Starting Right

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Your dream can feel strongest on day one and most foolish on the day everything breaks down. I start with a surprising place: the original 1979 Muppet Movie, where Kermit heads to Hollywood with a big goal, gathers friends, and then ends up stranded in the desert when the car dies. That scene nails a very human moment, the one where you replay every mistake, assume you disappointed everyone, and start planning your exit.

From there, I connect Kermit’s conversation with his conscience to our walk with God. God puts purpose, ideas, and callings inside us, and th...

Problems don’t just test you, they reveal you. When stress spikes and people around you start to panic, your response can either amplify fear or bring calm, clarity, and hope. Today on Starting Right, we talk about problem solving and leadership from a faith-first angle, using wisdom from John Maxwell’s Developing the Leader Within You and grounding it in Scripture that meets real life. 

We walk through a simple but challenging mindset shift: everyone faces problems, so the real question is how we respond. I share why trials should not surprise us, how “iron sharpens iron” p...

A guest speaker once walked into a Baptist church and asked a question that made the room go quiet: “Are there any priests here today?” The punchline lands with purpose, because it forces a rethink of who God says we are. We talk about why every believer is part of a royal priesthood and what that means when you’re holding a coffee cup, heading to work, or bracing for a hard conversation.  God empowers more than sermons. He empowers skill, creativity, patience, excellence, and steady character in ordinary jobs. We encouraged you with a practical challenge: rise above negativ...

The fastest way to feel anxious is to believe you’re always one purchase behind. Today’s Music Monday is a five-minute Christian devotional that pushes back on the “more, more, more” story and replaces it with something sturdier: contentment rooted in Jesus. I share a song most people haven’t heard, then use it as a doorway into a practical conversation about money, desire, and what actually makes a life feel full.
Today's Music Monday episode  is “Jeans and Jesus” by Levi and Jacob Mills, a country song with simple, uplifting lyrics that point to a simpler life: a roof ov...

Change can feel like a threat, especially when it exposes the parts of us we would rather keep hidden. We open Ephesians 4:21–24 and get honest about what real Christian growth looks like: throwing off the old sinful nature, letting the Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes, and putting on a new nature created to be like God. It is a short daily devotional with a clear goal, helping you start your day with faith, focus, and forward motion. 

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Does God have a sense of humor? We say yes, and we don’t have to stretch to prove it. The Bible has moments that are blunt, witty, and surprisingly funny, and those moments can do more than make us smile. They can remind us that God meets us in real life, with real emotions, and still brings hope. 

We start with a line from Joshua that feels almost like divine understatement, then move to Psalm 126 where laughter shows up as a sign of restoration. From there, we visit Job, not to minimize suffering, but to notice how...

One demand. One song. One moment where the crowd bows and you decide whether you will blend in or stand firm. We walk through Daniel 3 and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three young Israelites living in Babylon under intense pressure to conform. King Nebuchadnezzar builds a massive golden image and makes worship mandatory, with a fiery furnace waiting for anyone who refuses. The tension is raw because it feels familiar: the quiet threat of being excluded, punished, or labeled “difficult” if you won’t go along.

What hits hardest is their answer to the king. They b...

A tired buffalo walks into an arena, lies down in the dirt, and instantly disappoints the crowd. Then the fighting bull charges and everything changes. The collision is so violent it sounds like an explosion, but when the dust clears, Pierre the buffalo is still there, still steady, and the “unstoppable” attacker is the one stumbling backward. 

We share a story from 1907 to frame something we all need at the start of a new week: the ability to stand firm when pressure hits from every direction. We talk through Ephesians 6:13 and the full armor of God, not as re...

Some songs don’t just sound good, they steady you. Today’s Music Monday centers on “The Goodness Of God,” a worship anthem that keeps finding people right where they are, especially when life takes an unexpected turn into pain, uncertainty, or exhaustion. I’m sharing why this message matters right now, and why CeCe Winans’ newly released version feels so powerful and personal. Even if you’ve never listened to her before, her voice and her story carry the kind of gospel weight you can hear in every line. 
We walk through the heart of the song and the Scriptu...

One small detail can change the entire story and if we miss it, we can end up judging someone unfairly. We start with a quick classroom scene where a teacher thinks her student cannot do basic addition. Two apples plus two apples should be four, yet he insists it is five. When the punchline lands, it becomes a mirror for how often we speak with certainty while holding incomplete facts.

We also talk about how fast conclusions feed gossip and how easily a negative story spreads about neighbors, friends, or leaders before we slow down to verify...

This episode was originally broadcast in the midst of Covid on  May 20, 2020,  The Pandemic is gone but these truths still speak to us.  Enjoy!

One awkward ballroom dance lesson exposed a problem I didn’t want to admit: I don’t just like having a plan, I like being the one in charge. My wife and I showed up nervous but hopeful, learned the basic steps, and then the music started. Within seconds I’m stepping on her foot, wobbling through the rhythm, and feeling that familiar tension rise when two people try to lead at the same time...

Shame has a loud voice, and fear loves to narrate your future. We push back by remembering what God has already done and what He has promised to keep doing, so we can live in the moment with a steady heart and real hope.

We walk through three anchors that form a firm spiritual foundation for everyday life. First is God’s kindness from Romans 2:4, the kind of patient grace that pulls us toward repentance instead of pushing us into hiding. Then we hold tight to Romans 8:1 and the freeing truth that there is no condemnation for th...

A contact lens goes missing halfway up a granite cliff, and what happens next is so unlikely it sticks with you for years. We tell the story of Brenda, a young woman who agrees to go rock climbing even though she’s scared to death, then faces a new kind of fear when her vision turns blurry and she can’t find what she lost. In that moment, the question gets painfully simple: do you spiral, or do you pray and keep moving one step at a time?

From there, we zoom out to the bigger theme behi...

The question “Why, God?” can hit before your feet even touch the floor. Today I sit with that question instead of rushing past it, using Isaiah 55:8 as the starting point: God’s thoughts are not like ours, and His ways go farther than we can see. If you’ve been asking for a clear explanation or a dramatic rescue, this short morning devotional offers something steadier: a reason to trust even when the story feels unfinished.

I also share the true WWII story of Diet Eman, a young woman in the Dutch resistance in The Hague who helped J...

The fastest way to change the temperature in a room is not a speech or a strategy, it’s a few well-chosen words. Today we’re talking about encouragement and why it’s one of the most overlooked tools for strengthening people who are tired, anxious, or quietly losing hope.

 Proverbs gives us insight into the biblical wisdom behind Christian encouragement: Proverbs 16:24 reminds us that kind words are “sweet to the soul” and “healthy for the body,” and Proverbs 12:25 names what so many feel, anxiety that weighs down the heart. We keep it practical with real ways to encourage to...

If your faith is mostly something you think about, you might be missing the part that actually lasts. Today I read a bracing quote from Frederick Robertson that draws a hard line between passing feelings and lasting impact: what you do is what remains, in you and in the people around you. That idea pushes us past religious talk and into something more honest, more practical, and more demanding. 
I also wrestle with a problem I see everywhere in Christian discipleship: many of us are educated beyond our level of obedience. We can stack up Bible studies, sermons, d...

A contact lens goes missing on a sheer rock face, panic sets in, and a simple prayer turns into one of the most surprising answers you’ll ever hear. We tell the story of Brenda, a young woman who pushes past fear to climb a giant granite cliff, only to have a safety rope snap against her eye and knock her vision blurry at the worst possible moment. What happens next is equal parts ordinary and unbelievable and it becomes a picture of how God can work through the smallest details when we feel stuck, stressed, or overwhelmed. 

Can someone tell you’ve been with Jesus before you ever mention His name? That’s the uncomfortable, clarifying question we sit with today, and it comes straight out of Acts 4:13. People looked at Peter and John ordinary men without impressive credentials and still recognized something undeniable: they had been with Jesus. That single verse challenges the way we think about influence, evangelism, and what a Christ-centered life actually looks like in public.
If you want a simple daily devotion that helps you start your morning grounded and intentional, this five-minute episode is for you. Subscribe to Starting Righ...

What would you do if you met Jesus face to face? That single question is the engine behind MercyMe’s “I Can Only Imagine,” and it’s the question we sit with on today’s Music Monday as we take a closer look at why this Christian song continues to move people decades after it was released. I’m not just talking about a great melody or a famous chorus. I’m talking about the way these lyrics pull us into wonder, awe, and a hope that feels bigger than our daily stress. 

I want to thank all of our list...

What if the story your family tells about you someday isn’t about what you fixed, what you enforced, or what you worried about, but about how safe and joyful it felt to be with you? We’re reflecting on a simple decision with big impact: moving closer to our children and grandchildren so we can spend real time together, laugh more often, and build new memories that actually last.

We also get honest about parenting regrets and the times we’ve “aggravated” our kids instead of filling the home with joy. From a Christian devotional perspective, John 15:11...

A slave trader becomes the voice behind “Amazing Grace” and the contrast is meant to stop us in our tracks. We sit with the story of John Newton, not to sanitize his past, but to show what real transformation looks like when the grace of God meets a life that has every reason to be disqualified. If you’ve ever carried a private regret, a public failure, or a season you can’t seem to outgrow, this short morning message is for you.
You’ll hear practical encouragement for overcoming the past, resisting shame, and stepping into the future God...

Yesterday can cling to you like fog. If you wake up replaying mistakes, questioning your worth, or bracing for a hard day, this five minute devotional is a reset you can actually feel. We anchor the morning in Lamentations 3 and the promise that God’s faithful love never ends, his mercies never cease, and his mercy begins fresh each morning. That one truth reframes everything: you have not used up God’s patience, and you are not starting today alone. 

We share three simple truths to hold on to when your mind wants to spiral. First, God looks...

FOMO can feel like a low-grade panic you carry in your pocket. You open your phone for a second and suddenly you are measuring your real life against someone else’s best angles, best meals, best trips, and best timing. That fear of missing out is not harmless. It can drive stress, dissatisfaction, and the quiet belief that you are behind, even when you are doing fine.
If you want a five-minute reset for your mind and your morning, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more people can fi...

One word in a worship chorus can carry an entire theology, and it’s easy to sing it without ever stopping to ask what it means. Today’s Music Monday takes Elevation Worship’s song “Jehovah” and uses it as a quick, Scripture-based guide to the name of God that shows up across the Old Testament and in many English Bibles as “LORD.” If you’ve ever wondered where “Jehovah” comes from, how it relates to “Yahweh,” and why any of this matters for real life, this short devotional is for you.

We walk straight into Exodus 3:13–15, where Moses asks God what...

IT'S OUR FRIDAY ROUNDUP.

A week can scatter your focus fast, so we’re doing a Friday roundup that pulls the best moments into one clear line you can carry into the weekend: God is trustworthy, His Word is worth opening, and the healthiest direction is forward. We start with resurrection evidence from 1 Corinthians 15 and why the Christian claim about Jesus doesn’t rest on vibes or tradition. We talk eyewitnesses, the visible change in the disciples, and why fulfilled biblical prophecy matters when you’re looking for faith that can hold up under pressure. 
Then we shif...

A good-looking life can hide an ugly heart, and Absalom proves it. Today we walk through one of the most sobering Bible stories in 2 Samuel, the rise and fall of King David’s son who had every advantage yet couldn’t outrun pride, revenge, and ambition. If you like Bible character studies with real-life application, this short daily devotional will challenge the way you think about leadership, influence, and the stories we tell ourselves.

We trace Absalom’s path from family scandal and reconciliation to a full-on rebellion, then spotlight the moment his vanity literally catches up with h...

One short line from Jesus can stop you in your tracks: “Remember Lot’s wife.” I use that tiny verse as a doorway into a big question: why is it so hard to leave the past behind, even when God is clearly leading us forward? If you’ve ever felt pulled back toward old comfort, old patterns, or an old version of yourself, this five-minute devotional is for you. 

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A love note slipped out of a hardcover thriller and stopped me in my tracks. It was simple, handwritten, and tender: “I love you and miss you,” finished with a little heart. The strange part was that the book looked untouched, like the person who received it as a gift never opened the cover, never saw the words meant for them, and never felt the comfort that was waiting inside.

That one moment sent our conversation somewhere deeper. So many of us treat the Bible the same way: we own it, we respect it, we may even move...

Easter isn’t a warm metaphor in my mind, it’s a bold claim about reality: Jesus is alive. On this powerful Monday morning, I take a fast but serious look at why the resurrection of Jesus Christ still stands as the turning point of human history, and why it still gives real hope to real people. If you’ve ever thought, “Dead is dead,” you’re exactly who I’m talking to. 

I lay out several quick evidences that Christians have leaned on for centuries, including the resurrection accounts recorded across the four Gospels, the early testimony Paul...

Good Friday can sound like a contradiction until you slow down and ask what the day actually means. Over a simple morning coffee, we walk through the turning points that define the Christian story and why one brutal cross becomes the clearest picture of love, mercy, and forgiveness. If you’ve ever wondered whether faith speaks to real guilt, real regret, and the words you wish you could take back, this short reflection aims straight at that place. 
We connect the big story lines: humanity created for relationship with God, the fracture that follows rebellion, and Christmas as mor...

Thursday of Passion Week is a night full of sharp turns: a shared meal, a towel and basin, a prediction of betrayal, a warning of denial, and a walk into the darkness of Gethsemane. We slow down and trace the emotional and spiritual weight of these moments, because they aren’t distant Bible scenes. They’re a window into how Jesus loves people who are about to break.\n\nWe talk about the Last Supper and why Jesus washing the disciples’ feet is more than a gesture. It’s a blueprint for Christian humility and servant leadership, offered by the very...

Hosanna one day, a murder plot the next, that swing is where Passion Week gets painfully real. We’re in Jerusalem with Jesus as the cheers fade, the city hardens, and He looks out over it all and weeps. Then He walks straight into the temple and drives out the money changers, confronting a faith that has turned into control and profit. Those moments don’t just stir the crowd, they force a decision: will we receive God’s love, or reject it when it disrupts our plans? 
     From there, we follow the quiet backroom story that sets the cross...

A fig tree with full leaves looks alive, so why would Jesus curse it for having no fruit? We take a close look at Matthew 21:18–19 and uncover the deeper meaning behind one of the most misunderstood moments in the Gospels. Set during Passion Week near Jerusalem, the fig tree becomes a vivid symbol of spiritual appearance without spiritual reality, and a warning against religion that looks impressive but fails to nourish anyone. 
We walk through how Scripture often uses the fig tree to represent Israel, and why Jesus’ words signal more than disappointment. The temple was meant to be a...

Some mornings don’t feel fixable. The calendar is full, the news is loud, and your own thoughts won’t slow down. When that’s the headspace you wake up in, you don’t need a lecture. You need a handle to hold onto.
Today’s Music Monday centers on for KING & COUNTRY’s “You Make Everything Beautiful” featuring Rebecca St. James, then anchors the message in Scripture that speaks to real life pressure. We sit with Ecclesiastes 3:11 and the hard truth that we can’t see the whole scope of what God is doing, even when He’s working in every d...

Noise is everywhere, and it’s not just in your phone. It’s in your worries, your decisions, and the constant pressure to move fast. Today we slow things down and talk about something deeply practical: hearing God’s voice when life is pulling you in every direction. If you’ve ever wondered why God feels quiet, or how to know what’s really from him, this is a grounded reset you can take into the rest of your day. 
We walk through key Scriptures that frame what it means to be guided by God, including the call to stillnes...

You can work hard, feel stuck, and still miss the best things in your life because you’re looking past them. Today I share the “Acres of Diamonds” story, first told by Russell Conwell, about a farmer who sells his land to search for diamond mines across Africa, only to find despair on the road he thought would lead to wealth.
Back on the farm he left behind, the new owner notices a shiny stone in the creek, sets it on the mantel, and learns it’s a diamond. That single act of paying attention opens the door to a lif...

A five-minute choice can change the temperature of your whole day: start with gratitude before the small stuff starts stacking. I talk about why we blow up over the muddy shoes or the offhand comment, when the real issue is the hidden pile of little pressures we never released.

I pull a simple practice from Richard Carlson’s 'Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff.  “Spend a moment every day thinking of someone to thank.” We connect it to the way Paul expresses thanks for people by name, and we get honest about what happens when our minds slide int...

The world can feel like it’s boiling, and it’s easy to wake up already bracing for the next problem. I start the day with a short story that puts a surprising mirror in front of us: a father boils three pots of water and drops in a potato, an egg, and coffee. They all face the same heat, but they don’t all come out the same, and the difference says a lot about stress, resilience, and what we’re letting shape us. 

We talk about how adversity can soften you until you feel worn down, or...

A storm is raging, the boat is filling, and Jesus is asleep. That single detail from Mark 4 still messes with us, because it sounds like the moments when we feel overwhelmed and wonder if God sees what we are facing. On today’s Music Monday, we sit with Hope Darst’s powerful worship song “Peace Be Still” and the unforgettable line where Jesus speaks to chaos and everything changes: “Peace, be still.” 

We walk through the Sea of Galilee story and the disciples’ raw question, “Teacher, don’t you care that we drown?” Then we slow down on Jesus’ response, e...