Daily Worship (May 03)
Devotional 1: Faith That Moves”
Luke 10:25–37 (NIV)
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Devotional Thought
In this passage, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan to answer a simple but searching question: “Who is my neighbor?” A man is beaten and left for dead. Two religious leaders pass by without helping. But a Samaritan—a man from a group looked down on by the Jews—stops, shows compassion, and takes action.
This story connects directly to what James teaches about bona fide faith. Real faith is not just words or feelings. It moves toward people in need. The priest and the Levite may have had correct beliefs about God, but their faith did not lead them to act. The Samaritan, however, showed what living faith looks like—he saw a need and responded with mercy.
It’s easy to say we care about people. It’s easy to pray for others or talk about problems. But bona fide faith doesn’t stop there. It takes action. It costs something. It gets involved.
Jesus ends the story with a command: “Go and do likewise.” That means our faith in Christ should lead us to love others in real, practical ways. We don’t act to earn God’s love—we act because we have already received it. Jesus is the true Good Samaritan who came to us when we were broken. Now, he calls us to do the same for others.
COMMA Questions
Prayer
Lord, thank you for loving me when I was helpless. Help my faith to be real and active. Open my eyes to see people in need and give me the courage to act. Make my faith alive through love. Amen.
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Devotional Thought
In this passage, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan to answer a simple but searching question: “Who is my neighbor?” A man is beaten and left for dead. Two religious leaders pass by without helping. But a Samaritan—a man from a group looked down on by the Jews—stops, shows compassion, and takes action.
This story connects directly to what James teaches about bona fide faith. Real faith is not just words or feelings. It moves toward people in need. The priest and the Levite may have had correct beliefs about God, but their faith did not lead them to act. The Samaritan, however, showed what living faith looks like—he saw a need and responded with mercy.
It’s easy to say we care about people. It’s easy to pray for others or talk about problems. But bona fide faith doesn’t stop there. It takes action. It costs something. It gets involved.
Jesus ends the story with a command: “Go and do likewise.” That means our faith in Christ should lead us to love others in real, practical ways. We don’t act to earn God’s love—we act because we have already received it. Jesus is the true Good Samaritan who came to us when we were broken. Now, he calls us to do the same for others.
COMMA Questions
- Context: How does this story fit into Jesus’ teaching about loving God and loving your neighbor?
- Observation: What differences do you see between how the priest, Levite, and Samaritan respond to the injured man?
- Meaning: What does the Samaritan’s compassion teach us about the kind of faith God desires?
- Main Idea: What does this passage show us about what real love—and real faith—looks like?
- Application: Who is someone in your life right now that you can move toward with practical love?
Prayer
Lord, thank you for loving me when I was helpless. Help my faith to be real and active. Open my eyes to see people in need and give me the courage to act. Make my faith alive through love. Amen.
Devotional 2: Faith That Obeys
Genesis 22:1–14 (NIV)
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
Devotional Thought
Genesis 22 tells the story of Abraham being tested by God. God asks him to offer his son Isaac—the very son God had promised him. This was not just difficult—it seemed to go against everything God had said before. Yet Abraham obeys. He trusts God enough to follow him, even when he doesn’t fully understand.
James points to this moment as proof that Abraham’s faith was real. Abraham believed God in Genesis 15, and that faith was counted to him as righteousness. But in Genesis 22, his faith is shown through obedience. His actions did not replace his faith—they revealed it.
This is what bona fide faith looks like. It trusts God not only in words, but in action. It obeys even when it’s hard, even when it costs something, even when the outcome is unclear.
Most of us won’t face a test like Abraham’s, but we are called to obey God in daily life. We trust him with our decisions, our relationships, our time, and our resources. Obedience is not about earning God’s favor—it is about showing that we trust him.
And here’s the good news: just as God provided a substitute for Isaac, he has provided Jesus for us. Jesus obeyed perfectly where we fail. Our faith rests in him, and that faith grows as we walk in obedience.
COMMA Questions
Prayer
Father, thank you for your faithfulness. Help me to trust you like Abraham did. Give me the courage to obey you, even when it is hard. Strengthen my faith so that it is real and active. Amen.
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
Devotional Thought
Genesis 22 tells the story of Abraham being tested by God. God asks him to offer his son Isaac—the very son God had promised him. This was not just difficult—it seemed to go against everything God had said before. Yet Abraham obeys. He trusts God enough to follow him, even when he doesn’t fully understand.
James points to this moment as proof that Abraham’s faith was real. Abraham believed God in Genesis 15, and that faith was counted to him as righteousness. But in Genesis 22, his faith is shown through obedience. His actions did not replace his faith—they revealed it.
This is what bona fide faith looks like. It trusts God not only in words, but in action. It obeys even when it’s hard, even when it costs something, even when the outcome is unclear.
Most of us won’t face a test like Abraham’s, but we are called to obey God in daily life. We trust him with our decisions, our relationships, our time, and our resources. Obedience is not about earning God’s favor—it is about showing that we trust him.
And here’s the good news: just as God provided a substitute for Isaac, he has provided Jesus for us. Jesus obeyed perfectly where we fail. Our faith rests in him, and that faith grows as we walk in obedience.
COMMA Questions
- Context: What has God already promised Abraham before this moment in Genesis 22?
- Observation: What steps of obedience does Abraham take in this passage?
- Meaning: What does Abraham’s obedience reveal about his trust in God?
- Main Idea: How does this passage show the relationship between faith and obedience?
- Application: What is one area of your life where God is calling you to trust him through obedience?
Prayer
Father, thank you for your faithfulness. Help me to trust you like Abraham did. Give me the courage to obey you, even when it is hard. Strengthen my faith so that it is real and active. Amen.
Devotional 3: Faith That Transforms
Ephesians 2:8–10 (NIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Devotional Thought
Ephesians 2:8–10 is one of the clearest summaries of the gospel in the Bible. It tells us that we are saved by grace through faith—not by our works. Salvation is a gift from God, not something we earn.
But the passage doesn’t stop there. It goes on to say that we are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
This perfectly connects with the message of bona fide faith. We are not saved by works, but we are saved for works. Real faith leads to a changed life. It produces new desires, new priorities, and new actions.
Before Christ, we were spiritually dead. But through faith, we are made alive. And living things grow. They move. They change. That’s what Paul is describing here.
This means we should not separate faith and works. They belong together. Faith is the root, and works are the fruit. If there is no fruit, we have to ask whether the root is really there.
At the same time, this passage gives us great hope. The good works we do are not something we create on our own. God has already prepared them for us. He is at work in us, shaping our lives.
Bona fide faith is not perfect—but it is real. And because it is real, it leads to a life that is being transformed day by day.
COMMA Questions
Prayer
Lord, thank you for saving me by your grace. Help me to live out a faith that is real and active. Shape my life so that it reflects your love and your truth. Lead me to walk in the good works you have prepared for me. Amen.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Devotional Thought
Ephesians 2:8–10 is one of the clearest summaries of the gospel in the Bible. It tells us that we are saved by grace through faith—not by our works. Salvation is a gift from God, not something we earn.
But the passage doesn’t stop there. It goes on to say that we are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
This perfectly connects with the message of bona fide faith. We are not saved by works, but we are saved for works. Real faith leads to a changed life. It produces new desires, new priorities, and new actions.
Before Christ, we were spiritually dead. But through faith, we are made alive. And living things grow. They move. They change. That’s what Paul is describing here.
This means we should not separate faith and works. They belong together. Faith is the root, and works are the fruit. If there is no fruit, we have to ask whether the root is really there.
At the same time, this passage gives us great hope. The good works we do are not something we create on our own. God has already prepared them for us. He is at work in us, shaping our lives.
Bona fide faith is not perfect—but it is real. And because it is real, it leads to a life that is being transformed day by day.
COMMA Questions
- Context: How does this passage connect to Paul’s description of being dead in sin earlier in Ephesians 2?
- Observation: What does the passage say about how we are saved and why we are saved?
- Meaning: What does it mean that we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works”?
- Main Idea: How does this passage explain the relationship between faith, grace, and good works?
- Application: What are some ways you can walk in the good works God has prepared for you this week?
Prayer
Lord, thank you for saving me by your grace. Help me to live out a faith that is real and active. Shape my life so that it reflects your love and your truth. Lead me to walk in the good works you have prepared for me. Amen.
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