Author Archives: expressyourself4him

Passage of the Day:

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. ²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. ²¹ Fathers,^[c] do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. ²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ²⁵ Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism, Colossians 3:19-25.

Reflection:

As a former member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Colossians 3:23 was my life verse. The context of this passage is centered around instructions for Christian Households in the first century. At the beginning of this chapter, the apostle Paul writes about the transition from living according to your earthly nature to walking in the Spirit of God. Changing any bad habit is extremely difficult and often results in failure like New Year Resolutions for 2024. Yet, if you want to press on, adopting the mindset of working for the Lord in everything you do is a good place to start.

Prayerful Action:

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him, Colossians 3:17.

Retracing Your Steps:

The apostle Paul appears to warn Christians about the temptation of saying, “look what I’ve done.” Part of this transition from the flesh to the Holy Spirit is giving God the glory, not yourself. As C.S. Lewis once wrote in Mere Christian, “success is the process of arriving, not actual arriving.” No one will ever fully live according to the Holy Spirit, but this is a lifelong journey of faith. Therefore, make working for the Lord your daily goal so that as your mind is renewed by the Bible, Romans 12:1-2, the Lord will become who you seek to please and glorify.

Song of the Day:

Zach Williams writes about some of the struggles you may face in life. Adopting the mindset of working for the Lord often takes time. Therefore, as you struggle to make this transition, hang in there until change gives birth to spiritual progress.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. ¹² When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. ¹⁴ You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. ¹⁵ You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. ¹⁶ By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. ¹⁷ “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. ¹⁸ But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹ Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, Acts 3:11-19.

Reflection:

Sometimes in life, God will give you the power to do amazing things, beyond your wildest dreams. Today’s passage occurs after Jesus’ ascension into heaven and following the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. While this region of the world regularly witnessed Jesus performed miracles for 3 years, seeing the disciple who publicly denied knowing Jesus 3 times was shocking. Yet, these individuals were not present when Peter repented, and Jesus restored him in John 21:15-19. Subsequently, Peter is a living example of how repentance should be followed by acts of contrition.

Prayerful Action:

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]” ⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit, John 3:3-6.

Retracing Your Steps:

The apostle Paul illustrates that no one can perfectly following the religious expectations of the Old Testament in Romans 3:9-12. This spiritual dilemma is what brings the Pharisee Nicodemus to meet with Jesus late one night. Confession is simply admitting that you’ve made a mistake. However, repentance is recognizing that you yourself can’t change unless you make a spiritual U-turn back towards God. According to Jesus, repentance is a form of becoming born again. Daily repentance gives birth to the Spirit of God which prompts Christians to be led to perform acts of contrition, Galatians 5:25. As faith is conceived, daily deeds in the form of actions follow.

Song of the Day:

Britt Nicole sings about how the spiritual flame deep inside of Christians has a tendency to die out. Daily repentance is one of the ways I keep this fire going so that acts of contrition are inspired by the Holy Spirit as I go about my days on earth.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. ¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him, Luke 15:11-20.

Reflection:

The character of the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son possesses undying hope and a willingness to overlook youthful transgressions. As a parent, you can’t always coddle your children. At some point you have to let go which means allowing your children to fail on their own. The younger son who Jesus describes as the prodigal son wasn’t mature enough to receive his inheritance. Yet sometimes you have to learn the hard way through a series of failures. However, when your children, co-workers or friends come to their senses, you have to be mature enough to extend grace to the prodigals in your own life.

Prayerful Action:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you., Colossians 3:12-13.

Retracing Your Steps:

The hardest thing for a parent to avoid is the urge to respond to a prodigal child by saying, “I told you so” or “why didn’t you listen to me?” As Luke recounts Jesus’ story, the prodigal father appears to have been sitting out on his front porch, day after day, waiting for his son to come home. Luke doesn’t mention if the prodigal’s father was standing or sitting in a rocking chair, but his eyes were searching in the distance for his boy to come home. Subsequently, when the image of this man’s son appeared on the horizon, the father ran to greet him. This is the type of action that Jesus wants modern-day Christians to emulate today.

Song of the Day:

I was introduced to When God Ran by my high school swim coach who became my spiritual mentor. This song was played at the end of a session to drive home the grace poured out to prodigals by God. May the lyrics of Benny Hester’s song inspire you to extend grace to the prodigals in your own life.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. ⁴ Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵ But if anyone obeys his word, love for God^[a] is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. ⁷ Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. ⁸ Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. ⁹ Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister^[b] is still in the darkness. ¹⁰ Anyone who loves their brother and sister^[c] lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. ¹¹ But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them, 1 John 2:3-11.

Reflection:

One of the principles that Jesus emphasized to his disciples was love in action. During the Passion Week, Jesus explains that true love is demonstrated by laying down your own life for your friends, John 15:13. Meanwhile, one of Jesus’ disciples highlights Jesus’ expectations for those who desire to follow Him, Matthew 16:24-27. True disciples must deny their own fleshly desires, be willing to die for their faith and demonstrate Jesus’ love by emulating His practices. While Jesus tells those in attendance of His Sermon on the Mount to strive for perfection, Matthew 5:48, demonstrating the love of Jesus should be a daily goal for Christians.

Prayerful Action:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another,” John 13:34-35.

Retracing Your Steps:

At the end of each day or week, Christians can evaluate their faith based upon their degree of love. If love is lacking in your life, there may be something going on spiritually such as the apostle Paul’s words in Galatians 5:16-17 and Romans 8:5-8. A similar message is shared with the Church at Galatia and Rome: don’t let your sinful nature quench the Holy Spirit’s desire for you to love other people. Whether you retrace your steps in the form of an accountability group or prayer at the end of each day, ask God to give you a heart to love like Jesus.

Song of the Day:

Love takes time to blossom like planting a garden each spring. Love requires discipline, nurturing and support to keep this alive during the dark times in your life. May today’s song inspire you to start making the love of Jesus a daily goal, to shine bright each day, Matthew 5:14-16.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved, Acts 2:42-47.

Reflection:

While I was raised in a Roman Catholic Church, I didn’t find a spiritual home church until my sophomore year of high school. After attending a Lock In, overnight event at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, this youth group became my spiritual home for my final 3 years of high school. When you have people, your own age going through similar struggles at school, it’s comforting to know that you’re not alone. Since I was so moved by this experience, I went on to serve as a volunteer in college, helping out with the Junior High Youth Group and attended mission trips in the summer. This is what you can experience when you find a church home.

Prayerful Action:

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:12.

Retracing Your Steps:

The apostle Paul compares a church to a well-oiled machine. However, when one piece is missing or stops working, churches don’t function as God desires. Each Christian possesses unique gifts that a church is looking to find. Yet, if you don’t take time to serve, your church won’t be working at full capacity. While single individuals will have an easier time finding a specific need or place to serve, married couples may not have the same calling or spiritual sense that this is the church for us. When my wife and I moved to South Carolina, it took us over a year to find the right church. Yet, it wasn’t until earlier this year when we both looked at each other after Sunday’s sermon and said, “we need to start serving the youth of Fearless Church.” Although you may not have this clear sign from God, you’ll know in your heart when it’s time to call a house of worship your church home.

Song of the Day:

The attached song inspired me last summer to find a church to call home. May the lyrics of Take Me Back inspire you to find a church where you can serve and call home.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ⁹ This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. ¹⁰ That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. ¹¹ Command and teach these things. ¹² Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity, 1 Timothy 4:8-12.

Reflection:

Becoming a teenager in high school and becoming a Christian are polar opposites. Perhaps, this might explain my struggles to set a good biblical example for others to follow. Since I wanted to be accepted by my peers, I often blended in like a chameleon. This trend continued until my senior year when I was asked to become the program director for my school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes Bible Study. I came up with monthly situations and topics which helped me fulfill the words of 1 Timothy 4:12.

Prayerful Action:

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses, 1 Timothy 6:11-12.

Retracing Your Steps:

Despite how disciplined I became as an athlete and Christian, I continued to struggle with consistency, falling short of my mark, Romans 3:9-12. My faith was more like a feeling, shining bright when I was in a good mood and crashing and burning when I wasn’t. During a retreat at the beginning of my second semester of college, I was introduced to the Lordship of Christ, Romans 10:9-10. Surrendering your life to Jesus is scary and doesn’t guarantee immediate success. However, over the past three decades, I’ve made progress in setting a good example for my wife, children and neighbors.

Song of the Day:

One of the Christian artists that has helped me to set a good example as a Christian is Bruce Carroll. Carroll is one of the most creative song writers, covering topics that have challenged my faith over the years. May the lyrics of Average Joe inspire you to set a good example of the Christian life.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ³⁶ Simon and his companions went to look for him, ³⁷ and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” ³⁸ Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” ³⁹ So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons, Mark 1:35-39.

Reflection:

If I could start every day with a simple prayer, it would be, “Lord where do you want me to go today, who do you want me to reach out to and what should I say?” Yet, when I have to leave by house by 5:40 am just to make it to work on time, making a reservation with God requires effort. Depending upon your daily schedule, at some point, you have to block time off in your day if you want to know the answers to the three questions above. Jesus got up early in the morning before sunrise, took a walk to find a quiet place and met with God as all of His disciples were sleeping. As Jesus relays a message to Peter, making an early reservation with God can reveal God’s plan and purpose for you on a specific day.

Prayerful Action:

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded, James 4:7-8.

Retracing Your Steps:

I’ve never been a morning person. Perhaps, I became a night owl in high school, staying up late playing video game and watching television. Since nighttime is when I’m usually more alert, I spend 30 minutes with God after dinner. This time begins with reading the Bible followed by writing down my prayers in a journal. I try to meet with God 6 days a week and on Sunday after church I set this day aside for writing my daily blog posts. Although I may miss a day or two when on vacation, I diligently reserve time for God when I return home.

Song of the Day:

While I used to beat myself up when I failed to spend time with God, all you can do is take one day at a time. Like a long-distance runner, pace yourself and as you develop a spiritual hunger for more, read or prayer a little longer. The key is consistency in making daily reservations with God.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them. He said: ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you, Matthew 5:1-12.

Reflection:

As a former high school teacher, it doesn’t take long to find out who has an attitude in your class. As the world becomes more and more politically correct, children don’t understand the concept of winning and losing. If everyone gets a certificate, prize or reward for just participating, this isn’t real life. At the end of Jesus’ list of beatitudes, there is an expectation communicated that not everyone is going to like you. Therefore, when you do face adversity, difficult situations and persecution, attitudes will be tested. How you handle this will reveal what you will need to work on.

Prayerful Action:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything, James 1:2-4.

Retracing Your Steps:

Success has a way of changing you: sometimes for the better and others for the worse. I went from a humble and meek under classman in high school to an arrogant and conceded upperclassman. While I may not have been as cocky as some of my fellow athletes, I was living far from Jesus’ beatitudes. I guess I needed by own prodigal son experience as a freshman in college to bring me back to where the Lord wanted me to be. This emptiness led me to make Jesus the Lord of my life in my second semester of college and refresh my memory of attitudes to live by.

Song of the Day:

The lyrics of Real Life by Cindy Morgan play the “what if game.” While its honorable to see life like Pollyanna, the attitudes that you come in contact with daily are far from the beatitudes. Although you can’t change others, you can begin by changing your own attitude so that when the opportunity presents itself, you can impact the lives of others.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, ² Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. ³ They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” ⁴ When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. ⁵ Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁶ let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. ⁷ We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. ⁸ “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, ⁹ but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name,’ Nehemiah 1:1-9.

Reflection:

Reading this prayer of Nehemiah reminds me of being in the presence of Christians whom I consider prayer warriors. These Christians don’t ask for an arbitrary list of requests but go immediately into praying for solutions. Nehemiah uses his emotions and tears to cry out the Lord for answers and help. Sometimes being proactive in prayer is confessing the sins of your family, city, state or nation. According to Leonard Ravenhill, the first Great Awakening began when a young Christian got up and publicly confessed their sins, moving the Holy Spirit to call others to do the same.

Prayerful Action:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God, Romans 8:26-27.

Retracing Your Steps:

I learned how to pray by attending a Campus Crusade for Christ men’s prayer group in college. We were all mere infant Christians trying to find our way in the realm of prayer. This practice inspired me to want to become better at praying. Although I have made strides over the years, praying is my weakest aspect of my faith. To avoid thoughts racing through my mind, I started journaling all my prayers to keep me on track 20 years ago. I have used various acronyms like PRAY, ACTS and the Lord’s Prayer as outlines to guide me. Yet, as I learned from my friends the Beste’s, proactive prayer involves setting up hedges of protection over Christians to keep them safe from demonic attacks and oppression.

Song of the Day:

Over my forty years as a Christian, there have been many times when I have felt spiritually dead, unable to get myself to prayer. Today’s song serves as a reminder of the need to come alive spiritually so that Christians can begin to become proactive in prayer.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” ⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” ¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean, John 13:1-11.

Reflection:

If you have watched the very first episode of the Chosen, Season One, you can see the rigid rules that devout Jews were forced to follow. Since most individuals in the first century either walked barefoot outside or owned a pair of sandals, ankles, feet and toes collected dirt, dust and sand. Prior to entering a Jewish home, shoes were left outside as the homeowner would wash the feet of guest to ensure everyone was ceremonial clean. While the room Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Passover in was provided to them, Jesus humbled himself by washing the feet of all 12 disciples. Despite being the Son of God, Jesus spent the last 3 years of His life serving other people.

Prayerful Action:

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,” Matthew 20:28.

Retracing Your Steps:

The only time I actively think about serving others is during Thanksgiving and Christmas, helping out to wash dishes and or clear the table so that my parents can have a chance to rest. Perhaps, human nature is to blame, putting self-centered thoughts into my mind throughout my life. Although I have attended service projects in my past, service should be a weekly emphasis with eyes eagerly watching for opportunities to serve others. This is the mentality that Jesus possessed throughout his earthly life which enable Him to humbly serve mankind.

Song of the Day:

There may be people in life that you’ll feel uncomfortable with humbling yourself to and serving. Yet, God calls Christians to love and to serve anyone in need. May the lyrics of the Song of the Harlot speak to your heart and inspire you to become an active servant in your community.

by Jay Mankus