PREPARE TO CONFESS​​!

1 John 1:9 – Devotional

1 John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

One morning I was waiting at a stoplight about to proceed when suddenly a car ran the red light and careened past me, narrowly missing my left front fender. Most of us will recall cars rushing into an intersection when the light had gone from amber to red, ignoring the danger and in fact, speeding up.

My experience as a police officer leads me to believe that, in almost all of such incidents the offender will deny their offense. Most often they claim, “The light was yellow when I entered the intersection!” RIGHT!

From the days when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, human nature has not wanted to admit its guilt. Even when substantial evidence is provided, denial is still maintained. I have seen police videos showing offenders committing crimes — but even when shown these videos the offender still denies their offense. Go figure!

God wants us to be open with Him and confess our sins. Denial of our offenses will always hurt us more than others. 1 John 1:9 tells us that it is only when we confess our sins that the Lord is able to forgive and cleanse us. Our denial blocks the path of God’s forgiving grace. DON’T DENY IT!

Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – Thanks for partnering with us to help spread the Good News–Please CLICK HERE or on the Donate Button below if you feel led to help us financially with Pastor Cecil’s ministry. As of October 12th, we have a $1,838 need for October 2026 (was $2,000). To read about how the money is used, please go to https://DailyEvotional.com/donations/

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Enjoy the Song of the Week below created by Russ Hansen
Please send him your feedback at inspiration@thegoodbookcompany.com

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

THIS IS LOVE​​!

1 John 4:10 – Devotional

1 John 4:10

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

I once heard about a couple who made an appointment with a marriage counselor. They had been married for forty years and the counselor wondered why they would want to talk to him.

The wife started out by sayig that she didn’t think her husband loved her—at least he never said he loved her.

When the counselor asked the husband if this were true, he readily agreed.

The husband explained that he told his wife forty years ago that he loved her and that he had not withdrawn that statement. In the husband’s mind that 40-year-old declaration was still in effect!

(I think the counselor wanted to bang his head on the desk!)

It is seldom, if ever, that we choose up sides and talk about the meaning of the word love. Many of use think we have a grasp of its meaning, but there is some doubt that we have plumbed the depths of love’s true meaning.

Here is my candid observation: Love is an emotion.

The Bible says we are to love and, by its very nature, love needs a positive response to that command. We are prone to love only as long as the person loves us in return. Take that response away and we quickly lose the desire to continue loving.

Like it or not, we humans are self-centered and preoccupied with ourselves. If you want an example of this, just stop and listen to someone’s conversation. Note the way they focus on their own interests and welfare.

According to God’s precious Word, we are to love in the same way that Jesus loves us. That means we are to love even when the other person is not lovable.

When you stop to think about it, that is the way God loves us—when we are the most unlovable. It is while we were unlovable sinners that Christ died for us, and it’s the unlovable people around us who need us to love them—with Christ’s transforming love.

Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – Thanks for partnering with us to help spread the Good News–Please CLICK HERE or on the Donate Button below if you feel led to help us financially with Pastor Cecil’s ministry. As of October 7th, we have a $1,880 need for October 2026 (was $2,000). To read about how the money is used, please go to https://DailyEvotional.com/donations/

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button below.

You can share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

Enjoy the Song of the Week below created by Russ Hansen
Please send him your feedback at inspiration@thegoodbookcompany.com

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

LOVE ‘TIL IT HURTS!

1 John 4:10-11 – Devotional

1 John 4:10-11​

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

I remember a few years back when I really enjoyed working until I felt very fatigued. It was at times like these that I was able to give myself in sacrificial love to my wife and family. There were times when I felt totally exhausted and forced myself to do something for Joyce that really challenged me.

As I reflect on those times, I realize that sacrificial love produced the most joyful times in our marriage. It gave me a feeling of truly demonstrating my love that is far more than mere words. At the same time, it has made Joyce feel that she was cherished and adored.

Sacrificial love is not an option, especially for husbands. In Ephesians 5:25, husbands are commanded: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”

Sacrificial love is not restricted to husbands. To live a Christ-like life means that each of us must give freely of ourselves with no thought of return. It is giving unselfishly in the same manner that Christ has given Himself for us.

How would you rate your level of sacrificial love?

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – Thanks for partnering with us to help spread the Good News–Please CLICK HERE or on the Donate Button below if you feel led to help us financially with Pastor Cecil’s ministry. As of August 26th, we have a $1,671 need for August 2026 (was $2,000). To read about how the money is used, please go to https://DailyEvotional.com/donations/

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button below.

You can share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

Enjoy the Song of the Week below created by Russ Hansen
Please send him your feedback at inspiration@thegoodbookcompany.com

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

PR-I-DE!

1 John 2:15-16 – Devotional

1 John 2:15-16

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.“

Pride has been the prevalent sin of all mankind since the Garden of Eden. We might even predate it earlier than the creation of Adam and Eve. Satan was consumed with a spirit of pride and desired to be high and lifted up to a position of divinity. He tempted Eve in the Garden by causing her to believe that the reason she and Adam were not allowed to eat from the Tree of Good and Evil was that they would become like God.

Years ago I heard the story of a pastor who announced to his congregation that he would be starting a series on pride and a call to true humility. After the first sermon in the series he was met at the door by a little lady who was so pleased with his new series. She told her pastor that she did not have many gifts or talents, but she was very PROUD of her humility. It made him want to cry.

When we stop to analyze the situation, most of us are very preoccupied with ourselves. Our chief aim is to satisfy ourselves. Even when offering a helping hand to someone else we want to make sure that we get credit for it. In other words, it is all about our own personal pride, the battleground of humanity.

Paul urges us to get our eyes off of the worldly and focus on the spiritual. Our goal should be always to inquire of the Lord what He is leading us to accomplish. We also need to keep our eyes open to see where He is at work around us and then making sure that we join in His program.

Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – Thanks for partnering with us to help spread the Good News–Please CLICK HERE or on the Donate Button below if you feel led to help us financially with Pastor Cecil’s ministry. As of July 2nd, we have a $2,000 need for July 2026. To read about how the money is used, please go to https://DailyEvotional.com/donations/

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button below.

You can share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

Enjoy the Song of the Week below created by Russ Hansen
Please send him your feedback at inspiration@thegoodbookcompany.com

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

LOVE IS MEASURED IN DYING!

1 John 3:16 – Devotional

1 John 3:16

“Here is how we know the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

Listen to today’s Message of the Week by Pastor Cecil by clicking above on the play button.

Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – Thanks for partnering with us to help spread the Good News–Please CLICK HERE or on the Donate Button below if you feel led to help us financially with Pastor Cecil’s ministry. As of June 14th, we have a $1,733 need for June 2026 (was $2,000). To read about how the money is used, please go to https://DailyEvotional.com/donations/

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button below.

You can share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

Enjoy the Song of the Week below created by Russ Hansen
Please send him your feedback at inspiration@thegoodbookcompany.com

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

ETERNAL LIFE!

1 John 2:17 – Devotional

1 John 2:17

“The world is passing away and the lust of it,
but the one who does the will of God abides forever.”

Some quick-witted person has observed that none of us will get out of this world alive. While that may be true in the physical sense, it certainly is not true in the eternal sense!

From time to time I allow my mind to attempt to fathom the reality of eternal life. I soon realize for the human mind it is impossible. We have always experienced a beginning and ending, so the idea of everlasting eternity stretches our mind past the breaking point. We simply must accept eternity as an unknown reality!

The reality of eternal life is true for the believer and also for the unbeliever. Each and every human will live forever. We will live in heaven with God or in hell with Satan. I have chosen eternal life in heaven with God!

Our decision as to where we will spend eternity must be made before we die. Now is the day of decision and sadly some have delayed to make the decision and the hour of death has taken them. I implore you to make sure you accept the glorious offer of eternal life while there is still time!

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – Thanks for partnering with us to help spread the Good News–Please CLICK HERE or on the Donate Button below if you feel led to help us financially with Pastor Cecil’s ministry. As of June 9, 2026, we have a $1,754 need for June 2026 (was $2,000). To read about how the money is used, please go to https://DailyEvotional.com/donations/

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button below.

You can share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

Enjoy the Song of the Week below created by Russ Hansen
Please send him your feedback at inspiration@thegoodbookcompany.com

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.