Devotional Blog

On every trip, decisions are made. Along the road of life, we inevitably face intersections and decisions about which way to go. It is at those moments that we must live by faith, asking God for wisdom and believing that He will never lead in the wrong direction. It is our hope that each article on the blog will encourage you to keep enjoying the journey…and look for Jesus along the way.

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A journey through 1 Peter shows that in trials there is triumph. We should follow in the steps of the suffering Savior, Jesus Christ. This image depicts suffering and is related to an article that overviews the book of 1 Peter in the Bible.

Journey through 1 Peter

January 12, 2026

Journey Through 1 Peter In the United States, we know very little about real persecution. Yet, around the world, at this very present hour, millions of believers are suffering and even dying for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps you have suffered for your faith. Yet, this is nothing new. Persecution has always…

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Image depicting David and Goliath with David using His sling. Slings are not a child’s toy, as is sometimes portrayed. Slingers were an integral part of ancient armies. David is a classic example of someone who battled with an ancient sling

Ancient Slings 

By John Buckner | January 7, 2026
“And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I...
Ten years ago my family and I entered full-time evangelism. It has been an adventure. Here are 10 Things God Has Taught Me In the First 10 Years of Evangelism:

10 Things God Has Taught Me In the First 10 Years of Evangelism

By Scott Pauley | January 6, 2026
A decade of life seems to go so quickly, even more so when you are in itinerant work. “Just passing through” becomes a living reality!...
John reminds them of the season of confidence, the source of confidence, and the supplication of confidence. Together, they help establish Confident Christianity!

Confident Christianity by Bob Sanders

By Guest Author | January 5, 2026
Confident Christianity I John 5:13-17 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may...
Matthew Henry recorded many of his deepest prayers and thoughts in a personal diary. Below are four of those entries from multiple years on New Year’s Day.

The New Year’s Prayers of Matthew Henry

By Scott Pauley | January 1, 2026
We know Matthew Henry as a man of the Word. His expositions of Scripture continue to help generations of Bible students. But it is the...
As you stand on the brink of the Jordan, on the verge of the next season that God has for you, how should you approach it? Here are 10 Principles from Joshua 3 on Walking by Faith in the New Year. This image is of Joshua and the children of Israel crossing the jordan river as is detailed in Joshua 3.

Finding Your Way In Uncharted Territory: 10 Principles for a New Year

By Scott Pauley | December 30, 2025
You Have Not Passed This Way Before. In Joshua 3, the people of God are on the brink of a new season. They are on...
In the new year, most will make resolutions and goals. Before we can effectively set some new goals, we must first do an end-of-year review.

“End-of-Year Spiritual Checkup” by Mark Fowler

By Guest Author | December 29, 2025
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3 John 1:2) It is hard...
Remembering is not just reflecting on the past; it is believing God for the future. Here are some personal reflections on AWAKE 25. Image from the AWAKE 2025 Meeting in Northern West Virginia

Remembering and Rejoicing: Reflections on Awake 25

By Scott Pauley | December 28, 2025
“Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God...
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Journey Through Job

By Scott Pauley | December 22, 2025
Journey Through Job The oldest book of the Bible is not the book of Genesis. Genesis goes back to the very beginning, no doubt, but...
2511-11 Christmas Blessings_L

Christ in Christmas?

By Scott Pauley | December 17, 2025
As I write these words, I am sitting in my study at home watching snow fall gently on the already blanketed ground outside. I can...
A journey through Joshua shows us the key to a life of victory and success, by obeying God's Word and following Jesus.

Journey Through Joshua

By Scott Pauley | December 16, 2025
Journey Through Joshua Are you living the victorious Christian life today? That is God's will for every one of His children — not for some...
A journey through 1 John reveals our place in the family of God, how we can have assurance, and that our joy is rooted in Christ.

Journey through 1 John

By Scott Pauley | December 12, 2025
Journey Through 1 John Five men in the New Testament bear the name John. The name means “Jehovah is gracious,” but one of them seems...
“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” (John 1:47-48)

Why the Story of Nathanael Sitting Under the Fig Tree Matters

By John Buckner | December 10, 2025
Sitting Under Your Fig Tree  “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael...
It also discusses the Four Sermons in Haggai It is in that context that God raises up the prophet Haggai with four sermons in four months. The Word of the Lord comes to Haggai, and he preaches four sermons. Each one of them is dated for us. Each sermon targets a different problem. You can read them in Haggai chapters one and two. In his first sermon (Haggai 1:1-15), Haggai preached on the danger of waiting when we should be working. They were waiting for a sign to build. He said, You don't need a sign, you need to obey God. Haggai's second sermon (Haggai 2:1-9) explained the danger of lamenting the past and missing the present. They were sorrowing over the destruction of the past temple. God said, Build a new one. It was G. Campbell Morgan who said, “It is impossible to unlock the present with the rusty key of the past." Many people are bogged down in their past and miss the present. Keep in mind what is at hand and what is ahead. The third sermon he preached (Haggai 2:10-19) described the danger of seeing only the material and neglecting the supernatural. They could see the work that needed to be done, but they missed the fact that God had resources that would help them get it done. The Lord was behind all of this. The fourth sermon (Haggai 2:20-23) warned against the danger of recognizing who is against us and forgetting who is for us. They were concentrating on the opposition and forgetting that “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). A journey through Haggai shows us the importance of performing the work that God has told us to do, and His glory in our obedience. Image leads to an overview of Haggai

Journey through Haggai

By Scott Pauley | December 9, 2025
Journey Through Haggai There seems to be a lot of weeping when you read through the Old Testament prophets. And yet, there is a prophet...
How Social Media Shapes Our Heart

How Social Media Shapes Our Hearts

By David Pack | December 5, 2025
How Social Media Use Shapes Our Hearts The average person spends roughly 2 1/2 hours per day on their mobile devices, with teenagers spending nearly double...
A journey through Micah reveals the Faithful King, and lets us know what the Lord requires from us as we live to serve Him.

Journey Through Micah

By Scott Pauley | December 2, 2025
Journey Through Micah In the 1950s, the Quakers coined an expression. Maybe you have heard it: “speaking truth to power.” We sometimes hear this phrase...
Fruitful winter

A Fruitful Winter

By Scott Pauley | December 1, 2025
Today is the first day of the winter season, according to meteorologists who track winter weather from December through February. The official first day of...
Mattaniah was a descendant of Asaph (1 Chronicles 9:15) and one of the many Levites who labored in the Temple worship during Nehemiah's day. National thanksgiving was deeply personal for Mattaniah. Image gives article title and is set to the background of The-second-Jewish-Temple-by- artist Alex-Levin

A Thanksgiving Message from Mattaniah

By Scott Pauley | November 27, 2025
This week, I have been reading again through the Old Testament historical record of Nehemiah. It is full of names and genealogies, and I am...
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Love, Luck, and Wishes

By Michael Pack | November 24, 2025
On a recent vacation to Japan, I visited Kobe, the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture. This area is perhaps most famous for Kobe beef, a...
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