21 Apr 2026
God’s grace is also sufficient when we go through trials. May we depend on Him and purpose to stand when trials come our way. He is faithful. 1 Corinthians 10:13.
20 Apr 2026
We are not helpless individuals wandering around the world. Christ led an exemplary life on earth and defeated death on the cross through His resurrection. He left us the Holy Spirit to empower us to live a victorious Christian life. Titus 2:11-14
What the Kids Pick Up
What are your kids hearing in the background and from you? Ever wonder what kids pick up from the world of adults? If they are really paying attention? Do you ever naively hope they aren’t? Here is a true story of an event handled well that a young friend shared with me this week. The local news was on TV as five-year-old Kirk was playing nearby. Dad didn’t think he could hear – or cared to hear – what was being broadcast into their living room. His boy suddenly looked up with a troubled expression on his face. Rather than reply to an assumption, his father was smart enough to begin with a question. “What did you hear, son?” “The man on television, Daddy!” he began. “He said that woman was killed in a car wreck. Was she a Mommy?” “Yes, Kirk. That is what the man said. And that makes both of us very sad, doesn’t it? And she had two children – a little girl about your age and a baby boy.” Dad was feeling Kirk’s pain now. He saw the wheels turning in his trusting little boy’s mind. He was rather certain he knew the questions that were forming: Could that happen to my Mommy? Or to my Daddy? And what would I do then? Who would take care of me? Sure enough, with eyes that were sad now and with his little lip trembling, the boy asked his final question. “Daddy, who will take care of her babies?” The answer Kirk’s father gave him was from God. It was brilliant and should be the model more parents use with their kids. He held out his arms to him, picked him up, and hugged him for a minute. Only then did he say anything. “Son, your Mommy and I have taught you about Jesus and how he loves you. And your Mommy and I love you and your brother with all our hearts. We are here to love you and take care of you and be with you. But there are bad things that happen in this world too. And they remind us how much we need each other. “So let’s pray for that lady. And for her babies. And for the Daddy who will take care of them now that she is gone. Okay?” They did. And Kirk’s little feet hit the floor running. His Dad had given him just what he needed. Oh, he hadn’t given him an answer – for who can give a satisfying account of human pain and fear, evil and loss, death and loneliness? He gave him a hug. Told him he was loved. Made him feel safe in his tiny world. Then Kirk’s father did something else. He made his personal response to his son’s fears and his inability to keep him from ever being touched by them. He did what God himself must do for us. As Kirk left to play, his Dad had a good cry. Listen, my child, to what your father teaches you. Don’t neglect your mother’s teaching. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and clothe you with honor. (Proverbs 1:8-9 NLT) About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades and served as a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities. He was a former president of Rochester College and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lipscomb University. He was the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles. His commitment to a non-sectarian presentation of the gospel touched countless lives.
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 15:55-57
Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. —1 Corinthians 15:55-57 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… We have victory, ultimate victory over death. If we don’t have the answer for life’s biggest test, death, then we have no lasting victory, ever. The Super Bowl and World Series are played every year. A champion is a victor for only one year and has to earn it again and again by competing and finishing the season in triumph. But a Christian is a champion forever. Because of Jesus, each true disciple of Christ Jesus has lasting victory over death. Yes, “thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” My Prayer… Thank you, God, for blessing us with lasting victory in Jesus Christ. In our daily struggles with sin, please make your will triumphantly present in us now, just as it will be when he raises us from death and brings us home to you. Through our Triumphant King, we offer you our praise. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
Christ has indeed been raised, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. —1 Corinthians 15:20-22 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Being eternal is nothing new; in the beginning, God made us to live forever in fellowship with him. Being like Jesus (1 John 3:1-3) completely, eternally, will be new, however, when we’re raised from the dead. When Jesus’ lifeless body was placed in the ground, our lives with God forever in glory hung in the balance with him. Praise God. The Spirit of God revived Jesus from his death sleep. Jesus’ resurrection also ensures our own, because our lives are hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-4), that death can no longer claim us. The only death that really matters for us is dying to our sin, through faith in baptism with Jesus (Romans 6:4). If we have shared in that death, we will most certainly share in his resurrection (Romans 6:5). Jesus was “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” This means that because God raised Jesus from the dead, we too can be confident that we “will be made alive” in Christ and live with him forever. His resurrection forever guarantees our own (Romans 8:11). Praise God, indeed! My Prayer… Almighty and graciously powerful God, I praise you. I praise you today because of your grace given to me through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. I know I will see you face-to-face and share in your glory. Help me now to live that resurrected life before others, as the Holy Spirit transforms me each day into greater and glorious likeness to Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). In whose name I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Romans 10:9-10
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. —Romans 10:9-10 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Imagine Jesus being proud of you! He said if we confess him before others here on earth, he will speak up for us in heaven and claim us as his own (Matthew 10:32). Not only that, because we have confessed Jesus as our Savior and LORD, Jesus presents us to God as “holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” Confessing Jesus as our LORD is acknowledging the truth, the reality of Jesus’ true identity that every person will acknowledge one day. Our confession is the anticipation of what is to come when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess Jesus as LORD to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11). My Prayer… Mighty God, your Son is our LORD and Savior. We love him and praise him for his redeeming sacrifice. We thank him for his conquest over death and the grave. We marvel at his sacrificial and triumphant grace. Jesus is LORD. We know those words sound sweet in your ears, O God, so we confess the truth again: Jesus is LORD! O Father, thank you for being so great that you would be so sacrificial in sharing your grace and glory of the Son with us. In the name of our LORD and Savior, Jesus the Carpenter and our King, we offer our deepest thanks and praise. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. —1 Corinthians 1:18 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Power! We love power. We love the sound and fury of power. We love the power’s ability to bring positive change to dreadful situations. The greatest power ever unleashed on this earth was the power displayed when the Almighty God held back his might and fury while his Son was persecuted, abused, belittled, battered, and murdered on a cross. Now that’s an awesome display of power, and it was displayed specifically for us and to save us. Plus, we know the cross was not the end of God’s powerful grace; it was the doorway to Jesus’ glorious and triumphant resurrection. We now live by the power of God who raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:18-21). Praise God for his power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20-21). Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Holy and Majestic God, we praise you for your incredible might and power. We also thank you for your love, which guides the release of that power to bless and redeem us. Thank you for knowing that we are but dust, and without your sustaining Spirit, we will not have life in glory with you when our bodies fail. Thank you for saving us by withholding your mighty power when we sin, and for pardoning us through your sacrificial power released for us in Jesus. Because of your mercy, Father, and in the holy name of Jesus, we offer this prayer through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
17 Apr 2026
Let us remember to share testimonies as we fellowship. This exhorts the brethren and causes the name of the Lord to be glorified. And let us not forget that some of the challenges we endure are to keep us from being conceited. May the Lord keep supplying us with His grace. This then calls for a change in perspective. May He open our eyes and minds to understand why we are going through challenges. 2 Corinthians 12:1-10.
Undo Send: What a Great Idea!
Don’t you wish you could take back some things you’ve said? You’ve probably seen the TV commercial about the group sitting around a table, completing a conversation with the boss via phone conference, and hitting the mute button to trash talk him. Just at that moment, a technician walks in to explain he is there to fix the broken mute key. Uh-oh! Bad career move! In real life this past week, five of us were around a table, completed a phone conference with a person, and thought we had ended and hung up. I was seated immediately in front of the speakerphone and made some comments to our group about him and our call. Then we heard his voice! “You guys may need to hang up on your end,” he said. “I seem to be having trouble disconnecting.” Maybe that’s why an online article from CNN caught my eye the next day. It was about a new feature called “Undo Send” that Google’s Gmail is developing. “Undo Send” is an option someone can enable on her Gmail account. When she composes an e-mail and hits the send button, an “Undo” button will pop onto the screen for five seconds. Clicking it retrieves the e-mail in draft form and lets the author correct spelling, edit content, or simply cancel the message altogether. Don’t you wish you had a feature like that on your tongue! I could have used it countless times to save myself embarrassment. To keep from offending. To just keep my big mouth shut – instead of firing back some angry or hateful line. But without an “Undo Send” button, it was hurled across that space between me and a friend or mate or stranger. And I was left to try to clean up the mess. I admit to having learned a few things from living. One of them has to do with the importance of putting a bridle on my tongue. For all the times I still talk when I should be listening, I’m actually better at it than I used to be. My mother used to tell me to count to ten before speaking. (She saw my need early. I seldom got past about three or four.) Then I grew up, got married, and had more adult responsibilities. I learned the hard way that she had given me some really good advice. Having to apologize and to recoup relationships (when possible!) over time finally taught me the value of restraint. As you get ready to begin a new week, think about the value “Undo Send” could have for your electronic communications. Make a firm resolve to use its verbal equivalent in your workplace, family, and church this week. And pray for God to give you the restraint to follow through with your commitment. If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless (James 1:26 NLT). By the way, just in case you were wondering, I said some really positive things about the fellow on the other end of that open phone line. Whew! About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades and served as a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities. He was a former president of Rochester College and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lipscomb University. He was the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles. His commitment to a non-sectarian presentation of the gospel touched countless lives.
All Along, I Thought I Was Reading to Him
When is reading more than just reading? He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. … (Isaiah 40:11 NLT) My son was two years old. I often read one particular book to him, a child’s version of the parable of the lost sheep. You’re familiar with this story, right? It involves a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to look for one who has become lost. As an aside, that is not a logical choice to make, but it is God’s story, not mine. God usually tells stories quite differently than most of us would tell them! As usual, little Elijah was totally absorbed. The story and its accompanying illustrations had drawn him in again. But this time he was emotional. His chin quivered and his lips pouted. His eyes were moist and fixed. As we finished the part where the shepherd finds the lost sheep, Elijah reached for the picture. The sheep has fallen into a rocky place and clearly has a broken leg. The shepherd is about to bandage the wound. We looked at that image for a moment. I turned the page but Elijah turned it back. He wanted to look some more. We were quiet for a few moments. Then my son spoke. “Elijah sheep. Daddy shepherd.” And all along I thought I was reading the story to him. From Danny Sims blog. About the author: Danny Sims is the preaching minister at the Altamesa Church of Christ in Fort Worth, Texas, and a longtime Heartlight supporter and friend.