Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today's shout-out goes to James Oliver Cox from Cherry Log, GA. Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23. You're helping us call people to deeper surrender. This one's for you.

Our text today is Mark 10:17-22:

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. — Mark 10:17-22

He runs. He kneels. He asks. He's moral. He's successful. He's hungry for something more. And Jesus sees it. But Jesus also sees deeper into the one thing he lacks.

The rich young man is seeking one more thing to add to his list of accomplishments. He wants to complete the checklist. But Jesus invites a different question that leads to an unexpected answer: "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone."

It's a subtle signal toward a loftier reflection—there is no "level of goodness" that reaches the extent of God's goodness.

Then comes his invitation. Not to do more, but to let go. Sell it. Give it. Follow him alone. This has nothing to do with poverty—it's about priority. His wealth wasn't the problem. It was his grip on his wealth that was the problem. And when Jesus touches on this sensitive area, the man walks away sad.

Jesus always comes after the thing we grip onto that keeps us from gripping onto him. This is because he's not interested in our level of spiritual goodness or religious checklists. He wants surrendered hearts, fully willing to let go of their grip on things and grip onto him. For this man, it was his money. For you, it may be something different or more specific, such as success, approval, comfort, or a sense of control.

But Jesus doesn't care about these things, unless you are going to loosen your grip on them and sacrifice them to him to grip fully on him. Because the call to "follow me" always means we have to "unfollow" something else.

#SurrenderEverything, #FollowJesus, #Project23

ASK THIS:

1. What good things are you tempted to use as spiritual credentials?
2. Why do you think Jesus loved the rich man even before he responded?
3. What’s one thing you’re afraid Jesus might ask you to surrender?
4. How does this story reshape your view of “success”?

DO THIS:

Ask yourself, “What’s the one thing Jesus might ask me to unfollow?” Then ask him for the courage to surrender it.

PRAY THIS:

Jesus, show me what I’m still clinging to. I want to follow you without hesitation—help me let go of whatever stands in the way. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“I Surrender.”

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today's shout-out goes to Chris Belyew from Stark, FL. Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23. You're helping build a legacy of truth that reaches the next generation. This one's for you.

Our text today is Mark 10:13-16:

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. — Mark 10:13-16

Jesus just finished teaching about marriage and the seriousness of covenant—and now, in a powerful contrast, we see children being brought to him. But the disciples see it as a distraction. A nuisance. Not worth the time of the Messiah. They rebuke the parents, shoo the kids away, and try to protect Jesus from this "waste of time".

But Jesus' response is surprising—it's indignant with them.

He says, "Stop shooing them away. Let the kids come. The kingdom belongs to those as willing and vulnerable as these."

In a culture that often overlooked or undervalued children, Jesus says they're the model citizens of the kingdom. Not because of their performance or power. But because of their posture. Their dependence. Their willingness. Their all in faith. Jesus is calling children and correcting the disciples. He's reminding them (and us) that greatness in the kingdom is not about status. It's about surrender.

Are you still "childlike" in your approach with Jesus, dependent, trusting, eager? Or have you "outgrown" this and become too busy, important, reserved, and protective?

We are all prone to outgrow the blessings of our childlike faith and develop a spiritual pretentiousness. We only do this because we wrongly believe that our intellect, education, doctrine, good works, experience, or notoriety is earned by effort or maturity. But Jesus teaches something different. It's not only about rejecting childishness. It's about embracing certain aspects of childlikeness.

So, where do you need to reject childishness? And then, where do you need to embrace childlikeness again in your relationship with Jesus?

#ChildlikeFaith, #LetThemCome, #Project23

ASK THIS:

1. When was the last time you approached God with childlike trust?
2. What distractions keep you from depending fully on Jesus?
3. How do we sometimes hinder others from coming to Jesus?
4. What would it look like to welcome and bless the "little ones" in your life?

DO THIS:

Pause today. Slow down. Say this simple prayer: "Jesus, I come to you with nothing but need. Hold me, bless me, lead me."

PRAY THIS:

Jesus, thank you for seeing me, not for what I can do, but for who I am. Teach me to trust you like a child again.

PLAY THIS:

"Run to the Father" by Cody Carnes.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today's shout-out goes to John Andreas from Delano, CA. Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23. Your support helps reach men and women with the Word. This one’s for you.

Our text today is Mark 10:1-12:

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” — Mark 10:1-12

The Pharisees weren’t genuinely curious—they were trying to trap Jesus. They bring up divorce, hoping he’d contradict Moses. But Jesus flips the question. He doesn’t begin with the law. He goes back further than the law. He goes back to God's original intent in the Garden.

“Moses allowed it because you were selfish and covenant breakers—unlike God.”

This marriage issue is not about the law or the lines we draw around the law. It’s about spiritual condition. Before divorce fractures the marital covenant, hardness fractures a heart. Jesus shifts the conversation from technicalities to theology. From loopholes to love. He basically says, “Let’s talk about what God intended, not what is permitted because of your fallen condition.”

Marriage wasn’t designed to be disposable. It was designed to be durable. A covenant made between two people and God where two become one and stay one through sin, struggle, and sanctification.

This is why Jesus makes this bold and sobering statement about remarriage and adultery. It’s not to heap shame on us for our mistakes but to reveal the sacredness of marriage and the seriousness of our selfish and hard hearts.

Our culture celebrates personal happiness above covenant faithfulness. But Jesus reminds us: the problem isn’t the institution—it’s the condition of the hearts permitted by the culture. So let's elevate the covenant. Check your heart. Is there pride? Bitterness? Self-righteousness? Indifference?

You're not going to "fix" a marriage by pointing fingers and drawing lines with a hard heart. You fix a marriage by submitting to the covenant, softening your heart, and surrendering to Jesus. If you are married, surrender something today. If you are not, remember marriage is an unchangeable covenant, not an amendable contract.

#HeartCheck, #MarriageMatters, #Project23

ASK THIS:

1. What excuses do we make for failing to fight for faithfulness?
2. Why do you think Jesus points to creation instead of law?
3. How can hard-heartedness show up in small, subtle ways?
4. What would it look like to forgive or pursue your spouse like Christ?

DO THIS:

Today, take five minutes to ask God where your heart has grown hard—in marriage, friendships, or faith. Then invite him to soften it.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, I confess the places where I’ve let my heart grow hard. Soften me again. Teach me to love as you first loved me—faithfully and sacrificially.

PLAY THIS:

“Lead Me”