Kerusso Daily Devotional

Today, we have a special Father's Day episode for you. The week leading up to Father’s Day is traditionally the time to give dads and granddads in your life an extra thumbs-up, and we've created a list of specific ways for you to pray for dads, any time.    1. Pray for a loving nature. John 13:34–35 says, “A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love...

Joseph was a hardworking tradesman who God hand-picked from all the men in the world to be the earthly father of His own Son, Jesus Christ. What an honor! And in some ways, what an incredibly challenging task.   Joseph wasn’t a king, a politician, or a recognized leader of any kind when he was betrothed to a young woman named Mary. A simple carpenter, he was also a man of compassion. When he learn...

One of the things that mark a healthy society is the consistency between generations. In other words, adults who care about the future for their children will invest the time to make sure tomorrow is bright.   God the Father is the ultimate parent, and we would do well to model His love for us.   Luke 18:1 says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and nev...

Moses was the father of two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, and he also served as a father figure to the entire Hebrew people as they escaped from slavery in Egypt.   He loved his people, and helped discipline and provide for them on their 40-year journey to the Promised Land. Imagine leading a frustrated, tired, hungry group of travelers through the desert—without air conditioning or handheld electron...

Adam, a first time father, looked down at his newborn son with love. Adam and his wife had made mistakes in the past and suffered greatly for it, but this child, their firstborn, was a chance to start fresh. The new family didn’t have the support of friends or relatives, but they did their best, and figured it out as they went along.   When the family was blessed with another son a few years later...

Welcome back. Today, we are wrapping up our series on forgiveness. In the final chapter, we're talking about the emotional benefits of forgiveness.    In Christ, we experience peace that is so remarkable, it isn't naturally part of this world. As we think about the power forgiveness has for us and others, let's think about how forgiving someone lifts a huge burden off our minds.   ...

Welcome back to our series on forgiveness. Today, we're talking about the physical benefits of forgiveness.    There are several stories in the Bible that tell us when God's people obey Him, they are in better physical and emotional shape. Remember, Daniel and his friends refused to eat the rich food sent by the king. After several weeks of their own diet, they emerged healthier than oth...

The story of the Prodigal Son is one we can all relate to.    The Bible tells the story of a brash young man who leaves his home after asking for his inheritance. His loving father complies, and let’s just say the son learns some valuable lessons on his travels.   Eventually, he humbles himself and comes home; he needs his father and his family.   It’s really a story of Jesus and us.   Matthew 7:7...

One of the most corrosive elements in the human character is unforgiveness. Bitterness and fighting in relationships is really a drain. Physically and emotionally, we’re simply not wired to survive long-term problems in this area.    According to Dr. Michael Berry, 61% of cancer patients have forgiveness issues. And Dr. Karen Schwartz of the Johns Hopkins Hospital confirms that the hurt and disapp...

Welcome to the Kerusso Daily Devotional. Today, we're kicking off a series on a topic all of us probably need a reminder about from time to time: forgiveness.    Even though most US homes have at least one copy of the Bible, few know what's in it. There are all sorts of things: wisdom for living, history, spiritual food. It's the Bible's practical value that hooks most people w...

Scores of people today, even in many of our churches, walk around aimless. They work their jobs and take care of their families, but they struggle to understand what it is that God wants them to do.   He’s told us in His Word!   As with every other situation, His Word speaks directly to our circumstances.   Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require o...

Jill felt like she couldn’t keep up anymore. Four years out of college, she was doing well in her chosen career. But it had not only taken her far from home, it took her away from the values she had known her whole life.   This new place she lived in pressed in on her mind and heart.   1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”   Burdened by her stresses, J...

Carl loved working on his farm. He loved the solitude and sense of accomplishment. One day though, working alone, he was injured severely. In fact, if he didn’t get to the hospital, he would likely die.   So, he banged the door of his old pickup shut and took off. He pulled into the hospital parking lot and lost what little consciousness he had.   Waking up 24 hours later after surgery, he realize...

Does your life feel out of control? Are you experiencing that common feeling of weaving down a busy highway, about to crash?   It’s a metaphor for life that many of us internalize at some point. All of a sudden, what you were sure of isn’t there anymore. You might as well be behind the wheel of a fast car that’s heading into oncoming traffic.   1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to...

Most of us feel a deep respect in our hearts for those who have sacrificed so that we can remain free. Loving those who have paid the ultimate price is just something we do as people. We pause to remember each year.   Isaiah 56:5 says, “To them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure fore...

Today we're in part five of five, the final chapter of our series on doubt.    If you're working your way toward belief and away from doubt, by now you must assume that God exists. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering or extraordinarily patient toward yo...

Today we're continuing our series on doubt. We're in part four of five.    A political science major at a major university was having coffee with a campus pastor. The pastor knew that the student was wrestling with doubt about the existence of God and said to him, “John, you know all of us wonder at some point if it's all real or not. For example, there are quite a few stories in th...

Today we're continuing our series on doubt. We're in part three of five.    Because there's so much easy access to information and ideas today, we can take in a huge amount of stuff. The downside is that much of it is just noise, and a lot of it simply isn't true. What we hear, even if it sounds good, is not always good for us, especially when we're talking about spiritual...

Have you ever wondered about how convinced well-known Christians are of their faith? We all know they never doubt, right? Wrong. Today, we're continuing our series on doubt, we are in part two of five. We're talking about doubt all week.   A well-known preacher, Charles Spurgeon once said of doubt, “I think when a man says, ‘I never doubt,’ it is quite time for us to doubt him.” Doubt is...

Some of the most important conversations we have can be the most uncomfortable, and when it comes to faith, doubt is near the top of that list. Today, we're launching a five-part series on the topic of doubt. Many Christians wrestle with doubt, but who wants to admit that their foundational beliefs are not so firm? Not long ago, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, openly admitted that...

Roaming, travel, wandering…all have been part of the human psyche since the beginning. Because we all have that God-shaped hole in us, needing to be filled with Him, we search.   Some find God, and some don’t.   The sense of aimlessness and lack of purpose haunts some. We think of the classic novel by Jack Kerouac, On the Road, which is the story of two characters traveling the country. At first,...

Part of the joy of being a believer is that we can share the Good News with literally anyone and everyone. And how we share that faith is often critical for the other person’s future.   Romans 5:3–4 says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”   As we share this week about holding fast...

Our world needs many things. We have political concerns, environmental concerns, broken relationships, and disease that still stalks too many countries.   It’s also true that God doesn’t leave us in despair. He doesn’t allow our problems to overcome us, if we trust Him.   Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope...

We all screw up. We all fail in some way. We fall short of goals, or get embarrassed in some kind of career implosion or other event. It’s easy then to feel like we’ll never win again.   That is not how God sees you.   Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”      Hope and a fut...

When you think of ships, whether you’re thinking of the Titanic, pirate ships, or trading vessels crossing the vast ocean to bring goods and services from one country to another, you probably picture them with an anchor—a heavy metal hook designed to catch on the ocean floor and keep a boat or ship in place.   Wikipedia says this about anchors: There are two main types of anchors: temporary and pe...