Grace Mission Church

26/08/2026

2026/08/27 Devotional

Psalm 90:12 — So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom.

Moses asks God to teach him and the people to number their days so they will be prepared to stand before God someday.

Psalm 90 begins with acknowledgment of God’s eternal nature (90:1-2), then describes man’s brief, mortal life (90:3-11). With this in mind, Moses prays, “Teach us.” He realizes that human perspective and understanding are insufficient. David prayed, “Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths” (Psalm 25:4) because he also understood his need for divine perspective of life.

Knowing that life is brief, Moses desired practical wisdom for daily life. He needed help establishing eternal priorities and making plans. Since each of us has limited time and we do not know when our last breath will be, we ought to be prepared to meet God at any moment.

Moses wanted to make a presentation to the Lord at the end of his days. Just as Romans 12:1 urges believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, Moses desired to present a heart of wisdom to God when he stood before the Lord’s judgment seat someday. He wanted to give God a heart that was transformed by eternal choices he made and not be ashamed (2 Timothy 2:15).

A heart of wisdom chooses to live in obedience to God’s Word. A heart of wisdom walks in the light and seeks to perform God’s will by grace and the Spirit’s power. A heart of wisdom loves God above all, treasures eternal values, and serves others in humility as Christ did.

The reality for a believer is that we have a limited lifespan, so we would be wise to ask God to teach us how to make the best use of the time we have to live a life that counts. Pray and talk to God about your plans and choices for your day. Hold your plans loosely; God may unexpectedly introduce a better plan.

Hymnal of A Faith Journey (HFJ) is a Copyright of the United Church...

25/08/2026

2026/08/26 Devotional

Psalm 119:105 — Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

At night, I turn off the lights in my living room, then navigate my way into my bedroom by the light from my phone’s screen. I need that little light to help me avoid crashing into my kitchen table. Without the light, my bare feet end up kicking a chair or table leg, or I collide with my refrigerator door instead of walking through my bedroom door. I need a light to show me the path I must take to safely enter my bedroom.

It is not safe to drive a car at night without its headlights on. In the dark, we lose our way and bring harm to ourselves. Spiritually, we need a lamp for our feet to walk in and a light to illuminate the pathway we should take. Psalm 119:105 says that the Word of God provides us with light like a lamp.

Truth is light for the soul and spirit of believers. Truth shows and keeps us on the right way to walk in the darkness of the world. The written Word of God is our guiding light that cuts through confusion, helps us make wise decisions, and helps us avoid spiritual obstacles that could cause us to stumble and fall.

Jesus is the living Word of God (John 1:1), who declared He was the Light of the world (John 8:12) and the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). When we walk close to Jesus, we have Someone who knows the way and shines His light of truth into our lives. Jesus speaks to us through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, so we need to remain close to Him to see and hear clearly.

I picture myself as a sheep following my Good Shepherd, Jesus, because He is the one holding the oil lamp and showing me the way to go. If I am not near Jesus, I am not in the pool of light being cast by the lamp, and I cannot see Him or the path. “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). To truly understand the Bible and its truth, we must get to know Jesus. Follow Jesus only.

Sung by the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church (Michigan) Virtual Choir ...

24/08/2026

2026/08/25 Devotional

John 19:30 — When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.

The prophet Isaiah portrayed the Messiah as the Suffering Servant of God. Christ’s role as Messiah was to serve God the Father obediently, even to suffer and die for the sins of humanity on the cross. The Old Testament scriptures predicted how the God’s servant would suffer, and Jesus fulfilled every one of those prophecies.

For example, Psalm 69:21 says, “they gave me sour wine to drink.” While on the cross, Jesus said, “I thirst,” and the Roman soldiers soaked a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth. This was the last of many prophecies for Jesus to fulfill in obedience to the Father’s plan. After receiving the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is finished” because He had accomplished His mission and He had paid in full the price for our redemption.

Usually, a dying man’s head falls to his chest after He dies, but Jesus bowed His head in a final act of reverence and submission to His Father. Jesus was in control of His situation. In John 10:17-18, Jesus had said, “I lay down My life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord.” Jesus yielded His spirit to His Father; He laid down His life by choice so that the next part of the plan could happen.

Jesus deliberately, thoughtfully chose to suffer and die on the cross as God’s servant so that we could experience God’s love. Christ’s death was not a tragedy He was suddenly caught up in. His suffering was not due to circumstances beyond His control or an unfortunate series of events. Out of God’s great love for you and me, He came and lived thirty-three years in this world to pour out His life for us so that we could know God intimately.

What choices can we make in loving obedience to God?

Official lyric video for “The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago” fro...

23/08/2026

2026/08/24 Devotional

Isaiah 42:16 — I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.

Unbelief blinds people and leads them into disobedience. Israel was lost because they had not believed God’s Word sent to them through the prophets. The people had grown unfamiliar with God’s path and were directing their own steps in the darkness.

Solomon wrote, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:7). Those who acknowledge the Lord reverently submit to His Word in humility, but fools reject God’s instruction and correction. They blindly stumble along their self-directed ways.

Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding, for if we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will make our paths straight. We must trust God in order to believe His Word. Our own understanding of life will lead us to rough places, not level ground and straight paths. To acknowledge God is to admit that His ways are better than ours, and His Word is trustworthy.

How many hours, days, months, or years of wandering blindly and aimlessly could be avoided if only we would trust God, believe His Word, and obediently walk in His pathway? The author of Hebrews speaks of the danger and consequences of unbelief (Hebrews 3:7-19), and Jesus speaks often of the importance of belief (Mark 1:15; 5:36; 9:23; John 6:29; 11:25; 14:1; 20:27).

Those who believe will be led by God out of darkness into light, like the apostle Saul of Tarsus was at his conversion (Acts 9:3-9). Trust God. Believe His Word. Obey the truth. See the light. Be led in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:24).

“Lead, Kindly Light” is one of the most enduring hymns born from de...

22/08/2026

2026/08/23 Devotional

2 Peter 1:4 — He has given us His precious and magnificent promises.

God’s promises are precious, meaning that they are honored, esteemed, and beloved beyond what words can express. These promises are magnificent—exceedingly great—the greatest. This valuation of the promises is both subjective and objective. To us, the promises are so much more than we deserve or could ever imagine. In fact, whether we appreciate their value or not, the promises are the greatest promises ever given to human beings.

What are these incredible promises? God has promised salvation (Romans 10:9-10; John 3:16), eternal life (1 John 2:25), and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 16:16-17). God has promised His peace (John 14:27), His presence (Hebrews 13:5), His wisdom (James 1:5), and His guidance (Psalm 32:8). God promises us daily provision (Philippians 4:19; Matthew 6:31-33) and complete victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:54-55; Revelation 21:4).

These promises are our assurance of God’s acceptance of us and His love for us. These promises are nothing we have ever or could have ever earned or merited on our own. These promises because we have answered Christ’s call, which is glorious and excellent (2 Peter 1:3).

Christ’s words are glorious and carry the weight of unquestionable authority—“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18). Christ’s words are excellent, trustworthy, and perfect—“As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless” (Psalm 18:30).

Christ’s promises are not just for us to know today, but for us to participate in through faith. His promises make us partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). The glorious, excellent, precious, and magnificent promises of Jesus establish our spiritual identity and we grow in grace from the foundation of these promises, when we meditate on them, believe them, and participate in their reality.

21/08/2026

2026/08/22 Devotional

1 Peter 5:11 — To Him be the power forever and ever. Amen.

This verse is a short yet powerful doxology—a hymn expressing praise to God. Peter addresses his praise to a real person, not to an abstract force or philosophy. He does not direct these words to “the universe” or “the inner divine within us all.” Peter glorifies the all-powerful, eternal, living God who hears his words and is knowable.

In 1 Peter 5, Peter encourages pastors and leaders to humble themselves under God’s mighty hand (v. 6). God has the power, authority, and ability to accomplish His will. God is omnipotent, so miracles and other “impossible” powerful acts are possible for Him. Wise people humble themselves under God’s hand.

God uses His power to care for us (v. 7). We can cast all of our anxieties and troubles on God, knowing that He can handle them better than we can and that He desires to do so. Even God’s caring is powerful. His mighty hands tenderly hold us and cover us, keeping us eternally secure.

The people Peter was writing to were persecuted Christians who needed assurance. Peter tells them that the God of all grace had called them (v. 10). With the calling, God gives His grace to strengthen them in their sufferings. Peter assures them, saying God will “restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.”

God is the same forever and ever. The same power that would uphold and protect believers in the first century will protect you today. We praise God for His mighty hand and His powerful care for us whom He has called. He is not an impersonal, external “power” or inner “energy,” but a gracious personal God who loves us forever and ever. Amen.

20/08/2026

2026/08/21 Devotional

Matthew 10:31 — So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

What is our worth? How much value do we have? If we try to place a price on our human bodies, we can be worth anywhere from $5 to over $45,000,000. The unrefined raw materials in our bodies give us the lower value. However, if the value of the fully functioning organs in our bodies is calculated for transplant purposes, our bodies are worth millions of dollars. The lifeless raw materials of our bodies are cheap compared to the incredibly complex living parts of our bodies.

But this value calculation considers only the physical body, and we are much more than a material, physical body. Human beings have a soul and spirit as well. The soul gives life to the organs, tissues, and fluids in our bodies, and our souls have more value than the entire world (Matthew 16:26), which is an astronomical amount of money. God breathed life into the raw materials of Adam, and he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).

The gift of life is priceless. Every human soul is precious in the eyes of God, the Author of Life. Your soul is God’s gift to you to be used to know Him and experience His presence. Our souls were made to breathe the spiritual breath of God. The human spirit was made to receive the spiritual life of the Life-giver Himself, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:45).

Jesus—God Himself in human flesh, blood, and bones—sacrificed His life for us to save us from the tyranny and penalty of our sins, which is death. He died so that our sin-sickened souls could have eternal life and our spirits could once again commune with the Holy Spirit of God.

Can we put a price on the life of God? No. That is impossible. But it was that priceless life that paid the price of our salvation. What is our worth? Our value is determined by the love of God who laid down His life for us. Spirit, soul, and body, we are valued beyond measure, loved beyond comprehension.

Listen to "I Dream of You: HYMNS" on your favorite service: https:/...

19/08/2026

2026/08/20 Devotional

Ephesians 5:18 — Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

In Ephesians 5, Paul teaches principles of Christian life. He begins by saying, “Be imitators of God,” and “walk in love” (5:1-2). He speaks of what is proper for a saint (5:3-7), and encourages believers to “walk as children of light” (5:8). Paul exhorts the Ephesian believers not to live like unbelievers who act foolishly because they have no spiritual sense (5:15-17).

Paul gives a specific example in verse 18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion.” What Paul says harkens back to the story of the prodigal son, who “squandered his wealth in wild living” (Luke 15:13). The words “wild living” are related to the words “reckless indiscretion” in the Greek language. The Greek word’s literal meaning is “unsavedness,” which is spiritual wastefulness.

Paul is cautioning the Ephesians not to waste their lives—physically and spiritually—by doing what foolish, spiritually senseless unbelievers do, which is get drunk on wine. Rather than be filled with the spirit of this world, which encourages excessive indulgence of the flesh, Paul says “Be filled with the Spirit.” Don’t be filled with a spirit of wastefulness and waste the life God gave you, but be filled with the Spirit of salvation, which redeems the time (Ephesians 5:16).

Paul says that the days we live in are evil (5:16), and he uses the Greek word poneros, which means a disease-like evil that spreads and contaminates, causing misery and pain. Paul warns believers to avoid being infected by the evil of the world’s system of values, which promotes reckless indiscretions and foolish, spiritually senseless living. Begin each day in prayer, asking God to fill you with the Spirit and to protect you from evil (Matthew 6:13), so you can walk in love as a child of light who redeems the time.

Spirit of God, Descend upon My HeartTEXT: George Croly (1854)TUNE...

18/08/2026

2026/08/19 Devotional

Romans 12:2 — Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Christians are called to be nonconformists, people who do not “go along to get along” with the world. Nonconformity with the world requires active resistance through making choices that please God.

The world is not the planet Earth, the wondrous creation of God that He designed as a place of habitation for us. The world is a value system made by the kingdom of darkness in collaboration with the fallen, sinful nature of man. This value system is hostile toward God and considers God to be its enemy (James 4:4).

The world pressures people to adopt its values and desires (lusts) that are often corrupted versions of godly values and desires (1 John 2:16). The world’s system of values is designed to keep people from having an intimate relationship with God.

The world markets its values subtly as “fashionable,” “modern,” “intelligent,” and “progressive” through social media, academia, entertainment, expectations from peers, and even religious trends that drift away from Scripture. Christians are like salmon swimming upstream against the current of the world system that wants us to “go with the flow” away from God.

God calls us to make godly choices that contradict the values of the world. For example, we do not practice sexual promiscuity and immorality, even though the world is “open-minded” and has adopted an “if it feels good, do it” and “all love is love” mentality. Christians think differently—biblically—and our renewed minds produce transformation in our lifestyles. Choose to think biblical, godly thoughts today. You are in the world, but not of the world!

The words of Romans 12:1-8 put to song.This will help your learn s...

17/08/2026

2026/08/18 Devotional

Hebrews 7:25 — Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

The author of Hebrews clearly states the purpose of his letter in Hebrews 8:1—“The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven.” Jesus Christ is the High Priest of the heavenly temple.

Jesus came to Earth to offer Himself as the “once for all” sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:10). As High Priest, Jesus “entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). Notice the emphasis “one for all,” which declares that Christ’s sacrifice was perfect, complete, and all-sufficient for the eternal redemption of sinners.

Jesus is able to save “completely,” meaning “forever.” Our salvation is forever, for Christ’s redemption is eternal. The blood of the Lamb of God on the mercy seat of the heavenly temple makes the believer eternally secure. God’s ways are always perfect (Psalm 18:30), so when we put our trust in Jesus for salvation, He perfectly made us new creations through the blood of His new covenant.

We are “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 5:17), so we are seated together with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), and we can “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). We can draw near to God through our great High Priest who always lives and intercedes for us!

Because Jesus is able to completely save us—and He has—we are able to approach the throne of grace in Heaven and receive mercy and grace to help us in our daily lives. Christ’s salvation is truly perfect! How precious it is that we can draw near to God and have Him draw near to us! (James 4:8). Because Jesus always lives, we always have a friend who helps us in our times of need.

Sing-along hymn specially arranged for elders with Alzheimer's and ...