Pastor Stephen Dedman

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
Is there a relationship where you need to take a step toward peace today?

Context
In Romans 12, Paul shifts from theology to practical living. After explaining the mercy and grace of God, he begins to show what a transformed life actually looks like.

He talks about humility, love, serving others, and blessing those who persecute you. Then he gives this instruction: live at peace with everyone… if possible.

That phrase matters. Because Paul acknowledges that not every relationship will be easy. Not every conflict will be mutual. Not every person will choose peace. But as believers, we are called to take responsibility for our part.

Application
God did not ask us to control others. He asks that we walk in love, extend grace, and pursue peace wherever and whenever we can. Hence the phrase, “if it’s possible.”

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is say: “I’ve done what God asked of me and I trust Him with the rest.”

Truth For The Day
You are not responsible for how others act, but you are responsible for how you respond.

Pray
Lord, help me to be a person who pursues peace. Give me wisdom in difficult relationships and humility in moments of conflict. Teach me to respond with grace, even when others don’t. Help me to do my part and trust You with what I cannot control. In Jesus’ name, amen.

And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. “While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭8‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
What season are you in right now and how is God inviting you to trust Him in it?

Context
The earth had just experienced complete chaos and destruction. As Noah stepped out of the arc and onto dry ground, God spoke a word of promise to ease his mind.

Man had become so corrupt that God brought judgment by flooding the earth. Noah and his family spent over a year inside the ark, surrounded by uncertainty, waiting on God.

As the waters receded, the ark came to a rest, and Noah stepped out onto dry ground that must have felt like a completely new world. The first thing Noah did was build an altar and worship God.

In response, God made a covenant, not just with Noah, but with all creation. He declared that while the earth remains, there would be a dependable order: seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.

God was assuring Noah (and us) that the world would no longer be destroyed by a flood, and that life would now operate within a set order established by His hand. God didn’t just promise survival, He promised consistency.

Application
Trust God in your current season, even if it’s difficult to see through the chaos. Remember that hard seasons of life are just that seasons and not eternity. Remain faithful in the “seedtime,” even when you don’t yet see the harvest. What you are walking through today is not permanent but God’s faithfulness is.

Truth For The Day
God is unchanging, even when life is uncertain.

Pray
Lord, thank You for being constant in a world that is always changing. Help me to trust You in every season of my life. When I feel uncertain, remind me that Your promises never fail. Give me patience in the waiting and faith to keep sowing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
What is one thing today that is pulling your focus downward and how can you intentionally lift it toward God?

Context
Paul is writing to believers who are surrounded by a culture focused on earthly things such as status, pleasure, and temporary gain. He reminds them that because they belong to Christ, their perspective should be different. Their lives are now hidden with Christ, and their focus should shift from temporary to eternal.

Application
It’s easy to get consumed with what’s right in front of us such as work, stress, money, responsibilities, and even frustrations. These things demand our attention and often shape our mood, decisions, and priorities.

But Paul calls us to lift our eyes higher. When we focus only on this world our problems feel bigger, pressure feels heavier, and our hope feels smaller.

But when we focus on heaven: we remember this world is temporary, we gain peace in the middle of pressure, and we live with purpose not just survival.

Setting your mind on things above doesn’t mean ignoring life, it means seeing life through an eternal lens.

Truth For The Day
When your mind is set on heaven, your life on earth is filled with peace.

Pray
Lord, help me to lift my eyes above the temporary things that try to consume my attention. Teach me to live with eternity in mind. When I feel overwhelmed, remind me that You are in control and that this world is not my home. Give me peace, clarity, and purpose as I fix my mind on You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.