Daily Devotional 5-7-26
The Older Ones First
Reading: Philippians 2:1-5 - Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Devotional: In John's account, "the older ones" dropped their stones first. Spiritual maturity recognizes our own need for grace before we demand holiness from others. The older generation understood what the younger accusers had yet to learn: we're all disqualified from throwing stones. Humility isn't weakness; it's wisdom. It's the posture of Christ Himself, who "made himself nothing" for our sake. At Madison Hills and in every healthy church, mature believers lead by example—not by condemnation but by compassion. They've walked long enough with Jesus to know their own capacity for sin and God's greater capacity for grace. When we embrace the mind of Christ, we stop looking for people to condemn and start looking for people to restore. Maturity means dropping your stone first.
Reflection: How can you lead by example in showing grace to someone who doesn't deserve it?
Reading: Philippians 2:1-5 - Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Devotional: In John's account, "the older ones" dropped their stones first. Spiritual maturity recognizes our own need for grace before we demand holiness from others. The older generation understood what the younger accusers had yet to learn: we're all disqualified from throwing stones. Humility isn't weakness; it's wisdom. It's the posture of Christ Himself, who "made himself nothing" for our sake. At Madison Hills and in every healthy church, mature believers lead by example—not by condemnation but by compassion. They've walked long enough with Jesus to know their own capacity for sin and God's greater capacity for grace. When we embrace the mind of Christ, we stop looking for people to condemn and start looking for people to restore. Maturity means dropping your stone first.
Reflection: How can you lead by example in showing grace to someone who doesn't deserve it?
Recent
Archive
2026
May
Friday 5-1-26Daily Devotional 5-4-26Daily Devotional 5-5-26Daily Devotional 5-6-26Daily Devotional 5-7-26Daily Devotional 5-8-26Daily Devotional 5-11-26Daily Devotional 5-12-26Daily Devotional 5-13-26Daily Devotional 5-14-26Daily Devotional 5-15-26Daily Devotional 5-18-26Daily Devotional 5-19-26Daily Devotional 5-20-26Daily Devotional 5-21-26Daily Devotional 5-22-26Daily Devotional 5-25-26Daily Devotional 5-26-26Daily Devotional 5-27-26Daily Devotional 5-28-26Daily Devotional 5-29-26
Categories
no categories
No Comments