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Day 1: Partners, Not Puppets

Devotional God created us to be partners in His work, not puppets on strings. This means we have the freedom to make choices and the responsibility to align those choices with God’s will. In Eden, Adam and Eve were given the task of extending God’s presence throughout the Earth. They were the first representatives of God’s kingdom, tasked with a divine mission. As modern-day followers of Christ, we are called to continue this mission. We are not mere spectators but active participants in God’s plan. Our choices matter, and our actions can reflect God’s love and authority in the world. Reflect on the areas of your life where you can partner with God. How can you make choices that align with His will and extend His presence in your community?

Bible Verse

‘The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.’ – Genesis 2:8

Reflection Question

In what areas of your life can you actively partner with God to extend His presence?

Quote God created people to be partners, not puppets. You need to know the difference, okay? Partners have to make a choice. They get to make a choice. Puppets are just on strings doing whatever they’re told. They. There’s a difference. We’re partners. God wants to partner with you in this.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the privilege of being Your partner. Help me to make choices that align with Your will and extend Your presence in my community. Amen.

Day 2: The Task of Renewal

Devotional Humanity’s original task was to extend the boundaries of Eden until the entire Earth reflected God’s dwelling place. This mission was not just about physical labor but about bringing every aspect of life under God’s direction. Adam and Eve were like the first church planters, setting the stage for God’s kingdom to grow. Today, we are called to continue this work of renewal. Through Jesus, we have the opportunity to be born again and experience a new creation. This new birth changes our allegiance and empowers us to be ambassadors of God’s kingdom. Consider how you can contribute to God’s work of renewal in your own life and community. What steps can you take to bring more of your world under God’s direction?

Bible Verse

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ – John 3:16

Reflection Question

What steps can you take to bring more of your world under God’s direction?

Quote Adam and Eve were commissioned to fill the Earth, to subdue it and bring it under God’s direction so that the whole world might become his home. They were like the first church planters ever.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the new birth we have in Jesus. Help me to contribute to Your work of renewal in my life and community. Amen.

Day 3: Ambassadors of the Kingdom

Devotional As followers of Jesus, we are called to be ambassadors of God’s kingdom. This means representing His rule and reign in our spheres of influence. We are not the rulers, but we have the privilege of partnering with the One who is. Being an ambassador involves living like Jesus to the best of our abilities. We are broken and imperfect, but God is faithful to use us in His work. Our lives can reflect God’s love, grace, and authority in tangible ways. Think about how you can be an ambassador for God’s kingdom in your daily life. How can you represent His rule and reign in your relationships, workplace, and community?

Bible Verse

‘Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”‘ – John 3:3

Reflection Question

How can you represent God’s rule and reign in your relationships, workplace, and community?

Quote If you’re a follower of Jesus, I want you to think of yourself as an ambassador of the kingdom of God. You are an ambassador. You are not the king, you are not the ruler. You don’t get to make the calls, but you get to partner with the leader who does.

Prayer

Lord, help me to be a faithful ambassador of Your kingdom. Use my life to reflect Your love, grace, and authority. Amen.

Day 4: Living as New Creation People

Devotional Through Jesus, we have the opportunity to experience a new birth and become new creation people. This transformation changes our identity and our mission. We are called to live in a way that reflects God’s renewal and restoration. God’s ultimate plan is not to erase everything and start over but to renew and restore what already exists. This means our lives should be a reflection of this renewal. We are called to practice living as new creation people, letting God’s presence and rule be evident in our thoughts, actions, and relationships. Reflect on how you can live as a new creation person. How can you let God’s renewal be evident in your daily life?

Bible Verse

‘Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.’ – Revelation 21:1

Reflection Question

How can you let God’s renewal be evident in your daily life?

Quote Notice that it’s a renewal. God is making all things new, not making new things altogether. There’s a lot to that, so much to that.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the new creation we have in Jesus. Help me to live in a way that reflects Your renewal and restoration. Amen.

Day 5: Hope in God’s Renewal

Devotional The ultimate hope described in Revelation 21 is not about escaping to a distant heaven but about God’s dwelling place coming down to a renewed earth. God promises to make everything new, not by creating entirely new things but by redeeming and renewing what already exists. This hope should shape how we live today. We are called to practice being imagers of God, extending His presence and rule in our relationships, workplaces, and communities. As we live in light of this hope, we can bring a taste of God’s kingdom to the world around us. Consider how you can live in the hope of God’s renewal. How can you extend His presence and rule in your daily life?

Bible Verse

‘He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”‘ – Revelation 21:5

Reflection Question

How can you extend God’s presence and rule in your daily life?

Quote Each day this week, I want you to read Revelation 21:1-5. And after you read it, I want you to pray. Lord, help me live today in the hope your renewal.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the hope of Your renewal. Help me to live in a way that extends Your presence and rule in my daily life. Amen.

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

Day 1: Pressing Pause in a Chaotic World

Devotional In our fast-paced world, tragedy and violence bombard us from every direction. News alerts, social media posts, and endless commentary create a constant stream of information that can overwhelm our spirits. When faced with such chaos, our natural instinct might be to immediately react, form opinions, or seek quick solutions. But what if the first step should be to pause? To breathe? To listen? Jesus often withdrew to quiet places to pray before making important decisions or responding to challenging situations. He modeled a rhythm of stepping back to connect with the Father before stepping forward to engage with the world. When we feel the weight of the world’s brokenness, our most powerful response begins with prayer. Not as a passive retreat, but as an active engagement with the One who holds all things together. In prayer, we create space to hear God’s perspective rather than merely amplifying our own thoughts or those of the loudest voices around us. Today, consider how you might press pause before pressing forward. How might you create intentional space to listen for God’s voice amid the noise? The wisdom you need won’t be found in the quickest response, but in the patient pursuit of God’s heart.

Bible Verse

“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.” – Mark 1:16-20

Reflection Question

What immediate reactions or opinions might you need to set aside today in order to truly hear what Jesus is saying to you personally about the challenges in our world?

Quote “I have to catch a breath, I have to listen, because I find that often my first response isn’t really his. And so I have to press in.”

Prayer

Lord, in a world that demands instant responses, teach me to pause and listen for Your voice first. Help me set aside my own thoughts and the noise around me so I can clearly hear Your wisdom. Give me the courage to follow You even when Your path seems different from what others expect. Amen.

Day 2: Finding True Hope in Uncertain Times

Devotional Hope can be a fragile thing. When we witness senseless violence, injustice, or suffering, our hope can quickly erode, leaving us feeling helpless or cynical. In these moments, we face a critical choice about where to place our hope. The world offers many substitutes for hope: social causes, technological advances, or economic solutions. While these may offer partial remedies, they ultimately fall short of addressing our deepest needs and the world’s fundamental brokenness. Biblical hope is different. It isn’t wishful thinking or blind optimism. It’s a confident expectation based on God’s character and promises. The vision in Revelation 22 shows us God’s ultimate plan – a world restored, healed, and made new. This future reality isn’t just a distant dream; it shapes how we live today. When we anchor our hope in God’s promises rather than human solutions, we gain perspective that transforms our response to current events. We can acknowledge the pain of the present while holding firmly to the certainty of God’s future restoration. This doesn’t make us passive – quite the opposite. True hope energizes us to participate in God’s redemptive work here and now, knowing that our efforts, however small, connect to His greater purpose.

Bible Verse

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” – Revelation 22:1-2

Reflection Question

In what ways might you be placing your hope in “lesser things” rather than in God’s ultimate promises? How might shifting your hope to God’s eternal perspective change how you respond to today’s challenges?

Quote “If we don’t understand biblical hope, my fear is that we’ll place our hope in lesser things.”

Prayer

Father, forgive me for the times I’ve placed my hope in things that cannot ultimately satisfy or save. Renew my vision of Your promised future and help me live today in light of that hope. When I’m tempted toward despair or cynicism, remind me of Your faithfulness and Your promise to make all things new. Amen.

Day 3: The Upside-Down Wisdom of Jesus

Devotional Our world values quick answers, decisive action, and strength that dominates. We’re drawn to voices that speak with certainty and solutions that promise immediate results. Yet when we turn to Jesus, we often find His wisdom operates differently – it appears upside-down compared to our cultural expectations. In the Beatitudes, Jesus pronounces blessing on those the world considers weak or disadvantaged: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those hungering for righteousness. He values mercy over vengeance, purity over pragmatism, peacemaking over power plays. This revolutionary teaching challenged every power structure of His day – and it still challenges ours. When facing complex issues like violence, injustice, or division, our instinct might be to respond with the world’s wisdom: fight power with power, overcome evil with greater force, or withdraw entirely. But Jesus invites us into a different way – one that might initially seem counterintuitive or impractical. This doesn’t mean Jesus’ way is passive or ineffective. Rather, it’s transformative at a deeper level than surface solutions can reach. By embracing His upside-down wisdom, we participate in God’s work of changing hearts, healing wounds, and bringing genuine reconciliation where human efforts alone would fail.

Bible Verse

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” – Matthew 5:3-6

Reflection Question

What situation in your life or in our world might look different if viewed through the lens of Jesus’ upside-down wisdom rather than conventional thinking?

Quote “The wisdom of Jesus often appears upside down at first in our culture. It’s not what we expect. It’s not what I expect.”

Prayer

Jesus, Your ways often challenge my natural thinking. Help me embrace Your upside-down wisdom even when it seems impractical or counter-cultural. Give me courage to follow Your example of strength through humility, victory through sacrifice, and influence through service. Transform my mind to see situations as You see them. Amen.

Day 4: The Personal Invitation to Follow

Devotional In a world of competing voices and complex issues, we often search for the perfect formula or the definitive answer to life’s challenges. We may look to influential leaders, popular movements, or trending philosophies to tell us how to respond to the brokenness around us. Yet at the heart of Christianity is not a system or a set of principles, but a personal invitation: “Follow me,” Jesus says. This invitation isn’t based on our qualifications, our past performance, or our potential usefulness. It’s extended simply because Jesus loves us and wants us on His team. The rich young ruler in Mark 10 wanted a checklist for eternal life, but Jesus offered him relationship instead. This personal connection to Jesus transforms how we approach every situation. Rather than applying generic solutions or adopting someone else’s response, we can bring each challenge directly to Him. Following Jesus isn’t about having all the answers immediately. It’s about walking with Him day by day, bringing our questions, listening for His guidance, and trusting His leading even when the path isn’t clear. This relationship can’t be outsourced or automated – it requires our direct engagement with Him through prayer, Scripture, and faithful obedience.

Bible Verse

“Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.” – Mark 10:21-22

Reflection Question

What might be holding you back from fully accepting Jesus’ personal invitation to follow Him? What would it look like to bring your specific questions about current events directly to Him rather than relying primarily on others’ opinions?

Quote “Jesus wants you on his team. You get it’s. It’s never about how good you are or the things that you’ve done, or it’s just he loves you and he wants you on his team.”

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for wanting me on your team despite my flaws and failures. Forgive me for the times I’ve substituted others’ opinions for your voice or sought formulas instead of relationship with you. I accept your invitation to follow you today. Help me recognize your voice amid all the noise and give me courage to follow wherever you lead. Amen.

Day 5: Being Salt and Light in a Broken World

Devotional When we witness tragedy and suffering in our world, it’s easy to feel helpless or insignificant. What difference can one person make against such overwhelming darkness? Yet Jesus calls His followers to be “salt and light” – small elements that create profound impact. Salt preserves, flavors, and creates thirst. Light illuminates, guides, and dispels darkness. These metaphors remind us that our influence doesn’t depend on grand platforms or massive resources, but on our distinctive Christ-like character lived out in everyday moments. The path to becoming effective salt and light begins with a personal decision to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. As we commit ourselves to Him through confession and belief, we’re transformed from the inside out. This transformation isn’t instantaneous or always easy – it requires ongoing connection with Jesus through prayer and Scripture, wrestling with difficult questions, and patiently listening for His guidance. When we’re firmly rooted in relationship with Christ, we naturally become agents of His hope, healing, and truth in a world desperate for all three. We don’t need to manufacture impact or force change through our own strength. Instead, we simply allow His life within us to overflow into our relationships, workplaces, communities, and beyond.

Bible Verse

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” – Romans 10:9-10

Reflection Question

In what specific environment or relationship has God positioned you to be salt and light? How might deepening your personal relationship with Jesus increase your effectiveness in that context?

Quote “It’s in him that we find life, have hope and experience everything. It’s only in him that will be the salt and the light to the world that we desperately need to be.”

Prayer

Father, thank you for inviting me to participate in your work of restoration and renewal. Deepen my relationship with you so that I naturally become salt and light in the places you’ve placed me. Help me trust that my small acts of faithfulness matter in your greater purpose. Use me to bring your hope, healing, and truth to a world in desperate need. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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

Day 1: Discerning Good from Evil

Devotional In a world where moral boundaries are increasingly blurred, how do we know what’s truly good and what’s truly evil? Our culture bombards us with competing voices, each claiming to define right and wrong. Yet God’s Word provides clarity amid confusion. Isaiah’s warning remains strikingly relevant today: those who confuse good with evil and darkness with light face serious consequences. This isn’t just about obvious moral choices but about the subtle ways cultural values can reshape our thinking if we’re not grounded in Scripture. God hasn’t left us to navigate these waters alone. He’s given us His Word as our compass—a unified message across centuries that consistently points to truth. When we immerse ourselves in Scripture, we develop spiritual discernment that helps us recognize deception, even when it comes dressed as enlightenment. This discernment isn’t about becoming judgmental but about seeing life through God’s perspective. It’s about loving what He loves and rejecting what He rejects. As we grow in understanding His Word, we become better equipped to live as light in a darkening world.

Bible Verse

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” – Isaiah 5:20

Reflection Question

In what areas of your life might you be allowing cultural definitions of good and evil to override biblical truth?

Quote We have to know the difference. We have to be able to discern what is good and what is evil in God’s eyes, not just in the cultures. What does God say about these things? And why do we believe what we believe?

Prayer

Father, sharpen my discernment through Your Word. Help me recognize when I’m being influenced more by culture than by Your truth. Give me courage to stand firm on Your definitions of good and evil, even when they contradict popular opinion. Amen.

Day 2: The Living Word

Devotional The Bible isn’t merely an ancient text—it’s alive and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. What makes Scripture so remarkable is how it consistently points to Jesus across centuries, authors, and contexts. Think about it: 40 different authors writing across 1500-2000 years produced 66 books that form one cohesive story. Modern analysis has identified over 64,000 connections between different parts of Scripture—all pointing to Jesus Christ. This isn’t coincidence; it’s divine inspiration. When John describes Jesus as “the Word became flesh,” he’s revealing something profound about Scripture’s purpose. The written Word always points to the living Word—Jesus himself. Every story, law, poem, and prophecy ultimately reveals something about Christ’s character or mission. This perspective transforms Bible reading from a religious duty into a relationship-building encounter. Scripture isn’t primarily about rules or religious knowledge—it’s about knowing Jesus more intimately. When we approach the Bible seeking Him, what might have seemed dry or confusing becomes fascinating and life-giving.

Bible Verse

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

Reflection Question

How might your Bible reading change if you approached it primarily as a way to encounter Jesus rather than just gaining information?

Quote The written word is pointing us towards the living word. And that if we haven’t read it that way, then we’ve missed lots of things that will fascinate us and draw us into reading it more.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing Yourself through Scripture. Open my eyes to see You in every passage I read. Help me approach Your Word not just seeking information but transformation through relationship with You. Amen.

Day 3: From Bitter to Sweet

Devotional Life often brings bitter experiences—disappointments, losses, betrayals, and failures that leave us questioning God’s goodness. Yet Scripture reveals a powerful pattern: God specializes in transforming bitterness into sweetness. Remember the Israelites at Marah? After three days without water, they finally found some—only to discover it was too bitter to drink. In their desperation, Moses cried out to God, who showed him a tree to cast into the waters. Miraculously, the bitter waters became sweet. This wasn’t just a practical solution to their thirst; it was a prophetic picture. The Hebrew word used when God “showed” Moses the tree is related to the word for Torah (God’s instruction). And that tree foreshadowed another tree—the cross of Calvary—that would transform humanity’s greatest bitterness into eternal sweetness. When we bring our bitter experiences to the cross, Jesus doesn’t just sympathize with our pain—He transforms it. The very circumstances that threatened to poison our lives can become sources of refreshment and blessing when surrendered to Him. This is the miracle of redemption: nothing is so bitter that His cross cannot make it sweet.

Bible Verse

“The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.” – Exodus 32:15

Reflection Question

What bitter circumstances in your life need to be brought to the cross of Christ for transformation?

Quote This tree, Moses takes it, and he takes this tree and he casts it into the bitter waters and they become sweet. Can you think of a tree in history that takes bitterness and turns into sweetness? It’s the tree of life. It’s the tree of Calvary, it’s the cross.

Prayer

Jesus, I bring my bitterness to Your cross today. Take these painful experiences and transform them into something sweet that refreshes others. Help me trust Your redemptive power even when I can’t yet see how You’re working. Amen.

Day 4: Beyond Reading to Doing

Devotional Knowledge without application creates a dangerous disconnect in our spiritual lives. We can become experts in biblical information while remaining novices in biblical transformation. James addresses this directly: don’t just listen to the Word—do what it says. Reading Scripture should change us. Each verse is an invitation not just to understand but to obey. When we approach the Bible as something to be implemented rather than merely studied, it becomes a catalyst for genuine growth. This doesn’t mean we should feel overwhelmed by trying to apply everything at once. Spiritual growth happens incrementally as we respond to what God highlights in each reading. Sometimes it’s a command to follow, other times a promise to claim, a warning to heed, or an example to imitate. The goal isn’t perfect performance but progressive transformation. As we consistently put God’s Word into practice—even imperfectly—we develop spiritual muscles that make obedience increasingly natural. Our lives gradually align more closely with Christ’s character, and we experience the freedom that comes from living according to our design.

Bible Verse

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” – James 1:22

Reflection Question

What specific truth from Scripture have you recently understood intellectually but haven’t yet applied practically in your daily life?

Quote If you’ve been listening to me for the last 20 years as I continually pick on you to read the Bible and that you’re doing that, keep doing that. But make sure you’re not just doing that out of habit at this point.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, guard me against the self-deception of knowledge without obedience. Show me one specific way I can apply Your Word today. Give me courage to move beyond understanding to action, trusting that Your commands lead to freedom. Amen.

Day 5: Becoming the Church Our World Needs

Devotional The church isn’t primarily a building or an event—it’s people. We don’t just attend church; we are the church. This identity carries profound implications for how we navigate our complex cultural moment. As Christ’s representatives, we’re called to engage our world with both truth and grace. This requires a delicate balance that only comes through deep immersion in God’s Word and prayer. Without these spiritual disciplines, we risk either compromising biblical truth to appear relevant or defending truth in ways that repel rather than attract. Regular time in Scripture shapes us to respond like Jesus—standing firmly for God’s standards while extending compassion to those who fall short. It softens our hearts even as it strengthens our convictions. The more we absorb God’s Word, the more we reflect His perfect blend of holiness and mercy. This is what makes the church effective: not impressive facilities or programs but people whose lives have been so transformed by Scripture that they embody Christ’s character. When we let God’s Word shape our thoughts, words, and actions, we become living testimonies that draw others to Jesus.

Bible Verse

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” – Colossians 3:16

Reflection Question

How might your engagement with Scripture need to change for you to more effectively represent Christ in your specific cultural context?

Quote The more I read the Bible, the softer my heart gets. Every time I read it Reading the Bible shouldn’t make you mean, it should make you care more in humility.

Prayer

Lord, help me embody Your truth and grace as I interact with others. Let Your Word transform me so deeply that people encounter Christ through my presence. Show me how to be the church my community needs—firmly grounded in truth yet radiating Your compassion. Amen.

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