Mercy is not weakness; it is strength under control. To show mercy means to withhold judgment when it could be given, to offer forgiveness when it is not deserved, and to extend kindness when the world says to retaliate.
Every day gives us opportunities to either demand payment for the wrongs done to us or to release others through mercy. When we choose mercy, we not only free the other person, but we also free ourselves. Holding onto bitterness chains us, but mercy sets us loose.
Think of the times when you have been spared—when someone chose not to hold your mistakes against you. That moment likely brought you relief, hope, and a fresh chance. You can be that source of renewal for others.
Mercy also reflects the heart of God. Scripture reminds us: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). In showing mercy, we plant seeds of compassion that return back to us in our own moments of weakness.
Today, look for a chance to practice mercy. It could be through forgiving an old hurt, speaking gently instead of harshly, or offering understanding rather than criticism. Mercy costs us our pride, but it rewards us with peace.
Thought for the Day: Mercy is love in action—give it freely, and watch how it changes your life.
Respect doesn’t always roar. Most days it whispers—through eye contact, a returned call, a patient tone, a sincere “thank you.” In a noisy world, respect is the gentle strength that opens doors, heals rifts, and reflects the heart of Christ.
What Respect Really Means
Seeing the image of God in every person (Genesis 1:27). Not because they’ve earned it, but because He stamped it on them. Valuing differences without demanding uniformity. Holding yourself to a higher standard even when others don’t.
Three Directions of Respect
Upward—Honor God. When we honor God first, we naturally treat people as His treasured work. David spared Saul not because Saul was perfect, but because David respected God’s anointing (1 Samuel 24). Outward—Honor Others. Respect is love with its sleeves rolled up. It shows up on time, listens without interrupting, and refuses to gossip. Jesus dignified the overlooked—children, lepers, tax collectors—teaching us that greatness kneels. Inward—Honor Yourself. You are not trash; you are a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). Speak to yourself with truth, set boundaries, and keep your word. Self-respect fuels consistent, compassionate respect for others.
A Quick Story
A friend told me about an exhausted cashier during the dinner rush. Lines were long, tempers short. He noticed her name tag, used her name, thanked her for working late, and left a note: “You make busy nights better.” Weeks later she said that one moment turned her week around. Respect is small on effort, huge on impact.
Five Ways to Practice Respect Today
Slow your speech. Let others finish. (James 1:19) Ask one more question. Curiosity communicates value. Use names. People feel seen when they’re called by name. Clean up after yourself. Shared spaces reveal our regard for others. Disagree honorably. Attack problems, not people.
Motivation to Carry
Respect doesn’t mean agreement; it means alignment with Christ’s heart. Respect isn’t weakness; it is strength under control. Respect isn’t complicated; it’s consistent—done in the little things, every day.
Quote to Pocket:
“Courtesy is the hall pass of the Holy Ghost in crowded hallways.” — Unknown (and wise)
Prayer
“Lord, help me see people as You see them. Put a guard over my mouth, kindness in my tone, and patience in my pace. Let my respect make You visible today. Amen.”
Walk into August 27 with this aim: leave every person more dignified than you found them. That’s not just good manners—it’s kingdom living.
Hospitality is more than opening your home—it’s opening your heart. It’s the willingness to make space for others, to serve with joy, and to reflect God’s love through kindness. In a world that often feels cold and divided, hospitality is a light that warms and welcomes.
1. Hospitality is a Command, Not Just a Courtesy
The Bible reminds us, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2). When we practice hospitality, we’re not just being polite—we’re living out a calling to love others the way Christ has loved us.
2. Small Gestures Make a Big Difference
Hospitality doesn’t always mean a fancy meal or a perfect house. Sometimes it’s a smile, a listening ear, a cup of coffee, or a simple word of encouragement. True hospitality is about presence, not perfection.
3. Hospitality Builds Bridges
Walls divide, but hospitality tears them down. When we welcome others, we create connections that heal loneliness, foster unity, and strengthen community. Every act of kindness becomes a seed of peace.
4. Hospitality Reflects Christ
Jesus welcomed everyone—the poor, the broken, the overlooked. His ministry was filled with meals, conversations, and open invitations. When we extend hospitality, we mirror His love and remind the world that they, too, have a place at His table.
Final Thought
Hospitality is not about what you have—it’s about what you share. Your home, your time, your kindness can become the very answer to someone’s silent prayer.
Today, choose to open your door and your heart. Hospitality has the power to change not only others but you as well.
Mark 5:1-8. And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
If you can’t find five minutes, can you spare one or two?
Are you a help today or are you one that hinders. You will either do one or the other to your Church, friends, and family.
I hear people say all the time I’m not a help but I’m not a hindrance.
Oh, yes you are! If you are not a help then you are a hindrance! You cannot ride the fence you will fall off on one side or the other. You will fall to the help side or to the side that hinders.
I made the statement once that I wanted to leave the walks of this life the day I started hindering. As soon as I could, I told them I wanted to make a correction to that statement. I told them that I did not want to leave the day I started hindering but instead I wanted to leave the day before.
There are too many things that a person can do to help others that there should be no reason to ever think about hindering someone else.
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In a world where many are hurting, compassion is a gift that costs us little but means so much. Compassion is more than feeling sorry for someone—it is love in action. It’s seeing pain and choosing to respond with kindness, understanding, and help.
1. Compassion Reflects God’s Heart
Jesus was often “moved with compassion” (Matthew 14:14). It wasn’t just emotion—it was action. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and lifted the broken. When we show compassion, we mirror the very heart of God to those around us.
2. Compassion Sees Beyond the Surface
Everyone you meet is fighting battles you cannot see. A harsh word can deepen their wounds, but a kind word can bring healing. Compassion means slowing down long enough to see people, not just problems.
3. Compassion Changes the Giver Too
Compassion not only blesses the receiver but transforms the giver. When you extend grace, forgive freely, or help sacrificially, you grow closer to God and experience joy that money can’t buy. Proverbs 11:25 reminds us, “He that watereth shall be watered also himself.”
4. Compassion is a Daily Choice
Opportunities for compassion surround us—an encouraging word, a helping hand, a listening ear. It doesn’t require grand gestures; small acts done with great love ripple farther than you realize.
Final Thought
Compassion is not weakness—it is strength clothed in kindness. It takes courage to feel deeply and act selflessly in a world that often says, “Look out for yourself.” Today, choose compassion. Let someone feel God’s love through you.
When you open your heart in compassion, you open the door for healing—both in others and in yourself.
Your life is shaped by the doors you walk through and those you walk past.
Story:
Are you a help today or are you one that hinders? You will either do one or the other to your Church, friends, and family. I hear people say all the time I’m not a help but I’m not a hindrance. Oh, yes you are! If you are not a help then you are a hindrance!
You cannot ride the fence you will fall off on one side or the other. You will fall to the help side or to the side that hinders.
I made the statement once that I wanted to leave the walks of this life the day I started hindering. As soon as I could, I told them I wanted to make a correction to that statement. I told them that I did not want to leave the day I started hindering but instead I wanted to leave the day before.
There are too many things that a person can do to help others that there should be no reason to ever think about hindering someone else.
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But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Humor:
A couple were dining out together celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.
After the meal, the husband presented his wife romantically with a beautiful very old gold antique locket on a chain.
Amazingly when his wife opened the locket, a tiny fairy appeared.
Addressing the astonished couple, the fairy said, “Your forty years of devotion to each other has released me from this locket, and in return I can now grant you both one wish each – anything you want..”
Without hesitating, the wife asked, “Please, can I travel to the four corners of the world with my husband, as happy and in love as we’ve always been?”
The fairy waved her wand with a flourish, and magically there on the table were two first-class tickets for a round-the-world holiday.
Staggered, the couple looked at each other, unable to believe their luck.
“Your turn,” said the fairy and the wife to the husband.
The husband thought for a few seconds, and then said, with a little guilt in his voice, “Forgive me, but to really enjoy that holiday of a lifetime – I yearn for a younger woman – so I wish that my wife could be thirty years younger than me.”
Shocked, the fairy glanced at the wife, and with a knowing look in her eye, waved her wand…..
If you can’t find five minutes, can you spare one or two?
8/23– Can You Spare A Minute ?
4/5–8/18
One morning, an elderly man was walking along the beach when he noticed a young boy picking something off the sand and throwing it into the sea.
As he got closer, the man realized the child was throwing stranded starfishes that had washed up on the shore back into the breaking waves.
Approaching the boy, the man asked what he was doing.
The starfish will die if they’re still on the shore when the sun rises,” he replied.
Perplexed, the old man said, “But that’s pointless! There are countless miles of beach and thousands of starfish. It doesn’t matter how many you return to the water, you can’t make a difference.”
Unfazed, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and tossed it into the sea.
It matters to this one,” he said
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