Against All Odds - Week 5 Devotions (With Scripture)
Monday, March 27, 2023 – Read Hebrews 11:6 - Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
When we say the Apostles’ Creed, we begin with the words “I believe in God . . .” What do we mean by this? Saying, “I believe in God,” is more than accepting the basic biblical truths about God’s existence. It goes much deeper than that. It involves our heart as well. Our belief means trusting in God, committing ourselves to God and his teaching for our lives, and following and obeying God in what he says and where he leads. With the opening words of the Apostles’ Creed, we affirm that we believe and trust in God Himself.
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 – Read Ephesians 3:14-17 - I kneel before the Father. . . . I pray that . . . he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit . . . so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
The Apostle’s Creed affirms the existence of one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our minds cannot sort out all the complexities of this mystery, but prayer is a wonderful way for the mystery of the Trinity to find application in our lives. We pray to the Father, in the name of the Son (Jesus), by the power of the Holy Spirit. And as we do, we experience the loving support of all three persons as they graciously work out God’s plan and purpose in our lives.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023 – Read Luke 23:23-24 - With loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand.
That Jesus “suffered under Pontius Pilate” affirms that He was condemned to suffer and die by the governing authority of that day. Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea. And though he was conflicted about sentencing Jesus to death, Pilate gave in to the mob thus making Jesus’ sentencing and suffering an official event in history. Jesus took on himself the condemnation we deserve and suffered in our place so that we might be at peace with God.
Thursday, March 30, 2023 – John 19:42 - Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
We’ve all heard the expression, “nothing is certain except death and taxes.” And although some people may cheat on their taxes, no one can ultimately cheat death. We are all mortal, so eventually we will all die. Jesus was “crucified, died, and was buried.” His lifeless, cold corpse was laid to rest in a tomb. Though we don’t like to talk about death, there is comfort in knowing that Jesus experienced death and understands what it is like to walk through this shadowed valley. He promises to be with us as we grieve our losses and face our own mortality. And because of His resurrection we have hope that death will one day be swallowed up in victory.
Friday, March 31, 2023 – Luke 19:10 - For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.
Even as He approached His final days on earth; even as He set His face towards Jerusalem and the certainty of the cross; Jesus was mindful of why He came – “to seek and to save the lost.” On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Jericho and there encountered a despised tax collector named Zacchaeus sitting in a sycamore tree. Though the rest of the world had written him off as unfit for the kingdom of heaven, Jesus saw a lost son of Abraham and invited Himself to dinner at Zacchaeus’ house. As a result, Zacchaeus became a devoted follower of Christ. Don’t write anyone off this Easter, for Jesus came to “seek and to save the lost” and calls us to do the same.
Monday, March 27, 2023 – Read Hebrews 11:6 - Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
When we say the Apostles’ Creed, we begin with the words “I believe in God . . .” What do we mean by this? Saying, “I believe in God,” is more than accepting the basic biblical truths about God’s existence. It goes much deeper than that. It involves our heart as well. Our belief means trusting in God, committing ourselves to God and his teaching for our lives, and following and obeying God in what he says and where he leads. With the opening words of the Apostles’ Creed, we affirm that we believe and trust in God Himself.
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 – Read Ephesians 3:14-17 - I kneel before the Father. . . . I pray that . . . he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit . . . so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
The Apostle’s Creed affirms the existence of one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our minds cannot sort out all the complexities of this mystery, but prayer is a wonderful way for the mystery of the Trinity to find application in our lives. We pray to the Father, in the name of the Son (Jesus), by the power of the Holy Spirit. And as we do, we experience the loving support of all three persons as they graciously work out God’s plan and purpose in our lives.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023 – Read Luke 23:23-24 - With loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand.
That Jesus “suffered under Pontius Pilate” affirms that He was condemned to suffer and die by the governing authority of that day. Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea. And though he was conflicted about sentencing Jesus to death, Pilate gave in to the mob thus making Jesus’ sentencing and suffering an official event in history. Jesus took on himself the condemnation we deserve and suffered in our place so that we might be at peace with God.
Thursday, March 30, 2023 – John 19:42 - Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
We’ve all heard the expression, “nothing is certain except death and taxes.” And although some people may cheat on their taxes, no one can ultimately cheat death. We are all mortal, so eventually we will all die. Jesus was “crucified, died, and was buried.” His lifeless, cold corpse was laid to rest in a tomb. Though we don’t like to talk about death, there is comfort in knowing that Jesus experienced death and understands what it is like to walk through this shadowed valley. He promises to be with us as we grieve our losses and face our own mortality. And because of His resurrection we have hope that death will one day be swallowed up in victory.
Friday, March 31, 2023 – Luke 19:10 - For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.
Even as He approached His final days on earth; even as He set His face towards Jerusalem and the certainty of the cross; Jesus was mindful of why He came – “to seek and to save the lost.” On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Jericho and there encountered a despised tax collector named Zacchaeus sitting in a sycamore tree. Though the rest of the world had written him off as unfit for the kingdom of heaven, Jesus saw a lost son of Abraham and invited Himself to dinner at Zacchaeus’ house. As a result, Zacchaeus became a devoted follower of Christ. Don’t write anyone off this Easter, for Jesus came to “seek and to save the lost” and calls us to do the same.