Joshua Kennedy's Weekly Devotion

Opening / Introduction Jesus’ calling of the disciples happens at the very beginning of His public ministry. That matters. Even in His earthly ministry, Jesus did not choose to minister alone; He called men to walk with Him, learn from Him, and labor beside Him. That shows us something important: Kingdom ministry was never meant to be carried by a single person. The body of Christ works through many members, each joined together for His purpose. Both Mark 1:16–20 and John 1:35–42 portray this call powerfully. In John’s Gospel, Andrew first encounters Jesus and brings Simon to Him. Then in Mark’s account, Jesus gives the direct summons: “Come, follow me.” What began as an encounter became a life of discipleship. Somewhere along the way, many people have reduced Christianity to church attendance, religious language, or simply believing certain truths about Jesus. But to be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ. Faith in Jesus is the beginning, but real discipleship means we no longer...

Introduction What does it really mean to be spiritually grounded? For many, Christianity begins and ends with salvation: accepting Jesus, attending church, and striving to be a good person. But the call of Christ goes much deeper than that. It’s not just about believing in Him; it’s about following Him. Somewhere along the way, we’ve unintentionally separated being a believer from being a disciple, as if they are two different paths. But Jesus never made that distinction. In His mind, to believe in Him is to follow Him. From the very beginning, growth has always been a part of life. A child is born completely dependent, but that dependency is not meant to remain. Before long, that child is reaching, pulling up, and eventually taking those first steps. Why? Because they see others walking and something inside them compels them to do the same. The same is true spiritually. When we are born again, we begin dependent on Christ, and that is right. But over time, we are meant to grow, mature...

As we conclude our series, Crucified with Christ, we move from the gravity of the cross to the glory of the empty tomb. We often treat the crucifixion and the resurrection as two separate historical dates on a calendar, but for the believer, they are a singular, simultaneous reality. To live the Christian life is to understand that the "old man" didn't just go into retirement—he was executed so that a "new man" could take his place. The Great Exchange: Galatians 2:20 The foundation of our walk is found in the merging of death and life. Paul writes: "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me..." This is the "Great Exchange."  When we die to self, we don't become empty vessels; we become conduits for His resurrection power. We still inhabit these earthly bodies, but the engine driving us is no longer self-will—it is a relationship built on absolute trust in the Son of God. Baptism as a Li...

The Cross as God’s victory, not defeat There are two ways to look at the cross. One way sees weakness. A failed Messiah. A shameful death. A tragic ending. But heaven tells the truth: the cross is not God’s defeat—it is God’s victory. What looks like loss is actually triumph. What appears foolish is, in reality, the wisdom of God breaking into a world blinded by pride, power, and self-salvation. Paul says it plainly: “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18) The Cross Confounds the World’s “Wisdom” The world trusts in intelligence, influence, persuasion, and self-improvement. We live in an age where people believe the right argument, the right book, the right strategy, or the right motivational speech can fix what’s broken inside. But Paul confronts that illusion: human wisdom can explain a problem without curing it. Words can inform the mind, but they cannot resurrect the heart.
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  There’s a moment at the end of Galatians where you can almost feel Paul lean in close—like a father grabbing his child by the shoulders and saying, “Listen to me. This matters.” He’s nearing the end of a letter written with fire in his bones because the gospel itself is on the line. And the final word he wants echoing in their hearts is this: Don’t boast in anything but the cross. Big Letters, Big Urgency (v. 11) Paul writes, “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.” Most likely, Paul had been dictating much of the letter, but now he takes the pen himself. The boldness of the “large letters” isn’t about style—it’s about emphasis. It’s like underlining the conclusion, writing it in all caps, or signing a warning at the bottom of an important document. This isn’t a casual closing. Paul is saying: What I’m about to say must be taken seriously, because your soul is at stake. The Trap of Religious Approval (vv. 12–13) Paul exposes the real motive behind the J...

The message of the cross does not just change our eternity — it transforms how we treat one another. When we say we are crucified with Christ, that confession must show up in community. The cross dismantles pride, crushes comparison, and births compassion. Galatians 6 reveals what a crucified life actually looks like in the body of Christ. 1. Restoration, Not Rejection (Gal. 6:1–3) A cross-shaped life does not kick people when they are down. It bends low and lifts them up. When a brother or sister falls into sin, the spiritual response is not exposure for humiliation but restoration for healing. We restore gently, remembering that we are made of the same dust. The one helping today could be the one needing help tomorrow. Pride is subtle. It whispers, “I would never do that.” But the cross silences that arrogance. Apart from grace, we are all capable of falling. The moment we believe we are above someone else, we have already stepped into dangerous territory. We are one body. If one mem...

 INTRODUCTION Paul has just finished declaring that Christ has set us free —free from the curse of the Law, free from religious bondage, and free from striving to earn righteousness (Gal. 5:1–15). But freedom is not the end goal; it is the doorway. Freedom without direction becomes chaos. Liberty without surrender becomes license. So Paul pivots. He moves from what we are free from to how we are now called to live . The question is no longer, “Am I saved?” but “What is shaping my daily life?” True freedom in Christ is not proven by what we claim, but by how we walk . And there are only two ways to walk: in the flesh or in the Spirit . There is no neutral ground. Galatians 5:16–18 THE BATTLE: FLESH VS. SPIRIT There are two operating systems for human life: the flesh and the Spirit . The flesh represents life governed by self—self-rule, self-protection, self-gratification. The Spirit represents life governed by God—submitted, surrendered, and empowered by His presence. These t...