Devotionals

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or ...

Where there is good water, life is abundant. Jesus Christ describes himself as the source of living water that satisfies and fulfills life in ways nothing else can. Living Waters beautifully describes what God is providing and doing through Warm Beach Camp Ministries. Coming to one of our three Camps is coming to an experience where the living waters of Christ are shared freely with everyone. This is where the Holy Spirit draws people to the love of the Father ...

We are called as followers of Christ to go out into the world as disciples for the Lord. This is clearly stated after Jesus rose from the tomb, “Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. ...

May I ask you a couple of questions? Who is a person that you are close to? How do you interact with each other? For me, the person I am closest to is Bev. We have been married for 44 years and counting. Our interaction has many expressions. It ranges from profound conversation to working on a project. There is laughter and joy. There are times of sorrow and comfort. We pray together. We help carry each other’s load. We ...

“Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?” Galatians 3:2-3 NLT What is it with us? Why are we so willing to substitute ourselves in for the ...

“The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off ...

“One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.” Matthew 16:1 NLT The religious leaders wanted Jesus to prove who he was by demanding a miracle or miraculous sign. In so many areas of life we ask people to give proof that they are who they say they are. Passports or Enhanced Driver’s Licenses for travel are needed as proof of who we are. It ...

In 1956, cattle and forestry land along Port Susan Bay was purchased to develop what is now lovingly known by hundreds of thousands of people as Warm Beach Camp. The property came with the original farmhouse, a smaller second house, and some barns for cattle operations. The original farmhouse (now called Bayview Retreat House) became the home for Elmer and Eva McDowell (my grandparents). These two sold their business in Centralia, WA, to come and play an essential role in ...

“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You ...

“In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.” Matthew 21:18-19 NLT The second half of Matthew 21 is a sharp contrast between the appearance of faith by the religious leaders and the real power ...

Jesus uses the smallest of beginnings (mustard seed and yeast) to describe big outcomes. Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.” Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making ...

“God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9 NLT God blesses us for doing the work of living at peace with ourselves and others. Peace reflects the character of God. A young woman named Skyler shared a video on the You Version Bible App on this verse. She likened the quality of peace as being one thing that shows us as being children of God. She went on to the ...