Our Weekly Devotionals are designed to help you stay connected to Sunday’s message all week long.
5-Day Devotional: The Games We Play
Day 1: The Foundation That Cannot Fail
Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:11 and Matthew 7:24-27
Devotional: Every life is built on something. The sermon warned us about the danger of playing Jenga with our spiritual priorities — slowly pulling foundational things out and replacing them with lesser ones until everything collapses. When we elevate convenience, comfort, or culture above Christ, we weaken the very ground we stand on. The rains will come. Floods are not hypothetical in the Christian life — they are guaranteed. The only question is what your life is built upon when they arrive. Today, examine what you have placed at the center of your daily decisions. Is Christ truly the cornerstone, or has something else quietly taken His place?
Reflection Questions:
Practical Application: Identify one habit or routine that has displaced time with God. Intentionally replace it today with prayer, Scripture reading, or worship.
Devotional: Every life is built on something. The sermon warned us about the danger of playing Jenga with our spiritual priorities — slowly pulling foundational things out and replacing them with lesser ones until everything collapses. When we elevate convenience, comfort, or culture above Christ, we weaken the very ground we stand on. The rains will come. Floods are not hypothetical in the Christian life — they are guaranteed. The only question is what your life is built upon when they arrive. Today, examine what you have placed at the center of your daily decisions. Is Christ truly the cornerstone, or has something else quietly taken His place?
Reflection Questions:
- What priorities have you elevated above your relationship with Christ this week?
- What would it look like practically to rebuild your daily foundation on His Word?
Practical Application: Identify one habit or routine that has displaced time with God. Intentionally replace it today with prayer, Scripture reading, or worship.
Day 2: Running With Purpose
Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Devotional: The apostle Paul uses the imagery of an athlete who trains with intention and discipline. He does not run aimlessly. He does not swing at the air. There is a goal, and every decision he makes is oriented toward that goal. The Game of Life board has no church on it, no moment of surrender to Christ, no decision point for faith — and the sermon rightly noted how much that mirrors the way many people actually live. But the Christian life is not a passive drift. It is an active, disciplined pursuit of Christ. What are you training for? What finish line are you running toward?
Reflection Questions:
Practical Application: Write down three intentional spiritual disciplines you will commit to this week — prayer, fasting, Scripture memorization, or service — and hold yourself accountable to each one.
Devotional: The apostle Paul uses the imagery of an athlete who trains with intention and discipline. He does not run aimlessly. He does not swing at the air. There is a goal, and every decision he makes is oriented toward that goal. The Game of Life board has no church on it, no moment of surrender to Christ, no decision point for faith — and the sermon rightly noted how much that mirrors the way many people actually live. But the Christian life is not a passive drift. It is an active, disciplined pursuit of Christ. What are you training for? What finish line are you running toward?
Reflection Questions:
- Are your daily habits moving you closer to Christ or further from Him?
- What does spiritual self-discipline look like in your current season of life?
Practical Application: Write down three intentional spiritual disciplines you will commit to this week — prayer, fasting, Scripture memorization, or service — and hold yourself accountable to each one.
Day 3: Loving Those Who Do Not Deserve It
Reading: Romans 12:14-17 and Luke 6:27-28
Devotional: The sermon told a convicting story about a waitress who received a one-dollar tip as punishment for poor service — only for the listener to later realize she had just lost her husband and was raising children alone. We do not always know what battles the people around us are fighting. The instinct to match attitude for attitude, rudeness for rudeness, and anger for anger is deeply human. But it is not Christ-like. Jesus commands something far more difficult and far more powerful: bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Love is not a feeling reserved for the deserving. It is a discipline extended to everyone.
Reflection Questions:
Practical Application: Think of one person who has been difficult or unkind toward you recently. Pray for them specifically today, and look for one tangible way to show them unexpected kindness this week.
Devotional: The sermon told a convicting story about a waitress who received a one-dollar tip as punishment for poor service — only for the listener to later realize she had just lost her husband and was raising children alone. We do not always know what battles the people around us are fighting. The instinct to match attitude for attitude, rudeness for rudeness, and anger for anger is deeply human. But it is not Christ-like. Jesus commands something far more difficult and far more powerful: bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Love is not a feeling reserved for the deserving. It is a discipline extended to everyone.
Reflection Questions:
- Is there someone in your life whose difficult behavior might be rooted in hidden pain?
- How can you respond to that person this week with blessing rather than retaliation?
Practical Application: Think of one person who has been difficult or unkind toward you recently. Pray for them specifically today, and look for one tangible way to show them unexpected kindness this week.
Day 4: Dropping the Mask
Reading: 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 and James 1:22-25
Devotional: The sermon described the adult version of playing pretend — smiling at someone's face while speaking poorly of them behind their back, sitting in a church pew while treating membership as a title rather than a calling. The danger of religious pretending is that it can feel entirely comfortable. We use the right words, attend the right gatherings, and hold the right positions. But authenticity before God and others requires more than performance. It requires honest self-examination. The Scripture warns that even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Counterfeit faith is not always obvious from the outside. It must be examined from the inside.
Reflection Questions:
Practical Application: Spend fifteen minutes in honest, unfiltered prayer today. Ask God to reveal any areas where you are performing faith rather than living it. Write down what He shows you and bring it to Him in repentance.
Devotional: The sermon described the adult version of playing pretend — smiling at someone's face while speaking poorly of them behind their back, sitting in a church pew while treating membership as a title rather than a calling. The danger of religious pretending is that it can feel entirely comfortable. We use the right words, attend the right gatherings, and hold the right positions. But authenticity before God and others requires more than performance. It requires honest self-examination. The Scripture warns that even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Counterfeit faith is not always obvious from the outside. It must be examined from the inside.
Reflection Questions:
- Is there a gap between how you present yourself spiritually in public and who you are in private?
- Are you serving in your church out of genuine love for God and others, or out of obligation or appearance?
Practical Application: Spend fifteen minutes in honest, unfiltered prayer today. Ask God to reveal any areas where you are performing faith rather than living it. Write down what He shows you and bring it to Him in repentance.
Day 5: Knowing Him, Not Just Knowing About Him
Reading: John 17:3, Philippians 3:10, and 1 John 5:20
Devotional: The most sobering warning in the sermon was this: the worst game of pretend anyone can play is pretending to know Jesus Christ. There is a profound difference between knowing facts about Jesus and knowing Jesus personally. Eternal life, as defined in John 17:3, is not a destination reached at death — it is a present reality rooted in knowing the one true God and His Son. Paul's cry in Philippians 3:10 is not academic. It is desperate and deeply personal. He wants to know Christ in resurrection power and in suffering alike. That kind of knowing costs everything and gives back infinitely more. The game ends one day. Make certain you know Him before it does.
Reflection Questions:
Practical Application: Today, do not simply read about Jesus — speak directly to Him. Set aside time not for a formal prayer, but for an honest conversation. Tell Him where you are, what you fear, and what you need. Then sit quietly and listen. Relationship requires presence, not just information.
Devotional: The most sobering warning in the sermon was this: the worst game of pretend anyone can play is pretending to know Jesus Christ. There is a profound difference between knowing facts about Jesus and knowing Jesus personally. Eternal life, as defined in John 17:3, is not a destination reached at death — it is a present reality rooted in knowing the one true God and His Son. Paul's cry in Philippians 3:10 is not academic. It is desperate and deeply personal. He wants to know Christ in resurrection power and in suffering alike. That kind of knowing costs everything and gives back infinitely more. The game ends one day. Make certain you know Him before it does.
Reflection Questions:
- Would you describe your relationship with Jesus as personal and active, or distant and routine?
- What would it look like to pursue knowing Christ with the same urgency Paul describes?
Practical Application: Today, do not simply read about Jesus — speak directly to Him. Set aside time not for a formal prayer, but for an honest conversation. Tell Him where you are, what you fear, and what you need. Then sit quietly and listen. Relationship requires presence, not just information.