One Verse Devotional

Our culture is obsessed with the negative and controversial. Just watch the news. But God says to think about what is lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy. My dad loved the news. It was really all he watched on T.V. Sure, he would watch the occasional family movie with us or the A-team from time to time. But his favorite was, hands down, the news. Morning, noon, evening, and night. He couldn’t get enough. I remember when we first got cable. It was like Christmas day for my dad, who could now watch the news 24 hours a day! What does this has to do with today’s One Verse? Well, Philippians 4:8 tells us to think about things are are right and true and just. Think about things that are lovely and admirable and praiseworthy. Would you use any of those words to describe last night’s news coverage? I sure wouldn’t! Now, I’m not on a rampage against local and national news. It’s good to be informed and know what is going on in our cities and around our country and the world. But it does bring up an interesting point:

There is evil in this world, but God is faithful. While He doesn’t promise physical safety, He protects the most important part: our souls. There is real evil in this world. Just turn on the news. But God is faithful. He promises to protect us. Then why do bad things happen? I don’t know. God doesn’t promise us physical protection. But He holds on to the most important parts of us. Our spirits. Our souls. Satan, the evil one, can never touch that. Yes, we may experience physical heartache. We will. But God is still watching over us. He protects us. And our souls and our future are safe with Him! About One Verse One Verse is a short, free podcast devotional designed to help you grow closer to God through less than 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Consistency trumps intensity. When it comes to working out, eating healthy, or managing our finances, consistency always trumps intensity. We reach our major life goals through small, purposeful steps taken daily. The same is true in our spiritual lives. I truly believ

Our God is worthy of praise. He has done wonderful things planned long ago (Isaiah 25:1). Have you ever seen the book, Zoom? I remember it from school growing up. It is made up only of pictures, and each page zooms out just a little. At first, you see a boy and a girl looking outside at a rooster. Then you see their farm. Next, you realize they aren’t real, they are just toys. You see the girl playing with the toys. Then, you discover the whole scene is on the cover of a magazine. And on and on it goes. It reminds me how some people say God is so high up that our problems don’t matter much to Him. But that isn’t true. Our lives do matter. Yes, God is high and can see the entire world. But He is also close, living with us every day. God cares about what you care about. He understands our anxiety and worry. Yet, God is able to see the entire world and all of time in His context. He is perfectly faithful. Maybe it’s not in our timing. But, then again, we aren’t perfect. God knows all and cares for all. Our One V

This is the controversy of the Gospel: Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I grew up in church. Maybe you did, too. A few years ago, I had a problem. I realized that I was totally taking Jesus for granted. I would look for a place to read in my Bible, and I noticed I had been skipping the Gospels. I thought I knew everything about them. I had read them for years, I know the story of Jesus. What else is there to learn, right? But I was wrong. I dove into the Gospels and I fell in love with Jesus, again. I saw a radical and controversial leader. I saw a loving and grace-filled Savior. In today’s One Verse, Jesus says it best. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This is controversial. People don’t want to hear that there is only one way. But it is the truth. Jesus is the Truth. Please, get to know Jesus. If you grew up in the church, get to know Him, again. If you aren’t sure how you feel about Jesus, dive into the book of John or Mark. Look at Him with

Jesus didn’t just rise from the dead. He IS the Resurrection. It is a part of who He is. He offers new and fresh life (John 11:25). In John 11:25, Jesus is speaking to the sisters of Lazarus. As He comforts them, Jesus gives us our One Verse for today. “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” He actually IS the resurrection. It isn’t just something He is planning on doing. Jesus is life. He offers life. And He offers new and fresh Life. I don’t know what you are going through in your life. Or what you have experienced in the past. But I know what Jesus can do. How? Because He has done it in my life. My past isn’t pretty. I am screwed up time and time, again. But Jesus has been the resurrection in my life. He brought me Life and then renewed Life every time I fall away. I encourage you to get to know Him today. Maybe you are a Christian who need to reconnect with Jesus. Maybe you have never had a relationship with Him. It’s time to spend some time with J

“Apart from me, you can do nothing.” Strong, but true words from Jesus in John 15:5. We must stay connected to the Vine! This week, we are looking at a few “I am” passages out of the Gospel of John. These verses are so important because they answer a question all the way back from the book of Exodus. When Moses stood at the burning bush and talked to God, he asked Him His name. What would God say? What does He call Himself? “I Am.” That is the name God gives to Moses. God calls Himself the Great I Am. But that seems incomplete, doesn’t it? I am… what? Fast forward thousands of years. Jesus comes along and starts making these “I am” statements. He is doing two things. First, Jesus is claiming to be God. We know this because when He makes an I am statement, the religious leaders freak out. They know exactly what Jesus is saying. Second, I believe Jesus is filling in the blanks to the questions we would naturally have. I am…? Remember, the Bible says Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law, of the old covenant. I be

In the OT, God said His name was I AM. In the NT, Jesus finished the statement and explained who God is in our lives. I AM… I love the Old Testament. I love when the New Testament connects back to the Old. We see this several times. Jesus even quotes the Old Testament over and over, again. But one of my favorite connecting points are the “I AM” passages out of the Gospel of John. It goes all the way back to Moses standing in front of the burning bush in Exodus. God is speaking to Moses and tells him to go back to Egypt and free His people. “But who will I say sent me?” Moses asked. In other words, Moses asked God what His name is. What would God call Himself? God answered, “I AM.” Which I feel is a little vague. Ok, God, that’s cool. You are what? For thousands of years we had to wait. Until Jesus. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes several I AM statements. He is doing two things. First, He is claiming to be God. We know this because the religious leaders freak out when Jesus uses this phrase. They knew exact

God is the Rock of our salvation, a firm foundation in the middle of life’s shifting sands. It is Friday! That means two things: The weekend is here AND we get to look at a Psalm! I love today’s One Verse. Psalm 95:1 says, “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.” I love going to church on Sundays. Sure, I love hearing a good sermon and being challenged and encouraged in my faith. But what I really love is hearing the entire congregation sing praises to our Savior. It’s the closest we get to heaven on this earth. Seriously. Have you ever thought about that before? It’s a glimpse of what we will experience in heaven: millions of Jesus followers singing and shouting praises to a worthy Savior. And why is He is worthy? Because of the second part of today’s One Verse: He is the Rock of our salvation. When life is unsure and we fill like we are walking on shifting sands, God is the foundation and the Rock that stands firm. When the wind is blowing and the storm is ra

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -Romans 15:13 This is my prayer for you today. When I read this verse, it reminded me of a benediction. A benediction is a closing prayer that many (traditional) church services will use. The pastor will raise his hands over the congregation and pray a prayer of blessing before they leave. The One Verse Devotional podcast isn’t going anywhere :) but I want to pray this over you. My prayer is that you trust in the God of Hope and experience true joy and peace in your life that can only be experienced through the power of the Holy Spirit. What a wonderful verse. I hope that you lean into this verse and receive it as a blessing in your life. I challenge you to grow closer to God every single day. By growing a deeper relationship with Jesus, He will uncover more joy and peace in your life. I’m not saying things will always be easy. You can actually experience massive amoun

One of the greatest problems in the Church today is Christians thinking they show up on Sunday to watch the Minister rather than realizing we are ALL ministers. You are a minister of Jesus. I can’t put it more plainly. The Bible makes it clear. Pastors are not the only ones carrying out the Gospel of Jesus. Actually, in Ephesians we learn the reason God gave us pastors was in order to teach and equip ALL Christians to be able to do ministry in everyday life! Our One Verse today backs that up! 2 Corinthians 3:6 says, “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--” Jesus is the New Covenant. Where the Old Covenant, The Law, shows us how we can never match up to a Holy God, Jesus came to bring Life and offer Hope to our spiritual dilemma. The Apostle Paul is clear: We have all been called to carry out the Life-giving Gospel message of Jesus. We are ministers of Jesus. Yes, we go to church to hear our pastor. That is the teaching part. That is the equipping. “But, Matt, I don’t have what it takes! Wha

When God calls us to go, He rarely tells us the exact destination. God wants our trust. Just Go. Let God show you the way! One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is when God calls Abram (later Abraham) to go to the Promised Land. But here’s the deal. Abraham didn’t know it was the Promised Land. God didn’t even tell him where to go! In Genesis 12, God simply tells Abraham to go “to a place that I will show you.” God doesn’t give the plan. He doesn’t share the destination. He simply says, “Go.” Now consider this: Abraham didn’t have a car. He had herds of animals and family and servants and children (not his… yet!). It was a big deal to move everything. Now consider this, as well. He couldn’t have a direct route. It was desert. Abram had to move across the Fertile Crescent. All in all, he traveled 1,100 miles. Eleven hundred miles! On foot! It probably took him 9 months to a year, and he never knew when he was supposed to stop. This story unpacks how God works in our lives, today. This is still how Go

The greatest “wealth” we can achieve is growing deeper in our relationship with Jesus and being content with the blessing He has given us. Here’s the thing about following Jesus: His teachings are usually totally backward compared to the mindset of our culture. For example, “The first will be last.” What? No, the first will be first, right? That is what the world teaches us. But Jesus would disagree. In His Kingdom, it is those who place themselves last who will be given a place of authority and honor. This brings us to today’s One Verse. The Apostle Paul is talking about “great gain.” Wealth. In just six short words, Paul teaches us how to achieve great gain and wealth. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Huh? There is nothing in that verse about our checking account or getting a nicer car or a bigger house. Yet, that is how our culture would measure gain. In God’s Kingdom, true wealth comes from a place of joy and peace and love. Growing deeper in our relationship with God and be

The amazing thing about following God is that He knows your voice. We are in relationship with our Savior! In my hometown of Indianapolis, we have the largest children’s museum in the country. It’s amazing. We have purchased annual family passes multiple times because we love going so much. However, it can get a little crazy! Especially on certain days, there are thousands of people there between families and school groups. Yet, in this sea of children, I can always pick out my son’s voice. There can be 50 kids circled around me at an exhibit, all yelling for their parents to look. Yet, when Noah says, “Daddy, look at this!” my ears perk up, and I look to him. Our One Verse today comes from Psalm 116:1 and says, “I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;” God is your Father, and He knows your voice! How cool is that? He knows you. He listens to you. He turns to you when you cry out for Him. Are you spending time with Him? Are you giving Him the opportunity to hear your voice? I love spending time with my son. I

The closer we get to Jesus, the more we will realize and understand our gifts, passions, and purpose in this world! Yesterday, our One Verse was from Colossians 2 and reminded us that all of the power, glory, might, and fullness of God was in Jesus. That means we serve an awesome Savior! Well, today’s One Verse is a continuation of that thought. It is Colossians 2:10 and it says, “and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.” Wow! Christ is the fullness of God and then He passes that on to us! In other words, the closer we get to Jesus and the deeper we engage with Him in authentic relationship means the greater we will understand our gifts, skills, passion, and purpose in this world! Grow close to Jesus and He will show you amazing and wonderful things! About One Verse One Verse is a short, free podcast devotional designed to help you grow closer to God through less than 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Consistency trumps intensity. When it comes to working out, eating healthy, or managing our finances, c

A simple reminder: Jesus is the TOTAL fullness of God in human form. We serve a MIGHTY and POWERFUL Savior! In the Book of Colossians, Paul teaches us something simple, yet very critical: All the fullness of God was in Jesus in human form. For many of us, that is simply a reminder. Yes, we know Jesus is God. But there can be a big difference between “head knowledge” and “heart knowledge.” My desire is for you to have heart knowledge of Jesus and Who He is. Remember the stories of the Old Testament that we grew up with? When God parted the Red Sea through Moses or defeated Goliath through David? What about when He provided manna to the people of Israel when they were in the desert? Over and over again, God shows us His power. And it is THIS power that lives in Jesus. We serve a mighty God who loves us. We follow a powerful Savior who provides for us. I simply want to remind you, today, that Jesus IS God and God IS BIG! About One Verse One Verse is a short, free podcast devotional designed to help you grow clos

As Christians, we are called to build up and lift up others with our speech. Use your words to show love today. As Jesus followers, we are called to a different standard. A higher standard. In Ephesians 4, Paul lays out some “Instructions for Christian living.” Right in the middle of this passage, he writes, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29) Sadly, this is not what I see today in the church. Just before I sat down to record this podcast episode, I saw a post in a Facebook group where someone took the time to write out a lengthy poem to directly call out someone else and their writings. Now, I agree that this person’s writings are, well, abstract and in contrast to how many view the Bible. (That’s putting it mildly) However, did this really call for a direct reference with a link and photo of the person they were talking about? Could the writer of the Faceboo

Jesus came to proclaim good news, proclaim freedom to prisoners, and set the oppressed free. As His followers, shouldn’t we do the same? After Jesus went to see John the Baptist, He officially began His earthly ministry. At this point, He was unknown, a carpenter’s son from Nazareth. Soon after Jesus visited John the Baptist, He went to His home synagogue, a place of worship. There, Jesus stood in front of the people to read from the ancient Scripture. Jesus chose the book of Isaiah and found the passage that we would refer to today as chapter 61 (the Bible wasn’t written in chapters and verses. Those were added later by the monks to help with copying the Bible… by hand!). Once Jesus found His place, He began to read these words: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,” adding “today, this Scripture is fulfilled.” I’m sure the people had n

When life gets a little crazy, it can be easy to forget the many benefits of being a child of God. Thankfully, God never forgets. It’s Friday, which means Psalm day. I love the Psalms because they are so personal and aren’t afraid to discuss real life. In them, we find both praising and mourning. While there were several psalmists, David wrote the majority. I’m always amazed how he was not afraid to lay it out and bare his soul through his art, even though he was the king! David knew a few things about the up and down nature of following God. He knew that life can be wonderful (remember: king!), but it can also be a pretty deep valley (the old king chased him for several years trying to kill him!). That’s why I love today’s One Verse. In Psalm 103:2, David says, “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” It’s like David needs to remind himself that there are benefits to following God. There are benefits to being a child of God. “Oh, yeah, God’s got my back. Oh, yeah, God is all powerful and

Christians can be so cruel to other Christians. What message does this send to the world? The Bible is clear: Accept each other. In Christian circles, the word “acceptance” carries a lot of baggage and drama. One side of Christianity wants to be all inclusive and accepting no matter what. The other side wants to stand firm, believing that acceptance leads to a watered down faith. This raises a lot of questions. Are we talking about acceptance of the Church with the “world” or acceptance within the church? For the first issue, we will have to tackle that another day. It’s not an easy conversation. But for the second, acceptance within the church, it’s pretty straight forward. Let me be more clear: The Bible is pretty straight forward on the topic. For one, there are no “sides” of Christianity. Not in God’s eyes. In Romans 15, Paul says we are all of one mind and one voice. He continues with our One Verse for today in Romans 15:7. “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise

True Love cannot be shown with words alone. It requires us to take ACTION. Have you heard the phrase “talk is cheap?” I’m sure you have. Today, it is more true than ever. Social media allows us to say whatever we want to behind the safety of a computer screen. Many of us are living ridiculously busy lives that make it hard to follow through on promises we make, even if we had the best intentions. And because of all of this, our words have become empty. Talk. Is. Cheap. Our words alone do not hold much water. The disciple John knew this well. In our One Verse today, John says, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” John is an older man at this point, and he wants to share his wisdom with future generations. He says we can’t just show love with our lips and through our words. It’s empty, it’s hollow, and it’s cheap. I love my wife, but I can’t ONLY tell her that. I have to back it up with my actions. Love truly is a verb. Love, God-Love, requires action. The next ti