Personal Devotions
Notes from Mark's personal Bible reading and meditation
With a goal to apply one truth from each day's reading to my life that day
Oct 2, 2026, 10:01 AM
Passage Read: Romans 2-3
Meditation Verses: 2:1-2
Thought
It is easy to look at unbelievers and think that they are so repulsive because of their evil deeds, to consider them beyond hope and utterly lost. That is, in effect, how Jews saw Gentiles, even if the Gentiles hadn't done anything notably wrong. Gentiles were just unclean in their eyes because of all the unclean things they did and ate.
Oct 1, 2026, 10:26 AM
Passage Read: Acts 28 - Romans 1
Meditation Verses: Acts 28:24-26
Thought
"Some were being persuaded..., but others would not believe." It amazes me how quickly Paul expected a response, and how quickly he turned to a rebuke and, in effect, a warning of judgment. Some were being persuaded, yet he wasn't afraid to quote Isaiah about the hardness of their hearts and the impossibility of their hearing and seeing and understanding and believing!
Sep 30, 2026, 11:16 AM
Passage Read: Acts 26-27
Meditation Verses: 27:23-25
Thought
The Lord had promised to Paul that he would testify in Rome. That was enough for Paul to have great confidence through this whole ordeal. He wasn't trying to be cocky or flippant as they faced trial after challenge, he was just fully confident that he would make it to Rome.
Sep 29, 2026, 12:43 PM
Passage Read: Acts 24-25
Meditation Verses: 24:24-25
Thought
Felix was interested in hearing about faith in Jesus, until he discovered that faith in Jesus included righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment. That means that the first time Paul has to explain the Gospel in detail to someone, he includes all those aspects!
Sep 28, 2026, 10:13 AM
Passage Read: Acts 22-23
Meditation Verse: 23:11
Thought
Paul's witness in Jerusalem was not very detailed. To the Sanhedrin, he declared that he was on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead. To the crowd that tried to kill him, he mentioned Jesus' name and commission, but little more. That was not much of a testimony, beyond mentioning Jesus as alive and as Lord.
Sep 27, 2026, 8:04 AM
Passage Read: Acts 20-21
Meditation Verses: 20:29-30
Thought
There is selfish ambition, and there is ambition for the kingdom of God. They are not the same. Paul warns that in time false teachers will come, and some will arise even from within the body of elders. They will see the crowd of believers, how they worship and seek God and hang on His every word, to know Him better and serve Him better, and they will desire that attention, respect and honor for themselves.
Sep 26, 2026, 5:21 PM
Passage Read: Acts 18-19
Meditation Verses: 19:8-10
Thought
I wish Luke had gone into greater detail here. What exactly did Paul teach? Was it just the Gospel over and over again in different ways and with different proofs, or was it the whole Christian life, taught from the pages of the Old Testament? Who attended these daily reasonings?
Sep 25, 2026, 7:03 AM
Passage Read: Acts 16-17
Meditation Verses: 16:27-31
Thought
It is interesting how Paul and Silas respond to the jailer, seeking to spare his life and being so quick and willing to share the Gospel with him and his household. There is no similar concern for the policemen who come later or for the officials who beat them, at least according to what is written here.
Sep 24, 2026, 5:50 AM
Passage Read: Acts 14-15
Meditation Verses: 15:19-20
Thought
There is an interesting contrast that jumps out to me in these two chapters. Paul and Barnabas appoint elders in each city where they preached and made disciples, and they do so "having prayed with fasting." Then they get back to Antioch, and some Jewish believers start this whole debate about circumcision and keeping the Law of Moses.
Sep 23, 2026, 7:03 AM
Passage Read: Acts 12-13
Meditation Verses: 13:49-51
Thought
This is what Jesus meant in Matthew 10, how to discern a man of peace and those who refuse to receive the Gospel. It's not so mysterious, just preach the Gospel and see who responds and how they respond. The man of peace will receive the message with gladness. Those who reject will do so vigorously.