Everlasting November 23, 2025 Devotional

ACTS 2:41 | ⁴¹ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

To some, the practice of preaching is a quaint and irrelevant spiritual ritual. To God it is a major means of turning hearts and minds toward truth and goodness. It can, of course, become a dull and predictable experience rather than a dynamic encounter. Which one it will be depends partly on the efforts of the preacher, partly on the expectations of the listeners, and largely upon the actions of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ first sermon, preached in His hometown of Nazareth, was based on Isaiah 61:1-2. It elicited wonder and skepticism because neighbors don’t expect the boy around the block to make messianic claims, and doubts became murderous rage when Jesus mentioned God’s work with non-Jews in the Torah. On the other hand, Peter’s first sermon, in a city that had overwhelmingly rejected Jesus in favor of a criminal revolutionary called Barabbas, resulted in 3,000 converts!

What kind of expectations do you have with respect to preaching and teaching?

Gracious God,

Prepare my heart to encounter You through Your written and spoken word. Empower preachers to reach deep into Scripture and wide into the hearts of their hearers.

Amen.