Devotional Blog

Pass the Baton

10/1/2026

Paul knows that his own race is nearing its end. Timothy’s race is continuing. And Paul’s concern is not simply: “Timothy, will you believe?” His deeper concern is: “Timothy, will you remain faithful—and will you help someone else become faithful?”
That is the challenge for every generation of Christians.
Someone carried the faith to us. Now it is our turn. We are not the finish line. We are part of the relay. One day, someone else will carry what we have been entrusted with. So let us run faithfully.
Let us serve faithfully. Let us endure faithfully. Let us teach faithfully. And let us pass the baton of faith to the next generation. And when our race is finally finished, may we be able to say: “I didn’t just receive the baton. I carried it faithfully—and I passed it on.”

(verse of the week)
“And the things you have heard me say… entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” 2 Timothy 2:2

PRAYER
Gracious God, thank You for the people who carried the faith to us. Thank You for those who taught us, encouraged us, prayed for us, and showed us what it means to follow Jesus. Strengthen us by Your grace. Help us to endure when the journey is difficult, to remain disciplined when we are tired, and to be patient when we cannot yet see the harvest. Show us who needs the encouragement, wisdom, and faith You have placed within us. Help us pass the baton to the next generation and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. May we be faithful to the finish. In Christ’s name, Amen.

QUOTE
“We are not the finish line of faith; we are a link in the chain. Someone passed the faith to us, and our calling is to carry it faithfully and pass it on.”

Wishing you a great week!—Pastor TJ

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney YouTube & YouTube
Podcast on Spotify: Inspire Messages
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com/

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Guard the Gospel

9/24/2026

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Paul writes 2 Timothy to young Timothy, who he is mentoring in the faith, from a prison in Rome, where he is waiting to defend the Gospel and is willing even to give his life for his testimony of faith. Paul is sitting in a prison cell. His freedom is gone. His future is uncertain. Some of his friends have abandoned him. And yet Paul isn’t defeated. Why? Because Paul knows something bigger than his circumstances. The Gospel is still true. Jesus is still Lord. Grace is still amazing. The truth is still worth defending. And the mission is still worth completing. Paul challenges Timothy as well as each of us: “What you have heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives is us” (2Timothy 1:13).
Paul goes on to say, in essence: “Timothy, I may be in chains, but the Gospel isn’t.”
That is the challenge for us. We may live in changing times. We may face difficult circumstances. People may disagree with us. Some may walk away. But we have been entrusted with something precious. Guard the Gospel. Not with anger. Not with fear. Not with arrogance. But with courage, grace, truth, love, and faithfulness. Because someday, we will hand the baton to someone else. And our prayer should be: “Lord, help me hand it over faithfully.”

PRAYER
Gracious God, thank You for the Gospel—the good news of Your grace, Your love, and Your salvation through Jesus Christ. Give us courage when we are tempted to be ashamed, wisdom when truth is challenged, humility when we are successful, and faithfulness when others walk away. Help us guard what You have entrusted to us. May our words proclaim the Gospel, may our lives demonstrate it, and may our faith be strong enough to pass it on to the next generation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wishing you a great week!—Pastor TJ

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney YouTube & YouTube
Podcast on Spotify: Inspire Messages
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com

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Family

9/17/2026

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Family is so important that it is part of the paradigm of living in creation, part of the pattern of faith as church is a family of faith, and part of the fabric of human life that God came in Christ to share family as Immanuel—God with Us.

None of us are perfect parents, but every parent knows the joys and challenges of parenting. But the most important thing is that our children know as we adjust to each stage of a child’s life with changes in styles of parenting, one thing remains the same—they always feel loved. Our methods may change. Our conversations may change. Our roles may change. But our children should never have to wonder whether they are loved.

(Verse of the week)
“Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray” (Proverbs 22:6).

Prayer:
Heavenly Father Our Divine Parent, Thank You for the gift and responsibility of family. Give us wisdom to understand the different seasons of parenting. Help us to know when our children need love, when they need boundaries, when they need training, when they need coaching, and when they simply need a friend.
Forgive us for the times we have made mistakes, and remind us that your grace is greater than our failures. Help us to love our children with patience, wisdom, and unconditional love. May our homes reflect Your grace, and may our children always know that they are deeply loved.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wishing you a great week!—Pastor TJ

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney YouTube & YouTube
Podcast on Spotify: Inspire Messages
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com

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Fan the Flame

9/10/2026

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Perhaps today you feel like the fire has gone out. But maybe it hasn’t.
Maybe beneath the ashes of disappointment, routine, fear, or exhaustion, there is still an ember. A small reminder of faith. A desire to serve. A longing to pray.
A dream God placed in your heart years ago. Paul’s message to Timothy is God’s message to us: “Fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6).
Don’t settle for glowing embers when God has called you to shine. Don’t let fear extinguish what God has ignited. The race is not over.
Your calling is not finished. Your usefulness has not expired.
There is still fire within you.
Challenge yourself: What is one thing you will do this week to fan the flame? God is faithful and will help you fan the flame to blazing brightness.

Prayer
Gracious God, thank You for the faith You have placed within us and for the people who helped guide us toward you. Forgive us for the times we have allowed busyness, disappointment, fear, or neglect to cause our spiritual flame to grow dim. Stir the embers within us once again. Help us to use the gifts you have given us, to stand in Your power, to serve with love, and to live with courage. Rekindle our faith so that our lives may shine brightly for You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Quote:
“The fire of faith may grow dim, but God can still turn glowing embers into a blazing flame.”

Wishing you a great week!—Pastor TJ

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney YouTube & YouTube
Podcast on Spotify: Inspire Messages
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com

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We Love Because God First Loved Us

9/3/2026

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Maybe you've spent your whole life trying to earn love.
Maybe people have rejected you.
Maybe you've been told you're not good enough.
Maybe you've made mistakes you think are too big for God to forgive.
Hear the Gospel today: You are loved.
Not because you're perfect. Not because you've earned it.
Not because you've accomplished enough. You are loved because God chose to love you. Scripture tells us “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Before you cleaned yourself up, Christ loved you. Before you got it together, He loved you. Before you understood everything, God loved you.
Before you ever reached for Him, God reached for you.
And Jesus’ arms are still open.
So today, receive the love of God. Then take that love home. Take it to your marriage. Take it to your children. Take it to your friendships. Take it to your workplace. Take it into your church.
Take it to the person who doesn't look like you, think like you, or agree with you.
Because we have received a love that was never meant to stop with us.
This week, don't just tell someone you love them. Show them. Don't just tell God you love Him. Live it. Don't just know the five love languages. Speak them.
And when you don't know what to say, look to the cross. When you don't know how to forgive, look to the cross. When you don't know how to sacrifice, look to the cross. When you wonder whether God really loves you--look to the cross.
Because at the cross, Jesus spoke the language of love perfectly. And now He calls us to speak that same language to a world that desperately needs to hear it.
Love God.
Love your spouse.
Love your family.
Love your neighbor.
Love your enemy.
Love the hurting.
Love the forgotten.
Love like Jesus.
Because in the end, people may forget our sermons. They may forget our programs. They may forget our songs.
But they should never forget how the love of Jesus felt when they encountered us. Let us be a people who don't just talk about love-- let us be a people who make the love of Christ visible.

Prayer
Lord, teach us to love the way you love. Help us to recognize how the people around us receive love and give us the humility to love them in ways they can understand. Strengthen our marriages, families, friendships, and churches. Most of all, help us receive Your love and respond to You with worship, time, generosity, service, obedience, and devotion. Make our lives a visible expression of the love of Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Wishing you a great week!—Pastor TJ

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney YouTube & YouTube
Podcast on Spotify: Inspire Messages
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com

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Love God, Love Your Neighbor

8/27/2026

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When asked which commandment was the greatest, Jesus gave an answer that brings the whole Christian life into focus: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Then He added, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:34-40).
Jesus reminds us that faith is not simply about knowing the right things, attending the right services, or following religious rules. At the heart of discipleship is love—love for God and love for the people God has placed around us.
Loving God means giving Him more than an hour on Sunday. It means allowing Him to shape our priorities, decisions, relationships, and attitudes. Loving our neighbor means seeing people as God sees them—especially those who are hurting, difficult, different from us, or easy to overlook.
Notice that Jesus connects these two commands. We cannot genuinely love God while consistently ignoring the people God calls us to love. And when we learn to love our neighbors with patience, grace, compassion, and forgiveness, we demonstrate something of God’s love to the world.
Today, ask yourself two simple questions: How am I loving God? And how am I showing love to my neighbor? The answers may reveal where God is inviting you to take your next step of faith.

Prayer:
Lord, help me love You with all that I am and love my neighbor as myself. Open my eyes to the people who need kindness, patience, forgiveness, or encouragement today. May Your love be seen through my words and actions. Amen.

Quote:
“Love God completely; love people intentionally.”

Wishing you a great week!—Pastor TJ

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney YouTube & YouTube
Podcast on Spotify: Inspire Messages
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com

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If Jesus Were Standing in Front of You

8/19/2026

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Imagine that Jesus walked through the doors of the church today. What would we do? We might welcome him. We might offer him a seat. We might invite him to stay for coffee. We might ask how we could help.
In Matthew 25 in the parable of the sheep and the goats, scripture whispers to us--Jesus may already be here. He may be the person who is hungry. The stranger who feels uncomfortable. The elderly person who has not had a visitor. The prisoner who believes everyone has forgotten him. The sick person who needs encouragement. The lonely person sitting quietly in the room.
Perhaps the question is not: “Where is Jesus?”
Perhaps the question is: “Whom have I failed to see?”
This week, may we look again. May we see Christ in the faces of those who need compassion. And may we discover that every act of love offered in Jesus’ name becomes an act of worship.Prayer Gracious and loving God, you have shown us that Christ is present in the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the sick, the lonely, and the forgotten. Open our eyes to see the people we have overlooked.
Open our hearts to care about the needs we have ignored.
Open our hands to share what we have.
Open our feet to go where love is needed.
Keep us from becoming so busy that we fail to notice those around us. Keep us from becoming so comfortable that we forget those who suffer. Keep us from asking only, “What do I believe?”
and teach us also to ask, “How is my faith being lived?”
Lord Jesus, help us to recognize you in the face of every person who needs compassion. May our church be a place where the hungry find nourishment, the lonely find friendship, the stranger finds welcome, the wounded find healing,
and the forgotten discover that they are remembered. And when we serve the least of these, remind us that we are serving you. In the name of Jesus Christ, who comes to us in love and calls us to love others, Amen.

Wishing you a great week!—Pastor TJ

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney YouTube & YouTube
Podcast on Spotify: Inspire Messages
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com

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Don’t Run Out of Oil

8/13/2026

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The ten bridesmaids in Matthew 25 teach us something uncomfortable but important. You can be close to the celebration and still not prepared for enduring challenges in faith. Five were ready when the bridegroom arrived. Five were not. Five had oil. Five did not. They ran out of oil.
And Jesus’ final instruction is simple: “Keep awake.”
The Christian life requires keeping our lamps lit, and faith burning bright, by constant refilling of the Spirit. All the bridesmaids got tired, but five had extra oil; five did not.
The five bridesmaids could not borrow more oil from the others, implying that we cannot borrow someone else’s faith. It must be our own. Not our parents. Not our pastor. We are responsible for renewing our oil of faith through worship, Bible reading, prayer, and meditation.
So, keep your lamp burning. Keep your faith alive. Keep loving. Keep serving. Keep praying. Keep expecting. Only then will we be ready. And the greatest joy will belong to those who are ready.

Don’t wait until the midnight cry to discover whether your lamp is burning.

Prayer
Gracious God, keep our lamps burning brightly. When the journey is long and the waiting is difficult, give us perseverance. When our faith becomes tired, renew us. Help us not merely to believe in Christ but to live faith lives of worship and prayer. Make us ready—not with fear, but with hope; not with anxiety, but with trust; not simply waiting for tomorrow, but faithfully serving you today, and prepared even to the great celebration. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wishing you a great week!—Pastor TJ

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney YouTube & YouTube
Podcast on Spotify: Inspire Messages
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com

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The Hand That Reaches Through the Wind and Waves

8/6/2026

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There are moments in life when we feel as though we are sinking.
We have tried to be strong. We have tried to keep going. We have tried to trust. But the waves keep coming. And sometimes our faith begins to fail. We feel like we are sinking in the waves. We may wonder whether we have disappointed Our Lord.
But Matthew shares something beautiful. When Peter began to sink, Jesus did not wait for Peter to become strong again or renew his faith. Jesus did not wait for Peter to stop being afraid. Jesus did not demand a perfect faith before offering help.
Jesus reached out His hand.
Perhaps today you are still in the boat, afraid to step out. Remember you cannot walk on water if you stay in the boat. Jesus is Lord of the wind and waves. So, take heart and have faith to take a new step of faith. Or perhaps you have stepped out in faith but are now overwhelmed or afraid. Perhaps you feel as if you are sinking under waves of fear, grief, uncertainty, or exhaustion.
The good news of the Gospel is this: Jesus is still there. He is Lord of the storm. He walks where we cannot walk. He sees us when we cannot see Him. He is still Lord of the wind and waves. He speaks peace when we are afraid.
And when we begin to sink, He is close enough to catch us.
So keep your eyes on Jesus.
And if you cannot keep your eyes on Him, cry out to Him.
Because even when our faith is weak, His hand is strong.
He will lift you up.

Prayer: Gracious and loving God, We thank You that You are with us in every storm of life. When the winds are against us and the waves are high, remind us that we are not alone. When fear causes us to lose perspective, help us to hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.” Give us the courage to step out in faith when You call us. Give us wisdom to know the next step. Give us strength when we are weary.
And when our faith begins to fail, when we begin to sink, help us to cry out, “Lord, save me.”
Thank You that Jesus does not abandon us in our weakness.
Thank You that His hand is always strong enough to reach us.
Help us to keep our eyes on Christ—not because the storms are always small, but because our Savior is always greater.
And when we come through the storm, may our lives become an offering of worship, declaring: “Truly, Jesus is the Son of God.”(Matthew 14)
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, we pray. Amen.

Wishing you a great week!—Pastor TJ

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney YouTube & YouTube
Podcast on Spotify: Inspire Messages
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com

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What Kind of Soil Is My Heart?

7/30/2026

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In the parable of the Sower found in Matthew 13 and other places in the the Gospels, the farmer continues to scatter the seed, even as God continues to speak. The Word continues to be offered. The question is not whether God is still sowing. The question is whether we are ready to receive. Perhaps today your heart feels like hard soil. God can soften it. Perhaps your faith feels shallow. God can help you grow deeper. Perhaps your life is crowded with worries and distractions. God can help you clear the thorns. Perhaps you are already growing. Then continue to let God’s Word take deeper root. The seed is good. The Sower is faithful. The question is: What kind of soil will I offer God today? Are we the rocky path that is too hardened by anger or cynicism to even accept the seed? Perhaps we need to break up our hardened hearts. Are we the soil that has only a thin veneer of soil and receive God’s Word with joy only to become faint-hearted when challenge and difficulty come our way? Then we need to allow God’s Spirit to help us grow deeper roots that can withstand adversity and difficulty. Are we the ground that is full of weeds and thorns that accepts the seed of God’s Word only to have it choked out by worried and cares and misplaced priorities? Then we need to clear away the weeds and thorns that are choking out the grow of God’s Word in our lives. The good news is we can all be the good fertile soil that accepts God’s Word and allows for deep roots of growth, and pushes back that which would take the place of the proper priorities in our life. Only then will we grow and bear fruit that is a true blessing to God and others.

Prayer:
Lord, help my heart to receive your Word like good soil and through the nurture of prayer and the Holy Spirit help to grow and bear fruit that touches others’ lives. Amen

Quote
There is no heart that God cannot reach, there is no place God’s love cannot reach if we but open our hearts.

Wishing you a great week!—Pastor TJ

Listen to recent sermons by Dr. TJ Jenney YouTube & YouTube
Podcast on Spotify: Inspire Messages
http://inspiresundaymessages.blogspot.com

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Pass the Baton

Guard the Gospel

Family

Fan the Flame

We Love Because God First Loved Us

Love God, Love Your Neighbor

If Jesus Were Standing in Front of You

Don’t Run Out of Oil

The Hand That Reaches Through the Wind and Waves

What Kind of Soil Is My Heart?

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