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 friends,...

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 lonely...

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. Jude 1:...

Ever have the pleasure of waking up in a cozy cabin…after you’ve let the fire go out from the night before? If you don’t get out of bed and put more wood in, the squirrels or raccoons aren’t going to do it for you! Much more serious is the tendency to get lazy about the fire inside us to share the love of Christ. After so many years of being a Christian—especially living in a free country—sharing...

Don’t you just love the diversity God put into the world? He created harmony and balance everywhere, including our individual “best time of the day” to be creative and productive. Some are “up with the chickens,” as they used to say. Others burn a candle late into the night. Whatever time is your time to connect in positive ways, God made you to shine for His purposes. Isaiah 60:1 says, “Arise, sh...

No matter who you are, there has been some time in your life that loneliness closed you in like dark curtains in a cold house. Being alone can be healing, and it can be depressing. If you are experiencing the latter right now, we have good news for you. Your “alone” feeling is an illusion. Psalm 139:7-8 says, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to...

Jesus spent a lot of time giving out wisdom in the form of stories. Once, he told His disciples a story that illustrated the importance of understanding that God never quits us, and we should not quit Him. Luke 18:1 says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” The story was about a woman who didn’t give up in her pursuit of justice. Jesus...

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 never g...

Today, just stop and consider that we are talking one-on-one. We’re just talking over coffee. You seem like something is really getting to you. Are you about to give up on something important? If so, please listen, just for a couple minutes. Luke 18:1 says, “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” Let’s think boldly for a second. Whatever y...

Usually, when we’re looking for some kind of emotional lifeline to get us through the day, we only want to know what God can do for us. How do we get that peace of mind we desperately need? One component is simple obedience. At first, this sounds like a test that’s too hard. We need relief right now! Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing...

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. 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, Jill realized somethin...

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 realized he...

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 most 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 God, for...

Standing in the door of the plane, with a fierce wind whipping his whole body, Curtis wondered why he’d volunteered for the paratroopers. It was glamorous, they said. It’ll make a man out of you, they said. Shutting his eyes, Curtis prayed the most honest prayer of his life. He stretched out his hands and took a step… Lamentations 3:25-26: "The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to t...

Billy Joel says that his hit song, “Pressure” really is about the pressures of daily life: providing for your family, putting food on the table, and career obstacles. Even the way he sings the song, with power and anger, makes the point. It’s quite a statement on life. And we’ve all felt it. 2 Corinthians 1:8 says, “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despair...

A huge benefit of being a believer is the knowledge that we can help others after going through the valley ourselves. It’s one thing to endure and overcome and find your joy, but it’s maybe even better when you see a friend emerge into the light because you were there for them. Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” When you’re in the middle of something...

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 a bou...

Have you ever felt without hope? It’s a pretty desperate place to be. It’s been said that hope is the one thing a human being can’t be without. Beth was once accused of some pretty terrible things. She hadn’t been guilty of any of them. But it took two years and serious legal hurdles to clear her name. Her future was uncertain. In the end, she told reporters that her best ally was the Lord. Her st...

Have you ever watched a war movie and realized that the actors didn’t know how the conflict would turn out? World War 2 movies are like that. When they filmed “Casablanca,” Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman weren’t sure if the Germans would win or lose. Life can be like that. Matthew 28:20 says, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In your own life, you might be facing s...

We think of her as a genteel Southern lady, and she was that, for sure. But Ruth Bell Graham was so much more. While her husband was away so much preaching to the masses, she was preaching to her own little flock. The result was children who became adults and in turn shared the Good News of Jesus with others. Anne Graham Lotz and Franklin Graham didn’t just fall out of the sky! Proverbs 27:17 says...

Some of the greatest stories of believers down through time have involved those who really studied God’s Word. These people have gone before us to show us the way. From Charles Spurgeon to a missionary mother in China, daily study of the Word and prayer prepared them to mentor entire generations. Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” We also read in Romans 10 tha...

A huge benefit of being a believer is the knowledge that we can help others after going through the valley ourselves. It’s one thing to endure and overcome and find your joy, but it’s maybe even better when you see a friend emerge into the light because you were there for them. Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” When you’re in the middle of something...

Do you struggle with being humble, and yielding to God’s will? Most of us do. This extends to accepting an iron-sharpening-iron relationship He has set in our path. Yet the benefits are so good for us. Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Make no mistake, God sets people in our path for a reason. That Bible teacher in your church might have words of wisdom for y...

The Bible is full of wonderful analogies. One of the best is found in Proverbs, which paints a picture of godly mentoring and accountability. Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” The idea is that as pieces of iron are drawn against the other, each piece becomes sharper. A further application is made in Hebrews 4:12, which talks about Scripture as being a double-...

On Today’s episode of the Kerusso Daily Devotional, we talk about how you are more than you might think you are. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Jesus made us unique, and equipped to do the work in discipling others. Like today’s message? We love it so much, we made a bag! Get it h...