Here's a 5-day Bible reading plan and devotional guide based on the themes from the sermon on Sunday, August 30, 2026:
Day 1: The Value of a Child
Reading: Mark 10:13-16; Psalm 127:3-5
Devotional: Jesus was indignant when his disciples turned children away. In a culture that dismissed children as inconveniences, Jesus declared them worthy of his time, his arms, and his blessing. Psalm 127 reminds us that children are not burdens but gifts entrusted to us by God. This should reshape how we see the young people around us. Do we treat them as precious, or as interruptions? Consider today whether you are actively investing in a child's life through prayer, encouragement, or service. What you pour into a child today may echo into eternity.
Day 2: Childlike Faith
Reading: Mark 10:15; Matthew 18:1-4; Ephesians 2:8-9
Devotional: Jesus did not tell children to grow up and act like adults before entering the kingdom. He told adults to humble themselves and receive the kingdom like children do. Children bring empty hands. They carry no credentials, no accomplishments, and no bargaining power. They simply trust. Salvation works the same way. It cannot be earned through religious performance or moral effort. It is received through humble, dependent faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes clear that even the faith to believe is a gift from God. Examine your hands today. Are they empty enough to receive what only God can give?
Day 3: The Question That Changes Everything
Reading: Mark 10:17-22; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 3:10-12
Devotional: The rich young ruler asked the most important question a person can ask: how do I receive eternal life? He came running, he knelt, and he addressed Jesus respectfully. His approach was right. His question was right. But his response was tragic. When Jesus identified the one thing standing between him and full surrender, the man walked away grieved. Jesus did not chase him. He let him go. The invitation to follow Christ is always open, but it is never forced. What is the one thing in your life that you are holding more tightly than you are holding Jesus?
Day 4: The God We Make of Money
Reading: Mark 10:23-27; 1 Timothy 6:6-10; Matthew 6:24
Devotional: Jesus was not condemning wealth itself. He was exposing what wealth can quietly become in a person's heart. Affluence has a way of breeding self-sufficiency, convincing us that we have what we need and need nothing beyond what we can provide for ourselves. That posture makes salvation feel unnecessary. The disciples asked who then could possibly be saved, and Jesus answered plainly: no one saves themselves. Salvation is entirely the work of God. Wherever your sense of security is rooted today, ask God to reveal whether it is rooted in Him or in something that will one day be left behind.
Day 5: The Reward of Surrender
Reading: Mark 10:28-31; Romans 8:18; Philippians 2:5-11
Devotional: Peter's question was honest: we have left everything. What do we get? Jesus did not rebuke him for asking. He answered with a promise. Whatever is surrendered for the sake of Christ will be returned in ways that far exceed the original cost. That return may not look like material abundance. It may look like peace that cannot be explained, community that sustains you through suffering, and an eternal glory that makes every present hardship pale by comparison. Romans 8:18 declares that what awaits us far outweighs what we endure here. Surrender is not loss. In the kingdom of God, it is always the beginning of gain.
Day 1: The Value of a Child
Reading: Mark 10:13-16; Psalm 127:3-5
Devotional: Jesus was indignant when his disciples turned children away. In a culture that dismissed children as inconveniences, Jesus declared them worthy of his time, his arms, and his blessing. Psalm 127 reminds us that children are not burdens but gifts entrusted to us by God. This should reshape how we see the young people around us. Do we treat them as precious, or as interruptions? Consider today whether you are actively investing in a child's life through prayer, encouragement, or service. What you pour into a child today may echo into eternity.
Day 2: Childlike Faith
Reading: Mark 10:15; Matthew 18:1-4; Ephesians 2:8-9
Devotional: Jesus did not tell children to grow up and act like adults before entering the kingdom. He told adults to humble themselves and receive the kingdom like children do. Children bring empty hands. They carry no credentials, no accomplishments, and no bargaining power. They simply trust. Salvation works the same way. It cannot be earned through religious performance or moral effort. It is received through humble, dependent faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes clear that even the faith to believe is a gift from God. Examine your hands today. Are they empty enough to receive what only God can give?
Day 3: The Question That Changes Everything
Reading: Mark 10:17-22; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 3:10-12
Devotional: The rich young ruler asked the most important question a person can ask: how do I receive eternal life? He came running, he knelt, and he addressed Jesus respectfully. His approach was right. His question was right. But his response was tragic. When Jesus identified the one thing standing between him and full surrender, the man walked away grieved. Jesus did not chase him. He let him go. The invitation to follow Christ is always open, but it is never forced. What is the one thing in your life that you are holding more tightly than you are holding Jesus?
Day 4: The God We Make of Money
Reading: Mark 10:23-27; 1 Timothy 6:6-10; Matthew 6:24
Devotional: Jesus was not condemning wealth itself. He was exposing what wealth can quietly become in a person's heart. Affluence has a way of breeding self-sufficiency, convincing us that we have what we need and need nothing beyond what we can provide for ourselves. That posture makes salvation feel unnecessary. The disciples asked who then could possibly be saved, and Jesus answered plainly: no one saves themselves. Salvation is entirely the work of God. Wherever your sense of security is rooted today, ask God to reveal whether it is rooted in Him or in something that will one day be left behind.
Day 5: The Reward of Surrender
Reading: Mark 10:28-31; Romans 8:18; Philippians 2:5-11
Devotional: Peter's question was honest: we have left everything. What do we get? Jesus did not rebuke him for asking. He answered with a promise. Whatever is surrendered for the sake of Christ will be returned in ways that far exceed the original cost. That return may not look like material abundance. It may look like peace that cannot be explained, community that sustains you through suffering, and an eternal glory that makes every present hardship pale by comparison. Romans 8:18 declares that what awaits us far outweighs what we endure here. Surrender is not loss. In the kingdom of God, it is always the beginning of gain.
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