Bible Reading Plan
Each Monday a new reading plan will help you dive deeper on Sunday's Sermon.
Week of February 22nd
5-Day Devotional: The Power to Change
Day 1: The Frustration of Wanting to Change
Reading: Romans 7:15-25
Devotional: The Apostle Paul's honest confession reveals a truth we all know: wanting to change and actually changing are two different things. Paul, one of Christianity's greatest heroes, struggled with the same frustration you feel. He wanted to do good but found himself doing the very things he hated. This passage isn't meant to discourage you—it's meant to free you from the shame of thinking you're the only one who struggles. The key is in verse 25: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Real change doesn't begin with trying harder; it begins with recognizing that Christ alone has the power to transform you from the inside out.
Reflection: What change have you been trying to make through willpower alone? How might surrendering this struggle to Christ change your approach?
Day 2: Not Behavior Modification, But Spiritual Transformation
Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Devotional: You cannot change yourself before you meet Christ—that's not how transformation works. Paul didn't clean up his life and then encounter Jesus on the Damascus road. Jesus met him in his sin, in his violence, in his zealous persecution of Christians. Only after that encounter did Paul become a new creation. The same is true for you. Stop waiting until you "get it together" before coming to Christ. He doesn't want your cleaned-up version; He wants you as you are so He can make you who you're meant to be. The power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in you, making all things new.
Reflection: What areas of your life are you trying to fix before bringing them to Jesus? What would it look like to surrender them today?
Day 3: Finding Your Spiritual Why
Reading: Colossians 3:1-17
Devotional: Lasting change requires more than good intentions—it requires a spiritual foundation. When your "why" is merely "this is wrong" or "I should do better," you're building on sand. But when your why connects to God's purpose for you, everything shifts. You don't stop cursing just because it's bad; you control your tongue because God can be glorified in how you handle disappointment. You don't budget just to avoid debt; you steward God's resources to have margin for generosity. Your spiritual why transforms duty into worship. It's the difference between white-knuckling through change and partnering with the Holy Spirit for transformation.
Reflection: Choose one area where you want to change. What is your spiritual why—how does this change glorify God and align with His purpose for you?
Day 4: God's Power Through You
Reading: Zechariah 4:6, Philippians 2:12-13
Devotional: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord." The spiritual "how" of change isn't found in your determination or discipline—it's found in God's power working through you. This doesn't mean you do nothing; it means you work out your salvation knowing that God is working in you. The mindset isn't "God, then me" (where it's all on you) or "God, not me" (where you're passive). It's "God through me"—a divine partnership where His grace empowers your effort. When you combine your spiritual why with dependence on His Spirit, change becomes not just possible but inevitable.
Reflection: What practical "how" might God be showing you? How can you combine spiritual disciplines (prayer, Scripture, worship) with practical steps toward change?
Day 5: Strength in Weakness
Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Devotional: Paul asked God three times to remove his struggle, and God said no—not yet, perhaps not ever in this life. But God's refusal wasn't rejection; it was an invitation to experience His grace in a deeper way. "My power is made perfect in weakness." Your failures, your stumbles, your moments of falling short—these don't disqualify you from God's transforming work. They're opportunities to experience His strength. When you fail, don't wallow in shame. Get up, thank God that He's still in charge, and trust that His will for you will be accomplished in His timing. Even your weakness can bring Him glory.
Reflection: Where have you experienced failure in your change journey? How might God want to display His strength through your weakness in this area?
Closing Prayer: Father, thank You that real change is not about behavior modification but spiritual transformation. Help me find my spiritual why in Your purposes and trust You for the spiritual how. Work through me by Your Spirit to make me more like Christ. When I fail, remind me of Your grace. When I'm weak, display Your strength. I surrender my need to change to You, trusting that what You will for my life, You will accomplish it. In Jesus' name, Amen.
5-Day Devotional: The Power to Change
Day 1: The Frustration of Wanting to Change
Reading: Romans 7:15-25
Devotional: The Apostle Paul's honest confession reveals a truth we all know: wanting to change and actually changing are two different things. Paul, one of Christianity's greatest heroes, struggled with the same frustration you feel. He wanted to do good but found himself doing the very things he hated. This passage isn't meant to discourage you—it's meant to free you from the shame of thinking you're the only one who struggles. The key is in verse 25: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Real change doesn't begin with trying harder; it begins with recognizing that Christ alone has the power to transform you from the inside out.
Reflection: What change have you been trying to make through willpower alone? How might surrendering this struggle to Christ change your approach?
Day 2: Not Behavior Modification, But Spiritual Transformation
Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Devotional: You cannot change yourself before you meet Christ—that's not how transformation works. Paul didn't clean up his life and then encounter Jesus on the Damascus road. Jesus met him in his sin, in his violence, in his zealous persecution of Christians. Only after that encounter did Paul become a new creation. The same is true for you. Stop waiting until you "get it together" before coming to Christ. He doesn't want your cleaned-up version; He wants you as you are so He can make you who you're meant to be. The power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in you, making all things new.
Reflection: What areas of your life are you trying to fix before bringing them to Jesus? What would it look like to surrender them today?
Day 3: Finding Your Spiritual Why
Reading: Colossians 3:1-17
Devotional: Lasting change requires more than good intentions—it requires a spiritual foundation. When your "why" is merely "this is wrong" or "I should do better," you're building on sand. But when your why connects to God's purpose for you, everything shifts. You don't stop cursing just because it's bad; you control your tongue because God can be glorified in how you handle disappointment. You don't budget just to avoid debt; you steward God's resources to have margin for generosity. Your spiritual why transforms duty into worship. It's the difference between white-knuckling through change and partnering with the Holy Spirit for transformation.
Reflection: Choose one area where you want to change. What is your spiritual why—how does this change glorify God and align with His purpose for you?
Day 4: God's Power Through You
Reading: Zechariah 4:6, Philippians 2:12-13
Devotional: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord." The spiritual "how" of change isn't found in your determination or discipline—it's found in God's power working through you. This doesn't mean you do nothing; it means you work out your salvation knowing that God is working in you. The mindset isn't "God, then me" (where it's all on you) or "God, not me" (where you're passive). It's "God through me"—a divine partnership where His grace empowers your effort. When you combine your spiritual why with dependence on His Spirit, change becomes not just possible but inevitable.
Reflection: What practical "how" might God be showing you? How can you combine spiritual disciplines (prayer, Scripture, worship) with practical steps toward change?
Day 5: Strength in Weakness
Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Devotional: Paul asked God three times to remove his struggle, and God said no—not yet, perhaps not ever in this life. But God's refusal wasn't rejection; it was an invitation to experience His grace in a deeper way. "My power is made perfect in weakness." Your failures, your stumbles, your moments of falling short—these don't disqualify you from God's transforming work. They're opportunities to experience His strength. When you fail, don't wallow in shame. Get up, thank God that He's still in charge, and trust that His will for you will be accomplished in His timing. Even your weakness can bring Him glory.
Reflection: Where have you experienced failure in your change journey? How might God want to display His strength through your weakness in this area?
Closing Prayer: Father, thank You that real change is not about behavior modification but spiritual transformation. Help me find my spiritual why in Your purposes and trust You for the spiritual how. Work through me by Your Spirit to make me more like Christ. When I fail, remind me of Your grace. When I'm weak, display Your strength. I surrender my need to change to You, trusting that what You will for my life, You will accomplish it. In Jesus' name, Amen.