The Power of Words: Blessings and Curses | 1 Samuel 1:9-17
Vince Miller Podcast
Are your words building up or tearing down? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a new series on 1 Samuel, and we are currently in chapter one. The theme of chapter one is the six people who influenced Samuel's life: So far, we have identified Elkanah, Peninnah, Hannah, and today Eli, Israel's judge and priest. I am going to read verses 9-17, which pick up on this interaction between Hannah and Eli. After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and...
info_outline
God’s Provision in Times of Trial | 1 Samuel 1:9-11
Vince Miller Podcast
Do you need provision from God in a present trial? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a new series on 1 Samuel and have just begun chapter one. The first chapter's theme is the six people who influenced Samuel's life: Elkanah, Peninnah, and today, Hannah. We are jumping down to verses 9-11. Hannah has slipped away from the family while in Shiloh and is headed to the Tabernacle by herself to pray. The text reads: After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply...
info_outline
God’s Provision In Rivalry | 1 Samuel 1:4-8
Vince Miller Podcast
Is there a rivalry holding you back? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a brand new series on 1 Samuel, and we have just begun chapter one. The theme of the first chapter is the six people who influenced Samuel's life. The first is Elkanah, Samuel's father. The second is Peninnah, Samuel's second wife. Before we read the text, let's set the stage for Peninnah. We know little about her, but her actions in verses 4-8 reveal a lot about her character and the dynamics of her relationship with Hannah. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his...
info_outline
Insignificant Yet Significant | 1 Samuel 1:1-3
Vince Miller Podcast
Do you feel small, like a nobody from nowhere? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a brand new series on 1 Samuel. As I mentioned yesterday, we will do an overview of the chapter on Mondays and then, for the following six days, a closer look at that chapter. The theme we are looking at in chapter one is the six people who influenced Samuel's life. The first of these is Elkanah, his father. What's interesting about Elkanah is that he is a nobody from nowhere. We know little about him and his father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, all named in...
info_outline
Undeniable Influences | 1 Samuel 1
Vince Miller Podcast
GET THE 1 SAMUEL JOURNAL HERE: 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/1SamuelJournal Who are the people who have undeniably influenced your life? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We are in a brand new series on 1 Samuel. As this is a rich and expansive story, I will provide a birds-eye view of the chapter each Monday, followed by six devotionals from that chapter for the next 31 weeks. This will allow us to explore the larger story at the beginning of the week and the smaller details for the remainder of the week. 1 Samuel is divided into three major parts that discuss three important men: Part...
info_outline
The Legacy of a Mother | 1 Samuel 1:20
Vince Miller Podcast
Happy Mother's Day! And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.” — 1 Samuel 1:20 Today, we begin a new book of the bible, and it's fitting that today is Mother’s Day because 1 Samuel begins with a humble and obedient mother. Her name is Hannah. Hannah is one of two wives married to a man named Elkanah, and why a man would want two wives perplexes me. But anyhow, this man has two. Their names are Peninnah and Hannah. As we read chapter one, we discover that Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none....
info_outline
From Drama to Grace | Galatians 6:17-18
Vince Miller Podcast
Are you tired of all the pointless drama? We begin 1 Samuel tomorrow, so get your from the website so you can follow along. From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. — I love the allusion in the closing text. If I were to put this text in my own words, Paul is saying: If you want to see and know the marks of Jesus, let me take off my shirt for you. Five times, I have been beaten with 39 lashes. I have been shipwrecked. I have been stoned and left for dead. Your...
info_outline
The Peace of Submitting to God’s Story | Galatians 6:16
Vince Miller Podcast
It's all for God. It's his mission, his people, and his glory, not yours. We are days away from beginning the book of 1 Samuel. So remember to visit our website and secure your copy of the . Pick it up so you're fully prepared to dive into this study. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.— As Paul closes this letter, he wants the Galatians to know that they don't get to have their way with God's story. It's God's story about Israel. They only get to tell the story as it is. While there are Judaizers who want to modify and...
info_outline
Boasting in Christ Alone | Galatians 6:13-15
Vince Miller Podcast
Are you boasting about the wrong things? We are days away from beginning the book of 1 Samuel. So remember to visit our website and secure your copy of the . Pick it up so you're fully prepared to dive into this study. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.— Paul is so familiar with twisted acts of legalism that he tells the Galatians (both Gentiles and Jews) how twisted the motives of legalism can be. Simply put, he says that some legalists will invade your churches and try to...
info_outline
Motives Revealed | Galatians 6:12
Vince Miller Podcast
Are you scared of the truth because you are trying to please people? We are days away from beginning the book of 1 Samuel. So remember to visit our website and secure your copy of the . Pick it up so you're fully prepared to dive into this study. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. — There are all kinds of reasons we do the things we do. Sometimes, the motive is clear, and other times, the motive is murky. Sometimes, we do it for the payoff, and...
info_outlineHave you truly killed those passions and desires?
I want to shout out to all my brothers from Family Community Church in San Jose, California. We had a great time yesterday, and I pray this time of restoration was a blessing for you.
Also, remember to go to the website and grab the 1 Samuel Scripture Journal today so you are ready to go when we begin!
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. — Galatians 5:24
The word that stands out to me in this text is the word crucified because crucifixion is violent.
Crucifixion is still one of the most brutal forms of execution in all of history. If you have ever seen Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ," you might remember how chilling and brutal this scene was.
Crucifixion involves nailing a victim to a wooden cross, leading to a slow death from asphyxiation, exhaustion, and shock. The excruciating pain arises from both the piercing of nails and the prolonged agony as the body struggles to breathe while suspended. Victims must push on the nails in their feet and pull on those in their wrists to inhale, intensifying the torment. Crucifixion was always public, heightening the psychological suffering. This combination of physical agony, prolonged torment, and public shame makes it a fierce and disturbing form of execution.
Now, apply this imagery in the way Paul does here. He says if we belong to Jesus, we have (past tense) crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
And herein lies the core problem with believers who struggle with repetitive patterns of sin. They attempt to change by altering their behaviors. And there is nothing wrong with altering behaviors if you also nail, crucify, kill, and drain the very life from the source of those behaviors, which is your old fleshly passions and desires.
Thus, we are left with a very pointed question. What desire is still living that you need to kill? Is it a sexual desire? A drive for retribution? Is it a passion for wealth and success? A desire for control? Whatever it is, you better be killing it, or it will be killing you.
#CrucifyDesires
#KillSin
#SpiritualTransformation
ASK THIS:
- Reflect on a desire or passion in your life that you know is contrary to God's will. What steps can you take today to begin crucifying that desire and aligning your heart with God's purposes?
- Think about a repetitive pattern of sin you struggle with. How can you go beyond merely modifying your behavior to truly crucifying the root of that sin, allowing God's transformative power to bring lasting change in your life?
DO THIS: Kill one old desire that needs to be killed.
PRAY THIS: Lord, help me to truly understand the depth of what it means to crucify my fleshly desires, and empower me to take decisive action in aligning my heart with Your will. Grant me the strength and courage to put to death those passions that hinder my walk with You, so that I may experience the fullness of freedom and life in Christ. Amen.
PLAY THIS: The Passion of Christ (Crucifixion Scene)