A Beautiful Day Devotional Podcast

Pastor Jeff reminds us that loneliness is just a feeling—God is always with us. Just like Moses, we can trust His plan and know His love is bigger than any lonely moment. Whenever we feel alone, we can talk to God, and He will give us courage and help us through. Exodus 3:11 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Join Pastor Jeff for Week 5 of our "Inside Out" Series as we explore how God gives us the soft emotion of love to overcome the hard emotion of loneliness. We'll see this through the amazing Bible story of how God chose Moses. God is love, and He calls us to love others just as He loves us. John 13:34 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Today is FRI-YAY! With a special shout-out from Pastor Jeff. Today, he reminds us that through Jesus, we can have peace over depression. Life may still be hard, but we don't have to carry our burdens alone—His perfect, never-ending peace is always with us. Isaiah 9:6 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The world is full of noise and many voices, but God calls us to listen to Him. Pastor Jeff reminds us that when we spend time with God and focus on His Word, He gives us peace, helps us release worry, and rest in His love. Isaiah 26:3 3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Episode 3 of Family Encouragement is here! Join Pastor Jeff and special guest Sommer Adebayo as they dive into the heart of foster care and adoption—something deeply close to God's heart. Don't miss Sommer's inspiring story of how her family has embraced God's call to foster care—walking by faith, stepping into the unknown, and learning to love “the least of these.”

Today, Pastor Jeff reminds us that God gives us peace beyond understanding. Life changes—vacations end, grades shift, teams win and lose—but His peace in Christ never runs out. When we trust Him, His peace guards our hearts and keeps us strong. Philippians 4:7 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Pastor Jeff reminds us today that perspective matters—like seeing a cup half full or half empty. When we trust Jesus, we choose the “half full” view, remembering God's past faithfulness and trusting Him for the future. Exodus 16:3 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

Have you ever felt really upset, sad, or like life was just too much? This week in our Inside Out series, Pastor Jeff will be talking about the hard emotion of depression—and how God offers the soft emotion of peace to overcome it. John 14:27 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Happy FRI-YAY! It's Shoutout Day with Pastor Jeff! Today, we finish learning how faith helps us overcome stress. Next week in our Inside Out series, we'll see how God gives us peace over depression. Mark 11:22-24 22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[a] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Join Pastor today as he shares that faith means trusting God completely. Stress comes when we focus on challenges, but God calls us to focus on Him instead. Hebrews 11:1 11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Today, Pastor Jeff reminds us that when life feels stressful, Jesus calls us to make a daily choice—to have faith and believe in His promises. John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me.

Today, Pastor Jeff reminds us that when we choose faith over stress, our hearts grow stronger and God's peace fills us. Matthew 24:3 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Today, we begin Week 3 of our Inside Out series, and Pastor Jeff discusses the hard emotion of stress—and how God provides the soft emotion of faith to overcome it. Matthew 11:28 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  

Happy FRI-YAY! With a shoutout from Pastor Jeff! Today, we wrap up the story of how God protected Moses and learn that we can overcome worry with hope. 1 Peter 1:3 3 Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us a new birth and a living hope. This hope is living because Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Today, Pastor Jeff shares that God's plans may not always look like what we hope for, but they are even better—because His perfect plan is for us to be with Him forever. Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  

Today in our Inside Out series, we're learning how God protected Moses and how we can have hope over worry. God is always at work, and when we put our hope in Him, He provides and shows His faithfulness. Exodus 2:8 8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child's mother.

Join Pastor Jeff today as he shares that when we face worry, we can trust God just like Moses' mom did. When we focus on Him, our hope becomes bigger than our worry because God cares for us and is in control. Exodus 2:3 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket[a] for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

Happy Monday! This is week two of our Inside Out series. Today, we'll learn how God helps us overcome worry with hope. Pastor Jeff reminds us that when we trust God, He gives us peace, and we can bring all our worries to Him because He cares and has a plan for our lives. 1 Peter 5:7 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

It's FRI-YAY and shoutout day! As we wrap up week one of Inside Out, learning to overcome anger with joy, Pastor Jeff reminds us that the joy Jesus gives isn't temporary—it's real, lasting, and eternal for all who believe in Him. John 15:11 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Today, Pastor Jeff reminds us that true joy comes from faith—trusting that Jesus is real, loves us, and is always with us. When we focus on Him, anger fades and is replaced with lasting joy that nothing can take away. 1 Peter 1:8 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory

Episode 2 of our Family Encouragement podcast is out today, focusing on the sensitive topic of infertility. Michelle opens her heart about her journey through trials, doubts, and tears—but also her unwavering trust in God's plan. Rather than choosing anger, she discovered a peace that surpasses all understanding. Listen in to this powerful story of God's faithfulness.

Pastor Jeff warns today that we often try to control how God works in our lives, but like Peter, we must learn to let Him lead and guide us. John 13:9 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”

Today, Pastor Jeff shares that God doesn't want us to stay in anger but to trust Him and let Him replace it with the joy that comes from Him. John 13:8 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”

Welcome to our Inside Out series! Over the next six weeks, we'll explore emotions through Bible stories, discovering how God calls us to live with strength and purpose. This week, Pastor Jeff shares the story of when Jesus washed His disciples' feet—showing how God can turn anger into joy. James 1:20 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Today is FRI-YAY — and it's Shout-Out Day!  We want to shout YOU out!

Today, Pastor Jeff reminds us that your family might look different from someone else's—and that's okay! God brings families together in special ways, and when we choose to love God and love each other like Ruth did, He honors and blesses that faithfulness. Ruth 4:15-17 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” 16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Pastor Jeff continues teaching from the story of Ruth and reminds us that when we are faithful—kind, loyal, and obedient—God notices. Ruth 2:11-12 11 Boaz replied, “I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

Today, Pastor Jeff reminds us that families stick together—even when life gets tough. But did you know that Jesus did something even greater than Ruth? He gave everything so you and I could be part of His forever family! Ruth 1:16-17 16 But Ruth replied, “Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

This is our final week in our series about Families, and Pastor Jeff is sharing the story of Ruth and Naomi. Families come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing is always true — God is the one who brings them together. Ruth 1:8 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me.

It is FRI-YAY! And shoutout day! Pastor Jeff shares that God doesn't just talk about love—He shows it. One of the biggest ways God showed His love was by sending His Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for our sins. 1 John 4:7-9 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

Pastor Jeff reminds us today that when families talk about God every day—at breakfast, during car rides, or before bed—it helps their hearts and minds grow stronger in faith. Deuteronomy 6:7-9 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Today marks the launch of our very first Family Encouragement Podcast! We're diving into how being part of a travel sports team can impact your faith and family—and exploring what it means to honor God through it all. Pastor Jeff sits down with Will Melton to hear about his family's real-life experience.

Pastor Jeff shares today from Deuteronomy 6:4-6 and talks about a prayer called the Shema and how families should pray together. Deuteronomy 6:4-6 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.

Today, Pastor Jeff shares that when we read the Bible, pray, and talk about God as a family, we grow closer to Him and to each other. Deuteronomy 6:3 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

This week, we continue our series about families, and Pastor Jeff will share about how Families should learn about God together. Deuteronomy 6:1-2 6 These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.

It is FRI-YAY! And shout-out day! This week, Pastor Jeff has been sharing that Families should help one another, and we have been learning from the story of Aaron holding up Moses' arms from Genesis 17. Hebrews 10:23-25 23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Today, Pastor Jeff shares that sometimes, we forget the amazing things God does for us. But families should celebrate and remember together! Exodus 17:14-16 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[a] the throne of the Lord,[b] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

Pastor Jeff reminds us today that families are teams, teams share the good times, not just the tough ones. When someone in your family wins, you all win! Exodus 17:13 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

Today, Pastor Jeff shares that sometimes, helping someone in our family means giving something up. Aaron and Hur gave up their comfort, time, and energy. Exodus 17:11-12 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.

This week, Pastor Jeff shares that Families should help one another. Sometimes, one person needs help, and the others step in to assist. Our families can be like Moses, Aaron, and Hur - from the Bible story we will learn together.  Exodus 17:10 10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.  

Today is FRI-YAY! And Pastor Jeff needs new names to shout out. Send your name to creekkids@sugarcreek.net and keep on listening! Today, he talks about how families protect one another and reminds us that sometimes things in life seem confusing or hard. But just like with Moses, God is always working behind the scenes—even when we don't understand. Romans 8:28 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Today, Pastor Jeff shares that in families, we sometimes face tough choices. But loving our family means we look out for what's best, not just for ourselves. And here's the good news: God sees the big picture. Exodus 2:10 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses,[a] saying, “I drew him out of the water.”

Have you ever had to be brave to help someone else? Maybe you spoke up when someone was unkind or helped a friend when no one else would. Today, Pastor Jeff shares about Moses's sister Miriam, who stepped up at the right moment.  Exodus 2:7 7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

This week, we are learning from Pastor Jeff that families should protect one another, and we will examine the story of baby Moses. In our families, God also wants us to look out for each other! Exodus 2:4 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

We will learn this week with Pastor Jeff that Families should protect one another and learn from the story of baby Moses. Exodus 2:3 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket[a] for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

Today is FRI-YAY! Pastor Jeff shares that when we love our family, we don't just say it—we show it! We might give up our turn, share something special, or forgive even when it's hard. Hebrews 13:16 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

We learn with Pastor Jeff today that Joseph saw something bigger for his life. He saw that God had a plan, even in the middle of all the hard things. Genesis 45:3-5 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.

Pastor Jeff reminds us today that sometimes in our families, someone might do something wrong—maybe they break your toy, hurt your feelings, or don't tell the truth. But even then, God calls us to love and help one another. Genesis 42:25-26 25 Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.

Pastor Jeff continues to share that Families should love one another by looking at the story of Joseph. Peace doesn't always happen all at once, but it grows when we choose love over anger,  again and again. Genesis 42:21 21 They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come on us.”

This week, Pastor Jeff talks about how Families should love one another, and we continue to learn from he story of Joseph. We can choose to forgive, be kind, and trust that God is in control—not just in the good times, but always. Genesis 42:6-8 6 Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.” 8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

It is a very special FRI-YAY! It is Pastor Jeff's birthday! Happy birthday, Pastor Jeff. We appreciate you! Today we learn that Jesus didn't come to be served—He came to serve. And He asks us to treat our families that same way: with love, humility, and respect. Philippians 2:3-5 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.