Engage God Daily

Grain and New WineScripture: Psalm 4:6–8 Runtime: ~5 minIn the Old Testament, grain and new wine show up together so often they work almost as a single phrase — shorthand for a people who have enough, evidence that God has been generous. But one psalm asks for something else before it ever gets to the harvest.In this episode:How "grain and new wine" functions throughout the Old Testament as a picture of abundance, from Isaac's blessing over Jacob to Moses' blessing over IsraelWhy Proverbs' image of overflowing barns and brimming vats always pointed back to a generous God, not just a good growing seasonHow David, surrounded by people asking "who will bring us prosperity," asks for something else first — the light of God's faceThe reminder running through Psalm 4: the harvest is a gift, but the giver is the joyReflection: David prays for the light of God's face before he prays about grain and new wine — what does that ordering tell you about where he locates his joy? Think of a season when God's provision was obvious to you. What did it show you about his character, and not only about your circumstances?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Ambassadors (Week in Review)Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:6; 5:18–20 Runtime: ~5 minThis week we've traced a thread from Isaiah to Jesus to us — a mission that was always global, fulfilled by Jesus, and handed to his followers with a promise to be with them. Paul takes it one step further: the same God who spoke light into existence at creation has revealed his glory in Christ, and he has entrusted ordinary people with the message of reconciliation.Paul's word for that role is striking — ambassador. Someone sent to represent a king greater than themselves, carrying his message and embodying his values, wherever they go. And the message itself is good news: God isn't counting people's sins against them. He's inviting them home.Live It Out: This week, think of one specific person God has put on your heart — someone far from God, someone curious, or someone who already knows him but needs encouragement. Take one small step toward them: a conversation, an invitation, a moment of honesty about your own hope.Tell the Story: As Christ's ambassador, you carry a message of reconciliation into every room you walk into. Who is one person you could represent that message to this week — not through argument, but through the way you show up for them?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

All AuthorityScripture: Matthew 28:18–20 Runtime: ~4 minThe Great Commission is so familiar to a lot of Christians that it can start to sound like a job description — "go and make disciples" as one more task on the list. But Jesus doesn't send anyone anywhere until he first declares something that changes everything.In this episode:Why the mission in Matthew 28 doesn't begin with "go" — it begins with Jesus declaring that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to himThe distinction between making converts and making disciples — people baptized into a new identity and taught to obey everything Jesus commandedHow the scope of "all nations" is Isaiah 49 coming to life, the light that was always meant for the world now walking on the groundThe promise that makes a daunting mission possible: Jesus is with us to the very end of the ageReflection: How does knowing you're sent by someone with all authority change the way you think about sharing your faith? "Go" doesn't necessarily mean moving somewhere new — where you're already going, how could you carry the mission with you?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

With Gentleness and RespectScripture: 1 Peter 3:13–16 Runtime: ~5 minFear of offending someone is the number one reason a lot of Christians give for staying quiet about Jesus. It's not a new problem — the early church faced suspicion, ridicule, and outright persecution. So Peter gave them a different way to respond.In this episode:Why Peter isn't prescribing an evangelism method so much as describing a life so visibly different that it provokes curiosityThe instruction to always be ready to give a reason for your hope — but notice it only comes up when someone asksWhy "gentleness and respect" rules out anything pushy, obnoxious, or condescendingHow our everyday lives either make the gospel credible to the people watching, or work against itReflection: What is the source of your hope? Think of a time someone shared their faith with you in a way that felt pushy or judgmental — what made it feel that way? Now think of a time it felt genuine. What was different?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

You Are the Light of the WorldScripture: Matthew 5:13–16 Runtime: ~4 minImagine hearing Jesus look at you and say, "You are the light of the world." Scholar Christopher Wright calls it one of the most missional statements in the Gospels — and it's not about what you believe quietly. It's about a life people can actually see.In this episode:Why the light Jesus describes is never private — it's a city on a hill, a lamp on a stand, visible by designHow Jesus pairs light with salt, both images describing a life that affects the people around it through presence, not argumentWhy the goal was never for people to admire the disciples, but for people to glorify God because of what they seeHow this connects back to the series so far — the fruit of the Spirit, honesty, kindness, and giving God credit are what make an invitation to "come and see" credibleReflection: Think about your last week. What's one interaction where a believer in your life was bright and salty, even if they never mentioned their faith? What's one way you could be salt and light to someone this week?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

A Light to the NationsScripture: Isaiah 49:1–6 Runtime: ~7 minGod's plan to reach every nation on earth didn't start in the New Testament — it's been the plan since Abraham. This week we zoom out from the last several weeks of invitation and everyday conversation to trace the bigger thread: a mission that runs from Isaiah's prophecy, through Jesus, all the way to us.In this episode:How Isaiah 49 introduces a servant figure who is somehow both identified with Israel and sent to Israel — a clue that points beyond the nation itselfWhy Christians have always heard Jesus' voice in this passage, called before birth and prepared to carry salvation to the ends of the earthHow the Apostle Paul, launching his mission to the Gentiles in Acts 13, grounded it in this exact Isaiah passage rather than the Great CommissionThe reminder that reaching "the ends of the earth" was never a backup plan — it was too small a thing for God to stop at restoring one nationReflection: How do you see Jesus in the description of God's servant in this passage? What does it tell you about God's character that his plan was never limited to one nation? What would it mean for you to see yourself as part of that same story?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Day 5: Keeping in StepEngage God Daily · Summer Audio Edition · Week 6, Day 5 · ~5 minScripture: Galatians 5:24–26Episode SummaryPaul closes the passage with a call to consistency: since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. The Spirit isn't something we switch on for Sunday morning and set aside the rest of the week. This final episode ties the week back to the heart of the whole series—mission starts with an invitation to 'come and see,' but the invitation only works if what people find is worth coming to. For many, the first place they'll encounter Jesus is through us: our patience when things go wrong, our kindness when it isn't required, our faithfulness when it would be easier to walk away.Key TakeawaysKeeping in step means consistency—how we speak to a spouse after a stressful evening, how we respond to a frustrating coworker, what we do when no one is watching.Paul's closing warning: don't become conceited. The flesh creeps in quietly through comparison, competition, and the sense that we're a little better than the person next to us.Conceit is the opposite of the fruit—it turns us inward, while the Spirit always turns us outward.This connects back to the series: mission starts with 'come and see,' but the invitation only works if what people see is worth coming to. Today, your life is that invitation.Quotable"Your life is your most powerful testimony. Keep in step with the Spirit and let Him make it one worth seeing."Reflection Questions'Keep in step with the Spirit' suggests daily, ongoing attentiveness. What does that look like practically for you? What helps you stay in step, and what pulls you out?Thinking about the people in your life who don't yet know Jesus, what's one step you can take this week—an invitation, a conversation, an act of kindness—to point them toward Him?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Day 4: The Fruit of the SpiritEngage God Daily · Summer Audio Edition · Week 6, Day 4 · ~5 minScripture: Galatians 5:22–23Episode SummaryAfter the grim honesty of the works of the flesh, Paul pivots on one of the most beautiful words in Scripture: but. This episode dwells on why Paul calls these qualities 'fruit' rather than achievements or goals. Fruit grows—you can't force it, rush it, or fake it, but you can cultivate it. And like the vices before it, every item on the list is relational. The fruit of the Spirit isn't private achievement; it's becoming the kind of person others experience as safe, trustworthy, and genuinely good—our most compelling testimony.Key TakeawaysPaul calls them 'fruit,' not achievements. Fruit grows—we cultivate it like a farmer, but the growth itself is the Spirit's work in us.There's a tension Paul holds: we're not passive—we walk, we keep in step, we crucify the flesh—yet the fruit is the Spirit's doing.Every item on the list is relational. Love, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness only show up in how we treat the people around us.People may not understand our theology, but they know what it feels like to be treated with patience they don't deserve. That's what makes the gospel visible.Quotable"The fruit of the Spirit is our most compelling testimony."Reflection QuestionsRead the list slowly—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Which comes most naturally to you, and which do you most need the Spirit to cultivate?Think of someone in your life who embodies these qualities. What is it like to be around them? What makes their character so compelling?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Day 3: The Works of the FleshEngage God Daily · Summer Audio Edition · Week 6, Day 3 · ~5 minScripture: Galatians 5:19–21Episode SummaryNobody needs to be taught how to be selfish—that comes naturally. Paul says the acts of the flesh are obvious, and his list is more familiar than shocking. What's striking is how relational it is: most of these sins describe what happens between people—the very things that tear communities apart. This episode confronts the uncomfortable truth that these vices show up in churches, families, and friend groups, and asks what actually sets Christians apart when the world already knows what's wrong.Key TakeawaysThe acts of the flesh are 'obvious'—and mostly relational. Hatred, discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, factions, and envy are what pull communities apart.Paul was naming something already happening in the Galatian churches—people 'biting and devouring each other.'Pagan philosophers published similar lists. What Paul offered that they couldn't was a way out—the Spirit's power to actually change.The world isn't watching to see if we can name what's wrong; it already knows. It's watching to see if we live any differently.Quotable"The world already knows what's wrong. They're watching to see if we live any differently."Reflection QuestionsLook at the relational sins in the list—hatred, discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, factions, envy. Which do you most need to be honest with yourself about?In the areas where you need to grow, are you intentionally working on it? And when you fall short, are you quick to own it? That honesty is part of your witness too.Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Day 2: Walk by the SpiritEngage God Daily · Summer Audio Edition · Week 6, Day 2 · ~4 minScripture: Galatians 5:16–18Episode SummaryLoving people well is hard on a good day—and nearly impossible when you're tired, stressed, or dealing with difficult people. Paul knows willpower won't get us there. His answer isn't try harder; it's walk by the Spirit. This episode explores the ongoing tug-of-war between flesh and Spirit, and why the Holy Spirit offers what neither Jewish moralists nor Greek philosophers ever could: not just a better list of virtues, but the actual power to change.Key TakeawaysThe flesh turns us inward—toward self-protection, self-promotion, self-indulgence. The Spirit turns us outward—toward love, service, and the good of others.Paul doesn't pretend the tension goes away. It's real and ongoing, but when we're led by the Spirit, the flesh doesn't get the final word.Moralists said to strengthen good impulses through study and discipline; philosophers published virtue lists. Neither could offer the power to actually change.'Walk by the Spirit' implies movement—a daily posture, not a one-time decision.Quotable"It's not willpower, and it's not moral education. The Holy Spirit living inside you produces something you could never manufacture on your own."Reflection QuestionsPaul describes an ongoing tension between the flesh and the Spirit. Where do you feel that tension most in your own life right now?Walking by the Spirit is a daily posture, not a one-time decision. What's one practice that helps you stay attentive to the Spirit's leading—and if you don't have one, what could you try this week?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Day 1: Freedom to ServeEngage God Daily · Summer Audio Edition · Week 6, Day 1 · ~6 minScripture: Galatians 5:13–15Episode SummaryWhat makes anyone want the God we follow? This week of the Engage God Daily summer series turns from how the gospel spreads to what makes our witness believable. In the opening episode, Kyle Gilbert unpacks Paul's startling claim that the freedom we have in Christ was never meant for ourselves. Free from the law, believers are set free for something better: to love and serve the people around them. The whole law, Paul says, is fulfilled in a single command—love your neighbor as yourself. Not a new rulebook, just love empowered by the Spirit.Key TakeawaysFreedom in Christ can feel disorienting—like the first morning of vacation with no alarm and no plan. Paul answers the question it raises: without the old rules, how will anyone know whose family we belong to?Paul's answer is stunning in its simplicity—your freedom isn't for you. You've been set free to love and serve one another.The entire law is fulfilled in one command: love your neighbor as yourself. The way we treat people becomes the proof of what we believe.Witness isn't just what we say; it's who we are. This week asks the Spirit to build the character that makes our invitation credible.Quotable"Freedom isn't for you. You've been set free to love and serve one another."Reflection QuestionsPaul says the whole law is fulfilled in loving your neighbor as yourself. What would change in your everyday interactions—at work, at home, in your neighborhood—if you took that seriously?How do people know you belong to a group or family? Think beyond the superficial—beyond yard signs and t-shirts. How would you want someone to recognize that you follow Jesus?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

The Fields Are RipeScripture: John 4:31–38 (Week Review) Runtime: ~5 minWhile the woman is in town telling everyone she meets about Jesus, the disciples are trying to get him to eat lunch. He's not interested. My food is to do the will of him who sent me. Then he tells them to open their eyes — the fields, he says, are already ripe for harvest. They're standing in Samaria, the last place any of them expected a spiritual harvest, and a crowd is already walking toward them because one woman told her story.We have the same problem the disciples had. We look at our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our kids' schools, and see people who are too busy, too skeptical, too different from us to bother with. But Jesus says the harvest is already ripe — we just have to open our eyes and step into what God is already doing.Live It Out:Ask God this week to open your eyes to a "ripe field" you've been walking past — a neighbor, a coworker, a friend who's more ready for a conversation about faith than you thinkRemember that one sows and another reaps — you may never see the full result of a conversation or invitation, and that's not your job. Faithfulness is.Tell the Story: The Samaritan woman didn't wait until she had it all figured out — she just told people what Jesus had done for her. Who in your life needs an honest, unpolished invitation to come and see for themselves?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Known and Not RejectedScripture: John 4:16–26 Runtime: ~6 minThe conversation takes a sharp turn when Jesus brings up her five marriages and the man she's currently living with. It's the kind of moment most of us would expect to end a conversation — but instead, it deepens it. Jesus names her whole story without shame or condemnation, and she doesn't run.In this episode:A closer look at what five failed marriages likely meant for a woman with little power in the ancient world — and why the story may be more about what was done to her than what she didWhy Jesus naming her situation honestly, without judgment, is what allows her to stay in the conversationThe shift from personal history to a centuries-old theological debate about the proper place to worshipJesus' answer — true worship isn't about a mountain or a temple, but about spirit and truth — and the stunning fact that a Samaritan woman is the first person he tells plainly, "I am he, the Messiah"Reflection: When someone shares something hard or messy about their life with you, how can you be honest about it without coming across as judgmental? When God brings something uncomfortable to the surface in your own life, is your instinct to lean in or pull away?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Living WaterScripture: John 4:10–15 Runtime: ~5 minShe came to the well for the same reason she came every day — because the water ran out and she'd be thirsty again tomorrow. Jesus takes that exhausting, repetitive chore and uses it to point to something she didn't know she needed: a satisfaction that doesn't run dry.In this episode:How Jesus uses an ordinary daily task to open up a much bigger conversationThe woman's confusion — and why she keeps asking questions instead of walking awayWhat it means that Jesus offers "living water" in a culture built around a well that constantly needed refillingA picture of patience: Jesus meeting her exactly where her understanding is, one exchange at a timeReflection: When you talk about faith with someone who isn't religious, how can you connect it to language and experiences that actually matter to them? What's a question about faith you've been sitting with — and what would it look like to stay in that conversation instead of avoiding it?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Crossing Every LineScripture: John 4:4–9 Runtime: ~6 minMost people take the long way around to avoid an awkward conversation. Jesus did the opposite. This week we watch him walk straight into a place his culture told him to avoid, sit down with someone he had every social reason to ignore, and start a conversation that would change her life — and her whole town's.In this episode:Why Jewish travelers usually went around Samaria, and what it means that Jesus chose to go straight through itThe depth of the ethnic and religious hostility packed into one ordinary moment at a wellHow Jesus put himself in the position of needing something from the woman, rather than approaching her from a position of powerA first look at a woman the rest of the world had already written off — and the conversation that was about to upend every assumptionReflection: What assumptions do we make about people based on their background, ethnicity, or neighborhood — often without even realizing it? When was the last time you let someone you weren't close to help you, and how did that change things between you?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Come and SeeJohn 1:35–51 + Psalm 66:1–5 | ~5 minThis week's passage traces a chain reaction: John points to Jesus. Andrew finds Simon. Jesus finds Philip. Philip finds Nathaniel. Nobody in the story is a professional. Nobody has a platform. They're just people who knew each other, passing along what they found. And every single person who came looking — found something.In this episode:A look back at the full chain of John 1:35–51 and the ordinary, relational pattern underneath itWhy Psalm 145:18 matters here: The Lord is near to all who call on him — God is not hiding, and he still responds when people seek himHow your own story of God showing up — in doubt, in need, in quiet searching — is exactly the kind of invitation someone in your life needs to hearThe encouragement of Psalm 66: Come and see what God has done — this is still the messageLive It Out: This week, think of one person who might need to hear your story. You don't need to have a polished testimony or all the answers. You just need to know what God has done for you — and be willing to say, come and see.Tell the Story: Who first invited you to come and see? Take a moment to thank God for whoever that person was — and ask him to show you who you might be that person for.Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Come and SeeJohn 1:35–51 + Psalm 66:1–5 | ~5 minThis week's passage traces a chain reaction: John points to Jesus. Andrew finds Simon. Jesus finds Philip. Philip finds Nathaniel. Nobody in the story is a professional. Nobody has a platform. They're just people who knew each other, passing along what they found. And every single person who came looking — found something.In this episode:A look back at the full chain of John 1:35–51 and the ordinary, relational pattern underneath itWhy Psalm 145:18 matters here: The Lord is near to all who call on him — God is not hiding, and he still responds when people seek himHow your own story of God showing up — in doubt, in need, in quiet searching — is exactly the kind of invitation someone in your life needs to hearThe encouragement of Psalm 66: Come and see what God has done — this is still the messageLive It Out: This week, think of one person who might need to hear your story. You don't need to have a polished testimony or all the answers. You just need to know what God has done for you — and be willing to say, come and see.Tell the Story: Who first invited you to come and see? Take a moment to thank God for whoever that person was — and ask him to show you who you might be that person for.Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

You Will See Greater ThingsJohn 1:47–51 | ~5 minWhen Jesus sees Nathaniel coming, he says something strange: Here is a true Israelite — no deceit in him. It sounds like a compliment, but it's a loaded reference. The original Israel — Jacob — was famous for scheming and trickery. Jesus is saying Nathaniel is what an Israelite was always supposed to look like. And then he makes a promise that echoes all the way back to Jacob's dream of a ladder between heaven and earth.In this episode:What Jesus' description of Nathaniel as "an Israelite without deceit" reveals about how he sees people — and how he sees youThe connection between Jesus' promise and Jacob's dream at Bethel: Jesus himself is the place where heaven and earth are open to each otherWhy this flips the assumption that God is distant, inaccessible, or locked behind the right religious credentialsWhat it really means to invite someone to "come and see" — not to a building or a club, but to a personReflection: What would it look like to live this week as if heaven and earth were actually open to each other — right where you are? And where are you tempted to settle for what you can see, rather than trusting that God is doing something bigger than you realize?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Can Anything Good Come From There?John 1:43–46 | ~5 minNathaniel's first response to the news about Jesus was pure skepticism: Nazareth? Really? It's the kind of dismissal we all recognize — a snap judgment based on where someone's from or what we think we already know. But Philip doesn't argue. He doesn't pull out a list of prophecies. He just says: Come and see.In this episode:How Jesus finds Philip with two words — follow me — and Philip's first impulse is to go find a friendWhy Nathaniel's skepticism about Nazareth almost caused him to miss Jesus entirelyWhat Philip's response teaches us about engaging doubt: you can't argue someone into the kingdom, but you can extend an invitationWhy "come and see" is still the most disarming thing you can say to someone who isn't sure they believeReflection: Are there people in your life you've written off because of where they're from, what they believe, or what crowd they run with? Is there someone skeptical in your circle who might respond better to an invitation than an explanation?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

When You Find the OneJohn 1:40–42 | ~4 minWhen Andrew spent the day with Jesus, the first thing he did wasn't write a blog post or map out a strategy. He went and found his brother. That instinct — share it with the person closest to you — is still the most natural form of mission there is.In this episode:How Andrew's response to meeting Jesus models the simplest form of evangelism: go tell the person you already knowWhy Andrew didn't try to explain everything or answer every question — he just brought Simon to JesusWhat happens when Jesus looks at Simon and gives him a new name: Cephas (Peter), the Rock — seeing who he's becoming before Simon sees it himselfHow Jesus' view of your future changes the way you see the people around youReflection: Who is the one person already in your life — a family member, friend, neighbor, coworker — you could nudge one step closer to Jesus this week? And what does it mean to you that Jesus sees your future, not just your present?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

What Do You Want?John 1:35–39 | ~6 minJesus' first words in John's Gospel aren't a sermon or a command — they're a question. What do you want? It's simple, but it opens up everything. This week we're watching how Jesus launched his movement not through programs or mass events, but through ordinary people inviting each other to come and see.In this episode:Why John the Baptist pointing his own followers away from himself — toward Jesus — is one of the most countercultural acts in the GospelsWhat it looks like when Jesus responds to curiosity with an open invitation rather than an argumentHow the first disciples simply spent a day with Jesus, and why that was enoughThe difference between mission as cultural distance and mission as relational intention — and why your next-door neighbor countsReflection: If Jesus turned to you today and asked, What do you want? — how would you answer? And is there someone in your life who's quietly searching, waiting for someone to notice?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

UnashamedScripture: Romans 1:16–17 Runtime: ~5 min"I am not ashamed of the gospel." It's one of the most quoted lines in Romans — and one of the most quietly challenging. Because the question isn't whether we'd say it out loud. The question is whether our daily choices back it up.In this episode:What it cost Paul to declare allegiance to a crucified Jewish Messiah in the capital city of the empire — and why "unashamed" wasn't a small claimThree ways we communicate shame in the gospel without saying a word: when we're afraid to tell it, too intimidated to uphold it, or too selfish to live worthy of itThe power of the gospel unpacked: salvation from sin's penalty, power, and ultimate presence — for everyone who believes, without exceptionThe righteousness of God: a characteristic of God, a status he gives us, and an activity in which he rescues and restores — all by faith, from first to lastLive It Out: This week, identify one moment where you held back from saying something about your faith — a conversation, a situation, a relationship. Bring it to God honestly. Then ask him for one specific opportunity to be unashamed this week, however small. Courage is built one small act at a time.Tell the Story: Paul summarizes the gospel in Romans 1:16–17 in two sentences. Try writing your own two-sentence version — what is the gospel, and why does it matter to you personally? Write it down. Memorize it. Be ready to say it.Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

I Can't Wait to Get ThereScripture: Romans 1:8–15 Runtime: ~4 minPaul desperately wanted to visit Rome — one of the most powerful, cosmopolitan, morally complicated cities in the ancient world. But his reason wasn't tourism. It wasn't networking. He wanted to share the gospel, see people come to faith, and encourage the believers already there. What would it look like to bring that posture to your next trip?In this episode:What ancient Rome looked like: immigration, inequality, political intrigue, moral chaos — and a small community of Jesus followers trying to live differently in the middle of itPaul's prayer life as a model: constantly thankful, constantly interceding, always asking for gospel opportunitiesThe Greek verb behind "eager to preach the gospel" — euangelizō — which covers both evangelism and discipleship, finding and followingA convicting question: do you approach your travels — business trips, vacations, summer road trips — with any thought of what God might want to do through you there?Reflection: Do you pray for gospel opportunities the way Paul did? Ask God to increase your eagerness — and to show you one place this summer where he might want to use you.Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Trust and Obey, There's No Other WayScripture: Romans 1:5–7 Runtime: ~4 minPaul says he received grace and apostleship to bring about "the obedience of faith" — a phrase he uses to bookend the entire letter to Rome. It's not obedience instead of faith, or faith without obedience. It's both together, inseparable. The whole Christian life, condensed into four words.In this episode:What "the obedience of faith" actually means — and why it's not legalism or works-righteousnessWhy genuine faith always produces obedience, and why attempts at obedience without faith are ultimately fruitlessThe scope of the gospel in Paul's mission: all people, all Gentiles, everyone — for the honor of Jesus's nameA practical question: who are you helping find or follow Jesus right now?Reflection: Where is the Spirit most pressing you to grow in obedience? And who in your life could you take one step toward this week — helping them find or follow Jesus?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Remember Who He Really IsScripture: Romans 1:2–4 Runtime: ~3 minPaul packs an entire theology of Jesus into three verses — so tightly arranged that many scholars think he's quoting an early Christian hymn or creed. Before we can share the gospel with anyone, we have to make sure our picture of Jesus is big enough. And for most of us, it isn't.In this episode:Why the gospel isn't a new idea: it was promised centuries earlier through the prophets in the holy scripturesThe two natures of Jesus held together in these verses: descended from David as the human Messiah, appointed Son of God in power through the resurrectionWhat it means that Jesus is Lord — the Greek word that translates the Hebrew name Yahweh, the covenant name of GodA direct challenge: our gospel has been too small. Our Jesus has been too small.Reflection: Which of the descriptions of Jesus in these verses hits you freshest right now? How does a bigger view of Jesus change how you think about sharing his gospel?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

The Power of the GospelScripture: Romans 1:1 Runtime: ~5 minHow do you introduce yourself? Most of us lead with what we do — our job, our role, our title. Paul opens the book of Romans with a three-part introduction that has nothing to do with his resume: servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God. This week we're slowing down in Romans 1 to see the gospel with fresh eyes — bigger, richer, and more powerful than we've let ourselves believe.In this episode:The three identity markers Paul leads with — and what it would sound like to describe yourself the same wayThe word doulos (slave/servant): a term of both humility and honor — and why being a slave of Christ carries far more dignity than it might soundWhat it means to be called as an apostle — not just for Paul, but for every follower of Jesus who has been sent into the worldWhy the gospel is bigger than most of us have realized — and what it would mean to truly live "set apart" for itReflection: How do you typically introduce yourself? What would shift in how you move through the world if you genuinely saw yourself as a servant of Jesus Christ, sent as his representative?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

The Holy Spirit at WorkScripture: Acts 10:44–48 Runtime: ~3 minPeter was still mid-sentence when it happened. The Holy Spirit fell on everyone in the room. The Jewish believers who had come with Peter were astonished — this wasn't supposed to happen to Gentiles. But God doesn't ask permission before he moves. That's the moment the gospel crossed a wall it had never crossed before.In this episode:The Spirit's arrival at Cornelius's house — and why it shocked the Jewish believers who witnessed itBaptism following immediately: Peter's instinct was not to gatekeep but to ask, "Who could possibly stand in the way?"Cornelius as a picture of the believing father who leads by going first — trusting, being baptized, setting the exampleThe summer challenge: how might God use you to gather your family and friends around the gospel this year?Live It Out: Think of one family member or friend who doesn't yet know Jesus. This week, pray for them by name every day. Then take one small step toward them — a text, a phone call, an invitation to something. You don't have to have a plan. Just move toward them the way Cornelius moved toward Peter: expectantly.Tell the Story: Peter summarized the gospel in a room full of strangers and the Spirit showed up. Practice telling your own version of Peter's message — who Jesus is, what he did, and what it means — in under two minutes. Share it with someone this week, even just to practice. Confidence comes from repetition.Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

The Good News of PeaceScripture: Acts 10:34–43 Runtime: ~4 minPeter walked into a room full of Gentiles — people he had been raised to consider off-limits — and opened his mouth with this: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism." Then he told them everything. This is what the gospel sounds like when it's freed from cultural gatekeeping.In this episode:Peter's summary of the gospel: Jesus was anointed by the Spirit, went around doing good, was killed on a cross, and raised from the dead on the third day — witnessed by hundredsThe central offer: peace. Peace with God, peace in your soul — available to everyone who believes, from every nationThe World Cup connection: God loves every nation competing on that field. And he sends us to bring this news to all of themA personal question worth sitting with: have you believed in Jesus and received God's forgiveness? If not, you can do that right now.Reflection: How would you explain the gospel to a family member or friend in your own words? Who in your life — perhaps someone from another country or background — needs to hear the good news of peace?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Gather the Family to ListenScripture: Acts 10:23–33 Runtime: ~5 minBefore Peter even arrived, Cornelius had already done something remarkable. He called together his relatives and close friends. He didn't wait to see if the meeting would be worth it. He gathered people around an expectation that God was going to say something worth hearing. That's leadership.In this episode:Cornelius as a model of spiritual initiative: a father who didn't wait for the right moment but created itPeter's declaration — "God has shown me I should not call anyone impure or unclean" — and what it cost a devout Jewish man to say that out loudThe diversity angle: Collin County is changing, and the World Cup is bringing the world to our doorstep. What prejudices might still be operating quietly in our hearts?Cornelius's stunning posture when Peter arrived: "We are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us"Reflection: How could you gather your family or friends around something spiritually significant this summer? A church service, a worship night, a conversation over dinner — what might that look like for you?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

A Sheet Full of SurprisesScripture: Acts 10:9–23 Runtime: ~4 minWhile Cornelius's men were on their way to Joppa, God was busy rearranging Peter's assumptions. A vision of a sheet full of unclean animals — and a voice telling him to eat — wasn't really about food. It was about people. And it was about to change everything.In this episode:What the vision of the sheet meant: God dismantling the religious boundaries that had kept Jewish believers from eating with — and therefore truly engaging with — GentilesWhy Peter's hesitation ("Surely not, Lord!") is more relatable than we might want to admitThe Spirit's direct instruction: "Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them"An honest question: are there religious rules or unexamined assumptions that keep you from meaningfully connecting with people who don't yet follow Jesus?Reflection: Is there someone in your life the Spirit has been nudging you toward — someone you've hesitated to engage? What would it look like to go without hesitation?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

A Father Responds to an AngelScripture: Acts 10:1–8 Runtime: ~4 minMost of us would say we want to be spiritually open — ready to hear from God, ready to act. But when a moment like that actually comes, it's easy to rationalize, delay, or wonder if we imagined the whole thing. Cornelius didn't. This week in Acts 10, we meet a Roman centurion who built a reputation for faith before God ever asked him to do anything extraordinary — and when the extraordinary came, he moved immediately.In this episode:Who Cornelius was: a Roman military commander stationed in Caesarea, the seat of Roman occupation — and yet, a man who led his entire household to fear God and give generouslyThe vision at 3 p.m.: an angel appears by name, with specific instructions — and Cornelius doesn't hesitateWhy Cornelius's posture in prayer made him ready to receive and respondA reminder that God is already at work in the lives of people around you before you ever show upReflection: Have you ever sensed God communicating with you in an unexpected way? How did you respond? What would it look like to respond more quickly next time?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

JoyScripture: Acts 8:39–40 Runtime: ~3 minHe went on his way rejoicing. That's the last thing we're told about the Ethiopian eunuch — and it's enough. An encounter on the road, a conversation about a confusing passage, a profession of faith, a baptism in desert water, and a life changed forever. Philip never saw him again. Sometimes that's exactly how God works.In this episode:The contagious joy that comes from watching someone trust in Jesus for the first time — and the honor of being part of itWhy some of the most significant gospel moments are one-time encounters with people you'll never see againHow Philip kept moving — town to town, sharing the gospel wherever he went — and what that posture looks like in ordinary summer lifeA timely challenge: the World Cup is bringing people from around the world. Open your eyes to the Ethiopian eunuchs right in front of youLive It Out: This week, identify one person God may be placing in your path — someone you'd normally hesitate to approach. Take one step toward them: a smile, a question, a conversation. Follow the prompting before you talk yourself out of it.Tell the Story: If someone asked you, "What is the gospel?" — could you explain it clearly in two minutes? Practice this week. Tell a trusted friend or family member the good news about Jesus in your own words. The more you rehearse it, the more natural it becomes when the moment arrives.Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

BaptismScripture: Acts 8:36–38 Runtime: ~3 minSomewhere on a desert road between Jerusalem and Gaza, a man trusted in Jesus Christ. And almost immediately, he was looking out the chariot window for water. Faith moved into action. This episode explores what baptism means, why it matters, and what it might mean for you — or someone you love.In this episode:What baptism symbolizes: cleansing, death, burial, and resurrection — the full arc of salvation in a single momentJesus's command to his followers to baptize as part of making disciplesThe joy of being present when someone rises out of the water for the first timeA personal reflection: have you been baptized? Have you ever had the privilege of baptizing someone?Reflection: If you've been baptized, take a moment to remember it. What did that moment mean to you? If you haven't — what's standing in the way?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

The Best News EverScripture: Acts 8:34–35 Runtime: ~3 minThe Ethiopian eunuch asked a question: "Who is Isaiah writing about?" Philip didn't pivot to a different topic or a rehearsed presentation. He started exactly where the man was — and from that very passage, he told him the good news about Jesus. That's a skill worth having.In this episode:Why starting with the question someone is already asking is more effective than starting with the message you came prepared to giveThe gospel in one sentence: Jesus came from heaven, became a man, died on the cross, and rose again — so that anyone who trusts in him has eternal lifeHow to explain it simply enough for a child, clearly enough for a skepticAn honest challenge: do you know the good news well enough to share it from the Bible?Reflection: With whom could you share the good news about Jesus this week? Pray for a specific opportunity — and for the words when it comes.Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Answering QuestionsScripture: Acts 8:30–33 Runtime: ~3 minThe official was reading Isaiah 53 — one of the most profound and confusing passages in the Old Testament. He understood the words but not what they meant. Philip didn't wait to be invited. He ran. What would change this summer if you moved a little faster when God nudged you?In this episode:Why Isaiah 53 was so puzzling to Jewish readers — and what the Ethiopian eunuch couldn't have known without helpThe "massive irony" at the center of the gospel: an unjust death that brings justice to the worldWhy not having all the answers doesn't disqualify you from entering a spiritual conversationThe practical move: a text message, a question, a willingness to sit with someone and open the Bible togetherReflection: Is there someone around you who's been asking spiritual questions? Who might God be nudging you to reach out to this week?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

An Unexpected Encounter, Led by the SpiritScripture: Acts 8:26–29 Runtime: ~6 minMost of us don't think of a summer road trip as a mission field. But what if the person sitting next to you in line, or parked beside you at the campground, or reading in the stands at your kid's game — what if that person was exactly who God had in mind when he nudged you this morning? This week we're in Acts 8, watching what happens when an ordinary believer says yes to a very unexpected detour.In this episode:Who Philip was — not one of the Twelve, just a faithful church member. Someone a lot like youWho the Ethiopian eunuch was: a high-ranking government official, likely one of the first Black converts to Christianity, and a man who had been excluded from the temple by Mosaic lawWhy God was already at work in this man's life before Philip ever showed up — and what that means for the people around you this summerWhat it looks like practically to "go up and stay near" when the Spirit prompts you — including a story from Bruce and his wife Tamara at an RV parkReflection: What kind of person do you sometimes hold back from engaging? What might it look like to follow a Spirit prompting toward them this summer?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

The Story Isn't Over: Living the Big Story Right NowShow Notes:We made it to the end. But the story isn't finished — not for us.In this final episode of the Big Story series, Lisa brings the whole journey together and asks the question every good story demands: so now what?This week we saw Jesus revealed in his full glory. We stood before the great white throne. We watched the New Jerusalem descend from heaven and heard God promise to wipe every tear from his people's eyes. And we came home — to a river, a tree, the face of God, and a world made whole. What was lost in Genesis 3 has been restored in Revelation 22.That is the story. It is the truest story ever told. And it is our story.So now we live it.Lisa offers a set of practical anchors for carrying this week's vision — and this entire series — into everyday life. How do we live as people who know how the story ends? How do we resist anxiety when we remember what's coming? How do we bring previews of the new creation into the present through acts of generosity, reconciliation, beauty, and faithful work?And then there's this: the story is meant to be told. Not everyone knows that there is a God who created them on purpose, who has been pursuing them relentlessly, and who has made a way for them to come home. You don't need a seminary degree to share it. You just need to tell someone what God has done — in scripture and in your life.Live It Out:Live as someone who belongs to the King — trust him completely, obey him fully, seek his righteousness even when the world pulls in a different directionWhen anxiety creeps in, return to the promise: God will make all things new. Let that hope replenish what fear tries to takeLook for ways to bring glimpses of the new creation into the present — an act of generosity, a word of reconciliation, a moment of beauty, a display of creativity or faithful workWorship regularly — not out of obligation, but out of the overflow of knowing who God is and what he has doneTell the Story: Who in your world needs to hear that this story has a good ending — and that they are invited into it?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Back to the Garden: How the Story Ends Where It BeganScripture: Revelation 22:1–5Show Notes:If you've been with the Big Story since the beginning, today's passage is going to feel like coming home.In Revelation 22, John's vision takes us deeper into the new Jerusalem — and what he sees there is unmistakable. A river. A tree. The presence of God. No curse.We've been here before. This is the garden.In Genesis 2, God planted a garden with a river running through it and placed the tree of life at its center. He walked with Adam and Eve there — present, known, loving. Then it was lost. The curse fell. Cherubim with a flaming sword were stationed to guard the way to the tree of life.That was Week 1 of the Big Story.We have traveled the entire Bible since then. And now, at the end of all things, here is the river again. Here is the tree again — bearing twelve crops of fruit, its leaves for the healing of the nations. The cherubim are gone. The flaming sword is gone. The curse has been lifted forever.And they will see his face.No veil. No barrier. No mediator needed. Face to face with God — not the way Moses had to be hidden in the cleft of the rock, but directly, truly, without anything in the way.Lisa closes this episode with one of the most beautiful observations of the entire series: the Big Story begins with rivers and ends with a river. It begins with a tree of life and ends with a tree of life. It begins with God walking among his people and ends with God dwelling among his people forever. This is not a coincidence. This is what God has been doing all along.In this episode:How Revelation 22 mirrors Genesis 2 — and why that's intentionalWhat it means that the tree of life is no longer guardedWhy "they will see his face" is one of the most staggering promises in all of scriptureHow God's original design for humanity — to reign over creation — is fully restored in the new creationReflection prompt: Think back to where you were when this series began. What has changed in how you see God — his character, his faithfulness, his love — after walking the whole Big Story?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

He Will Make Everything New: The Promise of the New CreationScripture: Revelation 21:1–7, 22–27Show Notes:The Big Story has never been just about judgment. From the very first moment things went wrong in the garden, God has been working not only to hold humanity accountable — but to bring his people home.Today's episode is the one we've been building toward.In Revelation 21, John sees a new heaven and a new earth. The holy city, the New Jerusalem, comes down out of heaven from God — not built by human hands, but given as a gift. And then comes the voice from the throne:"Look, God's dwelling place is now among the people."He will wipe every tear from their eyes. No more death. No more mourning. No more crying or pain. The old order of things has passed away.Lisa reflects on why that detail — the city coming down — matters so much. This is not humanity climbing its way to heaven. This is God descending to his people. It's what he's always done: the tabernacle, Solomon's temple, the incarnation itself. And in the new creation, the distance closes completely. There is no temple, because God himself fills everything.The gates of the new city are never shut. The nations walk by God's light. The glory and honor of human culture — art, music, creativity, work — is gathered in and offered purely to God's glory. This is not the destruction of what humans have made. It is its redemption.In this episode:Why the New Jerusalem coming down is one of the most important details in Revelation 21What it means that there is no temple in the new creation — and why that's good newsHow God redeems human culture rather than discarding itWhat "sturdy, weight-bearing hope" looks like when you actually believe this is where the story endsReflection prompt: What is making you anxious, angry, or sad right now? Bring it before this passage. God has answered — and his answer is: "I am making everything new."Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Nothing Is Hidden: God's Justice and the Book of LifeScripture: Revelation 20:11–15Show Notes:We live in a world where it can feel like people get away with things. The powerful cover their tracks. The vulnerable are silenced. Justice gets delayed, diluted, or denied. And something deep inside us knows — this isn't right.That instinct is not just cultural. It's God-given. We are made in the image of a just God, and something in us knows that wrongs must be accounted for.Today, Lisa takes us to one of the most sobering scenes in all of scripture: the great white throne judgment in Revelation 20. The dead, great and small — powerful and forgotten, rich and poor — stand before the one seated on the throne. Books are opened. Every deed is recorded. Every wrong is laid bare.No justification survives this courtroom. No wealth buys a lighter sentence. No influence silences a victim's testimony.But this passage is not only about judgment. It's also about the mercy that runs alongside it. God's justice and God's mercy both find their answer at the cross — and in this episode, Lisa explains why the only thing that separates the condemned from the forgiven is whether a name is written in the Book of Life.The enemy who has been deceiving and destroying since the Garden of Eden also faces his final sentence here. He loses completely and permanently.In this episode:Why the human longing for justice is not a flaw — it's a reflection of the God we're made in the image ofHow God's mercy and justice both meet at the cross — and what that means for the great white throneWhy no "not guilty" verdict rings out for anyone, and what the Book of Life actually isThe question the passage leaves every listener with: who in your life hasn't heard the good news yet?Reflection prompt: Is there a situation in your life — or in the world — where you've struggled to trust that God sees and that justice will come? Let today's passage speak to that.Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

The King Revealed: Seeing Jesus in His Full GloryScripture: Revelation 1:9–18Show Notes:We made it. After months of walking through scripture from Genesis forward, we arrive at the final book of the Bible — Revelation. This week, Lisa opens the last chapter of the Big Story and what we find is breathtaking.In today's episode, the Apostle John — the same disciple who leaned against Jesus at the Last Supper, who stood at the foot of the cross, who ran to the empty tomb — receives a vision that changes everything. The carpenter from Nazareth is revealed as the risen, reigning King of the universe.Eyes like blazing fire. Feet like glowing bronze. A face like the sun shining in full brilliance. This is not the Jesus of a Sunday school flannel board. This is the Lord of all creation in his unfiltered glory — and John falls at his feet as though dead.But the king knows him by name. And his first words are: "Do not be afraid."In this episode, Lisa reflects on what it means that the Jesus we've followed through the Gospels — eating with sinners, weeping at tombs, holding children — has always been this. He is the First and the Last, the Living One who was dead and is now alive forever, holding the keys of death and Hades.Sin and death do not have the final word. Jesus does.In this episode:How John's encounter with the glorified Jesus fits a pattern seen throughout scripture (Moses at the burning bush, Isaiah in the temple, Israel at Sinai)What the symbols in Revelation 1 actually mean — the lampstands, the golden sash, the double-edged swordWhy the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2–3 could have been written to any church in any century, including oursWhat it means to give Jesus not just our affection, but our allegianceReflection prompt: The Jesus we've been following through the Gospels has always been this. How does seeing him in his full glory change how you relate to him today?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Big Story Pt. 3 | Week 8 | Ephesians 3:14–21We've spent the week watching Paul build a case for the church's unity, image by image: shared grace, a demolished wall, a temple rising, a worthy walk. Today we step back, take in the whole picture, and let Paul's own prayer become ours.Because by the time Paul reached the end of chapter three, he couldn't keep describing. He had to stop and kneel.In this final episode of the week, Lisa guides us through Ephesians 3:14–21 — one of the most breathtaking prayers in the New Testament — and closes the week with a call to live the story, not just study it.In this episode:A recap of the week's four theological images and why they build on each otherWhy Paul prays that believers would grasp Christ's love together with all the Lord's holy people — because none of us can take it in aloneThe doxology that closes Ephesians 3 and what it means for the church's witness in the worldScripture: Ephesians 3:14–21Live It Out — three ways to practice unity this week:Pick one virtue. Choose humility, gentleness, patience, or bearing with one another in love — and ask the Spirit to grow that in you this week in one specific relationship.Pray beyond your circle. Pray for a believer from a different tradition, generation, or background, and ask God to bless them.Show up. Be present with your church community this week. The body of Christ is built together, not alone.Tell the Story: When the watching world sees believers who refuse to be divided by the things that divide everyone else, it sees something only God could have made. Who in your life needs to see a Christian who doesn't fit the divisive patterns they expect? Who needs to hear that there's a community where the ground is level at the foot of the cross?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Big Story Pt. 3 | Week 8 | Ephesians 4:1–6For three chapters, Paul has been telling the Ephesians what God has done. Now, with a single word — therefore — he turns the corner. Everything that's true about who we are in Christ becomes the foundation for how we live with each other.In today's episode, Lisa walks through Ephesians 4:1–6, where Paul names four virtues that make community possible (none of them flashy) and then gives us one of the most important distinctions in the whole letter: unity is not something the church has to manufacture. It's something the Spirit has already given. Our job is to stop tearing it apart.In this episode:Why Paul opens by reminding his readers he's writing from chainsThe difference between earning a calling and living worthy of oneWhy humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance are the unglamorous habits that hold community togetherThe seven "ones" of Ephesians 4 — and why none of our differences is bigger than any of themScripture: Ephesians 4:1–6Reflection questions:Think of one believer in your life whose presence regularly tests one of Paul's four virtues in you. What is the Spirit asking of you in that relationship?What would it look like this week to make every effort to keep the unity the Spirit has already given — rather than waiting until the relationship feels easy?What is one small step you could take toward that person this week?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Big Story Pt. 3 | Week 8 | Ephesians 2:19–22The wall is down. But Paul isn't finished. Tearing something down is only half the work — something new has to be built in its place. So Paul reaches for three images, stacked on top of each other, each one going deeper than the last: citizens, family members, and a temple under construction.In this episode, Lisa walks through Ephesians 2:19–22 and explores what it means that the church isn't just a gathering of people who got the same rescue — it's a dwelling place. God's Spirit has moved in. And the stones being fitted together to form that dwelling? That's us.In this episode:What Roman citizenship meant — and why Paul's use of it would have floored his Gentile readersThe difference between citizen (rights) and family member (a place at the table)Why the temple metaphor is the climax of Ephesians 2, and what it meant in a city defined by the temple of ArtemisHow division in the church isn't just a relational problem — it's a structural oneScripture: Ephesians 2:19–22Reflection questions:Picture yourself as one stone in a massive building, with millions of others fitted in around you by the same architect. What would it feel like to try to remove yourself — or push out the stone next to you?Whose place in the wall have you been quietly questioning?What would change if you saw that person not as someone whose membership is in doubt, but as a fellow stone already fitted in, already indwelled by the same Spirit?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Big Story Pt. 3 | Week 8 | Ephesians 2:14–18Yesterday we stood at the ground floor: all of us were dead, and God made us alive by the same grace. Today, Paul turns that vertical reality horizontal. If the same mercy saved every one of us, what does that mean for how we relate to each other?His answer is one of the most powerful images in the New Testament: a wall coming down.In this episode, Lisa unpacks Ephesians 2:14–18, where Paul tells a mixed Jewish-and-Gentile church in Ephesus that Christ has already demolished the barrier between them — not just spiritually, but structurally. The hostility is gone. The fences are already down. What remains is for us to stop rebuilding them.In this episode:The historical backdrop: what it meant to be "near" or "far" in the ancient worldThe literal dividing wall in the Jerusalem temple — and why Paul knew it personallyWhy peace in Ephesians means reconciliation, not just the absence of conflictWhat it looks like to live as if a wall Christ already tore down is still standingScripture: Ephesians 2:14–18Reflection questions:Think of a Christian whose culture, politics, worship style, or theology makes you want to keep your distance. What fence are you maintaining that Christ already dismantled?Where is the Spirit inviting you to stop treating a fellow believer like an outsider?What would change this week if you started from the assumption that Christ has already made peace between you — whether you feel it or not?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Big Story Pt. 3 | Week 8 | Ephesians 2:4–10Pentecost lit the fuse — now comes the hard question: how do people this different become one? This week in the Big Story, we land in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, where he lays out the only foundation that can hold a divided world together: grace.Before Paul ever talks about unity in the church, he makes sure we understand what saved us. And the answer is the same for every single person who has ever walked through the door: but God.In today's episode, Lisa walks through Ephesians 2:4–10, where Paul piles up words — glory, grace, mercy, love, riches, kindness — because no single word is enough. We were dead. God made us alive. We were raised up with Christ, seated with Christ, joined to Christ. None of it was earned. All of it was gift.That's not just good theology. It's the ground floor of Christian unity.In this episode:Why Paul starts with our condition before talking about the church's conditionThe three "with Christ" verbs that show salvation is more than rescue — it's unionWhat theologian Michael Gorman calls "cruciformity" and why it mattersHow shared grace — not shared preferences or politics — is the only real foundation for onenessScripture: Ephesians 2:4–10Reflection questions:Where have you started to believe that your standing with God has something to do with you?Where have you quietly ranked yourself against other believers — or assumed your convictions are the better ones?What would change if you returned to the ground floor, where we are all simply people made alive by a God rich in mercy?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

We've arrived at the You Are Here dot on the Big Story timeline — and it turns out, we're still standing on it. This week's journey through Acts 1–2 wasn't just history. It's our story. In this wrap-up episode, Lisa invites us to reflect on the week, celebrate the God who keeps every promise, and consider how the four rhythms of the early church can take root in our own lives today. The same Spirit who launched the church at Pentecost lives in you.Scripture: Acts 1–2 (Week Review)Live It Out — Four Practices for a Spirit-Filled Life:Open your Bible daily. Let the apostles' teaching shape how you see the world. (You're already doing this — keep going.)Pursue real fellowship. Invite someone to coffee or into your home. Join a life group. Move past surface-level connection into honest, life-shaping community.Practice generosity. Find a need around you and meet it — not out of obligation, but out of the overflow of what God has given you.Pray with others. Find a friend, family member, or small group and pray together. A community at prayer seeks God's direction together.Tell the Story: The mission Jesus gave his disciples in Acts 1:8 is ours too. You don't have to preach a sermon. Share something you learned this week, or simply tell someone what God has been doing in your life. The Spirit who gave Peter boldness in front of thousands can give you courage in a conversation with one.Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Three thousand people just said yes to Jesus. Now what? Luke gives us a six-verse snapshot of the early church that is one of the most beautiful pictures of community in all of Scripture. In this episode, Lisa explores Acts 2:42–47 and the four practices that shaped the first believers: teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. This wasn't a burst of enthusiasm — it was devoted, sustained, Spirit-filled life together. And the result? The Lord added to their number daily.Scripture: Acts 2:42–47Key Themes:The meaning of devoted — persistent, focused commitment, not spiritual enthusiasm that fadesKoinonia: fellowship as shared life, not just shared spaceRadical generosity as an overflow of love, not obligationThe early church as attractive — people wanted what they hadThe Spirit-filled community as what God has been building toward since GenesisReflection Questions:What does your own experience with Christian community look like right now — does it resemble what Luke describes, or is that something you're still longing for?What's one step you could take this week to move deeper into the kind of fellowship Acts 2 pictures?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

The crowd at Pentecost is confused and divided — some are amazed, some think the disciples are drunk. Then Peter stands up and does something remarkable: he weaves together Joel, the Psalms, and the life of Jesus to show that everything the Scriptures promised has just been fulfilled. In this episode, Lisa walks through Peter's sermon in Acts 2:14–41 — one of the most important theological declarations in the New Testament — and explores what it means for us to share the same story today.Scripture: Acts 2:14–41Key Themes:Peter's use of Joel 2 and Psalms 16 and 110 to explain PentecostThe argument that Jesus is both Lord and MessiahThe crowd's response: "What shall we do?" — and Peter's gospel invitationThe promise extending to "all who are far off" — the Abrahamic blessing going to the nations3,000 respond and the church is bornReflection Questions:Peter connected his message to what his listeners already knew and were experiencing. Who in your life is asking — even in their own way — what shall we do?How might you share something from this week's study with them?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.

Everything changes at Pentecost. The sound of rushing wind, tongues of fire, and suddenly the disciples are speaking in the native languages of people from every nation gathered in Jerusalem. In this episode, Lisa unpacks Acts 2:1–15 and traces the deep biblical echoes behind every detail — wind, fire, and language — showing how Pentecost begins to reverse what went wrong at the Tower of Babel. God's presence, once confined to a building people traveled to, now rests on every believer individually.Scripture: Acts 2:1–15Key Themes:The wind, fire, and languages as echoes of Genesis, Ezekiel, and ExodusPentecost as God's reversal of Babel — scattered nations beginning to be reunitedThe Spirit moving from the temple to the peopleThe crowd's mixed reactions: amazement and mockeryReflection Questions:How aware are you of the Spirit's presence in your daily life?What would change if you began each day asking the Holy Spirit to guide your words, decisions, and attention to the people around you?Hear the message for this week's devotional on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinneyGet the written devotional at: https://cfhome.org/EGDIf you are in the North Dallas area and would like to join us for services each week, you can find all the information at https://cfhome.org.