This has been my practice: I obey your precepts. (Ps. 119:56)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 119:49-56

Apollo program engineers and planners prepared exacting procedures for every activity and contingency they could imagine. For months before each mission, the astronauts and controllers studied and practiced those procedures relentlessly until they could perform them in their sleep, and when Apollo 11 launched, their exhaustive practice paid off. They were able to do exactly the right thing at exactly the right time, and the mission was a tremendous success.

Psalm 119 is an ode to the Scriptures. When the psalm was written, though, the bulk of our Bible did not yet exist. Thus, the primary focus of the psalmist’s affection was God’s law. Over and over, the psalmist celebrated the wisdom and value of God’s commands, but the psalmist knew that wisdom was of little value if it never left the page. Like the diligence of the astronauts and controllers of the Apollo program, the psalmist relentlessly studied and practiced God’s commands day after day until doing God’s will became so automatic he could do it in his sleep. Certainly, this effort was exhausting. It was often easier to cut corners or call it good enough. Yet, constant practice in the small things was essential to doing God’s will when it really mattered.

Christians will relentlessly study and practice obeying God’s precepts in trivial, daily issues so that they will automatically obey when the stakes are high.

Relentlessly practice obedience to God’s commands.

Jeremy Geerdes is a pastor in Des Moines, Iowa. He is passionate about holiness and his family.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Eph. 5:17)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 5:1-21

On July 20, 1969, after years of planning, building, testing, and refining, Neil Armstrong’s first words from the moon echoed around the world: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Interestingly, because the lunar lander did not sink as far as engineers expected, the last step off the ladder really was a giant leap for Armstrong. The first man on the moon, then, was the result of a giant leap, but thousands of small, deliberate steps brought him there.

Paul realized that the Christian faith is similar. Believers are called to show the world the same sort of love that God showed them, and every so often, they make a giant leap toward that goal. Yet, most days are spent making small, deliberate decisions to reject worldly foolishness and do God’s will. Indeed, every decision moves the believer either closer to, or farther from, their goal of following God’s example.

Believers must, therefore, decide daily to leave behind actions that keep them from reaching Christlikeness. They must choose wisely the people who will shape their faith and practice. They must pursue the godly things that open the door so the Holy Spirit can come in and rearrange as he sees fit, and they must be very careful to align themselves perfectly with God’s character and commands.

Decide daily to do what will bring you closer to God.

Jeremy Geerdes is a pastor in Des Moines, Iowa. He is passionate about holiness and his family.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Eph. 5:15–16)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 5:15-21

Everyone knew going to the moon was dangerous. It involved strapping three people to the top of a massive explosion and sending them for a week into the literal vacuum of space. On January 27, 1967, however, the reality of that danger was driven home when astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee were killed in a fire during a prelaunch test. Investigators discovered the technical causes of the tragedy and made appropriate changes. However, the most shocking discovery was the contribution of planners’ attitudes toward the test. Namely, the team lacked the equipment needed to fight the fire, numerous obstacles made it difficult to respond to the emergency, and medical teams were not even present. In short, NASA was careless.

When Paul advised the Ephesians to “be very careful . . . how you live,” the word he used did not convey a sense of timidity or caution. Indeed, Christians must often be bold and courageous. Rather, the word he used carried the ideas of exactness, accuracy, and diligence. In effect, the apostle was saying that Christians must pay attention to ensure their lives are aligned as perfectly as possible with God’s wisdom, which encompasses all of God’s character and commands.

As NASA learned the hard way, bad things happen when people are careless. The same is true for Christians. Believers must, therefore, be very careful to follow God’s example in the way they live.

Be very careful to align your life with God’s wisdom.

Jeremy Geerdes is a pastor in Des Moines, Iowa. He is passionate about holiness and his family.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light . . . and find out what pleases the Lord. (Eph. 5:8, 10)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 5:8-14

President Kennedy’s challenge to go to the moon came less than a month after Alan Shepard became the first American in space. Shepard’s flight lasted fifteen minutes and reached a maximum altitude of 116 miles. This was certainly a tremendous accomplishment, but a lunar mission would last at least a week, and the moon was 238,900 miles away. In order to land a man on the moon, NASA had a lot to learn.

Following God’s example involves more than leaving behind ungodly things and choosing good partners. Paul advised the Ephesians to “live as children of light” or do the things they knew God would approve. However, even this was not enough. Christians also needed to keep learning about God’s character and commands so they could please him even more by consistently becoming more like him. For the Ephesians, this meant studying written resources such as the Old Testament, as well as any writings available to them, which would later become part of the New Testament. Today, these have been gathered into the Bible and made available in a variety of forms. It also meant listening to sermons and teachings and closely observing those who were more advanced in their faith; Christians today should do likewise.

Christians will do their God-enabled best to live according to what they know of God’s character and commands and to keep growing in their knowledge of the same.

Keep learning and living out God’s character and commands.

Jeremy Geerdes is a pastor in Des Moines, Iowa. He is passionate about holiness and his family.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. (Eph. 5:6–7)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 5:6-7

NASA needed help to reach the moon. The agency partnered with more than 20,000 companies and universities. Because each of these partners could determine the success or failure of the mission, choosing the right partner for each component of the program required careful discernment. For example, the company Martin Marietta submitted a strong bid to build the command and service modules, but NASA rejected it because they had no experience building high-speed aircraft or space vehicles.

Paul knew Christians needed help following God’s loving example and living like Jesus. Believers must carefully discern who will shape their faith and practice. Of course, they should not partner with unbelievers who have no interest in following Jesus, but the apostle advised the Ephesians to not be deceived by people who say they follow Jesus but are disobedient. These know what the Bible says but do not live accordingly, or they use bits of Scripture to rationalize things they are doing wrong. Perhaps they are gung-ho for Jesus today, but they are easily distracted, or their faith is too shallow to survive the trials of life. Paul advised his readers to avoid partnering with these too.

Christians must exercise discernment to partner with saints who have followed Jesus for some time, are deeply rooted in Scripture, and have a solid track record of following Jesus no matter what.

Partner with earnest Christ followers who will help you follow Jesus.

Jeremy Geerdes is a pastor in Des Moines, Iowa. He is passionate about holiness and his family.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed. . . . Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking. (Eph. 5:3–4)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 5:3-5

The Saturn V rocket that launched Neil Armstrong to the moon was powerful, but even it had limits. When weight became a limiting factor, engineers implemented the Super Weight Improvement Program. As part of this, they redesigned key systems and removed others, including removing the windows and chairs for the astronauts, because keeping any of these conveniences would bar Armstrong and the other astronauts from reaching the moon.

Similarly, the pursuit of Christlikeness demands leaving things behind. Sexual immorality (i.e., any sexual activity outside of that between a husband and wife), impurity (i.e., anything morally impure), and greed are obvious candidates. Paul then raised the bar by commanding that obscenity (i.e., shamefulness, filthiness), foolish talk (i.e., discussing things contrary to God’s wisdom), and coarse jokes (i.e., suggestive or explicit humor) be left behind too. These, Paul wrote, are “improper for God’s holy people” (v. 3) and “out of place” (v. 4), and those who insist on keeping them will have no inheritance in God’s kingdom (v. 5). That is, they will never reach the Christlikeness they seek. These are the limiting factors that would bar Christians from their inheritance.

Just as engineers realized they needed to leave behind seats so the Apollo astronauts could reach the moon, Christians must leave behind anything, even our most treasured conveniences, which will bar them from reaching Christlikeness.

Leave behind everything that keeps you from being like Jesus.

Jeremy Geerdes is a pastor in Des Moines, Iowa. He is passionate about holiness and his family.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children. (Eph. 5:1)

Expanded Passage: Ephesians 5:1-2

In May 1961, President John F. Kennedy challenged America to land a man on the moon. This bold vision captivated the world and birthed the Apollo program, leading to Neil Armstrong becoming the first man on the moon in July 1969. Apollo, however, did not appear out of thin air. Earlier, in May 1961, Alan Shepherd became the first American in space when he launched aboard a Mercury capsule dubbed Freedom 7, and in 1964, the Mercury program was succeeded by Project Gemini. In many ways, Apollo was modeled after the examples of these programs, incorporating what worked and fixing what did not.

In Ephesians 5, Paul continued to describe how the Christian should live in response to the grace God offers through Jesus Christ. Instead of giving detailed instructions, though, he encouraged his readers and us simply to strive to be just like our loving heavenly Father. That is, the apostle exhorted Christians to show the world the same sort of love that God showed them. The ultimate earthly expression of that love, of course, was Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (v. 2), but Jesus actually exemplified God’s love in every word, deed, and attitude.

Christians say and do many things, but ultimately, their objective must be to exhibit God’s love. Therefore, we must pattern our lives—every word, deed, and attitude—after Jesus who came before us.

Follow God’s example of love by pursuing Christlikeness.

Jeremy Geerdes is a pastor in Des Moines, Iowa. He is passionate about holiness and his family.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

May your unfailing love come to me, Lord, your salvation, according to your promise. (Ps. 119:41)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 119:41-48

My husband and I lived overseas together for nearly a decade. The first years after we moved back to the States were lonely ones for our family. We moved four times in two years. With every move, it felt like we were starting over. We longed for community, but we didn’t know how to find it. Finally, we moved for what we hoped would be the last time, but we felt discouraged. Would we ever find what we were looking for? In just a short time, God, in his goodness, provided exactly the church community we needed. From the first day we visited, they welcomed us and made us feel right at home. We found our people—our community.

The author of Psalm 119 was looking for the fulfillment of God’s promise—his unfailing love and salvation. While he waited, he reaffirmed his commitment to trust in the Lord’s word, delight in his commandments, and meditate on his decrees. The author professed truth and kept his eyes on the Lord, believing that this promise would be fulfilled.

Just like the author, we often find ourselves in seasons of waiting and wondering. But how often do we proclaim our unwavering intentions to hold on with hope? God doesn’t ask us to have the answers. He just asks us to trust his word and put our hope in him.

Proclaim your trust in God for an unfulfilled promise in your life.

Kristina Carter uses her passion for writing on the Global Partners Communication Team to equip people in the mission to share the gospel with the unreached.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him. (2 Thess. 1:12)

Expanded Passage: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

We pulled out all the stops for the party. After serving as missionaries in Eastern Europe, we were moving back to the States. It was time to say goodbye to the teachers we had been working with for nearly a decade. We wanted them to know how thankful we were for them, so we held a party in their honor. After food and games, we gave each teacher a small gift with a handwritten card. Words of affirmation and encouragement are rare in their culture, so we hoped this would be especially meaningful. Then the teachers did something surprising—they began to honor us! They presented us with a beautiful painting, gave us notes they had written, and shared memories about the impact we had made in their lives.

Paul opened his letter to the church of the Thessalonians with a blessing of grace and peace. He praised them for their endurance in the face of trials and encouraged them to hold on to their faith. Why? So Jesus could be glorified.

We wanted our teachers to feel honored. Instead, they made us feel like it was worth it all. As Christians, we experience many kinds of pain in our lives—suffering, trials, and challenges. We endure these things so our Lord Jesus may be glorified through us. Sometimes, Jesus flips the tables and glorifies us in the process!

Celebrate a time Jesus has been glorified through your life.

Kristina Carter uses her passion for writing on the Global Partners Communication Team to equip people in the mission to share the gospel with the unreached.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

We constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling. (2 Thess. 1:11)

Expanded Passage: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

When my mom died, I found a notebook by her reading chair. It was a weekly planner, but it didn’t record any dates or events. Instead, it listed the names of people she was praying for. Some names were listed daily, some weekly, and some monthly. There were names of people who followed Jesus and of people who she wanted to follow Jesus. I saw the names of family members, friends, and missionaries. She even prayed for people she never met—people I was sharing Jesus with as a missionary. I can picture her in the early morning hours with her coffee in one hand, her prayer notebook in her other hand, and her Bible open on her lap.

Long before I saw my mom praying, Paul prayed for the church of the Thessalonians. He knew firsthand how hard it was to hold on to faith in the midst of persecutions and trials. He wanted the believers to know they weren’t alone in their pain. In fact, they were constantly being prayed for. It’s harder to give up hope when you know there are people cheering you on!

God doesn’t expect us to walk through life’s challenges on our own. He gives us people like Paul and my mom who pray constantly. As believers, we also have a responsibility to pray daily for those God puts in our lives.

Pray for someone today—then tell them about it.

Kristina Carter uses her passion for writing on the Global Partners Communication Team to equip people in the mission to share the gospel with the unreached.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.