Devotions with Pastor Stanton

Have you ever done the right thing, and it felt like you lost? Maybe you let an aggressive driver cut in front of you, or you bit your tongue instead of firing back a harsh word. You chose peace, but in the quiet moment that followed, a question bubbled up: Did I just let them win? It’s a tension we all feel. We try to live honorably, but the world’s scoreboard often tells us that the loudest, mos...

What happens after a failure in your life? After your mess has been exposed and you’ve been rescued from a situation you created? There's often a quiet sense of shame, an awkwardness in turning back to God. The temptation is to just try to forget it, to move on and hope for a better day. But a true journey of faith isn't about ignoring our detours; it's about what we do to find our way back. Abram...

Have you ever made a mess so big you couldn't fix it? A decision born of fear that spiraled out of control, leaving you exposed and ashamed. In those moments, our first instinct is often to try and manage the fallout, to spin the story, or to hide. We think we have to be our own savior. But what happens when our plans not only fail but make things catastrophically worse? Abram is in that exact spo...

Have you ever been in a place where God's promise and your reality seem to be in a head-on collision? You have a clear sense of God's calling, a promise you're holding onto, and then a crisis hits: a famine of the soul, a financial drought, a relational desert. Suddenly, the gap between what God said and what you see is terrifyingly wide. This is the place where fear fights for control, and it’s a...

Think for a moment about your comfort zone. That place of security: the job you know, the relationships that are familiar, or the plans you can control. It’s what you can see, touch, and manage. Now, what happens when God’s call comes, perhaps as a gentle nudge or an undeniable conviction, and you feel led to leave it all behind for a promise you can’t see? To trade your visible security for an in...

Have you ever felt truly stuck? A moment where you looked at your life, your circumstances, your future and all you could see was a dead end. Maybe it's the quiet ache of a dream that has died, a relationship that has fractured, or just that heavy, persistent feeling that your life isn't amounting to anything. We all know that feeling of barrenness. It's easy to believe our story is over. But what...

There's a story about a little girl who carefully crafted a small toy sailboat. She loved it, but one day, the wind swept it away across a lake, and it was lost. Days later, she spotted it in a shop window. Rushing home, she gathered all her money, bought it back, and holding it tight, she whispered, "Little boat, you are twice mine! First because I made you, and now because I bought you." This si...

In the ancient world, when a king conquered a new territory, he would often erect a statue of himself in the city square. That statue, or image, was a constant reminder to the people. It declared, "Even though the king isn't physically here, this land belongs to him, and his authority reigns." What if I told you that God did the same thing when He created the world? Except He didn't use stone or m...

What do you think of when you hear the word "rest"? For most of us, it means collapsing on the couch, taking a nap, or just stopping all activity because we're tired. So when we read that after six days of creating the entire universe, God rested on the seventh day, it's easy to imagine Him taking a break. But what if God's "rest" isn't about exhaustion at all? What if it's actually the most power...

Imagine a master sculptor in their studio, surrounded by incredible works. But in the center of the room, under a veil, is one piece they spent more time on, poured more of themselves into than any other. It’s their magnum opus. Similarly, In the grand studio of creation, that masterpiece is humanity. After forming light, land, and every living creature, God saved His most personal and significant...

Have you ever stood in a grand cathedral and just felt a sense of awe? You look up at the towering ceilings, the light streaming through stained glass, and you feel small in the best way possible. The sheer scale and intricate detail of the building are just breathtaking. But as magnificent as human structures can be, they are only a faint echo of God's first and greatest sanctuary, the universe i...

Imagine being at a graduation ceremony. You can feel a general sense of happiness in the air for all the students. But then you notice a parent and see that their joy is different. It's deeper, richer, and often mixed with tears, because it's a joy magnified by years of sacrifice, late nights, and heartfelt prayers. What if that's the key to the deepest spiritual joy? Not avoiding the cost, but en...

Think about the environment where a plant thrives. It needs the right atmosphere: good soil, water, and sunlight. Without these, it just can't grow. The same is true for our spiritual lives. A faithful walk doesn't just happen in isolation. It is nurtured in a specific kind of spiritual environment. So, what does that environment look like, and how do we help create it for one another? Today, we’l...

It’s easy to measure success today, isn’t it? We can track followers, likes, and attendance figures. In our spiritual lives, this can create a subtle pressure to find our joy in what’s measurable: a packed sanctuary, a well-known ministry, or a respected reputation. But what if these metrics, the very things we often chase, are actually counterfeit joys that distract us from the real thing? Today...

Have you ever watched a toddler take their first steps? There are stumbles, a few tears, but endless encouragement. And then, it happens. One wobbly step after another, until they fall into the arms of a loving parent. And the entire room just erupts in celebration. In that moment, for that parent, there is no greater joy on earth than to see their child walking. Today, we’re going to discover tha...

Over the past week, we’ve seen the high calling God places on supporting His work. We’ve learned that we’re mandated to give in a way that’s worthy of Him, motivated by the fame of His Name, and that in doing so, we become fellow workers with the truth. But the question that remains is: How? How do we move this from a big idea to a daily reality? Today, we’re getting practical and exploring three...

What is your role in the great mission of God? Do you see yourself as a spectator on the sidelines? A helpful donor who writes a check? Or something more? We often think of ministry as being done by the professionals, the pastors and missionaries on the "front lines." But what if God’s accounting system is radically different? What if every act of support, no matter how small, gives you a new titl...

We love to say that the gospel is a free gift. And it is absolutely, wonderfully free to all who would receive it. But have you ever considered that the proclamation of that free gift is not free at all? It costs something. There is a beautiful, intentional design in the Bible for how this free message is funded, and it's a design meant to protect the message itself from any hint of corruption. To...

At the end of the day, whose kingdom are you building? It’s a searching question. So much of our energy goes into building our own little kingdoms: our careers, our reputations, our comfort. We work hard to make a name for ourselves. But what if the most significant work we could ever do is to make someone else’s name famous? Yesterday we saw that we’re called to support God’s work. Today, we disc...

Have you ever thought about what your giving says about God? Not just the amount on the check, but the attitude of your heart behind it. We often treat our support for ministry like the leftovers at the end of a meal, giving whatever is convenient after we’ve taken care of everything else. But what if God is calling us to something radically different? What if He’s inviting us to support His work...

It's one thing to understand something, and another thing entirely to put it into practice. We can read books on health, but it doesn't make us fit. We can watch tutorials on a new skill, but it doesn't make us an expert. The same is true for our faith. It's possible to listen to sermons, read the Bible, and accumulate lots of knowledge, but the real test of understanding is always action. Today,...

When you feel weak, where do you turn for strength? Many of us look to self-reliance, positive thinking, or maybe just another cup of coffee. We think of strength as something we have to muster up from within. But the Bible presents a radical alternative. It suggests that one of the most powerful sources of strength available to us is something we might not expect: joy. Not just happiness based on...

Most of us spend our lives trying to avoid negative feelings. We don't like to feel sad, guilty, or uncomfortable. We often look for messages that make us feel good about ourselves. But what if the path to true, lasting joy sometimes begins with a moment of profound sorrow? What if the most healing thing God’s Word can do is first break our hearts? Today, we’ll see how a crowd’s tears became the f...

We are surrounded by voices telling us how to live a better life. Gurus, influencers, and motivational speakers offer endless tips, tricks, and "life hacks." Many of them are persuasive and entertaining. But when it comes to true, lasting heart transformation, where does the real power lie? In the church, it can be tempting to supplement God's Word with human wisdom or entertainment, hoping to mak...

Think about the last time you were truly hungry for something… not just for food, but hungry for good news, for a change, for a word of hope. In our busy lives, it’s easy for our spiritual appetite to fade into the background. Reading the Bible can sometimes feel like a duty to check off a list. But what if we felt a desperate, deep-seated hunger for God’s Word? Today, we’re going to look at a his...