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Weekly sermons and weekday devotions from Highrock, a multi-site church in the Greater Boston area and Online. We create Christian communities that inspire curiosity, courage, and compassion.
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Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the Bible, is devoted entirely to the importance of God's word to us. In this section of the psalm, scripture is seen as a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. When life seems dark and treacherous, God's instructions can light the way, one step at a time!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet, and a light for my path." - Ps. 119:105- When have you felt God’s Word guiding you in a specific situation?- What makes it difficult to slow down and seek direction in Scripture?- Sometimes we know the next step but lack the courage to trust God in taking it. Is there a step that God might be inviting you to take? Where might you find the courage to trust God in that next step?
As we delve into the practice of reading Scripture, it's important to pay attention to how we read Scripture. After all, the Devil himself uses the Bible to tempt Jesus! But Jesus not only knows the words of the Bible, he knows the spirit of the Bible. The Devil's temptation is to get us to justify what we want, even using the Bible to do it. But Jesus uses the Bible to focus on what God wants, which guards him from each temptation that the Devil brings.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Jesus used the Bible to focus on God's desires rather than his own.- Have you ever heard someone use the Bible to justify something that seemed wrong? What eventually helped point your in the right direction to a better understanding?- Before reading Scripture in our Sunday services, we pray a "Prayer for Illumination," asking God to help us understand God's heart through the words we read. As you turn to Scripture on your own, consider praying your own prayer for illumination through the Holy Spirit.
You’ve tried reading the Bible—maybe out of duty, maybe out of guilt—but it feels more like homework than hope. What if the point isn’t reading more but meeting Someone in the words who can make them come alive again?· ·👉🏻 Check out other Highrock sermons: https://tinyurl.com/3rdw4x8n👉🏻 Check out Highrock's 15-min daily devotionals: https://tinyurl.com/38d4aryd
In his final words with the leaders of the church in Ephesus, Paul reminds them of the words of Jesus: "It is more blessed to give than to receive.” It's a lovely sentiment, but is it true? And if it is true, then why aren't people racing to give everything away? Truly, Jesus was not just offering us pleasant advice. His life reveals that generosity is the secret to a life well-lived!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Imagine that you're teaching a class of young children and one of them asks if what Jesus said was really true: "Is it really better to give than to receive?" - How might you address that child's question?- Would you have any practical advice for those children, a way for them to experience Jesus' words for themselves?- How might God be inviting you to experience Jesus' words for yourself?
Is generosity ever not a good thing? Actually, yes! As important as generosity is, it's goodness becomes twisted against us when it's done to promote ourselves. When we are generous in order to call attention to ourselves, Jesus says, "Watch out!" (verse 1). Not only is God not impressed with such generosity, we miss out on one of the most important benefits of generosity -- for us! Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:"Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you" - Matthew 6:4- We like to be public about our good deeds and secretive about our failings, but Jesus recommends the opposite. What do you think we miss out on when we are quiet about our failings and vocal about our good deeds?- One way to practice generosity that isn't motivated by self-promotion is to be generous to a stranger whom you may never see again. What is one way that you might practice generosity to someone who can't pay you back?
Why should we be generous? Anything we "should" do implies an obligation but "should" can also describe an opportunity. We should be grateful because it is an incredible opportunity to be enlivened and empowered to truly live, and to share that life with others in the same spirit of sacrificial generosity. But how do we practice this spirit of generosity in a way that sticks?Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:2 Corinthians 8:9b "Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich."- Do you consider yourself a generally grateful person? Who or what people, places, and practices have helped you to be more grateful in the past?- Who or what helps you to be more grateful today? Consider sharing a note of thanks with those people. If those people have passed, consider writing the note anyway then sharing it with someone else close to you.
Daily Devo | The Call to Cheerful Generosity (Practicing the Way, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8)The call to cheerful generosity is sandwiched between two larger principles. The first is that your generosity is an investment that will be multiplied, but a very small gift is still small even when multiplied. The second principle is that God will reward you when you give cheerfully, but not so you can have more. Instead, God will reward you with more so that you can give even more, joining God in the joy of being a giver!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Generosity is an act of gratitude and opportunity, not obligation.- Do you tend to view the idea of generosity as an opportunity or an obligation? Why do you think you have that tendency?- How might God be inviting you to see generosity more as an opportunity? Do any of the principles in this passage or in today's devotional help? Is there another idea or experience that you find helpful for being a cheerful giver?
If you suddenly received a large gift, what would you do? How might you celebrate? Who would you bless with some of your windfall? The practice of generosity starts with the realization taht we have received such a gift, that everything we have is a gift. We might be hold onto and trust in money but the true secret to a rich life is to trust in God. By joining in with God's flow of generosity, we can experience true life now and in the future!Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:All money minted or printed in the USA reminds us that it is "In God We Trust", but do we?- What are some ways that you have been taught not to trust in money but to trust instead in God? In particular, how might that trust be demonstrated in your actions?- Even today, experts encourage us to imagine our future selves enjoying the benefits of our present-day investments. Imagine yourself in the future (v19), enjoying the benefits of your generosity. What does that enjoyment look like in your mind?
We hustle, compare, worry about not having enough, and quietly hope we’re doing “better than most.” But what if Jesus invites us into a different economy - one where security, joy, and freedom don’t rise and fall with our bank balance?· ·👉🏻 Check out other Highrock sermons: https://tinyurl.com/3rdw4x8n👉🏻 Check out Highrock's 15-min daily devotionals: https://tinyurl.com/38d4aryd
After Elijah ran into the wilderness, God met with him. First came the violent wind, tearing up the rocks. Then came an earthquake and finally, fire. Though we might imagine that God would show up in power, God was not in any of these signs. Finally, there was a moment of silence, a quiet like the eye of a storm, or a gentle whisper. Rather than fill all the moments of silence in our lives, might we also find God revealed in gentle whispers?Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Calling down fire was not enough to sustain Elijah's faith. Instead, Elijah finds God in the gentle whisper.- Consider milestone moments in your walk of faith. Do they tend to be moments of power (like the fire, earthquake, and storm) or do they tend to be quiet experiences of God's presence? Describe one of those moments.- Do you have quiet or even silent moments in which you can hear even your own quiet thoughts, let alone the whispers of God's Spirit? How might God be inviting you to create such moments in which you can listen?
Through the prophet Isaiah, God laments to Israel that: "In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it" (v15). Instead, we tenaciously hold onto the illusion that we will be saved by cleverness and activity. In the meantime, God must wait for us to "come to him so he can show you his love and compassion." In the practice of solitude, we return to the God who has been waiting for us all along.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Like wayward children, sometimes we have to experience the failure of our own efforts and plans before we can trust God, "so the Lord must wait for you to come to him" (v18). - Have you ever experienced the "quietness and confidence" that comes from returning and resting in the Lord? What led to that moment and what did you do?- What does it look like for you to return and rest in the Lord? How might God be inviting you to make a more regular practice of spending time alone with God?
God knows us deeply and completely, even better than we know ourselves. In Psalm 139, David asks God to "search me, O God, and know my heart!" In solitude, we can learn not only who God is but who we are, and who we might become. Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:When we are curious about or troubled by what we see in our lives, we can turn to God in solitude.- Can you think of a time when you were confused by how someone else felt or what they were doing? Was there a time when you were similarly confused about yourself?- In that confusing situation, did you eventually come to a better understanding? What did you discover and how?- God can help us to understand ourselves more deeply. Pray Psalm 139:23-24 as your own prayer.
Embedded in the call to solitude is a call to stillness. In the midst of earthshaking events, instead of responding with a flurry of anxious activity, God invites us to “Be still, and know that I am God!" (v10) and to find peace in knowing that the Lord is here, with us (v11). Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:The invitation to stillness is to rest in the security of God's presence.- What are the sources of distress in your work, your relationships, and in the world?- How do you respond to such distress in healthy and unhealthy ways? How might acknowledging God help you to respond in healthier ways?- What might it look like to "be still" and know that Jesus is Lord, and that he is always with us? In other words, how might you practice stillness?
Throughout the Bible, people often experienced God most powerfully in times and places of solitude. Jesus himself often retreated to quiet, wilderness spaces. As valuable as those times and places might be, a dependence on those places leaves spiritual solitude out of reach for most of us. Is there a way to richly connect with God in the moment rather than on the mountain?Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Jesus invites us to, "Come, follow me!" (Matthew 4:19). How might Jesus be inviting you into solitude?- Have you ever had a rich experience of solitude, one in which you felt refreshed by the presence of God? What were the details of that experience?- Retreating to the wilderness can be powerful but several more accessible suggestions were offered. We might go for a walk or even transform daily rituals (making coffee, doing dishes, folding laundry, enjoying a moment of beauty, etc.). How might Jesus be inviting you to find time alone with God?
We’re surrounded by noise, pulled in every direction, and still feel strangely empty. In fact, we often feel drained. Jesus experienced the same busyness and franticness, yet he often slipped away to quiet, lonely places - why? Maybe what he found there is the very thing our restless souls are missing.· ·👉🏻 Check out other Highrock sermons: https://tinyurl.com/3rdw4x8n👉🏻 Check out Highrock's 15-min daily devotionals: https://tinyurl.com/38d4aryd
Daniel’s fast was not a quick prayer for instant answers — it was a sustained season of prayer. For twenty-one days, he persisted until he received his answer. Daniel's fast reminds us that our faithful actions often unfold in spiritual dimensions we cannot see. This three-week fast also reveals that answers delayed are not answers denied. Through fasting, we can persevere until that moment finally arrives.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Fasting is not passive waiting — it’s active faith. When we fast and pray, we partner with God’s purposes, even in unseen battles.- Where might you need to persevere in prayer? What situation in your life might require faith that endures even when you don’t see immediate results?- Ask God for endurance in prayer and trust. Pray for greater spiritual awareness, that you might trust what God is doing even in seasons of silence or delay.
Ezra and the Israelites faced a dangerous journey. Instead of seeking human protection that would have compromised their mission, they turned to God in fasting and prayer. Fasting removes distractions and centers our hearts on God’s direction. When you fast, you’re not trying to earn answers -- you’re creating space to hear the One who already knows the way.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Ezra and his companions made every preparation for their journey but they recognized that success would have to come from God.- What decisions or uncertainties do you need clarity from God about right now? How might you quiet your heart to listen more intently to God's direction?- Who might you join with in prayer during your time of seeking direction and protection?- Ask God for discernment and sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit during your fast.
Before his ministry began, Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit. For 40 days and nights, Jesus fasted before being tempted -- perhaps the greatest challenge Jesus faced other than the cross itself! Why did the Spirit lead Jesus into this battle in such a weakened state? Though fasting may have left Jesus physically weak, it also left him spiritually strengthened. Fasting and praying before a spiritual challenge or temptation can be a powerful way to draw strength from God.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:Fasting didn't weaken Jesus -- it fortified his spirit and focused his attention on God's Word as true nourishment.- Have you ever fasted in a way that strengthened your spirit and your resolve to trust God? Why do you think your fasting had (or did not have) that effect?- Why do you imagine the Spirit might have led Jesus into a battle with the Tempter only after a 40-day fast? How might that fast have been good preparation for such a challenge?- Where are you feeling spiritually weak or tempted? Pray that God's Word and Spirit would be your true nourishment.
Although fasting may have many purposes, one of the most common reasons for fasting in the Bible is for repentance. When we have abandoned God's way and pursued a path of our own desires, fasting can be the start of saying "No!" to our own appetites. In the end, the ultimate reason for repentance is that God eagerly desires reconciliation and is always ready to receive us with grace and love.Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:The act of saying "No!" to our appetites in fasting can be a way of saying "No!" to other desires that lead us away from God.- Are there any areas of your life in which you feel yourself drifting from God? How might fasting (or other practices) help you say "yes" to God's invitation to return?- Fasting is always accompanied by prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas where you are becoming more distant from God, and pray for God to renew your heart's desire to draw closer to Jesus.
There are many ways to fast and many reasons to fast, which we will explore throughout this week. In today's passage, we see a connection between fasting and compassion for others. So many people lack the things we take for granted. By temporarily denying ourselves these non-essentials, we may grow both to appreciate them more and to have compassion on those who lack them entirely. The fasting that God desires leads to compassion for others! Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/For Reflection:The fasting that God desires leads to compassion for others.- Have you ever fasted before? What did you do and why did you do it? What effect did that experience have on you?- Some of the reasons for fasting that we will explore this week include: compassion, repentance, strength, direction, protection, and vision. Would you be interested in fasting for those (or other) reasons?
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