Pastor Stephen Dedman

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
What situation, relationship, or circumstance do you need to surrender to Christ and allow His peace to rule today?

Context
Paul is writing to believers who have been made new through Christ. In Colossians 3, he explains what that new life should look like by putting away the old ways and putting on Christlike character. He calls believers to compassion, kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness, and love. Then he tells them to allow Christ’s peace to “rule” in their hearts. When conflict, anxiety, or disagreement arises, Christ’s peace should have the final say.

Application
Peace doesn’t mean that everything around you will be peaceful. There will be difficult people, unanswered questions, unexpected problems, and moments when you are tempted to react instead of respond. But followers of Jesus don’t have to allow circumstances to control their hearts.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is pause, pray, and surrender to Christ. Peace may not change the situation, but it can change how you walk through it.

Truth For The Day
When Christ rules your heart, His peace can rule your response.

Pray
Lord, help me to let Your peace rule in my heart today. When I am frustrated, anxious, offended, or tempted to react in the wrong way, remind me that I belong to You. Give me the humility to pause, the wisdom to respond with grace, and the strength to pursue peace with others. Help me remember that I am part of Your body and that my words and actions affect those around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
What do you desire most right now, and does that desire draw you closer to God?

Context
Psalm 37 was written by David as encouragement to God’s people who were watching wicked people prosper. David reminds them not to become jealous, frustrated, or discouraged by what they see. Instead, they are to trust the Lord, commit their lives to Him, and delight themselves in Him. Psalm 37:4 is not a promise that God will give us everything we want. It is a promise that when God becomes our greatest delight, He begins to shape our desires around His will.

Application
It is easy to make our happiness dependent on getting what we want. We think, “If God would just give me this job, fix this situation, change this person, or open this door, then I would be happy.”

God wants us to find our joy in Him, not merely in what He can give us. When we delight in the Lord, our relationship with Him becomes more valuable than our circumstances.

And something beautiful happens: God begins changing what we desire. Our hearts become less focused on getting our way and more focused on knowing Him, honoring Him, and accomplishing His purposes.

The greatest blessing isn’t getting everything on our wish list. It is discovering that when we have God, we have what our hearts ultimately need.

Truth For The Day
When God becomes your greatest delight, your desires begin to align with His desires.

Pray
Lord, help me to delight in You above everything else. Forgive me for the times I have allowed my happiness to depend on getting what I want. Shape my heart and transform my desires so that I want what You want. Teach me to find my greatest joy not in circumstances, possessions, or answers to prayer, but in knowing You. May my desires honor You and bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name, amen.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
Are you living each day trying to earn God’s acceptance, or are you resting in the confidence that you already belong to Him through faith in Christ?

Context
Paul wrote the book of Galatians to confront false teachers who claimed that faith in Christ alone was not enough for salvation. They insisted that believers also needed to keep the Old Testament law, particularly circumcision, to be fully accepted by God. Paul passionately refutes this teaching, explaining that no one is made right with God by works of the law. Instead, salvation is received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. In Galatians 3, Paul points to Abraham as an example of faith and reminds believers that everyone who trusts in Christ is adopted into God’s family. Our identity is not earned by religious performance but received through faith.

Application
The world often tells us that our value is determined by what we accomplish, how much we own, or what others think about us. Even as Christians, we can fall into the trap of believing that God loves us more when we perform well spiritually and less when we struggle.

Galatians 3:26 reminds us that our greatest identity is not found in our successes or failures but in our relationship with Christ. Through faith, we have become children of God. That means we are loved, accepted, forgiven, and secure because Jesus made it possible through His death and resurrection.

Knowing that we belong to God’s family changes the way we live. We don’t obey Him to earn His love; we obey because we already have His love. We don’t serve out of fear of rejection but out of gratitude for the grace we’ve received.

Truth For The Day
Your identity is not defined by your performance but by your position as a beloved child of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Pray
Lord, thank You for adopting me into Your family through faith in Jesus Christ. Help me to rest in the security of being Your child and not place my identity in my accomplishments or failures. Teach me to live each day with gratitude for Your grace and to reflect Your love to those around me. Thank You that I am accepted, forgiven, and forever Yours because of Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.