Loving God is more than a Sunday thing. It's more than a Bible study thing or a once-a-year Easter thing. It's more than a tithing thing or a give-to-the-poor kind of thing. It's not an "I'll do it when I'm not so tired" kind of thing, or when it agrees with my politics kind of thing. Nor does it have anything to do with how we feel. Loving God is …

I love the Lord. And if you’re listening to this podcast, I have a feeling you do too. But how extravagant is our love for God? Does it push the boundaries of cultural norms? Or have we put up parameters around our faith? Are we willing to only go so far? Today’s passage is all about extravagant love, and I think you’ll soon see why. We’re in Mark …

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been researching the Triumphal Entry, and do you know what I’ve realized? That, in many ways, the Triumphal Entry wasn’t at all what the people were expecting. Jesus wasn’t entering as the long-awaited King to claim the military victory the people desired. Jesus was entering as the long-awaited King to claim the spirit…

Just before Jesus arrived in Jerusalem for Passover week, He changed the life of a blind man named Bartimaeus by granting him what he’d always longed for: his sight. Overcome with gratitude and joy, Bartimaeus then follows Jesus to Jerusalem. This means one of the very first things Bartimaeus saw with his eyes wide open was the triumphal entry, fol…

Appearances can be quite deceiving. Do you agree? We know things aren’t always as they seem, yet the way things appear can have powerful effects on us. This, my friends, is why we live by faith and not by sight. If you’ve been discouraged by the way things look these days, you’re not alone. I’m praying today’s podcast hands you some much-needed enc…

Today we’re in Mark 10:28-31, and I have to tell you, this isn’t the easiest passage for me. And I doubt it’s at the top of your list either. Radical abandonment of worldly treasure in exchange for radical trust in God’s goodness is easier said than done. But according to the promise God gives us in Mark 10:30, it’s worth it. If anyone’s going to r…

What does it mean to strengthen yourself in the Lord? That's the question we're talking about today. 1 Samuel 30:6 says after David’s wives and his men’s families were captured by the Amalekites, “David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” But how? When difficulties smack us in the face, what does that actually look like? It looks like rememb…

I’ve had a heavy heart lately. As I watch national events unfold from my little corner of the world, I’m grieved. What is going on? What is the church in for and how did we get here? Not to mention, what do we do about it? Church, for some reason, we’ve been pretty quiet, but the days of silence need to be over. This world needs Jesus, and there’s …

We made it to episode 100! Today’s episode is something I’ve been thinking about a lot. January is notoriously a time of resolutions, especially when it comes to reading God’s Word more. Yet, most of the time, we don’t keep our resolutions. We might read for a week, or even exercise for a week or two, and then we’re done. But why? Why is it so hard…

In Case You Need a Reminder This Christmas. It’s been a long year. I don’t think any of us expected 2020 to turn out the way it has. But as believers, we still have much to celebrate this Christmas. The gospel is still the gospel. Jesus is still the sovereign King of kings, and it’s still the most incredible story ever that our God laid aside His g…

This week we’re in Mark 10:17-31. It’s the story of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and asked what he must do to be saved. In his mind, he was hopeful he’d already accomplished a laundry list of necessities. After all, he’d worked hard to keep many of the commandments, but Jesus chisels his way to the real issue with a response we’d do well …

I don’t know about you but my heart is breaking for all that's going on in our world right now. But we are not helpless and we are not without hope. I've been doing a lot of praying lately, and I thought maybe you have too. There is power in prayer. There is peace in prayer. There is hope in prayer because God answers prayer. Care to join me? Let's…

Well, I cannot ignore that today’s a big day. Neither of us knows what’s going to happen today, but God does. He ordained it long ago and that’s a truth I’m clinging to today. We may be surprised by today’s results or we may not. We may be filled with major trepidation and sitting on the edge of our seats, but God never is, and He’s invited us to c…

This week’s Deeper Devo comes from Mark 10:1-12, and I confess, I thought about skipping it. No thank you Lord, I’d rather not dabble in that topic. But all of Scripture is profitable, right? There’s no doubt God has some things to say about divorce but at the same time—He also has some things to say about us. And I think when we look at the two in…

This week’s Deeper Devo comes from Mark 9:42-50, which is a portion of Scripture I like to refer to as the greatness section. What should we do to be great in the kingdom of heaven? Well there are several things, but as this week’s title gives away, one of those things is fighting sin. As believers if we aren’t fighting against sin then somethings …

Hmm, are you intrigued? I thought you might be. A few weeks ago, while on a run, I heard something on a podcast that literally just about stopped me in my tracks (or running shoes, that is). It involves that well-known passage in 2 timothy 3 where the Apostle Paul describes the behavior of people in the last days. Something was clarified for me and…

We’re all about stimulus these days. It’s our public duty to spend money, right? But do you know what’s more important than stimulating the economy? Stimulating the gospel out into a world in desperate need of good news. Stimulating the church to stand up for what we claim is true. That the Lord Jesus Christ is worthy of honor and praise and trust.…

There is no greater accomplishment than to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. So here’s where I hope we can land today. Whatever we do, let’s do it for God. Wherever we go, let’s seek God. No matter who we encounter or what we come up against, let’s remember God. He's the one we need to honor because He's the one who's in c…

It’s week 3 of our 3-part series on missions with Pastor Mike. Did you know there are 17,000 people groups in the world and over 7,000 of them are still considered unreached? We have work to do friends! The question is, are we called to go or to send? And the sending part, well, that's more than just giving money. Deeper Devos >>> https://deeperdev…

Welcome back for week 2 of our 3 part series on mission with Pastor Mike! Today’s podcast has some practical ideas you can implement into your church whether you’re a pastor or a church member, starting with the idea that missions isn't just a program - it's a culture. A mindset I'd say we need more than ever, right now. Missions isn't just for the…

If you’ve been around for a while then this won’t surprise you. But we’ve come upon that time of year again when I soak up as much sunshine as possible with my kids at the pool and I take some time off from Deeper Devos. But don’t worry I’ll be back once school gets under way again in August—whatever that might look like. In the meantime, I have a …

After Jesus tells the disciples about his impending death and resurrection for the second time, the disciples begin arguing about who among them is the greatest. Yep, that’s right. Jesus is about to embark for Jerusalem to pay for the sins of the world and they’re stuck on who should be nominated for Disciple of the Year. I’d say it’s obvious Jesus…

Let’s be honest, faith is not always something we have a large supply of. Sometimes due to difficult circumstances, or situations we just can’t see our way out of, our faith struggles. And we wonder, will God see me through? But friend, have you ever thought about praying for God to give you more faith? The father of a demon possessed boy asked for…

Listen, I have no doubt all of us have seen some amazing things in our lifetimes. But I’m not sure any of us have ever seen anything as incredible as Peter, James, and John witnessed the day Jesus was transfigured right in front of them. And as if that wasn’t awesome enough, then Moses and Elijah appear. But what does all that mean for us? It’s tru…

Mark 8 holds one of the most celebrated moments in discipleship history, when Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. And yet it also holds one of the worst moments in discipleship history, when Peter rebukes Jesus for saying he will soon suffer and die. Though Peter’s confession was right it’s clear the disciples still didn’t understand everythi…

After the feeding of the four thousand we get three quick verses stating that the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign. In other words, we don’t believe you are who you claim to be, so prove it us Jesus. But if Christ gave them another sign would it matter? It’s tempting to think if Jesus would just write his name in the sky then the whole world would …

We’re back in Mark this week – Mark 8:1-10 to be exact. Jesus and the disciples are still in the gentile region of the Decapolis because God’s compassion isn’t just for the Jews but the gentiles also. And while it’s a plot that might sound familiar to you, it sure didn’t sound familiar to the disciples. We're talking about the feeding of the four t…

Last week I wrote a post at Revive Our Hearts on the first chapter of James titled: It’s Not Enough Just to Hear the Word. Prompting me to read several times through the entire book of James. Um, talk about convicting. But when I came to the last section I paused and then I dug in because honestly, I just didn’t get it. What did James mean when he …

At the end of Mark 7, verses 31-37, we get a quick snippet of Jesus healing a deaf man in the gentile region of Decapolis. And as I pictured Jesus taking the deaf man aside, putting his fingers into his ears, and touching his tongue, one thing kept coming to mind: The vast and beautiful kindness of God. And it’s the reminder I needed amidst these i…

It’s Easter week so we’re skipping ahead a little to Mark 8:34-38 to that famous verse: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” It’s a verse we know well, but how well do we know what it means? I spent some time here this week and found it really insightful. Deeper Devos >>> https://deeperdevos.org…

I know, the title goes against everything we’re experiencing right now. Today we’re in Mark 7:1-23. The title of this section is traditions and commandments. The Pharisees make a big deal about the fact that Jesus and the disciples did not wash their hands before eating. And when they confront Jesus on the matter, Jesus takes the opportunity to sho…

In today’s passage, Mark 6:45-56, after feeding a massive crowd of well over 5,000, Jesus sends the disciples out on the sea of Galilee while He spends some much-needed alone time with God. Then in a crazy display of His amazing deity, Jesus decides to walk out to them on the water. The problem is the disciples weren’t looking for Jesus and due to …

In today’s passage, Mark 6:30-44, Jesus and the disciples set out to find some rest but when an enormous crowd gets to their desolate spot before they do all plans get tossed aside. How disappointed were the disciples to see that crowd of people? How tired were they in that moment? There just wasn’t enough patience, energy, or resources for this da…

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery

By Stacey Salsbery