September 26th, 25: Rebuilding, Resting, and Resurrecting: Following Jesus Beyond Worldly Success

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• TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezra 4; Psalm 113, 127; Luke 9
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One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you.

TODAY'S EPISODE:

Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today’s episode, host Hunter invites us into day 270 of our journey through the Scriptures, sharing readings from Ezra 4, Psalms 113 and 127, and Luke 9. Together, we’ll witness the opposition faced by the Jewish people as they rebuild the temple, rejoice in the psalms of praise and wisdom, and follow Jesus as he sends his disciples, feeds the multitude, and reveals the true cost—and reward—of discipleship. Hunter weaves these passages together, reflecting on what it means to find real life in Christ by letting go of the world’s definition of success and embracing the way of the cross. The episode concludes with heartfelt prayers and a warm reminder: you are loved. Join us as we seek wisdom, encouragement, and strength from God’s Word on this September 26th.

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

Losing to Gain: The Way of the Cross

If you hang on to your life, making it about you, insisting on your own way, you will lose your way. In the end, all your effort to gain will be a loss. The world's siren song is self and success. We think these are the marks of real living, the fruit of our hard work, the result of our cunning and sweat and our dedication. The world tells us that we will win and live with big bank accounts, big churches and big egos. That's the way of the world. And too often it can become the way of our churches, the way of our own lives.

But Jesus points to something else. He points to the way of his kingdom. He says that we can gain all of the world and lose our soul. The way to live, the way to win in this kingdom is to daily take up a cross. People who carry crosses are giving evidence of their death. Jesus says, “I tell you the truth. Unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels, a plentiful harvest of new lives.” The life released in death is released in resurrection power, not the power of the flesh. And its results are abundant.

The results are lives awakened to the love of God who comes to deliver us from our success and cravings for life on our own terms, those things that lead to nothing in the end. Jesus shows us the way to his kingdom. He shows us that he is the way to life and love and abundance by finding our lives in him, to be awakened to the life that is ours in Him. But we must turn away from the siren songs of this world and turn up the sound and music of heaven, the sound and the song of our Lord and Christ, who tells us, “Follow me and you will truly live.”

And that's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife and my daughters and my son. And that's the prayer that I have for you. May it be so.

TODAY'S PRAYERS:

Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.  

Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  

And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where t