Author: Nathaniel Colt

Read about It

Read: Luke 23:13–25

Pilate had a hard choice to make. Should he send Jesus to die or should he let Him live? Several times, Pilate told the religious leaders that he thought Jesus was innocent. The priests and the crowd kept fighting back. Rather than being strong and following through on what he knew to be true, Pilate at first refused to make a decision. He sent Jesus to Herod Antipas, who mocked and ridiculed Jesus. When Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate, he listened to the Jewish leaders and the crowd. He finally gave in and sent Jesus to be crucified. Pilate knew the truth, but he was more concerned about what the crowd wanted.

Who is the “crowd” in your life? Many people will try to pressure you into believing the way they do. They may seem nice or even right. But is what they’re saying the truth? God’s Word can help us stand firm against the crowd. We can’t just use our feelings to make our stand. Our heart and mind must know and love the truth in God’s Word and then stand on our faith. When the crowd is loud, let God’s voice be louder so we can stand strong and follow Him.

Read about It

Read: John 12:23–28

The way a seed grows into what it can become is by going into the ground and dying. Any seed that sits in a packet or on the pavement will never fully grow. Jesus gave this example to His followers to describe what He was about to do. His death was about to be the ultimate sacrifice that would bring life to everyone who trusts in Him. How was He able to do this? Jesus was willing to let go of His own life for the sake of others. Jesus was committed to the will of God the Father, so it didn’t matter what came His way. Jesus was willing to make whatever sacrifice He needed to. He did it because He loves all people and wants everyone to have a relationship with God.

Some followers of Jesus will make the ultimate sacrifice and lose their life for Jesus. Even if we don’t do that, we will face problems and hard times that will test our faith. We can stand firm and grow through these trials when we are deeply rooted in Jesus. Challenges in life can help us to grow closer to God. In every problem we have, we can help others come to know Jesus. Next time you have a problem, let this be your prayer—God, let this problem help me grow closer to You and help others know You too.

Read about It

Read: John 15:1–10

Jesus told His disciples how to be fruitful in the world. The answer was simple—remain in Him. Jesus gave the example of a vine and branches. The vine is the source of water, nutrition, and support for the branches. A branch quickly dies when it is cut and not connected to the vine. We will be fruitful when we remain in God and Jesus remains in us.

Jesus also said that those who remain in Him could ask for whatever they wanted, and He would give it to them. When we stay in Jesus, His desires become ours. Our desires will be for the Kingdom and the spiritual harvest. Jesus will provide everything we need when we grow deep and remain connected to Him. Fruit will become a natural part of our life because that is what branches connected to the vine create.

You grow deeper in God when you remain in Him. How do you know when you are abiding in God? You will see fruit. People will come to Jesus. You will get to share the gospel, and your testimony will help others grow in their faith. You know that you remain in Jesus when you desire more of Him and to do His will. Your heart will love God more and more. You will want to go to church and read God’s Word. Take a look at your life. Do you see that you are remaining in the “vine”? Even if you only see a little bit, remember that God will continue to grow deeper in you when you take steps to remain in Him.

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Read: Mark 4:13–20

In the Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed, Jesus talked about the seed on the path and the seed on rocky soil. He also spoke about another type of soil. But, two different things happened with the plants that grew. The soil allowed growth, and the roots could go deep. But when the first set of plants grew, the thorns choked them out. The second set grew an abundant harvest. Remember, the soil represents people, and the seed represents the Word of God. The thorns are the worries of life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things. The seed grew, but the plants didn’t last. The Word of God growing in the life of a Christian will cause lasting change in the person and in the world around them. So, how do we produce fruit?

In every Christian’s life, there are temptations to let worldly things choke out what God is doing in us. But, if we allow God to work in these things, an abundant harvest can happen. Thorns can grow anywhere in our life. What do we do when they come? We pull them up. Sometimes, we get worried about our life and our future. When this happens, we should remind ourself of God’s promises. The thorn of worry gets pulled up. Sometimes, we think too much about making money or storing our treasures on earth. We have to remind ourself that this world isn’t our home when this happens. Then the thorn of wealth gets plucked out. Other times, we want what the world wants instead of what God wants for our life. When this happens, we need to come to Jesus. When we do, we don’t let the thorns choke out God’s work, and our life will produce great fruit for God.

Read about It

Read: Mark 4:1–9, 14

What does it mean to be “deeply rooted”? Jesus told the parable of a farmer scattering seeds. The seed in the story was the powerful Word of God. But, good seed can’t grow if there isn’t good soil.

A deeply rooted person allows God to work in their life. They stay tender and teachable to what God wants to teach them. When this happens, God’s Word gets rooted into their life and helps them grow. When soil is shallow, roots can’t grow deep. So, how do we prepare the “soil” of our heart to allow the roots to grow deeper? One way is by spending time with God and worshipping Him. Time spent in prayer, worship, trust, and obedience keeps our heart tender to God. When we listen to and read the Word of God, we learn its message. This gives God’s message an opportunity to take root in our life. The Word of God changes us. Let’s have ears to hear and a heart to love God so we can allow His work to be done in our life.

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Read: Matthew 5:10; 2 Timothy 4:1–8

Many people in the Bible endured trials, or were even killed, for their faith. The apostle Paul, who was beaten, stoned, imprisoned, mocked, and shipwrecked, faced death and remained faithful. He wrote to his spiritual son Timothy to continue to preach the Word of God. Timothy needed to keep a clear mind and not be afraid of suffering. Why did Paul give these instructions? Paul had years of experience and knew that preaching the gospel wasn’t easy. But, it is the good news that everyone needs to hear. The world needs Jesus. Paul reminded Timothy to fight the good fight and remain faithful.

The words that Paul wrote to Timothy still are true today. We need to know the truth in Jesus and be prepared to share it with others. Some may accept it; others won’t. Some people may get angry with us for talking about Jesus. They might make fun of us. We must stand firm in our heart and hold on to the truth of Jesus. We need to serve God no matter what, even if people are mean to us. In Matthew 5:10, Jesus gave us this verse, “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Let’s be committed and stand firm in the faith because Jesus is worthy of it all.

Read about It

Read: Hebrews 11:1–12

Hebrews 11 tells us about many people who kept the faith. While they all had faith, one other thing united them all. Each of them went through significant trials. Noah built an ark and then rebuilt communities after the Flood. Abraham left his homeland, waited for God’s promises, and lived as a foreigner in a strange land. Sarah was unable to have children until she was ninety years old. More are listed in the rest of this chapter. These trials were the test of their faith—a test they all passed. All of these people, and many more, stayed committed to God in their trials. Their commitment and trust is why we honor them today.

Nobody likes going through hard times. But, our trials show how committed we are to God. When we can walk through a trial and keep our faith in God, our faith will be stronger for the next test that comes. Our strength isn’t in how we fix a problem or get through a hard time. Our strength is in keeping the faith and staying committed to Jesus. Tests and trials make us stronger when we rely on God. They don’t take our strength away. Whatever we go through, we can know that God has something better waiting for us.