GC Students Daily Devos: Recent Episodes
Dave Minster
There’s a difference between calling yourself mature and actually being mature. I want to be a doctor, but I can’t just put on scrubs and say, “I’m a doctor!” Same thing with maturity–it’s a journey you have to do, not a simple title. In Romans 5, Paul explains that maturity and character come directly out […]
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Back to the Future is one of my all-time favorite movies. In the movie, it’s obvious that one character named George McFly is completely defined by his past. In high school he’s pushed around, and as an adult he’s still pushed around by the same people. It’s so tempting to let ourselves be defined by […]
The post Daily Devo 105 – Let Go of the Past appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Is faith blind? Do Christians just blindly accept the Bible? Let me frame this for you: faith is looking back to look forward. As Christians, we look back to the Bible–what is says about who God is and what He’s done. But we have to ask, “Is the Bible even true?” There’s a lot of […]
The post Daily Devo 104 – Blind Faith appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
What does it mean to trust God? How can I be loyal to God? I’ve prayed for God to help me in bad situations, but the situations kept going and getting worse. I knew God could fix it, but he didn’t. What gives? In the book of Daniel, there’s a king Nebuchadnezzar and he threatened […]
The post Daily Devo 103 – Are You Loyal? appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
What does it look to actually be satisfied by Christ? The definition for satisfy is to put an end to (a desire, want, need, etc.) by sufficient or ample provision. Jesus is the one who satisfies our wants and desires–our deepest soul desires. Jesus is the one who brings our souls deepest groanings and desires […]
The post Daily Devo 102 – Satisfied appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Ever been so hungry or thirsty, only to get food/water, only be to left unsatisfied?? I (Ethan) went on a snowboarding trip and didn’t eat much, so I was extremely hungry for lunch… only to be left unsatisfied by cold chicken tenders. In Psalm 42 it says, “As the deer pants for flowing streams, so […]
The post Daily Devo 101 – Thirsting for God appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Where are you on your faith walk with Jesus? When I was asked, I had no answer. It honestly made me think about the universe in a completely different way, but I especially saw Jesus in a whole new light. My perspective completely changed—I felt like my eyes were opened to all the amazing things […]
The post Daily Devo 100 – Your Faith Walk appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed and cornered by circumstances? In 2 Kings 6, Elisha and his servant were surrounded by enemies. God opened the servant’s eyes and he saw the God and his armies were all around, ready to fight for him and Elisha! It was a stunning sight. We are short-sighted sometimes and only […]
The post Daily Devo 99 – God Fights For Us appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
What does it mean that your body is a temple? I’m Cara, I’m a junior at Valley Christian High School, and I don’t feel like people truly understand what it means that our bodies are God’s temples. I often find myself searching on the internet or looking at fitness accounts on instagram for ways to […]
The post Daily Devo 98 – Your Body Is a Temple appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I always see people making New Year’s resolutions–but then they never follow through. I’m not into those resolutions, but I’m always up for something that will challenge me in my walk with Jesus. One of the pastors I follow on Instagram came up with a Bible challenge called the Shred. The intention of the challenge […]
The post Daily Devo 97 – Challenge Yourself appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
However you pronounce it, what does “Amen” mean? It’s not an English word and it doesn’t have anything to do with gender. The word amen has its root word in the Hebrew word aman, which means trustworthy or faithful. So when you or I say “Amen,” we’re saying everything that was just said is trustworthy, […]
The post Daily Devo 96 – What Does Amen Mean? appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
What is an “Ebenezer”? And what does it have to do with the year 2020 that we’re saying goodbye to? Ebenezer in Hebrew means “stone of help.” In the Bible, Samuel named a stone “Ebenezer” to remind everyone of the good that God did for them in the midst of chaos and panic. When they […]
The post Daily Devo 95 – Ebenezer appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Think of the past year. God was there, wasn’t he? I think it is fair to say we were all blindsided by Covid-19. As hard as it may be for many to believe it, God was there every step of the way for us in 2020. This past year was stained by the evil that […]
The post Daily Devo 94 – You Are NEW! appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Today I’m sharing some tips and tricks to read your Bible more. Lately I’ve felt unmotivated to read my Bible and spend time with God. I used to have this huge passion for my faith and I want nothing more than to feel that passion again. Being so passionate in my faith influenced my attitude […]
The post Daily Devo 92 – Passion for God appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I wanted to do something different for today’s devotion and just walk through some scripture and take time to pray with you guys about what tomorrow means and why it means so much. When we focus on the birth of Christ, we focus on the love of God for sending His son. It says in […]
The post Daily Devo 93 – Merry Christmas! appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Sometimes the best things come from the most unexpected times. The way this year went, I never expected Christmas to finally come, but here it is. When Jesus was born, people hadn’t heard from God or a prophet of His for 400 years. Mary was a virgin. Joseph thought about divorce. But God worked in […]
The post Daily Devo 91 – Unexpecteds appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Do all religions lead to the same destination? What makes a lot of us uncomfortable with answering this is thinking about, “if I answer this with, ‘no, not all religions go to the same place,’ then I’m saying that other people are wrong.” I definitely don’t want to make other people uncomfortable by calling them […]
The post Daily Devo 90 – Do All Religions Lead to the Same Destination? appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
When it comes to Christmas, for some people the holiday doesn’t bring joy or excitement because of the pain that it reminds them of. I come from a broken home where my parents got divorced when I was young. Christmas was always so stressful because I would have to switch off houses during the day […]
The post Daily Devo 89 – A Joyful Christmas? appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
The Bible’s idea of love is WAY different than our idea of love today. What comes to mind when you hear the word “love”? In the Bible, there’s a word in Hebrew: Checed. Most times in our English Bibles, it’s translated into the word “kindness.” But it’s SO MUCH deeper of a word. It centers […]
The post Daily Devo 88 – Loyal Love appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving has ended and Christmas ads are starting to pop up everywhere. It’s so easy and tempting to continually think of more items that we want that might make our lives more complete. Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” which calls us to […]
The post Daily Devo 87 – Christmas Lists appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Is there really a God? Is there logical evidence that can prove God’s existence? These are absolutely critical questions to be asking yourself as a thinking human being. We look around us and wonder, “Where did all this come from?” Logically and scientifically thinking through the answer to this question is a good thing! Looking […]
The post Daily Devo 86 – Does God Exist? appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
You use only 10% of your brain’s total capacity. Did you know that?? Sooooo spoiler alert: that’s not actually true. It was a rumor from the 1920s that very few people actually fact check. This is how our minds work, though: we fill them up with what we hear and see and experience, but rarely […]
The post Daily Devo 85 – Your Mind’s Wikipedia appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Lately I’ve been… let’s saying sweating from my eyes more than usual, and especially at videos that are emotional—you know, ones that pull at your heart. There’s one such video called Thank You, God by the Skit Guys. Basically it shows different people going through different hard life situations, and then it shows their response. […]
The post Daily Devo 84 – Two Important Reactions appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
For a lot of people in our world, the song Amazing Grace is just not true. A recent Barna study found that young adults outside the church see Christians as judgmental, hypocritical, and insensitive to others. That’s not the sweet sound of amazing grace! In 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 God explains how he gives us forgiveness, […]
The post Daily Devo 83 – Emissary Or Ambassador appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Imagine being in a tunnel so long and so dark that you can’t even see your hand if you hold it in front of your face! There is a biking trails in Idaho with 10 long tunnels, one being 1.66 miles long! Inside it’s extremely dark and cold and it’s hard to see the light […]
The post Daily Devo 82 – Long Dark Tunnels appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
When is too early to set up for Christmas? Right after Halloween? Wait till Thanksgiving? Somewhere in between? Let me know what you think! This year I set up my Christmas tree November 9th… and I’ll tell you why! First, it’s important to note that one of the reasons we celebrate Christmas on December 25th […]
The post Daily Devo 81 – Early Christmas appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
On election day, my friends and I all gathered around a TV to watch as the votes came in. In one of my classes, my professor talked to us about how many people woke up extremely happy or extremely mad based on the election outcome. Sometimes, people care so much about politics that it affects […]
The post Daily Devo 80 – How Idols Affect Us appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I think we’ve missed the point. Here it is, Election Day, and this whole country is just exhausted. So many things have been dragging our attention away from what we should really be focused on. It’s so easy to lose sight of our purpose. Our purpose as followers of Jesus is to do just that: […]
The post Daily Devo 79 – Missing the Point appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Being in college has been so much fun. The freedom and ability to begin to taste what life is like on your own is something so unique. But one thing I now struggle with is doing chores. I always make excuses for why I can’t do them. In John 5, Jesus meets a paralyzed man […]
The post Daily Devo 78 – What do You Want? appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
How would you react if someone told you that they found Jesus? Excitement? Doubt? Confusion? Curiosity? In John 4, Jesus meets a woman at a well. After some conversation, he tells her that he is the Messiah sent to save the world. He also told her he knew about her 5 marriages/divorces. She gets so […]
The post Daily Devo 77 – Contagious Christ appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
There are so many reasons why I love the Bible, but sometimes I find myself reading a passage in the Bible and forgetting to look at the bigger picture of what is being presented. In John 4, Jesus does something incredible: he heals a man’s son from 50 miles away! The boy was very close […]
The post Daily Devo 76 – The Bigger Picture appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
In the movie Sahara (2005), an evil corporation starts dumping nuclear waste in the middle of the African desert… but it turns out that they were poisoning the source of an important river and people started dying. In John 4, Jesus has an incredible conversation with a Samaritan woman where he reveals to her that […]
The post Daily Devo 75 – A Polluted Source appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Have you ever been so thirsty, only to drink something but still be left unsatisfied? In John 4, Jesus meets a thirsty woman at a water well who is secretly desperate to fill her empty heart. His conversation with her transforms her entire life. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be honest with […]
The post Daily Devo 74 – Unsatisfied Thirst appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Have you ever given someone a compliment and they just wouldn’t accept it? Jesus is actually given a huge compliment in John 3, but he’s not impressed for multiple reasons. We’re not here to compliment or show respect to Jesus as if we’ll get something in return. We have to ask ourselves this question: do […]
The post Daily Devo 73 – Expired Benefits appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
One of my favorite sayings is “close but no cigar.” I never knew where it came from, though. Turns out cigars used to be prizes at carnivals, so when you’d get close but then lose, the vendor would say “close but no cigar.” Jesus’ words in John 3:16 are heard so often that it’s easy […]
The post Daily Devo 72 – Close, But… appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Have you ever had someone make a promise to you that they didn’t keep? This happens more often than it should, and it hurts us and makes it harder to trust others. Jesus made some insane claims and promises, like when he promised to raise himself from the dead. And then, he did! It’s sometimes […]
The post Daily Devo 71 – Promises appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
What is the coolest thing you have ever seen in person? This summer I went to visit Wyoming and at the Grand Tetons, I hiked to a waterfall that took my breath away. It was an amazing display of God’s glory in creation. Jesus started his ministry with a different display of glory: he turn […]
The post Daily Devo 70 – Full Glory appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I usually want to know what’s coming next. When I don’t know “the plan,” I am tempted to feel anxious or even unmotivated. In John 1:38-39, Jesus invites a couple guys to “come and see” where he was going… and they did just that! They trusted that Jesus had the plan and that was all […]
The post Daily Devo 69 – Person with a Plan appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I remember during my first year of college, my friends randomly asked me if I wanted to go to the Grand Canyon with them. But I had so much homework to do. So what did I do? I dropped everything and got in my friend’s car and went to see one of the seven wonders […]
The post Daily Devo 68 – Spontaneous Faith appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Have you ever felt like one of your friends was using you? It’s a horrible feeling because you feel like they don’t care about who you are, just what they can take from you. John 1:14 tells us that Jesus is God’s Son and comes full of grace and truth. We’re tempted to look to […]
The post Daily Devo 67 – Chopping Up Jesus appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
How do you view Jesus? As we start into the book of John in the Bible, it’s obvious that Jesus is not just a nice guy who said a bunch of insightful things. John 1:14 shows us how Jesus came to physically show us who he is and what he’s all about. Challenge: take a […]
The post Daily Devo 66 – A New View appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Spending time with God every day is inconvenient and difficult, but here’s why it’s SO important! In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus calls us to build our lives on our relationship with God. Building a relationship with Jesus is an everyday commitment, which can be really challenging and inconvenient, especially when we get busy with other things… […]
The post Daily Devo 65 – Inconvenient Relationships appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
The Willis (formerly Sears) Tower in Chicago is over 1,450 ft tall! But its foundation is an insane 100 ft into the ground. In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus calls us to build our life’s foundation on His teachings. When we do, God works in our tough circumstances to help us navigate hurts and troubles. When we […]
The post Daily Devo 64 – Building Foundations appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
- This year has been full of unexpected twists and turns. My life right now is nowhere near where I thought it would be at the beginning of 2020. God has taught me two deep lessons through this, though: 1, at the heart of my faith is my heart, and 2, my heart shapes my […]
The post Daily Devo 63 – From the Heart appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
How do you make new friends? I think the most important part is so simple: just spend time getting to know them. Mostly, pay attention to their actions and how they treat other people. Actions reveal where their heart is at. Jesus talks about this in Matt 7:15-20, saying that our actions are our fruit. […]
The post Daily Devo 62 – How I Know I Know appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word fruit? One of the best fruits out there is cotton candy grapes. Have you ever tried them? If you haven’t, you’re missing out! In the Bible, people talk about fruits and they also use fruit as a metaphor for something much deeper. […]
The post Daily Devo 61 – Distinguishing Fruits appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
We’ve talked about being unmotivated, but when you’re unmotivated, what do you do?? There’s always the struggle to deal with unmotivation and other short-term problems with short-term solutions, but what really we need are long-term solutions. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus challenges us to think long-term and follow Him down a path that is harder, but […]
The post Daily Devo 60 – Short-Term Problems appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
There are some things that Jesus says that are really hard to deal with. Matthew 7:13-14 is one of those, where he calls out how we daily battle against pursuing self or pursuing Jesus. The self-pleasing path is wide and many people take it, but it leads to destruction and pain. Pursuing Jesus is a […]
The post Daily Devo 59 – Narrow Choices appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Right now, a lot of schools are doing online learning over video chats. And that can be really tough, not having the physical interaction and the motivation that comes with actually being at school. In Matt 7, Jesus calls us to pray to God and actually ask for what we need and want, which can […]
The post Daily Devo 58 – Prayer Vent appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
It doesn’t happen often, but I experienced something incredible: God answered a prayer literally as we were praying. It changed how I see prayer. Prayer is about you persistently going to God because you believe He’ll do what’s best for you. God is genuinely and intimately relational, and we see that from what Jesus tells […]
The post Daily Devo 57 – Fish and Snakes appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
It happens more often than most of us realize–we judge people without even getting to know them. Sometimes our judgement even keeps us from making amazing friends. In Matthew 7, Jesus calls us out on our judging, which is really us unfairly determining someone’s worth. Only God can do that. When He judges us, it […]
The post Daily Devo 56 – Paws appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Judging others—it’s a super sensitive and confusing topic. As Christians, are we allowed to judge? What does Jesus say about it? We look at Matthew 7:1-5 today where Jesus reminds us emphatically to humble ourselves before we correct anyone else. You think you’re judging others, but what you’re really doing is looking in a mirror […]
The post Daily Devo 55 – Mind Yo Business appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I woke up at 3am to my dog Cabela barking like crazy in the backyard. She was going absolutely crazy, so I went out to calm her down… only to find a cat sitting on the fence taunting her! Then Bela and I both went crazy scaring this cat away. Worry sometimes acts like that […]
The post Daily Devo 54 – A Barking Dog appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I looked over the edge of the cliff and I started worrying about all the bad things that could happen. The more I stressed, the more scared I became. But I finally did it: I ran off the edge and fell toward the water! And my first 30-foot cliff jumping experience turned out just fine! […]
The post Daily Devo 53 – Leap of Faith appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
What does “treasure” mean? When I think about it, I think about like pirates or leprechauns… but when Jesus talks about it, he’s saying that sometimes we have things (idols) that we value above God. Things that if we lose them, life is hardly worth living anymore: a job, house, spouse, fame, car, etc. SO […]
The post Daily Devo 52 – Pirate Treasure appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Time and money: we can choose how to use these, but what are the right choices? Where can we invest our time and money? I had someone who invest his time in me who made an eternal difference. Jesus calls us to do the same with our lives in Matt 6:19-21. It’s so easy and […]
The post Daily Devo 51 – Investing appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Forgiveness is hard, especially when your offender either doesn’t apologize or offers an insincere apology. Either way, in Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus commands us to forgive others. The good news is that we can forgive others, even when they’re not sorry! Forgiveness allows us to let go of unhealthy control and invite God to start healing […]
The post Daily Devo 50 – Forgiveness Is Hard appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Is it really “forgive and forget”? When we forgive people, are we saying what they did is ok? Jesus in Matthew 6:14-15 calls us to always forgive. God forgives us no matter what we do, and we’re supposed to follow that example. It can be really hard, especially because forgiveness is hard to define. So […]
The post Daily Devo 49 – Forgive and Forget? appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
What does Jesus really say about fasting? But REALLY, how does fasting apply to us today? Not many of us fast, but all of us go through painful situations like mourning loss and confronting our own sin. Jesus is strongly reminding us to sit with God in those painful situations of suffering. That allows God […]
The post Daily Devo 48 – Removing Distractions appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
What’s the longest you’ve gone without food? Fasting is the practice of voluntarily giving up food for a period of time. Jesus in Matthew 6:17-18 says, “when you fast…” which tells us that Christians are called to fast. Fasting is in many different places in the Bible, but is oddly absent in our culture, which […]
The post Daily Devo 47 – Sitting in Pain… with God appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Do you struggle with prayer? A lot of Christians do, but even if you have a strong prayer life, here’s a word for you! Jesus ends what we call “The Lord’s Prayer” by telling us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil.” Being a follower of Jesus is a constant […]
The post Daily Devo 46 – Caught in Forgiveness appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Do you ever just need to hear the right words? In Matthew 6:9, Jesus tells us that we should start prayer by saying the words, “Our Father in heaven.” These words are there to remind us that God is in heaven, so He’s above the universe and super powerful, and He’s also our father, so […]
The post Daily Devo 45 – You Are More appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Do you struggle to pray? Most Christians struggle with spiritual disciplines like prayer, giving, and fasting. It’s easy to try to make those about us, but in Matthew 6:5-8 Jesus calls us back to making prayer about God, to remove distractions so we can be free to have an amazing relationship with God. Today’s challenge: […]
The post Daily Devo 44 – Undistracted Prayer appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
In Matthew 6:5, Jesus calls out people who pray to be noticed by other people. It’s tough not to struggle with making prayer all about us, but Jesus calls us to get out of our own way so we can really experience great prayer with God. Challenge: spend 10 minutes in prayer. Make God the […]
The post Daily Devo 43 – Something Way Better appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
A special welcome to one of our students, Regann! In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus calls out people who are generous, but only so that other people will see their generosity and kindness. This kind of fake generosity is like a performance and cheapens the love we pretend to have for others. Instead, we’re called to give […]
The post Daily Devo 42 – Pretending to Love appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
One of my favorite shows in the early 2000s was one where’d they’d “borrow” someone’s car and give it a major facelift: new stereo, rims, tires, paint job–the works! But shows like that weren’t generous to be helpful, they made money off the show’s success and popularity. In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus calls out being generous […]
The post Daily Devo 41 – Secret Generosity appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I’m a runner, not because running feels good, but because it helps me (be healthy, etc.). It’s hard to do things that are good, but don’t feel easy. In Matthew 5:43, Jesus acknowledges that it’s so natural for us as humans to hate our enemies, but at the root of hate is our selfishness. When […]
The post Daily Devo 40 – Hard to Love appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Jesus tells us, “be perfect.” But, like, is that even possible? What he’s pointing to is that by loving our enemies, we are imitating God, who IS perfect. When we follow Jesus, we don’t have the right to treat someone as unloved who Jesus treats with him love. God treats us with unconditional love, even […]
The post Daily Devo 39 – Practice Makes Perfect appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
What is Jesus saying when he says, “Turn the other cheek”? Sometimes we have to step back and think about what other people are going through, even the people who hurt us. Here’s a phrase that helps us understand this: hurt people hurt people. Like, people who hurt you are actually already experiencing hurt in […]
The post Daily Devo 38 – Hurt People Hurt People appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Feeling betrayed or hurt by somebody is the worst! My friend gave me some weird advice to “love them through it” when it happened to me. Jesus gives us the same advice in Matthew 5:38-42, and He says it knowing that it’s how God loves us. We turn our backs to God every day, yet […]
The post Daily Devo 37 – Love Them Through It appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Do you ever want to call someone out to see if what they’re saying is true? This is what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 5:33-38. He was calling us to just tell the truth no matter what we were talking about! He calls us to have relationships that are simple, honest, and truthful. He […]
The post Daily Devo 36 – No Doubt appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
This is a real difficult topic, y’all. Please understand that I’m not trying to shame anyone who’s been divorced or whose parents have been divorced. Divorce is something that’s surrounded by pain and brokenness. Jesus draws a hard line against divorce because he knows it is so massively painful to couples and kids. In marriage, […]
The post Daily Devo 35 – Who Has Your Back? appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Integrity is about doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. In Matthew 5:33-38, Jesus says don’t take oaths, but what’s at the heart of this? He’s saying there shouldn’t be a single difference between what you say and do “under oath” compared with normal circumstances. As Jesus followers, we’re called to do […]
The post Daily Devo 34 – Practice Makes Perfect appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
These days, people do some really weird things and justify it by saying, “it doesn’t hurt anyone!” That seems cool at first, but it’s a slippery slope that can lead to dark traps. More importantly, even if it doesn’t hurt anyone else doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt our own hearts. In Matthew 5:28 Jesus calls […]
The post Daily Devo 33 – Reckless appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:29-30 that if you eye or hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. Is he serious?? Really what he’s getting at is with things like lust (how we see the world) and anger (what we do in the world), these things are terrible symptoms of […]
The post Daily Devo 32 – Eyes, Hands, and Feet appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
This is a sensitive topic: lust. In Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus says that adultery and lust expose the same core issue: both degrade others to objects that are used for personal pleasure and momentary happiness. God calls us in our hearts to lift people up and honor them. Lust tells us horrible things about ourselves while […]
The post Daily Devo 31 – You Are Not Consumable appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I sometimes get angry at dumb things, like when my shoe laces get untangled! Most anger is unhelpful to say the least, but anger in rare circumstances can be OK, and it’s named righteous anger. It’s like in John 2 or Mark 3 when Jesus got angry because religious leaders were actively leading people away […]
The post Daily Devo 30 – Angry Motivation appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
There was a song in the late 90s that got really popular. I mean, really popular. And the line that sticks out to me is also its title, “I want it that way.” Do you know this song? In Matthew 5, Jesus continues talking about anger and how it’s sometimes a result of how, “I […]
The post Daily Devo 29 – I Want It That Way appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Name calling, bullying, anger–it’s sometimes hurtful and absolutely draining to be on the receiving end of these things. And God does NOT want this to be the way we treat each other! In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus draws a hard line and says that murder and bullying and name-calling are all the same thing, and they’re […]
The post Daily Devo 28 – Taking Life appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
When I was in 1st grade, I started learning French as a 2nd language. The reason I started learning it so young was that the older I got, the harder it would be. Our brains make neural pathways and roads as we learn and grow that get harder to rewrite the older we get. Sometimes […]
The post Daily Devo 27 – Fluently Perfect appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
In college I did something weird… I tried to become ambidextrous. But I only succeeded in being able to brush my teeth with my left hand, which was strange at first but then became natural. In Matthew 5:20 Jesus seems to tell us that in order to get into heaven, we must be perfect. But […]
The post Daily Devo 26 – Ambidextrous appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I got an email claiming that I won $500 to Amazon… It seemed too good to be true. Turns out… it was true! We’ve been looking at Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, so today we’re looking at Matthew 5:17. It exposes the fact that people thought Jesus was teaching something new, and with authority (Mark […]
The post Daily Devo 25 – I Won $500 appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Roller coasters are great, but sometimes I get freaked out getting thrown side to side and up and down. But when that happens, I try to think about the end of the coaster, when I’ll stand up and celebrate! It helps a bit. Habakkuk is in a similar place, where terrible chaos is happening around […]
The post Daily Devo 24 – Rollercoasters appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Mirrors only work if they reflect well–scratches and fog sometimes cloud them up and hide the reflection. Jesus tells his followers that they are the light of the world, lit and lifted up by God. We reflect God through actions like hungering for right relationships, sitting in the pit with others, and being bold for […]
The post Daily Devo 23 – Scratched Up Mirrors appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
While I was camping on the Tonto Rim, I cooked up some amazing steaks. My secret: put salt on the steak right before throwing it on the grill. Salt brings out the best in steak. Is there someone who brings out the best in you? In Matthew 5, Jesus tells His followers that they are […]
The post Daily Devo 22 – Salty and Lit appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus speaks highly of “peacemakers,” but who are peacemakers? It really clicked for me when I heard this, that bringing peace into people’s lives sometimes requires me getting dirty and hopping into the pit of struggle that they’re in to sit across from them and say, […]
The post Daily Devo 21 – Sitting in the Pit appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he says something strange: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” Super weird to hunger or thirst for righteousness. What it really means is people who have a strong longing that hurt and brokenness in relationships is fixed and healed. It’s talking […]
The post Daily Devo 20 – Wrecked Relationships appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Do you go thrift shopping? I mean, “one man’s trash is another’s treasure,” right? It’s just a different perspective of use on the same thing. We’re looking at Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 and how he’s being followed by sick, poor, and demon-possessed people–people who were treated like trash by everyone else. […]
The post Daily Devo 19 – Treated Like Garbage appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
What does the word “delight” even mean? It’s like the relief of a pool on a hot day, or a Powerade after a long run. Psalm 37 calls us to “delight in the Lord,” which is an invitation from God followed up by gifts from Him, too. So we go to the Bible to delight […]
The post Daily Devo 18 – God Delights In You appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I surprised myself in high school when I ran out of a gym… to pray. It wasn’t something I usually did, but I needed some time to pray to God. Jesus in Matthew 6 gives us some important guidance on prayer, including going to a quiet place and praying to God as “our Father.” We […]
The post Daily Devo 17 – Pray In Secret appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Belief in Jesus and the Bible can be a hard thing sometimes–especially when people around you mock you for it. In John 20, Thomas didn’t believe that Jesus was alive again after dying on the cross, but then he saw Jesus in the flesh and believed. Some of us are waiting for a sign or […]
The post Daily Devo 16 – I’m Done Waiting appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
The crocus flower is really pretty, but it’s also amazing because it blooms in late winter as a sign for us that spring is coming. Isaiah 35 talks about the crocus blooming as a sign that God’s rescue is coming for his people in exile. Today, as followers of Jesus we look to Jesus as […]
The post Daily Devo 15 – The Crocus Flower appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Meals together can be really special and memorable experiences. One time, a camp I was at set up tables end-to-end just to make sure all 400 of us were sitting at the same table together. Jesus had many memorable meals with people, including the Last Supper where he and his disciples ate the Passover meal […]
The post Daily Devo 14 – Significant Meals appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Sports used to be a machine–always happening, always demanding our attention. But the coronavirus shut them down. Jesus lived in Israel when the Romans occupied it, and they were a machine of war and death. They had killed many Jews before him, so it seemed like Jesus was just another casualty to the machine. But […]
The post Daily Devo 13 – Jesus Broke the Machine appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I find that I build up expectations way too high for some future things, only to be let down and disappointed. The followers of Jesus felt let down on Good Friday when they watched as Jesus was beaten and killed. BUT Jesus’ death gives us life. His death paid for our sins. Jesus blew up […]
The post Daily Devo 12 – Check Your Expectations appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
I was once in a small group with a guy who I could tell absolutely loved Jesus. It showed in the way he talked about Jesus and what he had seen Jesus do in his life. We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking we need to know the Bible front to back before we […]
The post Daily Devo 10 – You Are Qualified appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
My life right now has a lot of ups and downs. Can you relate? In Matthew 8, we see this incredible story of Jesus and his disciples in a boat in a terrible storm. The disciples panic, but Jesus calms the storms with his voice and then asks the disciples, “why didn’t you trust me?” […]
The post Daily Devo 9 – 4/3/2020 appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Today’s special guest: your leader Loryn! One of her passions is teaching, and she’s found that she’s gifted at teaching math. She loves benefitting others by sharing with and teaching them. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,” which calls us to a life of […]
The post Daily Devo 8 – 4/1/2020 appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
Did you know this? The word “but” cancels out whatever we just said. We all do this: we use the word “but” to offer an excuse of why we’re not really sorry or why we’d like to do something, but… People have been doing this since the word “but” was invented, even in the Bible […]
The post Daily Devo 7 – 3/30/2020 appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.
There are a lot of things causing us to worry and stress out right now. It’s OK to feel afraid! As Jesus followers, though, we’re invited to go to God and be reminded that He is bigger than what we’re afraid of. We can trust Him and He will always be there for us. Today’s […]
The post Daily Devo 6 – 3/27/2020 appeared first on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.