Connect Devotionals

“So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? … So what are we arguing about?” Acts 15:10-11 MSG

“God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:8, 9).

… we should not trouble those gentiles who are turning to God … (Acts 15:19).

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

Jonah 1

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do (Ephesians‬ 6‬:7‬-8‬a).

“Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this [king]” (Nehemiah 1:10, 11).

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing–nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable–absolutely NOTHING can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our master has embraced us (Romans 8:38-39 MSG).

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8: 35, 37).