Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: devotional

Walk With Integrity

Trust

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28:6‬

Christians are called to walk in integrity.  It is the basic element of Christian morality.  Integrity means to do what is right and honest even when no one is watching.  

Unfortunately, there are countless examples of Christians who make their public life appear to be great and wonderful but privately they are unrighteous.  Integrity calls us to walk in the path of Christ and to steer away from hypocrisy.

Our lives are to be marked by love, compassion, mercy, justice, and fearing God above everything else.  We must be quick to turn from evil and do good.  To know what is the right thing to do and not do it is a sin.  

We all face challenges of integrity that can either make us or break us.  Living a life of integrity means that we set aside popular self-perceptions and model Christ-like behaviors.  When it comes down to it, most of the time you are the only one who knows what you did is right or not.  

If we desire to influence others we must have integrity.  Integrity is crucial in all aspects of leadership.

Pray

Lord, keep me humble and always allow me to remember that when no one else is watching, You are. Help me to be a person of influence and a spiritual leader. Help me to do what is right in Your sight.

Virtue Of Love

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:2‬ ‭

There is great power in the virtue of love.  It is a characteristic of a Christian.  The apostle Paul knew how important it was to exemplify true love toward others.  He also knew that without love he was nothing.

In the previous chapter, Paul discusses spiritual gifts that are given to Believers by the Holy Spirit.  In this verse he mentions three of them.  Prophecy refers to the ability to declare God’s Word with power.  Knowledge involves the deep understanding of God’s Word.  Faith is the ability to trust God for great and mighty things.  These three gifts are given by the Holy Spirit but without possessing love a person is “nothing.”

You can be intelligent, wealthy, and talented but if you don’t love you have nothing and are nothing. You could be a great doctor or lawyer or even a superb teacher, yet if you lack love, you are nothing.  

God considers love to be one of the main characteristics that a Christian can possess.  Jesus set forth the best example of love.  He continually showed compassion to everyone He encountered.  

This is the kind of love that we are to show everyone around us.  We are to study God’s Word and to be wise but we are to show love as well.  Love makes us be the person who displays the light of Jesus and shows the world who Jesus is.  Do you have love?

Pray

Lord, help me to express love to everyone I encounter today.  Teach me to love everyone, even my enemies. Let my love be an example of who You are.

Stephen Dedman

Living Large

Encouragement, Trust

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Apostle Paul lived his life to the fullest. He had a passion and purpose that was out of this world. His passion was strengthened with love and his purpose was unyielded with determination. He lived for Christ.

If we were to live everyday like Paul we would be living large. Everyday would be to glorify God in all that we do. As a Christian, we should be motivated and excited about the things that pleases Jesus.

However, we have a worldly problem that keeps us grounded from living large. Sometimes we live for ourselves or for other people. We tend to please ourselves and others more than we please the Lord. We can all admit we have been there.

Let me ask you, are you living large for Christ? Are you pleasing Jesus in all that you do? Are you living life to the fullest like Paul?

I want to encourage you through today’s scripture verse to live large for Christ. Start today being excited and motivated to serve and love others like Christ does. I pray you receive in return the joy of the Lord.

Daily Devotional