Break Every Chain, 11602 Valley Forge, Sellersburg, IN (2026)

05/20/2026

Devotional: Disciples Ask and Answer Questions

Scripture:
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Matt 16:13 NKJV

Reflection:
“Asking questions and encouraging questions are powerful tools for making disciples.” -John B. MacDonald

As disciples of Jesus, we need to be prepared to answer questions, tough questions. This will mean knowing your scripture, but also being able to relate to people on a level that is meaningful. Discipleship, as we have seen, is first and foremost about being apprentices of Jesus. We, in turn, teach others how to apprentice Jesus, and they, too, become disciples of Christ through this process. I hesitate in calling it a process because it is much more than that; it is a relationship.

Relationships start with a first meeting, a greeting, and a conversation. Conversations are an exchange of dialogue consisting of each party asking and answering questions about and to one another. When our identity is solidly in the foundation of our faith in Christ, then any conversation about ourselves should also be a conversation about Jesus, about our lives in Him, and how they, too, can have eternal life in and through Jesus. The best testimonies are stories of the transformative power of God. They are stories about how we were one way, how we were lost in doubt, fear, addiction, and sin, and how Jesus has rescued us and set us on the road of faith, victory, and life! We need not fear questions, even tough questions. Don’t be scared to say “I don’t know”, but be sure to follow up with “let’s find out together”. Let’s encourage questions and make disciples!

Questions:
Are you willing to have conversations about your faith?
How do you handle tough theological questions?
When you meet those who don’t know Jesus, do you encourage questions?
What can you do to better prepare for faith-sharing opportunities?

Prayer:
Jesus, please help us to be prepared to ask and answer questions regarding our faith, about life in you. Help us to be people driven by the desire to see everyone come to saving faith in you! Lord, we want to be disciples who make disciples, people who normally, naturally, and noticeably live out our faith. In your name, Amen.

05/06/2026

Devotional: A Church of Disciples

Scripture:
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 NIV

Reflection:
“The church must recapture its missionary identity and activate every Jesus-follower to engage wholeheartedly in the ongoing mission of God.” – Brad Brisco

You might not know this if you look around most churches, but Christianity is not a spectator sport! In most churches a very small percentage of the people that call that church their church, serve in any fashion that helps the church function and meet its mission. Most christians come to church to receive, not to give, not to serve. But Jesus calls us to serve, to be disciples, to do the things that He did and does in the world. In fact it is through the Holy Spirit that we know Jesus, and have the power to live the Christian life and to do the things Jesus did.

As christians, we are all missionaries, we are all called to make disciples. We are to be doers of the Word who make other doers of the Word. This may in some regard, make the church a less attractive place, it may make churches shrink in size. However, this will also make churches grow in power, affectiveness, and influence in the world. That sounds pretty good to me, and I hope it sounds good to you too. Let’s put our time and effort into making disciples who are ready and willing to carry out the mission of the church!

Questions:
What is a disciple?
What is the mission of the church?
Are you a disciple who carries out the mission?
Are you a disciple that makes disciples?

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we want to carry out the mission with which we have been commissioned. Lord, we want to be disciples who make disciples, to be the church you have called us to be. Help us now Jesus, through the power of your Holy Spirit to live our faith to your glory. Amen

04/29/2026

Devotional: Discipleship is Relationship

Scripture:
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 NKJV

Reflection:
“Making disciples is not a 6-week event, but rather a relationship journey. How can you build in more margin for people time? Is your schedule interruptible? What can you stop doing, so you have time for the people God brings to you?” – Lorna Johnston

Love is both an action and a feeling. We tend to believe we must feel loving to act loving, but it is the other way around. Do the loving thing, and most often the feeling will follow. Discipleship, walking through the Christian life with someone, modeling what it means to be a Christian, is an act of love. Love is exchanged in and through relationships. Discipleship is not done in a class, for a pre-assigned length of time. Discipleship is not a class, but life.

Mentoring others, discipling others, takes time, energy, giving, and can result in changing my plans and schemes, but it is worth it! It is what our Christian life is all about. We are on a mission with Christ to introduce people to Christ, and then to walk them through what living unto Christ looks like. To be healthy, we need at least one person feeding into our lives,and at least one relationship in which we are spiritually feeding someone else. It is not an option but a command from our Lord and Savior.

Questions:
Are you a disciple of Jesus?
Are you making disciples of Jesus?
Who is your mentor, and who do you mentor?
How can you help others get involved in the discipleship relationship?

Prayer:
Jesus, we are your disciples, but we know you have commissioned us to take part in this relationship process. Please help us through your Holy Spirit to find the courage and ability to walk the Christian life with others. In your name and to your glory! Amen

04/22/2026

Devotional: Disciples Not Converts

Scripture:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matt 28:19-20 NKJV

Reflection:
“The church changes the world not by making converts but by making disciples.” – John Wesley

John Wesley has it right! The Bible does not say we are to make converts, but disciples. A convert has simply come around to your or our way of thinking. They may believe that Jesus is God, that Jesus died for their sins, and may believe He rose again on the third day to life that we might have eternal life in Him. This does not mean Jesus is the Lord of their life or that they are a disciple of Jesus. A disciple is an apprentice, one that is practicing under a master. A disciple is a doer of the word not a hearer only.

Too often we allow a person to “make a decision for Christ” and may even get dunked while saying the words “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”, but there is no follow-through. Who is showing this new convert how to become a doer of the word, a disciple. Each one of us in the church is called to make disciples. We are called to take the time to show a new believer what it means to follow Jesus, to be a Christian, to live out the Christian life. This is not a choice, this is a part of being a disciple ourselves.

Questions:
Are you a convert or a disciple?
Are you making disciples?
What is preventing you from helping to make disciples of Jesus?
How can you help others become not only a convert, but a disciple?

Prayer:
Jesus, you are very clear in your mandate for your people to make disciples of all nations. Please send us those you would have us reach for you, and help us to lead them in your ways, to make real disciples not just converts. Amen

04/15/2026

Devotional: The Cost of Discipleship

Scripture:
“But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me’.” Isaiah 49:14 NKJV

Reflection:
Being a disciple of Jesus is not always easy. Being a disciple of Jesus is no guarantee against sickness, oppression, calamity, or many of the other ills that plague society and life. Being a disciple of Jesus means you will never face these things alone. It means knowing that whatever happens, Jesus is with you even unto physical death. If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, there is nothing at all in this world to be afraid of, for “to live is Christ and to die is gain!” Phil 1:21

There was a time when all the disciples were in a boat with Jesus. Suddenly a storm arose to the point that the boat was taking on water and during this time Jesus was sleeping, clearly not worried and clearly at peace. The disciples became very afraid for their lives and struggled with how Jesus could sleep at such a time. They struggled with whether or not Jesus cared if they lived or died. This is often missed in the story, Jesus assures them they are okay and that everything would be okay. What Jesus doesn’t do is say that they won’t or wouldn’t die. Jesus’ assurance doesn’t directly address the physical situation in which the disciples find themselves, rather He addresses the spiritual reality that in Jesus the disciples are safe whether in this life or the next. Matt. 8:23-27 Yes Jesus did eventually calm the storm but not because of the disciples but because His time had not yet come. Jesus gives us the same assurance as His disciples, we are safe eternally and therefore need fear of life or death!

Questions:
What is one cost of being a disciple of Jesus?
Do you live in fear of death, why or why not?
Are you able and willing to trust Jesus no matter what is happening around you?
How can you help others have this same trust?

Prayer:
Jesus we want to trust you, because we know without trust there is no love, and we want to love you. Jesus, help us to live what it means to have faith in you and in our eternal life with you. We want to live each day to the full and know without you Lord that is impossible. Amen

04/08/2026

Devotional: On Discipleship

Scripture:
“‘If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.’” John 14:26-27 NKJV

Reflection:
To be a disciple is to be a student, an adherent, a follower. Jesus is stating here that if your true allegiance, your focus is anywhere but on Him, you cannot follow Him. It would be impossible. Being Jesus’ disciple is not easy, it means doing, thinking, and even feeling things that are not in our “nature”. That is why we must be “born from above”. We have to have a spiritual rebirth, a new way of thinking, feeling. Our will must be transformed. Without this necessary rebirth, we will be focused on earthly pleasures, desires, and distractions. We must be totally devoted to Jesus!

Typically we learn how to be a disciple of Jesus from a seasoned Christian, from someone whose faith has been challenged, someone who has shown time and again victory in Christ. They model for us the Christian life, and the Christian life is bound up in what it is to be a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. Too many churches today don’t even know what it means to teach someone how to be a disciple of Jesus. A sure sign is when they think it can be done through a class or as some kind of group project. Discipleship is a life long venture, done in both communities, and in a one on one intimate exchange. We all need a mentor and someone we can mentor, and this is how we will teach one another what it means to be a disciple of Jesus the Christ.

Questions:
Do you consider yourself a disciple of Jesus?
How do you know you are a disciple?
Is there someone in your life that is leading you and showing you how to follow Jesus?
Do you mentor anyone, why or why not?
How can you give back what you have been freely given?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we want to be your disciples, to live lives that bring you glory, that do justice to your Word. Help us today Lord to find both someone to give to our lives and lead us, but also show us the person we can lead. Amen.

04/01/2026

Devotional: Lent is Just the Beginning

Scripture:
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Rom 12:2 NKJV

Reflection:
With the 40 days of Lent coming to an end, it is a good time to reflect on why we have been practicing and talking about it in the first place. Lent is not a command of Jesus, it is not a sin if you don’t practice it, but it is an opportunity and an example of the types of spiritual practices of which every Christian should be taking part in. Every Christian is called to grow in their Christian stature, to do what Jesus did, and in so doing become more like Jesus. At the end of the 40 days of Lent, I hope you know yourself better, know Jesus deeper, and feel closer to Him. But nothing “magical” has taken place, and you could lose what you have gained, or at the very most, stay where you are at, if you wait until next year’s Lenten season to practice a spiritual discipline.

Hopefully, you will continue to pray, to fast from time to time, especially when making a big decision, and you will continue to practice giving and being of service. You can practice the twelve-steps, meditate, take a walk every day and talk with God, practice confession and accountability, the list is endless. But every single spiritual discipline you can list is still just a means to an end. We don’t make an idol of them, but we practice them. We must take part in our salvation, in our relationship with Jesus. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; “ Phil 2:12 We can’t and don’t save ourselves but we do have a responsibility in taking part in and growing into it. Lent and other spiritual disciplines help us do that!

Questions:
Have you been taking part in Lent?
Do you practice spiritual disciplines?
How can you make your spiritual practices more regular and ongoing?
Do you see how these practices help you to become more like Jesus?
With whom can you mentor or share your practices?

Prayer:
Father God, we want to know Jesus better, to be more like Him, we want to work out our salvation in a way that pleases you. Help us through your Holy Spirit to be regular in our spiritual disciplines, to be the people you created us to be. Amen

03/25/2026

Devotional: Palm Sunday

Scripture:
“And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” Matt 11:8 NKJV

Reflection:
Why did the people lay down their clothes and branches on the road in front of Jesus? Because that is the right response when you recognize who Jesus is and why He has come! This was a sign of reverence of honor, and sign of submission and sacrifice. This is the right and proper reaction to the savior of our souls. Jesus is the Messiah, the King, the Lord, and our God. The people that put out their clothes and branches were those that understood this at a soul level.

When we recognize Jesus we need to have the same reaction. We need to submit in gratitude to the one who has come to set us free. He is the King of King and the Lord of Lords! His entry into our lives is a “triumphal entry”. He is the Savior we need and the one we have been waiting for. We need to make a sacrifice and honor His entry into our lives, and the Lenten season, along with Palm Sunday is a great time to remember this, and to celebrate!

Questions:
Have you made Jesus the Lord of your life?
When did you first recognize Him as the Messiah, what was it like?
Do you submit to Jesus as Lord and King? How?
What have you laid down to make way for Jesus?
How can you help others do the same?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we honor you this Lenten season and Palm Sunday. We humbly submit to your Lordship, and we want to make way for your triumphal entry into our lives and hearts and all those that do not yet recognize or know you. Empower us to be your representatives here on Earth. In your mighty name we pray! Amen.

03/18/2026

Devotional: Lent is Drawing Near to God

Scripture:
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8NKJV

Reflection:
According to Merriam-Webster online to draw means “to cause to go in a certain direction”. If we purposefully move ourselves toward God, God through His Holy Spirit will move toward us. This is called a relationship. God’s word says He is as near to us as our breath. Acts 17:28 As believers the Holy Spirit resides in us. So this passage is not literal in the sense that God is far and must come near. This passage, like so many others, encourages a purposeful and deep relationship with Jesus. Not just an acknowledgement of a state of being but participation in a deep spiritual reality.

Lent is a perfect discipline or set of disciplines to help us hone our skills in walking and talking with Jesus intimately, but also in living and doing the things that He did. Jesus often prayed corporately and privately. Jesus fasted, in fact, He started His ministry through fasting. Jesus also gave Himself away on behalf of God and His Kingdom. Jesus gave away time, money, energy, power, comfort, and ultimately His life! Lent gives us an opportunity to practice living like Jesus. Don’t miss it!

Questions:
Do you draw near to Jesus? How?
Do you use your time, talents and treasures for God and others?
Do you see how participating in Lent can help you draw near to Jesus?
Are you aware that God, that Jesus is drawing near to you?
How can you help others to draw near to Jesus?

Prayer:
Father God we love You, and we are humbled by your desire to be intimate with us, to know us so deeply. Lord help us to do the same, to let down our guard and defenses and not only acknowledge your presence in our lives, but help us to do whatever it takes to draw near to you. Amen

03/04/2026

Devotional: Lenten Fasting

Scripture:
So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer. Ezra 8:23 NKJV
Reflection:
The second pillar of the Lenten season is fasting. Fasting: to abstain from food: to eat sparingly or abstain from some foods. Merriam Webster Online Fasting simply put, is not eating, but for what reason? While there is a practical health aspect to fasting, and our God is equally practical and spiritual, fasting is focused on the spiritual.
Lent is a great time to search your heart and your life, looking over the last year, and repenting any unconfessed sin, seeking God’s forgiveness and a fresh experience of His love.
Another underestimated benefit of fasting is the connection it builds between God and us. Fasting clears the mind and forces us to depend on God when our stomach begins to “growl", and our desires and appetites try to take our focus off of Jesus and our spiritual pursuits. It is often during these times that we receive clarity of focus and we begin to really hear from God through the Holy Spirit. “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” Acts 13:2 Pillar 1 prayer is all about connection to God, and Pillar 2 fasting strengthens and clarifies that connection. Lent is a gift from God to enrich and deepen our connection and relationship with Him!
Questions:
What does it mean to fast?
Do you believe fasting is beneficial?
How often do you fast? Do you fast regularly?
Are you willing to fast? Why or why not?
Do you see how fasting can improve your relationship with God and others?

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help us to abstain from food for the right reasons, for you. Lord, when we fast, help us to keep it secret that we might enjoy the benefits of a deeper dependence and closer walk with you. Help us share this gift with others. Amen

02/18/2026

Devotional: A Time to Know Him

Scripture:
Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. Daniel 9:3 NKJV

Reflection:
Lent is a period of penitence and fasting, a time to reflect on Jesus’ suffering and sacrifice; to contemplate what He has done, is doing, and will do; and a great time to go deeper in relationship with Him.

The three pillars of Lent include prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Prayer is our conversation, our way to communicate with God, it is an opportunity to take time to talk and listen to Jesus. Fasting means to abstain from food. In recent history it has been popular to talk about “fasting” from T.V. or our phones etc., but true fasting, as defined in the Bible, means depending on God and His word for a time as a replacement for physical food. The last pillar of almsgiving, a word we don’t really use anymore, refers to the act of giving goods or donating money to the poor, as well as doing other acts of charity. Of course doing these three things should be ongoing but we all need reminders and opportunities to focus on our spiritual lives.

Like all spiritual practices, Lent was made for man, not man for Lent. This is not meant to be a time of morbid reflection, or something done in rigid religiosity, but a gift from God as a time to lean into Him, to know Him better, to be transformed by His presence. Jesus loves you, died for you, suffered for you, and rose again to life for you! He wants you to know and love Him too. So may you feel the Father’s love, as you contemplate the Son, in the power and comfort of the Holy Spirit!

Questions:
Have you ever taken part in Lent before?
Are you willing to commit to 40 days of focusing on Jesus?
What are the things that cause you to be resistant to the idea of practicing Lent?
Will you encourage others to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus by observing Lent, why or why not?

Prayer:
Jesus, we want to know you more, and we want to use any and all spiritual practices that will aid us in this Holy endeavor. Lord help us to be open to Lent, to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving and give us the grace we need to persevere these next 40 days. Amen

Break Every Chain

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