Connect the sunday message to your week!
These short devotionals help bridge the gap between sunday services. We pray this resource will help you grow in your journey with Jesus! If you'd like to join the New Testament-in-a-year reading, additional scripture for that is provided at the bottom of each section.
Day 1
The Hidden Things That Hinder Victory
Reading: Joshua 7:1-12
Devotional: Israel's defeat at Ai came not from weakness but from hidden sin. Achan's secret disobedience affected the entire community, revealing a sobering truth: what we hide in our tents will eventually manifest in our battles. God's question to Joshua cuts through our excuses: "Why have you fallen on your face?" Sometimes our defeats aren't divine mysteries—they're consequences of unaddressed sin.
Before blaming circumstances or questioning God's faithfulness, we must examine our hearts. What are you hiding that God already sees? The items buried beneath Achan's tent seemed small compared to a nation's destiny, yet they paralyzed God's people. Your secret sin may feel manageable, but it's blocking the breakthrough God wants to bring. Victory awaits on the other side of honesty.
New Testament-in-a-Year Reading: Romans 4
Reading: Joshua 7:1-12
Devotional: Israel's defeat at Ai came not from weakness but from hidden sin. Achan's secret disobedience affected the entire community, revealing a sobering truth: what we hide in our tents will eventually manifest in our battles. God's question to Joshua cuts through our excuses: "Why have you fallen on your face?" Sometimes our defeats aren't divine mysteries—they're consequences of unaddressed sin.
Before blaming circumstances or questioning God's faithfulness, we must examine our hearts. What are you hiding that God already sees? The items buried beneath Achan's tent seemed small compared to a nation's destiny, yet they paralyzed God's people. Your secret sin may feel manageable, but it's blocking the breakthrough God wants to bring. Victory awaits on the other side of honesty.
New Testament-in-a-Year Reading: Romans 4
Day 2
The Consequences of Compromise
Reading: Joshua 7:13-26; Deuteronomy 24:16
Devotional: Achan's story confronts us with sin's devastating ripple effect. What began with "I saw, I coveted, I took" ended with a family's destruction. His children became accomplices, learning that God's commands were negotiable. Fathers, your choices echo into generations. Your integrity—or lack thereof—becomes your children's inheritance.
The severity of God's judgment here isn't cruelty; it's clarity. Sin isn't a private matter when you lead a family. Your secret addictions, hidden compromises, and justified dishonesty teach those watching you that God's holiness is optional. But there's grace in this warning: what you put to death today won't kill your family tomorrow. The valley of trouble can become a valley of hope when we choose radical honesty over comfortable concealment.
New Testament-in-a-Year Reading: Romans 5
Reading: Joshua 7:13-26; Deuteronomy 24:16
Devotional: Achan's story confronts us with sin's devastating ripple effect. What began with "I saw, I coveted, I took" ended with a family's destruction. His children became accomplices, learning that God's commands were negotiable. Fathers, your choices echo into generations. Your integrity—or lack thereof—becomes your children's inheritance.
The severity of God's judgment here isn't cruelty; it's clarity. Sin isn't a private matter when you lead a family. Your secret addictions, hidden compromises, and justified dishonesty teach those watching you that God's holiness is optional. But there's grace in this warning: what you put to death today won't kill your family tomorrow. The valley of trouble can become a valley of hope when we choose radical honesty over comfortable concealment.
New Testament-in-a-Year Reading: Romans 5
Day 3
The Mathematics of God's Omniscience
Reading: Psalm 139:1-12; Joshua 7:16-18
Devotional: One in 600,000. Those were Achan's odds of being randomly selected—yet God went straight to him. You cannot hide in the crowd from the God who numbers your hairs and knows your thoughts before you think them. This isn't threatening; it's liberating. The same God who exposes also redeems.
Many of us live exhausted from maintaining our image, managing our secrets, and manufacturing our righteousness. But Psalm 139 reveals a beautiful truth: God's omniscience isn't about surveillance—it's about intimacy. He searches you because He loves you. He knows you because He formed you. The exposure you fear is actually the pathway to freedom. When Achan finally said, "Truly I have sinned," the hiding ended. Confession doesn't inform God of anything He doesn't know; it aligns us with what He already sees and still loves.
New Testament-in-a-Year Reading: Romans 6
Reading: Psalm 139:1-12; Joshua 7:16-18
Devotional: One in 600,000. Those were Achan's odds of being randomly selected—yet God went straight to him. You cannot hide in the crowd from the God who numbers your hairs and knows your thoughts before you think them. This isn't threatening; it's liberating. The same God who exposes also redeems.
Many of us live exhausted from maintaining our image, managing our secrets, and manufacturing our righteousness. But Psalm 139 reveals a beautiful truth: God's omniscience isn't about surveillance—it's about intimacy. He searches you because He loves you. He knows you because He formed you. The exposure you fear is actually the pathway to freedom. When Achan finally said, "Truly I have sinned," the hiding ended. Confession doesn't inform God of anything He doesn't know; it aligns us with what He already sees and still loves.
New Testament-in-a-Year Reading: Romans 6
Day 4
ACT—Admit, Confess, Turn
Reading: 1 John 1:5-10; James 5:16
Devotional: Killing sin requires action, not intention. The ACT acronym provides a battle plan: Admit your sin problem—to yourself and to God. Stop minimizing, rationalizing, or comparing. Name it. Confess it—not just to God for forgiveness (1 John 1:9), but to trusted believers for healing (James 5:16). Isolation empowers sin; confession disarms it. Finally, Turn from it—repentance means changing direction, not just feeling sorry.
Like the pastor admitting he was about to pass out, confession positions others to catch you before you fall. Pride says, "I've got this." Wisdom says, "I need help." The nurses couldn't help until he spoke up. Your brothers and sisters in Christ can't intercede effectively until you're honest. God's grace is sufficient, but it works through community. Don't let embarrassment keep you from the support that could save your life.
New Testament-in-a-Year Reading: Romans 7
Reading: 1 John 1:5-10; James 5:16
Devotional: Killing sin requires action, not intention. The ACT acronym provides a battle plan: Admit your sin problem—to yourself and to God. Stop minimizing, rationalizing, or comparing. Name it. Confess it—not just to God for forgiveness (1 John 1:9), but to trusted believers for healing (James 5:16). Isolation empowers sin; confession disarms it. Finally, Turn from it—repentance means changing direction, not just feeling sorry.
Like the pastor admitting he was about to pass out, confession positions others to catch you before you fall. Pride says, "I've got this." Wisdom says, "I need help." The nurses couldn't help until he spoke up. Your brothers and sisters in Christ can't intercede effectively until you're honest. God's grace is sufficient, but it works through community. Don't let embarrassment keep you from the support that could save your life.
New Testament-in-a-Year Reading: Romans 7
Day 5
ABC—The Gospel for the Lost
Reading: Romans 3:21-26; Romans 10:9-13
Devotional: If you've never surrendered to Christ, today's message is simple: ABC. Admit you're a sinner—not compared to others, but measured against God's holiness. We've all missed the mark. Believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead—this historical fact changes everything. His death wasn't just inspirational; it was substitutionary. He took your place. Confess Him as Lord and Savior—surrender control and receive forgiveness.
Unlike Achan, who faced stones for his sin, you face a Savior who already bore your judgment. The punishment you deserve fell on Jesus 2,000 years ago. He doesn't ask you to clean up first—He asks you to come as you are. Dead things become alive. Old things become new. Bad things become better. Not because you're good enough, but because He's God enough. The same grace that saves also sustains, transforms, and empowers.
New Testament-in-a-Year Reading: Romans 8
Reading: Romans 3:21-26; Romans 10:9-13
Devotional: If you've never surrendered to Christ, today's message is simple: ABC. Admit you're a sinner—not compared to others, but measured against God's holiness. We've all missed the mark. Believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead—this historical fact changes everything. His death wasn't just inspirational; it was substitutionary. He took your place. Confess Him as Lord and Savior—surrender control and receive forgiveness.
Unlike Achan, who faced stones for his sin, you face a Savior who already bore your judgment. The punishment you deserve fell on Jesus 2,000 years ago. He doesn't ask you to clean up first—He asks you to come as you are. Dead things become alive. Old things become new. Bad things become better. Not because you're good enough, but because He's God enough. The same grace that saves also sustains, transforms, and empowers.
New Testament-in-a-Year Reading: Romans 8