SCRIPTURE

He is not here; He has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

Matthew 28:6 NIV

DEVOTIONAL

“Follow Me.”

Peter sat in grief and darkness, his days marked by God’s silence. He had publicly denied knowing Jesus
just before Jesus was dragged away to be crucified. And now for the past few days, Peter had to process
his grief and guilt without any expectation that the pain would stop.

But during the early morning of the third day, Jesus’ tomb was found empty and the stone rolled away.
As Peter huddles in fear with the other disciples-trying to process the day’s events-Jesus suddenly
appears to Peter fully alive! Instead of letting Peter live with the shame of his past mistakes, Jesus pulls
him aside and asks him a question that propels Peter into his purpose:

“Do you love me?”

With this question, Jesus invites Peter to reaffirm the relationship He’d denied. Jesus’ power over death
and darkness meant that

Peter didn’t have to stay defined by his past mistakes. He could still embrace the call on his life and
become the leader Jesus always knew he could be. Like Peter, you have the opportunity to say “yes” to
loving Jesus and being loved by Him. No matter how messy your life looks, or how far from Jesus you
feel, there is nothing that can separate you from His love. Your past mistakes or current problems do not
dictate your purpose when your life is rooted in Christ alone.

The resurrection reassures us that no situation or mistake is impossible for God to redeem. There is no
fear Jesus cannot conquer and no life He cannot heal. No darkness can stand against the power of the
risen God who conquered death on our behalf. There is nothing our God cannot do.

Pray: Jesus, thank You for conquering death for me. I’m thankful that nothing can separate me from
your love, and no mistake can disqualify me from your plans. Today, remind me of who You’ve called me
to be. And when I start to feel unworthy, help me remember to reflect on Your resurrection and rejoice
that you alone are my salvation. I love you, and today I choose to follow You.

PRAYER

Jesus, thank You for changing the course of history. My life would be meaningless without You. Thank
You for breaking the cycle of brokenness and bondage in my life. I am so grateful that You are mine, and

I am Yours. Help me to never take that for granted. From now on, I want to display Your love for me. I
want to live a life that celebrates You. Amen.
SCRIPTURE

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

Romans 8:1 NIV

DEVOTIONAL

I WILL FREE YOU

Why does God make us wait?

Have you ever asked that question? God is all-powerful, so why doesn’t He fix our circumstances and
remove our pain the moment we are saved? The Bible answers

Those questions in a few places. For example, Peter tells us God is gracious and kind, wanting as many
people as possible to come to know Him.

But there’s also work God wants to do in us while we’re waiting. When we ask Jesus into our lives, our
spirit is made perfect. But our body and soul- what we do, and what we think and feel- are still far from
perfect. We come into God’s family full of sin, full of hurt, and full of baggage. So from the moment we
are saved to the day Jesus returns, God teaches us the values of this new family we’ve been adopted
into. He doesn’t do this by giving a list of rules to follow, but by giving us the Holy Spirit as a guide.

As we listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead, new desires displace our old ones. Freeing us from our
old way of doing things is a lifelong process that requires our participation.

We have to be willing to admit we have issues. We also have to let ourselves think differently. We might
even have to change our influences – surrounding ourselves with different people, programs, or
pastimes.

But as crazy as it might sound, true freedom comes from submission. We spent our lives before Jesus
chasing what feels good and doing what we thought was right. And in the end, we were never fulfilled.

Each time we follow the Holy Spirit, we become a little more like Jesus and a little less like who we used
to be. Confidence that we are God's children replaces the

knowledge that we are God's children. And that's where the real adventure begins.

PRAY

God, thank you for dying to save me and sending the Holy Spirit to guide me. Free me from my old way
of thinking and any baggage I'm still carrying around. Show me where I need to think differently and
follow

your lead.

CHALLENGE

Do you feel free or is your life ruled by rules? What's one thing you've been doing that God never said
you needed to do? Quit it. Today. Then, ask Jesus how you should spend that time instead.
PRAYER

God, thank You for rescuing me from eternal separation from You. Although I deserved judgment, You
took my punishment for me. I don't deserve that kind of love, but I am grateful for it. And so today, I
choose to stop chasing after things You gave Your life to save me from. From now on, I choose to only
follow You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

SCRIPTURE

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer
everyone.

Colossians 4:6 NIV

DEVOTIONAL

Gentleness

Gentleness goes a long way in any conversation, relationship, or situation. Proverbs says that it has the
ability to turn away wrath; its power is great and truly incomprehensible.

When you interact with someone, Colossians says we should do it in grace, that how we speak to them
should bring out the best in them. Particularly in a tense moment or one with an unbeliever. Being kind
with someone when your instinct is to lash out or correct is gentleness in action.

Therefore, when anger begins to brew in you and in the other person, it's our responsibility to diffuse
the tension. Choose to turn the table by responding in kindness and gentleness.

Whether it's a relationship with another person or as a part of the body of Christ, choose gentleness to
guide you. Doing this will speak volumes to those around you and help foster unity in your relationships.

Make it a point daily to pray for gentleness, that God will help you in the way you interact with and
respond to others. Gentleness is not always easy but it is always necessary.

PRAYER

God, no matter whom I talk to, please make my speech gracious and kind. Teach me to respond to
people with compassion and respect. And let the words I say and the things I think reflect Your character
and bring You glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.