Day 21 – Walking in Step with the Spirit

Scripture:
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:25 (ESV)

Over the years, one of my favorite pregame moments at a Michigan football game was not kickoff. It was the entrance of the marching band. Long before the team ever took the field, you could hear the band approaching the stadium. Then suddenly, they would appear, marching in perfect unison, moving across the field with precision and purpose.

One of the most iconic moments is their trademark high step. Hundreds of band members, moving together, locked into the same rhythm, following the same leader, each step intentional and aligned. It is powerful. It is unforgettable. And it is a picture that helps us understand what Paul is saying in Galatians 5:25.

Paul does not simply say, “If we live by the Spirit, then the Spirit will do everything.” He says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” In other words, this is not accidental. It is intentional.

To live by the Spirit means we have been given new life through Christ. To walk in step with the Spirit means we choose, day after day, to follow His lead. It is learning to move when He moves, to stop when He stops, and to align our lives with His direction.

Over the last 21 days, we have talked about what it looks like to become more like Jesus. We have looked at the fruit that the Spirit produces in us when we surrender our lives to Him. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self control.

Paul now brings it all together. The fruit of the Spirit is not just something we admire. It is something we live out. And that only happens when we walk in step with the Spirit.

You cannot march in rhythm without paying attention. You cannot stay in formation without intentional effort. In the same way, we will never walk in step with the Spirit by accident. It requires daily decisions to prioritize time with God, to listen for His voice, and to obey His leading.

Over these past 21 days, you have made intentional choices. You chose to slow down. You chose to seek God. You chose to reflect on your life and invite the Spirit to shape you. The challenge now is simple, but profound.

Do not stop walking.

Do not treat these 21 days as a finish line. Let them be a starting point. Continue walking after Jesus. Continue making Him a priority. Continue keeping in step with the Spirit. As you do, your life will continue to be shaped into the likeness of Christ.

This is how we become more like Jesus. One step at a time. Together. In rhythm with the Spirit of God.

Reflection

• What does it look like for you to intentionally walk in step with the Spirit this season?
• What habits or distractions could pull you out of step if you are not paying attention?
• What is one daily practice you can commit to that helps you stay aligned with the Spirit?

Prayer
Lord, thank You for the life You have given me through Your Spirit. Help me not only to live by the Spirit, but to walk in step with Him each day. Give me ears to hear Your voice, a heart that is willing to obey, and a life that reflects Jesus. As I continue this journey, shape me, lead me, and help me become more like Him. Amen.

Day 20 – Crucifying the Flesh

Scripture:
“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Galatians 5:24 (ESV)

As Paul brings his teaching on the fruit of the Spirit to a close, he makes something unmistakably clear. The life that produces spiritual fruit does not happen by accident. It comes at a cost.

Paul uses the language of crucifixion, and his readers would have immediately understood the weight of that word. Crucifixion was not symbolic or gentle. It was slow, painful, and final. When something was crucified, it was being put to death.

Here Paul tells us that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. In other words, the only way the fruit of the Spirit becomes evident in our lives is when the old way of life is no longer in charge.

This helps us understand what limits spiritual growth. Yesterday we saw that there is no law, no limit, placed on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God never tells us to have less of those things.

What limits the fruit of the Spirit is not God’s law. It is our flesh.

The desires of the flesh are often at odds with the Spirit of God within us. The flesh pulls us toward comfort, control, pride, and self. The Spirit pulls us toward surrender, obedience, humility, and life. When we give in to the flesh, the fruit of the Spirit is crowded out. When the flesh is put to death, the life of Christ begins to shine through us.

Crucifying the flesh does not mean pretending temptation does not exist. It means choosing, again and again, not to let sin win. It means refusing to settle for who we have been, and instead leaning into who we are becoming through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is where real freedom is found. Not in doing whatever we want, but in living fully alive in Christ.

So the question for today is simple, but not easy.
What needs to die so that Christ may live in and through you?

Reflection

• Where do you most often feel the tension between the flesh and the Spirit?
• What desires or habits might be limiting the fruit God wants to grow in your life?
• What would it look like today to choose surrender instead of self?

Prayer
Jesus, thank You for giving Your life so that I could truly live. Help me to put to death the things in my life that pull me away from You. I want Your Spirit to shape my desires, my choices, and my future. Teach me to surrender daily so that Your life is seen in me. Amen.

Day 19 – Against Such Things There Is No Law

Scripture:
“Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:23 (ESV)

There are many areas of life where limits are necessary. We have speed limits to keep people safe. There are age limits, size limits, and weight limits for rides at amusement parks. There are limits on spending, on screen time, and on what we consume. These boundaries exist for our good, because without them, harm follows, not only to ourselves but to others as well.

God’s law works much the same way. Throughout Scripture, we see guardrails put in place to protect relationships with God and with people. The Ten Commandments, for example, were not given to restrict joy but to preserve life, trust, and freedom. Scripture even describes sin as “living outside the limits,” a way of life that ultimately damages hearts, homes, and communities.

That is why Paul’s words in Galatians 5 are so striking.

After listing the fruit of the Spirit, he says something profound:
“Against such things there is no law.”
In other words, there is no limit placed on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God never says, “Love less.” He never instructs us to be less kind, less patient, or less self-controlled. It would make no sense to tell someone to grow less Christlike.

Paul is making it clear that a life shaped by the Spirit does not need external restraints. When we are becoming more like Jesus, the law is no longer something that pushes against us. Instead, the Spirit leads us from the inside out. The fruit of the Spirit naturally fulfills what the law was always pointing toward.

Living more like Jesus does not require fewer limits. It produces a life that does not need them.

On the surface, Paul’s statement may seem obvious, but it carries a deep invitation. He is encouraging followers of Jesus to lean into what God is “for,” not merely what He is against. A Spirit-filled life produces fruit that blesses others, brings freedom, and reflects the heart of God.

So church, never stop striving to be more like Jesus. Never grow weary of pursuing the fruit of the Spirit. The only thing standing in the way is not the law, it is often simply OURSELVES.

God is not trying to restrict you. He is forming you.
And against that kind of life, there is no law.

Reflection

• Which fruit of the Spirit feels most evident in your life right now?
• Which one do you sense God inviting you to lean into more deeply?
• Where might you be relying on external rules instead of surrendering to the Spirit’s work within you?

Prayer
God, thank You for giving me a life guided not by fear or restriction, but by Your Spirit. Help me to walk in freedom as I become more like Jesus. Shape my heart so that Your fruit flows naturally from my life, blessing others and honoring You. Teach me to trust what You are producing in me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Day 18 – Self-Control

Scripture
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)

Self-control is listed last in the fruit of the Spirit, but that does not mean it is least important. In many ways, it reaches to the very core of who we are. Self-control deals with our desires, impulses, appetites, and choices. It touches the places in us where we feel weakest and most exposed.

Most of us can relate to the struggle. We set goals to eat better, be healthier, speak more kindly, or respond more patiently. We start strong, then life happens. Stress builds. Temptation shows up. Ice cream, comfort, distraction, or old habits begin to call our name. If we are honest, we all know what it feels like to lose control in moments we wish we had handled differently.

Paul is not talking about self-control that we simply will into existence through discipline or determination. This is not about white-knuckling our way into holiness. The self-control described in Galatians 5 is something the Holy Spirit produces in us. It is Spirit-governed strength, not self-powered effort.

Biblically speaking, self-control goes deeper than behavior modification. It is about surrender. It is a posture of the heart that says, “I want to please God today more than I want to please myself.” When we surrender our desires, impulses, and appetites to the Holy Spirit, He begins to shape our responses from the inside out.

Think of self-control like a filter placed over the heart and mind. It helps us discern between good and bad, truth and lies, wisdom and impulse. It does not remove temptation, but it gives us strength to respond differently when temptation comes.

Self-control also works alongside love. Love fuels self-control because when we love God deeply, we begin to want what He wants more than what our flesh craves. Over time, surrender leads to strength. Obedience leads to freedom. And the Spirit produces a steady, growing self-control that reflects the life of Jesus.

This fruit reminds us that growth in Christ is not about becoming more like our old selves with better habits. It is about becoming more like Jesus through daily surrender to the Holy Spirit.

Reflection
Where do you feel most aware of your lack of self-control right now
Is there an area of your life you are trying to manage on your own instead of surrendering to the Spirit
What would it look like today to say, “Holy Spirit, I trust You to lead me here”

Prayer
Holy Spirit, I confess that there are areas of my life where I struggle to surrender control. I often try to fix myself through effort instead of trusting You to change me from within. Today, I invite You into my desires, impulses, and decisions. Help me want what You want. Teach me to say yes to You more than I say yes to myself. Produce in me the fruit of self-control so that my life reflects Jesus more clearly. I surrender again today. Amen.

Day 17 — More Like Jesus: Gentleness

Scripture:
Matthew 11:29 (ESV)
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Gentleness is one of those character traits that can feel misunderstood. For some people, it stands out clearly. For others, it seems almost absent. In our world, gentleness is often mistaken for weakness, passivity, or settling for less than what God desires. But Scripture paints a very different picture.

Jesus describes Himself as “gentle and lowly in heart.” That matters. Gentleness is not something Jesus occasionally displays when the moment is right. It is who He is at His core. The Greek word often translated as gentleness is also translated as meekness. Meekness is not weakness. It is strength under control.

True gentleness is the ability to respond with restraint when you have every reason and every right to respond with force. It is choosing patience over power. It is choosing love over control.

As a dad of four girls, I learned this lesson in a very real way. When my girls were young, they loved to wrestle and play. They would jump on me, tackle me, and laugh as if they were winning the fight. Of course, I always had the strength to end the game immediately. But gentleness meant choosing not to. It meant holding back my strength so that relationship and joy could flourish.

That is a small picture of what Jesus does with us. He has all authority. All power. All strength. And yet He deals with us gently. He meets us in our weakness. He leads us with patience. He invites us to learn from Him.

Gentleness is not settling for less than what God has for us. It is trusting God enough to let Him shape how we use the strength we have. It is strength submitted to love.

Jesus showed this again and again. Even in the final days before the cross, He restrained His power. He could have stopped the betrayal. He could have called down angels. Instead, He chose the gentle path that led to our salvation.

To become more like Jesus is to allow the Holy Spirit to shape our strength. Gentleness shows up in how we speak, how we correct, how we lead, how we love, and how we respond when life presses in. It is not natural. It is spiritual fruit.

When we walk closely with Jesus, gentleness becomes less about trying harder and more about becoming more like Him.

Reflection
Where in your life do you feel tempted to use strength instead of gentleness?
How might Jesus be inviting you to respond differently today?
What would it look like to bring strength under His control in your relationships?

Prayer
Jesus, thank You for Your gentle heart toward me.
Teach me to learn from You and walk in Your ways.
Help me to use my strength with wisdom, humility, and love.
Shape my heart so that I reflect Your gentleness in every relationship.
I want to be more like You. Amen.

Day 16 — Faithfulness

Scripture:
1 Corinthians 4:2 (ESV)
“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

Faithfulness is not flashy. It is not loud. It rarely draws attention.
But Scripture tells us it is required.

Paul reminds us that what God looks for in His people is not perfection, talent, or speed, but faithfulness. A steady, obedient life that keeps showing up. Someone once said that faithfulness is a long walk in the same direction. Not a sprint. Not a burst of energy. A daily decision to keep moving forward with Jesus.

The fruit of faithfulness does not appear overnight. It grows slowly through repeated choices to follow Christ even when circumstances are hard, emotions are inconsistent, or no one else is watching. Faithfulness shows up when we decide again and again to say yes to Jesus.

Hebrews tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. That means faith is not just something we believe. It is something we live. Faith is placing our trust in Jesus and continuing to walk with Him over time. As that faith matures, it produces the fruit of faithfulness in our lives.

Faithfulness is choosing obedience over convenience. It is showing up when it would be easier to quit. It is staying the course when feelings change. It is remaining committed to Jesus whether the season feels fruitful or dry.

Unwavering faith leads to a harvest of faithfulness.

My desire is simple. To keep walking. To keep following Jesus no matter what is happening around me. To live a life that consistently reflects Him. A life that produces faithfulness in abundance.

Do you want to be More Like Jesus? The answer is simple, just simply keep walking.

Reflection
Where is God inviting you to remain faithful today, even if it feels slow or unseen?
What would it look like to take one more step of obedience with Jesus in this season?

Prayer
Jesus, help me to walk faithfully with You.
Teach me to trust You in every season, even when progress feels slow.
Strengthen my heart to keep showing up, to keep obeying, and to keep following You.
I want my life to reflect steady faith and deep trust in You.
Make me more like You. Amen.

Day 15: Goodness
Scripture

“But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.”
Luke 10:33 (ESV)

When Scripture speaks of goodness as a fruit of the Spirit, it is describing more than moral behavior or doing the right thing when it is convenient. Biblical goodness is a Spirit produced response that flows naturally from a heart aligned with Jesus.

Jesus illustrates this clearly in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan does not stop because he feels obligated or pressured. He stops because compassion rises up within him. Goodness moves toward need. It steps in when others walk by. It responds when love sees suffering and refuses to ignore it.

This is the difference between manufactured goodness and Spirit formed goodness. Manufactured goodness is forced. It is calculated. It often asks, “What will this cost me?” Spirit formed goodness simply acts. It is an overflow from the heart. It does not need to be convinced or coerced. It just shows up.

Jesus lived this kind of goodness over and over again. He touched the untouchable. He welcomed the overlooked. He helped when it would have been easier to keep walking. Goodness was not something He turned on when convenient. It was who He was.

The fruit of the Spirit works the same way in us. Goodness is not about trying harder to be better. It is about staying close to Jesus and allowing His heart to shape ours. As the Spirit produces goodness within us, we begin to see people differently. We respond differently. We stop when others pass by. We step in when love calls us forward.

Goodness benefits others, but it also transforms us. As we become more like Jesus, those around us experience the beauty of a life shaped by Him. That is the fruit at work.

Reflection
Where has God been prompting you to step toward someone instead of walking past?
Is there a situation where you have been trying to manufacture goodness instead of allowing the Spirit to produce it?
What would it look like today to respond with goodness as a natural overflow of walking closely with Jesus?

Prayer
Jesus, thank You for showing us what true goodness looks like. Shape my heart to reflect Yours. Help me to see people as You see them and to respond with compassion when You prompt me to act. I want my life to be an overflow of Your goodness, produced by Your Spirit and lived out for the good of others. Amen.

Day 14 - Kindness

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4
“Love is patient and kind…”

It feels like we live in a world where kindness is in short supply. People are impatient. Everyone wants things done their way and right now. Behind screens and keyboards, words are typed quickly and often harshly. Even face to face, it can feel like there is very little room for people who think differently, look differently, live differently, or see the world through a different lens.

There seems to be an unspoken rule that kindness is reserved only for people who agree with us, act like us, or live like us.

But if we are going to be more like Jesus, this is one area where the difference should be unmistakable.

Kindness is not optional for the follower of Jesus. It is central to who we are. The world does not need more opinions. It needs more people shaped by the kindness of Christ. Scripture tells us that love is patient and kind, and kindness is not a personality trait or a preference. It is a fruit produced by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is our example. He was kind to everyone at all times, even Judas, the one who would betray Him. His kindness was not weakness. It was love choosing to move toward people rather than away from them.

The word “kind” in Scripture is a verb. It requires action. You cannot simply claim to be kind. Kindness has to show up. It begins in the heart, but it must be lived out in real relationships. It must show up in our homes, in our marriages, in how we speak to our kids, in how we treat strangers, and even in how we respond to people who frustrate us.

Kindness is an overflow of living in and out of the love of God. It is love choosing to be useful for the good of someone else.

And it is important to remember this. Kindness is not something you do for yourself. It is something God does through you for the sake of others.

So be kind.
Not because the world is kind.
Not because people deserve it.
But because Jesus is forming His heart in you.

Reflection
Where has impatience or frustration crowded out kindness in your life lately?
Who is one person God may be inviting you to intentionally show kindness to today, even if it feels undeserved or inconvenient?

Prayer
Jesus, thank You for the kindness You have shown me.
Shape my heart to look more like Yours.
Help me to be patient, gentle, and intentional in how I treat others.
Let Your kindness flow through my words, my actions, and my relationships today.
I want to be more like You. Amen.

Day 13 — Longsuffering (Patience)

Scripture:
“Love is patient…” 1 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV)

The transformation project that the Holy Spirit begins in our lives is rarely an overnight fix. It is a lifelong journey. We live in a world that wants instant results and immediate gratification, but anything of real substance takes time. Growth takes time. Maturity takes time. Becoming more like Jesus takes time.

That’s why patience, longsuffering, is such an essential fruit of the Spirit.

The patience Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 13:4 is not patience with circumstances as much as it is patience with people. And if we’re honest, patience with people is often harder than patience with situations. Circumstances eventually change. People… not always as quickly.

All of us have “those” people in our lives, the ones who test our patience. It could be a friend, a crying baby, a boss, a neighbor, or someone who constantly gets under our skin. You fill in the blank. And yet Paul, just like Jesus, roots everything in love. When we learn to love like Jesus, the natural overflow of that love is the production of spiritual fruit, and one of the first fruits that shows up is patience.

In what we often call “the love chapter” of Scripture, a passage frequently read at weddings, Paul begins not with romance or emotion, but with this simple phrase: “Love is patient.” And Paul isn’t writing specifically about marriage here. He’s writing about relationships in general, relationships within the body of Christ and in everyday life.

A lack of patience is often a sign of a lack of love. And the patience God has shown to us—imperfect, unfinished people, is the same patience He calls us to show to others. God has been incredibly patient with us, and He continues to be. That same longsuffering patience is what we are invited to reflect as followers of Jesus.

Patience doesn’t mean ignoring sin or lowering standards. It means choosing grace over irritation. It means walking with people instead of giving up on them. It means trusting God’s timing in the process of growth, both in others and in ourselves.
Patience is not weakness. It is love that endures. And it is part of the journey of walking closely with Jesus and becoming more like Him.

Reflection
Take a moment and sit with these questions:

1. Who is one person that tends to test your patience most right now?
2. What usually gets triggered in you in those moments, pride, control, frustration, impatience, insecurity?
3. How has God been patient with you recently (even in ways you didn’t deserve)?
4. What would it look like this week to show one tangible act of PATIENT love toward that person?
5. Is there an area in your own growth where you need to trust God’s timing instead of rushing the process?

Prayer
Jesus, thank You for the patience You have shown me. Help me to love others the way You have loved me, with grace, endurance, and compassion. Grow in me a patience that reflects Your heart. Amen.

Day 12 — Let Peace Make the Call

Scripture:
Colossians 3:15 (ESV)

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

Paul writes, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” That word rule is important. It’s not passive. It’s not accidental. It’s a choice.

If you’re a sports fan, you understand this instinctively. Every game has an official — an umpire or referee — whose job is to make the call. You may agree with it or disagree with it, but once the call is made, it’s final. The official rules the game at that moment.

Paul is saying the peace of Christ is meant to function like that in our lives.

As followers of Jesus, peace is already available to us. It’s something the Holy Spirit brings into our lives because of our relationship with Christ. But here’s the key: we still have to let it rule. We can resist it. We can argue with it. We can override it with fear, control, anxiety, or the need to be right.

Peace doesn’t force itself on us — it waits for permission.

So many of us live exhausted not because peace isn’t available, but because we’re constantly fighting the call. We replay decisions, relive conversations, and rehearse worst-case scenarios, all while peace is standing there saying, “Trust the call that’s already been made.”

Biblical peace isn’t the absence of conflict or pressure. It’s not something that comes from everything around us settling down. Peace comes through relationship with Jesus — the Prince of Peace. It grows when we release control, stop trying to officiate our own lives, and trust that Christ already knows the outcome.

Letting peace rule means surrendering the need to constantly explain, defend, or fix everything. It means trusting that Jesus has already made the determination that matters most — and inviting His peace to govern your heart.

When we let peace make the call, we stop striving and start resting. And in that place, we experience a peace we might have never thought possible.

Reflection
Where in your life are you fighting the call instead of trusting the peace Christ has already given you?

Prayer
Jesus, today I choose to let Your peace rule in my heart. Help me release control, trust Your leadership, and rest in the call You’ve already made. Amen.

Day 11 — Joy That Remains

Scripture:
John 15:11 (ESV)

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

As humans, we spend a lot of our lives chasing happiness. We tend to believe that if certain things fall into place, less conflict, more money, the right job, the next promotion, well-behaved kids, or the perfect season of life, then we’ll finally be happy. And yet, people have discovered since the beginning of time that happiness rooted in external circumstances always comes up short.

Jesus doesn’t ignore our desire for happiness, but He invites us into something deeper: joy.

In John 15, Jesus speaks about abiding, remaining deeply connected to Him. Right after teaching that a life rooted in Him will bear much fruit, Jesus says these words: “that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Joy, according to Jesus, isn’t something we chase, it’s something we receive as we stay connected to Him.

This joy is not dependent on what’s happening around us; it’s rooted in who Jesus is and what He has done for us. The New Testament writers consistently point us toward this truth: joy flows from relationship, not circumstances.

The Greek word used here for joy is chara, which comes from the same root word as charis - grace. That connection is powerful. Grace is what God gives to us freely, and joy is our response to that gift. When we live aware of God’s grace, joy becomes the overflow.
Abiding really is that simple, and that challenging. It means making Jesus our priority. It means time with Him, trust in Him, obedience to Him, and anchoring our lives in His words. And here’s the promise: God will never fail us. When we remain in Him, He always follows through.

When joy comes from Jesus, circumstances may disappoint, but we don’t fall apart. We don’t crumble when life doesn’t meet our expectations, because our joy is anchored deeper than our outcomes.

If I could summarize it all, it would come back to this:
Joy is the natural outcome of a life that remains deeply connected to Jesus.

Reflection

• Where have you been looking for happiness instead of joy?
• What would it look like today to intentionally abide in Jesus?
• How might your perspective shift if joy flowed from relationship rather than results?

Prayer
Jesus, help me to remain in You. Teach me to stop chasing happiness and to receive the joy that only comes from knowing You. Let Your joy live in me and overflow from my life, no matter my circumstances. Amen.

Day 10 –The Fruit of Love

Scripture:
Galatians 5:22–23
John 13:34–35
Matthew 5:46

Yesterday we began looking at the fruit of the Spirit—the evidence of a life shaped by the Holy Spirit. Scripture makes it clear that God’s desire is not just that we believe, but that we mature. As Jesus said, He wants us to bear much fruit.

Today, we start with the first fruit listed in Galatians 5: love.
The love Paul is describing here is not simply the love we feel for our spouse, our family, or the people who are easy to love. This is a deeper kind of love, one that extends even to those who don’t love us back. Jesus Himself said that loving only those who love us doesn’t set us apart. Even the world can do that. But loving others when it’s hard, inconvenient, or undeserved, that is a mark of genuine faith.

Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love is meant to be the defining mark of a follower of Jesus. And if we’re honest, even loving other believers doesn’t always come naturally. The kind of love Jesus calls us to live out is not something we can manufacture on our own.
That’s why love is called a fruit of the Spirit.

This love isn’t emotional, shallow, or permissive. It doesn’t ignore sin or lower the standard of truth. Biblical love holds people to a higher standard because it wants what is best for them. Love doesn’t condone wrong doing, but it does choose grace, patience, and humility in the way truth is lived out.

Love is an action. And when love is active, it becomes very difficult to harm others or rebel against God. Paul even tells us that love fulfills the law because when we put others before ourselves, when kindness, patience, and grace lead our actions, we are living the heart of God.

Love is foundational. Every other fruit of the Spirit flows out of it.

So what stands in the way of us loving people the way Jesus does?
Often, it’s not a lack of effort, it’s a lack of closeness.

To cultivate a heart of love, we have to stay close to Jesus. We love others best when we love Him most. Time with Jesus shapes our hearts. His presence softens us. His love toward us overflows into love for others.

A helpful picture is a triangle. Imagine a husband and wife at the bottom corners, and God at the top. As both pursue God and draw closer to Him, they also draw closer to one another. The same is true for how we love people. The closer we are to Jesus, the more His love flows naturally through us.

If we want to love like Jesus, it starts with falling in love with Jesus.
And the result of that is a heart that looks more and more like His.

Reflection
Who is God inviting you to love right now, not just with words, but with action?

Prayer
Jesus, help me love You more than anything else. As I draw closer to You, shape my heart to love people the way You do. Produce Your love in me by Your Spirit. Amen.

Day 9 – More Like Jesus: Walking in the Spirit

Scripture:
Galatians 5:24–25 (ESV)

“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”

Paul draws a clear contrast in Galatians 5 between walking according to the flesh and walking in the Spirit. One leads toward sin and corruption; the other produces the fruit of the Spirit. The difference comes down to submission, which voice we choose to follow.
Paul reminds us that those who belong to Jesus are called to crucify the flesh, to put to death the desires that pull us away from God and instead choose to live by the Spirit. When we do, something beautiful begins to grow in us: the character of Jesus.

What’s interesting is that Scripture speaks of the fruit of the Spirit as plural, not singular. The goal of the Holy Spirit’s work in us is not to produce one isolated trait, but a full basket of fruit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, these qualities together reflect spiritual maturity.

Jesus is our example. In Him we see the full expression of what this fruit looks like in real life. Our goal as His followers is not to look more like ourselves, but to become more like Him.

Just this past week, when I dropped Mollie off at school, something that has been our practice with all of our girls, I prayed with her before she got out of the car. My prayer was simple:
“God, help Mollie display Jesus to everyone she sees today. May the people she interacts with walk away thinking, that’s what Jesus is like.”

That prayer isn’t meant to put pressure on her. It’s meant to remind her of who she is in Christ and what matters most. From a parent’s heart, this is how Staci and I have tried to approach discipling our girls, helping them see their value in Christ and encouraging them to take ownership of their faith through simple, everyday moments that produce real fruit.

Over the next several days, we’re going to slow down and look closely at each fruit Paul describes what it looks like, how it grows, and how we can cultivate it in our daily lives. Not so we can strive harder, but so we can walk more closely with the Spirit.

When we do, His character begins to form in us and we become more like Jesus.

Reflection
Which voice are you most often following right now—the flesh or the Spirit?

Prayer
Holy Spirit, help me crucify the desires that pull me away from You. Teach me to walk in step with You so that Your fruit would grow in my life and reflect the heart of Jesus. Amen.

Day 8 - Winning the Battle of the Mind

Scripture:
Romans 12:1–2
Ephesians 6:11–17
2 Corinthians 10:5
Philippians 4:8

If following Jesus instantly made us fully like Him—filled with His Spirit and free from all selfish desires—then the struggle with sin would be over. There would be no inner tension, no temptation, no battle. Every day would simply be spent bringing honor and glory to Him for the rest of our lives and into eternity.

But something important would be missing.
We would miss the intimacy that comes through the struggle—especially the struggle in our minds. We would miss encountering His grace and mercy in moments where sin and selfish thoughts resurface, calling us once again to surrender. Often, that surrender happens in the very place where the battle is most fierce: the mind.

Every action begins with a thought. That’s why becoming more like Jesus requires learning how to fight the battle that starts there. As the saying goes, we will either control our thoughts, or our thoughts will control us. One of the two will always be true.
Romans 12:1–2 tells us that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. That renewal doesn’t happen automatically just because we follow Jesus—it requires intention. Growth doesn’t come by accident.

Ephesians 6 reminds us that we are in a spiritual battle and calls us to put on the full armor of God. This is not symbolic language for comfort; it’s language for war. And that war often begins with our thought life. The enemy wants space there. He wants influence there. And if we allow it, he will take it.

So we must go to war.

Becoming more like Jesus means doing the hard work of “taking every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). When thoughts come that pull us away from God’s truth—about ourselves, others, or our circumstances—we don’t ignore them. We stop them. We bring them to Jesus.

Philippians 4:8 gives us a clear framework for our thought life: whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable—these are the things our minds should dwell on. Anything that doesn’t align with God’s truth gets cast out. At different seasons of life, this list has become a literal weapon for me. I made it a practice to begin to literally take my thoughts captive by stopping, praying and reciting this list. Something like this would play out in my mind and in my prayer life.

“God, I know this thought is not what brings glory to you. 

True! Honest! Just! Pure! Lovely! And commendable! 

This is where I want my thoughts to live. Help me, Lord.”

God’s Word is a weapon. When we memorize it and use it, we can win the battle of our minds. Over time, our thoughts are renewed. And in the middle of the fight, we discover something beautiful—Jesus meets us there. His truth becomes our truth, and little by little, we become more like Him.

Reflection
What thoughts have been shaping your attitudes, emotions, or actions lately—and do they align with God’s truth?

Prayer
God, help me to recognize the thoughts that don’t honor You. Teach me to take them captive and replace them with what is true and pleasing in Your sight. Renew my mind and shape me to be more like Jesus. Amen.

Day 7 — Liberty That Loves

Scripture:

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
Galatians 5:13 (ESV)

As Americans, we love liberty.
The freedom to choose what we want to do.
The freedom to say what we want.
The freedom to strive, build, dream, and pursue any future we can imagine.

Liberty is something people have sacrificed deeply for, and we understand that freedom always comes with responsibility. Even in a free society, there are limits. You may have the freedom to do whatever you want, but you also have to be willing to live with the consequences of those choices.

That same truth carries into our spiritual lives.
Because of Jesus, we are no longer slaves to the law or a religious system that tried to manage behavior from the outside. We are no longer slaves to sin or its eternal consequences. We have been set free.

But Paul reminds us that Christian freedom was never meant to turn inward.
Real liberty, the kind Jesus gives, isn’t centered around self—it’s expressed through love. Freedom in Christ isn’t the permission to do whatever we want without regard for others; that isn’t freedom at all. That’s slowly building a prison around ourselves.

Jesus shows us a different way.
He consistently used His freedom to love people, serve people, and put others first. That’s what walking in the Spirit looks like—giving up control, loving others, and choosing their needs ahead of our own.

When we live this way, something shifts. Freedom stops being about me and starts becoming about mission. It begins to look like Jesus.

Reflection
In what ways might God be inviting you to use your freedom this week to serve someone else?

Prayer
Jesus, thank You for the freedom You’ve given me. Teach me to use it the way You did—through love, humility, and service to others. Amen.

Day 6 – The Victory of Surrender

Scripture:

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Luke 22:42 (ESV)

There’s a real tug-of-war that lives inside all of us.
In one breath, we want to please God.
In the next, we want to be in control.
We want peace—but we also want our way.
We want to follow Jesus—but we also want to hold onto the hurts, habits, and hang-ups that keep pulling us back.

That battle between our flesh and our spirit plays out over and over again in real life.

And then we come to the Garden.

Jesus knew what was coming—His arrest, His torture, and His brutal death on a cross. And in Luke 22, we don’t just see Jesus teaching us about surrender… we see Him living it.

He prays honestly:
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me…”

That’s real. That’s human. That’s raw.

But then comes the turning point—the moment that shows us how to win the war within:

“Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

Jesus didn’t wrestle with sin the way we do—He lived a sinless life we could never live. But He did wrestle with the weight of what obedience would cost Him. He knew the price. He felt the pressure. And yet, for the love of the Father—and for you and me—He surrendered.

And that surrender is what opened the door for our salvation:
the forgiveness of our sins, and the gift of eternal life.

Here’s what Jesus shows us:

If we want to be more like Him, it won’t come through hype or willpower. It comes through simple surrender—over and over again.

Not always dramatic.
Not always emotional.
But real.

On our knees.
Talking with our Father.
Letting go of control.

That’s the goal of prayer and fasting—not just to “do something spiritual,” but to train our hearts to say:
“Not my will, but Yours.”

Because on the other side of surrender is what our hearts are really longing for:
peace, joy, and love… found in the will of God.

Reflection

• Where do you feel the tug-of-war most right now—between what you want and what God wants?
• What is one area where you need to pray, “Not my will, but Yours be done” and actually mean it?

Prayer
Father, You know the battle that rages inside me. You know where I want control, where I’ve been clinging to my own way. Today I surrender that to You. Teach me to trust You, even when obedience costs me something. I want to be more like Jesus—so I’m choosing to pray: Not my will, but Yours be done. Amen.

Day 5 - Accustomed to Being with God

Scripture:

“And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.”
Luke 22:39 (ESV)

There’s a powerful phrase tucked into Luke’s account of Jesus praying before the cross:
“as was his custom.”

Jesus was walking toward one of the most intense moments of His earthly life and yet, He didn’t scramble to figure out what to do next. He went to pray. Not because of panic, but because of practice.

Theologian James K. A. Smith said, “You are what you love, and what you love is shaped by your habits.”
That statement is true spiritually and it’s true in everyday life.

I began to understand this as a kid learning to play the piano. I wasn’t a child prodigy who could just sit down and instantly play anything I wanted. My teacher and my mom drilled into me one word: practice. There were plenty of days I didn’t feel like it, and plenty of moments when it felt tedious.

But over time, those small, consistent habits formed something in me. They gave me skill I could lean on when it counted. I didn’t become a musician in one big moment, I became one through a hundred small ones.

The same is true in our walk with Jesus.
We don’t become more like Him by accident or by good intentions alone. Spiritual growth doesn’t happen through inspiration it happens through formation. Through rhythms. Through habits. That’s why Luke tells us Jesus went to the Mount of Olives as was His custom.

Jesus, fully God and fully man, built intentional space to be with the Father. He knew His humanity needed rest, renewal, and strength. Time with God wasn’t a last resort. It was a regular rhythm.

And if Jesus needed that time… how much more do we?
As we pray and fast during these 21 days, we’re not just doing a temporary spiritual challenge. We’re building habits that shape what we love and shape who we’re becoming.

Some people around you may not understand it at first. They may wonder why you’re choosing this discipline, why you’re saying no to certain things, why you’re carving out time for prayer.

But over time, they’ll simply notice:
“As was our custom, we went to be with Jesus.”


Reflection

• What habits are shaping your attention and affection right now?
• What is one small, consistent rhythm you can commit to during this fast (even 10 minutes a day) to be with Jesus?

Prayer
Jesus, thank You for showing me what it looks like to live from a place of time with the Father. Help me build habits that draw me closer to You. Give me grace on the days it feels hard, and perseverance to stay consistent. I want to become someone who is accustomed to being with You.
Amen.

Day 4 - Grace that Sets Us Free

Scripture:

“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

John 8:11 (ESV)

To be more like Jesus means more than believing what He believed, it means having His heart for people and responding the way He would respond. In John 8, we see a woman caught in adultery brought before Jesus. The crowd is outraged. The religious leaders are ready to bring the hammer down. According to the law, the punishment is clear: death by stoning.

But something feels off. If they were truly after justice, where was the man?
This wasn’t justice, it was selective outrage. The leaders weren’t interested in restoration. They were looking for condemnation. And they were hoping to trap Jesus in the process.

What I’m grateful for is this: Jesus isn’t like us.

We tend to sort people into neat categories.
We like to condemn.
We like to point out the failures of others often while ignoring our own reflection in the mirror.

But Jesus doesn’t need to condemn others to feel better about Himself. Instead, He does something profound. After saying, “Let the one who has no sin cast the first stone,” He kneels down and writes in the sand. We don’t know what He wrote—but whatever it was, it was enough. One by one, the accusers walk away.

When Jesus looks up, only the woman remains.
And then come the words that change everything:
“Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more.”

No lecture.
No shaming.
No scarlet letter.

Jesus doesn’t excuse her sin but He also doesn’t define her by it. He forgives her and calls her into a new way of living. Grace and truth, perfectly held together. Just as John said, Jesus was full of grace and truth.

This moment teaches us two powerful lessons.
First, we should be more like Jesus with others, extending grace instead of shame, offering restoration instead of condemnation.
Second, we should receive grace the way this woman did.

How often do we accept God’s forgiveness, only to return to the very things He set us free from?

Jesus didn’t just forgive her, He invited her to live as someone who was forgiven.
He came to break the bondage and power of sin, not just to wipe the slate clean.

So as we pray and fast in this season, may we:

• Extend grace where we once offered judgment.
• Receive forgiveness where we once lived in shame.
• And walk in the freedom Jesus has already given us.

Reflection

• Is there someone you’ve been tempted to view through the lens of condemnation instead of grace?
• Is there an area of your life where Jesus has forgiven you but you’re still living as if you’re not free?

Prayer
Jesus, thank You for grace that meets me where I am and truth that calls me forward.
Help me see others the way You see them.
Help me receive Your forgiveness fully and walk in the freedom You offer.
I don’t want to live in shame, I want to live changed.
Amen.

Day 3 - The 6 E’s of Prayer

Scripture:
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” — James 5:16

Big Idea: Prayer isn’t our backup plan — it’s our primary work.

Today I want to share a way to pray that a friend of mine, Pastor Mike Johnson, came up with. It challenged me because it’s simple, memorable, and incredibly powerful. I’ve started practicing it often, and it’s helped me pray with more focus and purpose.

Prayer is the primary work God’s people can and should do. Before we move into our day, before the noise, the pressure, the tasks, and the stress, we can come to God in a way that centers our hearts and strengthens our faith.

So today, walk with me through the 6 E’s of Prayer.

1) Embrace Faith
Key Thought: Start with gratitude and surrender.

Before we ask God for anything, we come to Him remembering who He is and what He has done. We thank Him for saving us, for rescuing us, for bringing us into His family through Jesus.

Faith isn’t just believing in God — it’s trusting Him above everything else. So today, begin by embracing faith:

• Thank God for your salvation
  
  
• Declare your trust in Jesus
  
  
• Praise God for His character
  
  

Prayer:
 “Lord, thank You for saving me. I trust You completely. You are holy, good, faithful, and worthy. Today I place my faith in You above all things.”

2) Encounter Wisdom
Key Thought: Ask for wisdom and listen through Scripture.

Solomon asked God for wisdom, and God honored that prayer. (1 Kings 3) We should pray the same way — not just for answers, but for wisdom to live well and honor God.

Wisdom doesn’t come just from experience; it comes from walking with God and knowing His Word. So today:

• Ask God for wisdom
  
  
• Open the Scriptures
  
  
• Sit with Jesus’ teaching
  
  

Prayer:
 “God, give me wisdom today. Help me see what You see. Lead me in truth, and form my mind to think like Christ.”

3) Envision Obedience
Key Thought: Decide ahead of time to obey.

A powerful way to start your day is to tell the Lord:
 “God, I trust You — and today, I will obey You.”

Obedience is not something we stumble into; it’s something we choose. When we pray for obedience, we’re saying:

• I won’t just hear Your Word — I’ll do it
  
  
• I won’t just feel conviction — I’ll respond
  
  
• I won’t just want to grow — I’ll follow
  
  

Prayer:
 “Lord, I trust You today. Help me obey You in my choices, my attitude, my words, and my actions. Let my life match Your Word.”

4) Engage Power
Key Thought: Step forward with Holy Spirit boldness.

God didn’t call you into a powerless life. The same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. That means today, you can step into hard things with confidence — not because you are strong, but because God is strong in you.

So when God leads you to do something difficult, uncomfortable, or bold, you can pray:

• Lord, I’ll step out
  
  
• Holy Spirit, empower me
  
  
• God, do what only You can do
  
  

Prayer:
 “Holy Spirit, fill me with power today. Give me boldness to walk in what You call me to do. Strengthen me to accomplish what’s beyond me.”

5) Expect Victory
Key Thought: Live today like God already wins.

We don’t hope for victory — we live from it. Jesus conquered sin, fear, death, and darkness. And because He wins, we win.

So today, don’t expect defeat. Don’t expect discouragement to have the final word. Don’t expect fear to lead your decisions. Instead, expect God to move. Expect God to work. Expect God to win.

Prayer:
 “Lord, I believe You are working today. You have already won. I reject fear and discouragement, and I choose faith. Nothing is impossible for You.”

6) Enhance Eternity
Key Thought: Ask God for moments that matter forever.

This is where prayer becomes outward-focused. We ask God to open doors, set up divine appointments, and give us courage to share the Gospel.

Ask God for someone to encourage. Someone to pray for. Someone to invite. Someone to speak truth to. Ask Him to use your life to make an eternal difference.

Prayer:
 “God, use me today to enhance eternity. Give me opportunities to share Your love and truth. Help me be bold with the Gospel, and let someone come closer to You because of how I live.”

Closing Reflection
Prayer isn’t just a spiritual discipline — it’s our lifeline. When we pray this way, we start our day aligned with heaven.

This is one of the easiest ways to practice it daily.
Write or say one line for each E:

• Embrace faith: “Jesus, I trust You today.”
  
  
• Encounter wisdom: “Give me wisdom for what’s ahead.”
  
  
• Envision obedience: “Help me obey You quickly and fully.”
  
  
• Engage power: “Holy Spirit, empower me to live boldly.”
  
  
• Expect victory: “I believe You will work and overcome today.”
  
  
• Enhance eternity: “Give me opportunities to share You.”
  
  

If you don’t know what to pray, pray those six lines. That’s it.

Final Prayer
“Father, thank You for saving me. I embrace faith in Jesus. Give me wisdom, and shape my heart to obey You. Fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit. Help me expect victory because You have already overcome. And today, use my life to enhance eternity. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Day 2 – Guarding Against the Drift

Scripture:

“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” Hebrews 2:1 (ESV)

There’s a phrase that often proves true in our walk with God:
Familiarity breeds contentment.
Not rebellion.
Not walking away.
Just drifting.

Most people don’t wake up one day and decide to grow distant from God. It usually happens slowly and unintentionally. Life gets busy. Rhythms get disrupted. What was once vibrant becomes routine. What was once urgent becomes optional.
That’s why the writer of Hebrews gives us this warning:
“We must pay much closer attention… lest we drift.”
Drift is dangerous because it feels harmless.

Dallas Willard once said,
“People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness.”

If you’re anything like me—or really anyone who’s ever lived, you know this is true. Think about sports teams that dominate one season and then struggle the next, often with the same roster and talent. The difference is rarely ability. More often, it’s hunger.
The same is true in our walk with Jesus.

Spiritual drift doesn’t happen because we stop believing, it happens when we stop being intentional. When we stop paying attention. When our hunger fades and our faith becomes familiar.

So this year, let’s make a commitment together:

• Let’s not take our faith for granted.
• Let’s not let the gospel, the good news of Jesus—become stale.
• Let’s keep our faith active and fresh.

That starts with priorities.

• Not penciling God into our schedules—but writing Him in ink.
• Prioritizing time with Jesus daily.
• Prioritizing the gathering of the church on Sundays.
• Prioritizing serving
• Prioritizing community and growth in groups.

When God becomes the priority of our lives, everything else begins to flow from that place.
And that’s where prayer and fasting come in.

This season is a grace-driven effort—a way of realigning our hearts, sharpening our focus, and renewing our hunger for Jesus. Because the alternative is drifting… and drift always comes naturally. But growth? Growth is intentional.

Reflection

• Where might familiarity have replaced hunger in your walk with Jesus?
• What is one intentional step you can take during this fast to “pay closer attention” to your relationship with God?

Prayer
Jesus, forgive me for the moments when I’ve grown passive or distracted in my walk with You. Awaken a fresh hunger in my heart. Help me be intentional with my time, my focus, and my priorities. I don’t want to drift, I want to grow. Amen.

Day 1 – He Must Increase

Scripture:

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John 3:30 (ESV)

For most of our lives, we’ve been told that growth means more:
more success, more recognition, more influence, more achievement.
Even in the church, we often hear that the goal is to become “more like Jesus.” That sounds inspiring, and it is, but living it out is far more challenging than saying it.
John the Baptist gives us a different picture.
In John 3, some of John’s disciples were concerned. Jesus was gaining popularity. More people were following Him. John’s ministry, his influence, his visibility, was shrinking. From a worldly perspective, this looked like failure.

But John didn’t panic.
He didn’t compete.
He didn’t cling to relevance.
Instead, he said words that still confront us today:
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John understood something crucial: his life was never about building his platform. He was sent to prepare the way. To point people to Jesus. To step back when Jesus stepped forward.

That mindset goes against everything our culture teaches us. We’re told to look out for ourselves, to be number one, to protect our image and manage our outcomes. But John shows us a better way, a freer way.

When Jesus becomes the focus of our lives, something beautiful happens:

• We can celebrate others without needing the credit.
• We can serve without being seen.
• We can release control without fear.
• We can be corrected without collapsing.
• We don’t need constant recognition to feel secure.

Why?
Because our identity isn’t built on performance, it’s rooted in relationship.
When we rest in who we are as children of God, we discover this truth:
Jesus really is enough.

That’s what this season of prayer and fasting is about.
Over the next 21 days, we’re not trying to prove anything.
We’re not trying to earn God’s favor. We’re creating space for Jesus to increase in our lives, our hearts, our habits, our priorities, so that everything else finds its proper place.

The goal is simple:
He must increase. And as He does, we become more like Him.

Reflection

• Where in your life have you felt pressure to perform, compete, or prove yourself?
• What would it look like to let Jesus take center stage in that area?

Prayer
Jesus, today I choose to release control and comparison.
Increase in my thoughts, my decisions, and my desires.
Help me rest in my identity as Your child and trust that You are enough.
As I decrease, may Your life be seen more clearly in me.
Amen.

July 30, 2025
"Let Go"

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. … that I may know him and the power of his resurrection.”
—Philippians 3:7, 11 (ESV)

The life of a follower of Jesus is full of distractions. Some are obvious, but others are so subtle they can creep in unnoticed. Sometimes even the good things in life can shift our focus away from keeping Jesus at the center. It’s easy to sing the words to the song “Jesus at the center”; it’s a whole lot harder to live them. I think most of us want Jesus at the center of our lives, but the cares and things of this world can slowly pull our hearts away until one day we realize Jesus isn’t even close to the center anymore.

Paul gives us a key to avoiding that drift. He says, “What things were gain to me, I have counted as loss for Christ.” In today’s language, Paul might say it like this: True gain isn’t in holding on to what we have now—it’s living for what is to come. When we grasp that the things we see are temporary, but what Jesus offers is eternal, we can finally loosen our grip on the things of this world and live with a heavenly mindset.

Letting go isn’t easy. It requires surrender. But Paul tells us why it’s worth it: because the end result is “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection.” If you want to truly know Him, you have to be willing to let go of anything that competes for His place at the center.

So what’s holding on to your heart today? What “gain” are you clinging to that needs to be counted as loss for the sake of Christ? Jesus is inviting you to let go—not so you lose, but so you gain the one thing that matters most: knowing Him.

Reflection Question:
What is one thing you need to release in order to keep Jesus at the center of your life?
Prayer:
Jesus, I confess that I often hold too tightly to things that compete for Your place at the center of my life. Help me to see what is temporary and live for what is eternal. Give me the courage to let go so I can truly know You and live in the power of Your resurrection. Amen.

July 3, 2025

"Trust Him with Your Little"

"Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. —John 6:5–6 (ESV)

All of us have moments when we look at what we have—our limited time, talents, and treasures—and conclude it’s simply not enough. We quickly see our limitations rather than possibilities, focusing on scarcity instead of abundance. Like Philip, faced with feeding thousands, we get overwhelmed by the reality in front of us. Yet, those are the very moments Jesus invites us to trust Him. He calls us to look beyond what feels insufficient and trust that He sees potential and purpose where we see only limitation.

In the story of the feeding of the five thousand, there was a boy who saw differently. With limited resources—just five small barley loaves and two fish—he believed enough to place what he had in Jesus' hands. Do you remember what it felt like as a child when anything seemed possible?

Because a child wasn’t held back by the thought of impossibility, a miracle took place. But Jesus wasn’t caught by surprise—He already knew exactly what He planned to do. He sees beyond our limited vision, beyond our circumstances, to what He intends to accomplish through our simple trust and surrender.

We see here a timeless principle: simple faith in entrusting Jesus with the little we have yields far more in His hands than it ever could in our own. Jesus specializes in taking "little" and making it "much," turning the seemingly insignificant into something profoundly significant.

God invites us to shift our perspective. He doesn't want us selectively choosing what we entrust to Him—He desires our wholehearted trust with everything we have, believing He already sees the miracle, the purpose, and the victory beyond what we can imagine.

And when we trust Him completely, He multiplies our little beyond our wildest expectations. His miracles aren't meant for our benefit alone; they're designed to bless others through us. When we withhold our trust, we don't just rob ourselves of the miracle—we rob others as well. Because a boy was willing to trust Jesus, thousands were blessed that day, and countless more through history have witnessed God's abundant provision.

Today, let's trust God with our little. The miracle is already secured. Jesus already knows what He plans to do. Simply trust Him and watch how your faith becomes a blessing—not only in your own life but also in the lives of those around you.

Reflection Question:
 What “little” are you hesitant to entrust to Jesus? What might God accomplish through it if you trust Him today?
Prayer:
 Jesus, thank You for already knowing what You plan to do in every situation I face. Help me trust You fully with everything—even the things that feel insignificant or impossible. Multiply what I place in Your hands, not just for my benefit, but for the good and blessing of those around me. Amen.

June 30, 2025
"You Are Not Your Own"

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. So glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's”
—1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (ESV)

We live in a world that constantly encourages us to chase what feels right, to follow our truth, and to never let anyone get in the way of our happiness. The narrative is loud and persistent: “You do you.” But that way of thinking isn’t new. In the book of Judges, Scripture says, “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” It’s a cycle as old as humanity.

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul speaks directly into the heart of that cycle. He reminds us that we are not our own—we were bought at a price. The outward appeal of sin will always promise satisfaction, but it ultimately leaves us empty, broken, and longing for peace that never comes. Sin's endgame is always the same: to steal, kill, and destroy.

But Jesus did something radically different. He gave His life to redeem us. Not just to save us from sin, but to call us into a new life—one marked by freedom, purpose, and a deep desire to glorify God with all that we are. Paul’s use of the word “therefore” in this passage is important. It connects the truth of our redemption to the response we’re called to live out: glorify God with our bodies, our decisions, our hearts—because they no longer belong to us. They’ve been handed over to the One who knows and loves us best.

The Greek word Paul uses for “bought” is agorazō, a term that means to purchase from the marketplace—often referring to the redemption of slaves. Paul uses this language to emphasize the weight of what Christ did for us. We were purchased at the highest price possible: the blood of Jesus. This wasn’t a casual transaction. It was a sacrificial exchange—His life for ours.

That means our worth is no longer defined by what we do, but by what He paid. Our bodies and our spirits belong to Him. And because we belong to Him, we are called to reflect that in how we live. Every decision is a chance to glorify the One who rescued us.

So let’s not live for our own glory. Let’s not chase what’s comfortable or popular. Let’s live to glorify God. Let’s walk in victory over sin—not by our willpower, but by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. This is the life that brings peace to our souls and glory to our Savior.

Reflection Question:
Are there areas in your life where you’re still living as if you’re your own? What would it look like to glorify God in those areas instead?
Prayer:
Father, thank You for purchasing me with the precious blood of Jesus. Help me to remember that I am not my own. I belong to You. Teach me to live in a way that honors You—inside and out. May my life glorify You in every word, every choice, and every thought. Amen.