one step: Romans 1.2

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation…

What good is the Gospel? Does the Gospel help us sleep at night? Does it bring power? Does it make everything wrong right?

Paul shares here that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation. Worth noting, he does not say that it brings power, opens the door for power, or talks about power. The Gospel is power.* Power for what?

Does the Gospel empower us to live easy lives? Does it empower us to have everything we want when we want it?

The Gospel is the power for salvation. Salvation means “deliverance.”* It brings with it imagery of the Israelites coming out of Egypt.* It refers to liberation from evil powers and the freedom that will come in the end forever and ever.* The salvation that Christ brings through His Gospel is a work that has already been achieved (Ephesians 2:5), is being achieved (1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 2:15), and it will be achieved one day (2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Timothy 4:18…).* This is a salvation that consumes the lives of those who believe in the most transformative and life-altering ways — past, present, and future.

How could Paul ever be ashamed of this Gospel?

In times when we are nervous to share the Good News, we must remember what Paul remembered: this Gospel is not a powerful idea that helps people in their lives. It isn’t something that works for some and not for others. Paul tells us that for those who believe, it is power, and it transforms us in the way we need it most: it frees us.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to share the Gospel with someone you know. Perhaps today He wants you to remember the power of the Gospel. Maybe God wants you to set aside shame and timidity and share what you know to be true: God can set anyone who believes free. Maybe today God wants you to come to Him so that he can bring more salvation into your life, delivering you more from the things that bind you.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Osborne, G. R. (2004). Romans (pp. 27–28, 40). InterVarsity Press; [1] Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (pp. 66-68). W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press; Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 66–68). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos; Moo, D. J. (2000). Romans (pp. 50–52). Zondervan Publishing House.

one step: Romans 1.1

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus…

We don’t have to venture but a few words into Romans 1 to see that this book will not be like others we will read in our lifetime. This is to be expected since it comes from the collection of the New Testament of the Bible, but I still read in awe.

In the time that Paul wrote this letter, 85-90 percent of the population of Rome and Italy were slaves or of slave origin.* Being a slave in the Roman Empire looked differently than the slavery from most of our understanding in present or near-present times. To be a slave of Rome meant that you were often protected and paid by your owner.* Often times slaves in a Roman household were treated as extended family members of the owners and held a higher social standing than they would as free people.* Paul was writing to a people who were owned.

This makes his introduction that much more meaningful. The word “servant” is translated in English from the Greek a little nicer than maybe it should.* Paul is actually speaking to slaves of Rome and calling himself a slave of Christ. The implications are great as this communicates that he views himself under the ownership, protection, and pedigree of enslavement to Jesus. Furthermore, throughout the Old Testament, the people of Israel became accustomed to referring to themselves as “slaves of God” after being freedom from Egypt.* This was a title of honor they used to communicate their new allegiance to God.*

Paul was stating to whom he was devoted, and by placing “Christ” in the place of where some would expect him to say “God,” he was commentating on the divinity of Christ.

So much in so few words…

While the 85-90% of Romans were slaves, we are all enslaved to something. If you want to know what you are enslaved to, just pause and ask the Holy Spirit who you are obedient to. I was enslaved to pleasing people. If there was something that I could do to avoid disappointing someone or to make someone think that I did a good job, I would jump to do it without even hesitating. At a deeper level, a fear of rejection was my master.

Christ should be our master; we should be His slave.

The rights, privileges, and honor associated with being His slave includes being an intimate part of His family, enjoying His protection, and receiving from His supply for our needs.

We must ask: do we do whatever He tells us to do? Is He our master? These are challenging questions for us all.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to evaluate who you are serving as master. Perhaps God wants you to regard Christ as He deserves. Maybe God wants you to remember what He is telling you to do and do it.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Osborne, G. R. (2004). Romans (pp. 27–28). InterVarsity Press; [1] Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (pp. 35–37). W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.

one step: water break

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…

Matthew 28:19a

The One Step Daily Devotional is intended to provide just one step each day for your journey with God. Every journey requires water breaks. Here is a water break for you.

This imperative command of Jesus doesn’t sound like a water break at all. It sounds like an action item… because it is.

If you have been following along with the One Step Daily Devotional since the beginning, then you have taken a journey through the entire book of Matthew. If you jumped in along the way, all of the devotionals are available for you to go back to. No matter which is the case for you, I hope that these three truths were apparent:

1. Jesus cares for you deeply. This cannot be overstated. The lowly life He lead to establish His Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven, His seeking after “the least of these” to save and heal, and His heinous death on the cross all speak to the love that He has for you. No matter where you are or where you find yourself, Christ has demonstrated that you are not outside of the reach of His love and care.

2. Jesus wants you to live a life beyond the law. Jesus came to fulfill the requirements of the law, and He extends an invitation to each of us to live beyond their walls and into the heart. While the law may address behaviors, Jesus wants to speak to each of us about the motivations behind those behaviors. He wants to heal our hearts and watch our actions follow suit.

3. Jesus is not a formula. Asking, “what would Jesus do?” is an effective question at times, but asking Him, God with us, “Lord, what would you have me do?” is more reflective of the posture of relationship and service that characterizes a disciple. Discipleship is about close following and learning over the course of a long journey.

Spend some time over the next few days reflecting on these things and speaking to Jesus about what it needs to look like in this season of your life. Spend time thinking about all that He spoke to you through the Gospel of Matthew over the last several months. But, remember, part of being a disciple is taking action. Take action to make disciples; help others to become followers of Jesus.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to be still and know that He is God, reflecting on what He says about Himself through the Gospel of Matthew. Perhaps Jesus wants to sit and visit with you today, teaching you something new. Maybe the water break you need is a time of worship to look to His face once again.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

one step: Matthew 28.3

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

The idea of a disciple was not unique to Jesus. Rabbis had disciples as did philosophers of the time of Jesus.* We see in the Gospel of John that John had disciples. These leaders walked the long road with their disciples. Students of the time didn’t sign up for this school or that school; they signed up for this teacher or that teacher.* They followed this teacher everywhere, learning from them along the way.

When Jesus told the disciples to make disciples, it’s important to lean into what He meant by this. Did Jesus intend for you and I to teach people everything we know while they follow us day to day? If you are anything like me, a disciple who followed me that much might get bored after a couple of days!

Jesus instructed the disciples and thus you and me to make more disciples of Jesus. Making disciples of Jesus involves initiating them via baptism as Jesus describes and showing them how to follow Him. Following Jesus and learning from Him daily is a must for those that would call themselves “Christians.”

The difference between sitting and reading books about great philosophers or even about great leaders in the Christian faith and following Jesus is that following Jesus involves more than just learning about Him in a book.

Jesus promises that He is with us always, even until the end of the age. Jesus, as promised, is Emmanuel, God with us. This must shape our understanding of being His disciple. Following Jesus looks like relationship and learning from a living being who is present!

Maybe you have learned a lot about Jesus over the years. Perhaps you have read books and read the Bible and considered yourself a disciple because you know things. Jesus wants to lead you, speak to you, and teach you. Will you follow?

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to decide to follow Him. Perhaps today God wants you to hear His voice and do what He asks of you. Maybe today God wants you to know that He is with you… even to the ends of the earth.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 740–750), and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt Mt 28:16–20).) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).

one step: Matthew 28.2

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

It’s interesting that Jesus appears to these women and repeats exactly what the angel just said to them. The passages tells us that they left right away and ran to tell the disciples. They hadn’t forgotten, gotten distracted, or delayed the mission at all. Yet, Jesus stops them along the way to tell them the same exact mission that they had received and were carrying out. Why?

It’s hard to say exactly why, but it’s important to note that the women don’t seem to be walking out the mission in complete obedience. Sure, outwardly they were doing what the angel instructed, but inwardly, there was more work to be done. The angel told them not to be afraid, yet they departed with fear and great joy inside. This combination of emotions is a testament to the complexities of our souls. How many times does God ask us if we believe, and belief and unbelief coexist in the same space? How many times do anger and sadness sit as friends inside of us?

Fear and joy ran with the women that day. The question I have is, “fear of what?” The angel appeared, and they were afraid. Jesus appeared, and they were afraid. The same word was used in the Greek in both instances, so there was a similar posture to each. Scripture is clear that we are to fear God and nothing else, so arguably, the fear of Jesus that leads to worship is good, but certainly that same posture applied to the angel would not be good.

We can only speculate, but it may be that the women were afraid of being destroyed. There is something overwhelming about seeing a spiritual being.* We see many instances in Scripture where angels and even Jesus appear, and people fall to the ground as if they were dead. In fact, we see in Matthew 28:4 that the guards had this very response to the angel that appeared (it’s fun to note that the angel didn’t tell them to not be afraid haha).*

While we will not know for sure this side of eternity, Jesus seems to stop the women to clear their hearts of any fear of Him that would look like a fear of destruction. This kind of care tells us a lot about our Savior, but it also shows us this: while on a mission for Jesus, it’s important to have an encounter with Him.

So often we get caught up doing things for God. We get so busy doing these things that we forget how much He wants to do things with us. Jesus jumped into their mission to address their hearts and to see their faces.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to pause long enough to see His face. Perhaps Jesus wants to chat with you a while. Maybe He wants you to allow Him to address a fear in your heart that God will come down on you for failure. Perhaps Jesus wants to speak to you today to ensure that there is only joy in your heart.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 733–740), and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt Mt 28:1–10).) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).