Podcasts about all scripture

All Scripture was written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11 and Rom. 15:4). Join Andrew Wommack as he explores the life of David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Learn lessons from David's life that you can apply directly to your own.

All Scripture was written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11 and Rom. 15:4). Join Andrew Wommack as he explores the life of David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Learn lessons from David's life that you can apply directly to your own.

All Scripture was written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11 and Rom. 15:4). Join Andrew Wommack as he explores the life of David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Learn lessons from David's life that you can apply directly to your own.

All Scripture was written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11 and Rom. 15:4). Join Andrew Wommack as he explores the life of David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Learn lessons from David's life that you can apply directly to your own.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260625dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved . . . Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:21-22,32 When Confessing Christ Costs You On June 25, 1530, Lutheran princes and representatives stood before Emperor Charles V in the city of Augsburg in Germany and presented a confession of their faith. The emperor was among the most powerful rulers in the world. The pressure to stay quiet, compromise, or soften the truth was enormous. But they confessed Christ. One of the signers was John Frederick of Saxony. A few years later, Emperor Charles V went to war against the Lutheran princes in an effort to force them back into submission. John Frederick’s own cousin Maurice of Saxony sided with the emperor and invaded John Frederick’s territory. John Frederick was eventually defeated, captured, sentenced to death, and stripped of his royal title. The details of history are complicated. The pain was not. Confessing Christ had cost him dearly, even within his own family. Jesus had warned his disciples that this could happen. “Brother will betray brother to death,” he said. “You will be hated by everyone because of me.” Following Jesus would not always bring peace with the people closest to them. Sometimes it would bring division, rejection, and loss. But Jesus also gave a promise: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” That promise gives courage. You may never stand before an emperor. You may never lose lands or titles for confessing Christ. But you will have moments when faithfulness costs you something. It may cost approval. It may strain a relationship. It may make you feel alone. In those moments, remember who stands with you. Jesus confessed you first. He claimed you as his own. He carried your sins to the cross. He rose from the dead. He speaks for you before the Father. So, confess him. Speak the truth humbly. Speak it lovingly. Speak it with confidence. The Savior you confess is the Savior who confesses you. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for confessing me before your Father. Give me courage to confess you before others, even when it costs me. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

All Scripture was written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11 and Rom. 15:4). Join Andrew Wommack as he explores the life of David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Learn lessons from David's life that you can apply directly to your own.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260624dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31 You Are Worth More Than Sparrows Sparrows are easy to overlook. They are small, common, and inexpensive. In Jesus’ time, two sparrows could be bought for just one penny. No one built monuments for sparrows. No one wrote headlines about them. Most people barely noticed them at all. Yet, God noticed. Jesus tells us that not one sparrow falls to the ground outside the Father’s care. Then he turns to you and says, “So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” That does not mean your life will be painless. Jesus spoke these words while warning his disciples that following him would bring hardship. Some people would reject them. Some would hate them. Some would even persecute them. Still, they did not need to be afraid. Why? Because their Father saw them, knew them, and treasured them. That is true for you, too. There may be days when you feel small and forgotten. You may wonder if anyone sees what you are carrying on your heart. You may feel like your prayers are too ordinary, your problems too common, your fears too small for God to notice. But Jesus says your Father knows even the hairs of your head. He knows your name. He knows your needs. He knows your weaknesses. Most of all, he knows the price paid for you, not pennies, not silver or gold, but the holy, precious blood of his Son. You are not forgotten, and you are not cheap. You are not outside your Father’s care. So do not be afraid. The God who watches over sparrows is certainly watching over you. Prayer: Father, when I feel small or afraid, remind me that I am precious to you through Jesus. Help me trust your care today. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

All Scripture was written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11 and Rom. 15:4). Join Andrew Wommack as he explores the life of David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Learn lessons from David's life that you can apply directly to your own.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260623dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion 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 Preach the Word The apostle Paul wrote these words to his good friend and coworker, Timothy, near the end of his life. He knew his death was coming. He had fought the good fight. He had finished the race. He had kept the faith. So, what final instruction did he give to Timothy? “Preach the word.” Paul did not tell him to preach what people wanted to hear. He did not tell him to follow the mood of the crowd. In fact, Paul warned that the time would come when people would not put up with sound doctrine. They would gather teachers who told them what their itching ears wanted to hear. That warning still matters. God’s Word is not always popular. Sometimes it corrects us. Sometimes it rebukes us. Sometimes it exposes sins we would rather excuse. But the same Word that wounds our pride also heals our souls. It shows us our sin, and then it shows us our Savior. That is why Paul says to preach it “with great patience and careful instruction.” God’s Word is not a weapon for winning arguments. It is the voice of Christ calling sinners to repentance, forgiveness, faith, and life. You may not be a pastor like Timothy. But you still need this Word. You need it when your heart wants comfortable lies instead of saving truth. You need it when the world calls evil good and good evil. You need it when you are tired, tempted, afraid, or ashamed. And through that Word, Christ comes to you. He corrects you because he loves you. He rebukes your sin because he died to remove it. He encourages you because he rose again and promises you the crown of righteousness. So, listen to the Word. Trust the Word. Treasure the Word. It is Christ's Word for you. Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep me faithful to your Word. Correct me, forgive me, encourage me, and strengthen me to hold firmly to your truth. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260623dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion 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 Preach the Word The apostle Paul wrote these words to his good friend and coworker, Timothy, near the end of his life. He knew his death was coming. He had fought the good fight. He had finished the race. He had kept the faith. So, what final instruction did he give to Timothy? “Preach the word.” Paul did not tell him to preach what people wanted to hear. He did not tell him to follow the mood of the crowd. In fact, Paul warned that the time would come when people would not put up with sound doctrine. They would gather teachers who told them what their itching ears wanted to hear. That warning still matters. God’s Word is not always popular. Sometimes it corrects us. Sometimes it rebukes us. Sometimes it exposes sins we would rather excuse. But the same Word that wounds our pride also heals our souls. It shows us our sin, and then it shows us our Savior. That is why Paul says to preach it “with great patience and careful instruction.” God’s Word is not a weapon for winning arguments. It is the voice of Christ calling sinners to repentance, forgiveness, faith, and life. You may not be a pastor like Timothy. But you still need this Word. You need it when your heart wants comfortable lies instead of saving truth. You need it when the world calls evil good and good evil. You need it when you are tired, tempted, afraid, or ashamed. And through that Word, Christ comes to you. He corrects you because he loves you. He rebukes your sin because he died to remove it. He encourages you because he rose again and promises you the crown of righteousness. So, listen to the Word. Trust the Word. Treasure the Word. It is Christ's Word for you. Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep me faithful to your Word. Correct me, forgive me, encourage me, and strengthen me to hold firmly to your truth. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

All Scripture was written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11 and Rom. 15:4). Join Andrew Wommack as he explores the life of David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Learn lessons from David's life that you can apply directly to your own.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260622dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.” Jeremiah 20:9 When They Won’t Listen Imagine seeing a friend driving toward a bridge that is out. You wave your arms. You shout. You call. You do everything you can to stop him. But instead of listening, he laughs at you. Then he tells others you are crazy. You would not keep warning him because you like being ignored. You would continue to warn him because you love him. The prophet Jeremiah knew what it was like to have people ignore his warning. God had given him a message for his people. Danger was coming. Their sin was not harmless. Their idolatry, unbelief, and refusal to listen to the Lord were leading them toward destruction. God sent Jeremiah to turn them from sin and turn them back to him. But they would not listen. They mocked Jeremiah. They hated his message. They beat him and put him in stocks. Jeremiah was exhausted and heartbroken. His grief was not just because people mistreated him. His grief came from love. He could see the danger clearly, but the people he loved were blind to it. At one point, Jeremiah wanted to stop speaking. But he could not. God's Word was like a fire in his bones. In Jeremiah’s suffering, we hear an echo of someone greater. Jesus came as the perfect Prophet, the very Word of God in human flesh. He warned sinners. He exposed hypocrisy. He called people to repentance. He wept over Jerusalem because they did not recognize the time of God’s coming. And they rejected him, too. They mocked him. They beat him. They nailed him to a cross. But Jesus did more than warn us about judgment. He stepped under the judgment our sins deserved. He died for our stubbornness, blindness, unbelief, and sin. Then he rose to give us forgiveness, life, and certain deliverance. God does not give up on sinners. Through his Word calls us to turn from sin and turn to him. He drives us to Christ, where mercy is full and free. He held on to Jeremiah. He holds on to you. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for warning me in love and saving me by grace. Keep your Word burning in my heart. Give me repentant faith, patient love for others, and confidence in your resurrection victory. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260622dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.” Jeremiah 20:9 When They Won’t Listen Imagine seeing a friend driving toward a bridge that is out. You wave your arms. You shout. You call. You do everything you can to stop him. But instead of listening, he laughs at you. Then he tells others you are crazy. You would not keep warning him because you like being ignored. You would continue to warn him because you love him. The prophet Jeremiah knew what it was like to have people ignore his warning. God had given him a message for his people. Danger was coming. Their sin was not harmless. Their idolatry, unbelief, and refusal to listen to the Lord were leading them toward destruction. God sent Jeremiah to turn them from sin and turn them back to him. But they would not listen. They mocked Jeremiah. They hated his message. They beat him and put him in stocks. Jeremiah was exhausted and heartbroken. His grief was not just because people mistreated him. His grief came from love. He could see the danger clearly, but the people he loved were blind to it. At one point, Jeremiah wanted to stop speaking. But he could not. God's Word was like a fire in his bones. In Jeremiah’s suffering, we hear an echo of someone greater. Jesus came as the perfect Prophet, the very Word of God in human flesh. He warned sinners. He exposed hypocrisy. He called people to repentance. He wept over Jerusalem because they did not recognize the time of God’s coming. And they rejected him, too. They mocked him. They beat him. They nailed him to a cross. But Jesus did more than warn us about judgment. He stepped under the judgment our sins deserved. He died for our stubbornness, blindness, unbelief, and sin. Then he rose to give us forgiveness, life, and certain deliverance. God does not give up on sinners. Through his Word calls us to turn from sin and turn to him. He drives us to Christ, where mercy is full and free. He held on to Jeremiah. He holds on to you. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for warning me in love and saving me by grace. Keep your Word burning in my heart. Give me repentant faith, patient love for others, and confidence in your resurrection victory. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260621dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:2-5 A Cure for That Itch Mosquito bites. Athlete’s Foot. Poison Ivy. If you’ve ever had to deal with these itchy ailments, you know they are no fun and very hard to get rid of. You try this lotion and that spray, but the itch doesn't seem to go away. Time and patience are about the only answers that make the itch go away. As the apostle Paul wrote these last words to his dear friend Timothy, Paul was preparing Timothy to deal with a situation far worse than bug bites and skin rashes. False teachings, lies about the faith and salvation, and personal religious opinions were infesting and infecting the hearts of people. Such things go beyond irritation; they hurt and kill saving faith. Paul knew that a time was coming when people would no longer desire to hear what God has to say in the Bible. Paul’s words are quite prophetic for us since we are still living in similar times. Some books promote Jesus as a mere teacher of moral living. Others claim that Jesus was not and never claimed to be God. Why all the promotion of these and many other false teachings? Because people who don’t want to believe the Bible have an itch—an itch against God. They don’t want to feel accountable to God or live their lives according to his Word. So, the only way to calm that itch is to reduce God to nothing more than a lucky rabbit’s foot or a curse word. What is the salve for this itch? “Preach the Word!” the apostle Paul encourages. Preach and proclaim the Bible—the whole Bible. Let God work through the Word to do the rebuking and correcting. Let God set the record straight. And even if people will not listen, God still calls us to be faithful to the Word and proclaim it “in season and out of season.” May God strengthen us to do this always! Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to always faithfully proclaim your word for your Word is truth and life. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260621dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:2-5 A Cure for That Itch Mosquito bites. Athlete’s Foot. Poison Ivy. If you’ve ever had to deal with these itchy ailments, you know they are no fun and very hard to get rid of. You try this lotion and that spray, but the itch doesn't seem to go away. Time and patience are about the only answers that make the itch go away. As the apostle Paul wrote these last words to his dear friend Timothy, Paul was preparing Timothy to deal with a situation far worse than bug bites and skin rashes. False teachings, lies about the faith and salvation, and personal religious opinions were infesting and infecting the hearts of people. Such things go beyond irritation; they hurt and kill saving faith. Paul knew that a time was coming when people would no longer desire to hear what God has to say in the Bible. Paul’s words are quite prophetic for us since we are still living in similar times. Some books promote Jesus as a mere teacher of moral living. Others claim that Jesus was not and never claimed to be God. Why all the promotion of these and many other false teachings? Because people who don’t want to believe the Bible have an itch—an itch against God. They don’t want to feel accountable to God or live their lives according to his Word. So, the only way to calm that itch is to reduce God to nothing more than a lucky rabbit’s foot or a curse word. What is the salve for this itch? “Preach the Word!” the apostle Paul encourages. Preach and proclaim the Bible—the whole Bible. Let God work through the Word to do the rebuking and correcting. Let God set the record straight. And even if people will not listen, God still calls us to be faithful to the Word and proclaim it “in season and out of season.” May God strengthen us to do this always! Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to always faithfully proclaim your word for your Word is truth and life. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

What if the most overlooked passage in Romans holds one of its most powerful truths? Romans 16 reads like a simple list of names—26 people we've never heard of, immortalized in Scripture for reasons that aren't immediately clear. But when we dig deeper, we discover something profound: these aren't just credits at the end of a movie. These are real people with real lives, real struggles, and real faith that changed the world. From Phoebe, entrusted with carrying the precious letter of Romans across dangerous terrain, to Priscilla and Aquila, who risked their lives and opened their home for the church in hostile Rome, to Rufus, whose father Simon carried Jesus' cross—each name tells a story of sacrifice, diversity, and unity in Christ. What emerges is a beautiful picture of the early church: slaves teaching masters, women serving as deacons, Jews and Gentiles working side by side, wealthy and poor united in purpose. The central message challenges us today: Are we building the same kind of diverse, sacrificial, loving community? Would we risk our homes, our comfort, our status for the gospel? And most importantly, do we recognize that God knows each of us by name, just as intimately as He knew these 26 saints? This passage reminds us that God is both infinitely big—breathing out stars—and intimately personal, numbering the hairs on our heads and calling us each by name.**Detailed Notes**- **All Scripture Matters** – 2 Tim. 3:16–17   - All Scripture is God‑breathed and profitable, even “just a list of names” in Romans 16.   - The Spirit intentionally preserved these 26 names to teach us.- **Phoebe (Rom. 16:1–2)**   - Sister, servant (diakonos / deacon), patron (financial supporter).   - Likely carried the only copy of Romans from Corinth to Rome—dangerous, costly, yet faithful.   - Deacons = lead servants; trusted with people, money, and needs.- **Priscilla & Aquila (16:3–5; Acts 18; 2 Tim. 4:19)**   - Fellow workers; risked their necks for Paul; hosted a church in their home.   - Forced out of Rome; everywhere they went, they planted churches.   - Viewed exile and hardship as mission, not punishment.   - Tentmaking friendship with Paul likely began through ordinary vocational contact.   - Lifelong, harmonious partners in ministry.- **Epaenetus (16:5)**   - First convert in Asia; Paul still knows his name and story.   - Firstfruits of a Gentile harvest.- **Andronicus & Junia (16:7)**   - Kinsmen, fellow prisoners, in Christ before Paul, well known among the apostles.   - Likely family Paul once persecuted; powerful testimony of grace and reconciliation.   - Example of costly obedience (imprisonment, suffering).- **Ampliatus & Others (16:8ff)**   - Likely former slave who rose to church leadership.   - Early church mixed slave/free, male/female, Jew/Greek, rich/poor—fulfilling Gal. 3:28.   - Masters sometimes sat under teaching of their slaves; the kingdom inverts status.- **Rufus & His Mother (16:13; Mark 15:21)**   - Probably the son of Simon of Cyrene who carried Jesus' cross.   - Simon's forced interruption became his family's salvation story.   - Rufus' mother became like a mother to Paul.- **Big Themes from the Names**   - Real people, real costs, real love, real partnership.   - Church as family: greeting, thanking, remembering, honoring.   - Diversity and unity under Christ, not human categories.- **God Knows Your Name (Luke 19:1–10 & Survey of Scripture)**   - Jesus calls Zacchaeus by name; salvation comes to his house.   - God calls individuals by name across Scripture (Adam, Noah, Moses, David, Lazarus, Saul, etc.).   - The Creator who names the stars also numbers the hairs on our heads.   - He has not abandoned or forgotten us; He is personal and near.---**Practical Applications**1. **See Yourself as a “Name” God Knows**    - Pray personally: “Lord, thank You that You know me and my situation.”2. **Embrace Servant Leadership**    - Look for ways to be a “Phoebe” or a deacon‑hearted servant this week—meet a practical need.3. **Open Your Home and Life**    - Consider how your home/resources can serve the kingdom, not just comfort.4. **Pursue Gospel Friendships**    - Initiate one new conversation at church; your “tentmaking” connection may become lifelong partnership.5. **Reject Status & Division**    - Examine prejudice (race, class, gender, education). Repent and intentionally honor someone different from you.---**Discussion Questions**1. Which person in Romans 16 stood out to you most and why?  2. How does knowing that God preserved these “hidden” names affect how you see unnoticed service in the church?  3. Where might God be inviting you to turn a hardship or “exile” into a mission opportunity?  4. In what concrete ways can your home or job become a platform for ministry, like Priscilla and Aquila?  5. How have you personally experienced God's “He knows my name” care?  6. What divisions or hierarchies do you see creeping into the church today, and how can we resist them?

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260620dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36 Compassion Jesus was a man in motion. He healed a paralytic, a sick woman, and two blind men. He raised another man's daughter from the dead. He called men to be his disciples. The Gospel of Matthew tells us that, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness.” Why this activity, this urgency? Because the people were harassed by false prophets and the forces of evil. Because they were harassed by the guilt of their own sin and the fear of eternal death. And by themselves, they were helpless to do anything about it. Sound familiar? Aren’t we tempted by false prophets who promise a way to heaven other than through Christ? Aren’t we besieged by forces of evil that want to drag us away into the deadly sins of laziness, selfishness, greed, pornography, adultery, idolatry, and the like? Don’t we get depressed by our own sinfulness and guilt and wonder whether heaven can really be our home? And by ourselves, we are helpless to do anything about it. Thankfully, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who has come to guide, strengthen, and protect us. He lived the perfect life we couldn’t. He gave his life, taking the curse for all our sins. He moved beyond death and the grave, rising on Easter Sunday morning, and then returned to his throne in heaven. He assures us that his victory is ours. Because of all he has done, we are fully forgiven and headed for heaven. He did all this because of his compassion. Compassion has been defined as love in motion. That’s why Jesus was a man on the move. His love did not allow him to see us in our need and leave us there. He took action. Aren’t you glad he did? Prayer: Dear Jesus, I am amazed by your love and compassion. Thank you for taking action when I needed you to. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260620dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36 Compassion Jesus was a man in motion. He healed a paralytic, a sick woman, and two blind men. He raised another man's daughter from the dead. He called men to be his disciples. The Gospel of Matthew tells us that, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness.” Why this activity, this urgency? Because the people were harassed by false prophets and the forces of evil. Because they were harassed by the guilt of their own sin and the fear of eternal death. And by themselves, they were helpless to do anything about it. Sound familiar? Aren’t we tempted by false prophets who promise a way to heaven other than through Christ? Aren’t we besieged by forces of evil that want to drag us away into the deadly sins of laziness, selfishness, greed, pornography, adultery, idolatry, and the like? Don’t we get depressed by our own sinfulness and guilt and wonder whether heaven can really be our home? And by ourselves, we are helpless to do anything about it. Thankfully, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who has come to guide, strengthen, and protect us. He lived the perfect life we couldn’t. He gave his life, taking the curse for all our sins. He moved beyond death and the grave, rising on Easter Sunday morning, and then returned to his throne in heaven. He assures us that his victory is ours. Because of all he has done, we are fully forgiven and headed for heaven. He did all this because of his compassion. Compassion has been defined as love in motion. That’s why Jesus was a man on the move. His love did not allow him to see us in our need and leave us there. He took action. Aren’t you glad he did? Prayer: Dear Jesus, I am amazed by your love and compassion. Thank you for taking action when I needed you to. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

All Scripture was written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11 and Rom. 15:4). Join Andrew Wommack as he explores the life of David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Learn lessons from David's life that you can apply directly to your own.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260619dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. 2 Thessalonians 3:2-5 Perseverance For those who treasure their connection with Jesus, it is a bitter reality that there are many who want nothing to do with the Savior. There are accounts about Christians in some places in the world who are brutally treated and even ruthlessly murdered for their faith. As followers of Jesus, we may never suffer opposition to that extent, but we do experience people’s indifference, ridicule, and rejection as we live and share our faith. Keep in mind that God has an eternal plan for you. He chose you to be his own, even before he created all things. He sent Jesus to accomplish your salvation. The Holy Spirit used the power of the gospel to work saving faith in your heart. You know that Jesus lived and died to free you from the guilt of sin and thrill you with the certainty of heaven. Jesus redeemed you with his precious blood—he bought you back from the power of Satan and brought you into his family of believers. In the face of opposition, rest assured that “the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” The devil and all those who ally with him cannot separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ. It is important to “direct your hearts into God’s love.” Keep your attention on the biblical truth that you are saved from death and hell completely by God’s love through faith in Jesus. Then you will not be led astray by false teaching or dissuaded from following Jesus by those who oppose him. Through his Word, the Lord strengthens you so that you can follow the example of Jesus’ perseverance. Prayer: Lord, teach me to depend upon your strength. Assure me with your promises that you are always with me. When I face opposition for following you, protect me from harm and preserve me in faith. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260619dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. 2 Thessalonians 3:2-5 Perseverance For those who treasure their connection with Jesus, it is a bitter reality that there are many who want nothing to do with the Savior. There are accounts about Christians in some places in the world who are brutally treated and even ruthlessly murdered for their faith. As followers of Jesus, we may never suffer opposition to that extent, but we do experience people’s indifference, ridicule, and rejection as we live and share our faith. Keep in mind that God has an eternal plan for you. He chose you to be his own, even before he created all things. He sent Jesus to accomplish your salvation. The Holy Spirit used the power of the gospel to work saving faith in your heart. You know that Jesus lived and died to free you from the guilt of sin and thrill you with the certainty of heaven. Jesus redeemed you with his precious blood—he bought you back from the power of Satan and brought you into his family of believers. In the face of opposition, rest assured that “the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” The devil and all those who ally with him cannot separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ. It is important to “direct your hearts into God’s love.” Keep your attention on the biblical truth that you are saved from death and hell completely by God’s love through faith in Jesus. Then you will not be led astray by false teaching or dissuaded from following Jesus by those who oppose him. Through his Word, the Lord strengthens you so that you can follow the example of Jesus’ perseverance. Prayer: Lord, teach me to depend upon your strength. Assure me with your promises that you are always with me. When I face opposition for following you, protect me from harm and preserve me in faith. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Watch the Devotion Based on Matthew 10:32-33 Forgiven Fathers Since this Sunday is Father's Day, I'd like to say happy Father's Day to the men who have the privilege of serving the vocations of both father and war fighter. Happy Father's Day also to those men who serve as the supportive spouse to their wives who serve in our nation's military.   And since it's Father's Day, I'd like to share a little bit about my father. At his confirmation he was given Matthew 10:32-33 as his confirmation verse. Here Jesus says, “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). I have to say that my father embodies those words from Jesus. He is not shy when it comes to sharing Jesus with complete strangers and often ends the conversation with an invitation to church.   But then Jesus follows up by saying, “Whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:33). I can also say this about my father: he hasn't always been faithful in carrying out the will of his Father in heaven. He is a sinner. As a father of five children, I know that I have not always been the faithful father. My dad, and my wife and kiddos could point out where I have failed as a father. I know that I am a sinner, too.   How often have we as fathers failed to say the loving thing even when it hurts, to point out sinful attitudes of our spouse or children, so that they repent, confess and admit their sin, and then hear Jesus' absolution from our lips, “You are forgiven!” That doesn't happen often enough in our home. What about yours? Yes, fathers are imperfect – your father, this father, and those of you who serve in the vocation of father.    But what Jesus says about me and my dad to his Father in heaven is this: “These two, Paul and Fritz, they belong here with us, the Father and the Son.” He says that about you, too, fathers. And you sons and daughters, say this to your fathers this Father's Day, “You belong to Jesus and to his Father.” For God loved the world in this way: he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.   This Father's Day, point your father to Jesus, the one who obeyed his Father's will perfectly for your father. And for you, fathers, know and believe that Jesus acknowledges you before his Father in heaven as one who is forgiven, as one who is a son of the Father in heaven, adopted into his family through the waters of holy baptism.    Go and be a faithful, forgiven, father. Go and forgive fathers, just as your Father has forgiven and loved you.    Prayer: Gracious God our Father, grant people everywhere the blessing of a loving father at home. In homes where fathers have neglected their duties or have been absent, help the children to persevere and to find in your Word their ideal for parenthood. Direct us to honor, love and respect our earthly fathers. Keep your children in the one true faith in Jesus so that families may spend eternity together in heaven. In your Son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen. Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.

All Scripture was written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11 and Rom. 15:4). Join Andrew Wommack as he explores the life of David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Learn lessons from David's life that you can apply directly to your own.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260618dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 Thessalonians 3:1 The Power of the Gospel Paul appealed to the believers of Thessalonica to pray. His concern was “that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored.” The apostle knew the difficulties involved in proclaiming the good news about Jesus. Just before Paul went to Thessalonica, he was jailed at Philippi for preaching God’s word. Before that, he was stoned at Lystra. Just after leaving Thessalonica, he debated with some philosophers at Athens, and they scoffed at his message and rejected it. Nevertheless, Paul’s enthusiasm for sharing the saving message of the gospel never faded. He sought to spread the word of life wherever and whenever he could. He recognized the urgency of telling people about Jesus and how the Savior rescued them from sin and hell. He asked, “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” (Romans 10:14). It is vitally important for people to hear about Jesus so that the Holy Spirit can work in their hearts. Therefore, include in your prayers the plea that God will cause the good news of salvation through Jesus to spread rapidly so that many people may hear the message of free forgiveness and eternal life. And pray that the word of God be honored by those who hear it—that through the power of the gospel, the Holy Spirit turn people from damning unbelief to saving faith in Jesus. Prayer: Holy Spirit, use the message of salvation to call many more people out of the darkness of unbelief to the marvelous light of faith in Jesus Christ. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260618dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 Thessalonians 3:1 The Power of the Gospel Paul appealed to the believers of Thessalonica to pray. His concern was “that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored.” The apostle knew the difficulties involved in proclaiming the good news about Jesus. Just before Paul went to Thessalonica, he was jailed at Philippi for preaching God’s word. Before that, he was stoned at Lystra. Just after leaving Thessalonica, he debated with some philosophers at Athens, and they scoffed at his message and rejected it. Nevertheless, Paul’s enthusiasm for sharing the saving message of the gospel never faded. He sought to spread the word of life wherever and whenever he could. He recognized the urgency of telling people about Jesus and how the Savior rescued them from sin and hell. He asked, “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” (Romans 10:14). It is vitally important for people to hear about Jesus so that the Holy Spirit can work in their hearts. Therefore, include in your prayers the plea that God will cause the good news of salvation through Jesus to spread rapidly so that many people may hear the message of free forgiveness and eternal life. And pray that the word of God be honored by those who hear it—that through the power of the gospel, the Holy Spirit turn people from damning unbelief to saving faith in Jesus. Prayer: Holy Spirit, use the message of salvation to call many more people out of the darkness of unbelief to the marvelous light of faith in Jesus Christ. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

All Scripture was written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11 and Rom. 15:4). Join Andrew Wommack as he explores the life of David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Learn lessons from David's life that you can apply directly to your own.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260617dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.'” Leviticus 19:1-2 Be Holy Have you ever achieved perfection? Making the perfect sales pitch. Baking the perfect pie. Earning the perfect grade. When you reach that goal, you get excited. You rejoice. You let others know that perfection has been achieved. But how long did it take you to achieve that perfection? How many mistakes did you make on the way? The Lord tells his people to be holy. In other words, be perfect. But he doesn’t say work your way to perfection. He says you are to be holy, right now, at this very moment, and then to keep being holy. Of course, you aren’t perfect. You make mistakes. You do things that are wrong. And as soon as you make one mistake or sin even in the most insignificant way, you are no longer perfect. You are unable to be holy even though God demands that you be holy. So, the Lord sent Jesus. Jesus was holy. He didn’t make any mistakes. He never sinned. He never did anything contrary to what God commands. Jesus lived a perfect life in his thoughts, his words, and in everything he did. Now Jesus gives that perfection to you. Even though you are not holy, Jesus makes you holy by giving you his perfect obedience to God’s laws and washing away your sins with his innocent blood. Through Jesus, you are able to be what you cannot achieve on your own. You are holy. Prayer: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I confess that by nature I am not holy as you desire. Cleanse me of my sins with the blood of Jesus. Lead me to always thank and praise you for the holiness that you have given me through Jesus. Keep me faithful to him. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260617dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.'” Leviticus 19:1-2 Be Holy Have you ever achieved perfection? Making the perfect sales pitch. Baking the perfect pie. Earning the perfect grade. When you reach that goal, you get excited. You rejoice. You let others know that perfection has been achieved. But how long did it take you to achieve that perfection? How many mistakes did you make on the way? The Lord tells his people to be holy. In other words, be perfect. But he doesn’t say work your way to perfection. He says you are to be holy, right now, at this very moment, and then to keep being holy. Of course, you aren’t perfect. You make mistakes. You do things that are wrong. And as soon as you make one mistake or sin even in the most insignificant way, you are no longer perfect. You are unable to be holy even though God demands that you be holy. So, the Lord sent Jesus. Jesus was holy. He didn’t make any mistakes. He never sinned. He never did anything contrary to what God commands. Jesus lived a perfect life in his thoughts, his words, and in everything he did. Now Jesus gives that perfection to you. Even though you are not holy, Jesus makes you holy by giving you his perfect obedience to God’s laws and washing away your sins with his innocent blood. Through Jesus, you are able to be what you cannot achieve on your own. You are holy. Prayer: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I confess that by nature I am not holy as you desire. Cleanse me of my sins with the blood of Jesus. Lead me to always thank and praise you for the holiness that you have given me through Jesus. Keep me faithful to him. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

All Scripture was written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11 and Rom. 15:4). Join Andrew Wommack as he explores the life of David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Learn lessons from David's life that you can apply directly to your own.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260616dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 More Than Enough Today’s Bible passage provides the opportunity for you to give thanks for one of God's greatest blessings. He chose you to be saved! He rescued you from the curse of sin and the power of death. Salvation did not come about by your choice; it is completely the result of God's gracious choice. Your salvation is not a matter of chance; it is certain and true. For even before the creation of the world, in love God chose you to be his own. The Holy Spirit used the message of Jesus to turn you from unbelief to faith in Jesus as your Savior. And with that same gospel message, the Holy Spirit still preserves you in faith. Because of Jesus' perfect life and innocent death in your place, you stand before God as one of his holy people and are privileged to be an heir of eternal life. Believe what God has revealed to you in his Word. That’s the only true defense against the assaults to your faith. Keep going back to the Word of God because that’s where you meet Jesus. That’s where God tells you about his plans for you. He shows you his Son, Jesus, and how he saved you from hell. He uplifts you with his certain word that you will share in the glory of heaven—all because of Jesus. Indeed, this is more than enough reason to give thanks to God! Prayer: Dear God, I give you thanks for planning and carrying out my salvation through your Son, Jesus. Thank you for bringing me to faith in Jesus and leading me to trust him as my Savior from sin and death. Encourage me with your sure promise that the glory of heaven awaits me. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260616dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 More Than Enough Today’s Bible passage provides the opportunity for you to give thanks for one of God's greatest blessings. He chose you to be saved! He rescued you from the curse of sin and the power of death. Salvation did not come about by your choice; it is completely the result of God's gracious choice. Your salvation is not a matter of chance; it is certain and true. For even before the creation of the world, in love God chose you to be his own. The Holy Spirit used the message of Jesus to turn you from unbelief to faith in Jesus as your Savior. And with that same gospel message, the Holy Spirit still preserves you in faith. Because of Jesus' perfect life and innocent death in your place, you stand before God as one of his holy people and are privileged to be an heir of eternal life. Believe what God has revealed to you in his Word. That’s the only true defense against the assaults to your faith. Keep going back to the Word of God because that’s where you meet Jesus. That’s where God tells you about his plans for you. He shows you his Son, Jesus, and how he saved you from hell. He uplifts you with his certain word that you will share in the glory of heaven—all because of Jesus. Indeed, this is more than enough reason to give thanks to God! Prayer: Dear God, I give you thanks for planning and carrying out my salvation through your Son, Jesus. Thank you for bringing me to faith in Jesus and leading me to trust him as my Savior from sin and death. Encourage me with your sure promise that the glory of heaven awaits me. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

All Scripture was written for our admonition and learning (1 Cor. 10:11 and Rom. 15:4). Join Andrew Wommack as he explores the life of David, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Learn lessons from David's life that you can apply directly to your own.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260615dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:25,32-33 Why Worry? Aren’t five-year-olds silly? Sometimes they get upset over such insignificant things. They cry because they can’t find their teddy bear or because their favorite television show is over. As adults, we can only shake our heads at these silly little creatures who allow themselves to become miserable over such minor problems. It makes one wonder how our heavenly Father’s head must shake when he watches over us. We worry about this. We worry about that. Such silliness. Jesus commands us not to worry. He is very serious about it because he knows that our heavenly Father does more than shake his head at our worrying. He shakes his fist. Worrying angers God because when we worry we are telling our Father that we don’t trust him to take care of us. Thank God that Jesus did more than command us not to worry. He endured his Father’s anger at our sinful worrying. He took the punishment that should have been ours, so we don’t have to worry about God being angry at us. We don't have to worry about ANYTHING. Your Father loves you. He wants what is best for you. He knows what is best for you. Instead of worrying about things that you need for life, look to your Father in heaven, who promises to provide for you. The longer you linger in his Word, the more you will say to yourself, “What was I worried about? How silly!” Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the many times I fail to trust in your love and provision. Give me eyes that look to you for help in every need. Give me ears to hear the promises found in your Word. Give me a heart to trust that you are all I need and that I need never worry. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260615dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:25,32-33 Why Worry? Aren’t five-year-olds silly? Sometimes they get upset over such insignificant things. They cry because they can’t find their teddy bear or because their favorite television show is over. As adults, we can only shake our heads at these silly little creatures who allow themselves to become miserable over such minor problems. It makes one wonder how our heavenly Father’s head must shake when he watches over us. We worry about this. We worry about that. Such silliness. Jesus commands us not to worry. He is very serious about it because he knows that our heavenly Father does more than shake his head at our worrying. He shakes his fist. Worrying angers God because when we worry we are telling our Father that we don’t trust him to take care of us. Thank God that Jesus did more than command us not to worry. He endured his Father’s anger at our sinful worrying. He took the punishment that should have been ours, so we don’t have to worry about God being angry at us. We don't have to worry about ANYTHING. Your Father loves you. He wants what is best for you. He knows what is best for you. Instead of worrying about things that you need for life, look to your Father in heaven, who promises to provide for you. The longer you linger in his Word, the more you will say to yourself, “What was I worried about? How silly!” Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the many times I fail to trust in your love and provision. Give me eyes that look to you for help in every need. Give me ears to hear the promises found in your Word. Give me a heart to trust that you are all I need and that I need never worry. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260614dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:2 High Fidelity In the recording industry, years ago, “hi-fi” stood for high fidelity. Much enjoyment is derived from listening to music that is faithfully and accurately reproduced. “High fidelity” is also the mark of the children of God in their performance to God. In this respect, they are imitators of their heavenly Father, who faithfully keeps all of his promises. As “hi-fi” servants of God, we carry out and fulfill the Word of God in our lives, that Word that we hold in our hearts and confess with our mouths. We are stewards and caretakers of all that God has entrusted to us. What an amazing thing it is to be found trustworthy in the high privilege that is ours to follow Jesus and his Word. What sweet music it is to God—and to our fellow human beings—when with high fidelity we reproduce the Word of God in our lives! In commending high-fidelity performance and encouraging us to continue, our Lord is not asking anything of us that he was unwilling to render. The writer of the book of Hebrews declares about Jesus, “He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house” (Hebrews 3:2). Jesus was faithful to the will of God, to the point of death, even death on the cross. All this was for us that he might redeem us from sin and enable us to give all the sweet sounds of heavenly music in all of life. Prayer: Gracious Father, I ask for your Holy Spirit working through your Word to produce his fruit in my heart, including the ability to record in “hi-fi” all the days of my life. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260614dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:2 High Fidelity In the recording industry, years ago, “hi-fi” stood for high fidelity. Much enjoyment is derived from listening to music that is faithfully and accurately reproduced. “High fidelity” is also the mark of the children of God in their performance to God. In this respect, they are imitators of their heavenly Father, who faithfully keeps all of his promises. As “hi-fi” servants of God, we carry out and fulfill the Word of God in our lives, that Word that we hold in our hearts and confess with our mouths. We are stewards and caretakers of all that God has entrusted to us. What an amazing thing it is to be found trustworthy in the high privilege that is ours to follow Jesus and his Word. What sweet music it is to God—and to our fellow human beings—when with high fidelity we reproduce the Word of God in our lives! In commending high-fidelity performance and encouraging us to continue, our Lord is not asking anything of us that he was unwilling to render. The writer of the book of Hebrews declares about Jesus, “He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house” (Hebrews 3:2). Jesus was faithful to the will of God, to the point of death, even death on the cross. All this was for us that he might redeem us from sin and enable us to give all the sweet sounds of heavenly music in all of life. Prayer: Gracious Father, I ask for your Holy Spirit working through your Word to produce his fruit in my heart, including the ability to record in “hi-fi” all the days of my life. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260613dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:15-16 God’s Abundant Grace The other day I had a talk with a friend who admitted that she sometimes gets so down on herself when she knows that she has sinned. I think I can relate; perhaps you can, too. What can we do about that? We can go to Jesus for forgiveness. We can leave those sins at the foot of his cross. It can be difficult to leave our sins at the cross sometimes. We know that Jesus has taken them away, but then why do we still feel guilty about them? Well, this is just another way that the devil tries to get a foothold on us. This is the way he gets us to doubt what God says when he tells us he loves us. The devil has a way of saying to us “Are you sure that God forgave that sin? Do you really feel sorry for it? Do you think he’s going to forgive you over and over again?” How frustrating and heartbreaking these thoughts can be! You can find help and comfort in these words written by the apostle Paul: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” Paul knew that not even his sins were too big for Jesus to take away. We can also be assured that our sins aren’t too many for Jesus to forgive. Jesus does forgive all our sins. His grace is abundant. No matter how sinful we are, even if we are the worst of sinners, our Lord pours out his grace on us and cancels the guilt of each and every sin we commit. So never doubt your forgiveness because God’s abundant grace is for you, too. Prayer: Dear Jesus, forgive me for ever doubting your saving power. Through the good news of your word, remind me of your power and love whenever I sin. Help me cling to your abundant grace and fill me with the lasting peace of your forgiveness. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260613dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:15-16 God’s Abundant Grace The other day I had a talk with a friend who admitted that she sometimes gets so down on herself when she knows that she has sinned. I think I can relate; perhaps you can, too. What can we do about that? We can go to Jesus for forgiveness. We can leave those sins at the foot of his cross. It can be difficult to leave our sins at the cross sometimes. We know that Jesus has taken them away, but then why do we still feel guilty about them? Well, this is just another way that the devil tries to get a foothold on us. This is the way he gets us to doubt what God says when he tells us he loves us. The devil has a way of saying to us “Are you sure that God forgave that sin? Do you really feel sorry for it? Do you think he’s going to forgive you over and over again?” How frustrating and heartbreaking these thoughts can be! You can find help and comfort in these words written by the apostle Paul: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” Paul knew that not even his sins were too big for Jesus to take away. We can also be assured that our sins aren’t too many for Jesus to forgive. Jesus does forgive all our sins. His grace is abundant. No matter how sinful we are, even if we are the worst of sinners, our Lord pours out his grace on us and cancels the guilt of each and every sin we commit. So never doubt your forgiveness because God’s abundant grace is for you, too. Prayer: Dear Jesus, forgive me for ever doubting your saving power. Through the good news of your word, remind me of your power and love whenever I sin. Help me cling to your abundant grace and fill me with the lasting peace of your forgiveness. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260612dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9 An Unexpected Invitation People often draw conclusions about others based on the people they associate with. And so, there may be people you don’t want to be seen with, so people don’t think less of you. Are you ever the one someone stays away from? That can really hurt, especially if the person avoiding you is someone people look up to, or someone from whom you crave acceptance and love. Jesus approached a man named Matthew one day. He was someone people usually avoided. Not just because he was a tax collector, and people didn’t want to pay taxes. But because tax collectors worked for the Roman Empire, which oppressed Israel. And tax collectors could demand more taxes than were required and keep the difference for themselves. Jesus approached Matthew that day. “Follow me,” he said. Jesus wasn’t showing him how to get to a location across town. Jesus was calling him to be his disciple, to join his traveling school of theology, to spend time with him, and be seen with him. Jesus went out of his way and risked his reputation for someone whose chosen career path had rightly branded him a sinner to be avoided. Moved by the unconditional love in Jesus’ invitation, Matthew got up and followed him. And he never looked back. In Jesus, Matthew didn’t find acceptance of sinful ways. Instead, he found forgiveness for every fault and failure. He found pardon for his past and the promise of belonging in the family of God. He found love without condition and mercy for the messiest of lives. No matter what you have done, no matter what others think of you, Jesus says to you, “Follow me. Know that God loves you and forgives you. Hold onto my mercy. I want you to be with me forever.” Follow him, and don't look back! Prayer: Jesus, in love you found me. I want to follow you. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260612dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9 An Unexpected Invitation People often draw conclusions about others based on the people they associate with. And so, there may be people you don’t want to be seen with, so people don’t think less of you. Are you ever the one someone stays away from? That can really hurt, especially if the person avoiding you is someone people look up to, or someone from whom you crave acceptance and love. Jesus approached a man named Matthew one day. He was someone people usually avoided. Not just because he was a tax collector, and people didn’t want to pay taxes. But because tax collectors worked for the Roman Empire, which oppressed Israel. And tax collectors could demand more taxes than were required and keep the difference for themselves. Jesus approached Matthew that day. “Follow me,” he said. Jesus wasn’t showing him how to get to a location across town. Jesus was calling him to be his disciple, to join his traveling school of theology, to spend time with him, and be seen with him. Jesus went out of his way and risked his reputation for someone whose chosen career path had rightly branded him a sinner to be avoided. Moved by the unconditional love in Jesus’ invitation, Matthew got up and followed him. And he never looked back. In Jesus, Matthew didn’t find acceptance of sinful ways. Instead, he found forgiveness for every fault and failure. He found pardon for his past and the promise of belonging in the family of God. He found love without condition and mercy for the messiest of lives. No matter what you have done, no matter what others think of you, Jesus says to you, “Follow me. Know that God loves you and forgives you. Hold onto my mercy. I want you to be with me forever.” Follow him, and don't look back! Prayer: Jesus, in love you found me. I want to follow you. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Watch the Devotion Based on Numbers 27:15-23 Relieved of Duty, Not Relieved of Grace “Because of your insubordination I am relieving you of command.”   Those are words that no one wants to hear, and yet these are the very words the Lord spoke to his servant leader Moses. Moses had led the nation of Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness for 40 years and was about to lead the people into the Promised Land. But God stopped him short. The reason? “You disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes” (Numbers 27:14).   God led Moses to the top of a mountain so he could see the Promised Land and then he died and God buried him.    I'm certain you know someone who has been relieved of duty, lost command, demoted, received a reduction in rank because of a violation of policy, poor performance, or loss of confidence in their ability to lead. Maybe that's you. And like Moses, there are reminders of that failure always before you. How does that make you feel? Worthless? Full of regret? Full of guilt? You are not alone.       Before Moses died, the LORD commanded him to lay his hands on his successor and commission him to lead. And he led well. His name? Joshua. In the Hebrew Yeshua. In the Greek language Jesus: a name that means – the one who saves. Yes, God provided another leader to shepherd his people – a picture of what the perfect Good Shepherd would one day do for Moses. God's imperfect servant leader could cling to the promise of the perfect servant leader and know his sins were forgiven. Moses could die in peace knowing his God had made all things right.       Whatever it is you failed to do in your job, whatever consequences you suffered for it, believe this: Jesus was and is the perfect leader, and the perfect subordinate, the perfect servant of all, the perfect shepherd for all, and that includes you and me.   As shepherd he looks at people like you and me, and doesn't shake his head, groan and say, “Not again!” Instead, he looks on you and me with compassion. His heart goes out to us, because he sees people, sinners, sheep who need a shepherd, and he comes to you and to me and offers his holy, perfect, selfless, sacrificial life and says, “Here, this is yours. You are righteous in my sight.”   Whatever God has called you to do right now, go and do it. Go with confidence. Believe that your sin is covered by Jesus. Go with confidence knowing that Jesus goes before you as a shepherd leads his sheep.   Prayer: This weekend as the US Army celebrates its 251st birthday we pause to thank you for this branch of our armed forces that has stood ready to protect our nation and its people and defend its values. Raise up more men and women willing to serve with loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. Through the sacrifice of our US Army may we continue to enjoy and practice the freedoms of this great country. In your name, Lord Jesus, I pray it. Amen.        Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260611dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:12-13 I Need a Doctor By God’s grace, I’ve been healthy for most of my life. There have been times in my life when I didn’t have a primary care doctor, and I didn’t really need one. There were no aches or pains, no signs of any problems. As I’ve grown older, I’ve recognized the need to at least visit my doctor for my yearly physical. They draw blood to check my glucose and cholesterol. They check my weight, my blood pressure, and a few other things. They sometimes order tests that are recommended just because of my age. Often, those visits and those tests don’t reveal a need for any further care. So, do I really need a doctor? Of course, those checkups would be needed if any problems were to show up without symptoms that caught my attention. Without those checkups, I wouldn’t be aware of the care that the doctor sometimes prescribes. Jesus says that the same is true of our spiritual life. When he was criticized for hanging around the sinners that most people looked down on, for spending time with those who were spiritually sick, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” A doctor who isn’t honest about a risk or problem isn’t the doctor you want. The same is true spiritually. We need Jesus to come to us with his law and show us just how sick with sin we are. Our thoughts, words, and actions are infected with pride and lovelessness leading to certain death. We need to know that. But when he reveals the diagnosis, Jesus assures us that he provides the perfect and only antidote for our terminal sickness. In mercy, Jesus took the infection of our sin into himself to purify not only our blood but our whole being. He healed our wounded hearts by being wounded for us. He suffered the death that our sins brought about, so that the prognosis is reversed. Through Jesus, we will live forever. Prayer: Jesus, show me my deadly sinfulness and lead me to trust the life-saving antidote of your forgiving love. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260611dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:12-13 I Need a Doctor By God’s grace, I’ve been healthy for most of my life. There have been times in my life when I didn’t have a primary care doctor, and I didn’t really need one. There were no aches or pains, no signs of any problems. As I’ve grown older, I’ve recognized the need to at least visit my doctor for my yearly physical. They draw blood to check my glucose and cholesterol. They check my weight, my blood pressure, and a few other things. They sometimes order tests that are recommended just because of my age. Often, those visits and those tests don’t reveal a need for any further care. So, do I really need a doctor? Of course, those checkups would be needed if any problems were to show up without symptoms that caught my attention. Without those checkups, I wouldn’t be aware of the care that the doctor sometimes prescribes. Jesus says that the same is true of our spiritual life. When he was criticized for hanging around the sinners that most people looked down on, for spending time with those who were spiritually sick, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” A doctor who isn’t honest about a risk or problem isn’t the doctor you want. The same is true spiritually. We need Jesus to come to us with his law and show us just how sick with sin we are. Our thoughts, words, and actions are infected with pride and lovelessness leading to certain death. We need to know that. But when he reveals the diagnosis, Jesus assures us that he provides the perfect and only antidote for our terminal sickness. In mercy, Jesus took the infection of our sin into himself to purify not only our blood but our whole being. He healed our wounded hearts by being wounded for us. He suffered the death that our sins brought about, so that the prognosis is reversed. Through Jesus, we will live forever. Prayer: Jesus, show me my deadly sinfulness and lead me to trust the life-saving antidote of your forgiving love. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Now that we have all 5 pieces of our armor, the belt of truth around our waist, the breastplate of righteousness covering our heart, the shoes of peace for our ready feet, the shield of faith in one hand to protect us from the fiery arrows, and the helmet of salvation protecting our mind, we have one last thing to do … Ephesians 6:17, “Take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” We have been given a sword to fight this battle. That sword is the very word of God. That word is given to us by the Holy Spirit. Notice Paul says, “Take the sword of THE SPIRIT, which is the WORD OF GOD.” This is more than just having the Bible app on your phone. More than posting a few scriptures on your social when you're having a bad day. This is the Holy Spirit giving you a literal weapon to use in the spiritual battle raging all around you. That weapon is a sword in the word of God. The Bible isn't a book of magic words to repeat to get what we want. Speed reading it isn't going to arm you, that's just going to check a box. The ol' “let me crack this puppy open and just see what scripture jumps out at me” isn't a real sword for the battle against evil. Here's what the Bible really is, it is GOD-BREATHED. God breathed his very word into the writers of scripture. Our Bibles are HOLY and DIVINE, unlike any other book ever written. We attribute books to Moses, David, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, and others … but the foundation of our belief is that it's ALL from God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “ALL Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” When you understand the sheer miracle it is to be able to hold God's actual word in your hands and read it with your own eyes – wow!!!! Before modern day, God's word was reserved for a select few. It was all handwritten on scrolls of parchment or animal skin, stored away somewhere sacred. To hear his word read, you would have to go to the temple. For this reason, people would literally seek to memorize God's word fully so they could carry it with them. Did you know Kings of Israel were require to transcribe the Bible for themselves to have while they ruled their country? To lead well, they had to let God's word get within them and know it personally, so they wrote it word for word themselves. Hey, I don't know what you're leading – if it's a family or a business, a circle of friends or a mission of some sort, but it's very clear what you need to lead that well – YOU NEED GOD'S WORD. It's not enough to just have someone read it to you. You need to know it for yourself. If you're wondering what's wrong with your life, God's word will reveal it to you. If you're seeking the right thing to do, God's word will reveal it to you. Your answers are all here. And of course, that's why in this spiritual battle the enemy has tried everything to keep you OUT OF GOD'S WORD. No, he doesn't want that sword in your hand! Some of us finally have that sword in our hand, but we don't know how to use it. We're just randomly pulling out scriptures, twisting them to fit our situation. We're throwing around God's word, hoping something sticks and makes a magical change. No, girl – you need Sword School. You have to know how to hold the sword of God's word. How to swing it. How to stand with it. How to fight with it. I once had a little stalker incident that scared the bejesus right out of me. Someone had broken into our home and stolen all our photo albums and a few of my very personal items – nothing of monetary value. The next day, my husband bought me a pistol and he took me out to the desert to teach me how to shoot it. Just having the gun didn't give me any safety – in fact, it just made me dangerous. I had to know where to find it for quick access. I had to learn how to handle it. I had to know how to load it. How to take the safety off. How to aim and pull the trigger. No amount of instruction could give me the confidence to handle this weapon – I had to use it for myself. I had to get familiar with it. I had to practice using it until I could do it in the dark. What good is a weapon if in the middle of the night the bad guy comes and I'm like, “Ahhh, wait a second, let me turn on the light so I can find my weapon and figure out how to get it ready to point at you.” Isn't that the way we are with our Bibles? We don't know how to use them. We don't know it's power. We're not trained up for this battle. And honestly, with our habit of just pulling out random scriptures and trying to apply what feels good at the moment, we are dangerous. Just a few years ago, I didn't even own a Bible. I just looked up random scriptures online to pull them out when needed. And yes, it got me through a few battles, but I wasn't trained up. I didn't know how to hold that sword. I didn't know how to swing that sword. I had no confidence fighting in the dark. I was more of an imposter than a swordsman. In February 2024, I bought a bible and a pack of bible highlighters. I began my Sword School. This training has given me confidence unlike anything before. I've trained for and run several full marathons.- they never gave me this kind of confidence. I've put on a fancy dress, worn the good jewelry, and had my hair and makeup done by a professional – I learned to walk with purpose and power – all of that never gave me the confidence of my Sword School! True confidence comes from knowing the God-breathed word of our Bible. Knowing God's ways, knowing his promises, understanding how to use his power. It's in his word we begin to understand what his voice sounds like. And once you know what his voice sounds like, you can know when it's God speaking to you and when it's not. We all want to hear from God. We all want that divine direction and clear path. It's available to each one of us if we will study his word with the intention of letting it shape and form us. If the intention is to check a box, then a checked box will be our only reward. If the intention is to impress someone with highlights on pages or a memorized scripture, then that will be our only reward. But if you are studying God's word as Sword School so you know how to hold it, how to swing it, how to stand with it, and how to fight with it … then girl, your life is about to change. There's only one problem with my Sword Sessions and Sword School. I never seem to graduate. I can read the same scripture I did a year ago and there's something more for me to learn. Isn't it bizarre how God's word can fit your specific situation so absolutely perfectly, and yet it was written thousands of years ago? Or how crazy it is that his word will speak to you so divinely in this moment, but it was there all along? So, because I'm still learning so much, I must always carry my sword with me. And that's a problem for me – you see, I travel full time. And I travel light. I've been traveling internationally for the past 3.5 months and I have only a carry on and backpack. Everything – all my outfits, all my shoes, my hiking clothes, my mountain clothes, my beach clothes, my retreat clothes, my tolitires – all of it has to fit into a carry on and small backpack. BUT MY SWORD COMES FIRST. My sword is a worn out, falling apart, turquoise Bible filled with notes, stickers and letters. It's heavy, it's bulky, and totally NOT travel friendly. BUT I'M GOING NOWHERE WITHOUT IT! It's an absolute requirement! You know why? Because I'm in a battle and I know this is my weapon. These are God-breathed words I carry. Holy instructions for life. Battle plans for victory. I must be ready at all times! Now here's the truly beautiful thing – with Sword School (my fancy little name for personal Bible study), something divine happens … You begin depositing God's word IN YOU. And Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “The world of God is ALIVE and POWERFUL. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword …” Reading God's word to actually deposit it into your life and receive it, puts something LIVING inside of you. Then you have his word growing because it is alive. And yes, it is powerful. With God's living word in you, you begin seeing things differently. You begin responding differently. Your heart's desires begin to change. Your will becomes meshed with his will. Your life changes because the living word is alive in you, unleashing its power. And girl – that's how you show up for battle! Every time you sit down and study God's living word, you are preparing yourself for the battle. You are learning how to hold this sword. You're learning how to swing this sword. You're learning how to stand with this sword. You're learning how to fight with this sword, his living word. And the more your practice, the more confidence you have. You're becoming a real life swordsman! God-breathed words. Words that are alive. Words that have the power to radically change your life. Words that will win this spiritual battle. So my sister, take up your sword given to you by the Holy Spirit, God's breathed words, his divine instructions, his eternal promises and truths. Practice using it every day. Let it take hold of you. Take it with you everywhere you go. Get serious about your Sword School. Then let's stand together with our swords and take down the devil! I challenge you to study Matthew 4: 1-11. This is the account of Jesus himself fighting the devil with the sword of God's word. You gotta know how to handle it in this fight! Jesus shows us how. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260610dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:14 Overflowing Grace Do you ever find yourself running on empty? Your energy is gone. Your enthusiasm is nowhere to be found. Hope seems elusive. You don't know how you will get through the day or week. What about your spiritual tank? Doubts and questions poke holes in your faith, and it begins to leak out. Guilt and shame pile on, leaving you feeling worn out and worthless. Maybe it’s not a constant feeling, but there’s that one incident. Death or illness struck your family without warning. You heard something that left you with real unanswered questions about your faith. You made a huge mistake, and someone was really hurt. You feel empty, confused, and worthless. When the apostle Paul wrote the words for our devotion today, he knew that, by his own strength, he could accomplish nothing. His past was checkered. His present was far from perfect. His tank was empty. But into his emptiness God poured grace. God's unconditional love and mercy overflowed in Paul’s life. It overflowed when he met Jesus. Face-to-face with Jesus, he knew that he deserved to die for the way he had treated Christians, to suffer for the suffering he had caused. But Paul said, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly.” God’s love overflowed to forgive him. As many sins as he had, God had more grace. Because of God’s overflowing love, Paul was forgiven. With that forgiving grace, the Lord also poured out two more gifts – faith and love. Faith to believe that he was forgiven, and love that came from God and overflowed into the lives of those around him. And all of this was “in Christ Jesus.” In Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God shows his overflowing grace for sinners. In his Word is the power to work faith in our hearts. In his love is the power and motivation to love others. When you are feeling empty, God wants to fill you up. Look at Jesus’ cross and his empty tomb. There, his grace overflows to you and every undeserving sinner. There, he fills you up with the faith and love you need to live in him and for him every day. Prayer: Lord, when I’m feeling empty, fill me up with your grace. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260610dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:14 Overflowing Grace Do you ever find yourself running on empty? Your energy is gone. Your enthusiasm is nowhere to be found. Hope seems elusive. You don't know how you will get through the day or week. What about your spiritual tank? Doubts and questions poke holes in your faith, and it begins to leak out. Guilt and shame pile on, leaving you feeling worn out and worthless. Maybe it’s not a constant feeling, but there’s that one incident. Death or illness struck your family without warning. You heard something that left you with real unanswered questions about your faith. You made a huge mistake, and someone was really hurt. You feel empty, confused, and worthless. When the apostle Paul wrote the words for our devotion today, he knew that, by his own strength, he could accomplish nothing. His past was checkered. His present was far from perfect. His tank was empty. But into his emptiness God poured grace. God's unconditional love and mercy overflowed in Paul’s life. It overflowed when he met Jesus. Face-to-face with Jesus, he knew that he deserved to die for the way he had treated Christians, to suffer for the suffering he had caused. But Paul said, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly.” God’s love overflowed to forgive him. As many sins as he had, God had more grace. Because of God’s overflowing love, Paul was forgiven. With that forgiving grace, the Lord also poured out two more gifts – faith and love. Faith to believe that he was forgiven, and love that came from God and overflowed into the lives of those around him. And all of this was “in Christ Jesus.” In Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God shows his overflowing grace for sinners. In his Word is the power to work faith in our hearts. In his love is the power and motivation to love others. When you are feeling empty, God wants to fill you up. Look at Jesus’ cross and his empty tomb. There, his grace overflows to you and every undeserving sinner. There, he fills you up with the faith and love you need to live in him and for him every day. Prayer: Lord, when I’m feeling empty, fill me up with your grace. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260609dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you.” Exodus 3:11-12 Who Am I? Graduation ceremonies have recently concluded on many college and high school campuses in the United States. Many graduates heard speeches that sounded something like this: “You’ve accomplished great things. You can do anything you set your mind to! Now go out there and chase your dreams. Nothing can stop you now!” With a diploma in hand and pride in their hearts, many may believe it. But for most, the day will come when they realize that they can’t do everything. They just don’t have the skills, strength, or qualifications. Unlike those graduates, Moses hadn’t been planning for this day. He’d been minding his own business as a shepherd after fleeing from Egypt forty years earlier. But God wanted to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, where they were slaves. And he wanted Moses to lead them out. Moses felt utterly unqualified. “Who am I?” he asked God. He rightly recognized that he didn’t really have the qualifications needed for such important work. God has given us great work to do. He has called us to serve him wherever we are. We serve him by loving our neighbor, caring for our family, listening to a friend, and providing for our community through our honest labor every day. Through such tasks, God is working to show his love to the world. Who am I, that I should do such noble work? To that, God gives the same answer he gave to Moses, “I will be with you.” He came to be with us when he sent his Son to rescue us from our own pride and excuses by entering enemy territory to die for us. He promises that he is with us when we hear his Word and respond in prayer. He promises never to leave our side, as he protects us from harm and blesses the work of our hands for his purposes. No, we are not worthy to do God’s work. But by his blood, Jesus makes us worthy, and with his presence, he accomplishes great things through us. Prayer: Father, thank you for accomplishing your loving work through me. Take away my fears and excuses and make me willing to serve you by serving my neighbor. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260608dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:15-16 Mercy for the Worst Growing up with my siblings, I always wanted to be the best, to play sports better than they did, to ride my bike faster, to win at board games, and to get the best grades. It took some of the fun out of it when they weren’t interested in competing and didn't care if I won. As much as I might have liked competition, I don’t remember ever competing to be the worst. Who would want to claim that title? Even when I was little, and my parents would say, “Last one in bed is the rotten egg!” no one wanted to be last! In today’s verses, Paul, the author, calls himself the worst of sinners. This is not a badge of honor any of us wants to wear. Our normal tendency is to minimize our own sins and magnify the sins of others. I did or said that, but I had a good reason for it. I’m not perfect, but at least I didn’t do that. Why did Paul call himself the worst of sinners? As he looked back on his life, he saw a life riddled with rebellion against God. Even though he thought he was doing the right thing at the time, he had persecuted Christians before God called him to faith in Jesus. Even after he became a Christian, he continued to sin against God every day. There was no excuse. No hiding. He deserved God’s punishment. But he didn’t need to hide because he knew that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. None of us can save ourselves. Paul saw the mercy that God showed him as evidence of God’s mercy for all. He saw his own salvation as proof that Jesus can and will forgive anyone. That includes you and me. So, we can honestly and without fear admit, “I’m the worst of sinners, but Jesus came to save me.” Prayer: Jesus, thank you for coming into the world to save sinners—even me. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260607dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Matthew 9:12 I Need Jesus Do I need Jesus? There are three possible answers. The first one is, “No!” If I look at myself and think I’m pretty good, it would be easy to conclude, “I don't need Jesus.” I have myself—my good intentions, my good works, and my better-than-everyone-else attitude. Why would I need Jesus when I have myself? The second answer is not as self-centered. I may conclude, “I need Jesus, but only in emergencies.” I believe I am in perfect control of my life. I have everything in order and running smoothly. Still, I recognize that there are times when a situation is beyond my control. Then, I need Jesus. I need him to undo the mess I have made. I need him to help me get everything back into control. It is good to know Jesus is there when I really need him. The third answer is the most honest. Do I need Jesus? “Absolutely!” Through the diagnosis of God’s perfect Word, I recognize I am sick. My disobedience has robbed me of my strength. My selfishness has destroyed my well-being. My indifference to the Lord and his will has made me terminally ill. I need Jesus. In answer to my need, Jesus is there. He is there as a doctor to heal my sin-sick soul with his assurance of forgiveness. He is there to restore my strength with his never-failing power. He is there to renew my love with his own unselfish sacrifice. Jesus is there to make me whole. I need to be honest with myself. I need Jesus. I need him to be my comfort and strength. I need him to be my Savior from sin. I need him to be my Great Physician. Prayer: O dearest Jesus, I need your help daily. Come with your healing and help. Come with your rescue and relief. Come and never leave. Amen! Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260606dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Matthew 28:16-18 Jesus’ Plan Jesus came to this earth to fulfill the will of his heavenly Father. He carried out all that was necessary to save sinful, fallen mankind. When his work of redemption was complete, he returned to his glorious heavenly home. As Jesus left this earth, he wanted the good news of salvation to be spread throughout the whole world. Jesus' greatest desire is for people to hear about all that he accomplished for them, and by hearing the gospel, come to faith in him as their Savior from sin and death. Jesus did not plan to stay on earth and spread the gospel. He did not plan to send angels from heaven to do the work of evangelism. He planned to direct his believers to tell the good news of salvation. He wanted his followers to pass down the precious truth of eternal life from generation to generation until he returned to take all his believers to heaven with him. Jesus can carry out his plan because he has all authority in heaven and on earth. Jesus is King of all creation. Jesus is the supreme commander of his army of believers and directs the conquest of his gospel in every nation of the earth. With that authority, he commissions his followers to be his missionaries. There’s no question as to what Jesus wants us to do. There is no option. He enlists us in his service to proclaim the truth of salvation to everyone. Backed by the ultimate authority of the Son of God, we shall work faithfully and confidently to fulfill our mission to proclaim the name of Jesus who lived, died, and rose, because it is absolutely true that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Prayer: Jesus, your name proclaims you to be the Savior of all people. Give me the strength to live to the honor of your name and help me share the glorious message of salvation with others. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.