but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 ESV

As Christians, true love is defined by God himself.

Love is not our God, love is shown to us by him. So, in today’s verse we learn what real love looks like: Jesus Christ and his mission to save us.

What’s amazing isn’t simply Jesus’ sacrifice for people who are undeserving. It’s his sacrificing for people who are ill-deserving. There’s a difference.

Undeserving vs. Ill-Deserving

Imagine someone broke into your house. They robbed your valuables and destroyed the property. At the end, you were left with a shell of what once was your safe home.

However, the police caught the criminals and took them to the station. Upon hearing this, your father went to the station. And rather than telling the cops to “throw the book at them…” Your dad says something else.

He tells the police, “Please don’t prosecute them. I know they’re guilty. I understand they destroyed my home and stole my things. But I will stand in their place and take their punishment.”

The officers are stunned—as are the criminals.

It’s quiet for a moment as everyone processes what your father just said.

Then one of the criminals breaks the silence. He asks, “Why would you do that?”

Your father answers, “I love you.”

What Love Really Looks Like

This is a simple illustration of what love really looks like.

You see, people are not only undeserving of salvation, we are ill-deserving. We aren’t mere bystanders. All it takes is a moment looking around the news to see humans are actively engaged in evil.

Wars, human trafficking, murder, rape, robbery, and the list goes on…

Yet, while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. He loved us in a scandalous way.

On the cross, Jesus' perfection was exchanged for our depravity.
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This is the measure of Christian love. This is the breadth of God’s forgiveness. This is the depth of his kindness.

…and remember, God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance (Rom 2:4).

Applying God’s Love:

• How will you reflect God’s love for people today?
• Where do you need to be drawn in by this radical grace and repent?
• Is your heart thankful to God? If so, does your gratitude for his love overflow into your life?
• How will this mark the fruit of evangelism in your life?

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

Matthew 9:14 ESV

What is biblical fasting?

We see it from the Old Testament to the New Testament. In today’s verse, John the Baptist’s disciples had noticed something strange about Jesus and his disciples: they were filled with God’s power yet didn’t fast.

How on earth could that be? Weren’t Jesus and his disciples the perfect picture of spiritual disciplines?

Yes—at least Jesus was! However, he answers with a word picture that helps us understand fasting’s role in our lives.

Fasting was associated with mourning and contrition in the first century. It was a humble act.

This is why Jesus used the analogy of the Bridegroom in verse 15, saying:

“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Jesus being on the scene was a call for celebration, not lamentation. He was the Messiah, the promised Savior of the world!

He continues in verses 16 and 17 (and this is where things get surprising):

“No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Biblical Fasting is a New Way of Doing Things

Jesus isn’t saying that his disciples won’t fast anymore. Instead, he’s saying the old way of fasting is out—and a new way of fasting is in.

We don’t fast and pray for the Messiah to come, he’s already here!

I love how John Piper puts it: “Fasting is an intensification of prayer.”

Today, we fast to control our bodies. We abstain from something good to seek God’s presence. We show that our deepest hunger in the New Wineskin era isn’t food, comfort, or entertainment, it’s God himself.

So What can Biblical Fasting Accomplish?

The South Korean church was founded in 1884. Today, there are more than 20,000 churches there—and 29% of the population is Christian!

While God has done many wonders there, the South Korean church has been steeped in fasting-prayer. (Many fasting and praying in their mountain prayer houses.)

Today, fasting is about intensifying our prayer. Yes, it can be about confession of sin… about turning from the world’s system and recommitting ourselves to God’s Kingdom… but it is new wine unique to Jesus bringing the Kingdom of God near.

Do you regularly fast and pray? What are you missing out on if you don’t?

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

My wife and I have three kids aged six and under. One kindergartner and toddler twins.

Needless to say, we may as well live in a circus tent!

Parenting is hard work—but it is one of our highest callings as Christians.

Our primary role as Christian parents is to disciple our children.
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So, what does that mean?

It means we have one of the hardest jobs (parenting) to do the hardest job (discipling sinners)!

Fathers, did you know you are pastors?
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Mothers, did you know you are ministers?
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Today’s verse highlights how crucial this discipling is while our kids are young. And I believe we can apply it in at least two ways in at least two life stages.

Make Time

Make time for devotions and worship with your kids while they're little.
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Sing worship songs with your kids at home. Lift up your hands when you worship Jesus at church. Model what it looks like to be a worshiper.

Even if you can’t carry a tune, you’re called to worship through music. God commands it:

Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! (Psalm 47:6)

Teach your kids the Bible.
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Help them understand it by working to understand it yourself. Help them apply it. Kindle their love for hearing from God.

This takes time—but it is time well spent. Especially when they are young.

It’s Never Too Late

However, if you’re children are older and you didn’t spend much time doing this while they were young… Be encouraged that it’s never too late.

It's never too late to lead your kids to Jesus!
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Prioritize your walk with Jesus and let it saturate every area and relationship in your life.

How can you make time for your kids’ spiritual growth today?

A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
But a wise man quietly holds it back.

(Proverbs 29:11 ESV)

The question of how to deal with anger in a biblical way is an important one. But it’s certainly not the cookie-cutter answer many of us have heard.

Have you ever had a moment where you said something in red-hot anger? Only to ask yourself moments later: “How could I say that?”

Sadly, I’ve had far too many of these moments. And today’s devotional verse calls me out as acting like a “fool” who let anger control my words and actions.

However, I don’t think the heart of this passage is to simply suppress anger or other negative emotions. It’s not about pretending like anger isn’t there.

After all, psychologically speaking, shoving emotions aside doesn’t make them go away. Instead, it creates a tangled pile that will surface and need dealt with later.

So, what does the Bible teach us?

Jesus has some pretty tough words against acting in anger.
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He taught that everyone who is angry with his brother is liable to the same kind of judgment as a murderer (Matthew 5:20–21). And yet, he also chased predatory business people out of the synagogue with a whip (Matthew 21:12)!

Here are three ways to deal with anger biblically:

1. Ask for the Holy Spirit to increase the fruit of the Spirit in your life (Galatians 5:22–23). When we’re angry, it’s actually the quickest path to being pruned and prepared for incredible growth. And understand that we absolutely need the Holy Spirit’s power to mature us here!
2. Address the anger head on by making peace with the person or situation you’re angry with. Jesus teaches us that conflict is actually the path to peace (Matthew 18:15–17; Matthew 5:23–24). Lashing out and attacking is not the way Christians do conflict. But avoiding it altogether and seething in anger is unbiblical as well.
3. Ask if your anger is righteous and justified—which is sometimes the case. And if so, does it require action? Is there evil or injustice to confront? Someone who is weak to defend? If so, act! But don’t do so to give “vent to your spirit” just to make yourself feel better. Be angry, but do not sin (Psalm 4:4). Righteous anger is aligned with God. It’s being angry at what makes God angry.

How will you deal with anger in a God-honoring way? Is there unresolved conflict that you need to deal with?

. . .

“Then the LORD said to Isaiah, ‘Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub.'”
Isaiah 7:3a

Have you ever wondered if your kids are too young to make a difference for God’s Kingdom? Think again.

More Than a Tagalong

When God sent Isaiah to deliver a critical message to King Ahaz, He didn’t tell the prophet to go alone. He said, “Take your son with you.” This wasn’t babysitting… It was ministry! Isaiah’s son, Shear-Jashub, had a name that meant “only a remnant will remain.” His very presence was part of God’s message to the king.

This was a son, playing an important role, at a pivotal moment in Israel’s history.

A Pattern We See Throughout Scripture

Isaiah and Shear-Jashub weren’t the only family team God used. Think about James and John, two brothers who left their fishing nets together to follow Jesus. Or Peter and Andrew, siblings who became pillars of the early church. Aquila and Priscilla served as a husband-and-wife team, opening their home for ministry and mentoring young believers like Apollos.

God has always loved using families.

Your Turn

So what might this look like for your family today? Maybe it’s serving together at a local food pantry. Perhaps it’s your teenager running the sound booth while you lead worship. It could be as simple as baking cookies together for a grieving neighbor or praying as a family for missionaries you support.

The point isn’t perfection, it’s participation. Your children don’t need to wait until they’re grown to serve the Lord. They have a place right now, right beside you.

Don’t underestimate what God can do through a family that says “yes” together.

What is one way you could invite your children or family members to serve alongside you this week?

“Cherish [Wisdom], and she will guard you. . .”
Proverbs 4:8a

Once, in London, I saw the British Crown Jewels.

The jewelry was nice and all. But do you know what was really amazing?

The security!

They’re some of the highest guarded objects in recorded history, having been under lock and key in the Tower of London (since 1660). Clearly, they’re cherished treasure.

So here’s a question for you: What do you cherish?

In today’s verse, the Hebrew word for cherish is salselehah, meaning to “esteem or highly prize.”

To cherish means more than an afterthought. It means it’s top of mind. Not a nice-to-have, but a must-have. Something you value so highly, you’d sooner build a tower around it than lose it!

Here’s the really cool part . . .

As we cherish wisdom, she guards us.

Here are seven benefits of wisdom to paint a picture of what that looks like.

7 Benefits of Wisdom

One: Protection and Safety

“He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.” (Proverbs 2:8 CSB)

“Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you.” (Proverbs 2:11 CSB)

Two: Knowledge and Understanding

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6 CSB)

“Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity — every good path.” (Proverbs 2:9 CSB)

Three: Joy and Fulfillment

“For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight you.” (Proverbs 2:10 CSB)

Four: Guidance for Life

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 CSB)

Five: Long Life and Prosperity

“My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commands; for they will bring you many days, a full life, and well-being.” (Proverbs 3:1-2 CSB)

Six: Peace and Rest

“You will lie down, and your sleep will be pleasant.” (Proverbs 3:24 CSB)

Seven: Eternal Value

“Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding, for she is more profitable than silver, and her revenue is better than gold.” (Proverbs 3:13-14 CSB)

How will you cherish wisdom today?

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ESV)

Jesus came to bring us truth, freedom, light, and life. He lived perfectly, never giving in to temptation, always following God’s will. As His followers, we find this abundant life by walking as He walked. We’ve been rescued from darkness and brought into light (Colossians 1:13-14), which changes everything about us. Our hearts now long for things that honor God and make us more like Him. God gives us what we need to face life’s challenges, even when they demand courage and strength.

But let’s not forget—we have a powerful enemy. This enemy steals, lies, and prowls around like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). He’s cunning and doesn’t always show himself openly. While God leads us toward our purpose, the enemy works against us. Look at your life today—are you living out what God has called you to do?

What’s your calling? Maybe it’s being a godly parent who leads your family spiritually, even when you’re exhausted. Maybe it’s studying God’s Word deeply, even when distractions call. Whatever it is, don’t let the enemy rob you through apathy, distraction, or fear. Jesus lived and died so we could have a relationship with God, and our enemy will use any trick to prevent that. His fingerprints aren’t always obvious, but they can be effective at keeping us from our God-given purpose.

Take a moment to think about who God made you to be. What’s holding you back from being that person? Resist the thief who steals life, and draw near to the One who gives it abundantly.

“Who then can understand the thunder of his power?” (Job 26:14b NIV)

There are about 8 billion people on our planet. Each one completely unique. Think about that. Even identical twins have different personalities and fingerprints! You are one person among billions, yet there’s no one else exactly like you. God created you with your specific traits and purpose.

Take a moment to let that sink in. Can you imagine a Creator powerful enough to design something as intricate as the human race? And that’s just the beginning. Consider every animal species, every plant, every star in every galaxy throughout the universe. Our minds simply can’t grasp how great our God truly is.

So here’s the question: If we can’t even comprehend God’s power, why do we constantly try to limit Him? Why do we face problems and immediately assume God can’t handle them? We take this unlimited, unchanging God and squeeze Him into the tiny box of our human understanding.

You might feel insignificant among billions of people. But here’s the amazing truth: God sees all those billions simultaneously, yet He loves and values you as if you were the only person on earth. He knows your name, your thoughts, your struggles, and your dreams.

Remember today that you serve a God whose power is beyond understanding, yet whose love is intimately personal.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

If you’re searching for the meaning of John 3:16, you’ve found the most important verse in the Bible. This single sentence explains God’s entire plan for saving humanity.

Let’s break it down.

“God so loved the world.“ The word “so” is huge here. It shows us how much God loves us. His love isn’t small or limited, it’s bigger than we can imagine!

And it was costly.

“He gave his one and only Son.” God didn’t just send a teacher or a prophet. He sent His own Son, Jesus, to die for our sins.

This wasn’t Plan B. This was always God’s rescue plan for us.

“Whoever believes in him.” Here’s the good news: salvation is for everyone. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, or where you’ve been.

“Whoever” means you.

Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is accept God’s grace, truly believing it’s for you—not just everyone else.

The truth is, all you have to do is believe in Jesus. Trust that His death paid for your sins and that He rose from the dead.

“Shall not perish but have eternal life.” Without Jesus, we face spiritual death and separation from God forever.

But when we believe in Him, everything changes.

We receive eternal life. This isn’t just living forever. It’s knowing God now and being with Him forever.

The meaning of John 3:16 is simple but life-changing: God loves you so much that He gave everything to save you.

The question is: Will you believe?

If you’ve never trusted Jesus, today is your day. Tell God you believe in Jesus and want to follow Him.

It’s that simple.

That’s the power of John 3:16.

Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.  Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

(Proverbs 9:8-9 ESV)

Taking criticism can be hard. Nobody likes to be told that what they’re doing is wrong. (Especially when they think they’re right!) However, a wise person takes criticism graciously.

A wise person understands that he or she doesn't know everything.
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If you know people who believe they know everything, chances are they aren’t truly as wise as they think.

When someone approaches a wise person and shows them faults or areas for improvement, that person will graciously listen and change accordingly. Today’s verse even says the wise person will love the observer for it!

We must learn to look at criticism as a loving way for others to help us be more like Jesus. Obviously, there will be times when those who are criticizing are not doing it in a spirit of love. Or are flat out wrong themselves. But don’t discount the times it is be your good.

Take a hard look at your life. How do you handle criticism? Do you have a hard time because you think you know best? Are there relationships that have been broken because of the way you have taken criticism?

Remember Proverbs 9:8-9 as others show you areas you need to work on.