Podcasts about Devotion

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251206dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the LORD'S temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” Isaiah 2:1-3 Come to the House of God Does everyone in your community know where your church is and what it believes and stands for? Do the members of your congregation pour out from Sunday worship and Bible study just looking for people to tell about God? Do you? Do your neighbors know that you are a follower of Jesus? When Jesus, the Son of God, died on that cross to pay for the sins of every person in the whole world, and rose again to prove he was the victorious King of kings, the prophecy of Isaiah in our Bible reading for today was fulfilled. The “mountain of the Lord’s temple was established as chief among the mountains.” Now Jesus rules over all things, and the kingdom of God will prevail for all eternity. The One who rules the universe has claimed you as his very own. You are part of the greatest, strongest, tallest, mountainous, most powerful organization in history. And it will last forever! Jesus is the greatest, most powerful, most victorious ruler of the world. There is nothing more important or valuable than being a member of his kingdom. That’s good news for you and something you will want to share. Testify to the greatness of Jesus by the way you live. Invite the people you know to “come to the house of God,” where God will teach them the way of salvation! Prayer: Dear Lord, remind me of the amazing blessings I have through forgiveness in Jesus. Lead me to walk in the light of your path and draw others to your Word so that they may also believe and share these blessings with 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/20251205dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” John 1:39 Come and See Whenever something wonderful happens to us, what do we do? We tell someone. We call out to friends and family, inviting them to experience it with us. Whether it’s a sunset, a newborn baby, or the last-second shot that wins the game, we grab their attention and say, “You’ve got to come see this!” We want to share our excitement and joy with others. This is what Andrew did. Andrew had just met Jesus and spent time with him. Once Andrew understood and believed who Jesus truly was—the Lamb of God and the promised Savior—he couldn’t keep the news to himself. He immediately ran to find his brother, Simon Peter, with the excited announcement, “We’ve found the Messiah!” and urged him, “Come and see.” Do you feel that sharing Jesus is complicated? Do you feel unready? Unprepared? Andrew’s invitation was simple and full of heart. There was no pressure, no argument. He radiated the pure joy of encountering someone who transforms lives. This is still how faith is shared today. It does not start with a heated debate or a clever argument—it begins through genuine relationships. When people notice the peace, the hope, and quiet joy that shape your life, they become curious about what makes the difference. Their curiosity opens a door for a simple, heartfelt invitation. You don’t need all the answers or perfect words. You just need to know Jesus. Sharing Jesus does not have to be complicated. It can start with the most natural impulse in the world—an invitation: “Come and see.” This is an open invitation—not just at Advent but year-round. Come and see the One who took your place. Come and see the One who forgives your guilt. Come and see the One who gives your life meaning, direction, and hope. And then—go and tell. When you’ve met the Savior, you’ve got something truly worth sharing. Prayer: Jesus, thank you for inviting me to come and see your grace. Fill me with joy and courage to share you 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.

In this layered, vulnerable, and intellectually powerful episode of the Kink Series, we go far beyond basic BDSM concepts and drop directly into the psychology, ritual, and emotional architecture of kink with Mistress Audry Lu Black — a professional dominatrix, lifestyle FemDomme, educator, and respected kink community leader. Together we explore how bondage, ritual, humiliation, sexual sadism, and power exchange can serve not only erotic expression but also nervous system regulation, trauma processing, and emotional liberation. What begins as a conversation about rope quickly expands into a rich discussion about worship, devotion, fear release, identity, surrender, and the transformative role of a Dominant who leads with intention and precision. This episode opens the door to understanding kink as both art and psychology, and how deep D/s can create safety, stillness, and meaning for those who crave structure, containment, or catharsis. • Why 20% of the body's energy feeds the brain and how cognitive load, overthinking, and perfectionism show up in bondage scenes • Bondage as nervous system regulation — creating stillness, presence, and relief for anxious or neurodivergent minds who struggle with meditation • Somatic containment through rope and restraint for anxiety, trauma, and hypermobility conditions (including Ehlers-Danlos and other connective tissue differences) • The paradox of safety through restriction — how removing choice, movement, and anticipated pressure can reduce anxiety and soothe a dysregulated nervous system • Femme Domme philosophy and energetic leadership — what it means to embody dominance, hold power, and create psychological structures for surrender • Sexual sadism and humiliation — how intention, emotional tone, and negotiated meaning differentiate harm from healing, and cruelty from catharsis • The psychology of worship and groveling — why submission, devotion, and being at Her feet can be grounding, erotic, or spiritually significant • Ritual in kink — how structure, ceremony, and symbolic actions frame scenes, build trust, and regulate the body's response to intensity • Lifestyle vs. professional domination — the differences in purpose, boundaries, emotional bandwidth, and the Dominant's role in each dynamic • Deep-dive negotiation practices — understanding limits, desires, tone, chemistry, and psychological triggers before entering a scene • A full, realistic BDSM pre-scene negotiation role play so listeners can hear how safe, ethical, consent-based kink is structured before any play begins • The Dominant's internal process — emotional labor, reading the submissive's physiology, and creating a safe container for intensity • How humiliation can be affirming, transformative, or erotic depending on the submissive's psychology and agreed roles • Bondage as an anchor for embodiment — helping the mind exit constant vigilance and enter stillness, surrender, or erotic presence  Touch Me There: Vaginal Reflexology, Squirting Secrets & Orgasmic Magic — available here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0AsOZmGPvMiR3pQfVZKfxR?si=fFDg8SQqS7OCQQn5ptYGoA Connect with the Guest Mistress Audry Lu Black Podcast: Placemaker for Perversion Substack: https://audrylublack.substack.com/ Official Website: https://mistresslublack.com/ Mentioned Resources Hani Cheng – Talk to the Peach: Sensual healing, feminine pleasure, and reconnecting with your body (Listen here) Hani Cheng – Reflexology: Mapping female genitals with reflexology for pleasure and body awareness (Listen here) Shameless Care — Use code PLEASME for $15 off at-home sexual health testing: shamelesscare.com Eve's Substack — Q&A, workshops, & exclusive content: https://pleasemewitheve.substack.com/ Please Me Podcast Patreon — Extended episodes & bonus content: patreon.com/PleaseMePodcast SDC.com — Use code 37340 for a free trial membership World Vision Support survivors of typhoon & earthquake: worldvision.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251205dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” John 1:39 Come and See Whenever something wonderful happens to us, what do we do? We tell someone. We call out to friends and family, inviting them to experience it with us. Whether it’s a sunset, a newborn baby, or the last-second shot that wins the game, we grab their attention and say, “You’ve got to come see this!” We want to share our excitement and joy with others. This is what Andrew did. Andrew had just met Jesus and spent time with him. Once Andrew understood and believed who Jesus truly was—the Lamb of God and the promised Savior—he couldn’t keep the news to himself. He immediately ran to find his brother, Simon Peter, with the excited announcement, “We’ve found the Messiah!” and urged him, “Come and see.” Do you feel that sharing Jesus is complicated? Do you feel unready? Unprepared? Andrew’s invitation was simple and full of heart. There was no pressure, no argument. He radiated the pure joy of encountering someone who transforms lives. This is still how faith is shared today. It does not start with a heated debate or a clever argument—it begins through genuine relationships. When people notice the peace, the hope, and quiet joy that shape your life, they become curious about what makes the difference. Their curiosity opens a door for a simple, heartfelt invitation. You don’t need all the answers or perfect words. You just need to know Jesus. Sharing Jesus does not have to be complicated. It can start with the most natural impulse in the world—an invitation: “Come and see.” This is an open invitation—not just at Advent but year-round. Come and see the One who took your place. Come and see the One who forgives your guilt. Come and see the One who gives your life meaning, direction, and hope. And then—go and tell. When you’ve met the Savior, you’ve got something truly worth sharing. Prayer: Jesus, thank you for inviting me to come and see your grace. Fill me with joy and courage to share you 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.

Devotion : Redining Neighbors / Luke 10:25-37 by Community Lutheran Church

Weekly devotion

Sign up for our e-newsletter today! --------This Christmas, you can shine the light of Christ into places of darkness and pain with a purchase from the Joni and Friends Christmas catalog. You are sending hope and practical care to people with disabilities, all in the name of Jesus! Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251204dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:3 Restore Us, O God “Do you see me?” This silent question lingers behind many cries for help. In a world filled with overwhelming noise, loneliness, and struggle, people long to know that someone notices them. They want the comfort of knowing that someone genuinely cares. Psalm 80 gives voice to those who feel left behind and overlooked. They’ve wandered away from God. Surrounded by adversity, they are broken and lost. Still, they don’t give up. Instead of surrendering to despair and defeat, they cry out to God in prayer: “Restore us, O God! Make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.” This prayer paints a beautiful picture—God’s face shining upon his people. Rather than shining with anger or disappointment, God's face radiates love, joy, and grace. When God’s face shines on you, it means that he does see you. And seeing you, he smiles upon you, sings over you, and rejoices to rescue and restore you. Yet, how can sinful people like us stand in the brilliance of God’s presence and live? On our own, we cannot. We have failed to imitate his love and have turned away from him. Like Israel, we experience the consequences—broken relationships, heavy hearts, and lingering guilt. Despite our sinfulness, Advent brings hope. The face of God has already shone on this world—in the face of Jesus Christ. He came into our darkness to bring light. He came, not to condemn but to restore. He carried our sin and shame and rose again to give us peace. Even when we feel lost or forgotten, God hears our prayers for restoration. Through Jesus, God truly sees you—and in seeing you, he forgives you, welcomes you, and rejoices over you. As you wait for Jesus to come again, you do not wait alone or in the dark. You wait enveloped in the warmth of God’s grace. Prayer: Lord, when I feel far from you, turn my heart back. Restore me by your mercy. Let your face shine on me through Jesus, my Savior. 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/20251204dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:3 Restore Us, O God “Do you see me?” This silent question lingers behind many cries for help. In a world filled with overwhelming noise, loneliness, and struggle, people long to know that someone notices them. They want the comfort of knowing that someone genuinely cares. Psalm 80 gives voice to those who feel left behind and overlooked. They’ve wandered away from God. Surrounded by adversity, they are broken and lost. Still, they don’t give up. Instead of surrendering to despair and defeat, they cry out to God in prayer: “Restore us, O God! Make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.” This prayer paints a beautiful picture—God’s face shining upon his people. Rather than shining with anger or disappointment, God's face radiates love, joy, and grace. When God’s face shines on you, it means that he does see you. And seeing you, he smiles upon you, sings over you, and rejoices to rescue and restore you. Yet, how can sinful people like us stand in the brilliance of God’s presence and live? On our own, we cannot. We have failed to imitate his love and have turned away from him. Like Israel, we experience the consequences—broken relationships, heavy hearts, and lingering guilt. Despite our sinfulness, Advent brings hope. The face of God has already shone on this world—in the face of Jesus Christ. He came into our darkness to bring light. He came, not to condemn but to restore. He carried our sin and shame and rose again to give us peace. Even when we feel lost or forgotten, God hears our prayers for restoration. Through Jesus, God truly sees you—and in seeing you, he forgives you, welcomes you, and rejoices over you. As you wait for Jesus to come again, you do not wait alone or in the dark. You wait enveloped in the warmth of God’s grace. Prayer: Lord, when I feel far from you, turn my heart back. Restore me by your mercy. Let your face shine on me through Jesus, my Savior. 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.

It's here! Many Moons 2026 has arrived and is ready to guide your year of magic, manifestation, and healing. Claim your copy HERE and step into the light of the new year!----Calling all small business owners, healers, creatives, and educators!If you want to connect with an audience that truly understands and values your work, consider sponsoring an episode of Moonbeaming — we're a podcast with more than 2 million lifetime downloads and a deeply engaged, aligned community. For more information reach out to Hailey at moonbeamingpodcast@gmail.com --- What if the way you choose to close the year is the most powerful magic you can bring into 2026?In this episode, Sarah deepens the reflections from last week and brings us into a look at what this year has asked of us. Drawing from the Hermit Year workshop channelings and her own lived experience of 2025, Sarah explores what it means to arrive at the end of a 9 year… the limits we hit, the identities we shed, the values that shifted, the intuition that recalibrated, and the quiet, everyday practices that actually carry us across a threshold.You'll hear:Why exhaustion, grief, and “bone tiredness” were built into the architecture of 2025How limits act as teachersWhat it means when old patterns flare up right before they dissolveHow intuition is changing collectively and personallyThe power of returning to the deeper Self you've drifted fromThe “Secret Third Thing” as an alternative to all-or-nothing thinkingWhy discernment, devotion, and simplification are essential as we close out the yearHow to prepare internally for the Magician energy of 2026 without forcing decisions or rushing clarity 

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251203dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20 He’s Almost Here Have you ever waited at the airport for someone special? You scan the crowd. Your heart jumps every time someone comes around the corner. You can’t wait to see their face. You yearn to give them the warmest embrace. That’s the kind of eager longing captured in the final words of the Bible. Jesus declares, “Yes, I am coming soon.” The Church responds, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Advent is a season that focuses on this longing. We reflect on how Jesus first came in humility—born in a farming town, wrapped in rags, and laid in a feeding trough. He came not to be served, but to serve—to walk among us, to suffer with us, and to save us. We also look forward to his promised return. Whenever that is, he won’t come in weakness. He will come in power and glory to make all things new. The world desperately needs this renewal. We need this renewal. We’re tired of suffering. Tired of sin. Tired of bad news. While we yearn for the peace and justice only Jesus can bring, our weariness makes it easy to grow numb, distracted, or discouraged. That’s why we need this promise: “I am coming soon.” These words renew our hope and give us a clear focus. Yet, what does “soon” mean? From our perspective, it may not always seem fast, but it is certain. Jesus isn’t dragging his feet. He hasn’t forgotten us. He’s giving more people time to come to know him. His delay is not a sign of neglect, but of mercy. Rest assured, Jesus, our Savior, is coming. He is closer now than ever before, and he will not be late. While we wait, we live in hope. We listen to his Word, and we take it to heart—living in daily repentance for our sin and trust in God’s salvation. Prayer: Lord Jesus, you promised to return, and I believe you. Keep my heart ready, my hope alive, and my eyes lifted. Come quickly! 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.

In this bonus episode, we are sharing recordings from the Pursuit: The Founders' Guide to Happiness podcast launch event featuring a performance of Jeffrey Rosen's The Golden Mean: Songs for the Pursuit of Happiness and Twelve Titans: Songs of the Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses in Philadelphia.   Jeffrey Rosen, author of The Pursuit of Happiness and host of the podcast, performs his original songs inspired by the book's exploration of the classical writers on virtue that shaped the founders.    This performance features pianist Jennifer Blyth and baritone James Martin with arrangements by Greg Strohman.  Resources  Listen to Pursuit: The Founders' Guide to Happiness on ⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠  Watch the full performance of the ⁠Pursuit of Happiness: Song Cycles⁠ by Jeffrey Rosen ⁠The Golden Mean: Songs for the Pursuit of Happiness⁠, music and lyrics by Jeffrey Rosen [PDF] Jeffrey Rosen, ⁠The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America⁠, (2024) Jeffrey Rosen, ⁠The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America⁠, (2025)   Timeline  The Golden Mean: Songs for the Pursuit of Happiness [00:00] Episode Introduction  [01:33] 1. Order: The Golden Mean   [04:10] 2. Temperance: Calm Self-Mastery   [06:40] 3. Humility: Judge Not   [08:28] 4. Industry: Industry Alone   [11:06] 5. Frugality: Thomas Jefferson   [13:51] 6. Sincerity: The Light Within   [16:50] 7. Resolution: Just Do What You Resolve   [19:00] 8. Moderation: Alexander Hamilton   [21:05] 9. Tranquility: Security Is an Illusion   [23:57] 10. Cleanliness: John Quincy Adams   [26:55] 11. Justice: Love's the Answer   [29:40] 12. Silence: Silence Is Golden   [32:37] 13. Coda: Song of Devotion and The Pursuit of Happiness  Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠programs@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

A talk from the 2016 Mbird NYC Conference "Relief". Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251203dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20 He’s Almost Here Have you ever waited at the airport for someone special? You scan the crowd. Your heart jumps every time someone comes around the corner. You can’t wait to see their face. You yearn to give them the warmest embrace. That’s the kind of eager longing captured in the final words of the Bible. Jesus declares, “Yes, I am coming soon.” The Church responds, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Advent is a season that focuses on this longing. We reflect on how Jesus first came in humility—born in a farming town, wrapped in rags, and laid in a feeding trough. He came not to be served, but to serve—to walk among us, to suffer with us, and to save us. We also look forward to his promised return. Whenever that is, he won’t come in weakness. He will come in power and glory to make all things new. The world desperately needs this renewal. We need this renewal. We’re tired of suffering. Tired of sin. Tired of bad news. While we yearn for the peace and justice only Jesus can bring, our weariness makes it easy to grow numb, distracted, or discouraged. That’s why we need this promise: “I am coming soon.” These words renew our hope and give us a clear focus. Yet, what does “soon” mean? From our perspective, it may not always seem fast, but it is certain. Jesus isn’t dragging his feet. He hasn’t forgotten us. He’s giving more people time to come to know him. His delay is not a sign of neglect, but of mercy. Rest assured, Jesus, our Savior, is coming. He is closer now than ever before, and he will not be late. While we wait, we live in hope. We listen to his Word, and we take it to heart—living in daily repentance for our sin and trust in God’s salvation. Prayer: Lord Jesus, you promised to return, and I believe you. Keep my heart ready, my hope alive, and my eyes lifted. Come quickly! 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.

Devotion : Do you hear what I hear? / Luke 10:21-24 by Community Lutheran Church

Seasoned with “grace.”   (1-Minute Devotion) - What's that all about?   Am I supposed to simply “roll-over” when I know I'm right?   Afterall, I deserve respect … right?#toughquestionsforgod #questionsforgod #dailydevotion #devotional #graceWebsite: www.toughquestionsforgod.orgyoutube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC769G9moIYN53BNHlGNf-hA

Pastor Danielle Frazer shares a powerful moment from the life of Mary, showcasing her humble and generous act of anointing Jesus' feet with a costly perfume, highlighting her devotion and love in contrast to Judas' criticism.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251202dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14 How will they hear? Imagine discovering the cure for a deadly disease, something that could save countless lives. Would you keep such vital information to yourself? Of course not! You would share it with everyone who needed it. You would eagerly spread the word so that people around the world could benefit from it. In the same way, the news about Jesus is meant to be shared far and wide. If people don’t hear about him, they cannot receive the life he offers. The apostle Paul makes this clear: people cannot believe in Jesus if they have never heard of him, and they cannot hear unless someone tells them. That “someone” is every believer. That “someone” is you. God has placed each of us right where we are, surrounded by people who need hope—friends, family, coworkers, and classmates. Some are hurting, some are searching, and some simply don’t know. Do not hesitate! Do not worry whether people will listen. Do not wonder if you will say the wrong thing. The power to change hearts doesn’t come from our words. It is in God’s Word. The same gospel that brought us to faith can bring others to faith as well. Our role is not to convince or convert. We are simply ambassadors of the good news. Jesus has already done the hard part for us. He lived a perfect life, bore the punishment for our sins, and rose again to offer eternal life. Now, he sends us out—not as salespeople, but as joyful messengers of hope. This Advent, the world is aching for good news. People can’t believe in the Savior they’ve never heard about. You may be the one God uses to help them hear. Let’s not keep it to ourselves. Let’s not keep this life-giving message to ourselves. Prayer: Lord, give me a heart that’s eager to share your good news. Open doors and open ears so that others may hear and believe in 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.

Rabbi Michael G. Holzman joins Mark Labberton to explore the formation of his Jewish faith, the pastoral realities of congregational life, and the multi-faith initiative he helped launch for the nation's 250th anniversary, Faith 250. He reflects on his early experiences of wonder in the natural world, the mentors who opened Torah to him, and the intellectual humility that shapes Jewish approaches to truth. Their conversation moves through the unexpected depth of congregational ministry, the spiritual and emotional weight of the pandemic, the complexities of speaking about God in contemporary Jewish life, and the role of cross-faith friendships. The episode concludes with Rabbi Holzman's reflections on how the suffering in Israel and Palestine reverberates among Jews and Muslims in America. Episode Highlights "I think we are desperately in need of ways to get Americans to agree that they're in the same community… simply by naming the Declaration of Independence as a piece of shared American scripture… we are inviting people and really challenging ourselves to think about the words in those documents seriously, and prayerfully." "My formation as a child was relatively non-theological… my mother just would sit there and say, 'Do you feel that wind?' And for me, knowing that it was in a national park mattered… being in such a grand and awesome space, under the enormity of the heavens." "The pursuit of truth with epistemic humility really became the cornerstone…if Moses wasn't allowed to see God's face, I'm never gonna see God's face—and yet we are all still pursuing what the meaning of this incredible text is." "I was a little bit unprepared… until you experience it as a pastor, you don't really understand the power of those things. That rootedness in this particular congregation gave me a sense of existential meaning that I didn't anticipate." "The thing that got me through that darkness was Saturday morning Torah study… just being there with the text and with these faces and these people… that to me was my path through the darkness." "When people are sitting over the text, the most palpable experience of God is this moment of understanding another human being… it's so vulnerable and it's so fleeting and it's so beautiful." "There is an experience happening on the ground of absolute suffering and horror on both sides… and there's a parallel experience happening for Jews and Muslims in America. It's powerful, spiritually powerful, emotionally powerful, and to people's core." Helpful Links and Resources Faith 250 https://www.faith250.org/ "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46550/the-new-colossus "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" by Frederick Douglass https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july/ "America the Beautiful" by Katherine Lee Bates https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/america-beautiful-1893 I and Thou, Martin Buber https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780684717258/i-and-thou About Rabbi Michael G. Holzman Rabbi Michael G. Holzman is the Senior Rabbi of Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation (NVHC), where he has served since 2010. His work focuses on spiritual formation, civic engagement, multi-faith partnership, and the cultivation of communities grounded in dignity, learning, and ethical responsibility. He founded the Rebuilding Democracy Project, which developed into Faith 250, a national multi-faith initiative preparing communities for the 250th anniversary of the United States through shared reflection on foundational American texts. He teaches and writes on Jewish ethics, civic life, and spiritual resilience. Show Notes Faith 250 American Scripture Faith 250 as a response to political despair and a way for clergy to exercise agency Four core American texts explored as shared scripture across faiths Intent to counter politicization of the 250th anniversary through spiritual depth Multi-faith relationships grounding the initiative in shared civic and moral concern Emphasis on clergy as conveners of spiritually safe, local containers for reading The Declaration, New Colossus, Frederick Douglass, and America the Beautiful as "scriptural" portals to civic meaning "American scripture" as a means of naming shared identity and shared community Jewish Formation and Torah Childhood shaped by nature, wonder, and ethical awareness rather than synagogue life Early encounters with the Everglades as formative experiences of spirit and awe Discovery of Torah study as a young adult across Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform settings Epistemic humility as a defining mark of Jewish study practice Pursuit of truth understood through the "through a glass darkly" frame of Moses Torah received "through the hand of Moses" as mediating truth and mystery Chevruta (paired study) as the engine of discovery, disagreement, and meaning Pastoral Life and Congregational Meaning Surprised by the depth of pastoral work: weddings, funerals, life-cycle passages Intimacy of congregational leadership as a source of meaning rather than tedium Congregational relationships forming an existential and vocational anchor The role of community support during family medical crises How decades-long pastoral presence shapes shared covenantal life Teaching 12- and 13-year-olds to encounter the text as spiritual practice The power of intergenerational relationships in spiritual resilience Pandemic and Spiritual Survival Early months of 2020 as a time of fear, isolation, and emotional strain Counseling families whose loved ones were dying without visitors Previous experience with depression creating early warning signals Telehealth therapy as a critical intervention Saturday morning Torah study on Zoom becoming the path through darkness Growth of the study community throughout the pandemic Predictable humor and shared reading as markers of communal stability Textuality, God-Language, and Jewish Hesitations Jewish discomfort speaking explicitly about God for theological and cultural reasons Layers of humility, anti-mysticism, differentiation from Christianity, and historical experience Sacredness and mystery of the scroll growing in the digital age Physicality of the Torah scroll attracting deeper attention and reverence Hebrew as a source of multivalent meaning, sonic power, and spiritual resonance Reading together as the most common encounter with God: understanding another's soul Pastoral awareness of individuals' life stories shaping group study dynamics Cross-Faith Devotion and Shared Honor Friendships with Muslim, Christian, and Hasidic leaders deepening spiritual insight Devotion in others sparking awe rather than defensiveness Disagreement becoming a site of connection rather than separation Devotion in other traditions prompting self-reflection on one's own commitments Stories of praying with and learning from ultra-Orthodox leaders Shared pursuit of truth across tradition lines as a form of civic and spiritual honor American religious diversity offering unprecedented exposure to sincere piety Israel, Gaza, and American Jewish Experience Suffering, fear, and horror experienced by Israelis and Palestinians Parallel emotional and spiritual pressures faced by Jews and Muslims in America Concern about political manipulation of community trauma Generational trauma and its transmission, including Holocaust-era family stories Emotional resonance of global conflict in local congregational life Distinction and connection between geopolitical realities and American spiritual experience Call to honor emotional realities across neighborhoods and communities Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment Magazine and Fuller Seminary.  

Keywordschildren's ministry, apostolic identity, spiritual growth, ministry goals, children's church, Kid Challenge, teaching children, church outreach, youth ministry, spiritual developmentSummaryThis conversation focuses on the mission and vision of Kid Challenge Children's Ministries, emphasizing the importance of advancing apostolic children through a structured approach that includes salvation, doctrine, devotion, and ministry. The speaker outlines the goals of the ministry, the model of Jesus for growth, and introduces new initiatives aimed at enhancing children's spiritual development and involvement in ministry.TakeawaysAdvance apostolic children is the core mission.Salvation is the first goal of children's ministry.Children should be grounded in apostolic doctrine.Devotion includes prayer, fasting, and Bible reading.Children need opportunities for ministry involvement.Jesus serves as a model for children's growth.The four areas of growth are stature, wisdom, favor with God, and favor with man.The Forward Four recitation will guide children's learning.Smaller groups will enhance the impact of ministry.Children will be prepared for salvation and ministry opportunities.TitlesEmpowering the Next Generation: Kid ChallengeBuilding Apostolic Identity in ChildrenSound Bites"Salvation is number one.""Children's ministry is a pathway.""Save me, teach me, guide me, use me."Chapters00:00 Introduction to Kid Challenge Children's Ministries01:28 The Vision: Advancing Apostolic Children05:25 Four Goals of Children's Ministry06:53 Jesus as a Model for Growth10:18 Loving God: Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength11:17 Introducing the Forward Four Recitation18:05 Structure of Children's Ministry Classes27:45 Preparing Children for Ministry

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251202dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14 How will they hear? Imagine discovering the cure for a deadly disease, something that could save countless lives. Would you keep such vital information to yourself? Of course not! You would share it with everyone who needed it. You would eagerly spread the word so that people around the world could benefit from it. In the same way, the news about Jesus is meant to be shared far and wide. If people don’t hear about him, they cannot receive the life he offers. The apostle Paul makes this clear: people cannot believe in Jesus if they have never heard of him, and they cannot hear unless someone tells them. That “someone” is every believer. That “someone” is you. God has placed each of us right where we are, surrounded by people who need hope—friends, family, coworkers, and classmates. Some are hurting, some are searching, and some simply don’t know. Do not hesitate! Do not worry whether people will listen. Do not wonder if you will say the wrong thing. The power to change hearts doesn’t come from our words. It is in God’s Word. The same gospel that brought us to faith can bring others to faith as well. Our role is not to convince or convert. We are simply ambassadors of the good news. Jesus has already done the hard part for us. He lived a perfect life, bore the punishment for our sins, and rose again to offer eternal life. Now, he sends us out—not as salespeople, but as joyful messengers of hope. This Advent, the world is aching for good news. People can’t believe in the Savior they’ve never heard about. You may be the one God uses to help them hear. Let’s not keep it to ourselves. Let’s not keep this life-giving message to ourselves. Prayer: Lord, give me a heart that’s eager to share your good news. Open doors and open ears so that others may hear and believe in 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.

Create in me a pure heart! (1-Minute Devotion) - Please!    How will I ever be able to be all that God calls me to without it?#toughquestionsforgod #questionsforgod #dailydevotion #devotional #pureheartWebsite: www.toughquestionsforgod.orgyoutube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC769G9moIYN53BNHlGNf-hA

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Send us a Positive Review!Join Valerie and therapist colleague Dr. Julie Hanks in this recording of a recent “Instagram Live” where they explored the recent breaking news from LDS Newsroom decreasing the eligibility age from 19 to 18 for young women interested in serving full-time missions. In this conversation Val and Julie tackle possible as variety of topics, including short term and long term social, cultural, and mental health drawbacks and benefits that might follow this policy change. They also address how skyrocketing attrition rates from women in patriarchal churches worldwide (and within the LDS church) might be connected to this shift in policy. Don't miss this riveting discussion that continues to correlate the connection between psychological health and gender equality—a topic that these two heritage Latter-day Saint therapists have committed a great deal of their careers to highlighting for the benefits of the LDS Church and all connected to it.Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction and Guest Introduction01:29 – Implications of Mission Age Change02:27 – Gender Roles and Patriarchy03:30 – Strategic Motivations and Retention04:51 – Personal Reflections on Mission Experiences06:04 – Missions as Catalysts for Change08:45 – Concerns About Early Marriage and Education10:00 – Generational Differences and Faith Journeys12:23 – Temple Access for Young Women13:30 – Women Leaving Organized Religion14:09 – Challenges and Opportunities for Church Evolution16:00 – Paradox of Devotion and Faith Crisis19:16 – Balancing Individuality and Community in Faith20:30 – The Church's Developmental Stage22:21 – Potential for Organizational Change24:00 – Normalizing Women's Leadership31:50 – Impact of Mission Age on Family Life32:17 – Egalitarian Structure in the Church33:32 – Women's Leadership and Identity35:30 – Birth Rate and Missionary Integration37:00 – Economic Realities and Family Planning39:39 – Mental Health Concerns for Young Missionaries40:24 – Pressure and Autonomy in Missionary Service42:00 – Stigma and Social Ranking45:23 – Patriarchy and Gender Roles in the Church47:15 – The Cost of Conformity49:54 – Encouragement for Individual Choices51:00 – Redefining Spirituality and Autonomy52:39 – Conclusion and Final ThoughtsSupport the showSupport the show Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Access $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10 Valerie's Support & Processing Groups Gift a Scholarship Download Free Resources Visit our Website

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251201dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” Ezekiel 3:17 Watch and Warn We have all experienced those moments when we see danger approaching and feel an urgent need to warn others, “Watch out!” we shout. Perhaps a car backed up too quickly, or a child reached for something hot on the stove. In such situations, remaining silent would not just be wrong, but also unkind. This is the image God gave to the prophet Ezekiel. He was chosen to be a “watchman”—someone who remains vigilant and alerts people when trouble is near. However, the warning Ezekiel was to give was far more serious than damaged bumpers or burnt fingers. It concerned sin and its consequences. God called Ezekiel to deliver both hard truths and healing words. Although we are not prophets like Ezekiel, we share the same responsibility: to warn others and to bear witness. This calling can feel intimidating. Sometimes we keep silent because we are afraid of offending or uncertain about what to say. Thankfully, Jesus never chose silence. He spoke the hard truth to those who were proud and offered gentle words to those who were hurting. He warned about the reality of sin and called people to turn back to God. Even when people didn’t listen, Jesus did not walk away. He went to the cross. Jesus bore the punishment for sin so that we would not have to. He rose again to give us new life. Today, by his Word, the Spirit works in us to be loving and courageous watchmen for those around us. You do not need a loudspeaker or a pulpit to be a watchman. You just need the gospel—the good news of a Savior who came for sinners like us. This Advent, listen for the coming footsteps of Jesus and lovingly let others know that he is on his way. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking the truth in love and for taking my sin to the cross. Make me bold and gentle to speak your truth to those around 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.

The saints reveal the fulfillment of Christ's promises. As I promised a couple episodes back, we want to treat you to a series of reflections on the particular witness of particular saints through a series of episodes on our podcast. These episodes follow from the wildly popular “Saturdays with the Saints” lecture series we host each year on Notre Dame's campus. For one hour on the morning of Notre Dame home football games, a scholar typically from Notre Dame delivers a public lecture on a saint. We've been hosting this series for 15 years now, and this year we focused on “Saints of the Sacred Heart.”I myself delivered the first lecture this year on St. Margaret Mary and the rebirth of the devotion to the Sacred Heart. The lecture that followed was delivered by friend and colleague, Tim O'Malley. His lecture was on St. Claude de Colombiere, which is especially fitting because St. Claude is the one who made St. Margaret Mary's visions of the Sacred Heart known to the world. But as Tim taught in his lecture, it matters very much that St. Claude was himself a Jesuit, as was our late Pope Francis who dedicated his last encyclical to the Sacred Heart. And so our conversation about this saint is also about the Spiritual Exercises, daily obedience to God's will, and the shock of Christ's personal and particular love for each of us.Follow-up Resources:“Providence and Obedience: Colombière, the Jesuits, and the Sacred Heart,” by Tim O'Malley via Church Life Journal“St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the Devotion to the Sacred Heart,” podcast episode via Church Life TodayLearn more about the “Saturdays with the Saints” series: https://mcgrath.nd.edu/events/saturdays-with-the-saints/“Dilexit Nos – Part 1, a conversation with Joshua McManaway and Melissa Moschella” (about Pope Francis's encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus), podcast episode via Church Life Today“Dilexit Nos – Part 2, a conversation with Brett Robinson and Abigail Favale” (about Pope Francis's encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus), podcast episode via Church Life TodayChurch Life Today is a partnership between the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame and OSV Podcasts from Our Sunday Visitor. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251201dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” Ezekiel 3:17 Watch and Warn We have all experienced those moments when we see danger approaching and feel an urgent need to warn others, “Watch out!” we shout. Perhaps a car backed up too quickly, or a child reached for something hot on the stove. In such situations, remaining silent would not just be wrong, but also unkind. This is the image God gave to the prophet Ezekiel. He was chosen to be a “watchman”—someone who remains vigilant and alerts people when trouble is near. However, the warning Ezekiel was to give was far more serious than damaged bumpers or burnt fingers. It concerned sin and its consequences. God called Ezekiel to deliver both hard truths and healing words. Although we are not prophets like Ezekiel, we share the same responsibility: to warn others and to bear witness. This calling can feel intimidating. Sometimes we keep silent because we are afraid of offending or uncertain about what to say. Thankfully, Jesus never chose silence. He spoke the hard truth to those who were proud and offered gentle words to those who were hurting. He warned about the reality of sin and called people to turn back to God. Even when people didn’t listen, Jesus did not walk away. He went to the cross. Jesus bore the punishment for sin so that we would not have to. He rose again to give us new life. Today, by his Word, the Spirit works in us to be loving and courageous watchmen for those around us. You do not need a loudspeaker or a pulpit to be a watchman. You just need the gospel—the good news of a Savior who came for sinners like us. This Advent, listen for the coming footsteps of Jesus and lovingly let others know that he is on his way. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking the truth in love and for taking my sin to the cross. Make me bold and gentle to speak your truth to those around 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.

Devotion : Making Pastors / Luke 10:1-20 by Community Lutheran Church

With Luigi Mangione appearing in court today, Chad is reminded of the continued devotion many in America have to supporting Luigi Mangione and how troubling it is that many approve of allegedly committing murder.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251130dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. Isaiah 2:3-5 Peace That Comes from God In the United Nations Plaza in New York City, today’s Bible passage is quoted: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares . . .” All people desire peace, don’t they? Isn’t that why the United Nations was established in the first place? But it hasn’t worked so well, has it? Are Isaiah’s words just a fantasy? If you’re looking for a truly peaceful “United Nations,” you’re not going to find it in this sinful world. But that’s not what Isaiah was describing. Isaiah was describing peace that the world can’t give, find, or produce. Isaiah described peace that only comes from God. God brought peace to the hearts of people when he kept his promise to send his Son, Jesus, the Christ. Jesus came to bring peace to the earth by living and suffering and dying for a world full of sin and sinners, sinners like you and me. Because of Jesus’ perfect life, innocent death, and glorious resurrection, we have peace. We have the peace of knowing that there’s nothing we can do to save ourselves because Jesus has done everything. We have the peace of knowing that we don’t need to satisfy God’s wrath against our sins because Jesus has washed them away. We have peace because Jesus has set us free. That peace is yours and mine in Jesus! That peace is what moves us to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn his ways. That peace is what moves us to walk in the light of the Lord. Prayer: May the peace of God, which the world cannot give, which surpasses our understanding, guard and keep your heart and mind through faith in Christ Jesus! 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.

This weekend, we're exploring Joanna's generosity to understand how true giving moves us from being admirers of Jesus to being fully devoted followers who support the work of the Gospel.Join us next weekend at The Branch Church and invite your friends and family!Find out what's going on at The Branch here: https://thebranch.org/eventsTo support this ministry, click here — https://rb.gy/rc53uxDownload Our App – http://thebranch.org/appCheck In — https://rb.gy/htq0qySermon Notes —https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=r1L-DsvW-xSermon-Based Bible Study — https://thebranch.org/studyRequest Prayer — http://thebranch.org/prayerLike and SUBSCRIBE on YouTube — https://rb.gy/atpff4Like and Follow on Vimeo — https://rebrand.ly/d1ibt93Website — https://thebranch.org/Facebook — https://rb.gy/m4vhz6Instagram — https://rb.gy/p8g1blTwitter — https://rb.gy/xiwg68YouTube — https://rb.gy/icv7x2

This weekend, we're exploring Joanna's generosity to understand how true giving moves us from being admirers of Jesus to being fully devoted followers who support the work of the Gospel.Join us next weekend at The Branch Church and invite your friends and family!Find out what's going on at The Branch here: https://thebranch.org/eventsTo support this ministry, click here — https://rb.gy/rc53uxDownload Our App – http://thebranch.org/appCheck In — https://rb.gy/htq0qySermon Notes —https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=r1L-DsvW-xSermon-Based Bible Study — https://thebranch.org/studyRequest Prayer — http://thebranch.org/prayerLike and SUBSCRIBE on YouTube — https://rb.gy/atpff4Like and Follow on Vimeo — https://rebrand.ly/d1ibt93Website — https://thebranch.org/Facebook — https://rb.gy/m4vhz6Instagram — https://rb.gy/p8g1blTwitter — https://rb.gy/xiwg68YouTube — https://rb.gy/icv7x2

Luke 7:36-50

John 12:1-8,Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”And the Lord, in verse 7, defends the way Mary of Bethany expresses her devotion to him.What Mary does in verse 3 is good and right, and I think we can learn from her. So that's the goal of this sermon. All last week, my prayer for today has been that through Mary's example in John 12, the Spirit would reawaken in us Mary-like devotion to Jesus. I want us to learn from Mary how to be more like Mary for the glory of Jesus. To that end, this morning I want to show you seven truths of Mary-like devotion.1. Mary-like devotion is surprising. Verse 1 opens with the setting: we are six days away from Passover, and Jesus has come back to Bethany. Now remember that Bethany is where he raised Lazarus from the dead in Chapter 11, verse 43, but then when the Jewish leaders plotted to kill Jesus, John tells us in verse 54 that Jesus “no longer walked openly” among them, because they were looking for him. The Pharisees wanted to arrest him. So Jesus left that area and went to Ephraim, which gave him more distance from Jerusalem. (Bethany was 2 miles outside Jerusalem, Ephraim was about 15 miles). So by the end of Chapter 11, Jesus is laying low.But Chapter 12 opens here and he's back in Bethany, where news travels quickly to Jerusalem, which means this is dangerous — why would he do it? Why would he come back to Bethany now? It's because Passover is six days away. Remember Jesus has a purpose to accomplish in Jerusalem, and now he's getting closer. But since Jesus is in Bethany they throw a special dinner for him. And because it's Bethany, we would expect our favorite Bethany family to be there. We saw these three siblings in Chapter 11 — Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Now, John knows we'd expect their attendance, so he takes roll in verse 2. Look what he says:“So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served [check her name off — she's there], and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him as table [check his name off — he's just happy to be in the room].And right away that's Martha and Lazarus. Which sibling is missing?Mary. Now look at verse 3 (verse 2 was just a build up to this):“Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.”The first thing I want you to see is that this was not expected. This is a dinner! People are sharing a meal. Martha is staying busy like she does. Lazarus is at the table (you know he's getting seconds). And then Mary, finally, enters into this dining room with a bottle of ointment (or perfume) and she does this extravagant display of worship.Most of us had big dinners a few days ago. Imagine for a minute if something like this happened! It was not on the menu. It's never happened before. This was a surprise! That's the first thing to know about Mary-like devotion. This is not what most people would expect — because it responds in the moment to the glory of Jesus regardless of the context.2. Mary-like devotion is costly.We can see in verse 3 that this perfume was expensive. John tells us that plainly. But he also gives us two details that explain why. It has to do with quantity and quality.First, with quality, this perfume was made from “pure nard.” That's a plant that's grown in India. The root of this plant produced an oil that was collected to make this perfume.So it's a product derived from nature, created by a process, imported from far away — that sounds expensive. (This is why many scholars believe this Bethany family was well off — this perfume would have only been owned by the luxury class of the Mediterranean world.)Second, notice the quantity. John tells us it was a pound — and that's a Roman pound. The Greek word is litra — and it's equivalent to about 12 ounces. So imagine the American pop can. (I don't know the last time you turned a can of pop upside down to pour it out, but it takes a little longer to empty it than you might think.)Twelve ounces is not a little bit. And Mary doesn't have pop, it's perfume — 12 ounces of perfume — that's a lot of a really nice thing. And to give us more of an idea of how precious it is, John tells us the number value in verse 5. Judas says it's worth 300 denarii — which is about a year's wages.So to draw a parallel to our day, this is what we'd call an annual salary, and the average annual salary in the Twin Cities, Google says, is between $80,000–$90,000. So translate this in your imagination... Picture this: Someone at dinner this past week walks into the dining room and pours out $90,000 on somebody else's feet … Again, this is stunning. And the costliness amplifies the surprise! Those two things go together in Mary-like devotion. It's surprising because it's costly.3. Mary-like devotion is humble.Now, for our imagination's sake, it helps to know how people ate together at this culture and time. They didn't use raised tables and chairs like we do, but they used low tables, and sat on cushions on the floor. They “reclined” on the table, like verse 2 says, and their feet were stretched out behind them, away from the table. So Mary approached Jesus, verse 3, while he was sitting like that, and she anointed his feet.This is a key detail. Because with the extravagance of her gift, we might imagine Mary's actions to be surrounded by pomp. Like maybe Mary enters the room and first clears her throat, and makes sure somebody's getting the video, and then she does it. But it's just the opposite.Mary comes into the room, and stays at the feet's distance away from the table. She's not the center of attention. Nobody was probably even looking in her direction, and then she pours the perfume on Jesus's feet and wipes his feet with her hair. This is borderline undignified. She definitely looked a little silly. To everyone's surprise, with likely the costliest thing she's got, she humbles herself at the feet of Jesus in worship — but then the most vivid display of her humility is the use of her hair.In the ancient world, a woman's hair was her glory. It was her honor. This was Mary's strength, but here she turns her strength into a servant's towel … Her radiance into a rag. Her splendor into a sponge. Her crown becomes a cloth. … to wipe feet.Which means, Mary gives the best part of herself for the least part of Jesus. The highest aspect of her presentation (hair) is submitted to the lowest aspect of his (feet).This is profound humility.Mary is not even audacious enough to pray here: “Jesus, take my utmost for your highest.” She just says, “Jesus, take my utmost!” — And I don't care what anybody else thinks. I'm not concerned about appearance. It doesn't matter what people might say. This is all about Jesus. Mary shows us a marvelous self-forgetfulness. Mary-like devotion is humble.4. Mary-like devotion is fitting.This is #4 of 7, and it really is the central truth in Mary's example.So far we've seen that Mary-like devotion is surprising, costly, and humble, but here's where we need to be clear that the only reason any of this makes sense is because of Jesus. And Jesus doesn't just make Mary's actions make sense, he makes them right. Because of who he is, what Mary does is fitting. John calls her act an “anointing,” which is something done to set someone apart for a certain office. The examples we have in the Old Testament are individuals anointed as a priest or king, and we should think especially of kings in the Gospel of John. If you remember, way back in Chapter 1, when Nathaniel first met Jesus he confessed right away that Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel (1:49). Then in Chapter 6, verse 15, after Jesus fed the five thousand, the crowd wanted to take him by force and make him king.So we've seen a kingship theme already.But then right here in Chapter 12, the very next day after Mary anoints Jesus, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a young donkey, and the crowd paves the way for him with palm branches, and they say — in verse 13 — “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”So we have every reason to see that Mary's anointing of Jesus is anointing him as King.Because that is who he is. It'll be explicit and public tomorrow in this story, in Jesus's ‘triumphal entry,' but tonight, at this dinner, with Mary, it's implicit and private. In the moment, even Mary doesn't know the full extent of what she's doing, but we as readers can see it. In Chapter 11, we saw her fall at Jesus's feet in grief, here she bows at Jesus's feet in worship.Last chapter she came to Jesus needing his help; now she comes to him just giving him glory.This doesn't mean we ever stop coming to Jesus for help — we do! We always need his help! But sometimes we can also just come to him in simple worship.This is when we come to him, not to ask him for things, but to give him whatever we can because he is worthy — just because he's our king and he's a good king! It is fitting to worship him!Think about this: When was the last time your heart moved toward Jesus, not for what he gives, but for who he is? When was the last time you were simply compelled by the worth of Jesus?The Little Drummer BoyMary's devotion here in Chapter 12 actually reminds me of what used to be one of my least favorite Christmas songs. “Santa Baby” is dead bottom, but not far from there used to be “The Little Drummer Boy.” And the reason I didn't like the song is because for years it didn't make sense to me, and it was kinda irritating. The pa-RUM-pa-pum-pums are distracting. But if we can get rid of that part and focus on the real words in the song, it's actually beautiful. It's a song about a boy who is invited to meet the newborn Jesus (and it's fictional; didn't really happen; we're supposed to use our imaginations). The boy starts the song by saying:Come, they told meA newborn king to see, Our finest gifts to bring,To lay before the king,So to honor himWhen we come You get it? The boy is invited to come meet Jesus, so he does. And in the second stanza he's at the manger, and he speaks to the infant Jesus:Little baby,I am a poor boy tooI have no gifts to bringThat's fit to give a KingShall I play for you on my drum?See, I imagine that's what Mary of Bethany thought. While Martha was busy serving and Lazarus was sitting at the table, Mary thought: The king is here. He's in the room. What do I have that's fit to give a King?And the technical answer is nothing. Nothing we have is enough to match the glory of this King, but Mary thinks I've got that bottle of perfume — just like the boy thought, I've got this drum. And the boy says, “Shall I play the drum?” Mary thinks, “Shall I pour the perfume?” So the boy plays his best, and Mary pours it all. I don't have enough to give you, but I'll give you my best because you're worthy.That's what the song is about. That's what Mary does here. And it's fitting because of the King!And John tells us that the fragrance of her worship fills the entire house. Which means: her personal reverence and self-forgetfulness in recognizing the glory of Jesus becomes uncontainable. Everybody around her can literally sense her devotion for Jesus.5. Mary-like devotion is criticized. This is verses 4–5: But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”Apparently, Judas caught the aroma, but instead of recognizing Mary's act as a surprising, costly, humble, and fitting act of devotion, he criticized her. He immediately liquidated the value of the ointment in his head, and he corrected her decision. That could have been used for something better! That could have been a lot of money to help poor people! Mary is being unwise!Now, before we look closer into the criticism, I just want to note that it happened, and right away, because that's just how things go — even things as wholesome as Mary's devotion.The Bible gives us no impression that devotion to Jesus will be easy — it actually ensures the opposite. There's a Forest Frank lyric my younger boys love. It goes: Jesus promised that the bad would come along, ‘Cause if life is always easyProbably doin' something wrong.That's true. I want everybody to know: when your devotion to Jesus meets difficulty, that's a good sign. The question for us is about our willingness to endure difficulty. Are we willing to be criticized? Are we willing to express devotion to Jesus that others would call wasteful but Jesus calls beautiful?6. Mary-like devotion is vindicated.Let's look closer at what Judas said in verse 5.At face-value, we might think Judas is onto something, because what he says is not untrue. That perfume was worth a lot of money — three hundred denarii/$80–90K — that's a lot of money you can do a lot with. Judas names one possibility. The problem, though, is that he's thinking about it all the wrong way. See, he's thinking about gifts from the giver's perspective, not from God's perspective. He's thinking about everything from earth looking around, not from heaven looking down.In his mindset — the ‘Judas mindset' — all value is monetary, and all that is monetary is a zero-sum category: which means I'm always thinking, “whatever I give here is what I cannot give there.” And see, Judas is so caught up in this mindset — he cares so much about the optimal management of the gift — that he's blind to the One the gift is for. That is what is most striking about verse 5 — it's the absence of anything to do with Jesus. Judas says nothing about him. So Judas not only rebukes Mary here, but he also registers how little he thinks of Who she worships.And if that wasn't clear, John adds in verse 6. He wants us to know that Judas said what he said:“…not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”Judas was part of a program called ‘Feeding Our Future' …Greed is an ancient sin — it's the root of all evil, and it ruined Judas. (And it's behind the ruin of our state. God help us.)In verse 7, Mary doesn't say anything back to Judas, but Jesus speaks up on her behalf, and he says, first, “Leave her alone.”Which is amazing. Jesus doesn't argue with Judas. He doesn't explain why his mindset is wrong, he first just tells him to stop. Jesus defends Mary, and he makes the issue about himself, because it is!With this perfume Mary has prepared Jesus for the day of his burial, because, verse 8:“…the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”And it's clear now, with the mention of his burial and that he won't always be here, Jesus is talking about his death. Which raises the question for us: Was Mary anointing Jesus as king or preparing him for his death? And the answer is Yes.Again, Mary is doing more here than she realized. She is anointing Jesus as King — it's just that he's a king who will sacrifice his life for his people.He's a King who has come to die. His reign will conquer the grave for good — remember Lazarus — but first Jesus's reign will come through the grave. Our triumphant King will also be a slain Lamb. And John wants us so badly to get this! He gives us hints here in Mary's devotion, but then later in the Book of Revelation he tells us about a vision when saints and angels together pour out their praise to Jesus, and they say, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)Listen: I want you to know that the final vindication of our every sincere act of devotion to Jesus will come on that day when we see him. If it's Mary-like devotion, it is never wasted. Jesus is worth it. And this brings us to the last point.7. Mary-like devotion is instructive. We're gonna finish how we started: I think we can learn from our sister Mary. It is a gift to us to be able to see her gift to Jesus, and I want us to be more like her. That's been my prayer: that the Spirit would reawaken or awaken in us Mary-like devotion to Jesus.Devotion that is surprising because it responds to Jesus in the moment, even if it doesn't fit the setting. Costly because it brings Jesus our best, humble because it doesn't worry about what others might think, fitting because Jesus is the King and nothing given to him is too much, criticized because it's not supposed to be easy, and vindicated because the King who Mary worshiped is the Lamb who was slain and one day we will see his worth with our own eyes.Mary's devotion is instructive because it shows us what it looks like when a heart is overcome by the worth of Jesus.And what's incredible for us, is that we know more about Jesus's worth than Mary does here. We already know the end of the story! That Jesus who has come will die, will be resurrected, and will come again.So in closing, I want to invite you to ask yourself this: For Advent, in this season of waiting, what is Jesus calling you to do that would simply reflect his worth?That's what brings us to the Table.The TableWe come here to this Table to rest in the worth of Jesus Christ. Let his glory be your comfort by taking refuge in him. That's what it means to trust in Jesus, and that is who this table is for. If you're here and you have put your faith in Jesus, we invite you to eat and drink with us and give him thanks.

Listen to a message from Josh Hurst from our Doctrine and Devotion series on November 30, 2025.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251130dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. Isaiah 2:3-5 Peace That Comes from God In the United Nations Plaza in New York City, today’s Bible passage is quoted: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares . . .” All people desire peace, don’t they? Isn’t that why the United Nations was established in the first place? But it hasn’t worked so well, has it? Are Isaiah’s words just a fantasy? If you’re looking for a truly peaceful “United Nations,” you’re not going to find it in this sinful world. But that’s not what Isaiah was describing. Isaiah was describing peace that the world can’t give, find, or produce. Isaiah described peace that only comes from God. God brought peace to the hearts of people when he kept his promise to send his Son, Jesus, the Christ. Jesus came to bring peace to the earth by living and suffering and dying for a world full of sin and sinners, sinners like you and me. Because of Jesus’ perfect life, innocent death, and glorious resurrection, we have peace. We have the peace of knowing that there’s nothing we can do to save ourselves because Jesus has done everything. We have the peace of knowing that we don’t need to satisfy God’s wrath against our sins because Jesus has washed them away. We have peace because Jesus has set us free. That peace is yours and mine in Jesus! That peace is what moves us to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn his ways. That peace is what moves us to walk in the light of the Lord. Prayer: May the peace of God, which the world cannot give, which surpasses our understanding, guard and keep your heart and mind through faith in Christ Jesus! 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.

In this sermon, Pastor Jonathan Parnell expounds upon John 12:1-8 in which we learn to be more like Mary in our devotion to Jesus the King. What is Jesus calling you to do that would simply reflect his worth?

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251129dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [God the Father] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:13-17 Christ Is Superior Consumer Reports is a magazine you would look at for the best of a given product and the best deal for your wallet. In today’s Bible reading, Paul gives us the “consumer report” on Christ. He clearly explains why Christ is superior to anyone or anything else. He is God. He created all things. He is eternal, without beginning or end. He is the firstborn from among the dead, never to die again. He holds everything together. Each part of these verses lays out an objective fact about why Christ is superior. And each of these truths has important significance for our daily lives. Despite the times we see sin interrupt our lives, despite the horrors of wickedness we hear about in the news, and despite the atrocities human beings commit against one another, evil and wickedness are not in control. Even though they may appear to be running the world, they are not. No matter what evil or wickedness may throw at us, there is nothing they can do to wrest control away from Christ. Nor is there anything they can do to separate us from Christ. For Christ defeated sin and death through his death on the cross and declared his victory as he rose from the dead. This is the report we have on Christ. He is supreme. No one is greater. There is no one who can take control from him or can separate us from him. What confidence this gives us as we continue our pilgrimage on earth! Prayer: O Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, in your mercy you have brought me into your kingdom. Continue to rule over me, protecting me from the evil one until I join you in your heavenly kingdom. 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.

In this special Thanksgiving-themed episode of Journey of Hope, host Elio Constantine reflects on a season filled with gratitude, discipleship, and the undeniable faithfulness of God.Following last week's conversation with Camille Melki, Heart for Lebanon's Co-Founder and CEO, this episode brings you a collection of Thanksgiving devotionals shared over the past five weeks by our leadership team serving on the ground in Lebanon. In this episode, you'll hear devotionals from: Milad, Joseph, Daoud, Camille, and Bashir. Together, they offer a powerful picture of where Heart for Lebanon stands spiritually as a team and as a ministry.Their reflections explore themes of:A bountiful eye and a generous heart (Proverbs 22:9)The blessing of giving (Act 20:35)Thanksgiving expressed through faithful stewardship (2 Corinthians 9:7)Generosity that results in praise to God (2 Corinthians 9:11)The power of giving thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Through Scripture, stories from the field, and moments of personal testimony, they remind us that gratitude is more than a holiday sentiment, but it's a daily posture of faith.Stories of Radical Generosity:You will hear how churches and communities in Lebanon, even those facing loss, displacement, and hardship continue to embody generosity. From Syrian refugees giving back after the Beirut port explosion, to congregations supporting families during earthquakes, conflicts, and crises, each story points back to God's sustaining grace. Camille reflects on Heart for Lebanon's 20-year journey, celebrating the generosity that has enabled the ministry to serve families affected by disasters, war, displacement, and poverty. He highlights how your investments, your prayers, your giving, your presence have resulted in real transformation, including recent baptisms and growing discipleship communities across the country. A Word from Elio:Thank you our listeners, partners, and friends. Your prayers, encouragement, and support make every story possible. He invites you to share this episode with someone who needs hope and to join Heart for Lebanon's prayer community. Join our email list to stay up-to-date on how God is moving in Lebanon: https://heartforlebanon.org/emailsignup/ FOLLOW Heart For Lebanon:Website: https://heartforlebanon.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartforlebanonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartforLebanonX: https://x.com/HeartForLebanon 

We're back with a new listener AMA, and this one goes deep into the heart of what so many of you have been asking about lately: healing, forgiveness, energetic boundaries, and what it really means to stay aligned when life throws you lessons you never asked for. As always, it's just me and my wife, Alyson Charles Storey, sitting down at home to explore your questions with honesty, humor, and a whole lot of spiritual perspective.In this conversation, we unpack what forgiveness actually looks like—especially when the other person never takes accountability. We talk about how to work with resentment, rumination, and intrusive thoughts without spiritually bypassing or numbing ourselves. You'll hear us dive into the difference between emotional processing and feeding old mental loops, the role of humility in resolving conflict, and why “letting go” is often more about moment-to-moment surrender than a single breakthrough.We also get into questions around shamanic perspective, karmic lessons, and how to discern when an experience has alchemized into wisdom versus when it's still asking for attention. Along the way, we touch on rituals, inner work, and the spiritual tools we each turn to—plus plenty of personal stories, laughter, and real-life marriage moments.Thank you to every listener who submitted a question. Your curiosity and vulnerability shape these episodes, and we're grateful to walk this path with you. Keep the questions coming for the next AMA. Get Alyson's Animal Power book and deck, plus free guided drumming shamanic journey to meet your power animal, at alysoncharles.com/animalpower.DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only and not intended for diagnosing or treating illnesses. The hosts disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects from using the information presented. Consult your healthcare provider before using referenced products. This podcast may include paid endorsements.THIS SHOW IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Element Health |  Go to elementhealthsupply.com/luke for deep discounts during their Black Friday / Cyber Monday saleBON CHARGE | Save 25% on BON CHARGE's entire product line through December 31, 2025 at boncharge.comAPOLLO NEURO | Improve sleep, focus, and calm with the Apollo wearable. Get $90 off with code LUKE at apolloneuro.com/lukeBIOPTIMIZERS | Get 25% on Bioptimizers' entire product line for Black Friday and Cyber Monday at bioptimizers.com/lukeMORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:(00:00:00) The Reality of Writing a Book: Discipline, Devotion, & Disconnection(00:20:54) “Are You a Student of Life… or at the Mercy of It?”(00:39:31) Abuse, Alchemy, & Forgiveness Without Accountability(01:06:40) Latest Discoveries & the Art of Not Caring What People Think(01:23:16) Anti-Inflammatories, Herbal Mocktails, & Winter Wellness Tools(01:34:21) “In God We Trust”: A National Motto, a Spiritual Inquiry, & a Cultural Disconnect(01:45:43) Closing the Year of the Snake & Preparing for the Fire HorseResources:• Website:

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251128dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 Paradise We have to wait for heaven. That’s just true. And things aren’t always going to be easy while we are waiting. The apostle Paul and his fellow missionary Barnabas couldn’t have said it any more plainly than they did during their first missionary journey. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). So then, what a great deal Jesus was offering one of the men hanging on a cross next to him. The man had confessed his sin and placed his confidence in Jesus for forgiveness and salvation. He had boldly asked, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And how did our Savior answer? You’ll have to wait? No! “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “today you will be with me in paradise.” Skip the line! Have paradise today! The Bible does not tell us that the thief on the cross was transported, body and soul, to heaven that day, like the Old Testament believers Enoch and Elijah were. No, he died that day. His body was removed from the cross and presumably buried to await the day of resurrection. Yes, his believing soul went to dwell with God, but the reunion of his body and soul in heaven would have to wait until Jesus comes again. We’ll have to wait for heaven, too. But like the thief on the cross, we can be confident that paradise is ours because the heavy burden of our sin was left on the cross with our Savior. And, we have the promise from the Bible that, “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Prayer: Jesus, thank you, for your sake I can be confident of my place in paradise. 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.

Jay Leno is one of the most recognizable figures in comedy and late night, hosting The Tonight Show for a combined two decades. But in recent years, his life has shifted into a quieter, more intimate chapter as he cares for his wife Mavis, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2024. Jay opens up to Hoda about what it means to support the woman who stood beside him throughout his career and her small glimmers of memory and recognition that mean everything. He reflects on their love story, the humor they still find in simple moments and how this chapter has revealed a deeper purpose built on patience, tenderness, and grace. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.