There’s a difference between calling yourself mature and actually being mature. I want to be a doctor, but I can’t just put on scrubs and say, “I’m a doctor!” Same thing with maturity–it’s a journey you have to do, not a simple title. In Romans 5, Paul explains that maturity and character come directly out of suffering. Suffering is not easy, nor are any of us asking for suffering. God, though He doesn’t cause it, works through the suffering we go through, so it’s crucial that we rely on Him and submit to the maturity and character he’s trying to build in us when we go through stress and suffering.

Challenge: what are you stressing over? Think about it and pray over how God is using it to grow your character. Stress and suffering is hard! But in the midst of, trust that God is giving it purpose by growing you in ways you can’t grow on your own.

The post Daily Devo 106 – The Point of Suffering first appeared on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.

Back to the Future is one of my all-time favorite movies. In the movie, it’s obvious that one character named George McFly is completely defined by his past. In high school he’s pushed around, and as an adult he’s still pushed around by the same people. It’s so tempting to let ourselves be defined by our past, especially our past achievements and successes. In reality, like Paul says in Philippians 3:13-14, our past is trash. Anything we’ve achieved and any mistakes we’ve made, we throw them all away because Jesus defines us now. When we follow Him, He’s the only thing that matters. He calls us loved and valuable!

The post Daily Devo 105 – Let Go of the Past first appeared on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.

Is faith blind? Do Christians just blindly accept the Bible? Let me frame this for you: faith is looking back to look forward. As Christians, we look back to the Bible–what is says about who God is and what He’s done. But we have to ask, “Is the Bible even true?” There’s a lot of scientific evidence that it is true! Research how it was written, how it was preserved, and how external sources line up with it, to name a few. So we look to the past–the Bible–so that we can know who God is and who He will be in the future. I’ve seen Him work in my life and the lives around me, so I look to that, too, to give me faith that He will carry through on His promises to forgive and to bring believers to eternity with Him.

Challenge: listen to somebody’s testimony. Find a video online or ask a strong Christian friend or parent to share how God brought them to believe or what God has done to transform their life. Let their testimony allow you to see what God has done in the past. Look back to look forward. Look back at the Bible and the testimony of others to look forward in faith, knowing that Jesus will never abandon you, but instead always be with you with his loyal love for you.

The post Daily Devo 104 – Blind Faith first appeared on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.

What does it mean to trust God? How can I be loyal to God? I’ve prayed for God to help me in bad situations, but the situations kept going and getting worse. I knew God could fix it, but he didn’t. What gives? In the book of Daniel, there’s a king Nebuchadnezzar and he threatened to throw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in a fire because they worshipped the God of the Bible and refused to worship the golden statue that Nebuchadnezzar set up. When they were told to worship something other than God, they refused and were sent to die, but they still chose to remain loyal, even on the way to being burned in a blazing furnace. So often when we face that temptation of doubt and anger, we have to remind ourselves to stay loyal and faithful to God.

Challenge: On your own, read the whole story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel 3. Reflect on their actions and their loyalty to God and pray to God to transform your heart into being more trusting of His processes for your life. Even when things get rough, trust that God is always with you and loves you.

The post Daily Devo 103 – Are You Loyal? first appeared on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.

What does it look to actually be satisfied by Christ? The definition for satisfy is to put an end to (a desire, want, need, etc.) by sufficient or ample provision. Jesus is the one who satisfies our wants and desires–our deepest soul desires. Jesus is the one who brings our souls deepest groanings and desires to satisfaction and puts them to an end by His provision. So today I pray that in the midst of your soul’s deepest desires, you look to the one who provides complete satisfaction in every area of your life.

The post Daily Devo 102 – Satisfied first appeared on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.

Ever been so hungry or thirsty, only to get food/water, only be to left unsatisfied?? I (Ethan) went on a snowboarding trip and didn’t eat much, so I was extremely hungry for lunch… only to be left unsatisfied by cold chicken tenders. In Psalm 42 it says, “As the deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul pants for you, God.” As humans we are craving something deep and satisfying, but nothing in this world fits the bill. Jesus said about himself that he is the source of living water that satisfies completely. God promises us a satisfying eternity with him!

Challenge: ask yourself, what are you finding satisfaction in? There are so many things in our lives that we turn towards for satisfaction, but they only leave us more empty than how we began. Turn towards the One who fills us and leaves us satisfied–Jesus!

The post Daily Devo 101 – Thirsting for God first appeared on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.

Where are you on your faith walk with Jesus? When I was asked, I had no answer. It honestly made me think about the universe in a completely different way, but I especially saw Jesus in a whole new light. My perspective completely changed—I felt like my eyes were opened to all the amazing things God had done and was doing in my life. For the first time, my faith wasn’t focused on knowing about God, but knowing God and experiencing relationship with him.

Allow me to challenge you: Where are you in your walk with Jesus? Think about it, journal about it, and let it convict you. Do a gratitude self-assessment: what are you grateful for right now? Where do you want to be in your faith walk with Jesus in a couple months? Don’t let the time God has given to you go to waste. Instead, use it to be with God, to be changed by him as you walk with him, and to share your faith walk with the people around you.

The post Daily Devo 100 – Your Faith Walk first appeared on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed and cornered by circumstances? In 2 Kings 6, Elisha and his servant were surrounded by enemies. God opened the servant’s eyes and he saw the God and his armies were all around, ready to fight for him and Elisha! It was a stunning sight. We are short-sighted sometimes and only see the problems in front of us, but God calls us to trust that He’s working and fighting on our behalf, even when we don’t see His armies around us protecting us.

Challenge: pray to God that your eyes would be opened to see his plan and work in your life. Ask Him to help you focus on the reality of His presence and protection in your life instead of the intimidating chaos and consequences you’re facing.

The post Daily Devo 99 – God Fights For Us first appeared on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.

What does it mean that your body is a temple? I’m Cara, I’m a junior at Valley Christian High School, and I don’t feel like people truly understand what it means that our bodies are God’s temples. I often find myself searching on the internet or looking at fitness accounts on instagram for ways to eat healthier and exercise better in order to achieve a “good body” and be healthier, but it feels like something is missing. God gives us hope at the end of 1 Corinthians 6: “you are not your own; you were bought with a price.” The things we do to take care of our bodies and treat them as temples are usually attempts to increase our worth for ourselves or people around us, but our bodies belong to God—not because we’re worthy or because we earned it, but because Jesus loves us and he died to rescue us from frustration, shame, comparison, and ultimately our unhealthy selves. What it means that your body is a temple is just that: emptying your life of earthly understanding and living in the love and rescue Jesus has won for you.

Today’s challenge is this: start with Scripture. Here are some amazing and encouraging verses: 1 Cor. 6:19-20, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Cor. 10:31, Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:13-14, and 1 Samuel 16:7. Read them, pray them, or journal about them—however works best for you—to apply them in your life and in your relationship with God.

The post Daily Devo 98 – Your Body Is a Temple first appeared on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.

I always see people making New Year’s resolutions–but then they never follow through. I’m not into those resolutions, but I’m always up for something that will challenge me in my walk with Jesus. One of the pastors I follow on Instagram came up with a Bible challenge called the Shred. The intention of the challenge is to read through the entire Bible in a month. It has been extremely challenging, but it’s been so cool to think about how my mind is continually thinking about how I am going to get through all my scripture reading for the day.

My challenge to you today is two parts. My first challenge to you is to challenge yourself in finding ways to help you grow closer to the Lord. It doesn’t have to be as intense as reading the Bible in a month, but reading, prayer, and journaling all serve as such good practices and challenges. The second is to reflect on the promises of the Lord. There is nothing you could ever do to be saved. But it is because of God’s love for you that you are saved and adopted into His family.

The post Daily Devo 97 – Challenge Yourself first appeared on Gethsemane Church, Tempe.