Tag: devotional

Devotions, Women's Devotionals

🌿 Kingdom Living Devotional — Day 57

Rooted & Raised

“Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin…”

— Matthew 6:28–30 NASB1995

🌸 God’s Provision, Not Performance

Lilies don’t strive. They don’t hustle. Yet they radiate beauty because God clothes them. Jesus points to these flowers and says: “This is how your Father cares for you.”

We are not called to live stressed-out, performance-driven lives in His Kingdom. Instead, we are called to trust the same God who paints the flowers.

🔗 Ante-Nicene Reflection

The early church taught believers to rely on God’s care rather than earthly systems. They believed God’s provision was not only sufficient—it was glorious.

💭 Reflect:

  • Where am I striving instead of trusting?
  • What does it look like to live clothed in God’s care?

✨ Prayer:

Father, forgive me for measuring my worth by what I do. Help me trust Your care and rest in Your faithful provision. Amen.

Children's Devotionals, Devotions

🧢 Kingdom Kids Devotional — Day 57

Rooted & Raised

“Look at the flowers! They don’t work, but God gives them beautiful clothes!”

— Matthew 6:28–30 (Paraphrased)

🌼 God Dresses the Flowers!

Jesus tells us to look at the flowers. They don’t do chores or go to work, but God still makes them look amazing! That’s how much He loves them—and how much more He loves you.

You are more special to God than flowers. He promises to care for you every day.

🏛 Back Then…

Early Christian families taught their kids that God takes care of the small things and the big things. He still does.

💡 Think About It:

  • What do you need today that you can ask God for?
  • How has He taken care of you already?

✨ Let’s Pray:

Thank You, God, for always taking care of me. Help me trust You like the flowers do! Amen.

Devotions, Teen Devotions

😎 Kingdom Teen Devotional — Day 57

Rooted & Raised

“Observe how the lilies of the field grow… not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.”

— Matthew 6:28–30 NASB1995

🌿 God’s Got Style and Supply

Jesus straight up says: the flowers aren’t stressed—and they’re still stunning. Even Solomon, the richest king, couldn’t touch their style.

God provides. Not with leftovers. With glory. And you’re worth way more to Him than wildflowers.

🖊 Real Talk:

What are you trying to control that’s causing anxiety?

What if you believed God wants to take care of you better than you imagined?

✍️ Prayer:

Lord, help me stop chasing control and start chasing trust. You care for me more than I understand. Teach me to rest in that. Amen.

Devotions, Family Devotionals

🏡 Kingdom Family Devotional — Day 57

Rooted & Raised

“Observe how the lilies of the field grow… not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.”

— Matthew 6:28–30 NASB1995

🌸 Trust Over Toil

Jesus invites us to pause and look at something simple: a flower. Without effort, it’s clothed with beauty. And if God does that for grass, what about your family?

Kingdom families are not built on anxious striving but on peaceful trust. Moms, your tone sets the rhythm. Trusting God shows your children they can too.

📖 Talk About It:

  • What are we working so hard for that we might need to release to God?
  • What does resting in God’s provision look like for our family?

🪡 Kingdom Practice:

Take a walk and look for wildflowers or plants. Discuss how God made them grow without effort—and how He promises to care for your family, too.

✍️ Prayer:

God, help us remember the lilies. You are our provider. Help us live in that peace and show it to our children. Amen.

God Is Love, Kingdom Discipleship

Love That Warns: Truthful in Compassion, Bold in Loyalty

Rooted & Raised

From the series “The Love of God: Revealed, Received, and Radiated”

A love that never warns is not love at all.
It is fear dressed in softness.
It seeks peace without righteousness, unity without truth, compassion without conviction.

But the love of God is not fragile. It tells the truth.
It does not flatter. It does not deceive. It does not ignore the path to destruction.

“Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.”
— Proverbs 27:5–6

The world offers a counterfeit love—a love that celebrates sin, silences conscience, and affirms rebellion. But God’s love calls people out of darkness into light. It wounds only to heal. It exposes only to restore.

“Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.”
— Revelation 3:19

The same Christ who wept over Jerusalem also called the Pharisees whitewashed tombs.
The same Paul who spoke of love in 1 Corinthians 13 warned of wolves in Acts 20.
The same Spirit who comforts the brokenhearted also convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8).

To love someone is to want their salvation more than their approval.
To love the Church is to guard her from the deception that kills the soul.
To love the lost is to care enough to say, “This path leads to death.”

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”
— Romans 12:9

Love does not affirm evil.
Love names it, flees from it, and calls others away from it.
Not from superiority, but from loyalty to the One who is holy.

This kind of love is rare. It is costly. It risks reputation and comfort. But it is the kind of love that Christ modeled and the early Church refused to surrender.

Ignatius of Antioch (AD 107):
“Do not be deceived… those who corrupt families shall not inherit the Kingdom. If they do not repent, they will be separated from God forever.”
— Letter to the Ephesians, Ch. 16

Clement of Alexandria (AD 195):
“The physician who fears to use the knife lest he hurt, lets the infection spread. So too the teacher who will not expose falsehood has betrayed love.”
— Stromata, Book VII

This was not cruelty—it was courage. They spoke plainly, because eternity was at stake. Their love was loyal to Christ, not to culture.

Today’s Church must recover this kind of love.
Not quarrelsome, but clear.
Not harsh, but holy.
Not soft-spoken when souls are at risk, but bold in loyalty to the truth of the gospel.

We do not love people by abandoning what is true.
We love them by calling them to the One who is the truth.
And when we do, we must be willing to be misunderstood—just as Christ was.

Sources & References

Love That Warns: Truthful in Compassion, Bold in Loyalty

Scripture (NASB 1995):

  • Proverbs 27:5–6 – “Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed…”
  • Revelation 3:19 – “Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline…”
  • Romans 12:9 – “Let love be without hypocrisy…”
  • John 16:8 – “The Spirit will convict the world concerning sin…”

Ante-Nicene Sources:

  • Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians, Ch. 16.
    “Do not be deceived… those who corrupt families shall not inherit the Kingdom…”
    [Available at: EarlyChristianWritings.com]
  • Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book VII.
    “The physician who fears to use the knife… has betrayed love.”
    [Available at: CCEL.org or NewAdvent.org]
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Kingdom Discipleship, Kingdom Living

Ambassadors of Another World

Rooted & Raised

The Calling to Represent Christ’s Kingdom in Character, Conduct, and Message

As citizens of the Kingdom of God, we don’t just carry a message—we embody it. We are ambassadors, representing another world in the midst of this one. Our lives speak even louder than our words.

“We are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:20

Ambassadors Are Sent by the King

We don’t represent ourselves. We speak on behalf of the One who sent us. This means our lives—our speech, our responses, our posture—must reflect the character of Christ.

“Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
— Philippians 1:27

“The world sees Christ through our conduct; let it not see Him distorted.”
— Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Trallians

The Early Church Carried the Kingdom in Word and Deed

They didn’t separate belief from behavior. Their love for one another, forgiveness, holiness, and refusal to retaliate under pressure testified of a better Kingdom.

“They dwell in their own countries, but as sojourners… they love all, and are persecuted by all.”
— Letter to Diognetus, ch. 5–6

Ambassadors Live Under Heaven’s Laws

We don’t adapt to the world—we reflect the Kingdom’s culture: humility, integrity, purity, generosity, and mercy. These are not optional—they’re evidence of who we represent.

“The ambassador does not bring his own laws, but the law of the one who sent him.”
— Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 47

Ambassadors Must Not Be Silent

While our lives speak, our mouths must also testify. Ambassadors are sent to deliver a message—and ours is the Gospel of reconciliation.

“Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”
— 1 Corinthians 9:16

What We Can Learn

  1. Ambassadors represent the King in word, conduct, and posture.
  2. Our lifestyle should reflect the laws and culture of heaven.
  3. The Church must not lose its voice or its witness.
  4. We are sojourners with a message of hope, not silence.

Sources:

  • The Holy Bible — 2 Corinthians 5:18–20; Philippians 1:27; 1 Peter 2:11–12; 1 Corinthians 9:16; Colossians 4:5–6
  • Letter to Diognetus, ch. 5–6
  • Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Trallians
  • Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 47
  • Didache, ch. 4
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Devotions, Family Devotionals

🏡 Kingdom Family Devotional — Day 56

Rooted & Raised

“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”

— Matthew 6:27 NASB1995

⌛ Worry Steals, Trust Restores

Jesus invites families to consider: has worry ever helped? Instead of fixing our problems, it adds to them. But trust lightens our load.

A Kingdom family learns to talk to God about their fears and live with peace, not panic.

🕯 A Mother’s Role

Be the calm in the room. When you show your family how to turn worry into prayer, you teach them how to live in God’s peace.

📖 Talk About It:

  • What do we often worry about that we can’t control?
  • How can we remind each other to pray instead?

🪡 Kingdom Practice

Place a “worry basket” in the home. Write down worries and drop them in. Pray over them as a family and let them go.

✍️ Prayer:

Lord, worry changes nothing—but You change everything. Teach us to give You our fears and live in peace. Amen.

Devotions, Teen Devotions

😎 Kingdom Teen Devotional — Day 56

Rooted & Raised

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?”

— Matthew 6:27 NASB1995

⏰ Worry Is a Time Thief

Jesus is straight up: worry doesn’t make life better—it only makes it harder. It won’t give you more control or more time. It just steals your peace.

Let it go. Give that mental space back to God.

🖊 Real Talk:

  • What’s something you’re obsessing over that you can’t control?
  • What would happen if you actually gave it to God?

✨ Try This:

Next time worry hits, pause and pray: God, You’re in charge. I’m not. I trust You.

✍️ Prayer:

Jesus, I waste so much energy worrying. Take it. Rule over it. Fill me with peace instead. Amen.

Children's Devotionals, Devotions

🧢 Kingdom Kids Devotional — Day 56

Rooted & Raised

“Can you make your life longer by worrying? No!”

— Matthew 6:27 (Paraphrased)

😊 Worry Can’t Help

Jesus reminds us that worry doesn’t fix anything. It doesn’t make us safer, smarter, or stronger. But prayer does! God wants us to talk to Him instead of getting stuck in fear.

He loves to trade our worries for His peace.

🏛 Long Ago…

Kids in the early Church were taught that worrying couldn’t fix problems—but praying could. They learned to trust God with their day.

💡 Think About It:

  • What do I sometimes worry about?
  • Can I pray to God when I start to feel afraid?

✨ Let’s Pray:

God, I know worry doesn’t help. Teach me to pray instead and trust You more. Amen.

Devotions, Women's Devotionals

🌿 Kingdom Living Devotional — Day 56

Rooted & Raised

“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”

— Matthew 6:27 NASB1995

⏱ Worry Doesn’t Work

Jesus asks a rhetorical question to make a deep point: worry doesn’t lengthen life—it steals from it. It cannot add anything good. Instead of extending our lives, worry drains our peace, joy, and strength.

Kingdom living means surrendering worry because we know the One who holds time in His hands.

🔗 Ante-Nicene Reflection

Early Christians often faced daily uncertainty, yet they were known for their calm confidence in God’s sovereignty. Their hope was not in control, but in Christ.

💭 Reflect

  • What has worry taken from me?
  • What would it look like to replace worry with worship?

✨ Prayer

Father, I confess that worry doesn’t help. You are in control of every hour. Help me live in that peace today. Amen.