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 14, 2026, 6:01 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 10-11
Meditation Verses: 10:1-5
Thought
The Israelites of old enjoyed miracles from God. They were all baptized by water and by the cloud. They ate spiritual food and drink from Christ Himself. Yet in spite of all that, most of them did not please the Lord, but died in the desert under judgment. Paul says all these things are warnings and examples to us, how not to behave as children of God.
Oct 13, 2026, 1:29 PM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 8-9
Meditation Verse: 8:1
Thought
In the case of idols, every believer should know that they are nothing. But what do we do with that knowledge? Do we flaunt our superiority? Do we show off our fearlessness: mocking idols, freely eating in temples, belittling those who fear them? Paul says, "Knowledge makes arrogant."
Oct 12, 2026, 1:16 PM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 6-7
Meditation Verses: 6:8-10
Thought
Believers should never have cause to sue one another, whether inside the church or outside of it. On the one hand, we should not be taking advantage of or defrauding each other. On the other hand, we should not so love our rights and our possessions that we would care if we are taken advantage of or defrauded.
Oct 11, 2026, 6:47 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 4-5
Meditation Verses: 5:9-13
Thought
We are to hold each other, fellow believers, to a higher standard than we hold unbelievers. Unbelievers need to be called to repentance to receive forgiveness through Jesus's blood. We are to expect and require believers to walk in obedience to Christ.
Oct 10, 2026, 7:24 AM
Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 2-3
Meditation Verses: 3:1-3
Thought
The best way to discern who is maturing in Christ and who is still only a natural man is to teach God's truth. All of us who are new in Christ still appear fleshly. We still tend to think according to our old worldly ways, and judge things by our old worldly values. But when God's Word and wisdom confront us, those of us with the Spirit give way to the Spirit's wisdom.
Oct 9, 2026, 6:09 AM
Passage Read: Romans 16 - 1 Corinthians 1
Meditation Verses: 1 Corinthians 1:17-21
Thought
As much as I want the Gospel to be a reasonable, logical and sensible message, God has determined to make it foolishness to the world, to those who are perishing. There is no getting around that!
Oct 8, 2026, 1:07 PM
Passage Read: Romans 14-15
Meditation Verse: 14:22
Thought
How challenging it must have been (and probably still is) to have a fellowship filled with faithful Jews and regular Gentiles. The Gentile does all kinds of things that violate Old Testament cleanliness rules, not the least of which is what he eats. So to a Jew who just believed or believed among fellow Jews, he could be offended by so many things a Gentile does and is!
Oct 7, 2026, 6:27 AM
Passage Read: Romans 12-13 Meditation Verses: 12:19-21
Thought
Paul says to bless rather than curse those who persecute us, because we're not to take our own vengeance but to leave room for God's wrath. Let God punish those who persecute us, those who set themselves as our enemies.
Oct 6, 2026, 2:25 PM
Passage Read: Romans 10-11
Meditation Verses: 11:20-23
Thought
Salvation is not by righteous works, so salvation cannot be lost by unrighteous works (our incomplete works). Salvation is by faith, so it can only be lost by a lack of faith or a giving up of faith, turning from belief to unbelief. Both produce works: Faith produces works of righteousness; unbelief produces works of unrighteousness.
Oct 5, 2026, 5:52 AM
Passage Read: Romans 8-9
Meditation Verses: 8:12-14
Thought
Paul says that all who are being led by the Spirit, these are sons of God. He expects all true believers to hear from and follow the direction of the Spirit. In isolation, that statement, that expectation could mean almost anything.