- Today's Devotional
Jesus’s Prayer of Worship
His death is only hours away. By the morning, Jesus will be nailed to a Roman cross. Gripped with urgency, he gives his disciples final words of encouragement. He tells them to remain in him. He promises to send a helper, the Holy Spirit, to remind them of his words. He assures them that their grief will be turned to joy (John 15–16). Now, he turns to heaven to pray. He worships God the Father and asks for his death to bring glory to him. Jesus worships God for his plan to bring eternal life through his death and resurrection. He exalts him for making a way through the impossible canyon of sin and death. Knowing that God will be glorified and reunited with his creation allows him to worship in the face of insurmountable suffering.
Beyond the Weekend
How it Works
Follow Along
Each week ties directly to Sunday's sermon. Monday through Friday, a new reading drops.
Open your Bible
Each day gives you a short passage, a reflection, and a question to sit with.
Go deeper together
Share your takeaways with your group or a friend. Community makes it stick.
Written by your church
Staff and volunteers write every devotional—people who love God and Ada Bible.
Latest Devotionals
For every step of your journey.
- Devotional
Jesus’s Prayer of Worship
His death is only hours away. By the morning, Jesus will be nailed to a Roman cross. Gripped with urgency, he gives his disciples final words of encouragement. He tells them to remain in him. He promises to send a helper, the Holy Spirit, to remind them of his words. He assures them that their grief will be turned to joy ( John 15–16 ). Now, he turns to heaven to pray. He worships God the Father and asks for his death to bring glory to him. Jesus worships God for his plan to bring eternal life through his death and resurrection. He exalts him for making a way through the impossible canyon of sin and death. Knowing that God will be glorified and reunited with his creation allows him to worship in the face of insurmountable suffering.
- Devotional
Communion
This weekend, we celebrated Communion as a church family. Communion is a tangible corporate reminder of Jesus’s finished work on the cross. The bread and cup represent his broken body and shed blood, given so our sins could be forgiven. As we share this meal together, we proclaim who Jesus is, what he accomplished through his death, and the hope of his return. Communion also reveals the heart of the Father. Like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, God does not wait with folded arms, demanding that we earn our way back. Instead, he runs toward us with compassion, welcoming us through the sacrifice of his Son. The cross is the ultimate picture of the Father’s love, making a way for every wandering heart to come home to him.
- Devotional
Coming Home
Everything changes when the younger son returns home. Expecting shame and hoping to be accepted as a servant, he prepares his confession and begins the journey back. But before he can reach the house, his father sees him from a distance. In a culture where a son who dishonors his family deserves rejection, the father does the unthinkable. The son expects to earn his way back, but the father freely welcomes him home with love, grace, and joy. Instead of punishment, he gives his son the best robe, a ring, and sandals, restoring him to his place in the family. Then he calls for a feast.
- Devotional
Rebellious Hearts
As his ministry grows, Jesus responds to the religious leaders’ criticism with a parable. They believe they are better than everyone else because they keep the laws and commandments. Through this story, Jesus shows that both sons have hearts that are far from their father. The younger son rebels in obvious ways. The older son looks obedient on the outside, but his heart is filled with anger, jealousy, and resentment. One son runs away from the father. The other stays home but is just as distant in his heart.
- Devotional
The Father’s Heart
Jesus uses parables to teach people about God and the human heart. In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus tells of two sons—one who openly rebels and one who carefully follows the rules. The younger son demands his inheritance, leaves home, and wastes everything. This would bring great shame upon the family, and people would expect the father to reject his son if he returns. Instead, the father watches and waits. While his son is still far away, he sees him, feels deep compassion, runs to him, hugs him, and welcomes him home. The father does not wait for an apology before showing love. His first response is compassion.
- Devotional
David’s Prayer of Worship
As King David’s reign over Israel comes to an end, he gathers materials for the temple that his son Solomon will eventually build. Willing and joyful generosity mark this time of collecting. Seeing the wholehearted devotion of their leaders, the people rejoice, and David breaks out in a prayer of praise to God. He worships God for his faithfulness, provision, and rightful rule over the kingdom. He acknowledges God as the giver of all things and humbly recognizes that it is God who stirs up his people’s devotion. Evident by their generosity, the Israelites’ hearts are fully oriented toward God. This culminates in joy, praise, and worship for the entire nation...
- Devotional
The Sacrifice
Every morning and evening, priests offer sacrifices at the temple on behalf of God’s people. Many faithful Jews pause to pray during these times, allowing the daily sacrifices to remind them of their continual need for God’s mercy and forgiveness. Jesus tells a story about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying at the temple, likely at these set times of prayer. The tax collector’s prayer is rooted in the character of God. Knowing that God is merciful to receive the daily sacrifice, the tax collector asks for such mercy to cover him...
- Devotional
The Tax Collector’s Posture
Jesus’s story involves a proud Pharisee who puffs his chest over his spiritual accomplishments. It also features a humble tax collector who beats his chest in repentance before God. The tax collector has a right view of God’s holiness, his own sin, and dependence upon God’s mercy. And the shocker of Jesus’s story is that it is the tax collector—the one known for his sin and rebellion—who walks away justified (or declared right with God) rather than the Pharisee...
