Converge, Week 2

Day 2:
Stones of Remembrance
Devotional
Imagine standing by the Jordan River with Joshua and the Israelites, watching as twelve men carefully select stones from the riverbed. These weren’t just any rocks – they were memorial stones, physical reminders of God’s miraculous provision. God specifically commanded this act because He knew something profound: future generations need tangible reminders of His faithfulness. In our digital age, we might think physical things don’t matter for spiritual purposes. But God designed us to need both the spiritual and the physical working together. The stones Joshua’s men carried weren’t just rocks; they were sermon illustrations that would last for centuries, teaching tools that would help parents explain God’s power to their children. What stones of remembrance are you building in your life? These might be family traditions that center on Christ, consistent patterns of worship and service, or investments in your local church that will serve future believers. Just as those twelve stones didn’t accidentally end up as a memorial, the spiritual infrastructure in our lives requires deliberate action. We must choose to create lasting reminders of God’s faithfulness that will speak to our children and their children long after we’re gone.
Bible Verse
that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, “What do those stones mean to you?” - Joshua 4:6
Reflection Question
What ‘memorial stones’ could you establish in your family or community that would serve as lasting reminders of God’s faithfulness for generations to come?
Quote
“Sometimes we have difficulty understanding that tangible things serve spiritual purposes, that physical atmospheres and physical environments are necessary for us to accomplish the mission of Jesus in our lives as well as the lives of others.”
Prayer
Father, help me to be intentional about creating lasting reminders of Your faithfulness. Show me how to build spiritual infrastructure that will teach future generations about Your goodness and power. Amen.

Converge, Week 2

Day 1:
Building for Tomorrow
Devotional
Have you ever wondered what legacy you’re leaving behind? In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in immediate needs and urgent demands. We focus on what’s right in front of us, forgetting that the future is coming. But God calls us to think differently – to think generationally. When we look at our lives, our families, and our churches, we must ask ourselves: are we building something that will last? Are we creating a foundation that will serve our children and their children? It’s about establishing spiritual infrastructure that demonstrates to everyone around us that Jesus is Lord. Think about the decisions you make today. Your choices in how you spend your time, invest your resources, and prioritize your commitments are all building blocks for tomorrow. Every act of faithfulness, every moment of discipleship, every investment creates a legacy that extends beyond your lifetime. When we build with eternity in mind, we’re not just serving future generations – we’re becoming more like Christ ourselves. This generational thinking transforms how we approach everything from our personal devotions to our family relationships to our church involvement.
Bible Verse
We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.
He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
- Psalm 78:4-5
Reflection Question
What specific legacy are you building today that will help future generations understand that Jesus is Lord, and how might your current priorities need to shift to align with this generational vision?
Quote
“This is a generational view of faith. This is about obeying God by investing your life in ways that make it obvious to everyone around you, even generations to come, that Jesus is Lord.”
Prayer
Lord, help me to see beyond my immediate circumstances and think with eternal perspective. Give me wisdom to build a legacy that points future generations to You. Amen.

Converge, Week 1

Day 5:
Walking Like Jesus Walked
Devotional
What does it mean to truly follow Jesus? Is it enough to attend church, read your Bible, and avoid major sins? While these are important, Jesus calls us to something more comprehensive - to walk as He walked. Jesus perfectly embodied both depth and breadth in His ministry. He knew Scripture intimately, often quoting and explaining it with authority that amazed the crowds. Yet He also lived on mission, constantly reaching out to the lost, the broken, and the marginalized. His doctrine informed His mission, and His mission expressed His doctrine. When we claim to follow Jesus but ignore either aspect of His example, we’re following an incomplete version of Him. If we pursue knowledge without mission, we become like the Pharisees - technically correct but practically useless. If we pursue mission without doctrine, we risk losing our way and serving a Jesus of our own imagination rather than the Jesus of Scripture. Walking like Jesus walked means allowing deep biblical truth to fuel passionate service to others. It means studying God’s Word not just to win arguments but to win hearts. It means serving others not just with good intentions but with biblical wisdom. As you consider your own walk with Christ, remember that following Jesus faithfully requires both the depth of doctrine and the breadth of mission. This is how we become the kind of disciples who can make other disciples.
Bible Verse
Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. - 1 John 2:6
Reflection Question
Looking at Jesus’ example of combining deep biblical knowledge with active mission, what specific step can you take this week to better align your life with His pattern?
Quote
“A life of mission undergirded by depth of doctrine is how you walk like Jesus walked.”
Prayer
Jesus, I want to walk as You walked - with deep knowledge of the Father and passionate love for the lost. Help me to follow Your example of combining theological depth with missional breadth. Make me a faithful disciple who can make other disciples.

Converge

Day 4:
Knowledge That Transforms

Devotional
Have you ever known someone who could recite Bible verses perfectly but whose life didn’t reflect the love and character of Jesus? Or perhaps you’ve caught yourself accumulating biblical knowledge without it changing how you treat your family, coworkers, or neighbors? There’s a crucial difference between knowing doctrine and living doctrine. True biblical knowledge isn’t meant to stay in our heads - it’s designed to transform our hearts and hands. When we truly understand God’s love, it should make us more loving. When we grasp His forgiveness, it should make us more forgiving. When we comprehend His mission, it should align our mission with His. The apostle John makes this connection clear: if we claim to know God but don’t keep His commandments, we’re deceiving ourselves. Knowledge without obedience is incomplete knowledge. It’s like having a delicious recipe but never cooking the meal, or owning a car but never driving it. This doesn’t mean we earn God’s love through good works - our salvation is secure in Christ. Rather, genuine knowledge of God naturally produces a life that reflects His character. When doctrine takes root in our hearts, it bears fruit in our actions. As you grow in biblical understanding, ask yourself regularly: How is this knowledge changing me? How is it affecting my relationships, my priorities, my daily choices?

Bible Verse
And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. - 1 John 2:3

Reflection Question
What specific area of biblical knowledge do you possess that needs to be more fully lived out in your daily relationships and decisions?
Quote
“There is a difference between knowing doctrine and living doctrine.”
Prayer
Lord, don’t let me be satisfied with head knowledge alone. Transform my understanding into obedience, my theology into love, and my doctrine into discipleship. Help me to live what I learn and love what I live.

Converge

Day 3:
The Foundation That Holds

Devotional
In our information-saturated world, we’re constantly bombarded with competing truth claims. Social media influencers, popular authors, and cultural voices all promise to have the answers to life’s biggest questions. How do we discern truth from error? How do we build our lives on something solid? The answer lies in developing a deep familiarity with God’s Word. Just as bank tellers learn to spot counterfeit money by handling genuine bills thousands of times, we learn to recognize false teaching by immersing ourselves in true doctrine. When we know the real thing intimately, the fake becomes obvious. This isn’t about becoming a theological snob or using knowledge as a weapon against others. It’s about building an unshakeable foundation for your faith. When life’s storms come - and they will - you need more than good feelings or positive thinking. You need the solid rock of biblical truth. Consider the person who has spent years studying Scripture versus someone who relies only on inspirational quotes and feel-good messages. When facing a crisis, who is better equipped to stand firm? The one with deep roots in God’s Word has resources to draw from that go far beyond human wisdom. God has given us one book that contains everything we need for life and godliness. Isn’t it worth investing our lives in getting to know it well?
Bible Verse
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. - Luke 24:27
Reflection Question
What specific steps can you take this week to deepen your understanding of Scripture, and how might this foundation help you navigate current challenges in your life?
Quote
“The best way to understand what false doctrine looks like is to know what good doctrine looks like. You have to know the real faith in order to distinguish it from false, phony, fake faith.”
Prayer
Father, give me a hunger for Your Word that goes beyond surface-level reading. Help me to study Scripture with diligence and understanding, building a foundation that will hold firm when life’s storms come. Make me wise to discern truth from error.

Converge

Day 2:
Your Advocate in the Courtroom

Devotional
Imagine standing in a courtroom, knowing you’re guilty of the charges against you. The evidence is overwhelming, and you have no defense. Just when despair sets in, the most skilled attorney in the world steps forward and declares, “I will represent this person.” That’s exactly what Jesus has done for us. When we sin - and we all do - we don’t have to face God’s judgment alone. Jesus stands as our advocate, our defense attorney before the Father. This isn’t just a nice metaphor; it’s a profound theological reality that should transform how we respond to our failures. Before understanding this truth, sin led to hopelessness. We might have thought, “I’ve blown it again. God must be so disappointed. How can I ever face Him?” But knowing Jesus as our advocate changes everything. When we stumble, we can run to God rather than away from Him, knowing our advocate has already secured our defense. This doesn’t give us license to sin carelessly - quite the opposite. Understanding the costly grace of having Jesus as our advocate should motivate us toward obedience and gratitude. It’s the difference between living in fear of condemnation and living in the freedom of forgiveness. Today, if you’re carrying guilt or shame from recent failures, remember: you have an advocate who never loses a case.
Bible Verse
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. - 1 John 2:1
Reflection Question
How does knowing Jesus as your advocate change the way you approach God when you’ve sinned, and how might this truth affect your daily choices?
Quote
“When I find myself in sin, I have two options, hopelessness or hope. And without 1 John 2:1-2, I’m hopeless. But because of 1 John 2:1-2, even when I find myself disobedient to God, I have an advocate in Jesus Christ.”
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for being my advocate before the Father. When I feel overwhelmed by my failures, remind me that You stand in my defense. Help me to live in the freedom of Your forgiveness while pursuing obedience.

Converge

Day 1:
When Knowledge Meets Life
Devotional
Have you ever met someone who could quote Scripture backwards and forwards but seemed to lack the passion that should characterize a follower of Jesus? Or perhaps you’ve encountered believers who are passionate about serving others but struggle to explain the basic truths of their faith? Both scenarios reveal an incomplete picture of what it means to follow Christ. True spiritual health happens when our deep knowledge of God intersects with our daily mission to make Him known. It’s not enough to simply accumulate biblical facts, nor is it sufficient to serve with good intentions but shallow understanding. We need both the depth of doctrine and the breadth of mission working together in our lives. Think of it like a tree - the roots go deep into rich soil (doctrine), while the branches extend wide to bear fruit (mission). Without deep roots, the tree topples in storms. Without branches, it bears no fruit. Similarly, when we know God deeply through His Word and live that knowledge out in service to others, we become spiritually healthy and effective. This balance isn’t just for pastors or theologians - it’s for every believer. Whether you’re a student, parent, professional, or retiree, God calls you to grow in both understanding and application. As you begin this devotional journey, ask yourself: Am I growing in both directions?
Bible Verse
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. - Acts 2:42
Reflection Question
In what specific ways can you intentionally pursue both deeper biblical knowledge and practical Christian living in your current season of life?
Quote
“The church is only as healthy where mission and doctrine meet so that we can know God as well as make God known to the world around us.”
Prayer
Lord, help me to be a believer who both knows You deeply and makes You known widely. Show me where I need to grow in understanding Your Word and where I need to better live out what I already know. Give me wisdom to pursue both depth and breadth in my faith journey.

Christmas Calls You to Glory

Day 5:
Unshakable Joy
Devotional
As we conclude our Christmas journey together, let’s return to where we started - the question of joy. You’ve probably experienced both kinds: the temporary happiness that depends on circumstances going well, and perhaps glimpses of something deeper that remains steady even when life gets difficult. True Christmas joy isn’t something you can manufacture or earn through good behavior. It’s not dependent on having the perfect family gathering, receiving the right gifts, or feeling particularly spiritual. This joy comes from understanding and receiving what God has already accomplished for you through Jesus. When you grasp that God kept His promises, that He came to be with you, and that He successfully dealt with your sin problem, something shifts inside. You realize that your deepest needs have been met not through your efforts but through God’s grace. This creates a joy that can coexist with sorrow, peace that can exist alongside struggle, and hope that remains bright even in dark seasons. This Christmas, you have a choice. You can continue chasing feelings and circumstances that will inevitably disappoint, or you can anchor your joy in the unchanging reality of God’s love demonstrated through Jesus. You can’t earn this gift - you can only receive it with humble gratitude.
Bible Verse
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! - Luke 2:14
Reflection Question
What would it look like for you to live with unshakable joy rooted in God’s grace rather than constantly seeking happiness through changing circumstances?
Quote
“There is a greater joy that is unshakable.”
Prayer
Father, thank You for the gift of unshakable joy found in Jesus. Help me to stop trying to earn what You’ve freely given and instead rest in the reality of Your love and faithfulness. May this joy sustain me through every season ahead. Amen.