly, the Pharisees and scribes are false teachers. They always seek signs because their hearts are not open to the truth. Their teachings are unkind, unlawfully binding, and must be avoided. Jesus then turns attention to “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” His point is that He is the only way, truth, and life. His church is built upon the confession of Jesus as Christ, the Son of God. He follows by explaining that the road to glory would require His suffering, death, and resurrection. The disciples struggle with this, but eternal life requires His sacrifice as well as sacrifices by all who follow Him.

There comes a time when things need to be plainly spoken. Christ was patient with the Pharisees, but it was time to warn the disciples away from their form of teaching. His church would welcome all but would only be enjoyed by those who confess Him as Christ and the Son of God. The path of faith would lead to heaven but would require extreme and total submission to God’s will, perhaps even suffering or death. In the judgment, people will be willing to do anything to get to heaven, but the saved will have made that commitment during their lives here on earth. Jesus has extensively spoken to us about discipleship. Are we willing to submit and follow Him?

Great Creator and all-powerful God, teach us a form of belief that is willing to make hard choices. There are teachings around us that are false. Help us to reject them. There is a single truth that dominates the Christian: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Give us the boldness to stand upon it in every part of our lives. Jesus gave everything to become our Savior. Guide us to be thankful and to put forth our lives as sacrificial offerings to You in gratitude and allegiance. Forgive our failures and strengthen us to be ready when Your Son returns.

Thought Questions:

- The Pharisees demanded signs, even after Jesus had shown them so much. Has Christ done enough for you to be faithful to Him?

- If the church is built upon the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, what should that statement look like and mean in your life?

- “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (16:26)

Matthew 15 - Daily Bible Devotional Jan 24, 2025

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The scribes and Pharisees are back on the scene, renewing their accusations against Jesus and His disciples, this time about the washing of hands before eating. Jesus points out how these teachers violate the actual commandments of God for the sake of their traditions. Their interpretation of the law has taken precedence over the actual teachings of God’s law! Jesus reveals this is happening because of their hearts. They should be less concerned about others’ dirty hands, and more concerned with their unholy hearts. This is set in contrast to the great miracles that follow. A Canaanite woman begs for healing for her daughter, and Christ commends her faith. Jesus heals many by the sea, as they glorify God. He then feeds another group of over 4,000 people, demonstrating His compassion once again.

This chapter features two very different categories of people. On the one hand, the Pharisees are supposed to be the most knowledgeable and righteous people in Israel. However, they prove to be harsh and hypocritical and ultimately miss out on the immense blessings of Christ. Set in contrast, a Gentile woman, who knows she is unworthy of Jesus, begs for His help in faith. All those who pursue Jesus are healed, fed, and blessed. We must be careful because knowledge is good, but only from pure, humble, and holy hearts. We must never let knowledge make us judges of others. May we always humbly bow before Christ, side by side, begging for His help and showing mercy to others.

Kind and Loving Father, will you seed in us Your heart of compassion and consideration of others? We thank you for the Scripture, for knowledge, and for wisdom. But Lord, we pray those things do not foster within us hearts that are hard or filled with pride. Help us to never elevate ourselves and bind things on others we have no right to bind. Open our eyes to know Your Truth, and never a truth of our own will and design. And Father, keep us humble, always placing all our expectations and hope in the grace of Your beloved Son.

Thought Questions:

- How can you grow in knowledge without becoming like a Pharisee? Why is your heart such a powerful factor in that process?

- Can you have convictions and “traditions” you interpret in Scripture without weaponizing them to judge others? What does this require?

- Why is Jesus always saving and blessing people who know so little? How can you be like these people, even as you grow in knowledge?

Matthew 14 - Daily Bible Devotional Jan 23, 2025

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King Herod hears of Jesus’ works and believes John the Baptist has risen from the dead. Sadly, John was beheaded by Herod, not many days before. Matthew records the details of that event. John was bold and faithful at the cost of his life. The rest of this chapter records Jesus’ actions after hearing of this. He seeks seclusion but He is also drawn by compassion to keep healing the people. Jesus feeds the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. Jesus then sends the disciples out in a boat, as He goes to the mountains to pray. Coming to them walking on water, He commands Peter to come out of the boat. Peter becomes frightened and Jesus asks him and all of them why they continue to doubt Him!

Jesus loved John the Baptist. He was no doubt deeply grieved by John’s death. John gave his life to preach the truth, even though he opposed powerful people. This chapter reads as if Jesus has some expectation of His disciples. He is effectively saying: “My cousin just died for this cause. Is this resulting in deeper faith among My disciples?” He challenged His disciples to feed the 5,000 before doing it Himself. Jesus called Peter upon the water, before having to reach out and save him in his doubt. Jesus is looking for results. God’s Son expects followers, including you and me, to grow in faith, move past doubt, and be changed by His power and His sacrifices on our behalf.

Devoted God and Father, thank you for Your willingness to endure loss for our sake. It must have been painful to watch John die, knowing that soon after Your only begotten Son would give His own life. And it must have been frustrating to see disciples still stumble in unbelief. Thank You for your patience in our weakness and thank You for continuing to demand we deepen our trust in You. Lord, help our unbelief. Train us to carry out Christ’s work in faith and to walk on water through any storm, with our eyes on Jesus.

Thought Questions:

- What kind of faith must John have had to preach morality to one who had the power to end his life? Do you and I have that kind of courage?

- Are you comfortable with Christ expecting deeper trust from you? Why is that important for the benefit of the people in your life?

- Would you have asked to walk to Jesus on the water? And more crucially, what does that faith look like in the storms of life today?

Matthew 13 - Daily Bible Devotional Jan 22, 2025

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In this packed chapter, Matthew records seven earthly stories Jesus told to make spiritual points. He begins with the parable of the Sower and the seed, which teaches the Gospel should be shared with everyone, but few will have the right heart to accept and share it. Then attention turns to the wheat and the tares, indicating that God is patient, waiting until the judgment to separate the saved and the lost. The parable of the net and fish makes this same point at the end of the chapter. Mixed in are stories about a mustard seed and pecks of flour. Two seemingly small things would grow and affect everything around them, just like Christ’s kingdom! Jesus pictures His kingdom as a priceless pearl and a treasure, worth every cost to possess.

These parables are Jesus’ way of helping us understand the kingdom He was coming to establish as well as the kind of people who would be in it. Many would hear the gospel and reject it, or let the world pervert it, but only a few would take it in and build their lives around it. Right now, God allows all to live on this earth, but a time is coming when He will gather His people, the faithful, and the rest will be destroyed. We must see a relationship with Jesus and His people as the greatest treasure of our lives. The kingdom started small and seemingly insignificant, but now it reaches through time and affects the entire world.

Wonderful Father, thank you for sending Jesus to teach us about His kingdom. Thank You for His parables. They give us unforgettable imagery to help us understand spiritual things. Help us to be the good soil, to take in the word, love it, and let it grow and produce. Strengthen us not to be distracted by affliction, worries, or wealth. There is no greater treasure than the kingdom of Christ. May we believe that and embrace it. Help us understand that judgment is coming, and that an eternal separation will follow. Lead us to belong to You.

Thought Questions:

- How do you measure which kind of soil you have been lately? What is the best way to soften your heart and be more like the good soil?

- If God is allowing wheat (saved) to grow with the tares (lost) until judgment, there must be a reason. What do you think that is?

- What cost would you pay to possess citizenship in the kingdom of Christ? In what ways is your life demonstrating to God the truth of that claim?

Matthew 12 - Daily Bible Devotional Jan 21, 2025

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The opposition of the Pharisees has been ramping up through Jesus’ ministry and takes center stage in this chapter. Christ’s disciples eat grain heads on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees take the opportunity to accuse them of sin. Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees conspire to destroy Him! Jesus heals a man of demonic possession, and the Pharisees accuse Him of having a demon. All along Jesus puts them in their place. His disciples violated no law by eating on the Sabbath, for Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath! It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, including miraculously healing a lame man. Jesus works with the Spirit, not with the devil, and all who suggest such will be eternally judged for the sin of blasphemy.

Jesus goes on to say that speaking against the Spirit is worthy of eternal punishment. These evil accusations of the Pharisees indicate rotten, jealous, selfish hearts. He also exclaims that many nations of old repented on less evidence than Jesus was providing, indicating the Pharisees are far from God. We need to be humble enough to look at the Pharisees and ask, “How have I been like them?” Jesus is worthy to be worshiped, honored, and followed. We must love Him from the heart. We must love and serve His disciples as our family in the body of Christ. He defends and loves His saints. We should not be attacking or accusing others. We must be faithful supporters of one another in Christ.

Patient and Gracious God, please bear with us as we grow in our faith. Help us purge the spirit of the Pharisees in our hearts and lives. Give us wisdom to listen, to learn, and to love. And extinguish in us any desire to immediately question, judge, or attack our Lord or anyone in His family of believers. Humble us to hear His call to repentance and to respond. May the unclean spirits that flee from us by your grace not return to find a place of abode in our hearts and relationships ever again.

Thought Questions:

- What does it mean for Jesus to tell the Pharisees, “I desire compassion and not sacrifice”? How important is compassion in evaluating others?

- If Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, eternal God, and Healer of others, what place should He hold in your life today and what does that look like?

- How important should the Christian family be to us? If we are all Jesus’ “brother and sister and mother,” how do you demonstrate that in service?

Not Your Own Jan 20, 2025

Show notes

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:
Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)
Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)
Youtube Video Introducing the Content
Feel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.com
Sponsors:
Jon Cunningham, Owner, Cunningham Financial Group
Website: www.cunninghamfinancialgroup.com
Phone: 205-326-7364
Tyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer, Statewide Mortgage
Websites: https://statewidemortgage.com/
https://tylercain.floify.com/
Phone: 813-380-8487
Here is our primary text for today's episode:
I Corinthians 6:9-20 (With Parenthesis around Quotes)
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. "Every other sin a person commits is outside the body", but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Matthew 11 - Daily Bible Devotional Jan 20, 2025

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John the Baptist is in prison at this point in Jesus’ ministry. John sends his disciples to inquire of Jesus. This is part of John’s initial intention of giving all glory and attention to the One who would come and who would be greater than him. Jesus says wonderful things about him and his ministry but powerfully adds that those who are least in the kingdom of heaven are greater than John. Sadly, many have not believed so as to realize that immense blessing. Jesus openly rebukes those who have denied the evidence, noting that many nations of old would have repented by now with such powerful proof. This saddens Jesus. He desires to call all unto Him, to lighten their heavy burdens and provide rest for their souls.

“Are you the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” This is a powerful question. They are asking Jesus if He is the Messiah of prophecy and John’s teachings: the Savior of the world. Jesus did not simply answer yes. He spoke of His miracles and message. He had proven Himself to all who would look to Him. Many had hard hearts and would not submit, even though they had every reason to believe. Please do not let your fear, pride, and burdens keep you from repenting and turning to Jesus. Even if you are a Christian, keep renewing your gaze toward Him. He deserves and demands to lead your life. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.

Oh wonderful God of glory, all praise to You for sending Your Son to lift our burdens. Thank You for all the incredible things He did and said during His ministry, so we can know for certain how able He is to be a Savior and Helper to us. Give us the humility to come to Him. Help us to embrace the yoke openly and earnestly that He desires to place upon us. May we learn from Him how to be loving, gentle, and humble, so that the goodness of Jesus’ yoke can be shown to others.

Thought Questions:

- Can you explain what Jesus meant when He stated that those who are least in the kingdom of heaven are greater than even John the Baptist?

- Why do so many try to push their way into Christ’s kingdom without repentance? Why is repentance so crucial to belonging to Him?

- With all the struggles we face, how would you explain to someone that Jesus has given you rest and lightened your load in this life?

Matthew 10 - Daily Bible Devotional Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

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Jesus summons the twelve apostles and gives them the power to work miracles. He sends them out to the Jewish people to preach the coming kingdom of Christ. This becomes an early lesson to the disciples that some will openly embrace the gospel, but many will not. He notes that they are like sheep sent out amidst the wolves. But even under persecution, they are told “Do not worry” for the Holy Spirit of God is with them. If Jesus was rejected by some, so too will they be rejected. Do not fear what man can do to you. Only fear God who sees and knows all. The Gospel will unite some in joy, but it will also be a sword of division for others, even in one’s own household.

The most uttered instruction in Scripture is this: “Do not be afraid.” Twice it is spoken of in today’s read. The call to discipleship is not one of ease. If it was, Christians would not be tempted to fear. The disciples were given the most wonderful tools: the approval of Jesus, power from heaven, and the Holy Spirit. They were then challenged to use those tools to herald the coming kingdom in this world. That mission would draw negativity and persecution. And so it will be for you and me. Being on a mission means sharing the Light of Christ in this dark world. This can lead to trouble. Even so, we must boldly take up our cross and follow Jesus.

All-knowing God and Father, give us the faith and wisdom today to know You are with us. Help us to live courageously in faith, accepting that not all will embrace the light of Christ. But Father, may we never fear rejection or persecution, knowing these are moments where we demonstrate that Your Son rules our lives. I pray that You are the only One we fear. Please present opportunities for us to reach seeking hearts and use us to show them that there is no joy in life as complete as taking up our cross and following Jesus.

Thought Questions:

- Is the Gospel so great, and your fear and love of God so absolute, that you will stand for what is right no matter how others react?

- With Christ ruling and the Spirit within us, what does it look like to be fearless in telling others about the Gospel and God’s Power?

- How can you start with your family? If taking up your cross and following Jesus is for every day and everywhere, how does that look in your home?

Matthew 9 - Daily Bible Devotional Jan 16, 2025

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Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!

This chapter furthers Matthew’s mission of demonstrating the glory of Christ through miracles. Like the previous chapter, he lists quite a few of them: Jesus heals the paralytic, He heals the woman with 12 years of blood flow, He raises a young lady from the dead, heals two blind men, and casts out demons! The purpose of these miracles is to demonstrate some wonderful things about Jesus. First, He is compassionate. He feels for people and seeks to help them. Second, He has the power to cleanse souls of sin! The physical miracles prove His miraculous power to do all things. Third, this chapter continues to prove that there are no limits to Jesus’ authority. He controls the body and soul, life and death, and the physical and spiritual realm.

Jesus is the most wonderful gift the world has ever known. But some religious leaders refused to accept Him. They question His ability to forgive sins. They question why He dined with sinners. They even attribute His healing power to demons! They were jealous and selfish and refused to trust in Jesus and give Him the control He deserved. May you and I never let our limited knowledge and understanding foster such doubt. Contrary to these men, a desperate woman was healed, and another was raised from death by simple, trusting faith in Jesus as God’s Son. Christ acts in our lives because of our faith. May we be less like the Pharisees and more like those humble, blessed believers!

Heavenly Father, God of compassion, thank You for sending Your Son to show the world the perfect combination of power and mercy. Thank You for His willingness to feel compassion for those hurting spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Help us to see how beautifully Christ demonstrates His authority to heal and help and comfort those who fully put their trust in Him. May we be those people today, in prayer and faithfulness to Him. Lord, the harvest is plentiful. There are so many struggling and in need of Jesus. Give us the humility, selflessness, and boldness to share His name openly with others.

Thought Questions:

- Has Jesus proven to you that He has the power and willingness to forgive your sins? If so, how will you approach Him in prayer today?

- How can we sometimes be like the Pharisees in how we see others, misunderstanding how desperately Jesus wants everyone to be saved?

- Do you have compassion for the hurting? If this Christ-like quality is in you, what can you do today to spread the love of Jesus to another?

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