The Message from the Beginning | 1 John 3:11-24 | Walking in the Light
This week's devotions follow up on Sunday's message from 1 John 3:11-24, where John points believers back to the oldest command there is: love one another. Each day works through a different angle of that call, starting with Cain's warning, moving through what it means to have passed from death to life, and landing on the confidence that belongs to those who love in deed and truth rather than word alone. The readings pair 1 John with passages from across Scripture, Genesis, the Gospels, Romans, Hebrews, to help you see how deep this thread runs. If you missed Sunday's sermon or want to revisit it before diving into this week's devotions, you can watch it here.
Purifying Hope | 1 John 2:28-3:10 | This Week’s Devotions
This week's devotional walks alongside the sermon Purifying Hope from 1 John 2:28–3:10, tracing the thread John lays down across five days: adoption, hope, purification, sin, and the mission of Christ. Day one sits with the wonder of being called children of God, drawing on Romans 8 and Galatians 4 to explore what that adoption actually means. Day two turns to the groaning anticipation of what we will one day be. Day three lands on the hinge of the whole passage, the hope that purifies. Days four and five work through what sin really is and why the Son of God appeared to destroy it. Each day's Scripture reading and reflection questions are meant to be worked through slowly, ideally alongside this week's sermon, which walks through the full passage in more depth. Take your time with the questions below. They're meant to search, not just inform.
Abide in Him | 1 John 2:18-27 | This Week’s Devotions
This week's devotional turns to a passage that names something believers have always had to reckon with: opposition to the truth does not only come from outside the church, it can rise up from within it. John's readers had already watched people walk away from the faith, and he doesn't soften what that departure revealed. But he doesn't leave them there either. He reminds them of what they already possess, the anointing of the Spirit and the truth they were taught from the beginning, and calls them to a single, steady response: abide.
The Passing Shadow of Worldly Desire | 1 John 2:15–17 | This Week’s Devotions
Each week in our "Walking in the Light" series through 1 John, we pair the Sunday sermon with five days of devotional readings designed to help you sit longer with the passage and carry it into your week.
This week Pastor Mark preached from 1 John 2:15–17, "The Passing Shadow of Worldly Desire." John's warning not to love the world is not a call to retreat from creation or culture. It is a call to see clearly — to recognize that the world and its desires are already passing away, and to orient our lives toward the only pursuit that abides forever.
The five devotions below work through John's three-part diagnosis of worldly desire — the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life — before closing with the eschatological hope of verse 17. Each day includes a Scripture reading, a reflection, and three questions for personal examination.
If you missed Sunday's sermon or would like to listen again before working through the devotions, you can find it here.
Old Commandment Made New | 1 John 2:7-14 | The Week’s Devotions
In 1 John 2:7–14, the Apostle John delivers what sounds like a contradiction — the commandment he gives is both old and new. In this week's sermon, Old Commandment Made New, we explored how Christ remastered the ancient command to love one another, bringing it into full light, and how that same light exposes the darkness of hatred in our hearts while flooding us with gospel assurance. This week's devotions take you deeper into the passage, tracing the love command from Leviticus through the teaching of Jesus, examining what hatred does to the soul, and pointing you toward the community that love creates.
Wrath Turned Aside | 1 John 2:1-6 | This Week’s Devotions
This week's devotions grow out of our sermon on 1 John 2:1-6, Wrath Turned Aside, where we considered two words at the heart of the gospel: advocate and propitiation. Sin rightly deserves the wrath of God, and the question every person must face is where that wrath will land. Over the next five days, we'll trace that question through Scripture, beginning with the holiness and wrath of God, moving through the advocacy and propitiating work of Christ, and ending with what it means to keep his commands and walk as he walked. Each day includes a short reflection and questions meant to help you sit with the text, not just read past it. Watch the sermon first if you haven't already, then work through these devotions at whatever pace lets the truth settle in.
God is Light | 1 John 1:5-10 | This Week’s Devotions
This week's sermon from 1 John 1:5–10 confronts us with a truth we are tempted to soften: God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. That declaration is not background theology — it is the foundation of everything John says about sin, confession, and forgiveness. The five devotions below are designed to help you sit with that passage through the week, drawing on the broader witness of Scripture to deepen what you heard on Sunday. If you missed the sermon or want to revisit it before you begin, you can watch or listen here.
Eye-Witness to the Word of Life | 1 John 1:1-4 | This Week’s Devotions
The Sunday sermon is only the beginning. These five daily devotions are designed to help you sit with 1 John 1:1–4 through the week, turning the truth of John's eyewitness testimony over in your mind and applying it to your daily life. We encourage you to start by watching or listening to the full sermon, then work through one devotion each day.
Devotions | Redemption Secured | Ruth 4
Last Sunday, we reached the conclusion of our journey through the book of Ruth, moving from the quiet "happenstance" of the fields to the public and certain finalization of a royal legacy. In the message, Redemption Secured, we witnessed Boaz take his stand at the city gate to resolve the legal hurdles that stood between Naomi’s emptiness and God’s promised restoration. We saw that true redemption is never free—it required Boaz to sacrifice his own interests, just as our True Redeemer, Jesus Christ, emptied Himself to buy us back at the cross.
Devotions | Under His Wings | Ruth 2
Last Sunday, we continued our journey through the book of Ruth by looking at the quiet but powerful providence of God in chapter 2. While the world might see a series of "lucky breaks" or random coincidences, we witnessed the sovereign hand of God guiding a vulnerable widow to exactly the right field at exactly the right time.
In the message, "Under His Wings," we explored how Boaz serves as a "type" of Christ—our true Kinsman-Redeemer—who goes above and beyond to show grace and provide a refuge for those who deserve nothing. If you missed the service or want to revisit how Boaz's extraordinary generosity points us to the Gospel, you can watch the full sermon here.
Devotions | The Breadless House | Redeeming Love
Have you ever felt truly lost? Not just "wrong exit on the highway" lost, but a deep sense of disorientation and hopelessness as you try to navigate life’s trials?
Last week, we launched our new five-week series, "Redeeming Love," by looking at the somber opening of the book of Ruth. In that message, "The Breadless House," we explored how Elimelech and Naomi reacted when the "House of Bread" (Bethlehem) ran dry. We saw the dangerous allure of seeking provision in "Moab"—choosing worldly security over faithful obedience to our Covenant God.
Paradise Regained | Revelation 22 | 5 Devotions on Walking in the Light of God's Presence
You’ve heard the sermon, now take the next step. Revelation 22 is the ultimate "happily ever after," showing us what Christ has secured for us: a world where the River of Life flows freely and the Tree of Life bears fruit every month.
These five short devotions break down the glorious vision of the New Jerusalem. Spend five days meditating on the perfect restoration of God's presence, provision, and promise.
No More Tears | Revelation 21 | 5 Devotions on New Covenant Reality and Hope
Welcome to a week of reflection on the greatest promise in Scripture!
In our sermon on Revelation 21, we discovered the glorious truth: the New Covenant makes the old ways obsolete, culminating in the permanent, perfect dwelling of God with His people.
This week, don't just recall the sermon—go deeper. This 5-day devotional plan takes the core themes of fulfillment, assurance, and the end of suffering, pairing them with powerful supporting scriptures from Genesis, Isaiah, and Hebrews.
When the Books are Opened | Revelation 20:7-15 | 5 Devotions on God’s Justice and the Believers Hope
final judgment and the assurance of eternal life for those in Christ. In this passage, Satan’s rebellion is crushed, death and Hades are defeated, and the books are opened before the throne of God.
These five devotions draw from that message to help us live with confidence in the finished work of Jesus. Each day points us back to the truth that our security doesn’t rest in what we’ve done, but in what Christ has done for us. When your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, it isn’t written in pencil—it’s written in grace that cannot fade or be erased.
Reigning with Christ | Revelation 20:1-6 | 5 Devotions on the Victory of Christ’s Reign
In Revelation 20:1–6, John is shown two contrasting scenes — a bound enemy and a reigning King. The vision reminds us that the power of evil is restrained, not removed, and that Christ’s rule is already established at the Father’s right hand. When the world feels chaotic and uncertain, this passage gives steady confidence that the throne of heaven is occupied and that those united to Christ share in His reign.
It Is He | Revelation 19:11-21 | 5 Devotions on the Judge Who Is Our Savior
The vision of Christ in Revelation 19 is both awe-inspiring and deeply comforting. He appears as the Faithful and True Judge—righteous, powerful, and victorious. Yet for those who belong to Him, His coming is not a source of fear but of peace, because the Judge who comes is also the one who was judged in our place.
These five short devotions are drawn from Pastor Mark Groen’s sermon “It Is He” on Revelation 19:11–21. Each day invites you to reflect on Christ’s righteousness, His redeeming blood, the power of His Word, and the unshakable confidence believers have in His victory.
The Covenant Confirmed | Exodus 24:3–8 & Hebrews 9:11–22 | 5 Devotions on God’s Covenant Secured in Christ
This week’s sermon, The Covenant Confirmed, explored Exodus 24:3–8 and Hebrews 9:11–22, showing how God seals His covenant with His people through His Word, through blood, and ultimately through Christ, the better Mediator. If you haven’t already, you can watch or read the full sermon here.
The Covenant Maker | Genesis 15:1-20 | 5 Devotions on God’s Faithful Promises
Our sermon this week, The Covenant Maker from Genesis 15:1–20, reminds us that God is both the maker and keeper of His promises. To help you reflect further, we’ve prepared five days of devotions that flow out of the message. Each day includes a passage of Scripture, a short reflection, questions for personal or family use, and a prayer.
These devotions are designed to guide you deeper into God’s Word throughout the week and to encourage you to rest in His covenant faithfulness, fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Whether you use them on your own or around the table with your family, may they point you again to the God who calls, saves, and keeps His people.
Contend for the Faith | Jude 1-16 | 5 Devotions on Guarding and Passing on the Gospel
These five devotions flow out of our recent sermon on Jude 1–16, Contend for the Faith. In that message, we considered Jude’s urgent call to guard the gospel from distortion and to pass it on as our greatest legacy. If you missed the sermon or would like to listen again, you can find it here: Contend for the Faith | Jude 1–16.
Use these short daily readings and prayers to reflect more deeply on God’s Word and to apply the truths of Jude to your walk with Christ.