Increase Devotionals

TREY BURTON MON

DAYIT’S NOT ABOUT ME

It’s not about me. I’ve been reminded again and again about this fact recently. And again as I was listening to a sermon by Francis Chan, who spoke about us being the body of Christ. Our role as Christ’s Church is not to ask, “What can I get out of this?” but to instead ask, “How can I bring the best of my part to benefit others?” As a byproduct, we will benefit as well. As I read and study more of God’s Word, my selfish thinking and ways are made more apparent and less desirable to me. Even when I pray, I often get caught in the me-focused prayers, so I have to stop and think about how I can pray for others. It’s eye-opening.

As football players, it’s super tough because we can easily be idolized, trashed or stepped on. And for all athletes, it’s easy to be driven by statistics. You can be super high when you’re doing well and super low when you’re not. The fluctuation of highs and lows is challenging. What I had to realize is that there will always be critics, but you have to be centered on something to keep you calm.

Outside of the stats, numbers and outcomes, life is so much bigger. God is so much bigger and worth so much more. While the world may focus on these things, as Christians we need to be focused on Him. He then changes our perspectives to care more about our locker rooms, our cities, and the peace of Christ He gives us. Only then can we let others know they can have the same peace.

Anxiety is seen most exaggerated in the young players or those who are on their way out. They feel pressure from everyone to perform or prove themselves. Obviously, we all want to do well, but this can’t be our be-all and end-all. When we, as Christ-followers, demonstrate a calm spirit despite the circumstances surrounding us, people will take notice. Suddenly, when the guys you don’t usually see at Bible study show up, you know they’re struggling with something, grasping for hope or simply a rabbit’s foot for luck. Your peace and joy may not be talked about, but it is noticed. Then eventually, they may just come up and ask you about it, which gives you the opportunity to share Christ’s saving power with them.

I know that, just because I’m in the NFL, people are watching. I’m watched as a father, a husband, an athlete and a Christian. There are enough people paying attention to make me want to do this right. I want to reflect Christ.

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” — 1 Peter 3:15

TUESDAY%%

I KNOW YOU & WANT YOU

[Open with Isaiah 43:1-4]

The laws of economics tell us that you can determine the worth of an object based on what someone is willing to pay for it. The more valuable, the higher the asking price. This same principle is transferable from the price someone is willing to pay for sneakers, electronics and cars to the price that was paid for our souls. The Father loved us so much that He bankrupted Heaven on our behalf. He thought you were so incredibly valuable that He was willing to pay the ultimate price for you. However, the payment he offered was not money, but the Messiah.

The prophet Isaiah was compelled to tell all of Israel (God’s people) their true eternal worth. He affirmed how precious God’s people are to Him and that long before Jesus came into the world, the Father had put a plan in motion to pay the ransom for our sins.

The truth is that sometimes you and I get caught up in the things we engage in and allow our perspective to be muddied by the stain of sins. But in God’s eyes, we are so valuable that the ultimate price was paid for us. God in His great redemption plan named and claimed us as His own. There was a ransom no human could dare pay for us to be set free from the bondage of darkness. And out of His great love for us, the price was freely paid.

WEDNESDAY%%

YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE

[Open with 1 Corinthians 6:19-20]

Temples are places of worship. Throughout history people have attempted to create glorious resting places for the gods they choose to commemorate and celebrate. The Egyptians had the pyramids and the Greeks had their glorious temples.

Our spiritual ancestors also created places of worship. When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, they set up a tent where the Spirit of God dwelt with His people. Then Solomon built the great temple that housed the presence and worship of God for many generations. Although it was torn down and rebuilt, the activity was consistent.

For Old Testament Jews and the people who intersected the ministry of Jesus in the first century, it was clear that worship was confined to a place. But then Jesus happened. One of the key messages of the Messiah was that worship would not be confined but released. The Holy Spirit would no longer dwell in a place, but within people.

We are “God’s temple” and because of this we must be aware of what we feed it and how we use it, and make sure we’re taking care of the temple we’re given so we can fulfill God’s Kingdom work assigned to each of us. Eating well, exercising and sleeping are all components of honoring our body as a temple of God. True health is not about looking a certain way, but honoring, stewarding and caring for our bodies the way we would take care of God’s house — because it is.

THURSDAY%%

SEEN BEFORE YOU WERE BORN

[Open with Psalm 139:13-17]

Do you know God saw you before you were born? Not only did He see you, He formed you. There was intricate purpose involved in the shape of your face, the color of your hair and the size of your arms and legs. In Psalm 139, we read about the intentionality involved in the development of every human.

The reason you and I forget our value is because we know exactly how we have messed up and how we have tarnished this body and life we live. We live in a world marred by sin, and the hardest part of being human is that we get distracted by the way sin has dishonored the creation God intended when He made us.

I don’t know about you, but when I look in the mirror, I immediately see all the things I don’t like about myself — my hair, the shape of my neck (or lack of a neck), my shoulders, maybe waist, etc. The list goes on and on. And when I look in the mirror, I see all the mistakes I’ve made and sins I’ve committed, and because of all this I have a hard time accepting myself.

But God sees all that too. Yet, He does not judge us the way we see ourselves. He judges us by the intentional design He intended when He formed us. What would it look like to live your life knowing that you and your body are fully accepted?

FRIDAY%%

LIVING SACRIFICE

[Open with Romans 12:1-2]

To live Biblically is to live counter culturally to this world. It is often said that the Kingdom of God is a kingdom of opposites. And when Jesus talks about His Kingdom, it’s not necessarily something we wait for in the future, because as followers of Jesus we must be a part of His “Kingdom coming on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

One way to live “Kingdom-minded” on earth is by the way we interact with others. Paul tells the believers in his letter to the Romans to “offer their bodies as living sacrifices.” The term “living sacrifice” is peculiar because typically sacrifices are dead. The nature of a sacrifice is that something loses itself on behalf of others. Here, Paul is telling believers that one way to honor God is to redirect your life from what you attempt to gain to how you serve others.

Biblical worship is giving God the glory and honor due to Him for who He is. One chief way we can honor God is by worshipping Him with the way we use our bodies and lives for other people.

It doesn’t matter what you look like or how you feel about yourself, God created you on purpose and for a purpose. A great way of showing our appreciation is how we bless and honor others He created in His image.

WEEKEND%%

CONTINUE READING ABOUT LIVING FOR GOD

Matthew 6 & Romans 12; Matthew 7 & Psalm 68

REZA ZADEH

Denver Broncos CHAPLAIN

MON

DAYHE’S IN MY CIRCLE

Often I’ll travel back to my small hometown in Florida to speak to groups in schools or at events, and almost every time I do, I am asked, “How is it playing in front of millions of people? Are you scared to mess up?” And my immediate response is, “I don’t know how anyone could go out there and perform at this level without having a relationship with the Lord. That is where I find my comfort and identity.”

I know that I will inevitably disappoint coaches, fans, teammates, family, friends, and even myself for that matter, but I know that the Lord Jesus is in my circle, fighting for me. I can’t imagine myself playing at this level — or doing anything, really — without having Him in my circle.

I never want to compromise my team in any way. I don’t play just to play; I play to play my best and to win. I prepare the same way every week and weekend, giving my team, my coaches and my fans my all so I don’t let anyone down. But even if I fall short after giving it my all, I know that in God’s eyes — the most important eyes — I’m still loved and valued as His child. When I play before millions, I’m playing with the best God’s given me in order to bring glory and honor to Him.

My play on the field is bigger than myself; it’s bigger than my team or my family and friends. I use this platform to make sure I can spread His name to others who may not know Him as I do, so that they may find the joy I’ve discovered in Him. If I can do that, I would count my career successful. If I can go to the Pro Bowl and make the Hall of Fame, that would be amazing. But the reason I can go out on that field feeling stressfree is because I know my purpose is way bigger than me.

JUSTIN SIMMONS

At the end of the day, all I want to do is to spread the love of Christ.

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” — Philippians 3:8

Who’s in your circle?

DENVER BRONCOS SAFETY

TUESDAY%%

FROM PARABLES TO REVELATION

[Open with Mark 4:1-2]

Jesus had a way with words. He knew how to reach people right where they were. He could step into the lives of people and give a word that would change their lives forever. But the word He gave to the multitude was different than what He gave to His disciples.

In the first verse of Mark 4, the text says “a great multitude was gathered to Him.” Could you imagine how many different personalities were in that multitude? The truth is that the personalities of the people didn’t matter; all that mattered was where their hearts were. To the heart that was not born again, Jesus spoke to them in parables. But for those who were born again, He spoke by revelation!

Wait, wait, wait ... I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me define what a parable is. It is a narrative or story told by placing one thing by the side of another. Jesus told stories that paralleled the Kingdom. The hope was that the parable would paint a picture of the Kingdom, and that picture would bring them into the Kingdom of God. By having the parable revealed, one could then believe in Him. The parable was the bait to know the King of the Kingdom.

It is one thing to know a parable, but it’s entirely different to have revelation. Jesus wanted the Kingdom to be revealed to men.

WEDNESDAY%%

THE REAL WORD

[Open with Mark 4:13]

I really don’t think the disciples knew what they were getting into when they said “yes” to following Jesus. As time went on and they realized who He truly was, their eyes were opened. They went from being part of the multitude to being a follower of Christ. They went from hearing parables to understanding the real word that was coming from the Word.

Did you catch that? Jesus was and is the Word! But only those whose eyes and hearts were opened could get that. He opened His heart to His disciples. When Jesus was alone with them, He had an expectation that the parable in Mark 4:3-8 was revealed to them. The disciples had been baptized by John and had been following Jesus. They were not like the multitude; they had come into a relationship with Jesus. Thus, Jesus held them to a higher standard of understanding the things He taught.

Mark 4:3-8 is arguably the most important parable in all of Scripture. Jesus said by revelation to the disciples, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?” (verse 13). This parable is the foundation of understanding many, if not all, of Jesus’ teachings.

When was the last time you purposefully and intensely studied Mark 4? I challenge you to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the understanding of the parable of the sower.

THURSDAY%%

SOW THE WORD

[Open with Mark 4:14]

In Mark 4:14, Jesus gives us the title and purpose of this parable: “The sower sows the Word.” The parable is not about the soil or the heart of the hearer of the Word, but about the person giving or sowing the Word. Now, the heart is a very important part of the parable, but the sower is most important.

In the opening of the revelation of the parable, Jesus reveals the archenemy of the Word of God. His name is Satan. He only has one agenda: take the seed of the Word out of your heart. “…Satan comes and takes away the Word that was sown in them” (v. 15).

The attacks from the enemy are not personal. Stop taking things and people so personally. Satan wants the Word and nothing else. He doesn’t care about you, your family, your job, your marriage, your children or your destiny. He only cares about the Word that is in your heart. If he can get the Word out of your heart, he has you, your family, your job, your marriage, your children and your destiny. The Word of God is so precious and priceless that Satan comes himself. Notice that Jesus didn’t say any demons or evil spirits come for the Word. The CEO of hell leaves his office to come for your heart!

What are you willing to do to protect the Word that’s been sown in your heart?

FRIDAY%%

LET THEM HEAR

[Open with Mark 4:16-17]

In each of these examples that Jesus gives, each individual is in the position to hear the Word. This is why it’s important to be in community as followers of Christ. Each of His examples heard the Word first. This also echoes in Scripture every time Jesus made the statement, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” You have an ear, I have an ear, but are we listening?

In verse 16, the listener heard the Word and received it with joy. Have you ever heard a sermon and received it with joy? I have plenty of times. “To receive with joy” simply means the Word penetrated your ears and then your heart and you accepted it with no reservation. It added value to your soul and spirit. You didn’t complain about how it was delivered or what the pastor was wearing, you simply received the Word and were sincerely happy about it.

Mark 4:17 says, “Since they have no root, they last only a short time.” A root is nourished by something deeper. In other words, we have to have confidence! A tree has confidence in producing fruit because the roots are rooted in something deep. Even though we may receive the Word with joy, we must have confidence in the One who gave us His Word!

James said to be doers of the Word and not hearers only (James 1:22). As we do the Word, it builds confidence in the One who watches over that Word to perform that Word in and through our lives!

WEEKEND%%

CONTINUE READING ABOUT THE POWER OF THE WORD

Revelation 1 & 2; Hebrews 4 & Romans 10

LaMORRIS CRAWFORD

Cincinnati Bengals CHAPLAIN

TRESS WAY

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM PUNTER

MON

DAY DON’T BE ACCIDENTALLY SELFISH

Getting married and having children is the greatest way to show you just how accidentally selfish you really are.

When I realized I was doing things, or failing to do things, which resulted in others being hurt or feeling rejected, I felt awful. Most of the time, I just had not thought of it from their point of view. We call it “my life” for a reason. We forget about others and focus on what we want, need or think we deserve. It takes a conscious decision to serve others.

Having a relationship with Christ changes your perspective on everything. It’s Him alone who can show you how to put others before yourself. It sounds simple to put others’ needs before your own, so why is it so hard most of the time? Just like anything else, it’s our choice whether or not we put others first. I try to lead my family by example. I aim to treat my wife and kids the way I would want them to treat me. I try to set the tone of the house to be one of lifting each other up at all times. When I spend time with my daughter, I tell her how beautiful, smart and loved she is. With her twin brother, I tell him just how handsome and strong he is. It’s become second nature to tell my wife how beautiful, amazing and loved she is. I never want them to go a day without knowing how cherished they are, that I’m choosing them first. We all need people who have gone before us, and those who are walking with us, to exemplify how to journey with God in a Christlike way. When it comes to sheer accountability, I know my brother-in-law, who has turned into my best friend, will constantly be pushing me to chase Christ. We both know we will never be a completed project, so together we seek to improve as men, husbands and fathers. We want to be the men of God we are created and called by God to be.

This is how God designed it. When times are great or when times are bad, we need to have people around us who will point us toward Christ. These are the people who will always be there to love on you, care for you, and spur you on. Only when we have outside, Christian perspectives will we be able to step outside of our selfish ways and into God’s full potential. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” — Philippians 2:3

TUESDAY%%

WHAT’S YOUR GOAL?

[Open with 2 Corinthians 5:9-17]

What should our goal be? To live a life pleasing to God.

“So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” — 2 Corinthians 5:9-10

In this passage, Paul gives us the reminder that we are to make our goal to please Him (Jesus). This is the call on our lives as believers. It is no small task and may seem impossible. However, we have the Word of God, which gives us His statutes and commands. And within us we have the Holy Spirit, who gives us the power and strength to obey God’s Word.

Just like playing a sport, learning an instrument, or studying for class at school, it takes discipline in our daily lives. How can we delight Him if we don’t have a clue as to what pleases Him? This is proof that we must be in the Word daily. When in the Word, we don’t just read it, we obey it. This pleases the Lord.

As you read God’s Word today, is there a specific truth you need to obey? Find out what pleases the Lord! WEDNESDAY%%

WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU

[Open with Galatians 3:26]

Who are you?

There are so many voices out there trying to tell you who you are. It is so critical that we understand what God’s Word says about us. If you are in Christ, then here are just a few things His Word says:

- You are a child of God; you can call Him “Father” (Romans 8:14-15, Galatians 3:26). - You are chosen by God, holy and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12, 1 Thessalonians 1:4). - You are a new person, your past is forgiven, everything is new (1 Corinthians 5:17). - You have a home in Heaven (John 14:3). - You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-14). - You are a part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). - You are unique and have specific gifts God has given you within the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12). - You are special to God (Luke 12:7, Psalm 139:13-18).

So, the next time you feel down and out or discouraged in any way, look back on these truths from God’s Word and be reminded of how God thinks about you. His true thoughts about you are much more important than what anyone else thinks.

Live in the truth of who God says you are today! THURSDAY%%

FAN THE FLAME

[Open with 2 Timothy 1:6]

In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul encourages Timothy, his younger brother in the faith, to stay fired up in his daily ministry of preaching, teaching and leading. Paul knew Timothy was getting beat up by the culture. There was much opposition to the Gospel and he was concerned that Timothy might grow weary.

This can happen to us at times too. Then there are also times when we are really fired up and encouraged; we are in the Word and growing, we have a boldness, we are praying for people and sharing our faith.

It’s like the moment when we first met Jesus and were on fire. We had this new, vibrant relationship and couldn’t get enough of the Word, the fellowship and the ministry. But if we are honest with ourselves, as time goes on, we drift from those early days and are a little more cautious and less bold in our faith.

That’s why Paul challenged Timothy: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me His prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the Gospel, by the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:6-8).

Rekindle that fire and passion for Jesus today. Get fired up!

FRIDAY%%

MAKE IT A PRIORITY

[Open with 2 Timothy 3:16-17]

The Bible is true and should be a priority in our lives.

As Christ-followers and believers of His truth, we stand on the truth of the Bible — God’s Word. Our entire foundation of faith and life is rooted in His Word. If it’s not true, then we are hopeless! There is so much external evidence that proves the truth of the BIble. For instance: historical evidence and archeological discoveries, eyewitness accounts of hundreds of people, and many fulfilled prophecies.

I hope you will take some time to dig a little deeper so you will be able to give an educated answer as to why you believe the Bible to be true, accurate and relevant. It’s so true it should be the most important voice in our lives; we should value the Word of God above all other opinions. It should be the most influential voice in our lives; it should be our ultimate authority. It should also be the most listened-to voice in our lives; we should be spending time in God’s Word daily so we can drown out the lies of the world.

God’s Word gives us direction, hope, peace, wisdom, counsel, encouragement, answers, victory over temptation, power, comfort, joy … and a whole lot more.

WEEKEND%%

CONTINUE READING ABOUT SHINING LIGHT FOR CHRIST

Philippians 2 & Matthew 5; James 1-2 & Matthew 6

CHRIS LANE

Miami Marlins CHAPLAIN