X CHURCH - 21 Day Fast: Recent Episodes
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Words hold power, and James Chapter 3 highlights the significance of controlling our speech. From the dangers of gossip to the impact of encouragement, this episode explores the profound effects of our words on ourselves and others. Join Pastor Zachary Brown, Jessica Castles, and Addie Overla as we learn how to harness the power of the tongue for good and avoid the pitfalls of harmful speech.
Join us on The Path as we embark on this study of the Book of James. Subscribe now!
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Helping people get on the path to God.
Led by Pastor Tim Moore and based in South East Columbus, OH
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James Chapter 2 challenges us to reflect on the relationship between faith and actions. Can faith alone save us? How do our works reflect our faith? In this episode, we discuss the balance between belief and behavior, and the importance of living out our faith in practical ways. Tune in with Pastor Zachary Brown, Jessica Castles, and Addie Overla for an insightful discussion on putting faith into action.Join us on The Path as we embark on this study of the Book of James. Subscribe now!
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Helping people get on the path to God.
Led by Pastor Tim Moore and based in South East Columbus, OH
In this episode, Pastor Zachary Brown, Jessica Castles, and Addie Overla dive into James Chapter 1, exploring the themes of perseverance through trials and understanding the nature of temptation. Discover how faith can be strengthened in the face of adversity and how wisdom can be gained through steadfastness. Join us as we unpack these lessons and apply them to our daily lives.
Join us on The Path as we embark on this study of the Book of James. Subscribe now!
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Helping people get on the path to God.
Led by Pastor Tim Moore and based in South East Columbus, OH
Welcome to The Path Podcast!
Welcome to The Path Podcast, the go-to destination for deepening your faith and growing as a disciple of Christ at X Church. In this season, Pastor Zachary Brown, Jessica Castles, and Addie Overla are diving into the wisdom of the Book of James with our series, “Word to the Wise.”
In our introductory episode, we set the stage for a transformative journey through one of the most practical and profound books of the New Testament. Discover the background of the Book of James:
- Authorship: Uncover who penned this impactful letter and the unique perspective they bring.
- Historical Context: Learn about the time and circumstances in which it was written.
- Audience: Understand to whom James was writing and why his message was so crucial.
We’ll also explore the major themes that make this book a must-read for every believer seeking to live out their faith authentically. Whether you’re new to the Bible or a seasoned reader, this episode will equip you with the foundational knowledge you need to engage deeply with the text.
Join us on The Path as we embark on this study of the Book of James. Subscribe now!
Connect with X Church
Website | http://www.thex.church
Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/xchurch
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/theX_church
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/theXchurch.oh
Helping people get on the path to God.
Led by Pastor Tim Moore and based in South East Columbus, OH
John 15:5 NLT
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
This is the last day of our 21 days of fasting and praying. Tomorrow you can eat the cookie, have a cup of coffee, eat the meal you have been fasting or whatever it is that you have been denying yourself. Today is day 21!
Today is also a good day to reflect back on the past 21 days. What have you learned about God? What have you learned about yourself? What scriptures have spoken to you? How have you been changed? How have you been challenged? And what is your next step on the path to God?
Tomorrow is day 22. The day after is day 23 and after that day 24 on and on and on. I think you get it.
The point is that these 21 days are not to be an isolated episode in your walk with Jesus, like, “21 days of fasting and praying? Done!!!”
Absolutely not.
No, this has been the first fruits of your year. The very beginning. There’s still another 344 days left, not to mention all the days ahead that you have until Jesus calls you home. The problem is that none of us know how many we have ahead of us.
That’s why how you choose to live day 22 and 23 and 24 and all the rest is important. We can choose toremain in Him - that means spending time talking and listening to him, reading Scripture and thinking about what we’ve read, growing in dependence on him, in other words, what we have been doing the past 21 days. When we do that, when we choose to walk with him that way we will produce much fruit.
Fruit like “…the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” (Galatians 5:22 NLT)
Doesn’t that sound like Jesus? And isn’t that what we as Jesus followers are to be? More like Jesus?
So, let’s end with this prayer from Ephesians 3, starting with verse 16:
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
The 21 days are over. And the rest of the path is before you. Keep walking. Keep praying. Stay connected with community. Cling to Jesus. And expect him to work in you and through you as you walk on the path to God.
Isaiah 55:11 NLT
“It is the same with my word. I send it out and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”
Promises are powerful.
I don’t know about you, but I always try to keep my promises. Yet sometimes I fail. I forget. I get distracted. I overcommit. I drop the ball. I don’t come through with what I promised and so I let people down, I disappoint them, or at the worst break their trust in me.
But God isn’t like that. And I am so glad.
He always keeps his promises, He never forgets us or gets distracted. When you pray he hears every word and his attention is focused on you. He is 100% committed to us, 100% faithful. And he never ever lets us down.
God’s promises to us are in the bible. Thousands of them, from Genesis to Revelation. And his promises help us get to know him and his character. Here’s a few to get you started:
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
“For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’” Hebrews 13:5b
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, You will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2
“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds”. Psalm 147:3
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’” Matthew 11:28
Today, look for God’s promises in his Word. Underline them. Pick one and memorize it. You can count on him to always come through with what he has promised.
“Where will you go when you die?”
Maybe you’ve been asked this question before. I’m not saying it’s not an important question. After all, eternity is a long, long time. And there is no greater hope than to be with Jesus in paradise forever.
But here’s a thought - more important than where you go is who you know.
Life is all about relationships. And at the top of that is the relationship we were created for from the beginning. The source of life itself. The oxygen our souls were made to consume. I’m talking about a rich, life-giving friendship with God.
Jesus never said eternal life was about heaven. Here’s what He actually said in John 17:3 -
“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Eternal life is being intimately connected to God in friendship and daily life. And the beauty of that means true, eternal life can start now, not some day when I die.
If your soul feels dry today, return to the source of life. Get close with God. Talk to him all day. Embrace the exciting promise of James 4:8 -
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Day 18
Be honest. Have you ever just not liked someone, but weren’t sure why?
One time in my life there was a girl that rubbed me the wrong with almost everything she did. I couldn’t figure out what it was. And then one day, it hit me - I wasn’t really crazy about her because deep down I could tell she wasn’t too crazy about me.
I’ve often wondered if sometimes we struggle with a desire to pray for the exact same reason. Sure, we know deep down that God technically “loves” us - as in a general, “he has to because he loves the whole world” kind of way. But does he actually like me?
I think until we truly understand the character of God and His affection for us, prayer will remain a drudgery instead of a delight. But when it clicks, really clicks, that the Creator of the Universe is crazy about us - it will be hard to make ourselves stop praying!
Maybe that’s why Paul prayed for his friends at the church in Ephesus this way -
“And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself.” (Ephesians 3:17-19 TLB)
I want to encourage you to read that verse again, but this time personalize it. Every time it says anything like “you” or “your” change it to “I,” “me,” “my” or “mine.”
Now, consider these others verses about God in relation to you and let them sink down deep:
“He found him in a desert land,
And in the howling waste of a wilderness;
He encircled him, He cared for him,
He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.” (Deuteronomy 32:10)
“He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us… as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103)
Hear it deep in your spirit today - God really, really loves you. And He really, really likes you. He made you and He likes your smile and your personality and all the weird, quirky things that make you you. And He loved you enough to come and die for you and to desire intimacy with you.
Maybe that thought alone could drive us into more frequent conversation and friendship with God.
Day 17
Psalm 46:10a NLT
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Silence.
Silence can be uncomfortable. An awkward lull in conversation makes us feel like we need to say something, anything, to fill the silence. Being given the “silent treatment” - that’s uncomfortable, too. Our environments are noisy. We listen to music, podcasts, we have the TV on for background noise, etc. We create “atmosphere” with music. We even use white noise to get to sleep!
Why is silence uncomfortable? Is it because we feel pressured to always be doing or saying something and silence means no activity?
Silence. Just being. Just breathing. When we shut down all the noise we really begin to hear. To hear our breath, our heart beat, the tiny ambient noises that get covered up. A bird singing outside, the wind.
Jesus had a lot of noise in his environment, too. The crowd calling out to get his attention, the marketplace full of noisy vendors, the questions from the disciples. Noise. Lots of it.
So he sought out silence and solitude:
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16
He needed silence, alone time with his Father. It was a priority for him.
We need that, too. Silence and alone time with our Father.
Today pray in silence. No worship music. Just silence. It might feel uncomfortable. That’s OK. Sit in that silence and listen. Your Father is always speaking but he doesn’t shout at us. His voice can be heard in the silence.
Day 16
The reality of the Trinity - one God existing in Three - is a really big concept. Mysterious. Confusing. Ice-cream-headache inducing. Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised that as finite beings we can’t fully comprehend the infinite. After all, if we could explain God, we’d be God.
The reason this matters is we often miss out on some of the incredible benefits of friendship with God when we fail to embrace a part of who He is. When we let painful father-wounds get in the way of our view with God as Father, we view Him as harsh or absent or annoyed with us and we don’t enjoy the loving embrace and security of being God’s kids. When we don’t fully onboard Jesus as human but also Savior, we miss the comfort that He can relate to all our temptations and struggles, but that He also has power to forgive us, change us, save us.
And then, interestingly, when Jesus was about to leave the earth, he made a profound statement. He said, “it is better for you that I go away. If I don’t, the Comforter won’t come.” (John 16:7)
Jesus told His disciples that even better than Him walking physically with you, is when He’s able to send the Person of the Holy Spirit to live in you. The person of the Holy Spirit who can guide us, teach us, help us, fill us.
I love the way Paul ended his second letter to his friends at Corinth. He said -
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Paul desired for the complete force of God’s friendship - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - be with them in full power and enjoyment.
Maybe you’ve never considered that even the Spirit of God desires close companionship with you. He does. Talk to Him today. Ask Him to reveal Jesus to in you in richer ways. Ask Him to make Scripture come alive as you read it. Ask Him to help you. Ask Him to fill you.
Day 15
Matthew 6:6 MSG
“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.”
There is so much to unpack in these words of Jesus about prayer.
The first thing I notice is to pray away.
Away from distractions. Your phone. Your laptop. Netflix. AWAY.
Why is that important? Prayer is not something you can multi-task. Actually, none of us can truly multi-task as we only end up splitting our attention so to try to do something else and pray is not giving God your full attention. We want his full attention (and He is ready to give it to us!) so let’s give him ours.
He also wants us to pray aware. Aware of our tendency to not be real. Our tendency to want to put a spin on our anger, our unforgiveness, our jealousy. Our tendency to try to hide from Him our pain, disappointment, our questions, our doubt.
Here’s the result when we pray away and remain aware; we will be praying above. Above our circumstances, above our doubt and anger and every struggle we will begin to see our Father who is above it all. Bigger than it all. Faithful through it all. And loving us above what we deserve, lavishing grace upon grace.
Today find your place, your time to pray.
Away. Aware. Above.
He is eager to hear your voice.
Day 14
John 15:1-2 NIV
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
I once lived in a house that had Concord grape vines growing along a fence in the back yard. The first year I picked the grapes, made some jelly, a few jars worth. It seemed that I had a lot of vine but not that many grapes. So, I looked up how to grow grapes and the first thing I learned was that grape vines need to be pruned. And not just a trim. You cut out the dead wood and then you really cut back the branches that were producing grapes. To be honest, I thought I had killed the vines after I did what I was instructed to do. But, sure enough, the next season the vines came back and grew and produced more and bigger grape clusters. There were so many jars of jelly that year! I was amazed! It really worked!
And then I remembered this scripture, now all the more real because of the object lesson of my grape vines.
God prunes us. There are areas in my life that don’t produce good fruit. This word promises me that he loves me enough to prune those areas. Sometimes that happens though the words of a friend I am accountable to, a message on Sunday morning about something he wants to eliminate from my life, and more often, through his Word. And even those areas that are fruitful in my life he prunes because there is always a next step on the path to God. Even when the ouch is still there, the growth begins and in season, the more abundant fruit comes.
Today when you have your time with God, ask Him about what he wants to prune in your life. Ask him to do it. He will, because he loves you so much and wants you to bear much fruit in his name.
Day 13
Before Jesus died, He had one last dinner with His friends. His followers. At this last meal, so many subtle but powerful things happened and were said. Perhaps most striking was when Jesus, Son of God, got up and began to wash their filthy-from-miles-of-daily-walking-in-sandals feet.
John 13 records:
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
In that culture, to wash someone’s feet was the ultimate act of humility and servitude. Yet Jesus leveraged the height of His power to do good and serve those around him. This is our example as well. But let’s pay attention to the first person He chose to initiate this act with. Stubborn, impulsive, prideful Peter -
“He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’
Jesus replied, ‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’
‘No,’ said Peter, ‘you shall never wash my feet.’
Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.’
‘Then, Lord,’ Simon Peter replied, ‘not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!’
Before we’re hard on Peter, realize how difficult this must have been for him. This holy Messiah wanting to scrub a towel in between your dirty toes. More than that, though, we see here a reality and a principle. Peter was comfortable serving Jesus; He was uncomfortable with the thought of Jesus serving him. On the surface this seems noble. And yet Jesus basically says until you learn to receive from me, you won’t truly have anything to give for me.
Maybe you’re one of those people that are very comfortable taking care of other people but not so good at taking care of yourself. It’s comfortable for you to help others; nearly impossible to ask or receive help for yourself.
I definitely can relate to Peter here in a way. I can be good at working for God; not always so great at receiving from God. I can be good at talking and giving God my words; not so great at listening and receiving His words. I can stay busy at trying to prove my love for God; not so great at humbly embracing God’s love for me, letting my roots go deep in His soil of kindness.
But Jesus’ words for Peter are his words for us. In this time of fasting, as counter-intuitive as it may sound, we need to allow Jesus to minister to us; not just vice versa. We need to receive from Him. To sit in His kindness, to enjoy His Presence. To not perpetually volunteer dangerously more than we’re letting Him speak to and nourish us during the week. After all, we can’t give away what we don’t have. And we’re not changed by trying to prove our love for God; we’re changed by trusting and receiving His love for us.
This may be as simple as taking a break from rushing through devotions in the morning to sit in silence and enjoy just being with God. To spend less time telling God how messed up you are and spend time thanking Him for how loved you are. To focus your attention for a few weeks on all the verses of how much God delights in you as His child. Maybe spend some extra time soaking in God’s Presence through worship in your car or in a long walk. Whatever it looks like, we need to stand under the waterfall ourselves, and not just hand everyone around us cups of water while inside we dry up. Jesus wants to pour into your cup today.
Day 12
2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
What we sow we will reap. That’s kind of obvious, right? If a farmer doesn’t sow wheat seed, he will never have a wheat harvest. And if he only sows a few wheat seeds he will only harvest a small crop. But lots of seed produce a huge harvest. Sometimes when I’ve read this verse I’ve only thought about financial giving/sowing. That’s a good application but I think that’s only a small part of what God wants us to see.
We sow in many ways every day. We sow our attitudes, we sow how we care for others, how we love, how we listen. And people sow into us. When someone encourages you or is caring, then you feel more encouraging and caring towards others. Or, when someone really listens to you, giving you feedback, asking questions, that inspires you to do better when you listen to others.
In the same way, when we are harsh and critical of our spouse we will probably get a harsh or critical response. And many times we have that attitude because someone was harsh and critical with us earlier in the day.
So, let me ask you, when you are at work, do you sow encouragement or negativity? We’ve all been in those situations where someone’s negativity has turned the meeting or conversation to a complaint fest. Don’t let that be you. Instead,
Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. (Colossians 4:6)
When we sow the good seed of a Christ-like attitude (read 1st Corinthians 13:4-8 for a good description), it will change our homes, our workplaces, and relationships. And that seed will grow in us, changing us day by day to be more like him.
Today, think about what you are sowing - into your workplace, your home, your spouse, your children and friends. Pray and ask God to show you someone to sow encouragement into.
Day 11
Galatians 6:9 NLT“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
You are halfway through your fast! Congratulations! Without asking, I’m sure there have been some great days and others that have been really difficult. There have been days when you haven’t followed your fast or you haven’t had any time with God. Welcome to the club. You aren’t the only one. I promise.
The important thing is to not give up. To get back up. We’re on the path to God. That means we are moving forward and sometimes we trip and fall. We do a face plant. We scrape our knees.
Have you ever tripped and fallen in a public place? Yup. I have, and it was so excruciatingly embarrassing. I not only fell; I also cut my knee and the manager of the store insisted that I be carried into the back of the store while seated on a chair even though I told them I could walk. She said it had something to do with liability. I think she didn’t want me bleeding on her floor. After I was bandaged up and filled out an incident form, I had to walk all the way to the front of the store. I was positive everyone was looking at me and judging me for my clumsiness. To this day I have never returned to that store!
That’s also how we can feel when we stumble and fall on the path to God. We are embarrassed, ashamed. We want to hide. And we’re hurt because falling hurts! We wonder if others are judging us. We wonder if Jesus is judging us. And unfortunately, we may walk away from the community of the church.
What does Jesus do when we fall?
He bandages our scraped up souls and hearts. He forgives us and restores us. And he helps us get up and start walking again even if it’s with a limp for a while. He’s right there to lean on.
Where have you tripped and fallen? Talk to Jesus about it. Ask him to forgive you and heal the hurt and help you get back up. You may limp and it may hurt but know this: the journey on the path to God is worth it.
“…A righteous man falls seven times, but gets back up…” (Proverbs 24:16)
Day 10
“They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.” - Psalm 78:11 NIV
I forgot.
I hate when I have to say that. Especially if it’s my wallet. Or my car keys. Or an important appointment.
Sometimes forgetting isn’t a big deal. Other times it can be nearly fatal.
Over and over again, Scripture warns us of the danger of spiritual amnesia. One of the greatest case studies is the children of Israel. Over and over again, God would part seas, supernaturally feed them and protect them, and perform made-for-movie miracles to remind them of His power. And yet over and over again, they complained and only focused on the giants in front of them - never reminding their souls about all the dead giants behind them. Never taking to heart and remembrance how faithful God had always been. If you have time today, read through Psalm 106 notice the rhythm.
To grow in faith, we must detect the same patterns in ourselves. The more I forget God’s goodness yesterday, the less faith I will have for God’s goodness tomorrow. The way to increase my faith in the moment is to draw from the memory of God’s faithfulness in my life.
No matter what you’re feeling today, why not take a few minutes as you end this devotional and remember and thank God for all he’s done for you. All his provision, all his protection, all the answered (and thankfully unanswered) prayers, all the seasons he’s seen you though. Better yet, journal a list of all God’s goodness, and rehearse it regularly.
“Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits…” - Psalm 103
Day 9
2 Timothy 3:16-17 MSG
“Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.”
Your bible is amazing. It’s one epic story that leads to Jesus. It’s about people who lived thousands of years ago. And it’s all about you and me. It’s about God’s incredible pursuit of our hearts and how through Jesus we can now have a relationship with Him. It’s about the birth of the church, which we are a continuation of today. That’s why I think the book of Acts finishes open ended; our story is writing part of Acts chapter 29!
Beyond that, Scripture is the primary way God speaks to us. We hear him speak the truth about who he is and who we are. It can be a mirror he uses to help us see our faults and the things we’d rather hide. Sometimes he uses it to chip away at the stony places in our hearts. And at times, his word leaves us undone. But he always does it with love and compassion towards us with the goal of helping us become more like Jesus.
I like the sound of that. To be more like Jesus.
So where do you begin if you haven’t been too acquainted with your bible? One suggestion is to start with a bible reading plan or devotional from YouVersion, the bible app. Pick one on a topic that interests you. Complete it and do another one. You can also read a Psalm a day. The book of Psalms deals with everything you and I deal with and every emotion we have. Try starting at the beginning of Psalms. Or dig into Luke and watch the life of Jesus.
Whatever you choose, just begin. Read, think about what you’ve read, and then ask God to speak to you about what you’ve read.
Day 8
I love the promises of faith. Even just a little faith.
“Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains,” Jesus once said.
My problem is sometimes I don’t feel much faith, how about you? Sometimes I really believe and sometimes I really doubt. Sometimes I “sort of believe” God can help me, come through for me, and do what He promised. And so I feel the need to fake faith or try to muster it up. Fortunately, I don’t need to do either.
That’s why I’m so encouraged by the story of Mark 9. Here Jesus encountered a father whose son had been emotionally and spiritually tormented since childhood. By now, he’d pretty much lost hope that things would ever change. Maybe you have something like that, too.
In desperation, the father asked Jesus to help “if he can.”
Jesus’ response is pretty bold and sassy.
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
But I love most what the father says next.
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
“I sorta believe,” he confesses. He asks Jesus to meet him halfway. To help him in his unbelief. And Jesus did. And Jesus healed his son and set him free.
God already knows our doubts and struggles. I’m telling you, the seed of faith works well in the soil of honesty. Let’s keep running after God, strengthening our faith by reading and listening to His Word (“faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”) and staying brutally honest about where we actually are. God can work with that.
Day 7 - Jan 11
Matthew 6:16-18 NLT
“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
Jesus said “And when you fast”. When you fast, not if you fast. It seems that what he is saying is that fasting is a normal, expected part of the life of a Jesus-follower.
Hmmm. I don’t know about you, but I had followed Jesus for a while before I heard about the importance of fasting. Before that I thought it was something they did in Old Testament days or it was something you did if you were a monk or extra-spiritual. Definitely not for me! But one day, someone who was mentoring me challenged me with this scripture. She told me to fast one meal a day for a week and to use the time I would have been eating to instead spend time with God praying and listening for him to speak to me.
Those seven days rocked my spiritual life. I had felt dry and stuck spiritually. As I persevered through the week - and it wasn’t easy - I found my heart becoming more tuned in to God’s voice and my prayers took on life again.
What is your hope for your fast? Do you feel dry or stuck spiritually? Are you wanting more in your relationship with Jesus? Or are you not sure what you need?
God is ready and waiting for you. He will not disappoint. In fact, just as I was, I expect you will gain more out of these 21 days than you ever imagined. Today when you start to crave the thing you are fasting, pray and thank God for the reminder that he is the only One who truly satisfies. Let faith build in your heart for what he’s doing in your below the surface, even if you can’t see it yet.
Day 6
“In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”- Psalm 5:3 NIV
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” - Matthew 6:33
We’ve been talking about “first fruits.”
It’s the power of firsts. The power of priority. There’s also a practical element to this as well. It’s a really simple but powerful principle for life - do first whatever you want to put first. In other words, whatever you desire to make a priority in your life, prioritize first on your calendar. And in your day. So often in my life, what I claim as most important - my health, relationships, spirituality - these become the leftovers “if I have time” after everything else.
Maybe you’ve seen the big rocks illustration. A glass cylinder, grains of sand, big rocks. In one example, the grains are poured in first, and then the big rocks try to be added but they don’t fit. In the following example, the big rocks go in first, then all the sand is poured in, and - amazingly - the sand all fits and slides in around the rocks.
This principle works for life as well. When we put big rocks first - spend time with God in the morning BEFORE anything else, tithe off our paycheck BEFORE we spend anything, prioritize church first thing in the week BEFORE the other days - God’s Spirit has space and a way of ordering everything else. Our days begin to take on purpose and blessing and we grow in our faith.
Another translation of Matthew 6:33 says it something like this - “seek God first and He will order everything else in your life.”
What if, during this fast, in just one area you took this challenge - SCRIPTURE BEFORE PHONE. Before you touched news or social media or texts in the morning, you take just 5 - 10 minutes to read over Scripture, pray, and let God’s Spirit and words pour over your soul.
Day 5
Hebrews 13:15 NIV
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”
What does the word “praise” bring to your mind? Compliments from your family and friends? Awards? Your picture in the news with a story about your accomplishments and what a great person you are? Those are all ways we can be praised. And it’s also how we can praise God.
There’s power in praising Him for who he is. He’s loving and faithful, compassionate, strong. He is your provider, protector, healer and guide. He never changes. He is merciful, wonderful, and beautiful.
Praise Him for what he has done. If you know Jesus, that means.He has saved you and you are spending eternity in his presence! He promises to provide for you in every way: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Praise Him for all the ways you have seen his faithfulness in the past and praise him that you know that means he will be faithful in the future. Praise him because he gives you the breath in your lungs and makes your heart beat. He gives you the strength in your body to get up in the morning and accomplish what your day holds. Praise him for all the blessings in your life and his sustaining strength in your storms.
Praise him because he has given you gifts and talents and a purpose for your life. And he has forgiven you of every sin you have committed or will commit. Wiped your slate clean. And he has opened the way for you to have intimate fellowship with Him now and for eternity.
Today, take time to praise God. There is power in praise. Especially when we feel like it least.
Make a list of His goodness. Write it down. Tell him how wonderful He is, how much you love him. Remind yourself of how big, and how great He is.
Day 4
Maybe one of the most moving places in all of Scripture is recorded in John 21. Jesus has died and risen but not yet ascended back to heaven. As for his student and friend, Peter, he was back out fishing. Nothing wrong with that, except that was his life before Jesus called him to be something else. And that’s what shame will do - drive us back into what Jesus called us out of. This was, after all, just days after Peter had denied Jesus.
Peter was a failure. A goner. Not someone that could really ever be used again in any kind of great way. So Jesus appears at the shore. Most likely ready to come down hard on Peter, right?
Let’s read.
“Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’
‘No,’ they answered.
He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’
None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.”
If you read on later, this is where Jesus restores Peter and his calling.
But I love that Jesus didn’t even bring up the failure in this moment. He knew Peter had already repented. He knew they would address some things in the right time. In this moment, though, He just wanted Peter to know He loved him, He wasn’t through with him, He still had a plan for him.
Maybe like Peter, you’ve had a rough week. Maybe even a rough last night. Maybe a rough few years. You think God’s words for you are, “go straighten your life up and get back with me.” Instead, may you hear His voice today say, “Come, let’s have breakfast.”
I don’t care how bad you’ve messed up. If you still have breath, God isn’t through with you. You’re not too far gone. You’re not second-rate. You’re not too damaged for God to restore you and do something great through your life. Jesus is calling from the shore. If you listen carefully enough, you’ll hear a tone of mercy and grace, not shame and condemnation.
May sound weird, but during this fast, let’s commit to breakfast with Jesus every morning. Don’t let shame drive you away from the table. Whatever is going on, talk to Him, be with Him, and let Him speak to you over some coffee and eggs.
Day 3
This week we’ve been talking about the power of firsts. Our “offering of firsts” (love towards others, prayer, etc.) should be the natural response of gratitude to an incredibly generous God. It also postures our heart and brings blessing and reward.
I want to think (and worship) for a moment today, though, on the reality that we give God the first in every area because He already went first in every area.
Romans 12 says it this way - “Therefore, I urge you… in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.”
See, we honor God with our bodies and life because He gave us our bodies and life - and grace and mercy along with it. Maybe a great prayer this morning is simple – “God, I offer my body and life afresh to you today.”
Likewise, we give God the first of our day because He gave us another day.
Many even give God the first tenth of their paycheck (tithe) because He already gave us the ability to work and the opportunity to live on the earth He created.
Even when we worship, in a sense we are giving God back His breath that He first breathed in us.
Hey, here’s one - and I’m so thankful for it - it’s not that we first loved Him; it’s that he first loved us. Our response of love to Him is incited by His passionate initiation of love towards us.
But here’s maybe the most exciting, especially if you’re feeling afraid of death or just lost someone you love.
Because Jesus rose again, we will, too.
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” - 1st Corinthians 15:20 NIV
Jesus is the first fruits of eternal life, both for life after death, and for fullness of life now (“I have come that you may have life and life more abundantly.”)
This should cause us to think, pray, worship, and wonder today at God’s amazing beauty and wonder and acts. Jesus is mu resurrection, but physically and spiritually. When my heart truly swells with the weight of all God has done for me, the only thing I can do is eagerly follow Him back with every area of my life.
Day 2
1 John 4:19 NLT
“We love each other because he loved us first.”
Let’s be honest - sometimes people are difficult to love. People are messy. Frustrating. At times even hurtful and damaging.
They can hurt us, misunderstand us and betray us. Jesus knows all that and yet still says, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (John 13:35a) So why is he commanding me to love? Because he says, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35b). Our loving posture, not our opinions-and-politics posture – that’s what will tell people who don’t know God that there is unusual love and power deep inside us.
This is tough since the norm in our broken world is offence, cancelling, and vengeance. Yet we as Jesus-followers are called to be different. Very different.
He loved us first, before we loved him. He still loves us first even when we are messy and frustrating, even when we are hurting and betraying others. He keeps on loving us and though we don’t deserve it, “if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1John 1:9) That’s why we are to extend that same love to others. Maybe you feel like they don’t deserve it. Well, neither do we. He loved us first. He forgives us when we mess up.
Loving others. That’s definitely difficult at times, especially someone has hurt us. Maybe that’s why he also says this, ”But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” (Matthew 5:44) Really, Jesus? Even that person?
Yes, even that person.
Today, pray for someone you find difficult to love. Ask God to help you see them the way he sees them and to love them in a tangible way.
Day 1
Nehemiah 10:35 NLT
“We promise to bring the first part of every harvest to the Lord’s Temple year after year—whether it be a crop from the soil or from our fruit trees.”
Welcome, 2023.
Some of us greet this year with anticipation of good things, some of us with anxiety about what may be coming in the next 365 days.
No matter what you are feeling, one thing is for sure: this is the beginning of a new year. And it matters howwe begin the new year. It also matters to God.
The first of anything is special, whether it’s a first day of school or new job, your first car or your first kiss. And maybe you’ve never thought of it this way, but God sees firsts as special, too. He even told the Israelites to bring the first part of every harvest to Him as an offering. Not just to honor Him, but to posture their hearts to receive what He had.That’s what we are doing during the next 21 days. We are dedicating the first of this new year to seeking him through fasting and intentional prayer.
Fasting is a powerful way to do this. To begin the new year. To connect with God. There are a number of ways to fast. Some may abstain from sweets or caffeine, or even completely set aside one meal a day and talk to to God during that time. You can choose to fast meat or carbs or give up that thing that you turn to when you’re stressed (chocolate anyone?). Or how about your daily Starbucks? The idea is that by eliminating something that normally fills us up we will become more aware of our physical hunger and turn it into hunger for God. The exciting thing is, Jesus promises to fill hungry hearts.
The combination of prayer and fasting is spiritual dynamite. When that hunger hits and instead of reaching for that food, you instead pray and ask God to strengthen you, that opens a door for God to move in your heart and change you from the inside out. These 21 days have the potential to move internal mountains in your soul!
So - what is your fast going to look like?