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Ames Christian Church, Ames, OK (2026)

05/29/2026

John 15:2

“Every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

Devotional:

Pruning feels counterproductive.

Branches are cut back. Growth is trimmed away. Things that appear healthy are removed.

Yet every gardener knows pruning is not punishment.

It is preparation for greater fruit.

Sometimes God lovingly removes things from our lives:
Distractions.
Wrong relationships.
Prideful ambitions.
Comfort zones.
Habits that hinder spiritual growth.

At first, loss can feel confusing. We may not understand why certain doors closed or certain seasons changed.

But God sees what we cannot see.

Pruning creates room for healthier growth.

Not every closed door is spiritual attack.
Sometimes it is loving correction from a wise Father.

God is more concerned about lasting fruit than temporary comfort.

Reflection:

Are there areas of your life God may be pruning for your spiritual growth?

Prayer:

Lord, give me wisdom to trust You when You remove things from my life. Help me grow into the person You desire me to become. Amen.

05/28/2026

“Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand…”

Devotional:

Clay does not shape itself.

The potter applies pressure with careful hands, molding and forming the vessel for its purpose. Sometimes the clay must even be broken down and reshaped before it becomes useful.

God works patiently in the lives of His people.

There are seasons where we feel stretched.
Moments where plans change unexpectedly.
Times where God redirects us when we thought we already knew the path.

Yet the Potter sees the finished vessel even when the clay does not.

We often focus on the discomfort of the shaping process while God focuses on what we are becoming.

The hands that shape us are not cruel hands.

They are loving hands.

Hands marked by nails.

Reflection:

Where might God be reshaping your life or priorities right now?

Prayer:

Father, help me remain soft in Your hands. Shape my life according to Your purpose and not merely my comfort. Amen.

05/27/2026

1 Peter 1:6–7

“…so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which perishes though refined by fire…”

Devotional:

Gold is refined through fire.

The heat removes impurities and separates what is valuable from what is worthless. Without the fire, the impurities remain hidden.

God often works similarly in our spiritual lives.

Trials reveal things we did not know were there:
Fear.
Bitterness.
Pride.
Self-reliance.
Unforgiveness.

The fire is uncomfortable, but it reveals what needs surrendered.

Nobody enjoys difficult seasons while walking through them. Yet many believers can look back years later and realize the hardest seasons were also the holiest ones.

Some prayers were learned in the valley.
Some faith was built in the waiting.
Some maturity only came through tears.

The fire was not meant to consume you.

It was meant to refine you.

God does not waste pain when it is surrendered to Him.

Reflection:

What has God revealed in your heart during difficult seasons?

Prayer:

Lord, refine me. Burn away what does not belong in my life and shape my heart to reflect Christ more clearly. Amen.

05/26/2026

2 Corinthians 4:8–9

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed…”

Devotional:

The olive tree can survive intense heat, dry weather, and rough conditions. But nobody fully sees the value of the olive until it enters the press.

Inside that olive was oil the entire time.

Pressure simply revealed it.

There are things God has placed inside believers that often remain hidden until difficult seasons arrive.

Perseverance.
Faith.
Wisdom.
Compassion.
Endurance.

Easy seasons can make us comfortable. Hard seasons often make us dependent upon God.

When everything is going smoothly, it is easy to rely on ourselves. But when life becomes uncertain, prayer deepens. Worship becomes more genuine. Scripture becomes more precious.

Pressure has a way of driving us closer to God.

Even Jesus walked through this symbolism. Before the cross, He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane — a name that literally means “olive press.”

Before the redemption of the world came the crushing.

Jesus understands pressure.
He understands sorrow.
He understands surrender.

And because He walked through it, He walks with us through ours.

The press does not mean God has forgotten you.

Sometimes it means He is drawing something deeper out of you.

Reflection:

How has hardship drawn you closer to God in ways comfort never did?

Prayer:

Father, help me remember that pressure can reveal the work You are doing inside me. Strengthen my faith and teach me to depend upon You. Amen

05/25/2026

John 12:24

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

Devotional:

In biblical times, olives were harvested by hand and carried to a press. Massive stones would roll over them repeatedly until the oil began to flow. The process was messy. Heavy. Relentless.

Yet the pressing was not meant to destroy the olive.

It was meant to release what was valuable inside it.

Sometimes life feels like that.

Pressure comes from every direction. Responsibilities pile up. Relationships strain. Finances tighten. Unexpected disappointments arrive. And somewhere in the middle of it all we ask, “God, why is this happening?”

But what if the pressure is not proof God abandoned you?

What if the pressure is part of God sanctifying you?

Sanctification is the lifelong process where God shapes us more into the image of Christ. Most of us want spiritual growth, but growth often comes through stretching seasons instead of comfortable ones.

The olive does not produce oil sitting comfortably on the branch.

The oil comes through the pressing.

Sometimes God uses pressure to reveal pride.
Sometimes He uses hardship to deepen compassion.
Sometimes He uses waiting to strengthen faith.

The very thing you wish would disappear may be the place where God is doing His deepest work.

Do not confuse pressure with abandonment.

God is still working in the press.

Reflection:

What pressure in your life might God be using to shape your character right now?

Prayer:

Lord, help me trust You in the pressing seasons of life. When things feel heavy, remind me You are producing something valuable inside of me. Amen.

05/22/2026

“And surely I am with you always…” — Matthew 28:20

At the center of the Gospel is this powerful truth: God has never abandoned His people.

From the garden to the cross to eternity, Scripture reveals a God who draws near.

Even in the darkest moments, believers are not alone.

When fear surrounds you, Christ is there.
When sorrow overwhelms you, Christ is there.
When spiritual battles rage, Christ is there.

This world may grow darker and deception may increase, but Jesus Christ still reigns. Heaven still moves. God is still at work.

The believer’s comfort is not found in the absence of battle, but in the presence of the Savior.

You have never been alone.
And through Jesus Christ, you never will be.

Final Reflection:
How would your life change if you truly lived every day aware of Christ’s presence with you?

Final Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for never leaving me alone. Help me stand firm in truth, resist deception, and walk daily in the peace of Your presence. Amen

05/21/2026

“Take every thought captive to obey Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 10:5

One of the greatest battlefields in spiritual warfare is the human mind.

The enemy attacks through lies, fear, confusion, temptation, pride, bitterness, and hopelessness. Many battles begin in thoughts long before they ever appear outwardly.

The enemy whispers:
“You’re abandoned.”
“You’re too broken.”
“God has forgotten you.”
“Truth doesn’t matter.”
“There’s no hope.”

But God speaks differently.

You are loved.
You are seen.
You are not forgotten.
Grace is real.
Hope remains.

The closer we walk with Christ, the more clearly we recognize the difference between the enemy’s lies and God’s truth.

Jesus not only saves souls — He renews minds.

When the mind is surrendered to Christ, peace begins replacing chaos.

Reflection Question:
What thoughts in your life need to be surrendered to Christ today?

Prayer:
Lord, help me recognize lies and replace them with Your truth. Renew my mind and help me walk in peace and wisdom. Amen

05/20/2026

“Far above all rule and authority, power and dominion…” — Ephesians 1:21

The Bible never denies the existence of spiritual darkness, but it also never presents darkness as equal to God.

Jesus does not struggle to maintain authority. He already possesses it fully.

Every principality, every ruler, every spiritual force is beneath the authority of Christ.

Think about that.

The same Jesus who cast out demons…
The same Jesus who walked on water…
The same Jesus who rose from the grave…
is the One who reigns forever.

Believers do not need to live terrified of darkness. We are called to walk confidently in the authority and protection of Christ.

Yes, spiritual warfare is real.
Yes, evil exists.
But Jesus is greater.

Always greater.

When fear rises, remember who sits on the throne.

Reflection Question:
What fears become smaller when you remember Christ’s authority?

Prayer:
Jesus, strengthen my faith and remind me that no darkness can overcome Your power. Help me walk in confidence and peace. Amen

05/19/2026

“Take heed that no one deceives you.” — Matthew 24:4

Again and again throughout Scripture, believers are warned about deception.

Jesus warned about it.
Paul warned about it.
Peter warned about it.
John warned about it.

Why such repeated warnings? Because deception is one of the enemy’s greatest weapons.

The enemy rarely begins with obvious evil. Instead, deception often arrives subtly — a twisted truth, a compromised conviction, a slow drift away from God.

The world offers countless voices claiming to know truth, purpose, peace, and salvation. Yet Scripture continually points back to one unchanging reality:

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.

Not one option among many.
Not merely a teacher.
Not simply a prophet.

He is the Son of God and Lord of all.

The closer we stay to Christ and His Word, the easier it becomes to recognize deception when it appears.

Truth does not change with culture, trends, or opinions. Truth is found in Jesus.

Reflection Question:
What influences in your life pull your attention away from God’s truth?

Prayer:
Father, guard my heart and mind from deception. Help me remain rooted in Your Word and anchored in Jesus Christ. Amen

05/18/2026

We Have Never Been Alone

Scripture:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world…” — Ephesians 6:12

One of the greatest misconceptions in the modern world is the idea that humanity exists alone in a silent universe. Scripture paints a very different picture.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible reveals a spiritual reality surrounding mankind. Angels appeared. Demons opposed. Satan tempted. God spoke. Heaven moved. Humanity has never been alone.

The Apostle Paul spoke clearly about powers and principalities operating within the unseen realm. There are spiritual forces at work in this world beyond what human eyes can fully comprehend.

But believers are not meant to fear this truth. We are meant to find comfort in a greater truth:

Jesus Christ is Lord over all.

No principality outranks Him.
No darkness overcomes Him.
No power can dethrone Him.

Father God seated Christ at His right hand and placed all authority beneath His feet. The same Jesus who calmed storms and conquered death reigns over all creation today.

This world is not abandoned to chaos. Christ still sits on the throne.

Reflection Question:
Do you live more aware of earthly struggles or Christ’s spiritual authority?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me remember that You reign above every unseen power and every fear. Give me peace knowing that You are Lord over all. Amen.

Ames Christian Church

05/29/2026

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05/27/2026

05/26/2026

05/25/2026

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