The Living Word: A Daily Devotional with Jeff & Dale from The Jenkins Institute

Regardless of the reason, we’ve all experienced drowsiness. In the US, we live in a caffeine-dependent culture. Many of us spend our days feeling more like zombies than functioning human beings. Some of us can also slip into laziness and complacency, while allowing ourselves to feel lethargic and drained too often. Could this affect us spiritually? It seems so…

Can you hear them? They’re troubling, and often terrifying words: “I’m too late.” “You’re too late.” “Too late.” Too late to help someone. Too late to see a dying loved one. Too late to catch your friend before they leave town. Too late to mend a broken relationship. Just…too late.

The five sensible virgins brought spare oil with them in flasks, but the other five foolishly neglected to bring enough. They were caught with their lamps running out of oil at the very moment they needed it most, at the arrival of the bridegroom!

Weddings are important occasions! They typically involve multiple traditions, and each culture relies on its own sentimental customs. This parable from Jesus contains some customs that may sound strange to our Western ears. However, aspects like bridesmaids waiting on the groom, his arrival in the middle of the night, and the announcement of his coming are drawn from real Ancient Near Eastern prac...

“Are you ready?” Parents pose this question to their children, often daily. The coach ensures his star pitcher is ready to stand at the mound. Skydivers are quizzed as they are about to leap out of an aircraft. There are many moments in life when being ready significantly matters. We spend countless hours preparing on the practice field, in the library, at school, and at a desk. We prepare for sto...

Nathan’s parable set a trap that David walked right into—and in doing so, he condemned himself. Believing the story about the rich man’s senseless theft of the poor man’s beloved ewe lamb to be real, David was furious. As a shepherd-turned-king, he knew both the value of sheep and the injustice of such an act. He declared that the guilty man deserved to die and should make fourfold restitution (2...

Hospitality was a vital way of showing honor to guests in the world of the Bible. It was expected that a host would do their best to serve and care for visitors, especially when it came to food and shelter. This standard was rooted in God’s own character. The children of Israel were instructed to remember how God had provided for them during their time in Egyptian exile and, in turn, to treat the...

 (2 Samuel 12:3, ESV) In this verse, the poor man’s relationship with his one little female lamb is described in deeply personal and emotional terms. The lamb was not just livestock—it was like a member of the family. It grew up with him and with his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup, and even lay in his arms. The lamb was like a daughter to him. This description is more than just a...

On more than one occasion, Jesus said, “You always have the poor with you” (Matthew 26:11; Mark 14:7; John 12:8). Throughout Scripture, we see God’s consistent concern for those who are less fortunate. He built debt-forgiveness into the Hebrew calendar (Deuteronomy 15:1–11). He ensured that gleanings from the fields were left for the poor (Deuteronomy 24:19–21). He cared for the widow and the orph...

Readers of 2 Samuel 12 have not forgotten David’s shameful actions. In the previous chapter, King David forsook the soldiers under his command (11:1), lusted after a married woman (11:2–3), committed adultery with Bathsheba (11:4–5), and ordered Uriah, her husband, to be killed before marrying her himself (11:6–27). What a scandal! The powerful king did whatever he wanted and, based on the events...

Years ago, a man named Mark M. Jones asked this question in song. It echoes Romans 14:12, “So then everyone of us shall give an account of himself to God.” The words to the song are as follows: Verse 1: Someday you’ll stand at the bar on high, someday your record you’ll see; someday you’ll answer the question of life, what will your answer be?

Our text today takes us again to the parable of the bridegroom and the banquet. When we left the Biblical account yesterday, we saw that the king was enraged that his guests arrived at the banquet improperly dressed. In verse 12, one man was asked why he came to the banquet dressed incorrectly. The man did not have an answer. The king had the man bound hand and foot and cast into the street during...

Have you ever attended a party or a special dinner and found yourself “underdressed” or even “overdressed?” There is an old saying, “The clothes make the man.” The formality of the occasion determines the style of dress one is expected to wear. The right clothes honor the host or hostess of the function. Dressing sloppily is an insult to the host. I want to please God, don’t you?

Have you ever received an invitation in the mail and, after reading the complete invitation you saw these small letters at the end— R.S.V.P.? Many in our busy culture do not pay attention to those small letters, but they are very important. The letters are from the French language, and mean: “ répondez s’il vous plaît.” This directly translates to, “Respond, if you please.” The acronym is often us...

A parable is defined by some as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” This parable should be read along with the accounts by Mark, Luke, and John. The other writers differ somewhat, but Matthew’s account is listed during the final week of Jesus’s life on earth. If I had to give a title to this parable, it would be “You Have Been Invited to a Banquet... Please R.S.V.P!”

What brings you joy? There might be many things that God has given that come to mind. Your spouse, your children, your friends, your job, traveling, working out, coffee, reading, watching and playing sports, hiking, cooking, gardening…the list could go on and on.

What happens when you don’t have enough money to pay for an item you want? Do you give up and walk away? Or do you find a way to pay for it? Our man in Matthew 13:44 found a way to pay for it. He sold everything else that he had to pay for it! He knew that what he would receive from the field would be far more valuable than anything that he already had.

Married people…do you remember when you first started liking your spouse? That moment when you thought, “This person might be the person for me!” Maybe you were not so sure that your crush had the same feeling for you. Maybe you were afraid that you might miss out on the opportunity to date and marry this person. Maybe one of the scariest thoughts to you was the possibility that they would eventua...

In February of 2025, a couple of hikers in the Czech Republic stumbled upon an aluminum box that was hidden in a stone wall. Imagine their joyful shock to open it and find several items, including 598 old gold coins and 17 gold bracelets. The hikers immediately brought their amazing find to the Museum of Eastern Bohemia and had a coin expert evaluate it. The gold is worth well over $300,000.

What do pirates, Indiana Jones, and California miners in 1849 have in common? They wanted treasure! Name a time in history, and you can name a successful pursuit for treasure. Jesus is going to capitalize on this universal desire in this short parable (Matthew 13:44). Today, we are going to analyze the parable. In the days to follow, we will make application. • “The kingdom of heaven…” Jesus often...

“But all my friends are Christians, didn’t James warn about friendship with the world and didn’t Paul tell us about how ‘evil companions corrupt?’” (James 4:4; 1 Corinthians 15:33). True, but we must remember God left us here to be ambassadors for Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20); that Jesus commanded us to go into all the world (Matthew 28:18-20); and to be salt and light in a world that needs the Ligh...

So in scene one, the Kingdom is a treasure in a field that is worth everything to the one who finds it. In the second, the Kingdom is like the one who found it and is now seeking great pearls in which to invest. We suggested that these priceless pearls are souls that were lost and that we, these merchants, are seeking them There seems to be an obvious question. Why? 

We hinted at it on Monday—today, let’s take it apart. It’s easy to assume these three verses are two illustrations of the same truth: the value of the Kingdom. In the first, a man finds a treasure, hides it, then sells everything to buy the field. The Kingdom is shown as a treasure of great worth. But our friend Cecil May often reminded us, “Well-known verses should be read more carefully.”

I imagine most of us have, at some point, dreamed of discovering a treasure—a distant royal relative who leaves us a fortune, an old lottery ticket we find on the ground that turns out to be the big jackpot, a dusty painting in the attic revealed to be the work of a now-famous artist, or a document hiding a mint-worthy Declaration of Independence, or a clever invention that suddenly fills our pock...

In Matthew 13:34-35, we read in part, “All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable…” Consider the strength of that statement! Sometimes preachers are criticized for being “story-tellers.” While stories can sometimes distract from the main message, we must never forget that Jesus used many of them. He knew—as every good communicator knows...