Blog

Day 1: The Power of God’s Word

Devotional Have you ever noticed how Jesus, the Son of God Himself, relied heavily on Scripture? When faced with temptation in the wilderness, He didn’t use His divine power or argue with Satan. Instead, He turned to God’s Word as His defense. This wasn’t just a strategy – it was a demonstration of the incredible power contained within Scripture. Jesus showed us that the Bible isn’t just a book of ancient stories; it’s a living, powerful tool for everyday life. When we face our own struggles and temptations, we have this same powerful resource at our disposal. Just as a soldier wouldn’t enter battle without their weapon, we shouldn’t face our daily challenges without being equipped with God’s Word.

Bible Verse

‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.’ – 2 Timothy 3:16

Reflection Question

What daily battles are you facing where you could be better equipped by knowing and using God’s Word?

Quote If Jesus, the son of God relied on scripture, how much more should we do?

Prayer

Lord, help me to see Your Word as the powerful tool it is. Give me a hunger to read and understand Scripture, knowing that it’s not just information, but transformation. Guide me in making Your Word a central part of my daily life. Amen.

Day 2: Know It to Show It

Devotional In our digital age, we have unprecedented access to Scripture, yet many of us struggle to engage with it regularly. Satan knows the Bible well enough to twist it, which tells us something crucial: we need to know God’s Word even better. When we truly know Scripture, we can recognize truth from lies, just as a bank teller learns to spot counterfeit bills by studying genuine ones. This knowledge isn’t meant to be academic – it’s meant to be practical and life-changing. By regularly reading and studying the Bible, we build a foundation that helps us stand firm when challenges come.

Bible Verse

‘Now Jesus was teaching in their synagogues, being glorified by all.’ – Luke 4:16

Reflection Question

What specific steps can you take this week to deepen your knowledge and understanding of God’s Word?

Quote Jesus loved the Bible. So I want you to know that about Jesus, that he loved the Bible. And we see that because it was instrumental in everything that he did in his ministry. It’s central to his life.

Prayer

Father, give me a love for Your Word like Jesus had. Help me to make studying Scripture a priority in my life, not out of duty, but out of desire to know You better. Amen.

Day 3: Standing Strong Against Temptation

Devotional We all face temptations daily – some obvious, others subtle. These often fall into three categories: physical desires, material wants, and pride. These same patterns of temptation have existed since the Garden of Eden, and they continue to challenge us today. But here’s the encouraging truth: just as Jesus used Scripture to counter each temptation, we can do the same. Having specific verses memorized gives us immediate access to God’s truth when we need it most. Think of it as having spiritual ammunition ready when temptation strikes.

Bible Verse

‘Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.’ – 1 John 2:15

Reflection Question

Which of the three main areas of temptation (physical desires, material wants, or pride) do you find most challenging, and what Scripture could you memorize to help combat it?

Quote The enemy still uses the same tricks. Three. Those same three. And he does that because they’re wildly successful with everybody but Jesus.

Prayer

Lord, strengthen me against temptation. Help me to follow Jesus’ example by hiding Your Word in my heart so that I might not sin against You. Give me wisdom to recognize temptation and courage to stand against it. Amen.

Day 4: Choosing God’s Way

Devotional Making the right choice isn’t always easy. Often, the world presents us with seemingly attractive options that don’t align with God’s will. Jesus faced this too, yet He consistently chose God’s way over the easy way. His choices weren’t based on popularity or convenience, but on alignment with Scripture. This teaches us something vital about decision-making: when we face choices, big or small, God’s Word should be our guide. It might not always lead to the easiest path, but it will always lead to the right one.

Bible Verse

‘Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.’ – Genesis 3:1

Reflection Question

Think about a decision you’re currently facing. How might God’s Word guide you to make the right choice, even if it’s not the easy one?

Quote He doesn’t do the easy thing. He doesn’t compromise. He doesn’t do the popular thing. He does the next right thing according to the Word and the will of God.

Prayer

Dear God, give me the courage to choose Your way, even when it’s not the easy way. Help me to trust Your Word as my guide in all decisions, knowing that Your path leads to life. Amen.

Day 5: Living in God’s Love

Devotional At the heart of Jesus’ resistance to temptation was His deep connection with God’s love. This wasn’t about following rules; it was about relationship. When we understand that we’re deeply loved by God, it transforms how we face temptation and challenges. We’re not fighting alone – we’re standing in God’s strength, equipped with His Word, motivated by His love. This understanding changes everything about how we live and face our daily struggles.

Bible Verse

‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’ – Philippians 4:6-7

Reflection Question

How does knowing you’re deeply loved by God change the way you view and handle life’s challenges?

Quote Jesus is motivated by love. And that changes everything.

Prayer

Loving Father, thank You for Your deep, unchanging love for me. Help me to live from that place of being loved, letting Your love motivate my choices and actions. May Your love transform how I face each day. Amen.

Join us at Keys Vineyard Church in person or online or connect with our Bible Institute for more sermons, courses, etc.

Day 1: The God Who Weeps

Devotional Have you ever felt that your pain was too much for others to handle? That your grief was too heavy to share? Many of us carry our sorrows alone, believing that no one could truly understand. But there’s something profound we learn from Jesus at Lazarus’s tomb. Despite knowing He would soon perform a miracle, Jesus wept. The Creator of the universe, the One who holds all power, chose to enter into human grief and share in it. This wasn’t just a display of emotion – it was a demonstration of His deep love and compassion for us. When we hurt, He hurts. When we grieve, He grieves. This intimate portrait of Jesus shows us that we never walk through our valleys alone.

Bible Verse

‘Jesus wept.’ – John 11:35

Reflection Question

What areas of pain or grief have you been hesitant to bring to Jesus, thinking they might be too much for Him to handle?

Quote Jesus cares deeply for us and what we go through. Jesus loved his friends. You’re his friend, he loves you.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for being a God who enters into our pain rather than standing distant from it. Help me to trust you with my deepest hurts, knowing that you understand and care. Give me the courage to bring my whole heart to you. Amen.

Day 2: Unafraid of Our Mess

Devotional We often try to clean ourselves up before approaching God. Like hiding a messy room when guests are coming over, we attempt to conceal our brokenness, thinking it might repel Him. But Jesus demonstrates a different reality. At Lazarus’s tomb, despite the warnings about the stench of death, Jesus commanded the stone to be rolled away. He wasn’t repelled by the decay; He moved toward it with purpose. This same Jesus moves toward our mess today. He’s not waiting for us to get our act together. He’s not standing at a distance until we figure everything out. He steps right into our chaos, our brokenness, our ‘stench’ – because that’s exactly where His transformative power works best.

Bible Verse

But Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’ – John 11:39

Reflection Question

What areas of your life have you been trying to clean up before bringing them to God?

Quote Jesus isn’t afraid of the mess and the brokenness in our lives. He’s not afraid of the stench of humanity. It’s exactly why he came.

Prayer

Father, thank you that you’re not afraid of my mess. Help me to stop hiding and start trusting you with every broken piece of my life. Thank you for your transforming power that works even in my darkest places. Amen.

Day 3: From Death to Life

Devotional Life change doesn’t happen in isolation. Just as Lazarus needed others to remove his grave clothes after Jesus called him forth, we too need community in our journey from death to life. When Jesus performed this miracle, He involved others in the process. Some rolled away the stone, others unwrapped Lazarus from his grave clothes. This pattern continues today. While Jesus alone has the power to bring spiritual life, He often uses His people to help each other walk in that new life. We need fellow believers to encourage us, speak truth to us, and sometimes help us unwrap from old patterns and beliefs that no longer fit our new life in Christ.

Bible Verse

Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ – John 11:25-26

Reflection Question

Who has God placed in your life to help you walk in your new identity, and how can you be that person for someone else?

Quote We help each other move from death to life. Iron sharpens iron.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the gift of community. Help me to be both humble enough to receive help and available to help others. Show me how to live out my new life in Christ alongside fellow believers. Amen.

Day 4: Living as a Fragrant Offering

Devotional When Jesus transforms a life, He doesn’t just remove the old – He creates something new and beautiful. The same power that raised Lazarus from death transforms us from bearing the stench of death to becoming a sweet fragrance of life. This transformation isn’t just for our benefit; it’s meant to draw others to Christ. When we live in the freedom and joy of our new life in Christ, it becomes noticeable to others. Our lives become living testimonies of God’s transforming power, attracting others to the hope we’ve found in Jesus.

Bible Verse

Then Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ – John 11:39

Reflection Question

How has your life become a testimony of God’s transforming power, and how can you let that light shine more brightly?

Quote See, when you live that life that you’re called to, it’s attractive. It is a fragrant offering to the Lord and it attracts others to the Lord.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for making me new. Help me to live in such a way that others see Your transforming power in my life. Use me to draw others to You. Amen.

Day 5: Stepping Into Freedom

Devotional Freedom in Christ isn’t just a future promise – it’s a present reality. Just as Jesus called Lazarus out of his tomb, He calls us to step out of whatever has been holding us captive. Whether it’s past regrets, current struggles, or fears about the future, Jesus’s resurrection power is available now. But like Lazarus, we must respond to His call. We must choose to step out of our tomb, allow others to help remove our grave clothes, and walk in the new life He provides. This journey begins with a simple ‘yes’ to Jesus, but it continues as we daily choose to walk in the freedom He provides.

Bible Verse

The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’ – John 11:44

Reflection Question

What ‘grave clothes’ is Jesus asking you to leave behind as you step into the freedom He offers?

Quote Let Jesus rob that grave in your life.

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for the freedom you offer. Give me courage to step out of my tomb and leave behind whatever has been holding me captive. Help me to fully embrace the new life you provide. Amen.

Join us at Keys Vineyard Church in person or online or connect with our Bible Institute for more sermons, courses, etc.

Day 1: Beyond Blame

Devotional When faced with suffering, our first instinct is often to search for someone to blame. We see this pattern in the disciples’ response to the blind man – immediately questioning whose sin caused his condition. Yet Jesus reveals a profound truth that challenges our perspective on suffering. Instead of focusing on fault, He redirects our attention to God’s redemptive purpose. This shift in perspective is transformative. Rather than seeing problems as punishment, we can begin to look for ways God might work through difficult situations. Today, consider how viewing challenges through the lens of God’s potential purpose, rather than blame, might change your response to difficulties in your life or the lives of others.

Bible Verse

‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.’ – John 9:3

Reflection Question

How might your response to challenges change if you looked for God’s potential purpose rather than searching for someone to blame?

Quote Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Prayer

Lord, help me shift my perspective from finding fault to seeking Your purpose. Give me eyes to see how You might work through difficult situations in my life. Transform my tendency to blame into an expectation of Your redemptive work. Amen.

Day 2: Spiritual Blindness

Devotional Just as physical blindness affects our ability to see the world around us, spiritual blindness impacts our ability to recognize God’s truth and presence in our lives. This condition isn’t limited to those who don’t believe – even those deeply involved in religious practice can be spiritually blind, as demonstrated by the Pharisees in this story. The good news is that Jesus offers healing for our spiritual blindness. He meets us where we are and opens our eyes to see Him more clearly. This process often happens gradually, just as the blind man’s understanding of Jesus grew from seeing Him as merely a man to recognizing Him as Lord.

Bible Verse

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:4

Reflection Question

In what areas of your life might you be experiencing spiritual blindness, preventing you from seeing God’s work or truth?

Quote This man born blind in John chapter nine really represents all of humanity that’s born into the world except for Jesus. We’re all born in spiritually blind.

Prayer

Jesus, open my spiritual eyes to see You more clearly. Remove any blindness that prevents me from recognizing Your presence and work in my life. Help me grow in my understanding of who You are. Amen.

Day 3: Breaking Free from Religious Boxes

Devotional It’s easy to create mental boxes that limit how we think God should work. The Pharisees had such rigid ideas about God that they missed His miraculous work right in front of them. Their story serves as a warning about how religious traditions and predetermined views can blind us to God’s active presence. God often works in unexpected ways that don’t fit our preconceptions. When we hold too tightly to our ideas about how God should work, we risk missing the amazing things He’s actually doing. Today, consider where you might need to loosen your grip on religious expectations to see God’s work more clearly.

Bible Verse

Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’ But others asked, ‘How can a sinner perform such signs?’ So they were divided. – John 9:16

Reflection Question

What religious traditions or expectations might be preventing you from recognizing God’s work in new or unexpected ways?

Quote We often miss what God is doing right in front of us because we’ve got our own little boxes we try and keep God in.

Prayer

Father, help me release any rigid expectations about how You should work. Open my heart to recognize Your presence and activity, even when it doesn’t match my preconceptions. Give me wisdom to distinguish Your truth from human tradition. Amen.

Day 4: The Journey to Spiritual Sight

Devotional Spiritual understanding often develops progressively, like the blind man’s growing recognition of who Jesus was. He first knew Jesus as simply ‘a man,’ then as a prophet, and finally as the Son of God worthy of worship. This progression reminds us that spiritual growth is a journey, not a destination. Each step brings clearer vision and deeper understanding. God patiently works with us, revealing more of Himself as we’re ready to receive it. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t understand everything at once – celebrate each new insight as part of your journey toward fuller spiritual sight.

Bible Verse

Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him. – John 9:38

Reflection Question

How has your understanding of who Jesus is grown and developed over time?

Quote The process there is so cool, right? It’s a guy named Jesus. For the guy, well, he’s a prophet. He’s a man of God. He’s the Son of God, the Messiah.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for patiently revealing more of Yourself to me. Continue to open my eyes to see You more clearly. Help me embrace each step of growth in my spiritual journey. Amen.

Day 5: Found by Jesus

Devotional After the healed man was thrown out of the synagogue, Jesus sought him out. This beautiful detail reveals the heart of God – He actively seeks those who are rejected and isolated. When religious leaders offered no hope and cast the man out, Jesus deliberately looked for him. This same seeking love extends to us today. No matter where we are or what circumstances we face, Jesus is actively looking for us, wanting to reveal Himself more fully. He doesn’t wait for us to find Him – He takes the initiative in seeking relationship with us.

Bible Verse

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ – John 9:35

Reflection Question

How does it affect your view of God to know that He actively seeks relationship with you, even in times of rejection or isolation?

Quote Jesus heard that they’d thrown him out when he found him. So that means he was looking for him.

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for seeking me out. Help me recognize Your pursuing love in my life, especially during times when I feel rejected or alone. Draw me into deeper relationship with You. Amen.

Join us at Keys Vineyard Church in person or online or connect with our Bible Institute for more sermons, courses, etc.