The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

Around Valentine’s Day, the world celebrates romantic love—but it can’t satisfy our deepest hearts. 1 John 4:19 reminds us that true love begins with God: “We love because He first loved us.” When we make romantic relationships the ultimate priority, we risk putting God on the back burner. The Bible calls us to love God above all else, cultivating a heart that reflects His love first—because only then can we truly love others. Intersecting Faith & Life What is your focus this Valentine’s Day—God’s love or romantic pursuit? How can you cultivate your love for God first, so that all other relationships are strengthened? Take time today to ask God to center your heart on Him, letting His love overflow into your interactions with others. Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: God Is All We Need By Alexis A. Goring  Bible Reading:“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:19 (NIV) Earlier this year, I saw an illustration on Instagram of two women shopping in a store. One woman had overloaded her shopping cart with everything from cosmetics to jewelry. These were in the form of large, white boxes with the labels of worldly possessions on each box. She was looking at a woman walking beside her, carrying just one medium-sized box in her hands and walking with ease. The label on the box only had three letters that said, “God.” The woman with all the boxes in her cart labeled with words that symbolized every material possession we can chase after in this life on Earth, asked the other woman, “Is that all you need?” The woman smiled sweetly and said simply, “Yes.” This illustration reminded me of a real-life story that happened to me many years ago. A ministry leader at a church I attended gave everyone there a free, new Bible and told us to give it away to someone who needs it. I kept the Bible in my car and prayed for the perfect opportunity to share it with someone. One day, God answered my prayer as I sat in the driver’s seat of my car at a stoplight. I noticed a woman dressed in plain clothes who was standing on the median in the road by the stoplight, begging for money. I didn’t have any cash to give her, but I remembered I had a Bible. What better gift? So, I rolled down my window and waved until she saw me and walked over to my car. When I gave the Bible to her, she flipped through the pages with a wide smile, then looked at me and said with great enthusiasm, “If we have Jesus, we have everything! If we don’t have Jesus, we have nothing!” I said, “Amen!” Then drove away because the traffic light had turned green. Years later, I reflected on that memory and the truth of her simple yet profound statement. This caused me to reflect on my personal values and outlook on life. What was I chasing after? Worldly wealth so I could afford all my material needs, stability in the workforce with a job that’s fulfilling and purposeful, relationships, friendships…the list goes on. This reminds me of a quote I saw online that said something like, “If we chase Jesus as much as we chase people, then maybe He would give us people we don’t need to chase.” I found the same to be true when it comes to seeking Jesus Christ instead of worldly desires.  The Bible says in Matthew 6:33 (NLT), “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” I’m learning to apply this verse to my daily living. It’s important to not just read the Bible and study it but to apply the advice written within it. When it comes to seeking God and His Kingdom first, I am doing that by starting my day with Him in Bible study and prayer, then continuing the conversation with God as I move through my day. You don’t have to pray to Him out loud. You can whisper a prayer or stay silent as you converse with God privately in your head. You don’t have to literally pray every second, 24/7, 365, but the point is for us to involve God in our day and make time for Him, just like we would for a best friend or family member whom we love. The older I become, the more I see how true it is that when we have Jesus, we have everything we need, but without Him, we have nothing. Think about it: There are people who have great financial wealth but are dying on the inside. They need a Savior because no amount of money can save you. There are popular people who are influential and famous yet feel empty because they’ve found that fame can never satisfy this deep hunger in their souls. Whether they know it or not, only Jesus Christ can quench their thirst and satisfy their hunger.  While he was living on Earth, Blaise Pascal said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man, which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” As we go through this new year and the rest of our lives, let’s seek God first before everything and everyone else, then experience how He completes us.  Before you go, please listen to these four songs for reflection: Song of Reflection #1: “You’re All I Need” by Hezekiah Walker. Listen to it HERE. Song of Reflection #2: “God Is” by Rev. James Cleveland. Listen to it HERE. Song of Reflection #3: “First Things First” by Consumed by Fire. Listen to it HERE. Song of Reflection #4: “You’ll Never Thirst” by Anointed. Listen to it HERE. Intersecting Faith & Life: How does it feel to know God is all you need? Further Reading: Psalm 16:5Psalm 20:6-72 Peter 1:32 Corinthians 9:8Jeremiah 17:7-8 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Some days, life feels like running on empty—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The to-do list never ends, responsibilities pile up, and hardships can feel overwhelming. But God’s love is not conditional on our strength. In Deuteronomy 1:31, Moses reminds the Israelites that God carried them through the wilderness “as a man carries his son.” This is a love that sustains, strengthens, and carries us through every season of life—from uncertainty to aging, from struggle to triumph. Intersecting Faith & Life Where have you tried to carry burdens God never intended for you to bear alone? How might you surrender those weights to Christ and rest in His sustaining love? Take a moment today to thank God for His constant presence and ask Him to carry the areas where you feel weak or depleted. Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: The Kind of Love That Carries YouBy Sarah Frazer Bible Reading:And you saw in the wilderness how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son all along the way you traveled until you reached this place. - Deuteronomy 1:31 (CSB) My car flashed the empty light. I was almost out of gas. My heart sighed. The to-do list for the day felt never-ending. Life was really hard for our family. During seasons of busyness, I find myself running like a car on an empty tank of gas. Hardships faced everyone. Maybe you are facing sickness, loneliness, grief, fear, or even depression today. How do we continue to hold everything together when we run out of energy?  The beautiful truth of the Bible is that we do not keep running and running by ourselves. Spiritually, emotionally, and even physically, we are not asked to endure everything on our own. We are not alone. God’s love comes with a promise.  In the Book of Deuteronomy, we read some of Moses’ last words to the people. Before recounting the laws and telling them how to live, Moses reminded them of God’s love for them: “And you saw in the wilderness how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son all along the way you traveled until you reached this place” (Deuteronomy 1:31 CSB). Good fathers carry their sons because of their love for them. Sometimes human fathers fail. Maybe you didn’t have a good father. Friend, if you are a Christian, God is your Father. This imagery is woven throughout the entire Bible.  A good father will care for and love his son. I can remember my husband carrying each of our children up the stairs to bed every night when they were young. This type of carrying we see here is one of deep and lasting love. Notice that God carried the people in the wilderness, along a very uncertain road. No matter what they faced, famine, thirst, and enemies, God carried them each and every step.  You and I have the comfort that God, as our Father, will carry us through life. God isn’t just there for guidance; He lifts us up and bears the weight of this life with us. When life gets too heavy, God carries us like a Father.  Not only does God’s love carry us now, it also does so throughout our entire lives. The prophet Isaiah warns the people against running to their idols for safety. He says:  I  [God] will be the same until your old age,and I will bear you up when you turn gray.I have made you, and I will carry you;I will bear and rescue you. - Isaiah 46:4 (CSB) Notice the time span. From birth… to old age… to gray hairs. The older I get, the more I realize that my strength from twenty years ago just isn’t the same now that I’m in my forties. It doesn’t matter what our physical bodies are capable of; God’s love is a love that lasts throughout our whole life! God tells the Israelites, “I have made you and carried you.” No matter what happens, God will bear us up and rescue us. God’s love is not seasonal or situational. It does not withdraw as we age. It never weakens or changes. The one who created us commits Himself to carry us all the way through our lives.  The idea of God carrying us is not just in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, we see this repeated as well. One of the most powerful examples of this is found in the book of Colossians. Paul says that Christ is not just our Savior, but our sustainer: “For in him [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17 CSB). Notice the phrase, “in him all things hold together.” Jesus Christ is the reason the universe is still running! Christ is beside God on the throne in Heaven, keeping our world going. He carries all of creation, but that also means you and me! All things include you, me, and the details of our lives. The power Christ has to sustain us is beyond our ability to understand. We can rest, you and I, today, that God’s love carries us personally, patiently, and powerfully!  Intersecting Faith & Life: Where might you have been trying to carry burdens God never intended you to bear alone? I want to encourage you today that God’s love does not demand strength from us; it supplies it. You are not held together by your own effort - but by Christ!   Further Reading:Psalm 68:19Psalm 55:22Matthew 11:28-30Hebrews 13:5 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you feel like you’re running on empty—physically, emotionally, or spiritually? Life’s challenges can leave us depleted, but God’s love is designed to carry us through every season. In Deuteronomy 1:31, Moses reminds the Israelites that God carried them through the wilderness “as a man carries his son.” This isn’t a fleeting support—it’s a lifelong, sustaining love that holds us steady when we can’t hold ourselves. Intersecting Faith & Life Are there areas of your life where you’ve been trying to carry burdens alone? How might you invite God to carry what has been too heavy for you? Take a moment to rest in the assurance that Christ holds the details of your life, sustaining you with His love. Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: The Kind of Love That Carries YouBy Sarah Frazer Bible Reading:And you saw in the wilderness how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son all along the way you traveled until you reached this place. - Deuteronomy 1:31 (CSB) My car flashed the empty light. I was almost out of gas. My heart sighed. The to-do list for the day felt never-ending. Life was really hard for our family. During seasons of busyness, I find myself running like a car on an empty tank of gas. Hardships faced everyone. Maybe you are facing sickness, loneliness, grief, fear, or even depression today. How do we continue to hold everything together when we run out of energy?  The beautiful truth of the Bible is that we do not keep running and running by ourselves. Spiritually, emotionally, and even physically, we are not asked to endure everything on our own. We are not alone. God’s love comes with a promise.  In the Book of Deuteronomy, we read some of Moses’ last words to the people. Before recounting the laws and telling them how to live, Moses reminded them of God’s love for them: “And you saw in the wilderness how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son all along the way you traveled until you reached this place” (Deuteronomy 1:31 CSB). Good fathers carry their sons because of their love for them. Sometimes human fathers fail. Maybe you didn’t have a good father. Friend, if you are a Christian, God is your Father. This imagery is woven throughout the entire Bible.  A good father will care for and love his son. I can remember my husband carrying each of our children up the stairs to bed every night when they were young. This type of carrying we see here is one of deep and lasting love. Notice that God carried the people in the wilderness, along a very uncertain road. No matter what they faced, famine, thirst, and enemies, God carried them each and every step.  You and I have the comfort that God, as our Father, will carry us through life. God isn’t just there for guidance; He lifts us up and bears the weight of this life with us. When life gets too heavy, God carries us like a Father.  Not only does God’s love carry us now, it also does so throughout our entire lives. The prophet Isaiah warns the people against running to their idols for safety. He says:  I  [God] will be the same until your old age,and I will bear you up when you turn gray.I have made you, and I will carry you;I will bear and rescue you. - Isaiah 46:4 (CSB) Notice the time span. From birth… to old age… to gray hairs. The older I get, the more I realize that my strength from twenty years ago just isn’t the same now that I’m in my forties. It doesn’t matter what our physical bodies are capable of; God’s love is a love that lasts throughout our whole life! God tells the Israelites, “I have made you and carried you.” No matter what happens, God will bear us up and rescue us. God’s love is not seasonal or situational. It does not withdraw as we age. It never weakens or changes. The one who created us commits Himself to carry us all the way through our lives.  The idea of God carrying us is not just in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, we see this repeated as well. One of the most powerful examples of this is found in the book of Colossians. Paul says that Christ is not just our Savior, but our sustainer: “For in him [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17 CSB). Notice the phrase, “in him all things hold together.” Jesus Christ is the reason the universe is still running! Christ is beside God on the throne in Heaven, keeping our world going. He carries all of creation, but that also means you and me! All things include you, me, and the details of our lives. The power Christ has to sustain us is beyond our ability to understand. We can rest, you and I, today, that God’s love carries us personally, patiently, and powerfully!  Intersecting Faith & Life: Where might you have been trying to carry burdens God never intended you to bear alone? I want to encourage you today that God’s love does not demand strength from us; it supplies it. You are not held together by your own effort - but by Christ!   Further Reading:Psalm 68:19Psalm 55:22Matthew 11:28-30Hebrews 13:5 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever felt too far gone for God to forgive or love you again? The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:20 reminds us that no matter how far we stray, God’s love never wavers. Before the son could even speak a word of repentance, his father ran to meet him, embraced him, and celebrated his return. This story isn’t primarily about the rebellious child—it’s about a loving Father whose compassion and patience are relentless. Intersecting Faith & Life How might you respond differently if you fully trusted that God’s love never wavers? Are there areas of your heart where you’ve kept the door closed to Him? What steps can you take today to run toward God and receive His compassionate embrace? Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: God’s Unwavering Love By Cindi McMenamin Bible Reading: “When he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20 NASB) Do you ever feel that you have disappointed God too much for Him to give you another chance? Do you fear returning to Him because of the places you’ve been or the things you’ve done? Jesus told a moving story in Luke 15 about God’s tender forgiveness toward His loved ones when they go astray. We call it the story of the Prodigal Son. The word prodigal literally means one who spends money in a reckless, extravagant way. In this story, a younger son asked his father for his inheritance early. (In Jewish custom, that would be the equivalent of telling his father he wished he were dead.) He then took his share of what was still legally his father’s, and went to a faraway land and squandered his entire inheritance on foolish, reckless, raunchy living. He was living high on the hog, rich with money and “friends,” until he found himself sleeping with the pigs, penniless and alone. Starving, and upon realizing he was envying the pigs for the slop they got to eat, he decided to return home and ask if he could be his father’s hired hand. Then at least he’d be fed better than pigs and have a place to sleep among his father’s servants.  It must have been a long, grueling journey home for this man, who by this time was smelly, scrawny, and had been homeless for quite some time. A long walk home without food, water, proper clothing, or even good shoes only increased his shame and humiliation. Perhaps he had a speech prepared, an admission of his wrongdoing, a pleading for his father to consider taking him in as a servant. Or, maybe he just intended to fall in shame, at his father’s feet, and beg to even be heard. But before he could utter a word, his father surprised, shocked, and overwhelmed him with the unexpected greeting he received.  His father’s pride was at stake with the return of a son whom he should consider dead to him. How he reacted would set an example to other Jewish families when their rebellious sons acted with such disrespect and contempt. Yet this father, upon seeing from a distance that the scraggly man making his way up the road was not some homeless derelict or demon-possessed wanderer, but his long-lost son, picked up the ends of his robe and ran to meet him. Before the shamed son could even utter a word to express the humiliation in his heart, his father embraced him, held onto him like there was no tomorrow, and then ordered his servants to give his son a robe (representing his position as “sonship”) and a ring (indicating his authority once again as an estate holder). The father then ordered that plans be made to celebrate the homecoming of his wayward son. They literally threw a party.  This son, who was once thought dead, was now alive. He had returned home. There was no punishment. No lecture, no shaming, no rebuke, and no harsh words. Just grace. Forgiveness. Abundant love.  I used to think this story was about the warning to not rebel, the consequences of disobedience, and the importance of repentance. But the story isn’t so much about the rebellious child, but about the patient, persevering, forgiving love of a father—the one who wouldn’t think for a second to relegate his child from heir to servant. His child’s position in the family didn’t change through disrespectful actions or heinous circumstances. Only the son’s heart had originally changed—and become calloused—toward his father. His father’s love for him, however, had never wavered.  Intersecting Faith & Life: Do you realize that no matter what you and I do, we can’t “undo” God’s love for us? We can’t position ourselves out of our inheritance in Christ. We can’t disappoint Him to the point that He cancels us, or unfriends us, or relegates us to “outside-the-house” status and lets us visit once or twice a year at Easter or Christmas. The door to His home is always open. In fact, it never closes to us, once we’ve been allowed in to dwell with Him. Our door is the one we shut—the door to our hearts that causes Him to stand and knock and ask to come in (Revelation 3:20).  Is the door of your heart constantly open to this Compassionate Father? If you’ve been gone a while, would you simply return to Him and dwell with Him continually? His invitation to you has never expired, His patience has never worn thin, His love has never run dry. Be the one who runs to Him and experiences His loving embrace.  Lord Jesus, You have never allowed me to be a stranger to You; may You never be a neglected guest in my heart and home. Thank You for being the Father to whom I can run, ever trust, always love.  Further Reading:Luke 15:11-32Jeremiah 31:3 For more on growing closer to your loving heavenly Father, see my book, The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It’s easy to notice God’s love on monumental days, but what about the quiet, repetitive moments of life? From dishes to diaper changes, the daily grind can feel invisible—but God’s love never is. Psalm 136:1 reminds us that His love endures forever, not just on the big days, but in the ordinary ones too. Intersecting Faith & Life How can you notice God’s love in the ordinary moments of your day? What daily routines might become opportunities to experience His presence more deeply? How can small reminders—nature, relationships, or Scripture—help you thank God for His enduring love? Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: God’s Love in the Ordinary PlacesBy Sarah Frazer Bible Reading:“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” - Psalm 136:1 No one saw me most days. After my first child was born, I quit my teaching job and decided to stay home. Within four-and-a-half years, I had three little ones. Raising children at home is still a lot of work, but many days I wondered if anyone noticed all of the little, ordinary things I did.  Things like the dishes, planning meals, cleaning up toys, and the endless piles of laundry. As a young college girl, I had dreamed of doing great things for God, but I also wanted motherhood. Could motherhood be grand and glorious? During that season, I leaned into the idea that the ordinary, everyday moments could be glorious.  Within the regular rhythms of my life, I began to seek God in His word. I took online classes on how to study the Bible, even earning a degree. As I raised my children, loving them in the daily routine of life, I began to also see that God’s love for me was the same.  In order for God to love me more, I thought maybe I had to do more. Instead, God’s love meets us right where we are - in the quiet, ordinary, everyday life. In a way, God has shown His love in the most extraordinary way—through the cross. Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven have sealed our eternity and given us new lives and purposes here on earth. It is truly a magnificent source of comfort when we think about this powerful example of God’s love.  But when life feels quiet, repetitive, or unremarkable, we may wonder, “Where is God’s love now?” In Psalm 23:6, David says that God’s loving mercy will follow him “all the days of my life.” Not just the grand days, but the daily grind as well. Not just the milestones, but the quiet mornings filled with routine. During our responsibilities and routines, God’s love quietly and completely follows us.  The word “follow” suggests activity, not passivity. God’s love is present, and it pursues us! Psalm 55 reminds us that no one seeks God, but God seeks us! His love also follows close by us. It is not a distant love or occasional love. It walks with us, holds our hand, and never leaves.  The idea of God’s love walking with us is found in other Bible verses as well. In Micah 6:8, we read, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” God is calling everyone to walk with Him, in His love! The Bible often describes faith not as a leap, but as a walk. As we walk with God and in His love, we are constantly moving, changing, and going.  God’s love consistency shows us for us - no matter the season or life circumstance. You can’t walk through anything in this life without God’s love. Step by step, day by day, God’s love can be experienced over and over again. Psalm 136:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” God’s love is enduring. Forever!  As a new mom, I would always have to refill my children’s juice cups. Over time, I realized that my spiritual cup was constantly running dry as well. It was during those moments when I felt weak, tired, and empty that I needed God’s love to fill me up! His love has no end.  Unlike human love, which can grow tired or fade under pressure, God’s love is full and everlasting.  God’s love is available on days we feel empty and have nothing to give. When sorrow fills our hearts, we can run to the God of love.  You and I can come to God on ordinary days, weary days, and dark days. All of God’s love is always available. Each day gives us a fresh reminder of His love for us. We are not asked to endure our sorrow with yesterday's strength or tomorrow’s hope; God’s love supplies what we need for today. Intersecting Faith & Life: Our lives are filled with mundane moments. How can you remember God’s love each day? It is often a quiet, soft love. Look for moments like a beautiful sky or the bright sunshine. Maybe you have a pet or a friend who is constantly checking in on you. Let those reminders be there to help you thank God for His love for you. Scripture is a great place to be reminded of God’s love. Take the additional reading section and read a few verses each day this week to help yourself be reminded of God’s extraordinary love in the ordinary moments.  Further Reading:Deuteronomy 33:12Psalm 90:14Isaiah 46:4John 1:16Romans 8:38-39 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Judging others can feel instinctive—especially when we think we see someone’s motives clearly. Yet Scripture reminds us that our focus on others often reveals what’s in our own hearts. Matthew 7:3 challenges us to examine ourselves before pointing out the faults of others. This devotional explores how a critical spirit can be transformed into a heart of blessing, freeing us to walk in purity and God’s favor. Intersecting Faith & Life Reflect on these questions: When do you find yourself judging or critiquing others? How might God want you to adjust your heart and your perspective? What would it look like to bless someone who frustrates or challenges you? How can letting go of control over others’ actions deepen your relationship with God? Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: One Tip to Break a Critical SpiritBy Kelly Balarie Bible Reading:"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" – Matthew 7:3 NIV Who does she think she is? She is only on social media because she wants people to see her, not because she really cares about anyone or Jesus... She's really in it for herself, and she wants everyone online to know—where she's traveling, what she is doing, how she is looking. My mind started to go down this critical thinking track again. That is—until I stopped—and then I hung my head down in shame. The hard truth is—I have judged so many. I have sized up people's intent online. I have sized up and surmised people's wrong motives. I made judgments about people's hearts that only God can know. I have hardened my heart towards people who are even doing the will of God... by deciding they are doing it for attention, for public perception, or for their own recognition. I hung my head down, saying, "God, what do I know?" Only God knows. And what I am judging is what I am walking in. Meaning, I think it is about them, but what I am seeing is actually about me. It is worth taking a second to consider. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" (Matt. 7:3) If I spot it, I likely got it. When push comes to shove, or when truth comes to light—I am doing what I am judging. I am seeking attention. I sometimes do things so others can see me. I have wrong motives. No wonder God has shut doors on me; in His grace and love, He wants me to see rightly, so I can then move powerfully with a pure heart. In His saying no, He has created a special room for me to examine my heart. I also see that as I rectify my heart, there is great hope for big, yes opportunities from God. The truth is, other people's motives are not my issue. My motive is. What they do is none of my business. Now I can see that I have been wrong. Dead wrong. But now I turn back to Christ. As I repent of this critical spirit and my wrong motives, they are removed as far as the East is from the West (Ps. 103:12). Here, I can do a new thing to defeat this critical spirit: I can bless rather than distress others... What does this look like? It looks like: Noticing when I am criticizing. Stopping that mental track. Ditching making them my business. Praying a blessing over them instead. Essentially, I can stop, bless, and then progress onward. Their motives are not my business. Me, keeping a pure heart? That's the business I am to be about. Intersecting Faith & Life: When do you find yourself judging or critiquing people? How might God want you to adjust course? What would it look like for you to bless those who curse you? What would it look like for you to let go of things or people you cannot control? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Feeling trapped by life’s circumstances is a struggle many of us know all too well—whether in jobs, relationships, health, or transitions between seasons. Yet Scripture shows us that God’s boundaries are not limitations, but instruments of His perfect plan. Drawing from Psalm 16:6 and the story of Joseph in Genesis 50, this devotional reminds us that what may feel like confinement can actually be a pathway to blessing, favor, and growth. Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: Held Within His BoundariesBy Megan J. Conner Bible Reading:“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” - Psalm 16:6 (NIV) Do you feel confined by your circumstances? Perhaps you are stuck in a job you dislike, or you can’t wait to move out of your home, town, or region. Maybe you are longing for a change within a relationship or the transition from one season of life to another. Or perhaps you are struggling with physical limitations or health challenges. Whatever your unique circumstances may be, none of us likes to feel limited. We believe “the world is our oyster” and we should have full access to all it has to offer. However, the Bible suggests a much different narrative. Throughout the Word, we see example after example of God’s people confined within boundaries. The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years, then, generations later, were exiled to Babylon. David was forced into hiding to avoid the pursuit of Saul. Tamar and Leah were “trapped” in what appeared to be loveless marriages. Paul and many of the disciples were imprisoned for their faith. New Testament or Old, there have been multitudes of followers who have struggled to see how God was working for good within the boundaries He set for them. The story of Joseph is one illustration that I have personally looked to when wrestling with my own constrictive circumstances. Joseph was the second youngest son of the patriarch Jacob. He was incredibly talented and favored by his father. During his youth, Joseph had two dreams that foretold he would be in a position of authority over his family in the future.  It appeared to be a glorious prospect. However, the reality looked nothing like he imagined. Shortly after Joseph shared his prophetic vision, his brothers sold him into slavery. Once carried off from his home country, Joseph spent over a decade enslaved and imprisoned. He endured persecution, mistreatment, and was reduced to the humblest of circumstances. There was no escape outside of God’s timely release and restoration. I would imagine there were moments when Joseph really grappled with his undesirable confinement and questioned how God was at work in any of it. Yet, on the other side of the story, we can see God was indeed working behind the scenes. Joseph was eventually released from prison and became a significant leader in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. His elite role positioned him to save his family from starvation during a devastating famine. Had Joseph not been forced into those unwanted circumstances, he would not have been able to rescue his family and the generational line of the Israelite people. Even further, the man Joseph became as a result of his confinement was a miracle in itself. His once haughty heart was transformed into a spirit of endless mercy and grace. When Joseph is later reconciled to his brothers, he offers compassion rather than spite. “His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. ‘We are your slaves,’ they said. But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” - Gen. 50:18-20 (NIV). What looked like imprisonment was actually favor and redemption. There are times when God draws boundaries around each of our lives. But the truth is, those boundaries are for our good. Even if it feels uncomfortable or frustrating, know that the Lord is ordaining your steps.  You are in His hands. There are riches and blessings in whatever season you find yourself in today.  “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” - Ps. 16:6 (NIV) Intersecting Faith & Life: Do you feel like you are stuck or confined by a specific circumstance or season of life? If so, does looking at examples from scripture help you understand how God uses seasons of perceived confinement to grant us good gifts? Why or why not? Take some time today to reflect on past moments when you felt as if your circumstances would never change, yet ultimately a transition arrived. Then consider how those periods shaped who you are today. How can you see the fingerprints of the Lord through these past experiences? Further Reading:Psalm 16Genesis 39 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Staying spiritually alert matters more than ever in a world where temptation rarely looks dangerous at first glance. This Crosswalk Devotional, Keeping Your Mind on Guard by Aaron D’Anthony Brown, centers on 1 Peter 5:8 and offers a sobering reminder that spiritual battles are often subtle, internal, and persistent. Scripture calls believers to stay clear-minded and watchful because the enemy works quietly, appealing to our weaknesses rather than announcing his presence. Highlights The Bible emphasizes spiritual alertness over fear-based imagery Sin often entices quietly, masking long-term consequences Staying in God’s Word sharpens discernment and clarity Community helps redirect us when we drift off course Healthy relationships influence spiritual resilience Mindfulness and self-examination reveal hidden struggles God’s grace meets us when we turn back in awareness and humility Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: Keeping Your Mind on Guard By Aaron D’Anthony Brown Bible Reading:“Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, CSB) People often imagine the Devil as a goat-like beast that strikes fear into the hearts of men. However, such renditions of Satan are the result of human creativity, how we think of him. On the contrary, Scripture doesn’t actually give us any physical description. We only know certain characteristics, such as his evil nature, pride, and deceitfulness.  If Satan looked anything like how he is often depicted in popular literature and movies, wouldn’t people run in the opposite direction? Christian or not, that’s just plain scary. Yet, I think we can agree that the Devil is active in our world today. Very active. That means if he is to be successful, he has to be subtle. Such is the nature of sin. Sin is enticing because the consequences don’t speak as loudly as the supposed benefits. Thus, the Devil lures us in, and we fall for the trap. Now, perhaps we blame him for things that we ourselves commit willingly, due to our own flawed nature. However, I don’t think the Devil is off somewhere chilling and relaxing. He’s acting against us as we ourselves do the same. Therefore, as Christians, we need to remember an important lesson as we go about our lives - keeping our minds on guard. Whether we’re in a good season of life or a difficult one, there’s always the potential of being pulled away from God. We don’t always recognize the sin in our lives, but it’s there. So, how exactly do we guard our minds against the wiles of the Devil and the tempting nature of sin? Intersecting Faith & Life: Here are a few steps you can take today to guard against the sin that creeps so easily into our lives. Be in the Word. Someone recently told me that he’s confident in his prayers because he always gets what he prays for. What I also know is this man is not reading the Bible at all. As a result, he’s left with who he imagines God to be instead of who God is. That could be true of any of us who call ourselves Christians, but don’t follow God’s tenets. How can we know what He expects of us if we don’t know Him? Moreover, how can we know how to stand against sin if we don’t first turn to God? Yes, we can learn from the people around us, but they are sinners just like us. Their knowledge and wisdom are finite. Not God’s. And we know what is holy not because of them, but because He is holy. Be in community. There’s much to gain when we keep good company. Fellow believers have the ability to help us get back on track when we veer off course. They remind us of our worth to God and how to walk in wisdom. However, they can’t offer any of these gains if we don’t keep them around. That’s why the Bible encourages us to be mindful of who we keep around us. Everyone in our lives, especially those we engage with regularly, influences us. Let’s make sure they are influencing us for good, and that we, in turn, are doing the same. The better our company, the less we will fall into sin. Be mindful. Introspection is an underrated and underutilized practice. To identify sin, we must first recognize it. However, so many of us are constantly on the go, and we don’t take time to figure out how to improve ourselves. We don’t know when to rest, or when to invest more into a relationship, or when we have developed a bad habit. We can see it in others, but not ourselves. All because we’re not taking the time to think. Consider journaling, sitting in silence without distractions, and even praying that God will help you become more mindful. As mentioned in the introduction, we don’t always recognize the sin in our lives, but it’s there. And when we find it, we should respond accordingly by turning to God and His saving grace. Further Reading: 1 Peter 5:8 Ephesians 6:10-12 Genesis 1:5 2 Corinthians 11:14 Romans 12:2 Proverbs 13:20 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Fear doesn’t disappear because life gets easier—it loosens its grip when we learn to rest in a love that cannot be taken away. This Crosswalk Devotional, Held by a Love Stronger Than Fear by Sarah Frazer, centers on 1 John 4:17–18 and reveals how God’s perfect, unconditional love drives out fear at its root. For anyone shaped by fragile or conditional relationships, this devotion offers reassurance that God’s love is steady, secure, and permanent. Highlights God’s love is not fragile, conditional, or temporary Perfect love drives out fear rooted in punishment and loss God’s love can be known and fully relied upon Fear grows when we doubt the security of God’s love Confidence replaces anxiety when we rest in who God is God’s love is part of His unchanging nature We are held by a love stronger than rejection, doubt, and fear Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: Held by a Love Stronger Than FearBy Sarah Frazer Bible Reading:And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. - 1 John 4:17-18 Many of us carry a fear we rarely name: the fear that love can leave. The only love we see is often a love that is distant and disappointing. For me, sometimes love feels fragile. That’s because the love we often experience is a conditional love. It is a love that depends on how we act, perform, or even our moods.  How many relationships have been broken and lost because love was withdrawn, withheld, or just abandoned? Human relationships are indeed fragile, weak, and easily broken. Even if we experience a love that lasts, we still distrust the true kind of love we see in the Bible. Friend, God’s love is not fragile.  The apostle John gives us a picture of God’s love here. He says, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world, we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  1 John 4:16-18 The book of 1 John was a letter written to Christians in the first century. The new church was experiencing intense persecution and suffering. When we face hardships, we question God’s love for us. John spends so much time in this letter explaining God’s love to them, so they would rest in a love that was strong, eternal, and not rooted in fear.  John uses the word know here. We do not guess or hope in God’s love. We can know it! We also rely on it. This word means to rest our entire weight on it. We can sit down, rest, and be confident in this type of love.  Human love can waver, disappear, or get lost. Fear grips our hearts when we think about the loves that have left. Whether by death or choice, human love will always be vulnerable. Only God loves us fully, completely, and without condition. God’s love is something we are invited here, in John’s letter, to depend upon!  John also says that “God is love.” That means that God is more than just loving, but His very nature is one of love. What makes God who He is has to include love. There is a permanence here. His love cannot leave because it is woven into the fabric of who He is. God would not be God unless He loved us. That means that this love is never revoked; nor is it ever threatened by our weakness, doubt, or fear.  Fear grows when we lose sight of God’s love for us. If we continually see our inadequacies as a measure of God’s love for us, we will always fear. We will always be afraid that we will lose God’s love. But when we begin to see how secure God’s love for us is - that’s when fear begins to shrink! Fear is tied to punishment and loss.  In 1 John 4:17-18, he makes it clear that love has “made us complete.” This type of love leads to confidence, not anxiety. Fear whispers: What if I lose love? God’s love answers: You are held. This is the power of God’s love over fear. We are held by a love that is stronger than fear.  I’ll admit, fear feels very strong in my life. It seems to start small, but then grow if I allow the worries and doubts to take over my mind. If I ever encounter a love that is uncertain, or when I face the sting of rejection by someone else, I have to guard against fear. Fear likes to settle into our hearts. If we allow that to happen, we lose sight of God’s love and begin to guard ourselves away.  John reminds us that as Christians, we are shaped by a love that is beyond all fear. As we learn to rest in the love God offers us, we can feel our fears give way to faith. We can find ourselves confident, grounded, in a love that is steady, secure, and strong enough to hold us. Intersecting Faith & Life: Our experiences with people often shape how we expect love to behave. If love has been inconsistent or even withheld, fear can quickly influence the way we relate to God as well. But God’s love is something we can rely on. How have your past or present relationships shaped the way you expect love to behave? In what area of your life might God be inviting you to replace fear-driven striving with deeper reliance on His love? Further Reading:Psalm 27:1Isaiah 54:10John 14:27Romans 8:15 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God’s strength is not reserved for elite athletes or extraordinary moments—it’s available for everyday life. This Crosswalk Devotional, God’s Strength Will Empower You by Whitney Hopler, draws from 1 Chronicles 16:11–12 to remind believers that lasting strength comes from continually seeking God’s presence, not relying on limited human ability. Whether facing pressure at work, health challenges, family tension, or personal uncertainty, God’s power meets us right where we are. Highlights God’s strength empowers believers beyond human limits Seeking God’s presence should be continual, not crisis-driven Spiritual endurance grows through daily dependence on God Remembering God’s past faithfulness fuels present faith Temporary success never replaces eternal relationship with God Our worth is rooted in being God’s beloved children, not performance God walks with us through both victories and failures Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: God’s Strength Will Empower YouBy: Whitney Hopler Bible Reading:“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered.” - 1 Chronicles 16:11-12, ESV  The 2026 Winter Olympics (Milano Cortina 2026) shine a spotlight on some of the strongest athletes in the world. No matter what sport they compete in, Olympic athletes are constantly seeking strength. Many of them pray for God’s help to be the best they can be, both physically and mentally. That includes help from God for the discipline and endurance they need to practice and compete well.  But you don’t have to be a downhill skier or a figure skater to understand why it’s important to be strong. Whether you’re launching a new project at work, dealing with a challenging health situation, trying to resolve a family conflict, or facing any other stressful situation in this fallen world, you know how much God’s strength can empower you. God’s help is vital to succeeding with whatever you’re trying to do, whether or not you’ll get a gold medal when you win.  In 1 Chronicles 16:11-12, the Bible encourages you to look beyond your own limited power to seek God’s strength, which can empower you without limits. These verses call you to seek God’s presence continually. Instead of just saying a one-time prayer during a crisis, you should notice God’s presence with you throughout your day and check in with God regularly through prayer. When you make a habit of seeking God’s strength, you’ll find the power you need to help you with any kind of situation – even the most challenging situations that seem like they would be impossible to overcome.  These Bible verses also encourage you to remember the wondrous works God has done, like his miracles and judgments. Olympic commentators love to talk about an athlete’s “track record.” They look back at each athlete’s past competition results and other information from the past (like injuries and recoveries) to predict future success. You can do the same with your faith. When you feel overwhelmed by a challenge you’re facing right now, look back on how God has helped you in the past. Think of the times when you’ve already experienced the wonder of God’s work in your life – like when God provided exactly what you needed, or when God empowered you to do something you couldn’t do on your own. The more you remember God’s past faithfulness, the more that will fuel your faith to look for the wonder of God’s work in your life every day and let that evidence inspire you to trust God now.  In this year’s winter Olympics, thousands of athletes will chase gold, silver, and bronze medals. But those prizes are temporary. God’s presence with you is something you can enjoy both now and forever. As you work toward your own goals and pursue your own adventures this year, don’t get so caught up in trying to achieve temporary results that you miss your wonderful Creator and Heavenly Father walking right beside you.  Whether you reach the podium of success or make mistakes that hurt like falling on ice, God will be there with you, empowering you with his strength. You can afford to bravely take big risks to keep learning and growing, just like Olympic athletes do. Your worth doesn’t come from your performance; it comes from your relationship with God as one of his beloved children. So, whatever challenge you’re facing today, seek God and his strength. God is with you, and he’s ready to give you everything you need for the journey ahead.  Intersecting Faith & Life: As you consider why it’s important to seek God and his strength, reflect on these questions:  If you were training for your current life season like an Olympian, what’s the one area where you most need God’s strength right now?  How can you seek God’s presence “continually” rather than just when you’re facing a challenge? What will help you remember to ask God for more strength on a regular basis?  Think of one “wondrous work” or miracle God has done in your past. How does remembering that help you face a fear you have today?  What’s one way you can celebrate this week to thank God for answering a prayer you prayed in the past? Can you plan to look at old photos that remind you of God’s answer, post about it on social media, or share the story with a friend?  Further Reading:Isaiah 40:31Philippians 4:13Psalm 105:4Hebrews 12:1Psalm 77:11 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When words fail and grief feels overwhelming, God does not leave us alone. This Crosswalk Devotional is rooted in Romans 8:26–27, reminding us that the Holy Spirit actively meets us in our weakness—interceding, comforting, and strengthening us when we don’t know how to pray. For believers walking through loss, anger, exhaustion, or spiritual dryness, this passage offers deep reassurance: God’s Spirit is already at work within us. Rather than being distant or passive, the Holy Spirit is fully God—our Helper, Comforter, and constant companion. From the moment we place our faith in Christ, He dwells within us, guiding our hearts back toward peace, hope, and renewed strength. Even in seasons of confusion or emotional pain, the Spirit faithfully prays on our behalf according to God’s perfect will. Highlights The Holy Spirit meets believers in moments of weakness God understands our prayers even when we cannot find the words The Holy Spirit intercedes according to God’s will Grief, anger, and doubt do not disqualify us from faith The Spirit brings comfort, peace, and renewed strength God is always present—especially in seasons of loss Believers are never alone in their pain Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: Finding Comfort in the Holy SpiritBy Vivian Bricker  Bible Reading:“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).  When I first became a Christian, I had trouble finding peace due to the grief I was experiencing. Living in the aftermath of the death of a loved one changed me, and I began to struggle with anger. Instead of conducting myself with kindness, love, and grace, I often lashed out or said something I would later regret. If you find yourself in a similar situation, take comfort in knowing you are not alone.  This does not mean we are not believers. Rather, it simply means we will face more challenges in growing in our faith. At these times, we need to find comfort in the Holy Spirit.  Sadly, many people, including believers, are unfamiliar with the Holy Spirit. They may even view the Holy Spirit as an inferior person within the Trinity. However, it’s essential to understand that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, which means He is God. The Holy Spirit is an especially important Person in our Christian walk as He is our Helper, Protector, and Comforter (John 14:26). Instead of distancing ourselves from Him, we need to draw closer to Him. This is especially true when we are feeling alone or disconnected from God. The Holy Spirit is our friend, and He is already living inside of us from the moment we place faith in the Lord (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19). For all eternity, the Holy Spirit will be with us. He can give us comfort when our days feel overwhelming and bleak.  Intersecting Faith & Life: The Apostle Paul tells us, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27). Allow these words to bring your heart comfort today. Through this passage, we see that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. Whether we are struggling with our Christian walk, anger, or grief, we can rely on the Holy Spirit. Moreover, when we are too tired to pray or don’t know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. We might not know what to pray for, but the Holy Spirit does. During times of intense emotional turmoil or overwhelming pain, it can be hard to pray. The Holy Spirit will intercede for us at these times and bring comfort to our hearts. Instead of doubting Him, we can find great comfort and peace in His presence. The Holy Spirit will bring joy, hope, and renewed strength back into our hearts.  Dear Father, I praise You for always being with me. Thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit. Please give my heart and soul comfort today. Sometimes I don’t know what to pray for, or I’m too weak to pray. Please help the Holy Spirit to intercede for me and bring my concerns to You. Thank You, Father, Amen. After reading this devotional, do you feel your attitude toward the Holy Spirit has changed? How can you find comfort in the Holy Spirit today? Further Reading: Galatians 5:22-23 Luke 11:13 2 Corinthians 3:1 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

You are loved before you perform, before you obey, and before you understand. This Crosswalk Devotional centers on 1 John 4:19, unpacking the freeing truth that God’s love is not earned—it is initiated by Him. In a world shaped by rejection, comparison, and performance-based approval, Scripture reminds us that God’s love picks first, not last, and it becomes the foundation for genuine transformation. Rather than striving to earn affection through obedience or spiritual productivity, this devotional invites listeners to rest in the reality that God loved us while we were still sinners. His love is not the reward at the end of the Christian life—it is the starting point. From that secure place, growth, repentance, and obedience naturally flow. Highlights God’s love is the source of our love, not the result of it We are loved before belief, obedience, or understanding The gospel reverses performance-based love Growth flows from being loved, not striving for love Nothing can separate believers from God’s love in Christ God’s love moves first—even at our worst Obedience becomes a response, not a requirement for acceptance Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: Loved First, Not Last By: Sarah Frazer  Bible Reading:“We love because he first loved us.” - 1 John 4:19 (ESV) When you were younger, did you ever get picked last for a game? Or did you have your friends leave you out of a fun activity? A sleepover? A party? Even as adults, we get left out, too. Rejection feels horrible. It really does. Even people who might have stepped out of your life can hurt you, and that sometimes feels like a rejection. Over the years, if we let rejection be the narrative by which we formulate our lives, we might not believe the truth we read in 1 John 4:19.  “We love because he first loved us.” This kind of love picks first, not last. This love isn’t something we earn.  There isn’t something inside our hearts that can earn it either. We are so used to being loved because of what we do. Even in our faith circles, we see language such as “grow, repentance, and sanctification.” All of these are good things, necessary things. But those things have nothing to do with us being loved.  What is this kind of love? It is not like a love we have ever experienced before; it is much deeper.  In this verse, chapter, and book of the Bible, we get a glimpse of this amazing love. God’s love is not the result of our love for Him; it is the source of it. Notice that the Apostle John uses the word “first.” This means a couple of things. It means we are loved before we believe, before we obey, before we understand, before we cry out to God. God loves first. Romans 5:8 says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (ESV) There was no fixing ourselves or proving ourselves before God would love us. God loved us first, while we were still sinners. It also means God moved first. He did not wait for you and me to be spiritually or morally ready for his love. It existed before we had a chance to even change. God’s love came towards us when we were at our worst, not our best.  Performance-based love focuses on doing better, and then you will be loved. A gospel-centered love says you are loved; therefore, you can change. Growth, repentance, and sanctification come after we experience God’s love!  As a perfectionist, people-pleaser, I still find this amazing truth a source of great freedom. Although I had heard it all growing up at church, it never really sank in until later in my life. In my mid-thirties, I came to realize that my productivity, my goodness, and faithfulness never earned me one ounce of God’s love. In addition to that, my failings, faults, and sins could never lose me an ounce of His love either.  While I grew up trying to earn the love of those around me, God loved me first. This means I’ll never have to earn more love, nor do I need to fear losing God’s love. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 8 about Christ’s love for us:  “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:35-38 (ESV) You might feel crushed, persecuted, unloved, unwanted, and distressed, but none of these things will ever keep you from God’s love. In fact, knowing God’s love comes first means God’s love is not at the end of our spiritual journey, but the beginning. It has always been with us, as soon as we became Christians. It will carry us through until the end.  You are not loved because you responded to God; you respond because He loved you first. So if you think back to a time when you were picked last, remember that today, you have been picked first. You have been chosen by God to be loved. Rest in this truth and believe you can walk in obedience because of this love! Intersecting Faith & Life: In what areas of your faith are you still trying to earn God’s affection rather than rest in the love He has already given? How might your daily walk with God change if you believed obedience flows from being loved, rather than working for love? Further Reading:Psalm 103:8-14Ephesians 1:4-5Isaiah 43:1-4John 6:372 Thessalonians 2:16 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God alone is enough—and He knows exactly what we need. This Crosswalk Devotional centers on Lamentations 3:24, reminding us that when we say “The Lord is my portion,” we’re declaring our trust in God as our ultimate source of security, provision, and contentment. Just as a portion is intentionally measured and given, God assigns what is perfectly suited for each of His children. In a culture that constantly tempts us to compare, compete, or crave more, this devotional gently redirects our hearts back to gratitude and trust. Whether our portion feels abundant or modest, we can rest in the truth that God never withholds what is necessary for our good. He supplies peace, strength, rest, and provision—always on time and always with purpose. Highlights God is our allotted portion—intentionally given and perfectly measured True contentment flows from trusting God as our Provider Comparison steals joy; gratitude restores it God fills every void that possessions never can Even seasons of lack are opportunities to grow deeper in trust God’s provision is personal, purposeful, and sufficient Declaring “The Lord is my portion” is an act of faith and surrender Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: The Lord Is My PortionBy Angela Anderson Bible Reading:“‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’” - Lamentations 3:24 (NKJV) One of the many things I enjoy doing with my family is going out to eat. Recently, we went to a local, favorite restaurant of ours where the servers knew our family by name. It was a small but vibrant eatery, where the food was always excellent. We were not only known for our frequent visits as a family, but also for our meal selections, especially the dessert. Once we finished our meal, it was a known fact that we would be ordering this warm, giant-sized, decadent chocolate fudge brownie surrounded by scoops of vanilla bean ice cream.  The servers always positioned this delectable dessert in the middle of our table and then brought us four long spoons: one for me, one for my husband, one for my oldest son, and one for my youngest son. As soon as that dish of dessert hit the table, no one had to tell us to start digging in. It was a race to the finish! My oldest son seemed to have the advantage each time, as I observed the large amount of dessert that he was able to balance on his long spoon. My youngest son was struggling with maneuvering his spoon to fit both a piece of brownie and some ice cream on it. Sometimes he would get just enough dessert on his spoon, and then the dessert would fall off the side of his spoon before even leaving the bowl. For every one spoon of dessert that successfully made it to his mouth, his older brother had already eaten about three spoons full of dessert.  I had to put an end to this. On our next visit, when it was time for dessert, I requested four small plates. And before anyone could put a spoon in the bowl of brownie and ice cream, I divided the dessert, placed it on a separate plate, and put it in front of each person. Every member of my family now had an appropriate portion of dessert that was allocated to each of us. When the biblical writer says, “The Lord is my portion,” the word “portion” in Hebrew carries the notion that something is measured out, allotted, or assigned. It’s almost as if there is a gift with your name on it because it is specifically set apart and given to you. In the life of a believer, there is a dependence on God as the ultimate source of security and blessing. As our Creator and Heavenly Father, He knows and understands our every need, and He gives each of us exactly what we need when we need it. He alone determines our portion. Whether large or small, it is perfectly proportioned and just enough for the one who receives it. It is our duty to celebrate and delight in the portion God has given.  In doing so, we are honoring the God who gave it. Another connotation of the word “portion” in the context of God is divine provision. There are many people in this world who feel a void, and they try to fill that void with things that still leave them wanting more.  When you believe that God is your portion, you believe that God is the source of your strength in every situation. There is contentment in knowing that He will supply all your needs. Even when there seems to be an area of lack, there is a calm assurance that God will step in to make up that difference. In response, there is no desire to seek any possession or comfort outside of God. There is an unwavering trust that God is in control of all your circumstances. There is a realization that nothing is as valuable as the promises of God. This signifies a close relationship with the Provider, and His goal is to use life’s circumstances to draw you closer. As you learn that God is your portion, you learn that your need for Him outweighs your desire for other things.  When you need peace, God is the One who gives you peace. When you need rest, God alone will extend rest. When you need provision, God offers provision. He provides for you what no one else can, and everything He gives to you is a blessing directly from the throne of heaven designed just for you. “The Lord is my portion” is more than a declaration. It is an affirmation that God, our Creator, our Provider, and our Sustainer, is more than enough. Intersecting Faith & Life: It is often easy to look around at what others possess instead of appreciating what we have in front of us. Take a moment to thank God for His provision and recognize God as your portion. Further Reading:Psalm 73:26Philippians 4:19                                                                                                   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jesus can be present right in front of us—and still be missed. This Crosswalk Devotional reflects on John 1:11–13, inviting us to examine how easily familiarity, pain, or assumptions can blind us to the presence of Christ. When Jesus came to earth, many failed to recognize Him for who He truly was. Yet Scripture reminds us that those who did receive Him were given the right to become children of God. This Christian devotional challenges us to consider how we see Jesus today. Do we recognize Him as Lord, Savior, and faithful Friend in the middle of ordinary life, hardship, or disappointment? Or do distractions, expectations, and appearances cloud our spiritual vision? God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent—and He is still at work, even when we struggle to perceive Him. Highlights Jesus was rejected because many did not recognize who He truly was God’s presence can be missed when we judge by appearances or expectations Pain, disappointment, and distraction can dull our spiritual awareness Christ is still present, powerful, and actively working in our lives Recognizing Jesus begins with faith, humility, and openness When we receive Christ, we are reborn as children of God God calls us to reflect Christ’s love in how we treat others Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: If We Only Knew By Alexis A. Goring   Bible Reading:“He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” - John 1:11-13 NLT   While scrolling on social media a few weeks ago, I saw several skits with similar themes: a hotel concierge or a fancy purse store employee who treated someone poorly based on their appearance and denied service to them. However, after finding out who they were (famous, prominent, important, and influential), these people apologized profusely, but it was too late to take back their bad behavior and negative comments toward that person. A real, modern-day example of how people may treat you when they don’t know you’re rich and famous or influential happened several years ago when a famous American broadcast journalist was traveling in Europe. She visited a local store to shop for a purse. When she saw a purse she liked, she asked the clerk to see it. But the clerk said no because it was too expensive. The clerk proceeded to try to show the journalist other purses that she assumed were in the customer’s budget. The journalist decided to leave the store. Later, when management received news of what had happened and realized who this famous person was, they apologized and said that they didn’t know it was her. They implied that if they only knew who this famous woman was, then they would have treated her better and let her see the purse she wanted because she could afford it. After all, this woman is a billionaire. Reflecting on this real-world situation caused me to think of the Bible stories about how most people didn’t recognize the Messiah. I realized how often we can be just as shortsighted as the Pharisees and other Bible characters who didn’t recognize our Savior (Jesus Christ) when He was there with them. When Jesus was living on Earth, His own people rejected him and treated him poorly because they didn’t know who He was. It wasn’t until Christ’s death on the cross that a Roman soldier nearby said in Mark 15:39 (NIV), “Surely this man was the Son of God!” This made me think: If Jesus Christ were standing right in front of us, would we know Him? Would we recognize Him as our Lord and Savior? Would we know Him as the most faithful friend we ever had? Would we treat Him well or would we treat Him poorly based on how He appeared?  It boggles my mind to know that when our Savior came to save humankind, most people didn’t recognize Him. Even the disciples of Jesus Christ had trouble realizing they were walking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection (Luke 24:13-35). Did they not feel His comforting Presence? Did they not experience His peace? Did they not feel that familiarity with the man whom they followed for several years? How did they not know that this was their Savior who had risen from the dead and now lives forever, just like He said would happen when they were part of His ministry prior to His death? Perhaps the disciples of Jesus were too traumatized and depressed by all the events that unfolded leading up to Christ’s crucifixion. Maybe they felt too hurt to see the hope who was walking right beside them. I can understand that because I also have felt too weighed down by the woes of the world at times, making it nearly impossible to sense God’s Presence in our broken planet.  But the good news is that Jesus is here. The Bible says God is omniscient, which means He knows all and nothing is hidden from Him (Psalm 139:1-4 and Jeremiah 23:24). God is also omnipresent, which means His Presence is everywhere (Psalm 139:7-10). God is omnipotent, and that means He is the most powerful force in this world and the entire universe (Psalm 147:5). What a mighty God we serve! When you feel burdened by the problems in our world, turn to Jesus. Know Him for who He is: Our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, and most Faithful Friend. It is my hope and prayer that we will always recognize God in our lives. Let’s not be like the people of the Bible era who missed the Messiah even when He was with them. Let’s be like the ones who recognized the Son of God and welcomed Him with open arms. Let’s allow the bright light of Jesus Christ to shine through us and fill the world with His pure love for humankind. May we also treat each other with agape love, kindness, and respect, no matter how we look (Leviticus 19:18). In closing, I’d like you to listen to these songs listed below. Song of Reflection #1: “How Beautiful” by Twila Paris. Listen HERE. Song of Reflection #2: “Love God Love People” by Danny Gokey. Listen HERE.  Song of Reflection #3: “Each One, Reach One” by Babbie Mason. Listen HERE.  Intersecting Faith & Life: Will you know Jesus Christ when you see Him?  Further Reading: Micah 6:8Matthew 5:162 Corinthians 5:20Hebrews 7:24-25Romans 10:9 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Life doesn’t always give us time to plan—and that’s often where God’s provision becomes most visible. This Crosswalk Devotional centers on Exodus 12:31–39, reminding us that when preparation is impossible, God still provides exactly what we need. The Israelites left Egypt abruptly, carrying unfinished dough into an uncertain future, yet God faithfully supplied every step of their journey. Their hurried departure wasn’t an oversight—it was an invitation to trust. This Christian devotional speaks to seasons of disruption, loss, and uncertainty, when routines fall apart and control slips through our fingers. Whether facing sudden change, grief, or exhaustion, Scripture shows us that God uses moments of unpreparedness to reveal His character. When we can’t rely on our plans, we learn to rely on His promises. Highlights God often works powerfully in moments when we feel least prepared The Israelites’ rushed escape reveals God’s intentional provision Loss of control can become an invitation to deeper trust God’s provision is not limited by our circumstances or planning Seasons of uncertainty help us remember we are God’s children, not slaves Dependence on God strengthens faith and reveals His faithfulness When preparation fails, prayer becomes our lifeline Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: God Provides When We Cannot Prepare By Deidre Braley  Bible Reading:During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.”  The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!” So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.  The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many other people went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves. - Exodus 12:31-39 Our family recently traveled 300 miles north to spend the holidays at home, where my husband and I both grew up. Though we had planned for an extended stay, we did not sleep well on the first or second night, and on the following morning, my husband woke with a terrible bout of food poisoning. Exhausted, exasperated, and with a terribly achy back, I couldn’t imagine being away from home for even another moment.  Before the sun had even risen, I announced, “That’s it. We need to leave—today.”  In a rush, I threw apples and slippers and dog food into any spare bag I could find. I stuffed dirty clothes back into suitcases and rummaged in the fridge for anything that could qualify as breakfast for the kids. I promised myself we’d all brush our teeth later. And then, with our odds and ends shoved into every spare crevice of the car, we sped off, not even stopping to say goodbye to our family on the way out of town.  All day, I felt unsettled. Our luggage was disorganized, we were subsisting on a bag of chocolate-covered espresso beans, and, as I discovered later, two out of our three kids weren’t even wearing socks! Our careful routines—and my sense of any control—had gone out the window. And it was deeply uncomfortable. It made me sympathize with the Israelites, who were pushed out of Egypt in such a hurry that they weren’t even finished making the dough for their bread; they swept it up onto their shoulders and lugged it off into the great unknown. They did not have time to prepare provisions for themselves.  But their journey was more than just one long day down the interstate. It was forty years of wandering. Forty years of being unsettled. Forty years of not being in control. Forty years of having to depend on Someone Else to provide for them.  I think their rapid departure from Egypt was an intentional move on God’s part. I believe he wanted to make sure they did not have time to prepare—not because he wanted them to feel uncomfortable, but because he wanted to show them that he would provide everything they needed. He wanted to show them what it meant to be the people of the One True Living God. He wanted to position them to understand that they were not slaves any longer: they were his children, and they could trust him to take care of them.  Intersecting Faith & Life: There are times in our lives that we simply cannot prepare for. A loss of a job. The death of someone we love. Or maybe just a husband waking up with food poisoning. Though we might despise the situation and wish to cling to control with everything we’ve got (which are very natural and human responses!), in moments of disquiet, may we find the courage to look at God and ask him what he wishes to show us about his character in these times. When he puts us in positions of total abandon—where our illusions of control and carefully measured procedures have been stripped away—may we learn to pray:  God, Show me your goodness. I have nothing. You are in control. I need you. Please provide. Amen.  Further Reading:Throughout the Bible, people find themselves in situations where their only hope is to trust God to provide. Consider:  Daniel telling Nebuchadnezzar the meaning of his dream (Daniel 2)  Joshua’s army marching around the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6)  Mary learning that she will give birth to Jesus (Luke 1) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Life constantly tempts us to measure contentment by what we lack—but Scripture tells a different story. This Christian devotional explores how God is more than enough, even in a culture driven by comparison, accumulation, and the constant pursuit of “more.” Rooted in Psalm 4:7, this devotion invites believers to rediscover joy, peace, and lasting satisfaction found not in possessions, but in a secure relationship with God. Highlights Contentment grows when we focus on what God provides, not what we lack God’s joy surpasses material abundance and worldly success Gratitude reshapes our perspective in seasons of comparison True security comes from God, not possessions or financial stability Spiritual blessings in Christ are eternal and unshakeable God’s promises bring peace even in uncertain circumstances When we have God, we truly have more than enough Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: More Than Enough By Cindi McMenamin Bible Reading:“You have put gladness in my heart,More than when their grain and new wine abound.” (Psalm 4:7 NASB) I remember the day we were driving home from a store, and my teenage daughter was complaining to me about all that she didn’t have—a new car like the one being driven by her 16-year-old friend who just got her driver’s license, expansive homes her friends lived in with more rooms than their families needed, the latest electronic gadgets, brand-name clothing, the highest-priced handbags. Weary of constantly being reminded of what we didn’t have that her friends’ families did, I finally blew!   “Do you realize what we do have?” I snapped. “You have a roof over your head, and these days, that should be enough!”  Apparently, my words struck a chord with her. Her face fell, and she sadly told me of another one of her friends who was losing her home due to her parents’ job loss.   Immediately, my tone softened as I realized my daughter had already been convicted by her own words. We prayed for the family that was losing their hom,e and then I silently prayed for wisdom to turn that topic into a teaching moment.  “You know, Sweetie,” I told her softly, as I continued to drive, “a lot of people around us are losing their homes. That’s why it’s important for us to not only think about what we have and be grateful for it, but to focus on what we have that we will never lose.”  She looked at me, puzzled, for a moment. And then she got it.  We immediately began to recount all that we have that can never be taken from us:  The love we have for each other in our family The memories we’ve had in our three-bedroom condo (and the small two-bedroom home we owned prior to that) The unconditional love of God (Romans 5:8)  The gift of our salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9) A promised mansion in Eternity (John 14:2-3)  I realized that day that my daughter is not the only one who often wishes she had more. It’s easy for me, at times, to look at what others have and be envious. It’s natural for me to sometimes wish I had a little more money to indulge in my desires. But so often I forget all I do have…and that it is more than enough.  So often, we go through life looking at what others have and wondering when our ship will come in. Then we remember we have a God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), a God who has gone to prepare a place for us and who will come again and receive us to Himself so that where He is, we will be—forever (John 14:3).  In Psalm 4, David begins his song by asking God for relief from his distress. But then he must have remembered what he had, because he finished his song with a perspective of joy:   “You have put joy in my heart,More than when their grain and new wine are abundant.In peace I will both lie down and sleep,For You alone, Lord, have me dwell in safety” (verses 7-8).  In The Message translation, verse 7 reads:  “I have God’s more-than-enough,  more joy in one ordinary day than they get in all their shopping sprees.”  That sounds like a song I should be singing every day that I begin to forget my blessings and start longing for more. Intersecting Faith & Life: God is our true source of security in an insecure world…and He is the Only One who satisfies in a culture where we can never seem to get enough.  When we have Him—along with His promises for provision, protection, and peace—we have “more than enough.”  Can you draw strength from knowing that you have God’s more-than-enough, even if at times it doesn’t look like quite enough? Thank Him today for all that you have, as well as for the blessings that you don’t yet see. The Bible says if we belong to Christ, God has blessed us in the heavenly realm with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). And if we “share in His sufferings” we are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). Joint heirs with God! Think about that. We are heirs of all that is His. Now that’s an inheritance. That’s a future. And that is more than enough.  Further Reading:Ephesians 1:3-14 For a daily awareness of all you have in your relationship with Christ, see Cindi’s book, The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Life rarely unfolds without surprise, hardship, or moments that test our emotional and spiritual limits. This Christian devotional explores how God prepares believers to live with courageous faith, even in the face of fear, uncertainty, and overwhelming circumstances. Rooted in John 16:33, this devotion reminds us that while trouble is unavoidable, peace and victory are found in Christ—who has already overcome the world. Highlights God prepares His people for hardship before it arrives Jesus offers peace even while acknowledging life’s troubles Courageous faith grows when we remain connected to Christ The Holy Spirit strengthens, guides, and sustains believers God’s grace meets us before and after moments of failure Abiding in Christ replaces fear with peace and clarity Victory comes through reliance on Jesus, not self-effort Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: Divinely Prepared to Live with Courageous FaithBy: Jennifer Slattery Bible Reading:“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33, NIV Most of us don’t like to be caught off guard, hit with something we weren’t expecting. Those situations can feel disorienting if not overwhelming. Not long ago, a friend shared an experience with me that, in the moment, triggered all of her internal alarm systems, resulting in her landing in total freak-out mode. In short, she and her husband decided to attend a small group for those enduring chronic anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges. She went to receive encouragement in her long and arduous healing journey from complex trauma, and her husband accompanied her to offer support.  She walked into the meeting room expecting something similar to a Bible study with sharing opportunities similar to what occurs with Alcoholics Anonymous. Mentally and emotionally unprepared for a deep discussion on trauma, she quickly found herself overwhelmed and embarrassed by her intense reaction. The following week, however, she responded much differently, largely because she now knew what to expect and had been able to talk through this with her therapist. This allowed her to bring tools, like her current knitting project, as a grounding tool when she sensed herself becoming overwhelmed.  The disciples Jesus spoke with in today’s verse would soon face numerous overwhelming and life-threatening circumstances that could’ve easily triggered panic, causing them to lash out physically or verbally, flee or withdraw from the danger, and therefore their calling, or become paralyzed by their fear. The Lord knew this. He grasped how difficult life would soon become for His first-century followers. That understanding, coupled with His incomprehensible love, motivated Him to prepare them for what lay ahead.  First, He told them that one of them would betray Him, Peter would deny Him, and all of them would abandon Him during His darkest hour. But recognize, He didn’t say this to shame them but instead to help them, post failure, to return to Him and receive His grace.  He also said that they’d experience persecution and even death for their faith. First, however, He spoke powerful promises to encourage and strengthen their trembling souls. Although He told them that He’d soon be leaving, and they couldn’t join, He also assured them that He wasn’t abandoning them. He was going to prepare a place for them and would eventually return for them, thereby declaring that their hardship wouldn’t get the final say. His love and grace would.  He also let them know that they wouldn’t have to face their upcoming difficulties, or any other aspect of life, alone. He’d send them God the Holy Spirit, to strengthen, guide, and teach them, and speak through them.  Then, in John 15:1-8, He spoke words that, when applied, have the capacity to bolster the most timid souls. In verses 4-5, He said,  Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  That was their survival plan. Their freak-out escape route. When overpowered and overwhelmed, they weren’t to rely on themselves. They needed to turn and draw near to, remain vitally connected to, and spiritually alert to, His presence at work within them. He would give them everything they needed to live as the victorious conquerors He was calling them to be. They would overcome because He, their Savior, had already overcome. Intersecting Life & Faith: God still prepares His children for the hard things to come. Throughout Scripture, we read numerous warnings of the unavoidable difficulties ahead–sickness, wars and rumors of wars, natural disasters, relational storms with people who act antagonistically to our faith. But the Lord also describes, in detail, how to stand strong even when the ground beneath us feels ready to give way.  As we “abide” or “remain” in Him through prayer, Bible reading, connecting with other Christ-followers, listening for His voice, and resting in His presence, He steadily and progressively replaces our fear with courage and peace, our confusion with clarity, and our heartache with joy.  Equally important, He speaks of His grace before our moment of moral failure so that we know we can return to it and rely upon it. Phrased differently, He reminds us that His grace wasn’t His backup plan. It has been His life-saving, soul-nurturing strategy since the beginning of time.  No matter what we encounter, we can trust that His grace is sufficient, for His strength is perfected, or reaches its full expression, in our weakness–when our weakness draws us closer to Him, that is. Further Reading:Matthew 26:411 Corinthians 16:13-14Proverbs 22:3 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Pleasing God over people is a tension every believer faces. This Christian devotional explores the difference between people-pleasing and God-honoring obedience, drawing wisdom from Ecclesiastes 3:1–2 and the life of Jesus. True biblical love is not rooted in appeasement or fear of conflict, but in discerning when to speak truth, when to remain silent, and when obedience to God requires courage over comfort. Highlights People-pleasing and peace-making are not always the same Biblical love values truth over appeasement There is a God-appointed time to speak and a time to remain silent Jesus modeled courage, truth, and discernment in every situation Fear of man can prevent growth and obedience God equips believers with the right words when we trust Him Pleasing God sometimes requires speaking up, not staying quiet Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: How to Please God Above ManBy Kelly Balarie Bible Reading:“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.” –  Eccl. 3:1-2 NIV I knew if I gave in, the argument would be over. Yet, I also knew if I said, "You're right," I'd be lying. In reality, there is a difference between people-pleasing and peace-making. They are not always one and the same. In the past, I'd be inclined to lie to keep the peace. I'd be inclined to brush things under the carpet of don't-lift-up-the-corner-of-this-rug for anything—to keep everyone happy. I'd be inclined to adapt to make sure everyone is okay. This is not biblical love, but it verges more towards manipulative love. Appeasing man is not always the same as pleasing the Lord. We must be careful here. There is a time for everything under the sun. “There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under the heavens:a time to be born and a time to die,a time to plant and a time to uproot…” (Eccl. 3:1-2) There is a time to speak truth and a time to be quiet. There is a time to bring clarity and a time to listen. There is a time to defend and a time to back off. There is a time to pray, and there is a time to say things. Jesus didn't always back away; sometimes He spoke truth. He called out the Pharisees and told them the truth when they fought Him (Matt. 23:27-28). He said, "Forgive them" aloud when He was being crucified (Luke 23:34). He addressed the Pharisees' lack of mercy with a straightforward address (Matt. 23:23). He powerfully used His words and actions to drive the merchants out of the temple (Matt. 21:12-13). The list goes on and on... Jesus did not always stay silent. To turn the other cheek does not always mean taking it... There is a time to speak up. There is a time to not fear man. There is a time to tell the truth. The key is to pray and discern what God would have you do (Eph. 5:17). Sometimes things never change because we never change our approach. Sometimes ruts continue because we don't trust God to equip us with the right words. Sometimes habits continue because we fear man more than we believe God will help us. Don't mistake fear of man for fear of the Lord. The Lord may have you speak up louder than the fear of man has ever permitted you to. This is not unbiblical; it may be monumental in your walk with the Lord. The answer is not always silence. Sometimes the way that most pleases God is speaking up. Wisdom is knowing the difference. Lying is sinning, even if it is pursuing peace-making. The question is—how do we be true, while being godly and loving? Sometimes, this requires pausing to seek God for what needs to be said. Other times, it may require praying to get a couple of levels deeper than what is on the surface. The ultimate key is to respond to a person from God's will and not to react from our own. Intersecting Faith & Life: How do you tend to react? Do you negate your feelings? Do you cover the truth to keep peace? How might God be leading you in a new direction? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Freedom in Christ is not just a spiritual idea—it’s a lived reality. This Christian devotional explores what it means to be alive in Christ, revealing how faith in Jesus breaks the power of sin and invites believers into a transformed life of obedience and hope. Rooted in Romans 6:11–12, this devotion reminds us that through Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin but children of God, empowered to live differently. Highlights Faith in Jesus breaks the bondage of sin Believers are no longer slaves but children of God True transformation comes through surrender to Christ God offers redemption and second chances to anyone who believes Being alive in Christ means choosing obedience over fleshly desires Temptation loses power when we submit ourselves to God Lasting freedom is found only in Christ, not in the world Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: Alive in ChristBy Vivian Bricker  Bible Reading:“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Romans 6:11-12).  From the moment we place faith in Jesus, our lives change. We are no longer held in bondage to sin in the same way as we used to be. While we will all continue to struggle with sin throughout our lives, we are no longer slaves to sin.  Instead, we are children of God. As His children, we are no longer compelled to obey the sinful flesh as we should want to follow, glorify, and obey God in every area of our lives.  Many people have radical changes after placing faith in Jesus and I had the privilege of getting to know someone who had one of these amazing changes in their life. There was an employee at my former Bible college who was known to be a previous criminal, and he served many years in prison due to his crimes. While he was in prison, he placed faith in the Lord and his entire life changed. I did not know this person prior to his conversion, but I do know he is one of the kindest individuals I have ever had the honor of meeting.  Whenever I think of this individual, I am reminded of the power of the Lord. He can completely transform a person’s life and give them a second chance. This man was always more than happy to tell anyone about Jesus and how much He had done in his life.  When we choose to follow Jesus and surrender our lives to Him, only good will come from it. By turning to Jesus, we are choosing life. If you have not placed faith in Jesus yet, know that it is never too late to believe in Him. If you believe that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again, you will be saved (Romans 10:9-11).  Intersecting Faith & Life: The Bible tells us, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Romans 6:11-12). The Apostle Paul spoke these words to the Roman Church, but they still apply to us today.  We are dead to sin, but alive in Christ Jesus. This means that we are no longer subject to obey the sinful flesh. Rather than submitting to worldly desires, we submit ourselves to God (James 4:7). God has powerful things in store for us; all we need to do is follow Him. Even if the sinful flesh tries to tempt us by saying sin is the “better way,” we know that true life is only found in Christ.  Turning away from sin looks like staying away from anything that tempts us or causes sin to rise in our hearts. For example, if jealousy is a common sin you struggle with, avoid spending too much time on social media. Choose to practice thankfulness for all the blessings of God in your life and avoid comparing yourself to others.   Talk with God in prayer, lean on Him, and study His Word. It may also help to lean on other believers and ask them for their advice in rising above the temptations of the flesh. Jesus Himself knows what it feels like to be tempted, and He will help us find a way to escape it (Hebrews 4:15).  Have you been made alive in Christ? If not, what is holding you back? What sin keeps you bogged down? How might you ask the Lord to help you fight back against this sin?  Further Reading: Romans 6:23 2 Corinthians 5:17 Ephesians 3:20-21 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God’s favor is often revealed through obedience, not comfort. This Christian devotional explores what it truly means to be highly favored by God, using Mary’s willing response to God’s calling as a model of surrendered faith. Rooted in Luke 1:38, it challenges believers to say yes to God—even when obedience comes at a high personal cost. Highlights God’s favor is often revealed through obedience and surrender Mary’s willingness shows faith that trusts God despite uncertainty God qualifies those He calls when they respond in humility Obedience may require sacrificing comfort, security, and reputation Saying yes to God can lead to lasting spiritual impact God honors hearts that are willing to serve at any cost Faith grows when we trust God beyond what we can understand Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!  Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: Highly Favored by GodBy: Michelle Lazurek Bible Reading:“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” - Luke 1:38 Several years ago, my husband felt a calling to plant a church. He came to me one day and talked to me about the change, as we were already pastoring a church at a great distance from where we had originally grown up. My husband shared that he had a vision of a different kind of church and felt God was calling him to plant one. Honestly, I didn't sense the same calling. But I trusted him, and in submission, followed him in his endeavors. After five years, the church closed due to financial constraints and declining attendance. Reflecting on that time in our lives, it would be easy for me to blame my husband and say he didn't hear God correctly. I could even say that, because I didn't sense his calling, I should have stopped it.  There is a saying, “God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called.” The Lord honors our obedience to do whatever we feel God may be calling us to do. Although it's not always easy to hear what the Lord is saying and to discern whether a calling is our thoughts or God's, God honors our hearts when we choose to give up many things to fulfill His purpose. Mary's response to the angel’s visitation is one we should all emulate. It's interesting to note that Mary was at first troubled by the angel's words because God highly favored her. However, once the Angel explained to her exactly what that might mean, her response above demonstrates that, even amidst difficulty, peril, and public humiliation, she was willing to fulfill God's call.  Unlike many people in the Bible, Mary never flinched at the obedience God was calling her to. She, like Jesus, considered herself a servant of God. She was willing to do whatever He wanted, whenever He wanted.  Think about your life. What is your response when God calls you to do something? Do you immediately ignore it, believing it is only your thoughts rather than God's thoughts? Analyze the difference in your response between something easy that God calls you to do, versus something more difficult that God calls you to do. Do you find you respond more readily to something that doesn't cost you significant comfort, time, money, or resources? Mary said yes to God regardless of the high cost. Being a young girl, she knew she would be subjected to public ridicule, humiliation, rumors, and false accusations regarding the father of that baby. She also risked losing Joseph, her betrothed. In her human nature, part of her must have worried about Joseph's response when he learned of her news. Would he believe her? Would he think, like so many others, that she had had relations with a man other than him?  Although the Angel of the Lord protected her from the misery that would come from a divorce, she chose to forsake personal comfort for the sake of serving the Lord. She considered herself a lowly servant, ready to serve God at a moment's notice. If God asked you to do something great for Him, what would you do? Would you sell your home, move to a new location, or give up all your luxuries and comforts just to serve God? Analyze your heart as you read these words. What emotions do the above words evoke for you? Do you feel excited to serve the Lord, or do you feel a sense of dread, anxiety, or anger? Mary was ready to serve God on a moment’s notice. She chose to accept a calling that cost her dearly in this life, but in the end, would make her known as the mother of Jesus for generations to come. Mary, once a lowly servant girl, was elevated to the position of the mother of God's son all by saying yes to God. She wouldn't have it any other way. Would you? Father, let us be people who accept God's calling even if it comes at a high cost. Let us consider ourselves servants who, upon hearing God highly favors us, are willing to serve Him at any cost. Let us forsake our own comforts, luxuries, money, time, and resources to further the gospel. Let us accept God's calling even if we don't fully understand what costs will come to us as we do. Amen. Intersecting Faith & Life: Has God ever called you to do something great for Him? What was your response? Further Reading:Luke 2:39-45 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.