Bartlett Baptist Church

05/14/2026

Image

Scripture Reading — Genesis 1:26-28

God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. — Genesis 1:27

What do you think of yourself?

One person might say, “I’m a guy who made millions selling cars.” Or “I was the first woman in my family to go to college.” Or “I’m just a hard worker who wants to take care of my family.” We all have a variety of abilities and callings.

Ultimately, though, it is essential for us to recognize that we are made in God’s image. This means that in many ways we can act, think, and create, as God does. We can also have a relationship of friendship with God our Creator himself.

I know of a person who did development work in some of the poorest villages in Central America. The people there needed help with many things: agriculture, literacy, health, marriage, parenting, and so on. But this person did not go into a village and try to fix everyone’s problems.

Instead he started a Bible study. And he began with this passage in Genesis. He shared with his listeners that they were all created in God’s image. He helped them to see that they could think and act creatively and have a life-changing relationship with God. And when people accepted this truth about themselves, they could begin to believe and see that they could bring changes into their lives and communities. They couldn’t change anything on their own, but they learned that in the power of God they could do all kinds of things!

05/13/2026

05/13/2026

True

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 1:15-23

[May] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
— Ephesians 1:17

True knowledge is a gift from God. When we know God for who he truly is, that is the most important and basic truth that anyone can accept.

The apostle Paul prays that God will give his readers the spiritual powers of wisdom and revelation. Paul knows that God is eager to give Christians these gifts. When we have godly wisdom, we understand how God’s world works, and we understand what to do. When we receive the spiritual power of revelation (vision), we can see what lies ahead and be confident that the future is in God’s hands.

Wisdom and revelation from God lead us to know God better. Our increasingly wise thoughts inform us that the power and love and goodness of God are without end. And through revelation the Spirit shows that no matter how much we meditate on God and his Word, we will never see to the end of his goodness, power, and love.

Increasing knowledge of God sets us on the path toward holiness. This is not just a matter of accepting facts about God. We learn and experience that God is good and loving and just. And when we grow in the knowledge of God, we begin to offer him our reverence and obedience, which he truly deserves.

Let’s pray daily for wisdom and revelation so that our knowledge of God may continually increase.

05/12/2026

Armor

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 6:10-18

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. — Ephesians 6:11

Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against hostile spiritual powers. These powers are organized but unseen, a truly diabolical enemy. Led by Satan, these evil powers are always scheming against the Lord and his kingdom, trying to overthrow the rule of God in our lives and in this world.

So what are our weapons in this warfare? They make up the armor of God, as Paul describes it in our text for today. Put on the belt of truth. The beginning of evil is the acceptance of a lie. Followers of Christ who know and honor the truth are uniquely positioned to win against the deceitful spiritual powers of evil.

Wear the breastplate of righteousness. Knowing and doing what is right is to live with integrity. It takes courage to do what is right, even when others may say it doesn’t matter.

Be quick to share the gospel of peace. The powers of evil have already been beaten through Jesus’ finished work. This is good news that can help to convert enemies into allies.

Carry the shield of faith. Faith is belief and trust in the living God and his promises, even though we cannot see him. Though it can seem that evil is winning, it has already lost to Christ, and in him we will win.

Pray and follow God’s Word. God hears all our prayers, and he delights in giving us the full life he promises in his Word, which is the sword of the Spirit. God’s Word is the whole and final truth.

05/11/2026

Belong

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 10:1-6

We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
— 2 Corinthians 10:5

Neuroscientists have discovered that we average about 6,000 thoughts per day. What a challenge it is to “take captive every thought” for Christ!

There are strongholds of thoughts within us that resist submission to God. You probably have one or two of them. They are little parts of our character and thought patterns that are opposed to God. They have signs set up that say, “God is not needed here.” Perhaps it is the way you view a neighbor or a relative. Perhaps it is the way you use the earth’s resources. Or something else.

Yet there is no piece of our mind that does not belong to God. Every inch of it must surrender to God. How? First, “be still, and know that [the Lord is] God” (Psalm 46:10). Admit that the stronghold you have set up in your mind is challenging the right of the King of kings to rule your life. It opposes true knowledge of God. Second, confess this sin to God, and perhaps also to a trusted Christian friend. Third, with the help of the Holy Spirit, challenge the strongholds of falsehood with the true knowledge of God. You can do this by saying to yourself, “No, that isn’t right. I know that is not what God wants.” And, if necessary, tell yourself the same thing later when the devil responds with, “Did God really say . . . ?”

It is a never-ending battle. But Christ has already won it.

05/11/2026

Will you join in Prayer for Renewed Love for God’s Word

Heavenly Father, restore in me a deep devotion to Your Word, that my heart’s cry might truly be, “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Psalm 119:97). Where I have neglected it, draw me back with conviction and hunger. Open my understanding so that Your Truth transforms every area of my life. Guard me from deception and anchor me firmly in what is unchanging and eternal. Let revival come as Your people return to the authority of Scripture. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen

05/10/2026

Lies

Scripture Reading — John 8:42-47

“When [the devil] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” — John 8:44

A lie led to the beginning of human sin. Back in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve accepted Satan’s lie: “You will not certainly die. . . . You will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5).

Ever since then, the voice of the liar, the father of lies, has carried on. Satan apparently can’t speak the truth; lying is his native language. Today Satan keeps telling us versions of the same lies he spoke in Eden: “God doesn’t really want the best for you.” “You will never have any fun if you follow the moral standard set by God.” “You really won’t suffer any consequences for doing that.”

What lies is Satan telling you lately? “It really doesn’t matter if you watch some porn.” “Paying all your taxes would be crazy, given the way the government spends money.” “You deserve a new car, a higher salary.”

Pay attention to what you are thinking. Listening to the father of lies can be the first step into sinfulness.

These lies include conspiracy theories that flood social media. Satan is in charge of those too. He is quite capable of using politicians and media personalities to promote his lies. The fact that others may agree with Satan is no excuse.

Our thought world is a war zone. Listen to the one who has already won the war. Reject the one who can never be trusted.

05/09/2026

Thoughts

Scripture Reading — James 5:13-16

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. — James 5:16

None of us likes to confess sin. The first step in confession is to acknowledge that we have done something wrong. That doesn’t make us feel very good about ourselves. But we must confess our sins, even if they are only sinful thoughts.

Confessing our sinful thoughts is not a natural practice. We might think that if we haven’t acted on sinful things we have thought about, why bother? We may tell ourselves that what we think doesn’t really matter, but it does. All seven of the deadly sins are based in our thoughts: envy, greed, gluttony, sloth, anger, lust, and pride. These deadly thoughts are the fertile soil from which sins of word and deed can sprout and grow.

We tend to think that since they are only thoughts, they don’t need to be confessed. We might even think that we have our problem under control— or soon will. We would much rather manage our problems than confess our sins.

But we need to confess our sinful thoughts, not just manage them. And if we are fortunate enough to have good Christian friends with whom we can confess our thoughts, we should talk with them. We need to admit that we cannot conquer sin on our own. We need the power of God’s Spirit to free us from sin and evil. If we wish to be like Christ, we need God’s Spirit to cleanse our thoughts.

05/08/2026

Bedtime

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 3:21-26

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. — Proverbs 3:24

Have you ever had a strange dream that woke you up in the middle of the night? Many of us have. Our subconscious is active even when we are asleep.

In addition, the Holy Spirit is at work in us, even when we are not conscious of it.

This is one reason why we need to talk to God before we sleep. Bedtime prayers are important. What can we say to God before we go to sleep? We should thank him for his protection during the day, even if we are not always aware of it. We should thank him for keeping us from sin and from causing harm to ourself or others.

We should also prepare for the next day. We can trust that tomorrow is in God’s hands. We can cast our worries on him, knowing that God has already seen what awaits us and has arranged things for our good.

If you have concerns that could keep you awake, lay them before God. You might not see a way out, but God has already provided the ultimate way through Jesus Christ.

The practice of bedtime prayer can and should begin at a young age.

05/05/2026

Renewed

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:1-2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. — Romans 12:2

Notice the big contrast in this text. We can follow the “pattern”— or the behaviors, standards, and customs—of the world. Or we can follow the will of God. And the way to do that is to be transformed by the renewing of our mind in Christ so that we can see how to live by God’s will.

Our world is influenced by evil. The patterns, behaviors, standards, and customs of this world promote selfishness, boasting, abuse of power, and disdain for others. We see it every day in the media. And it can be difficult to resist, especially when it seems normal.

God wants to rescue us from destructive thoughts and patterns. Each person—empowered by the Holy Spirit—needs to seek God to be transformed.

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” writes the apostle Paul. This is a good shorthand description of the Christian’s lifelong calling. It describes how to become more like the Savior. We need to shed our old, evil thoughts and put on new, holy ones. We can leave behind the desires of the world and grasp the love of God. We can put away self-promoting customs and embrace the self-sacrificing love of Christ.

We need to resist and reject the customs and patterns of the sinful world. Our minds need to discern what the true will of God is and to live by it.

05/04/2026

Resist

Scripture Reading — Genesis 6:5-8

Every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. — Genesis 6:5

Wow! The people in those days must have been really, really bad. Look at all those totalizing terms: every, only, all the time. And all of this troubled God deeply.

Some people, and even some societies, can go very bad. Notice where it starts—in the thoughts of their hearts. In the story that follows, God sends a flood to destroy everything corrupted by the evil and violence of that time.

Today, if the Spirit of Christ is working in us, that should mean we are not at risk of being “only evil all the time,” right? Well, let’s not kid ourselves. We can still be quite bad if we regularly let the thoughts of our hearts yield to evil. Such thoughts will not remove us from the saving power of Christ, but they will allow the devil to use us for evil purposes. Evil thoughts will also set us apart from the will of God and from the good that he has in mind for us.

So let’s watch the thoughts of our hearts. We need to monitor them. We need to recognize which thoughts are good and which ones are evil. We need to resist the evil ones.

Jesus redeems us from the flood of judgment, but the struggle against evil will continue until he returns. In the Lord’s strength and by the power of his Spirit, we can turn from evil and seek to do what is good.