Daily Devo

Listen to today’s devo!

If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? (James 2:16)

Expanded Passage: James 2:15-19

Joann recalled a conversation with her friend who lived in a distant country. A major storm had swept through the region where her friend was living, leaving many homeless. Joann knew that her friend and her family could not possibly stay on the island, but could she leave? She had no money for tickets and the airport was only open to chartered flights. Joann ended the conversation with her friend with prayer, wishing her well.

In verse 15–17, James presents a similar situation in which a Christian, lacking food and clothing, is turned away by his fellow Christians. Although they understand what he needs, they send him away with only words. They had the resources to meet their brother’s physical need yet failed to help. This is ironic because God had met his need by sending him to his fellow Christians, who had the capacity to help.

God requires that we put our faith into action by helping our neighbors in their time of need. It demonstrates going beyond believing in something by acting out our faith through deeds. As Christians, we believe in Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. What happens to our faith when God intends to meet someone's needs through you? Here is where we get to be the hands of Jesus on earth.

Bring your faith alive through daily acts of kindness.

Iona Halliday-Simmonds is a wife, mother, and member of The Wesleyan Church who finds great pleasure in serving in community outreach and youth and family ministries.

© 2025 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!

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? (James 2:14)

Expanded Passage: James 2:14

Over the years, I come across those who say, “I just don’t have that kind of faith.” When we think of Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), who began franchising his restaurant at age sixty-five in 1955, we think he must have had a lot of faith. Truth be told, we exhibit that faith daily without thinking about it. When you get out of bed do you question if your legs can carry you? No, you simply get up and walk without a second thought. That is faith in action. You follow up your belief with an action.

In this excerpt from James, he asks his audience if faith without action can save a person? James writes that it is impossible to have faith without action. He says that if those who claim to have faith do not act out their faith, their faith is insufficient. Biblical faith is more than simply hoping for the best. One saved by faith experiences true conviction by the Holy Spirit, a conversion that enables them to turn from their selfish desires and resolve to live a life directed by God. We can live for God because of our faith in him. His grace is what makes that possible. While we are not saved by works, our faith in God is demonstrated through our works.

May our faith in God be evident by the things we do.

Iona Halliday-Simmonds is a wife, mother, and member of The Wesleyan Church who finds great pleasure in serving in community outreach and youth and family ministries.

© 2025 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!

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:21)

Expanded Passage: Matthew 6:19-21

What makes you feel accomplished? One youth leader questioned his young people at the start of what seemed like another ordinary youth meeting. The students listed accomplishments like straight As, financial freedom, spending quality time with loved ones, or winning multiple championships. The answers kept coming as he spurred on his fiery audience. These answers gave him a keen understanding of what this group treasured. In the movie Divine Influencer a young woman becomes homeless after her parents cut her off financially. She takes a job at a homeless shelter and learns what is most valuable in this life.

Jesus concluded this portion of teaching by saying your heart is sold out to what you treasure, the center of your affection. This doesn’t mean that a student should not strive for all As, or an athlete should not work hard to be the best at their sport. God wants us to be good stewards of all he has given us, even our finances and family. But we must never forget we have what we have only because of God’s mercy and provision. God wants to be the center of our affection. He wants our hearts to be passionate about what brings him glory. When we see closeness to him and bringing him glory as our accomplishments, he becomes our treasure, and we will pursue him with a pure and holy passion.

Set your affections on Christ, the only eternal treasure.

Iona Halliday-Simmonds is a wife, mother, and member of The Wesleyan Church who finds great pleasure in serving in community outreach and youth and family ministries.

© 2025 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!

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 6:1)

Expanded Passage: Matthew 6:1-4

In the American TV game show Minute to Win It, contestants engage in a number of 60-second challenges to win as much of the $250,000 prize money as they can. As the players continue, the host will occasionally ask if they want to keep going or go home. Never have I seen anyone take less when more is available to gain. They are keeping their eyes on the possibility for more.

We are told it is more blessed to give than to receive. So, to gain more in the end I should give away more, right? Not so fast, Jesus says. Jesus is not against us giving to the needy. This is precisely why he is warning us about giving with the wrong motives. We are his hands and feet on the earth. Therefore, every act of service must be done through him and for him. Jesus is addressing a common motive for giving that seeks to be seen and acknowledged in public. Simply put, Jesus is saying that if you are giving so people can applaud your generosity, you are canceling your Father's reward. We are not to be concerned if we are appreciated for a deed done, but rather be appreciative of the opportunity to serve on our Father’s behalf.

Choose “the more” that Jesus has in store.

Iona Halliday-Simmonds is a wife, mother, and member of The Wesleyan Church who finds great pleasure in serving in community outreach and youth and family ministries.

© 2025 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!

How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. (Ps. 104:24)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 104:19-32

“Happy little trees.” The famous phrase from the equally famous American painter, Bob Ross, still makes me smile. His calm voice and vibrant landscapes captivated my brother and me on many long summer afternoons. I marveled at the way his simple brushstrokes called forth mountains, forests, lakes, and snow-covered cabins. His hands were the hands of a skilled artist creating new worlds with each practiced stroke.

Psalm 104 sings of the wonders made by the hands of God. Like a skilled artist, he brought forth the moon and the sun. He created kingly lions and all the beasts of the forest. He poured the vast sea and filled it with the mysterious creatures of the deep. The poet of this psalm recalled the many wonders of the Lord to remind us who God is and why he is worthy of praise. The whole earth and all its creatures are sustained by the mighty hand of God. We are his, for he created us and gives us life each new day.

The Psalms repeatedly declare the glory of God by describing the beauty of the world. As humans we have been awed by the power of the moon and stars, wind and rain, thunder and smoke. The Psalms remind us who is greater. The maker of the moon and sun is our God. May his glory endure forever.

Stand in awe of the glory of God.

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

© 2025 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!

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. (Ps. 95:6)

Expanded Passage: 95:1-7; Acts 2:42-47

After Gandalf placed the crown upon Aragorn’s head, the people of the realm fell silent and bowed down before their king. Tolkien wrote that for the people it was as if they were seeing Aragorn for the first time, tall as the sea-kings of old, ancient and wise. Faramir then cried, “Behold the King!” And all the trumpets of the land sounded.

Kneeling and bowing down have long been symbols of respect, honor, and worship. Bowing down before God recognizes who he is and who we are in relation to him. In Psalm 95, the poet encouraged all believers to bow down and kneel before God in worship and praise. In Acts 2, the church united together as one body, worshiped together, broke bread, and cared for all in need. Our passages this week highlight two important themes of the church: unity and worship. We are the gathered people of God’s realm called to unite in common worship and service.

Division and disunity has plagued the church ever since its formation. In fact, division enters the church just a few short chapters after the church is formed in Acts 2. Yet we are called by God to be one, to worship with one heart and one voice. Proper worship and unity begins after we collectively recognize God as our one true King.

Behold Christ our King!

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

© 2025 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 together and had everything in common. (Acts 2:44)

Expanded Passage: Acts 2:44-47

A child’s first words are innocent reflections of the world that surrounds them. Mama. Dada. Ball. Binky. As the child’s vocabulary grows, more complex words and phrases emerge. It can be astounding how quickly children learn the power of the possessive pronoun: My mama. My dada. My ball. My binky. The power of the possessive pronoun grows stronger as we get older. We find it difficult to share our hard-earned resources, especially as those resources grow in size.

The church, as described in Acts 2, offers a powerful remedy for this possessive spirit that can easily poison our hearts and communities: shared life together. The church is the remedy. The church in Acts 2 is a community of believers made up of people from all regions of the Roman Empire in the first century. They came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish festival of Pentecost and were radically changed by the apostles’ stories of Christ. They quickly came together and shared their resources, taking care of one another, especially those who were vulnerable and in need.

May the church today follow the example of our earliest brothers and sisters. May we, with open hearts and open hands, share our resources with those in need. May we, as the church, be the remedy a hurting and vulnerable world needs.

Use your resources to be the remedy the world so desperately needs.

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

© 2025 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!

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)

Expanded Passage: Acts 2:42-43

Every Sunday my mother woke early to make pancakes and bacon and prepare the roast and potatoes that would slowly cook while we worshiped with our small country church. I can still smell the coffee and the savory air of those mornings. Sundays were full of food, family, worship, and rest. My grandparents and other members of our church would join us for these blessed Sunday dinners.

Acts 2 provides us with a beautiful picture of the heart of the church: devotion to the stories and teachings of Christ, to sharing a meal together, and to prayer. The church described in Acts 2 is the church in its purest form. A gathered assembly of believers who worshiped together, prayed together, and shared sustenance with one another. The breaking of bread calls back to the Last Supper and the sacrifice of Christ’s own body on the cross. The sacramental nature of the breaking of bread also imagines the coming together of a diverse community as one family, united at the table of our Lord.

The Sunday dinners I enjoyed as a child were not separate from the morning worship gathering, but rather extensions of that worship. This week, embody the spirit of the early church and experience the sacredness of a shared meal.

Join together as the church at the table of our Lord.

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

© 2025 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!

For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. (Ps. 95:7)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 95:6-7

Every spring, goats descend upon the grassy areas around the walking trails near my Northern California home. They are brought there to feast upon the overgrowth produced by winter rains. The terrain is rugged, filled with hidden rocks and fallen trees, making traditional landscaping maintenance impossible. These goats are not wild mountain goats, free to roam where they please. They belong to someone. Their shepherds carefully fence off different sections and guide the unruly flock to greater pastures where they are free to eat to their heart’s content. A loyal Australian shepherd dog runs to-and-fro, keeping a sharp eye out for lurking coyotes. The goats want for nothing, yet they often dig at the edges of the fences to break free. They fight each other. They cry out for attention.

Many of us don’t particularly like being compared to livestock. Let’s be honest. Sheep are not the smartest animals in the barn. Goats are ornery and smell bad. We would prefer a more regal selection from the animal kingdom, but lions don’t need shepherds. Bears do not need protection. Psalm 95 reminds us who we are and who we belong to. We are sheep. We have a Good Shepherd who cares for his flock. We live and move and have our being in his pasture. Yet still we dig at the edges of the fences to break free.

Rest in the care of the Good Shepherd.

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

© 2025 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 sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. (Ps. 95:5)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 95:3-5

A sea surrounded the home of my youth, a sea of corn and grain in endless fields. This sea stretched to the horizon and swallowed the sun each evening at dusk. Tasseled stalks rolled like waves blown back and forth by hot summer winds. As a young boy I often stood on the shore and marveled at the vastness of this sea and the dying colors of each day’s end.

The sea that surrounded the poet of the ninety-fifth psalm also evoked wonder and awe. Preceeding the call to sing and shout, the poet provided the reason for such an exuberant call to worship. The God of Israel is no ordinary god. The God of Israel is the God who created the sea and formed the dry land they were inhabiting, holding mountains and caverns in his hands. This God is the King above all gods, maker of heaven and earth, worthy of song and poem.

In this psalm, the poet allowed creation to guide us into worship. Modern life often disconnects us from nature. We spend most of our days inside, insulated from the beauty of God’s creation. Cities and buildings declare the glory of humankind, but the mountains and the sea declare the glory of God. Take time this week to step outside and look upon the sea that surrounds you and worship the God who made it.

Worship the Lord, maker of heaven and earth!

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

© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.