Devotions on Growth in Grace

Lacking No Gift

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 10:00:09 -0600

The church in Corinth was a mess. Its members have divided around favorite teachers. A man is living with his father’s wife, and the church is proud when it should be grieving.

And that’s only half of it. Members are suing one another in pagan courts. At the Lord’s Table, the wealthy eat their fill while the poor go home hungry. Worship has become a contest of spiritual showmanship. Some of them doubt the resurrection altogether.

Who Will Shepherd You?

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:00:09 -0500

There is a picture in Psalm 49 that is difficult to shake. The psalmist has been watching people who trust in their wealth and boast of their riches. Then, in verse 14, he tells us who is actually leading them: “death shall be their shepherd.”

These are the people no one leads. They seem to answer to no one, and they have enough to make themselves feel they will never need anyone. They have enough to make themselves feel secure. They can acquire land, build houses, and leave their names behind for others to remember. Their wealth may command admiration, and it may pass to those who come after them. But it cannot keep them from the grave. For all their confidence, they are like sheep being led by the one shepherd their money cannot escape.

The Good Shepherd Feeds His Flock

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 14:30:28 -0500

We may read the same Scripture passage numerous times, even preach and teach it, yet still uncover connections we had not noticed before. The Word of God is indeed living and active. This time it was Mark 6:30–44, the familiar account of Jesus feeding the five thousand.

Mark 6 begins with Jesus’ rejection in Nazareth, followed by his sending out the disciples. After recounting the death of John the Baptist, Mark returns to the disciples as they tell Jesus everything they have done and taught. So many people are coming and going that they have “no leisure even to eat.” Jesus tells them to withdraw. They need some time away from the crowds.