Nassau Bay Baptist Church

08/11/2026

08/11/2026

Below is a 5-day devotional based on Sunday's message:

5-Day Bible Reading Plan and Devotional Guide
Based on the Book of Jude: Contending for the Faith and Resting in God's Power
Day 1: Called, Beloved, and Kept

Reading: Jude 1-2; Romans 8:28-39

Devotional: Before Jude ever warns his readers about false teachers or calls them to spiritual battle, he first anchors them in their identity. They are called, beloved, and kept. These are not casual words. To be called is to be sovereignly chosen. To be beloved is to be the object of God's unrelenting affection. To be kept is to rest under the protective watch of an all-powerful shepherd. Notice that none of these words describe what you have done. They describe what God has done. Your standing before God does not rise and fall with your performance. It rests entirely in his character. Begin today by sitting quietly with the truth that God set his love upon you not because of your worthiness, but because of his grace. Let that reality reorder your confidence, your identity, and your worship.

Reflection: In what areas of your life have you been trying to earn or maintain what God has already freely given you in Christ?

Practical Application: Write down the three words called, beloved, and kept. Place them somewhere visible throughout your day as a reminder that your security is rooted in God's action, not your own.

Day 2: Contending Without Being Contentious

Reading: Jude 3-4; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Colossians 4:5-6

Devotional: Jude's tone shifts quickly. He had planned to write about the joy of salvation, but the condition of the church demanded something more urgent. The faith was under threat, and the people of God needed to contend for it. Yet contending for the faith is not the same as being contentious in spirit. Truth spoken without love becomes a weapon rather than a gift. The call to defend what has been delivered to the saints is also a call to do so with grace, patience, and genuine concern for those who have been deceived. False teaching does not only threaten doctrine; it threatens souls. When you engage with those who have wandered from sound truth, remember that the goal is not to win an argument but to win a person.

Reflection: Is there a situation in your life where you have confused defending the truth with simply needing to be right? How might love and grace reshape your approach?

Practical Application: Identify one person in your circle who may be drifting from biblical truth. Pray specifically for them today, asking God to open a door for a gracious and honest conversation.

Day 3: Building Up, Praying Through, and Pressing On

Reading: Jude 20-21; Ephesians 6:10-18; Philippians 4:6-7

Devotional: After painting a sobering picture of spiritual danger, Jude does not leave his readers paralyzed by fear. He gives them a strategy. Build yourself up in your most holy faith. Pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourself in the love of God. Live in anticipation of Christ's return. Each of these is an active, ongoing discipline. Spiritual health is not maintained passively. You do not drift into a deep and resilient faith. You build it, prayer by prayer, truth by truth, day by day. The enemy is real, but so is the God who indwells you. The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead dwells within every believer and intercedes on your behalf. Your preparation for spiritual battle begins not on the battlefield but on your knees.

Reflection: Which of these four disciplines -- building your faith, praying in the Spirit, remaining in God's love, or anticipating Christ's return -- is most neglected in your current season of life?

Practical Application: Choose one of the four disciplines Jude describes and commit to a specific, measurable practice for the remainder of this week. Write down what that looks like in your daily routine.

Day 4: The Urgency of Mercy

Reading: Jude 22-23; Luke 15:1-7; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

Devotional: Jude closes his practical instruction with a call to mercy, but it is a mercy marked by urgency. Some who have been deceived need patient, compassionate engagement. Others need to be snatched from the fire. The imagery is striking and intentional. There is no neutral ground when a soul is in danger. The church is not called to stand at a comfortable distance and observe the lost with theological detachment. We are called to reach, to go, to act. At the same time, Jude warns that this engagement requires wisdom and discernment. Mercy does not mean carelessness. You can love someone toward the truth without allowing their spiritual condition to compromise your own. Go with urgency. Go with love. Go with your eyes open.

Reflection: Is there someone in your life who is spiritually lost or deeply deceived whom you have been hesitant to engage? What has held you back, and what would it look like to move toward them with both mercy and wisdom?

Practical Application: Take a specific step today toward someone who needs to hear the gospel. This could be a phone call, a letter, an invitation to coffee, or simply a committed prayer on their behalf.

Day 5: To Him Who Is Able

Reading: Jude 24-25; Psalm 121; Philippians 1:3-6

Devotional: Jude ends where all genuine theology must end -- with God. After every warning, every exhortation, every urgent appeal, the final word belongs to him. He is able. He is able to keep you from stumbling. He is able to present you blameless before the presence of his glory. He is able to do this not because of your faithfulness, but because of his. The doxology Jude writes is not a polite closing. It is a declaration of the entire foundation upon which the letter stands. God is the only God. He is Savior. He is Lord. He holds glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time, now, and forevermore. Whatever you are walking through today, whatever feels unsteady or uncertain, bring it before the one who is able. Your salvation did not begin with you, and it will not end with you. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. Rest in that. Rejoice in that. Worship him for that.

Reflection: What area of your life have you been trying to manage in your own strength rather than entrusting to the God who is able? What would genuine surrender look like in that area today?

Practical Application: Close this five-day guide by writing your own brief doxology. In your own words, ascribe to God the glory, majesty, dominion, and authority he deserves. Let your praise be specific to what he has done in your own life and what you are trusting him to do.

Send a message to learn more

08/11/2026

Clip from our final message for Jude's letter: “Contending for the Faith: Jude’s Doxology” (Jude 24-25). "He is able...!"

08/10/2026

GriefShare will be beginning again soon. This is a great way to link arms with others and process grief in a healthy way. We'd love to help you walk through this season of life.
https://find.griefshare.org/groups/301443

08/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ExCXv7tte/

OTD in 1788 Adoniram Judson was born. The missionary to Burma labored 7 years before his first convert and spent almost 40 years on the field. He translated the Burmese Bible and was among first to adopt native customs to reach the people. He buried two wives and several children in Burma.

08/05/2026

We are grateful for Jim Daniel's message on "Prayer" July 26. If you happened to miss this sermon you can find it on our Youtube channel. Here is a summary and some highlights from the message: Key Takeaways from the Sermon

Prayerlessness is one of the fundamental problems facing the church today, and Satan actively works to keep believers from praying.

Effective prayer involves three increasing levels of passion, drawn from Matthew 7:7-8 -- asking (presenting requests to God), seeking (searching for God's answer and will), and knocking (following through on God's leading).

Persistence in prayer is not about wearing God down, but about allowing Him to work in us and through us while spiritual battles are being fought behind the scenes.

God sometimes delays answers to prayer to mature us, correct our motives, align our requests with His will, or wait for the right timing.

Our intercessory prayers genuinely affect the spiritual realm and help tear down strongholds in the lives of those we love.

1: The Problem of Prayerlessness
The sermon opened with a striking story about a Satan worshiper who fasted and prayed every Friday at noon, specifically asking that Christian leaders would fall into sin and that their families would crumble.

What was your reaction to that story? Did it challenge or convict you in any way.

He described prayer as "the slender nerve that moves the muscles of omnipotence." What does that phrase mean to you, and do you actually live as though you believe it?

2: Passionate Prayer -- Ask, Seek, Knock (Matthew 7:7-8)
The sermon described three levels of increasing passion in prayer: asking, seeking, and knocking.

Asking is described as the most basic level -- simply going to God with your needs. The speaker said, "We will never develop a passion for prayer that moves the heart of God until we stop making all these excuses as to why we can't do it and pray."

Seeking involves wanting God's answer, not just His approval of what we have already decided.

Knocking means following through on God's leading, doing whatever it takes to discern His answer. The speaker mentioned that believers used to call this "putting feet to your prayers." =

Psalm 42:1-2 describes a deep, thirsting hunger for God. On a scale of one to ten, how would you honestly rate your current hunger and desire for prayer -- not just as a duty, but as communion with God?

3: Persistent Prayer -- Never Give Up (Luke 18:1-8)
Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow to show that His followers should always pray and never give up.

Jim outlined three reasons God calls us to persist in prayer:

Persistence makes us aware of things hindering our prayers (wrong motives, wrong requests, or wrong timing).
Persistence gives us more than the original request (deeper dependence on God, learning to trust His silence).
Persistence affects spiritual battles going on behind the scenes.

He described the temptation to treat God like a toddler treats his mother -- demanding an immediate answer and pitching a fit when one does not come. 1 John 5:14-15 teaches that God answers prayer aligned with His will.

4: Praying for Others -- Tearing Down Strongholds
The sermon presented five principles for praying for those who are lost or living in disobedience:

Pray that they will see their sin as God sees it.
Pray that God will do surgery in their hearts through His Word (Hebrews 4:12).
Pray that the consequences of their sin will become apparent to them.
Pray that God will bring people who will speak truth into their lives.
Pray that they will truly and thoroughly repent.

Jim described visualizing a large circle representing the enemy's camp and said that persistent intercession helps create "an environment conducive to where they'll be willing to repent."

Practical Applications
Choose one or more of the following to commit to this week:

SET A PRAYER TIME -- Identify one specific time each day this week when you will stop everything else and simply talk to God. It does not have to be long. Start with five or ten minutes. Write it down and treat it as a non-negotiable appointment.

JOURNAL YOUR PRAYERS -- Keep a simple prayer journal this week. Write down your requests, note when and how God answers, and record anything He seems to be saying to you in the process. Bring it to the next group meeting and share one observation.

PRAY FOR ONE PERSON -- Identify one person in your life who is far from God or living in disobedience. Using the five principles from the sermon, write out a specific prayer for that person and commit to praying it every day this week.

EXAMINE YOUR MOTIVES -- Take one prayer request you have been bringing to God and honestly examine it. Ask yourself: Am I praying this with the right motive? Is this aligned with God's will? Am I willing to accept His answer even if it is different from what I want? Write out your honest reflections.

PRACTICE SEEKING -- The next time you bring a request to God, spend as much time listening and seeking His perspective as you do presenting your own desires. Practice silence and openness to whatever He may be saying.

08/05/2026

5-Day Bible Reading Plan and Devotional Guide
Based on the Themes from Jude: Contending for the Faith
Day 1: Standing on the Foundation
Reading: Jude 17-19; Ephesians 2:19-22

Devotional: The apostles did not leave us without warning. False teaching, moral compromise, and spiritual division were predicted long before they arrived at our doorstep. Jude calls believers to remember what they have already been taught. The foundation of our faith is not a feeling, a tradition, or a personality. It is the revealed truth of Scripture, built upon the apostles and prophets, with Christ himself as the cornerstone. When the voices around you grow loud and confusing, return to what has already been delivered. The word that was sufficient for the early church remains sufficient today. Remember what you know. Stand where you have been planted.

Reflection: What foundational truth of Scripture do you most need to return to this week?

Application: Identify one biblical teaching you have drifted from. Write it down and commit to studying it more deeply this week.

Day 2: Building, Praying, Remaining
Reading: Jude 20-21; Romans 8:26-27; John 15:9-11

Devotional: Jude gives the believer three active commands: build yourself up in the faith, pray in the Spirit, and keep yourself in the love of God. These are not passive postures. They require daily intention. Building in the faith means pursuing God's word with humility, dying to self, and practicing the spiritual disciplines. Praying in the Spirit means surrendering your agenda and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead your conversation with the Father. Remaining in God's love means choosing obedience, because Christ himself said that those who keep his commandments abide in his love. Spiritual maturity is not accidental. It is the fruit of deliberate, daily pursuit of God.

Reflection: Which of these three commands feels most neglected in your current walk with God?

Application: Set aside fifteen minutes today specifically to pray, not with a prepared list, but with a quiet and open heart, asking the Spirit to lead you in what to bring before God.

Day 3: Knowing the Difference
Reading: Matthew 7:15-23; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 1:15-16

Devotional: Jesus warned that false teachers would not arrive wearing signs identifying themselves as wolves. They would come dressed as sheep. The distinguishing mark, he said, would be their fruit. Jude echoes this by describing false teachers as scoffers, immoral, divisive, worldly-minded, and devoid of the Spirit. Each characteristic has an opposite that should mark the genuine believer: reverence instead of scoffing, holiness instead of immorality, unity instead of division, and the indwelling Spirit as the seal of salvation. Knowing what falsehood looks like is not paranoia. It is spiritual discernment. And discernment grows only in those who are consistently in the word of God.

Reflection: How do you currently distinguish between sound teaching and false teaching in what you read, watch, or hear?

Application: Evaluate one source of spiritual content you regularly consume. Measure it against Scripture. Does it build you up in the faith, or does it subtly pull you away from it?

Day 4: Contending Without Being Contentious
Reading: 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Proverbs 26:21; Ephesians 4:1-6

Devotional: There is a meaningful difference between contending for the faith and being contentious. Contending is motivated by love for God and love for people. It is grounded in Scripture rather than personal preference, and it is carried out with humility and gentleness. Being contentious, by contrast, is driven by pride. It enjoys the argument more than it values the person. Jude calls believers to defend revealed truth, but Paul reminds us that the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome. The goal of contending is never to win a debate. The goal is to speak truth in such a way that God might grant repentance to those who are in error, leading them back to life.

Reflection: Think of a situation where you defended truth. Were you contending or being contentious? What was your motivation?

Application: Before your next difficult spiritual conversation, pause and ask yourself: Am I seeking to help this person, or am I seeking to win? Let the answer shape how you proceed.

Day 5: Rescuing with Mercy and Urgency
Reading: Jude 22-23; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Luke 15:1-7

Devotional: Jude closes his practical instructions not with condemnation but with compassion. He urges believers to show mercy to doubters, to act with urgency toward those in spiritual danger, and to pursue with caution those deeply entangled in sin, all while being careful not to be corrupted in the process. The church is not a fortress to hide in. It is a base from which to go out. The souls of your neighbors, coworkers, and family members are not abstractions. They are people headed somewhere for eternity. The gospel is the only thing that changes that destination. Rescue is not optional for those who have themselves been rescued. Go with mercy. Go with urgency. Go with the gospel.

Reflection: Who in your life is in spiritual danger? What has kept you from pursuing them with the gospel?

Application: Write down the name of one person who needs to hear the gospel. Commit to praying for them daily this week and ask God for one natural opportunity to share the truth with them in love.

08/04/2026

Devos from last week's message!

Day 1: When Wolves Wear Sheepskin Among Us
The church has always faced infiltrators who twist truth while claiming Christ’s name. Jude’s warning echoes Jesus’ own words: false teachers don’t just exist “out there” but emerge within faith communities. Their presence confirms Scripture’s reliability, yet demands discernment. These spiritual wolves thrive on division, sensuality, and rebellion against God’s authority. Their ultimate mark? A life devoid of the Holy Spirit’s transforming power. True believers cultivate the opposite—reverence, unity, and Spirit-led obedience. [37:06]

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:15–16, ESV)

Reflection: What subtle teachings or behaviors in your spiritual circles might align more with cultural trends than Christ’s commands? How does your life actively contrast the “devoid of the Spirit” mark Jude describes?

Day 2: Scoffers, Sensuality, and the Sin Beneath the Surface
False teaching isn’t merely intellectual error—it’s rooted in rebellion. Jude exposes five traits: scoffing at divine authority, indulging fleshly desires, dividing communities, embracing worldly values, and lacking the Spirit. These aren’t isolated flaws but symptoms of unregenerate hearts. The antidote isn’t better arguments but cultivating holy fear, prayerful dependence, and love for biblical boundaries. True faith transforms both beliefs and appetites. [41:38]

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3–4, ESV)

Reflection: Where might you be tolerating “itchy ear” teachings that justify personal desires? How does your daily walk actively nurture reverence over rebellion?

Day 3: Building on Bedrock, Not Beach Sand
Jude commands believers to “build yourselves up in your most holy faith”—not through self-help spirituality but anchoring to apostolic truth. Like the early church councils, this requires returning to Scripture’s non-negotiable: Christ’s deity, human depravity, salvation by grace. Maturity comes through corporate worship, sacraments, and accountability—not isolated spirituality. The church’s history of defending these truths becomes our guardrail against modern heresies. [53:49]

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:19–20, ESV)

Reflection: Which spiritual disciplines have you neglected that require community? How does knowing church history protect you from recycled falsehoods?

Day 4: Praying in the Spirit’s Current
Prayer isn’t a monologue but a triune conversation. To “pray in the Spirit” means surrendering our agenda to His intercession—whether through Scripture-shaped requests, silent listening, or groans too deep for words. This isn’t mystical ecstasy but daily reliance on the Spirit’s presence, who bridges our weakness and Christ’s mediation. Such prayer fortifies against falsehood by aligning our desires with God’s eternal purposes. [58:01]

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26, ESV)

Reflection: When have you prioritized eloquence over the Spirit’s quiet promptings? How might “groaning prayers” deepen your trust in God’s unseen work?

Day 5: Snatching Souls from the Flame’s Edge
Jude’s final charge isn’t condemnation but urgent rescue. Three responses are needed: patient mercy for doubters, crisis intervention for the perishing, and cautious love for the corrupted. This demands believing hell’s reality enough to risk discomfort. Like firemen rushing into burning buildings, Christians must act—not with superiority, but tears—knowing we too were once “snatched” by grace. [01:07:30]

“And the Lord said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.’” (Luke 14:23, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your orbit needs compassionate “compelling” toward Christ? What comfort-seeking patterns make you hesitate to sound the alarm?

07/16/2026

Jesus is the light of the world!