Re:Devotionals Family Meeting

February 10

Hey Family! Some changes are happening here at Re:Devotionals, and they mostly affect YOU, so we figured we should let you know! We recently created a new look (take a jaunt over to our home page at redevotionals.com to take a looksie, if you haven’t yet), and with that change it appears that we lost […]

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Love does not dishonor others

February 08

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 It seems kind of cliche to start with a dictionary reference, but I’m going to do it anyway. One of the five definitions of dishonor, according to Dictionary.com, is “a cause of shame or disgrace.” Just last night, I was thinking of some of my own shame from my past, and […]

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New Creation, You Belong With Us

January 31

Scripture Reading: James 5:19-20, Isaiah 53:6, Matthew 9:35-38 This scripture in James is gut wrenching. It breaks my heart to think of those sisters that have gone astray from the truth. To my sweet sister, you know who you are: My soul is torn in two. Sister, you belong with us. Come back to us. […]

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New Creation and Honesty

January 29

Scripture Reading: James 5:12, Matthew 5:37, 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 We are living in a generation that craves authenticity. I see it in the media, in my friends, and in myself. We have been presented with false pretenses of satisfaction, fulfillment, and connection. We are fed up with imitations, and ready for something real. James is beckoning us […]

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A Prayer for the Year Ahead

January 28

A prayer from Billy Graham, written for “The Saturday Evening Post” in 2008. Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of this new year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the future. We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is […]

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Patience to Endure in an Urgent Time

January 26

Do you ever have days where you just can’t wait until the Lord comes back? Whatever cause that may be from a troubled heart, sickness or a longing for our Savior, or fed up with injustices in the world or … you fill in your blank. Sometimes my heart just longs for the Lord. We […]

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New Creation and the Oppression of Poor

January 25

Scripture Reading: James 5:4-6, Isaiah 1:11-20   I have 41 slaves working for me (give or take). According to slaveryfootprint.org, based on the clothing and electronics I own and the food I eat, it takes approximately 41 individual slaves to sustain my lifestyle.   [If you haven’t yet done so, take 5 minutes and complete […]

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New Creation and Worth in Wealth

January 24

Scripture Reading: James 5:1-3   During the time this was written, the majority of the Christians during James’s era were persecuted by the rich (1). So in many ways, this was not just an exhortation of “don’t become materialistic and greedy”, but also an encouragement to the believers that admits their suffering and oppression, there […]

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New Creation and Intentional Sin

January 23

Scripture Reading: James 4:16-17   “Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” James 4:16-17   I am going to take this a little different route today then maybe a first glance […]

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Worship Day: A New Creation

January 21

2 Corinthians 5:17  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”   Thank you, Jesus, for taking on the punishment for my sin and wiping me clean. Thank you that I can live in this truth daily and stand a new creation in You.  listen here Beneath […]

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New Creation: Judging Others, Gossip, and Slander

January 20

Scripture Reading: James 4:11-12, Matthew 7:1-5, Ephesians 4:29   Who are we to judge others when we are sinners ourselves? Today’s passage from James goes hand in hand with Jesus’ words from the sermon on the mount. How can we judge someone else when we are struggling in sin just as they do. None of […]

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New Creation: Submit, Resist, and Come

January 18

Scripture Reading: James 4:7-8   Today I want to look at three different aspects of these verses: submitting to God, resisting the devil and coming near to God. Three key words: submit, resist and come.   Submitting to God I think can easily be wrapped up in one word: obedience. How are we coming under […]

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New Creation and Godly Jealousy

January 16

Scripture Reading: James 4:4-5, Exodus 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24 I love David Crowder’s song Oh How He Loves Us. I invite you to listen to this song before completing our study and taking note of the lyrics. Godly Jealousy. Such a strange concept for our worldly lens; as the majority of our experiences with jealousy have […]

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New Creation: Reflect with us

January 14

“For mere improvement is not redemption, though redemption always improves people even here and now and will, in the end, improve them to a degree we cannot yet imagine. God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. […]

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New Creation and Earthly Wisdom

January 13

Scripture Reading: James 3:14-16; 2 Corinthians 5:17 “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every […]

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New Creation and Wisdom

January 12

Scripture Reading: James 3:13, 17-18, Galatians 6:1, Romans 14:1-4 I love this description in James about wisdom. This wise person described definitely is not a “know it all”. This is the type of person that I would go to seek wise counsel. It reminds me of the very dear women in my life who mentor […]

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New Creation and the Weight of Words

January 11

Scripture Reading: James 3:1-12, Proverbs 14:1  I live in a four bedroom house with three other women. Most days it’s straight out of The Little Women. With laughing, joking, and carrying on as ladies do. I am so thankful for each and every one of my roommates, and that God has given us this instant community. […]

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New Creation: Good deeds and Glorifying our Father in Heaven

January 10

Scripture Reading: James 2:14-26, Matthew 5:16   This past Christmas, my son and I went “Racking” (Random Acts of Christmas Kindness). In this mild effort to teach him that Christmas is more than just getting presents, I wondered to myself, why am I not teaching him this year-round? Why is random kindness only on my […]

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New Creation: Mercy Triumphs over Judgment

January 09

Scripture Reading: James 2:11-13 We often think of judgement as the hammer going down on us. “Mercy triumphs over judgement” (James 2:13) makes no sense in our world where we are constantly evaluating and measuring up and criticizing and condemning! However, in the eyes of God, His judgement is perfect and right, but lead with […]

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New Creation and Favoritism

January 08

Scripture Reading: James 2:1-9, Galatians 2:11-16 This reading today is a really good heart check. In Galatians, we see Paul openly oppose Peter – the disciple of Christ. This makes me literally laugh out loud. We have two very prevalent New Testament people that we consider founders of the faith in this pretty heated situation. […]

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New Creation: Prayer/Reflection

January 07

Good day, New Creation! Rejoice today, for you are created in the very image of God.  The “Imago Dei.” Today, you get a fresh chance.  An opportunity to start again in the incredible new life that you’ve been given. It doesn’t matter if yesterday was a complete train wreck.  Today, you are new.   Father, […]

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New Creation and Self Reflection

January 06

Scripture Reading: James 1:22-27, Proverbs 27:19  I have a sign on my office mirror that reads much like the one above. In today’s reading the author encourages the readers to look at the Word intently. To know it, as one knows her own face. The wrinkle from your smile. The mole that you hated, but […]

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New Creation: Choosing Love over Anger

January 05

Scripture Reading: James 1:19-21 Okay ladies, we are going to get real today. Here’s my confession: my marriage is NOT perfect. My husband and I fight. A Lot. As loud, passionate and extraverted people, we both tend to get angry quickly and then yell, cry and huff & puff until we almost blow our house […]

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New Creation and Blessing of Firstfruits

January 04

Scripture Reading: James 1:16-18   First-fruits. It’s a particularly common theme among God’s way. All the way back to Old Testament law, the first fruit of the harvest was to be brought to the Temple as an acknowledgement that everything came from God and belonged to Him.   If you haven’t read the story in […]

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New Creation’s Response to Temptation

January 03

Scripture Reading: James 1:13-15, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10   A few years ago, I went to a Beth Moore conference out in Eugene, Oregon. Eugene is in “the most unchurched county in the U.S.”. I’m not quite sure what that means or how they get that information. I do believe it, however. Eugene […]

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New Creation Called to Perseverance

January 02

Scripture Reading: James 1:2-12, John 15:1-4   Change is hard.   Though I’ve met a few individuals who seem to thrive on spontaneity and new scenery (and I am certainly not one of them), I’m fairly convinced that change brings about some degree of growing pain or adjustment discomfort for everyone. But, change can also […]

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Approaching the New Year with the Book of James

January 01

Scripture Reading: James 1:1, Isaiah 58:11  Fresh beginnings. What a sweet reminder each new year brings. Clean slates. Reminders of a new day.   Today we invite you to a devotional on James, a book that has a central theme of action. A focus on righteous action.   At the start of a new year […]

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Until Next Year…

December 26

Re:devotionals is on hiatus over the next 6 days in reflection over 2014, and anticipation and preparation for the new year! Thank you to our sweet family that has grown over the past 10 months — thank you for sharing your heart, your thirst for the word, your moments of struggle and your reasons for […]

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Christmas

December 25

James 1:2, 1:16-17 I have a confession, I have a soft spot for cheesy Christmas movies. Any other time of the year I steer clear of predictable chick flicks (for the most part), but at Christmas time all bets are off… This season has been no different. I’ve watched the similar plot line of an […]

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He Made His Home Among Us

December 24

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” NIV I definitely need to read my Bible more and commit more to memory. This is a verse that is […]

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The Star that Led Them

December 23

Matthew 2:9-12   Tonight we walked in from our wonderful five-day-long visit with my family to a flooded laundry room. Seriously NOT what I wanted to deal with. It was past bedtime for my babies, it’s three days before Christmas, and my to-do list is a mile high. My mind was spinning, literally not knowing […]

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God’s Plan Prevailed

December 22

Matthew 2:7-8 Satan is just so predictable. When God makes a move, in this case a massive move of love and mystery, Satan is quick to respond with fear. When reading the scripture for today it might appear that Herod was interested in joining the Magi’s pursuit of King Jesus to admire him, but reading […]

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On Good Authority

December 21

Matthew 2:3-6   The people of Jerusalem needed a break.  They were torn apart by wars, revolutions, and false messiahs’ claims.  They had been waiting a long time for the real thing.  Their ruler (Herod the Great) wasn’t even a Jew–he was a Roman convert who wasn’t necessarily “all in.” In the midst of the […]

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Even the Magi Came to Worship Jesus

December 20

Matthew 2:1-2 Magi were astrologers from the royal court of the King of Persia. Many sources from this period report them to be pagans skilled in divination as well. So we might not originally expect the Magi to come worship Jesus, especially if they found him not in the royal palace, but in a cold […]

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Sweet Simple Assurance

December 19

Micah 5:2-5 Micah 5:2-5 is packed with such an outline of Jesus’ legacy. I think this is why I love the Minor Prophets so much; they don’t have to say a whole lot to get their point across. Short, sweet and they hit the nail right on the head. In Matthew 2 when King Herod […]

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Treasure of the Heart

December 18

Luke 2:19-20, Matthew 6:19 Mary had a lot to be worried about during the pregnancy and arrival of her son. First, she was unwed and pregnant. Then Joseph was planning to secretly divorce her because he knew there was no way it could’ve been his kid. On top of all of this, we have King […]

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Making Room to Share

December 17

Luke 2:15-18 I think these shepherds and I would be friends. I love “yes” people. People who go. People who don’t hesitate. The NIV states that they (the shepherds) “hurried off” and found Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. After seeing such an incredible sight (as Christine mentioned yesterday), could you blame them?  The excitement they […]

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Peace Among Those with whom He is Well Pleased

December 16

Luke 2:13-14 1 Peter 2: 19-20 One angel came to the shepherds, then a multitude. Commentaries describe the multitude as thousands upon thousands; innumerable. The angels greet the shepherds to tell them about Jesus’ birth.  What a beautiful picture! I always want to ask so many questions. Why did he send a multitude? Why not […]

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Active Waiting

December 15

Luke 2:36-38 What do you think about when you hear the word, “waiting”? When I think of waiting, I imagine myself in a doctor’s office, smart phone in hand, slumping down in my chair while I browse Facebook. Do you associate waiting with traffic? Stand-still, almost to your exit and wondering if it’s worth driving […]

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Simply Jesus

December 14

Luke 2:6-7 Philippians 2:6-8 After surviving the birth of my first child, I have been fascinated by hearing other women’s birth stories. I soak up all the birthing lingo like dilated and effaced, transition, placenta encapsulation and postpartum. I groan in sympathetic agony over the 20+ hours of labor stories, and sit bewildered at hearing […]

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