Seedbed Daily Text

The greatest and most singular need for people who want to follow Jesus is courage. We need to have courage put into us. And we need it not just every now and then or before a big challenge or in the midst of a hard struggle or loss-we need it every day. The big crises of unjust treatment, unforeseen losses, tragic deaths, life-stealing diseases, betrayals, relationship failures, and all manner of pain and suffering can create seasons of wilderness, as can the more every day pressures that tempt us to spiritual slumber. But this is where the kingdom of God breaks in-places of loss, suffering, hardship, brokenness, and pain. For followers of Jesus, when you are being broken down, it is a sign that the kingdom of God is breaking in. Join J. D. Walt in this Daily Text series that will challenge and encourage you to discover that the joy of the Lord is the revolutionary presence of Jesus Christ himself-in us and catalyzing the perseverance of our faith.

One of the great realities of scripture is that the most common verses hold the greatest mysteries until the Holy Spirit opens our eyes. So it is with John 3:16-"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Then what? Surely there's more to the Christian life than just believing. In This Is How We Know, J. D. Walt invites us on a forty-four-day devotional journey to explore what he refers to as "the second half of the gospel" as presented in 1 John-"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters" (1 John 3:16). The journey of awakening is the Spirit-empowered, hard-fought movement of John 3:16 to 1 John 3:16. This is how we know.