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The Journey | 9.13.26 – 9.18.26
I lost my job four months ago. To make things worse, my daughter was leaving for two months. What I thought would be a summer to get ahead on work projects was suddenly going to be a long, boring stretch of nothing.
After a couple of days of wallowing in my misery, I prayed, “God, what are you trying to teach me through this?” I didn’t get an answer, but I had this growing sense that God was doing something I couldn’t see yet.
With no job and no daughter at home, I had all the time in the world. And somehow, I was still rushing.
I rushed through errands, meals, even conversations, as if I had somewhere to be. I was like a race car going 200 miles per hour with no race, no track, and no finish line.
Was this what God was trying to show me?
So I started slowing down on purpose. I walked slower. I cooked meals from scratch. I let conversations with friends run long. Somewhere along the way, my quiet time with God began to change too.
I had always spent time with God before work, but looking back, I can see how the hurry of my life had followed me there. I was mentally racing toward whatever came next.
I realized I was neck-deep in the world’s version of productivity—focused on KPIs, the next promotion, the shiny new thing. But as Pastor Dan taught us today, Jesus describes a different kind of productive life, and that kind of life produces something very different: love and joy.
Loving people well takes time.
It’s hard to notice people when you’re rushing past them.
Joy requires us to be present.
It’s hard to enjoy what God has already placed in front of us when our eyes are fixed on what’s next.
God wasn’t only slowing down my schedule. He was redirecting my attention.
Today we learned that God prunes even healthy branches so they can bear more fruit. Sometimes he cuts away something good because he sees that it’s taking away from something better.
That summer, the pruning felt like losing a lot at once. But in the space it created, I noticed God more. I noticed people more. I learned to sit longer, listen better, and enjoy what was already in front of me.
Father, thank you for loving us enough to prune us. Help us remain close to you, slow down enough to notice the people around us, and find joy in what you have already given us. Grow in us the kind of fruit that lasts. Amen.
By Catalina Florez
Monday, September 14
When I was a kid, my mom would buy me a treat if I behaved while we were grocery shopping. That was my reward. My parents were big on positive reinforcement, and when I first started walking with God, I used to think that’s how things worked with him: do what God says, and he’ll give you what you want.
But John 15 shows us something different. As Pastor Dan taught us yesterday, we don’t have to change before we come to Jesus, but once we’re connected to him, change is inevitable. The closer we stay to Jesus, the more his words shape us. We learn to love like he does, and even the things we want begin to change.
Our prayers become less about getting God to agree with us and more about aligning our hearts with his.
What are you asking God for today? Ask him to shape your heart along with your circumstances.
Pray: Jesus, help me get closer to you and become more like you. Teach me to love like you and shape my heart so I want what you want. Amen.
Tuesday, September 15
We’re surrounded by values that don’t always line up with what God says is good. And peer pressure doesn’t disappear when we leave high school.
Going against the current isn’t easy. That’s why Psalm 1 talks about reflecting on God’s word day and night. Not just reading a few verses during quiet time, but carrying them with us into the rest of the day.
When you’re not sure how to handle something, or you find yourself wondering, “Is this just acceptable, or is this actually what God is calling me to?” stop and ask: Does this line up with what the Bible teaches?
Pray: God, keep me grounded in your Word today. Help me recognize when I’m being pulled away from what you teach, and give me the courage to choose your way. Amen.
Wednesday, September 16
We usually think the answer to feeling overwhelmed is more time, a better plan, or simply pushing through. Jesus offers something different: “Come to me.”
He doesn’t promise a life with no responsibilities. He promises we don’t have to carry them alone.
Sometimes rest doesn’t mean stopping everything. It means doing what’s ours to do, then leaving the rest with God. It’s trusting that he sees what we can’t, that he is still in control, and that his plans are better than ours.
Pray: Jesus, when I’m tired and overwhelmed, remind me to come to you first. Help me do what I can, trust you with what I can’t, and rest in knowing you’re in control. Amen.
Thursday, September 17
Something Pastor Dan said Sunday stayed with me: when the Bible uses fruit as a picture of our spiritual lives, it refers to a spiritual change that comes from the inside out.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control aren’t things we have to force ourselves to perform. They’re evidence of what the Holy Spirit is growing in us.
Jesus says something similar in Luke 6:43–45: a good tree produces good fruit, and what fills the heart eventually comes out in the way we speak and live.
That means spiritual fruit isn’t just about trying harder to act patient, kind, or loving. It’s about letting God change what’s happening inside us first. Over time, that inner change begins to show on the outside—in our reactions, our words, and the way we treat people.
Pray: Holy Spirit, search my heart today. Show me what needs Your attention, what needs to change, and where I’m still holding on to my own way. Keep changing me from the inside out and let that change show in how I love people. Amen.
Friday, September 18
When I was a teenager, we went through a season of scheduled blackouts. They happened during prime time, back when you couldn’t stream your shows, smartphones weren’t a thing, and desktops ruled the world.
It was 90 degrees outside, so we’d drag mattresses onto the balcony and lie as still as possible—the smallest movement could make you break a sweat. I hated it. My dad loved it, which made me hate it even more.
At first, we complained and looked at the clock. Eventually, we learned to be still. Sometimes we talked. Sometimes we sat in silence. But we were together.
Now that I’m a mom, I understand why my dad loved those nights.
I see God’s heart in Psalm 46:10—a Father who simply wants time with his children. No distractions. No agenda. Just being together.
Pray: Father, help me put down the noise and distractions today. Teach me to be still with you, enjoy your presence, and make space to simply be with you. Amen.
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