Kerusso Daily Devotional

If you wonder what is the best way to share your faith and defend it in the modern world, it might help to look at past examples.   In the Bible, the husband-and-wife team of Priscilla and Aquila shared Christ with Apollos, who would become a famous early evangelist. In colonial England, the abolitionist, William Wilberforce, shamed his own government into freeing slaves.   Jude 1:3 says, “Dear fr...

We think of a “defender” as a muscular guy wearing a suit of armor. He raises his sword and takes swings at the enemy.   A defender can be that guy. No question. But a defender of the faith is simply a person who loves Christ enough to share Him with others, and answer questions along the way. The truth is, a defender of the faith can be a serene grandmother, or a mild-mannered accountant. It coul...

Keeping things simple is usually the best path forward. For Christians, that means following Christ’s lead in everything.   This includes sharing and standing for our faith.   The Bible is full of examples of how Jesus did this. Occasionally he got mad, as when he threw out the moneychangers. Other times he just quietly sat and taught what His Father had shown Him.   This is our model. When you sh...

Defending the faith can sometimes be a subjective thing. As examples of extremes, we have seen the Crusades, and the modern form is perhaps an aggressive “pitch” to someone who isn’t a believer.   The thing is, it’s great to be zealous for our faith, but let’s also be disciplined. We don’t want to alienate a person who might otherwise listen. To put it simply: an angry Christian is usually a lonel...

In every generation, it falls to believers to spend some time in defending our worldview as Christians. Honestly, it’s not the nicest part of the gig, but it’s necessary.   Usually, it involves simply explaining what your faith is all about. Followers of other religions do the same thing, but for us, we are sharing the person of Christ with those who don’t know Him. That makes it a big deal.   Jud...

In a world full of manmade gods and goddesses, the Creator God stands alone. He is a King of the first order, and everything was made by Him. His majesty and power are awesome.   Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”   Usually when people are in the presence of royalty, they get nervous. Kings and queens make us u...

Where are you today? I don’t mean on the way to work or your kitchen or a doctor’s office. I mean, is your life stable? Are you on the right road? Our topic this week is the perfect timing of God. You might be in an okay place, or you might be free falling. As usual, God’s Word speaks to this.   Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the...

When you think of ships, whether you’re thinking of the Titanic, pirate ships of yore, 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: temp...

Solomon was one of the most amazing men in all of history. The King of Israel, the son of the famous David, was so rich he got bored. In fact, some believe he was the wealthiest man of all time. In terms of money, he was the Jeff Bezos of his time.   But the Bible tells us his story, and doesn’t spare any truth in doing it. Solomon accomplished great things, but at great spiritual cost.   After a...

From the time he was a young shepherd in the wilderness, David had a deep relationship with God. He escaped enough dangerous situations to know that God was always with Him, and was his deliverer.   Psalm 91:1–2 says, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”   This p...

The Birth of Jesus as told in the book of Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 1–20.   In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.   So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the...

Over 200 years ago, “Silent Night” was first heard by villagers attending Christmas Eve mass in St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria. Joseph Mohr, the young priest who wrote the lyrics, played the guitar and sang along with Franz Gruber, the choir director who had written the melody.   How did this simple tune, with its quiet words of comfort, become a beloved hymn of peace throughout the wor...

God gives us good gifts all the time. All through the year, not just at Christmas.   One of the truly joyful gifts is the ability to be kind to others. It sounds simple and maybe to some even quaint, but there is power in choosing to be kind.   Choosing to be kind. That’s one of our themes this week.   1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us to, “Always be joyful.” Paul uses this chapter to describe the hea...

Phillips Brooks was the minister of Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia and visited Bethlehem in December of 1865.   When Pastor Brooks traveled to the Holy Land, the journey included a horseback ride from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. Back then, it truly was a small village, far removed from the bustling city it would later become. By nightfall, he was in the field where, according to...

Jerry wasn’t very good at a lot of things. He was shy and his grades weren’t stellar. He was bullied at school.   Then he was given a part in the Christmas play at church. No one ever gave Jerry a part, but his Sunday school teacher took God’s Word to heart and knew that if she could help this shy boy, it could change his life. She knew that Jerry was good with mechanical things, so she put him in...

If you’re like most people, the more chaotic life gets, the more you need a solution broken down in easy-to-understand concepts.   We’ve been discussing what happens when people move away from God, and the consequences that impact us.   Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and...

If you’ve ever been to a trade show, you know that products for the Christmas season are presented and pre-sold in July! Sort of like the Laurel & Hardy film in which they sold Christmas trees in summer!   Hopefully, we have better marketing than the comedy duo, but there is one superb gift we can make people aware of year-round.   Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, t...

Solomon was king after his famous father, David, in ancient Israel. He also became insanely wealthy. According to the world’s standard, he had everything.   Everything except peace later in life. In this way, he was like a modern person, because truthfully, people’s natures never really change over time. It’s one of the things we have talked about this week.   Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made...

We live in a broken world, and humanity is the most broken and imperfect of all God’s creation.   The world has a permanent OUT OF ORDER sign on it, and as a result, most of us are looking for answers to our questions, and solutions to our problems, in all the wrong places.   We place our trust in ourselves, in shallow standards of beauty, in money, and in our relationships with other people, hopi...

We all want to feel secure. We can look fine on the outside, but be something much less on the inside.   And the first step to overcoming vulnerability is to feel okay with who we are.   Psalm 62:5–6 says, “Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on Him. God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe, and he is the fortress where I feel secure.”   The tension comes when we balance healthy self-...

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 futur...

Let’s think about something deep today:   What is the end game?   In this context, we’re talking about what comes after this life we are living now. Believers of course look forward to an eternity with the Living God. And even unbelievers wonder about what comes next after you draw your last breath.   It’s the most important element in our discussion this week.   Romans 5:3–4 says, “Not only so, b...

There’s a reason the Bible uses so many metaphors. The wisdom God has for us lends itself well to short narratives, and we learn much from stories.   A famous passage from Isaiah we’ve been discussing this week uses a powerful mental image to convey deep truths from God.   Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run a...

Whenever we have to overcome an obstacle in our lives, we are thinking about a million different things. Our minds race. We might even be aware that our Creator is there to help.   But have you ever considered that even when life gets tough, you can still have joy?   Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”   Sheila Walsh has said that what got her through...

O Holy Night is a well-known Christmas carol that began as a French poem celebrating the opening of a new church. The beloved song we know today was translated into English by John Sullivan Dwight, an American minister and abolitionist, in 1855.   This poignant carol reflects on the birth of Jesus as humanity's redemption.   O holy night! The stars are brightly shining It is the night of our...