Highrock Church

This question is often not a question, but a challenge. We often act as if we know things we cannot know. James says that we act in arrogance when we make plans as if we know what will happen or as if we are in complete control of our destinies. Instead, we should make all plans with the acknowledgment that God alone is in control.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:"We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps." (Proverbs 16:9)- Imagine you are teaching a children's Sunday School class on this passage and one of the children asks, "Does this mean that I shouldn't make promises?" How might you address this child's question?- There are "sins of commission" (bad things we do) and "sins of omission" (good things we fail to do). How might this awareness help lead you away from pride and closer to Christ?

In this flashback to September 4, 2024, we looked at the Fruit of the Spirit called "self-control" and its connection to humility. Speaking to the Corinthian church, Paul counsels them to be humble in their approach to temptation. They should not think too much of themselves nor too little, especially because God is faithful and will be with them!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:The temptations we face are common to all. We should not forget our vulnerability nor should we lose hope, especially because God is faithful!- Can you recall a time when you underestimated your vulnerability to temptation? What do you believe led to that vulnerability?- Taylor mentioned "H.A.L.T." -- Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. We are especially vulnerable when our own basic needs are unmet. What might help you to be more spiritually, physically, and emotionally healthy?

James exhorts us to draw close to God. How? By avoiding temptation, by resisting the Tempter, and by humbling ourselves so that God might lift us up. Once again, one of the most important ways we can humble ourselves is to refuse to judge one another. Only God can judge and any "judgments" we make must be based on what God has declared to be true.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Draw near to God and God will draw near to you (v8).- Why do you think James places such importance on "resisting the Devil" (v7)? What temptations most commonly interfere with your connection to God?- James tells us that our job is to obey God's law, not to judge whether it applies to us (v11, like when we decide that we are justified in speaking against one another). What are some of the ways that believers today are tempted to disregard God's law? In what ways are you likewise tempted?

The world tells us that success is an upward climb but James reminds us that in God's world, we descend into greatness. Rather than climbing over others, we will be lifted up by God when we lower ourselves to become servants, just like Jesus. The lure of the upward climb is strong, and thankfully God is more gracious than our failures. God pours out grace on the humble.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:We all struggle with divided loyalties and the world's vision of "the good life" can exercise a strong pull on our hearts.- What aspect of the world's vision of "the good life" is most tempting to you, and why?- How might an exercise like "counting the costs" be helpful (or not) when facing such temptations?- Who do you know and trust who follows God in such a way that it helps to make God's vision for a good life more powerfully appealing?

If you were to unpack the reasons for your most recent fight with someone else, what might those reasons be? We might think it is because the other person is wrong and cannot or will not see how we are right! Whatever reasons we might give, James says that the underlying reasons are often the sinful desires at war within us. If James is right, then we will never resolve the conflicts we face until we allow God to bring peace to the conflict within our own souls!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:James tells us that in order to understand the conflicts around us, we have to understand the conflict within us.- Think of some of the conflicts you regularly witness or experience. How do you see selfish desires feeding into those conflicts?- Sometimes we want the wrong things. Sometimes we fail to want the right things. Sometimes we want the right things for the wrong reasons. How might God's Spirit be inviting you to be more aware of these desires and to allow God to change them?

"Sticks and stones may break my bones..." but words cause lasting damage. The true children of God will be peacemakers and healers, including how we speak to and about one another. As James put it, we cannot praise God and also curse those who are created in God's image. Once again, there are two paths and we must choose one.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:James tells us that the mouth that blesses God should not also curse people, who are made in God's image.- Recall a time where you were in the wrong. What did others do that was helpful or not helpful in persuading you to change direction?- What can you learn from that experience (or others) that might help you to more fully embrace the path of wisdom as laid out by James? What might help you to remember the image of God in others?

In this flashback from June 12, 2024, we see the Teacher turn to the idea of worship as the foundation of true wisdom. We are continually tempted to speak in ways that sway others to think better of us, whether true or not. With God, word and deed are the same, and so it should be for us. Let us be careful about making promises and let us honor each promise as we honor a God who does the same.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:After speaking about his own thoughts and experiences, the Teacher turns directly to us with instructions about true wisdom's foundation in worship and reverence.- What do you think of the connection the Teacher draws between worship and wisdom? How has your identity as a worshiper changed your understanding of yourself, others, and what is good in life?- We are told to make few promises and to keep those we make. If someone were to notice a mismatch between your words and deeds, what would they have perhaps seen you do and say?

James returns to the topic of the way we speak to and about one another. We might be tempted to think that words are small things, and they are, but they have the power to redirect a person's very life. Just as a spark sets an entire forest ablaze, so the tongue can set fire to our lives -- individuals, communities, and even entire nations!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Words may be small and passing, but they have great power for good or evil.- Think back to some of the power that words have had over your life. Perhaps it was a taunt or insult, or maybe an encouragement or blessing. Do you think the other person had any idea of the lasting impact of those words?- How might God be inviting you to be more careful with your words? Might God be inviting you to make amends with someone else for what was said, or something left unsaid?

As James continues to argue for the necessity of a faithful response to God's grace, he brings us two examples of such faith. First, he goes back to Abraham, the very father of our faith. Next, he points to the mother of all converts to the faith, Rahab. Both Abraham and Rahab were blessed by God not just for intellectually believing in God, but for trusting God by taking sacrificial risks to put that faith into action.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:The authenticity of Abraham's and Rahab's faith was proven by their faithful actions.- Abraham's and Rahab's faith demanded a willingness to take great risks or to make gut-wrenching sacrifices. What are some of the risks or sacrifices that your faith has asked of you?- Abraham had many years of stumbling towards faithfulness before he was ready for that great test. Is there a way that God may be training you and inviting you to trust more deeply today?

Are we not saved by faith? How can James say that faith alone cannot save us? But is James alone? Paul said that a faith that can move mountains but without love is worthless (1 Cor 13:2). Jesus said that the person who hears his words but does not put them into practice will be swept away with the storms of life (Mt 7:27). For James, a merely intellectual faith that does not produce a faithful response in us is not true faith at all -- even demons have that kind of faith. Real faith must move us to love God and others. Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Paul says that we cannot earn God's favor, it is a gift (Eph 2:8), but we are also created to do good works (Eph 2:10). Or as James says here, faith without good deeds is dead.- Supposed a child asked you about the relation between faith and good deeds? How might you address this child's question?- What are some of the transforming effects that faith has had on your life over time? What have others noticed in you for which you might point to God's grace at work in you? Take some time to thank God for those things.

God is merciful, yet James tells us that there are certain conditions under which God will not show us mercy! When will God not be merciful? When we refuse to show mercy to others. If we refuse to imitate God's mercy, God will imitate us in our lack of mercy. It is just as Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us."Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:In case we may be tempted to judge others, James reminds us that we all break God's Law and thus have no right to judge others.- In the moments when you are tempted to be judgmental, what helps you to be more understanding and merciful?- Suppose you were teaching this passage in a Sunday School class and a young child asked you, "Why won't God be merciful to you if you are not merciful?" How might you answer that child's question?

In this flashback to January 19, 2024, we see Jesus continuing to break the rules about the Sabbath, sending his opponents into a rage. In truth, he is only breaking the religious leaders' misunderstanding of God's rules. Jesus' honoring of God's rules and the breaking of human conventions both come from the same place—to bring about flourishing for the people he loves.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Jesus' opponents were trapped by rules originally meant to foster life and they fought to keep others trapped in what had become an oppressive system.- Do you tend to be a person who finds security in rules or a person who chafes under their restrictiveness?- If you dislike rules, what are some ways that you can remember God's desire to protect us and cause us to flourish?- If you find security in rules, what might help you to recognize when rules have become too restrictive or misapplied to your detriment and the detriment of others?

Showing favoritism is the most natural of human practices. Why wouldn't we favor those who have the power to make things happen for us? James gives us several reasons. Showing favoritism to rich people, for instance, is ungodly because God does not show favoritism. Such favoritism also demonstrates a faith in money rather than God. This favoritism is but one example. Where are we tempted to play favorites?Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:At the most basic level, we should not show favoritism because God's family is to operate differently than the world.- Do you see favoritism of wealthy people in your church? Do you see favoritism of other groups of people? How does this favoritism show up and how do you think it affects your church as a whole?- What are some steps you and your church could take to more clearly demonstrate and communicate that God is a God for all, a God who does not play favorites?

How do you know what you look like? Before the constant presence of cell phones with selfie capabilities, we relied on mirrors. Without them, knowing our own faces would be difficult. James compares the Word of God to a mirror that shows us, not our face, but our soul. And if we fail to live in light of God's Word, then it is as if we have looked in a mirror and immediately forgotten our own face. The Bible reveals not only who God is, but who we are.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Obedience to the Word of God is to live in light of who we truly are and who God calls us to be.- Without the Word of God, who would you think you are? What would be your purpose in life? From the opposite perspective, how has God changed how you understand your identity and your relationship to God and to others?- Can you recall a time when God invited you to live differently in light of who you are and who God calls you to be? What did God's Word say that helped you to better understand your identity?

James started his letter by telling us to be joyful when we face trials and temptations, because these tests are an opportunity to grow. In today's text, James returns to that idea by reminding us that it is "when" we are tempted, not "if". Rather than be surprised by temptations, we should expect and plan for them. God will not tempt us but God will certainly use temptation to strengthen us and lead us toward life!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Feeling tempted is not sinful, through what we do in response might be (vv14-15).- When we sin, we might be tempted to blame others, even God. What are some ways that you see others attempting to evade responsibility for their own sinful choices? What are some ways that you are tempted to shift blame?- Being tempted might lead us to think that we are far from God, when we are actually God's prized possession (v18). What do you see in today's text (or elsewhere) that helps you remember this truth?

Should we ever boast about our blessings? James says the poor should boast that God has honored them, and the rich should boast that God has humbled them. The poor have been given true, spiritual riches by God and the rich have had their illusions dispelled so that they can no longer put their hope in worldly riches. Do you feel honored? Do you feel humbled? Or are you still waiting to be blessed? Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:James encourages us to patiently endure testing and temptation, so we might receive fullness of life.- Have you ever seen someone patiently endure incredible difficulty, and somehow God uses it to bring even greater life to that person? Perhaps you've seen it in your life? What happened in that situation?- What helps you to have and maintain a healthier, more spiritual perspective during such times of trial or temptation? Are there people, places, or practices that sustain you through such times?

In this flashback from January 6, 2025, we see that John the Baptist had an important role to play, but he understood who he was and who he was not. He was not the Messiah. Instead, he was one who was to help people connect with Jesus, the only one who truly had the power to rescue people from their own darkness. There is a tremendous temptation for us to play messiah but tremendous freedom when we remember who we are, and who we are not!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/

If you could ask God for anything, what would you ask? When Solomon had the chance to ask for anything, he asked for wisdom. Why? Not to bless himself, but so he could serve God well and bless others. When we ask in that spirit, in order to serve God and others with our whole selves, God will surely bless us!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:James tells, "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you" (v5).- Where do you need wisdom in your life? Where do you need God's guidance to make right decisions?- If God granted you the wisdom to make the right decisions, how would it affect the people around you? How might others be blessed? How might God be blessed?- Throughout the day, take the opportunity to ask God for the wisdom to live in a way that blesses others and God.

What challenges and difficulties do you face in your life? Do you consider it pure joy when you face these trials? No? Then this letter is for you! Rather than frustration, James exhorts us to consider our hardships as occasions for joy, because they are the opportunity for God to grow us to become the people we were meant to be. They are, or can be, the occasion for us to become more like Jesus!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:We have a choice to make. We can allow frustration to overcome us or we can choose, in Christ, to embrace the opportunity to grow.- What are some of the "opportunities for great joy" (v1) that are in your life right now? - What people, places, and practices might help you to experience more joy and less frustration in those experiences?

Both the beginning and end of this passage, even the very closing of this letter, exhorts us to "devote ourselves to doing good" -- especially in meeting one another's needs. Those who insist on distracting and dividing us on other matters must be warned so that everyone will see the love of Jesus being lived out in our midst. What good might God have in mind for you to do?Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:"Devote yourself to doing good" (v8,14). We must take to heart the call of Jesus to love one another as he has loved us (John 15:12)!- What drew you to Jesus? What did you experience from others that helped you to accept the grace of God?- What have you seen God use in you or your actions to bless others and help them experience God's grace? - If you were to ask others what they have seen God use in you to bless others and draw them closer to God, what might they say? Perhaps you can ask one or two people?

It can be difficult to show respect to the authorities, perhaps especially government authorities, when we believe that they do not deserve it. So why does Paul tell Titus to teach people to show gentleness, humility, and respect to such people? Because of God's grace. We did not deserve gentleness, humility, and respect yet that's exactly what Jesus showed to us in order to save us. Jesus invites us to put our hopes in his kingdom rather than Caesar's.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Jesus invites us to live for a kingdom that operates with different rules and goals.- Imagine you were listening to Titus share these instructions from Paul. What questions might you have had? What concerns? Any objections?- "Always ready to do what is good" (v1) is a clear limit on submission to authority. We must also "not slander anyone" and "avoid quarreling" (v2). How might you rephrase or explain these instructions in our present context?

What does it mean to fear God—and why would the Bible call that a good thing? Pastor Richard Lee takes us from the heights of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the gravitational center of our spiritual universe, challenging everything we assume about fear, danger, and reverence. Could it be that the only rational fear... is the fear that reorders everything else?· ·👉🏻 Check out other Highrock sermons: https://tinyurl.com/3rdw4x8n👉🏻 Check out Highrock's 15-min daily devotionals: https://tinyurl.com/38d4aryd

Daily Devo | Spiritual Imposter Syndrome (Titus 2:15)"Imposter Syndrome" is an experience that many have, feeling unqualified for the position or task they have been given. Titus and his peer, Timothy, felt similarly unqualified for the tasks they had been given. As younger people, how could they lead elders who might resist them? Do you sometimes feel unqualified for what God has given you to do in life?Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:One of the ways we can move forward with confidence is to be sure that we are doing what God has called us to do.- As you consider your life, what is it that God has called you to do? Where has God given you authority or responsibility in your personal life, in your workplace or school, and in the family of God?- Which do you feel is the greater challenge for you -- internal doubts or external pushback? What resources or training might help you feel more confident in doing what God has called you to do?

Normally, telling someone the end of the story is worthy of a spoiler alert -- otherwise the story may be ruined for the person. But when the story is real life, knowing the end of the story can help us to live with purpose and courage. Jesus reveals to us the end of the story, the end of history, in a way that gives us the freedom to truly live right now!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Just like knowing dinner is coming can help us resist our late-afternoon hunger, knowing that Jesus is coming can help us resist the temptations and distractions of this world.- How well do you keep "the end of the story" in mind in your daily affairs and when making big decisions? How might you live and love differently if you were more conscious of the promises of God?- What helps you to remain more aware of God's presence and the future Jesus has secured for us?

After speaking about other relationships, Paul addresses slaves. His advice has been used by many to justify slavery, but is that truly what Paul is doing? Or was Paul working for the dignity of slaves in a system that was unlikely to change? Richard Lee shares his perspective from working with International Justice Mission, a premiere non-profit working against global slavery and human trafficking.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/Richard Lee's page on the International Justice Mission Website:https://www.ijm.org/team/richard-leeFor Reflection:Many converts to Christianity in the early church found it difficult to keep slaves when Sunday worship gatherings forced everyone to interact as sisters and brothers. - When it comes to interacting with people of different cultures or social station, does your experience of church help or hinder those connections? What might you do to foster those connections?- If a child asked you how you are helping to make the world a better, more just place, how might you respond?

What if God does change His mind? And what if your free will isn't as free as you think? Pastor Taylor Burgoyne dives headfirst into two theological juggernauts - divine sovereignty and human choice - and explores whether our desire for a God who never changes might actually keep us from seeing the God who’s far more dynamic and responsive than we imagined.· ·👉🏻 Check out other Highrock sermons: https://tinyurl.com/3rdw4x8n👉🏻 Check out Highrock's 15-min daily devotionals: https://tinyurl.com/38d4aryd

We have a message to share both in how we live and what we say. We often want to have our lives do all the communication but there is also a call to make explicit in our words what is (hopefully) implicit in our lives. Clarity is kindness!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Paul gives older folks a show and tell responsibility with the younger generations -- to show the truth in how they live and to teach the younger generations to do likewise. - Who are some of the "elders" in your life who passed on important lessons of life and faith to you? How did they pass this knowledge on to you? Was it in how they lived? What they said? Both?- Where do you see this generational blessing from old to young taking place in our society and in the church? Where do you see it lacking? What role might God have for you to play?

Paul explains to Titus why leaders must be able to teach -- because Crete's culture (and ours) is filled with harmful lies. Even one of their poets said, "All people from Crete are liars!" But just because something is "normal" doesn't make it good. Whatever our culture may say is normal, Jesus is the example we are to follow!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Cretan culture's lack of honesty made them vulnerable to lies that were tearing the community apart.- What vice or vices do you think are considered normal in our culture? What harms do you see them causing to your community, your families, or to you?- We tend to idolize the early church as if it were a golden age, but they were filled with broken people, too. What strengths and weaknesses do you see in your church? Where might God be inviting you to play a part in making it healthier?

What makes a good leader? What might disqualify someone from leadership? Paul presents the qualifications for leadership in a way that also serves as a wonderful model of all discipleship. We first have to learn God's Word, then live it out, and only then are we ready to teach it.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Just like Ezra 7:10, we must learn, then live, and only then teach God's instructions.- Paul gives several disqualifications for leadership (v7): arrogant, quick-tempered; a heavy drinker, violent, and dishonest with money. How have you seen these characteristics harm a family, workplace, or church?- Which of the many qualifications or potential disqualifications strike you as important areas for growth at this time in your life? What benefit might come from growth in that area?

Paul opens his letter to the young pastor Titus with a curious phrase. He refers to God as one "who does not lie". This truth is important for us all to know. After all, how can we trust God's promises unless we trust that God is not lying to us? Crete, where Titus was, had a culture that apparently thrived on dishonesty. For them and for us, God's honesty not only comforts, but challenges us to be honest as well. Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Titus lived in a place that had to be reminded of the importance of honesty. Our world is not so different.- In your experience, what are the primary reasons people tend to lie to others, and perhaps to themselves as well?- What are the most common temptations for you to bend the truth?- Some people are casually blunt and hurtful with the truth. In contrast, Jesus was full of grace and truth (John 1:14). What might help you to be simultaneously more honest and kind?

The closing of Romans closely mirrors the opening. Perhaps the big difference is that the opening focused on what God gives to use (grace) while the closing focuses on what we give in return to God (glory). Grace and glory are perfect bookends to God's work in Rome and in us. God gives us undeserved grace, something we could never earn, and in return, we can only praise God in gratitude!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:God's grace moves through the world in ever-expanding circles, reaching even Rome and Spain in Paul's day.- What are some of the ways that you've personally experienced God's grace (undeserved kindness)? How has God's kindness expanded your kindness to others?- We often praise people to make them feel good, but genuine praise also focuses us on what is good. Praising God is more for our benefit. What do you find praiseworthy about God, and what do those aspects of God bring out in you?

Many people ask for our trust, but many are not trustworthy. Paul gives three signs of people we should not trust. First, they undermine what we know. Second, they are in it for personal gain. Third, their lives are not consistent with their words. Avoid such people, warns Paul, especially because they tear communities apart. By such marks, are we trustworthy? Do our lives pass the test?Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Paul mentioned 3 traits of the people we should not trust. They 1) undermine what we know, 2) prioritize personal gain, and 3) their actions don't match their words.- Who are some people who have proven trustworthy in your life? What characteristics do they seem to share?- In contrast, what are some of the characteristics of people who have proven untrustworthy? How do they match up to Paul's warning?- Is there a way that God might want you to grow in these areas?

When you start thanking people publicly, you never want to forget someone. What you forget, they will never forget! Paul gives us a list of twenty-four names. They all matter, but some bear a special significance for us today. Their inclusion meant something special to them and it should mean something special to us as well!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Some of the names on Paul's list might mean a lot to us while many might have little or no meaning to us at all -- but they all meant the world to Paul!- What significance do you see in Paul's gratitude and the people he names?- If you were writing a single letter to all the people you know, or if you were speaking at a banquet held in your honor, who would you like to thank, and why?- Would you consider thanking one of them today?

What if the real wonder of Luke 5 isn’t just a healed body—and what does it reveal about the question, ‘Why does God allow disability?’ Drawing on personal ‘conversion points’—from Jacob’s wrestle with God to her own experience parenting a child with Down syndrome—Meghan unpacks biblical community, cultural barriers, and what it really means for the Christians to be “whole and holy.”· ·👉🏻 Check out other Highrock sermons: https://tinyurl.com/3rdw4x8n👉🏻 Check out Highrock's 15-min daily devotionals: https://tinyurl.com/38d4aryd

Jesus said to "bless those who curse you" and to "pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:28). Paul's plan is to visit the believers in Rome but only after bringing a financial gift to the Jewish people in Jerusalem. In essence, they are bringing a gift to many who have fought to exclude them from the family of God. Grace multiplies as we receive it from Jesus and share the same with others!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Paul's mission to Jerusalem was motivated by gratitude - the gratitude of the Gentile believers in Greece for the Jewish believers who brought them the good news about Jesus.- Imagine yourself as the Romans or Greeks, trying to be grateful to people who had recently sought to cut you out of the family. How might you feel about sending such a gift or, as Paul encourages the Romans to do, to pray for them?- Is there a difficult relationship that you might pray about, or perhaps something more?

Paul had a plan. Life did not go according to that plan. Even so, his work to share good news, to be good news, and to make his life a part of God's plan for spreading good news paid all kinds of dividends for them, for him, and for us today! Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/Pastor Dave's message on God's plan for your life:https://youtu.be/BbBCsGtxOrEFor Reflection:Does God have a plan for your life? Paul found his, in part, by searching the scriptures, locating his own ambition in the long-promised plan of God.- We see that Paul not only shared good news but was good news (v18, cf. 1 Cor 9:4-18). What are some of the ways that God has helped you to be good news, and to share good news? Is God perhaps inviting you to lean in with someone today?- If someone asked you what God's plan for your life might be, how might you answer?

Who are "your people?" Who are the people you understand, the folks you connect with most easily? However valuable those relationships might be, God has always had more in mind. It is natural to love those who are most like us. It is supernatural to love those who are different but for their shared connection to Jesus.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:The Jewish and Gentile believers found it much easier to love people in their own group, which is the main challenge addressed by this entire letter.- Who are the people you find easiest to love? What makes it easy to love them? What affinities do you share?- Prayerfully consider connections you may already have to people with whom you have less natural affinity. What might be something you could do to open the door to a deeper relationship?

Have you ever been swept up in the power of worship? This entire section of Paul's letter began with what true worship looks like (Romans 12:1-2). Here we see that using our freedoms to serve one another, as modeled by Jesus and empowered by the Spirit, will enable us to worship and praise God with the power of one voice!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:We need God to give us the patience and encouragement (v5) to love one another like Jesus.- How has God helped you to develop the patience to love others more like Jesus? Where (or with whom) is God helping you to develop patience today?- How does God fill your heart and encourage you to love others in this way? Are their people, places, or practices that God regularly uses to motivate and renew your passion?

What do you do when some people are more sensitive about matters of conscience? Paul calls those with great freedom "strong" and those who are more sensitive, "weak". But don't feel proud and look down on the "weak". Instead, the strong should help the weak rather than push them around. Use your freedom to make the church a place where everyone is safe and welcome.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Rather than prioritizing our own freedom, Paul implores us to live together in ways that will not cause others to stumble and fall.- Can you think of a time when you were in a conflict with another believer over moral questions about food, drink, entertainment, gambling, clothing, or other similar matters? How was it handled? How did it turn out, relationally? - Were Paul's instructions followed? Would Paul's instructions have helped, and if so, in what way?

How do we know what God wants us to do - especially when the stakes are high and the options unclear? Pastor Dave Swaim explores one of the most common and complicated questions Christians face: Does God have a specific plan for my life, and how can I figure it out?From childhood choices to major life decisions, we often long for divine clarity. But is God's will a secret blueprint we must discover - or something more profound and freeing? This message offers wisdom for navigating uncertainty, avoiding spiritual manipulation, and learning to walk humbly with God - even when the path ahead isn’t clear.· ·👉🏻 Check out other Highrock sermons: https://tinyurl.com/3rdw4x8n👉🏻 Check out Highrock's 15-min daily devotionals: https://tinyurl.com/38d4aryd

We each will face judgment, but how is that good news? Thankfully, the God who judges is the one who gave his life on the cross to save us. That IS good news! But that's not all -- the fact that God will judge frees us from having to judge one another. Instead, we are called to lift one another up in love.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:It is a challenge to discern right from wrong without becoming judgmental.- When you are tempted to be judgmental, what helps you choose a different course? Can you identify the people, places, and practices that help you be a more gracious person without ignoring harmful attitudes and behaviors?- Imagine you were to ask those closest to you, "Have I become more or less judgmental during the time you've known me?" What might they say? Would you be willing to ask someone today?

People often divide over deeply-held beliefs, but many beliefs are not worth dividing over. We often risk damaging or losing relationships by fighting over matters that are not as important as the relationships themselves. The world has always been that way but Christ calls us to something better!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:In a world that so easily divides itself into different camps, how do we maintain unity despite not only diversity, but deeply held differences?- Have you ever had deep difficulty in a relationship because of strong differences over non-essential matters, even non-spiritual matters? Was your relationship able to overcome those challenges, and if so, how?- Are any of your current spiritual relationships experiencing such a challenge? What might God be inviting you to do?

Paul instructs us to leave no debt unpaid. The one exception is the debt we owe to Jesus, a debt that can never be repaid. Instead, Jesus asks us to pay it forward -- by loving others in the way that he has loved us. Paul instructs us to look for opportunities to love our neighbors rather than to look for loopholes out of God's invitation.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:When instructed to love his neighbor as himself, the scribe in Luke 10:29 asked, "Who is my neighbor?" He was looking for a loophole out of God's invitation to love.- Do you feel indebted to Jesus for what he has done for you? Does this feeling lead you to joy and gratitude, or something else? Can you identify the people, places, and practices that increase your joy and gratitude?- How might God be inviting you to express that joy and gratitude by loving someone else? Can you identify a specific person?

This passage has been used to justify submission to all kinds of abuses and inequalities coming from governing authorities. Is Paul complicit in supporting such corrupt governments? By basing the authority of government in God, Paul gives legitimacy to such authorities but only within limits. They also are under authority (God's) and must submit to authority as well. What is the purpose of government and what are those limits?Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Christians have had great differences in understanding how to apply Paul's instructions from this passage.- Given Paul's word about the legitimacy of government, its purpose (to promote good and restrain evil), and its limitations (its authority comes from God), when and how do you think it is appropriate to resist authority?- Paul was not living under a democratic government in which authority comes from the people. How might that context affect how we apply Paul's instructions, if at all?

“Where are the miracles?” It’s a question born of both skepticism and hope - one the Bible wrestles with more than you might think. In this episode, Pastor John Mury explores what miracles really are, why they’ve always been rare, and how their true power may lie in what they point to, not what they fix.· ·👉🏻 Check out other Highrock sermons: https://tinyurl.com/3rdw4x8n👉🏻 Check out Highrock's 15-min daily devotionals: https://tinyurl.com/38d4aryd

Let's be clear -- it is sometimes not possible to live at peace with someone else. The other person may be unwilling, violent, persistently manipulative, or otherwise acting in bad faith. Whatever else happens, we must not return evil for evil but always seek to join Jesus in overcoming evil with good!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:If we respond to evil with evil, evil wins and everyone else loses. Instead, we must seek to overcome evil in Christ-honoring ways.- Is there a time you took a step of faith and said "no" to the desire for retribution? How did that decision impact you, the other person, and your relationship with Christ?- When you struggle with thoughts of revenge, what helps you to take a pause? Talking with other believers? Counseling? Praying? Perhaps the Lord's Prayer and the lines about forgiveness? Something else?

One of the first ways we can worship God as "living sacrifices" (Rom 12:1) is to serve one another with the gifts that God has given us. What are these gifts? Which is your gift to give? In addition to this passage, we have 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, and verse 28. But these lists are probably not exhaustive. How has Jesus empowered you to join him in serving one another?Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Did you know that you are gifted? What is your gift?- Do you know your spiritual gift? Consider today's passage, 1 Corinthians 12, or any experience you have of being used by God to bless others.- Is there any gift that you are tempted to disregard or to elevate too highly? Take a moment to consider how God has used someone else with an "undervalued" gift to bless you or others close to you.- How might God be inviting you to define, develop, or deploy the gift you've been given?

Paul encourages us to continue the worship that concluded the previous section. In fact, Paul pleads with his audience to live as if they were living sacrifices. Worship may come to us in many forms but this posture is the foundation of all true worship. True worship is to honor God with our whole lives, not just on Sunday, but the rest of the week as well.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:The call to worship as living sacrifices requires more than information – it requires transformation!- What are the patterns, customs, and priorities of this world that exert the most pull or pressure on you? Where do you spend your time, treasure, and talents, and why?- What do you find most helpful to counteract those pressures and to instead have God change the way you think? Is there anything God might be inviting you to do to be more fully engaged with God's transforming work in you?

In the wake of mysteries revealed yet difficult to understand, Paul is moved to praise and worship of the God who understands what we do not, and perhaps cannot. This move to worship helps to remind us that our security comes not from fully understanding all the mysteries of life but in trusting the one who does. All glory to God, forever! Amen.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Paul does not hesitate to explain what we can understand and he also does not hesitate to worship the one who is beyond our understanding.- We are invited to love God with our whole heart, mind, and strength. How has following and trusting God increased your understanding of yourself, others, and the world?- Trusting God also means confessing that our security comes not from knowing all the answers, but in worshiping the God who has been proven trustworthy over and over. How has God proven trustworthy in your life?

Paul here finishes addressing the question, "What about Israel?" His answer is that "all Israel will be saved." But after defining Israel as being a spiritual rather than physical entity (Romans 9:6-8), what does Paul mean? People may differ in their understanding of Paul's answer, but what is for certain is that God honors promises and offers us inexhaustible grace!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:None of us comes to God from a place of privilege and entitlement – we are all recipients of God's infinite grace!- Have you ever felt jealous that someone else seemed to be getting a better deal from God than you? What was happening at that time?- Paul saw ways that both Jews and Gentiles could feel the other had received better treatment from God. Paul's answer is that God has been utterly gracious to all. How might our universal need for grace form a better basis for our relationships with one another?