Listen to today’s devo!

For we are co-workers in God’s service. (1 Cor. 3:9)

Expanded Passage: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

It’s natural for people to describe a church based on who pastors it. “Have you heard of 12Stone? Oh, that’s Kevin Myers’ church. Brooklyn Tabernacle? Oh, you must be talking about Jim Cymbala’s church.” This way of describing a church happens with nationally renowned leaders as well as your local pastor down the road.

Yet most Christians know that the church doesn’t really belong to the leader. Every church belongs to Jesus, and the pastor is simply a servant of Jesus Christ leading that church for that time. But if most of us know this, why do we still see so much leader worship in our churches, just like Paul found in the church at Corinth?

Perhaps the simplest way to begin to change our mindset is to change our language. For example, whenever I introduce myself during a worship service, I always say my name and that “I serve here as the lead pastor.” Oftentimes in opening prayer before church board meetings, I slip in the phrase “Jesus, this is your church, and we are your servants.”

This simple shift in language can cause a large ripple effect in attitude. As leaders and as followers, our role is to point people to Jesus Christ, not to ourselves or our favorite preacher or pastoral personality. How can you help point others to Christ in this way?

Pray for Jesus to be the only leader worshiped in your church.

Jarod Osborne is lead pastor of Pathway Church in Warsaw, Indiana. He is the author of Jaded Faith (WPH).

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

Listen to today’s devo!

All the believers were one in heart and mind. (Acts 4:32)

Expanded Passage: Acts 4:32-37

“The church is full of hypocrites!” Have you ever heard this complaint? I have listened to many former church attenders use this rationale for why they aren’t a part of a church anymore.

The vision of the church that is described at the end of Acts 4 is the church everyone dreams of attending—where everyone gets along, people care for each other’s needs, everyone loves their pastors, and people hang out at each other’s houses regularly to share life. Unfortunately, even in the early church this ideal picture was stained with the problems of real life. Persecution. Hypocritical members. Arguments among leaders. You name it.

This shift often happens to us now. You start attending a church that you just love. But the longer you stay, the more problems you encounter. You may even leave to find another “better” church. Eventually, after enough failed attempts to find a flawless church, many people choose to be done with the institution altogether. Bad idea.

Don’t bail out on church. Jesus is committed to his church not because of her current state of beauty, but because of his vision of what she can become. Jesus was willing to get close enough to people to be hurt by them, even die for them, because he could see ahead to the day when we, the imperfect church, would become his radiant and spotless bride.

Stay engaged in your church even when you face challenges.

Jarod Osborne is lead pastor of Pathway Church in Warsaw, Indiana. He is the author of Jaded Faith (WPH).

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

Listen to today’s devo!

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. (Ps. 111:2)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 111:1-11

I love children’s paraphrases of Scripture. During Advent season, one boy announced, concerning the events of Christ’s birth, that “Mary pounded them in her heart.” I like that!

Daily, the world pounds us with its philosophy and fears: “Look out for number one.” “Scramble up the ladder of success.” “Buy the latest ego-enhancing luxury item.” “Be vigilant because the terror-level is elevated.” “The world’s economy is falling apart.”

I have to admit that I’m a news junkie: morning news shows, the evening news, and, in between, news sites and Twitter (X) feeds. If I’m not careful, I can get pounded by all the crime, corruption, political unrest, and seemingly hopeless situations locally, nationally, and internationally.

But the psalmist urged us to ponder the great works of the Lord—to pound his principles deeply into our hearts. Psalms 111:4 reminds us to remember the “wonders” of our “gracious and compassionate” Lord. Verse 5 assures us that he “provides food for those who fear him.”

That’s why I have to balance all the world’s bad news with the Word’s good news, to pound it into my heart.

How about you? When your mind isn’t occupied with work or family responsibilities, what do you ponder? The world or the Word? The greatness of God or the wretchedness of humankind? What are you pounding into your heart?

Strike a balance between the Word and the world.

James N. Watkins is an author, editor, and ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church.

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

Listen to today’s devo!

Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other. (Neh. 4:17)

Expanded Passage: Nehemiah 4:1-15, 19-23

An old southern gospel song twangs, “It’s a battlefield, brother, not a recreation room; it’s a fight and not a game.”

The men rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem were frightfully aware of the literal battle. The Arabs, Ammonites, and people of Ashdod “all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem” (Neh. 4:8). The builders worked with one hand and held a weapon in the other.

One of the worst things our spiritual enemy can do is to convince believers that life is a recreation room, a game. There is no enemy, no battle. Yet the apostle Paul warned us in Ephesians 6:12 that it is a life-and-death struggle: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

We needn’t be frightened, but we must be prepared with good works and well-armed with Scripture and a holy lifestyle. And, there is strength in numbers. Nehemiah ordered, “Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there” (v. 20). Fellowship with other believers, supported by prayerful concern, makes for a powerful force.

Finally, Nehemiah promised the wall builders, “Our God will fight for us!” (v. 20). This is echoed in Ephesians 6, when Paul says “take your stand” (v. 11) and “stand your ground” (v. 13), but never to fight. God will fight for us!

“Be alert. . . . your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8).

James N. Watkins is an author, editor, and ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church.

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

Listen to today’s devo!

Therefore I stationed some of the people . . . posting them by families. (Neh. 4:13)

Expanded Passage: Nehemiah 4:10-15

Ex-governor of Alaska and 2008 vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, made the term “mama grizzly” part of her persona. It symbolizes the fervent love and fierce determination to protect one’s offspring. The first rule in bear country is never get between a mama bear and her cubs.

Nehemiah knew the power of a parent or spouse’s love when he strategically positioned guards around the unfinished walls of Jerusalem. He stationed them outside their own homes. “Don’t be afraid of [the enemy]. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes” (Neh. 4:14). So when Israel’s enemies learned of Nehemiah’s strategy, they were frustrated and the work on the wall continued without incident.

“Remember the Lord” loves you with a love far greater than a mama grizzly. And he is infinitely more powerful than any 1,500-pound bear! The prophet Samuel warned God’s enemies, “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (1 Sam. 17:47).

With the fervent love and fierce determination that you would protect your spouse, children, or loved ones, God will fight for your spiritual life. Woe to the enemy who gets between you and your God!

“Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome” (Neh. 4:14).

James N. Watkins is an author, editor, and ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church.

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

Listen to today’s devo!

But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. (Neh. 4:9)

Expanded Passage: Nehemiah 4:1-9

“Play your part, not his!” In high school, I was in the drama club and played many different parts. Early in the practice for my first play, I had the bad habit of mouthing the other actors’ parts as they spoke. The director recognized the problem and addressed it in a very sharp manner. I quickly learned to focus on my part and to let the other actors do the same. Anticipating their parts would degrade the entire performance, mine and the others.

In the same way, we cannot do God’s part in anything; we would only spoil it. But he passionately wants to be part of our lives. Including God in our lives is essential to those who believe. Asking for his will is far better than asking for our own. Nehemiah and the people of Israel asked God to do his part, and then they did theirs.

Today we can do the same. Asking the Lord to perform his miracles and hidden works is still an option, but then we must not sit back and wait for him to do everything. In his power and by his side, we will be unconquerable. The God of all creation works in us, for us, and through us whether facing easy or tough times in life.

Play your part and ask God to play his.

Randall A. Forbes has served as director of plant operations at Kingswood University in Canada. With a flair for the artistic, Randy’s secular life experience contributes to his unique perspective and application of biblical truths.

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

Listen to today’s devo!

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Rom. 8:37)

Expanded Passage: Romans 8:31-39

“I cannot do this!” While I was having radiation treatments for cancer, I was scheduled to speak at a large conference. My strength was totally depleted, and I had no idea how I was going to present the closing keynote address. As I sat on the front row listening to my introduction, I thought those words: “I cannot do this.” To which God seemed to say, “That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”

God promises us victory. When the apostle Paul couldn’t find just the right word to express a truth, he simply combined Greek words. In today’s Scripture, the apostle needed a way to describe the kind of victory believers have in Christ Jesus. So Paul created the word hupernikaó by combining the Greek words hyper and nike.

If you have a “hyper” child, there’s no need for a description. Hyper means “over the top,” “above and beyond.” And we all recognize the word nike from athletic wear. It means “victor.”

So Paul described believers as “over-the-top victors,” those who transcend death and life, angels and demons, the present and the future, any powers, heights and depths, and anything else in all creation.

Suddenly I was filled with “over-the-top” energy for the talk—after which my exhaustion instantly returned. But God provided hyper nike just when I needed it!

Prayerfully seek God’s power to make you an over-the-top victor today!

James N. Watkins is an author, editor, and ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church.

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

Listen to today’s devo!

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

Expanded Passage: James 4:1-8

As a child, I loved magic. All my Christmas and birthday money went to magic tricks to perform for family, friends, and the occasional birthday party. One of my favorite close-up effects was a small plastic mummy case and resident mummy. When anyone without my magical powers would try to put the mummy in his case, he would immediately jump out. A magical tap and “Abracadabra”—the mummy would rest peacefully in his case.

Now I know that good magicians don’t tell their secrets, but since I was never that good, I’ll let you in on the secret. The mummy was a plastic-encased magnet, and the case had a sliding magnet in the bottom. When the case’s magnet was at the mummy’s head, the same polarity of the magnets made the mummy magically leap from its case. When the case’s magnet shifted to the bottom, the opposite poles lined up and the mummy stayed snugly in his case.

Our lives also have magnetic poles. God created you so that when you “come near to God . . . he will come near to you” (James 4:8). The Holy Spirit is the force that draws us to the Father. And when we have the right polarity, being drawn to God also acts as a repellent to our spiritual enemy, Satan. It’s impossible to be drawn to both!

Stand firm against the devil, and he will flee.

James N. Watkins is an author, editor, and ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church.

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

Listen to today’s devo!

After you have suffered a little while, [God will] restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (1 Peter 5:10)

Expanded Passage: 1 Peter 5:6-11

I needed three credits to finish my physical education requirement for college. Unfortunately, the only open classes were weight lifting and basket weaving. So, at 115 pounds soaking wet, I signed up for weight lifting.

To say the least, it was a painful and humiliating experience. Everyone else in the class seemed to be steroid-stoked Olympians. While they were “cleaning and jerking” hundreds of pounds, I was struggling to hoist the bar. One muscle-bound brute delighted in coming up behind me and lifting me up by my gym shorts. Painful and humiliating!

Even though I looked like the “before” picture in Muscle magazine, I kept showing up for class, kept working with ever-increasing weights, and kept being picked up by my shorts.

However, the class was graded on improvement, not on the amount of weight lifted. So I earned an A in weightlifting, while the guy lifting my weight got a C.

That summer I worked at the Kellogg’s cereal company lifting fifty-pound boxes of raisins into the chute that dropped to the Raisin Bran packing room. After weight lifting, I could crack open the boxes like an egg with just one hand.

After I had suffered a little while, I was now strong, firm, and steadfast. In the same way, “the God of all grace . . . will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Take up the cross and experience for yourself the most productive weight lifting.

James N. Watkins is an author, editor, and ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church.

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

Listen to today’s devo!

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Ps. 110:4)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 110:1-7

In The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom painfully recounts her imprisonment in both a prison in Holland and then finally a German concentration camp during World War II. In this beautiful autobiographical sketch of enduring such a horrific experience, she often highlighted her source of hope: Christ himself. The stories of Jesus' own imprisonment, beating, and death leapt off the pages of her hidden Bible. Christ had experienced what she was going through and stood with her.

As she stood malnourished, bruised, naked, and humiliated in the long inspection lines in front of sneering German soldiers, she recalled how Jesus hung naked on the cross, humiliated and scorned by the Roman soldiers. She truly rejoiced that in Christ “we are more than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37).

In today's psalm, we read of Israel's hope in a righteous king, a Messiah who would conquer Israel's enemies and rule forever. Years of exile and enslavement caused the people to lose hope in the coming of this king. King after king had failed and as the New Testament era dawned, hopelessness prevailed. Jesus of Nazareth entered the story as the fulfillment of this messianic promise. He is the conquering King, not with military might or political savvy but by carrying our burdens with him to the cross. He has conquered sin and death so that we too can be conquerors in him.

Place your hope in Christ, our righteous and conquering King!

Mark Moore is an associate professor of theology at Jessup University and an associate pastor at Faith Legacy church in Sacramento, California.

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