Category Archives: Uncategorized

Passage of the Day:

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ²⁶ “In your anger do not sin”^[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold. ²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. ²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you, Ephesians 4:25-32.

Reflection:

As a former high school teacher, I quickly learned that loose lips sink ships. In the heat of the moment, when emotions are high, displaying temperance takes complete control. As soon as you deviate from the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25, by following your fleshly desires, actions, behaviors and words, you’ll cause spiritual harm. This is why the apostle Paul provides a warning to one first century church. I had to learn the hard way my first couple of years in the classroom. These initially years were bumpy until God taught me the power of the Holy Spirit to think before you act or speak.

Prayerful Action:

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you, James 1:19-21.

Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:

I taught a Bible class to 7th graders for five years on the Book of Proverbs. While the initially curriculum was corny, there was one main theme that has stuck with me nearly 20 years later. Setting boundaries are designed to keep evil out of your life. Like a concerned parent seeking to keep their children away from the dangers in this world, these boundaries serve as a hedge of protection to keep you safe from harm. Yet, now as an adult, you have to mature, by grace through faith, so that you lead by example to think before you act.

Song of the Day:

When I went through my stage of trying to find Christian rock bands in college, Fighter was one of the first that I found. Although the lyrics are confusing at times, the title fits into the prayerful call to action. May today’s blog inspire you to be temperate in your speech and action.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. ² “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.” ³ But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. ⁴ Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. ⁵ They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” ⁶ Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him ⁷ and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing, Genesis 19:1-7.

Reflection:

In the last few episodes of Seinfeld, Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer are arrested and convicted of filming and watching a crime rather than intervening. While this aired 26 years ago, this sitcom has influenced society in a negative manner. Individuals more concerned with becoming the next social media influencer on TikTok or You Tube are emulating their favorite television characters. Subsequently, knowing when to say when has become a lost art, silenced by peer pressure. Despite living in sin plagued city of Sodom, even Lot knew when to speak up.

Prayerful Action:

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction, 2 Timothy 4:2.

Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:

I spent 6 months living and working in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. I served as the Summer Workcamp Coordinator working with local churches to set up mission trips and work projects. While I wasn’t that successful attracting youth groups to serve God in the inner city, I recall one Saturday when a playground was reclaimed from drug dealers and transformed into a safe haven for children to play. As teenagers spent the morning picking up trash, locals curiously watched from inside their homes. After lunch, concerned parents got involved, bringing this playground back from the dead. When someone stands up and declares, “enough is enough,” others will join this movement to make their neighborhood a safer place to live.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

We all have regrets in life which may be highlighted by the lyrics of Threshold of Regret. Yet, when things start to get out of control, don’t be afraid to raise your voice by urging others to stop before they do something they will regret.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; ² so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. ³ So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. ⁴ He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. ⁵ Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me,” Genesis 16:1-5.

Reflection:

I grew up as a teenager when the sitcom Happy Days was in its prime. Rather than promoting one-night stands, Happy Days introduced me to the concept of going steady. This often involved giving a girlfriend your letter man’s jacket from high school as a sign of your commitment. In the earliest recorded relationships in the Bible, there wasn’t a book, marriage class or You Tube video to guide you in this endeavor. Unfortunately, couples learned through trial and error, living and learning together. When an individual was filled with a sense of desperation, poor choices were often made. Such is the case of Sarah, whose barren womb placed Abraham into a compromising position. If Abraham and Sarah defined specific boundaries early on to protect their marriage, the idea of giving Abraham Sarah’s maidservant Hagar to have a child would have never entered her mind. When boundaries aren’t defined, even Christians can wonder down the road that leads to destruction, Matthew 7:13-14.

Prayerful Actions:

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; ⁴ that each of you should learn to control your own body^[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4.

Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:

Whenever I visit historical sites on the east coast of the United States, I’m amazed at how strict English settlers were during the Colonization of America. Parents set clear boundaries in their households so that children knew what behavior was expected. There was no gray area so when a children stepped over the line, immediate rebukes and spankings would follow. If temperance is going the right distance and no further, boundaries must be established to maintain control, godliness and order. When adults start acting like amoral children, not knowing right from wrong, this is a clear signal that clear boundaries were never established and or consistently upheld.

Song of the Day:

If you ever wanted to start a small group Bible Study in your neighborhood, this would be a great song to use to break the ice. Each stanza of the lyrics to House of Their Dreams speak to the daily struggles you experience as a human being. May today’s blog inspire you to define boundaries in the relationships that you have in life.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. ² One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, ³ and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” ⁴ Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. ⁵ The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant,” 2 Samuel 11:1-5.

Reflection:

All Christians will experience some sort of spiritual boredom in their lives. From a modern perspective, this may include staying up late scanning the internet or watching television. My neighbor’s mom warned me growing up of the boob tube, when you turn off your mind and veg in front of a television screen. As for King David, he decided to take a few months off of work. Rather than led the Israeli army off to war, David suddenly had plenty of idle time to explore. When you’re not where God wants you to be, poor choices often follow. Subsequently, a man after God’s own heart is about to do the unthinkable, commit adultery and murder. This is a byproduct of becoming too overconfident, thinking, “this could never happen to me.”

Prayerful Action:

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! ¹³ No temptation^[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted^[d] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,^[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it, 1 Corinthians 10:12-13.

Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:

David’s son Solomon writes 4 times in the book of Proverbs “pride comes before the fall.” It’s unclear if the Holy Spirit revealed this spiritual truth or if Solomon’s father David passed on this important message. Regardless of the origins of this warning, pride blinds Christians from the reality of their spiritual condition. When you don’t have a friend, fellow believer or neighbor who is painfully honest with you, pride gives birth to overconfidence. Whatever your earthly job title may be, humble yourself before the Lord so that your trust remains in God, not in your own strength.

Song of the Day:

I was introduced to today’s song while spending my college summers living in Ohio. Thanks to a large Christian bookstore south of Cleveland, Send the Beggar quickly became one of my favorite groups. The next time you sense a spirit of over confidence filling your soul, watch out that you don’t become tangled with the error of sin.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, ⁷ and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” ⁸ But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. ⁹ No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” ¹⁰ And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. ¹¹ One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. ¹² She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house, Genesis 39:6-12.

Reflection:

Joseph is one of the most interesting characters in the Old Testament. After being spoiled as a child, Jospeh encounters a series of trials that would have broken most individuals. Despite being double crossed by his brothers and sold into slavery, Joseph worked his butt off to eventually become the caretaker of Potiphar’s estate. Rather than becoming full of himself, Joseph remained loyal to his earthly master. Despite daily attempts from Potiphar’s wife to lure him into temptation, Joseph displayed extreme measures of resistance that few Christians ever display or practice. When Joseph started to lose control, he simply fled from this tempting situation.

Prayerful Action:

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. ¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20.

Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:

While Moses doesn’t highlight this in Genesis 39, Joseph appears to always make sure that someone else was in Potiphar’s house with him at all times. Apparently, one of the servants or workers was normally inside of Potiphar’s home while Joseph was overseeing his estate. On this particular day, either the workers left early for the day or went outside to help the landscaping crew. Subsequently, the initial boundary established by Joseph was broken, opening the door for Potiphar’s wife to make a pass at him. In a letter to the Church at Corinth, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul urges Christians to always look for the way out of temptation. From Joseph’s perspective, running out of the house seemed like the only option to avoid giving into temptation.

Song of the Day:

There are certain songs that speak to your heart and open your mind to the reality of temptations that lurk around every corner in life. As you listen to the lyrics to slow fade, may you be moved to avoid taking a second glance so that the power of temptation over your body will be nullified.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong, 2 Corinthians 12:6-10.

Reflection:

As I was in church last week, the youth group praise team was singing How He Loves. As I was singing one of the stanzas, I was moved by the phrase “afflictions eclipsed by glory.” After the worship time ended, I began to contemplate, what does this really mean? As I started to journal Sunday afternoon, the Holy Spirit led me to the words of the apostle Paul in today’s featured passage. Just as maturity is made complete through trials, James 1:2-4, coping with afflictions to our bodies, minds and soul will lead Christians to temperance like the apostle Paul.

Prayerful Action:

I can do all this through him who gives me strength, Philippians 4:13.

Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:

Staying positive when you experience times of afflictions can be difficult. Whether you’re recovering from an accident, illness or tragedy, you may find yourself struggling with a thorn in your flesh or soul. While human nature may tempt you to embrace misery, avoid any bickering or complaining, Philippians 2:14. Therefore, as your faith is refined by fire, 1 Peter 1:6-7, start setting clear boundaries to live by so that the Holy Spirit will lead you, Galatians 5:25, to go the right distance and no further.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Every Christian has their own kryptonite, a weakness that the Devil is aware of, 1 Peter 5:8. Until Christians begin setting clear boundaries in their lives, beginning with dating and relationships, you won’t know when to say when. This is where temperance is conceived with the goal of keeping in step with the Holy Spirit daily.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: ² for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight;³ for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; ⁴ for giving prudence to those who are simple,  knowledge and discretion to the young—⁵ let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—⁶ for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.^{[b] 7} The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools^[c] despise wisdom and instruction.⁸ Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. ⁹ They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. ¹⁰ My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them, Proverbs 1:1-10.

Reflection:

I was introduced to the term temperance by C.S. Lewis. This Cardinal Virtue available to anyone who seeks this spiritual discipline is expounded upon within the book Mere Christianity. Prior to reading this classic, I thought temperance was referring to your temper. Yet, the spiritual definition is going the right difference and no further. While King Solomon is known as one of the wisest individuals to walk the face of the earth, this doesn’t mean that Solomon was immune to making poor decisions. Likely thinking about poor choices, he made in his past, Solomon writes the first chapter of Proverbs to a specific son. As I reread today’s featured passage it appears that Solomon is urging readers to go the right distance and no further.

Prayerful Action:

Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22.

Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:

Perception is the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through your senses. Life experiences like the ones which inspired the book of Proverbs, Solomon seeks to persuade his son from making similar errors, mistakes and transgressions. While writing to the Church of Thessalonica, the apostle Paul provides a series of steps to help Christians go the right distance and no further. Don’t just believe whatever you hear, read or see. Rather, test this information with the Bible like the Bereans in Acts 17:10-12. Although this doesn’t guarantee that you’ll do the right thing all the time, testing what you hear should keep you on the straight and narrow, Matthew 7:13-14.

Passage of the Day:

The lyrics to Feel the Nails transformed my life in college during a retreat my junior year. The next time you go the wrong distance and fail, may this song turn into a prayer to bring you back to God’s grace and mercy.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two^[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ² He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. ⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. ⁸ “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. ⁹ Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near,’ Luke 10:1-11.

Reflection:

One of the things I learned in college was that Jesus had more than just 12 disciples. After the main disciples were gathered, Jesus goes through a screening process in Luke 9:57-62. Those that met Jesus’ criteria were appointed to become minor disciples, serving Jesus in teams of two. As I recently read today’s featured passage, this is similar to the faith journeys of modern-day Christians. While most don’t serve Jesus in pairs, home groups provide a ministry for Christians outside the church. This is where you have the opportunity to invite friends and neighbors like the other 72 disciples. This sets the stage for a journey of a lifetime.

Prayerful Action:

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 1 Peter 3:15.

Working Out Your Salvation:

As someone who spent 8 years working nights, you have to fight to stay awake in church when my body was normally sound asleep. This also coincided with Covid-19 causing all services where I lived to stop meeting and eventually do worship online. Once congregations were legally allowed to resume corporate worship, I decided to attend a local Saturday night service. While this wasn’t ideal, this was part of my faith journey until I was able to return to working days and be off every Sunday. Everyone has a different story like a flow chart with peaks and valleys. Spiritually speaking, you want to have a gradual ascent toward Jesus, growing closer and closer with each passing day. Yet, this isn’t reality as faith is often rudely interrupted by extreme circumstances and trying trials. How you handle these events will shape your testimony. Working out your salvation comes into play when you feel like quitting, walking away from your faith like some of my friends. Nonetheless, your life is filled with blank pages yet to be written by God, Philippians 1:6. This is what I call the Journey of a Lifetime.

Song of the Day:

I initially had in mind to use the Great Adventure by Steven Curtis Chapman when the title of today’s blog came to me. However, at church today, the closing song was My Testimony. As I thought about the lyrics I was singing, I felt My Testimony fits better with today’s devotion. May the attached song speak to your heart as you partake in a faith journey of a lifetime.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent, Luke 15:1-7.

Reflection:

While society tends to evolve to become more progressive, accepting that which was once forbidden, you’ll still cross paths with Pharisees today. These modern-day Pharisees may not be religious leaders, but they will judge you, often following the mantra “do as I say, not as I do.” During a mission trip in North Carolina, I brought a ratty pair of sneakers to work in and a new pair of scandals. Rather than whisper behind my back, several adults verbally crucified me in person for wearing scandals in church. This experience caught me off guard, leaving a bitter taste it my mouth. Subsequently, it took me several years to find my way back home to a church that I believed in and trusted.

Prayerful Action:

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners,” Matthew 9:12-13.

Working Out Your Salvation:

Jesus had to often remind first century Pharisees that it was sinners who needed help, not the righteous. This is why Jesus spent so much time with His disciples and the spiritually lost. As you strive to emulate Jesus’ practices this summer, remember the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15. Rather than letting yourself become unequally yoked, make sure you have and maintain balance in your life. The Psalmist illustrates how the people you hang around daily influences your behavior, Psalm 1:1-2. This is why Jesus arose early every morning to spend time with God to prepare for those He came in contact with daily, Mark 1:35-39. The next time you find yourself like a lost sheep, look to Jesus to find your way home.

Song of the Day:

Age of Faith puts a new spin on the Prodigal Son parable in today’s song. Don’t listen to the Father of all lies, John 8:44, who will fill your mind with guilt and shame. Rather, recall the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30 to find your way back home.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹ Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen, 1 Peter 4:7-11.

Reflection:

There was a belief in the first century that Jesus was going to return before all the apostles and disciples would die. Perhaps, this is what empowered Peter to become transformed into a spiritual giant willing to lay his own life down for his faith in Jesus. Yet, with this in mind, Peter realized that each follower of Jesus needed to search for God’s endowment of their own life. Peter shares that once this unique gift is unveiled, this must be demonstrated in the spirit of Christ Jesus.

Prayerful Action:

Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest, Exodus 28:3.

Working Out Your Salvation:

One of the translations from Hebrew to English in the above passage replaces wisdom with endowment. An endowment is endowing something or someone with a specific asset, gift or talent. When God gave Moses the responsibility to create special garments for Israel’s priests, he searched the land to find skillful seamstresses. If you are unsure what God has endowed you with, work out your salvation by searching for this specific talent. Once this is uncovered, present this endowment in a manner that would honor Jesus.

Song of the Day:

God’s endowment to me is Writing in the Spirit. Although this endowment took me over 30 years to be unveiled, Express Yourself 4Him wouldn’t exist if this talent was never discovered. Therefore, as this summer starts to come to an end, cry out to the Lord to reveal the endowment God has bestowed upon you.

by Jay Mankus