Turkey Creek Free Will Baptist Church, Friendship Ohio

06/15/2026

Daily Devotional From Dr. David Jeremiah's Turning Point

Tenacious Love

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 1 John 3:16

Mildred O’Connell, a U.S. Army combat nurse, fell in love with Martin Molnar, an Army Air Corps pilot who flew more than 250 combat missions during World War II. The two became engaged in 1942, but both were called into service before they could be married. They didn’t see each other for two years, but they exchanged more than 4,000 pages of letters. After the war ended, they married. Their son, Ken Molnar, is planning a book based on their letters, which demonstrate the tenacious nature of genuine love.1

God’s primary and greatest commandment to us is to love Him with all we are. The second is to love others. That’s how others can tell we are Christ followers. We have to be tenacious in our love for others. It’s not easy amid the conflicts and separations of life. But we cannot give up.

If you’re having trouble loving someone amid conflict, go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to open your heart to them. Ask for a tenacious love that will not give up.

Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did. C. S. Lewis

1Dan Chalk, “Sanford Native Turns Parents’ WWII Love Letters into a Book Series,” Midland Daily News, February 9, 2026.

06/14/2026

Daily Devotional From In Touch Ministries

1 Samuel 15:1-35

One of the most common ways we step out of God’s will is through partial obedience—doing most of what He asks but holding back in other areas.
King Saul fell into this trap. After God ordered the Israelites to completely destroy the Amalekites and their possessions, they spared the best livestock and the leader, Agag. When Samuel arrived, Saul announced he’d done as commanded. But on further questioning, he shifted blame to the people (v. 15)—though he was king, and no big decision was made without his approval.

Then Saul offered what seemed like a reasonable explanation: The animals had been saved to be sacrificed to the Lord. It must have sounded righteous. But Samuel wasn’t fooled. He identified Saul’s action for what it was—rebellion (v. 23).
We can do the same thing. Our reasons for partial obedience may sound perfectly logical to us. We might even convince ourselves we’re honoring God. But the Lord doesn’t evaluate our obedience by our intentions or justifications.
Have you been rationalizing a decision that doesn’t quite align with what God wants? Partial obedience may feel like a reasonable compromise, but it keeps us from experiencing the fullness of walking in His will.

06/13/2026

Daily Devotional From Dr. David Jeremiah’s Turning Point

The Great Outdoors: Nature Reflects God’s Peace

For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

Every single day millions of people play ocean sounds from their music streaming services for relaxation, sleep, and ambient noise. The repetitive sounds of waves crashing and receding calm us. Psychologists have noticed that recurring ocean sounds resemble actual biological rhythms such as breathing and heartbeat patterns. The Lord has built these peaceful patterns into His creation for our benefit.

It’s true that nature was diminished by Adam’s sin in Genesis 3. Weeds now grow naturally while crops must be cultivated. Natural disasters occur. But the genius of God’s creative ability still shines through. What restoring, refreshing moments we experience when we sit in the sunshine, gaze across a mountain vista, or even hear the birds chirping! Being outdoors is good for us physically and mentally. There’s value to sitting on the porch or patio watching the sunrise or sunset. Puttering in the backyard or hiking in the forest is therapy for the soul.

This summer find a way to let God’s vast outdoors bring peace and joy to you!

Spending time outside, enjoying God’s creation is good for us. Gemma Hunt

06/12/2026

Daily Devotional From Dr. David Jeremiah's Turning Point

Do Not Grieve

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30

Everyone knows what it feels like to experience grief or pain and to inflict grief or pain on another person. Ephesians 4:30 is an important verse about the Holy Spirit being a person rather than an impersonal force. Only a person can be grieved.

To determine what can grieve the Holy Spirit, we only need to read the verses surrounding Ephesians 4:30. Paul warns against unwholesome speech (verse 29) and actions such as bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and malice (verse 31, NIV). Instead, we are to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving toward others as God is toward us (verse 32). So acting in a carnal or sinful way can grieve the Holy Spirit, but acting like God—being “imitators of God” (Ephesians 5:1)—will please the Holy Spirit. What should we do when we know we have grieved the Spirit? We must confess our sin and receive God’s forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9).

Don’t delay confession when you realize you have sinned and grieved the Spirit. It is the only way to continue to experience His filling.

We may grieve the Spirit as truly by not joyfully acknowledging His wonders as by not praying to Him. Robert Murray M’Cheyne

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06/11/2026

Daily Devotional From Dr. David Jeremiah's Turning Point

Walk in the Spirit

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Galatians 5:16

It comes as a surprise to some new Christians that the habits, temptations, actions, and desires that they experienced as a non-Christian do not disappear when they begin to follow Christ. Man’s sinful nature is not eradicated when a person is born again. Instead, a new conflict begins between the desires of the flesh and desires of the Spirit.

The apostle Paul confessed to experiencing this conflict in his own life (Romans 7:14-25). The things he wanted to do he was not able to do, and the things he didn’t want to do he found himself doing. He declared that only through the power of the Holy Spirit could he be set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). In Galatians 5:16-25, he contrasts living by the Spirit and living in the flesh. Living by the Spirit means yielding to the leading of the Spirit and trusting in His power to overcome the desires of the sinful nature.

Form the practice daily of asking God to fill you with His Spirit; practice the discipline of sensing and following His leading.

He who has the Holy Spirit in his heart and the Scriptures in his hands has all he needs. Alexander MacLaren

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06/10/2026

Daily Devotional From Dr. David Jeremiah's Turning Point

Come, Holy Spirit!

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:16-17

Christians think differently than those without the Lord. Paul said, “But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). He told us to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Ephesians 4:23).

When we receive Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit begins to refurbish our minds. The Spirit takes the words of Scripture and makes them real to us and real in us. He bears witness with our spirits that we are God’s children and that the sufferings of this world are not worth comparing to our future glory (Romans 8:18).

The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to face life in a different way. When we encounter a crisis, the Holy Spirit strengthens us with the knowledge of God, which gives us perspective. That provides confidence and strength to see beyond the crisis and to focus on the Lord.

If you’re facing a difficult situation, ask the Holy Spirit to give you His divine perspective.

Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of Thee; Thou only knowest what I need. Thou lovest me better than I know how to love myself.
Francois Fenelon

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06/09/2026

Daily Devotional From Dr. David Jeremiah's Turning Point

The Word of God

But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time. Jude 17-18

Would you devote your life to studying a book you didn’t believe to be reliable? Rudolf Bultmann, a German New Testament scholar, argued for “demythologizing” the New Testament. He believed it could speak to us existentially but shouldn’t be taken historically. Bultmann is an example of someone who poured himself into Bible study but whose heart wasn’t open to the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Academia is filled with such people today. So are pulpits.

Only those who truly know the Lord can understand His message. When we have questions and concerns of the heart, we need to take counsel from those who also know the Lord. Guard against the influence of liberal scholars and unbelieving teachers. The book of Jude warns against “certain individuals” who “have secretly slipped in among you” (Jude 4, NIV).

Even when seeking Christian counsel, go to those who truly know and love God’s Word. Take time to identify solid Christians in your life you can turn to when you need godly advice.

We call this book—and only this book—the Word of God. That is why it has supreme authority for our lives. Robertson McQuilkin

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06/08/2026

Daily Devotional From Dr. David Jeremiah's Turning Point

Caltrops

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13:52

Earlier this year in Michigan the North Shore Police Department warned motorists that someone was placing caltrops on the highways. These are small, sharp objects meant to puncture and deflate car tires. As we all know, tires need to be filled with air; they are useless when flat.

The devil is constantly throwing caltrops in our pathway. We’re to be filled with the Spirit, but he endeavors to deflate us. Have you felt deflated recently? The normal and victorious Christian experience means being filled with the Spirit. When you’re filled with the Spirit of God, your life will be different. You will have a song in your heart, a spirit of thanksgiving in your personality, and a yearning to bless others (Ephesians 5:18-21). You’ll also have a contagious motivation to share the Word of God with others (Acts 4:31).

Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your steps as you choose to have a positive influence on others. Open your life fully to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to keep you inflated and filled with His Spirit today.

The Spirit-filled life is not a deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people. A. W. Tozer

06/07/2026

Daily Devotional From In Touch Ministries

2 Timothy 2:4-5

In verse 4 of today’s passage, Paul warns against becoming “entangled” in the affairs of everyday life. The image is vivid: a soldier so wrapped up in civilian concerns that he can’t move freely to serve his commander.

Paul wasn’t telling Timothy to abandon all earthly responsibilities. After all, Paul himself worked as a tentmaker while carrying on ministry. Rather, he was cautioning against allowing daily pursuits to supersede a commitment to Christ. When our occupation, finances, or leisure consume us to the point that spiritual disciplines suffer, we’ve become entangled.

Growing wealth, providing for our family, and enjoying rest are all important—God encourages them. However, it’s important to guard against letting these blessings become distractions that draw us away from church, prayer, or Bible study. And we should avoid compartmentalizing our life into “ministry time” and “regular life.”

We are Christ’s workmanship no matter where we are or what we’re doing (Ephesians 2:10). Everything God gives—vocation, resources, leisure—is meant to be used for His glory. The question isn’t whether we work or rest, but whether these good things keep us from serving our Leader freely.

06/06/2026

Daily Devotional From Dr. David Jeremiah's Turning Point

The Great Outdoors: Nature Declares His Glory

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. Matthew 6:28

As we step into summer, many of us take steps into the great outdoors to enjoy God’s creation in the warm sunlight of the season. Some will take hikes up mountain pathways; others will walk to the edge of canyons or to the top of gushing waterfalls. But even a walk down the street or through the park—if we will only focus—shows us lilies, daisies, billowing clouds, chirping birds, and calming breezes.

Psalm 125:2 says, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.” Psalm 148 says, “Mountains and all hills; fruitful trees and all cedars…. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven” (verses 9, 13).

Romans 1:20 tells us that God’s invisible power and glorious attributes can be seen in what He has made. Take time to enjoy the birds, flowers, stars, leaves, plants, hills, and brooks He has made. Praise Him and know that if He cares for His great outdoors, He will also care for you.

The world was no doubt made, that it might be the theater of the divine glory. John Calvin

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