Grapevine Christian Church

05/31/2026

05/26/2026

Daily Devotional — May 26, 2026

Opening Prayer

Lord open my heart to receive your word,
Open my eyes to read and understand it
and give me a mouth to proclaim it. Amen.

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Scripture

Acts 20:17–27

Now from Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him, he said to them:

> “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time… serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials.”

“I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.”

> “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus.”

“And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.”

Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

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John 17:1–11a

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said:

> “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.”

“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”

“And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world… They have kept your word.”

> “Holy Father, keep them in your name.”

“I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.”

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Reflection & Life Application

Today’s readings are deeply personal.

Both Paul and Jesus are speaking with the awareness that suffering and separation are ahead.

Paul knows hardship is coming.
Jesus knows the cross is near.

And yet neither one backs away.

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Paul says something that cuts straight to the heart:

> “I do not account my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course.”

That’s not self-hatred.

That’s clarity of purpose.

Paul understood: life is most meaningful when it is surrendered to something eternal.

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Then Jesus prays for His disciples.

And one line stands out beautifully:

> “Holy Father, keep them.”

Before the disciples face trials…
before confusion and persecution…

Jesus prays for them.

That means something important for you today:

You are not walking through life unsupported.

Christ intercedes for His people.

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Here’s the question today:

What am I living for deeply enough that I’m willing to stay faithful even when it becomes difficult?

Because comfort alone cannot sustain a meaningful life.

Only purpose can.

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Paul speaks of:

humility

tears

trials

faithfulness

Not platform.
Not ease.
Not applause.

Faithfulness.

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And that may be the word for today.

Not spectacular success.

Simply:

stay faithful

keep going

finish the course God gave you

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And don’t miss this comfort:

Jesus does not merely command His followers.

He prays for them.

Even now, Christ has not stopped caring for His people.

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Today’s invitation is simple:

Live with eternal purpose.

And trust that the God who called you will also keep you.

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Closing Prayer

Father,
help me live with clarity and eternal purpose.

Teach me to value faithfulness more than comfort,
obedience more than applause,
and Your calling more than temporary success.

Strengthen me when trials come,
and help me continue the course You have set before me.

Thank You that Jesus intercedes for His people
and that I am never abandoned or forgotten.

Keep me in Your name.
Guard my heart, steady my faith,
and help me live today in a way that honors You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

05/13/2026

Daily Devotional — May 12, 2026
Opening Prayer
Lord open my heart to receive your word,
Open my eyes to read and understand it
and give me a mouth to proclaim it. Amen.

Scripture
Acts 16:22–34
The crowd joined in attacking Paul and Silas, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. After many blows, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them securely. He put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice,
“Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”
The jailer called for lights and rushed in, trembling with fear. He fell down before Paul and Silas and said,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
And they said,
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. That same hour of the night he washed their wounds, and he and all his family were baptized at once.

John 16:5–11
Jesus said to his disciples:
“It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.”
“But if I go, I will send him to you.”
“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”

Reflection & Application
Today’s readings remind us that God often does His deepest work in the darkest moments.
Paul and Silas are beaten, chained, and locked away. Yet instead of bitterness, they choose worship.
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.”
That changes the entire atmosphere.
The prisoners are listening.
The jailer is watching.
And God begins moving.
Sometimes the testimony God wants to give through your life is not how loudly you praise Him when everything is going well…
…but how faithfully you trust Him when everything is not.
Anyone can worship after the chains fall off.
But worship in the middle of pain reveals real faith.
Then comes one of the most beautiful moments in the passage:
The prison doors open.
The chains fall away.
But Paul and Silas stay.
Why?
Because they cared more about the salvation of the jailer than their own escape.
That is the heart of Christ.
And the jailer asks the most important question a person can ask:
“What must I do to be saved?”
The answer is simple and powerful:
“Believe in the Lord Jesus.”
Not earn it.
Not achieve perfection first.
Believe.
Trust Him.
Surrender to Him.
Then Jesus reminds the disciples that even when they cannot understand what God is doing, the Holy Spirit is coming to guide and strengthen them.
That matters for us too.
There are seasons where God feels quiet.
Moments where life feels confusing.
Times where we wonder what He is doing.
But Jesus reminds us:
You are not abandoned.
The Helper has come.

Closing Prayer
Father,
teach me to trust You even in difficult seasons.
When life feels heavy or uncertain,
help me to worship You anyway.
Give me faith in the midnight hour
and peace when I feel surrounded by chains.
Use my life to point others toward Jesus.
And remind me that no situation is beyond Your power to redeem.
Thank You for the gift of salvation through Christ
and for the presence of the Holy Spirit who strengthens and guides me.
Help me walk closely with You today.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

05/11/2026

Daily Devotional — May 11, 2026
Opening Prayer
Lord open my heart to receive your word,
Open my eyes to read and understand it
and give me a mouth to proclaim it. Amen.

Scripture
Acts 16:11–15
Setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.
And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there.
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

John 15:26—16:4
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
“I have said all these things to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.
But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”

Reflection & Application
Today’s readings are about two things that always work together:
An open heart… and a faithful witness.
In Acts, Lydia hears the Gospel, but notice this important line:
“The Lord opened her heart.”
That’s where transformation begins.
Not merely in human effort.
Not just persuasive words.
God opens hearts.
That should encourage you today.
Because sometimes we carry pressure we were never meant to carry:
trying to fix everyone
trying to force change
trying to convince people by sheer effort
But only God can truly open a heart.
Our role is faithfulness.
His role is transformation.
Then Jesus tells His disciples something difficult:
“You will bear witness.”
Not “you might.”
Not “if it’s convenient.”
You will.
And Jesus is honest about the cost.
There will be rejection.
Misunderstanding.
Opposition.
But He tells them beforehand for one reason:
“To keep you from falling away.”
That’s love.
Jesus does not prepare His followers with false promises. He prepares them with truth.
So here’s the question for today:
Am I trying to control outcomes…
or simply be faithful where God has placed me?
Because faithful witness does not mean:
winning every argument
fixing every person
seeing immediate results
Sometimes it simply means:speaking truth gently loving people consistently
remaining faithful over time
Lydia reminds us that God is still opening hearts.
And the Holy Spirit reminds us that we are never witnessing alone.
Today’s invitation is simple:
Be faithful.
Speak truth with love.
Trust God with the results.
Because the same God who opened Lydia’s heart is still at work in people today.

Closing Prayer
Father,
open my heart more deeply to Your truth today.
Help me to be faithful in how I speak, live, and represent Christ.
Keep me from trying to control what only You can do.
Give me courage to bear witness to Jesus with both truth and love.
And when I face resistance or discouragement, remind me that Your Spirit is with me.
Use my life to point people toward You.And open hearts, just as You opened Lydia’s heart, to receive Your truth and grace.In Jesus’name, Amen.