The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

James 3:1 offers a sobering reminder that church leaders, pastors, and Bible teachers are held to a higher standard because of their responsibility to teach God’s Word. In this devotional, Emily Rose Massey explores the growing concern over moral failures among Christian leaders and why believers should respond with prayer rather than cynicism. As false teaching, spiritual compromise, and public scandals continue to impact the church, Christians are called to support and pray for faithful pastors who shepherd God’s people with integrity and biblical conviction.
Highlights
James 3:1 reveals the serious responsibility carried by Bible teachers and pastors.
Church leaders are held to a higher standard because they influence others spiritually.
Moral failures in ministry should lead believers to prayer, not cynicism.
False teaching can create confusion and spiritual harm within the church.
Faithful pastors need consistent prayer and support from their congregations.
Sound biblical teaching protects believers from deception.
Church leaders face unique spiritual attacks and temptations.
Christians can strengthen their local church by praying for those who shepherd and teach.
Join the Conversation
How has a faithful pastor, elder, or Bible teacher impacted your spiritual growth? What are practical ways believers can encourage and pray for church leaders facing the challenges of ministry?
Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:
The High Standard of Church Leaders
By: Emily Rose Massey
Bible Reading:
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1, ESV).
It seems that over the last couple of years, there has been much exposure and shaking in the church regarding leaders who have fallen or gotten caught in scandal and lies. When the news of another pastor’s moral failure makes its way into the public eye, is your first reaction one of sarcasm and jadedness, or does it cause you to weep and hit your knees in prayer? It seems easier to get angry or grow cynical when those in the pulpit fall into grave sin and disappoint those who have attributed much of their spiritual growth from their teaching. Instead of wagging our fingers or shaking our heads in disappointment, it should truly break our hearts when leaders in the church fall.
There is a stern warning found in the book of James that should cause us pause and reflect upon the great and weighty responsibility that pastors carry as teachers of God’s Word:
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1, ESV).
This verse begins a chapter in the book of James that focuses on the importance of the tongue and its ability to either bring encouragement and growth or hostility and destruction. We will all be held accountable for the words we speak, but for those who teach the Bible, there is a higher standard. With a higher standard comes a stronger judgment from God. This should motivate us to pray for teachers, especially those who pastor our own local church.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
In America (and perhaps even around the world, thanks to television and social media), the gospel of Jesus Christ has become extremely muddied by false teaching full of false gospels, New Age/occult/pagan practices, lying signs and wonders, and distractions from worldly desires that are all leading many to false Christs.
For almost half of our marriage, my husband and I were among those believers who were believing lies from the result of the twisting of scripture and emotional, mental, and spiritual manipulation from leaders in ministry whom we trusted. By God’s grace, we were rescued from this deception and now attend a sound and Biblical church that has been such a blessing to our family. Every week, the elders preach the Word of God with such conviction and clarity, and are unashamed about the gospel. Although we finally feel “safe,” we know that these men of God are susceptible to the same temptations as we are, and instead of growing comfortable or letting our guard down, we must fiercely pray for the men in our lives who teach God’s Holy Word because Satan has put a giant target on their backs. The enemy knows how much damage can be done to the Body of Christ if God’s Word is abused or distorted, but the same is true for the carriers of that message; A teacher’s life is held to a higher standard because the Lord uses teachers to help us understand who He is. The weighty responsibility and calling of bringing truth to the sheep of God is one no one should have to bear alone. Let us shoulder Kingdom responsibility with our elders by making it a priority to daily pray for the teachers and pastors who have much influence on our spiritual well-being.
In the age we live in, we can know personal details of public figures very quickly and easily. It seems there is always a new Christian leader who has given in to fleshly temptation and taken advantage of the trust of their sheep. When you discover this shocking news of another moral failing, are you tempted to harden your heart or grow cynical towards the church? It should cause us heartache and wake us up to the reality that the enemy wants to cause destruction among God’s people. These moral failings cause distrust among sheep, but they also hurt our witness to the world when they see the hypocrisy and corruption within the visible church.
We must ask the Lord to give us a burden to pray for church leaders, but more importantly, the leaders of our very own church who have given their lives to shepherd souls and teach others about God and His ways. We are called to make disciples and need to be equipped by God’s Word to do that. God has called teachers and pastors to a higher standard to equip the Body for the work of the ministry by teaching us what God’s Word says. May we be quick to lift them up every day, knowing the seriousness of their high calling as teachers of God’s Holy Word, and thank the Lord for their role in your life personally, as someone who keeps watch over your soul.
Further Reading:
1 Timothy 3:1-13
Titus 1:7-9
1 Peter 5:1-4
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1 Corinthians 2:9 reminds believers that God’s plans are far greater than anything we can imagine, even during seasons of grief, loss, and uncertainty. In this heartfelt devotional, Vivian Bricker reflects on the pain of losing her mother and the struggle of complex grief while pointing readers back to the hope found in God’s promises. Through Scripture and personal testimony, this Christian encouragement reminds us that God is still working even when life feels heavy and painful.
Highlights
God’s plans are greater than anything we can fully imagine.
Grief and loss do not cancel God’s purpose for your life.
1 Corinthians 2:9 offers hope during painful seasons.
God welcomes us to bring our sorrow and pain to Him.
Complex grief can feel overwhelming, but God remains near.
Romans 8:28 reminds believers that God works through suffering.
Pain can become part of a testimony that encourages others.
Trusting God allows hope to grow even in heartbreak.
Join the Conversation
How has God carried you through seasons of grief or disappointment? What helps you continue trusting His plans even when life feels uncertain?
Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:
God Has Wonderful Plans in Store for You
By: Vivian Bricker
Bible Reading:
“However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’— the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Over the past year, I have come across many social media posts noting that 2016 was 10 years ago. My friends have shared posts reflecting upon their lives a decade ago; how much they have changed, what they have accomplished, and how much happier they are now. While it is great to see my friends flourishing in life, my heart breaks every time I am reminded of 2016.
2016 was the year my mom passed away. Every time I see the “decade challenge” or “decade glow-up,” I am once again crushed with the reality that my mom has been gone for ten years. Some days, it feels like she has been gone for only a few weeks, and other days, it feels like she has been gone for a century. The pain of her absence has only increased over the years.
Upon restarting therapy, I discovered I have complex grief. Complex grief is different from regular grief because the latter does not endure for years; instead, there is an ending point, and you are able to make peace with the death of your loved one. However, with complex grief, it is impossible for you to move forward; you are paralyzed by their death, and you feel like your life has ended. Complex grief is remarkably common if you were dependent on the person who passed away.
Perhaps you are walking through a similar season; a loved one passed away, and you are overcome with dread, grief, and pain. Rest at the foot of the cross and find solace in the Lord (Matthew 11:28-30). He will never make you feel guilty for mourning the loss of your loved one. Whether it's been a few days or a few decades, God understands the pain you are experiencing today.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
During these times, it is important to reflect upon our future with Christ. Paul tells us, “However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’—the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Although we may be struggling now, this darkness will not endure forever. God has wonderful plans for our lives – plans that we may not even know about yet.
Rather than fearing the worst, trust God. No mind in all history has articulated the plans God has for those who love Him. As His followers, we can surrender our pain, grief, and agony to Him. God will bring light back into our lives, surround us with His love, and show us the plans He has for our lives. Lean into God’s amazing work today and trust Him with the process (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Your grief may continue for the rest of your life, but this does not mean you cannot enjoy the wonderful plans God has for you. He may even use this present pain to encourage you to help others, such as supporting those who have also lost loved ones, building up the family of God, or praying for those who are in end-of-life care. The plans He has for you are amazing; do not give up now, your life has just begun.
Are you ready to take hold of the wonderful plans God has for your life? What do you think God has in store for you?
Further Reading:
Jeremiah 29:11
Proverbs 16:9
Romans 8:28


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Isaiah 46:11 reminds believers that God always fulfills His promises and accomplishes His plans in perfect timing. In this devotional, Whitney Hopler encourages Christians to trust God even during seasons of waiting, uncertainty, and unanswered prayers. Whether facing career decisions, personal struggles, or closed doors, believers can find peace knowing that God is always working behind the scenes. His faithfulness never fails, and His promises remain true regardless of circumstances.
Highlights
God always fulfills what He promises in His perfect timing.
Isaiah 46:11 reveals the power and certainty of God’s plans.
Waiting seasons can strengthen faith and dependence on God.
Fear and striving often create unnecessary stress and anxiety.
Romans 8:28 reminds believers that God works all things for good.
Jesus is the ultimate proof of God’s faithfulness to His promises.
Trusting God brings peace even before circumstances change.
Join the Conversation
What promise from God are you currently holding onto during this season of waiting? How has God shown His faithfulness to you in moments when you doubted the outcome?
Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:
God Will Do What He Says
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“... What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” – Isaiah 46:11, NIV
Years ago, I faced a lot of competition for a particular job I wanted. It was so competitive that I wondered whether or not I should even try. But after I prayed about whether I should go for it, I got a strong sense of peace and confidence about doing so. It was a long process! I had to develop a complex creative presentation and go through several interviews with various groups of people. Along the way, I doubted whether or not I could really get the job. I put myself through a lot of unnecessary stress worrying about the outcome. Finally, though, I turned my worries into prayers. After praying regularly about the job, I sensed that God would make a way for me to get it. Sure enough, God did open the door to that job for me. If I had trusted that God would bring that about after I’d prayed the first time, I would have saved myself all that stress I didn’t actually have to go through while waiting.
In Isaiah 46:11, God assures us that he really will do what he says he’ll do in our lives.
If God has spoken a truth over your life – such as that he loves you, that he’ll never leave you, or that he’ll meet all of your needs – you can really count on God doing that. It’s something you can be sure God will do! If God planned it, he is currently doing the work behind the scenes to make it happen. Just because you can’t see the result yet, because it’s not yet God’s timing for it to happen, doesn’t mean God has abandoned his work on it for you.
This verse has real authority behind it. God tells us clearly that he will bring about what he says and that he will do what he has planned. The focus is entirely on God’s power, and God has unlimited power to do whatever he chooses to do. We never have to worry that God won’t be able to keep his promises to us. No matter what, God always keeps his promises.
We can also be sure that none of our mistakes will ruin God’s work in our lives. God tells us in Romans 8:28 that all things will work together for our good. God can take all of our broken pieces and incorporate them into the plans he established for us before we were even born. No matter what, God will continue to work to accomplish good purposes for our lives.
Jesus is the ultimate proof that what God says in Isaiah 46:11 is true. Thousands of years before Jesus was born, God said he would send a Savior. But as people waited for that to happen, generation after generation passed. People started to doubt that God would really do what he said he would do.
At just the right time, though, God brought about just what he had planned and said he would do. Jesus came to Earth at exactly the best time in history to save our world from sin. Since God was faithful to fulfill the massive promise of sending us a Savior, you can trust God to fulfill the promises he has made to you personally. You can stop exhausting yourself trying to force doors open or worrying that you’ve been forgotten. You can breathe.
God always tells the truth. If God said it, it’s coming. If he planned it, it’s happening. Your job isn’t to make it happen; your job is to trust the One who is already doing it.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider how you can trust God to do what he says he will do, reflect on these questions:
What’s one promise you’re currently waiting for God to fulfill?
In what ways are you currently tempted to doubt God’s promises while you wait, and how can you remind yourself of God’s faithfulness regularly?
Looking back, when has God brought about a plan in your life that you once thought was impossible?
Are you exhausted from trying to force a result in your own strength rather than trusting God’s timing?
When you think about how God always tells the truth and how he never fails, how does that change your level of peace?
Further Reading:
Numbers 23:19
Joshua 21:45
Philippians 1:6
Psalm 33:11
Hebrews 10:23

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Isaiah 55:8-12 offers powerful encouragement for Christians struggling with disappointment, uncertainty, or unanswered prayers. In this devotional, Cindi McMenamin reminds believers that true joy is found not in perfect circumstances, but in trusting God’s higher wisdom, faithful timing, and unchanging character. Even when life feels confusing or painful, Scripture assures us that God is always working with purpose, and His promises never return empty. Learning to trust God’s plan instead of relying on our own understanding leads to lasting peace, spiritual strength, and deeper faith.
Highlights
Isaiah 55 teaches that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours.
True joy is not dependent on circumstances, but on trusting God.
God’s promises and plans never fail or return empty.
Believers can experience peace even when they do not understand God’s timing.
Joy grows when we surrender control and place our trust in the Lord.
God remains loving, faithful, and sovereign through every season.
Join the Conversation
What situation in your life feels difficult to trust God with right now? How can surrendering control help you experience greater joy and peace in this season?
Continue the conversation and share your thoughts with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:
Our Promise of Joy
By Cindi McMenamin
Bible Reading:
“For you will go out with joy
And be led in peace;
The mountains and the hills will break into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12 NASB)
Could you use some joy in your life right now? Have circumstances discouraged you, causing you to wonder where God is or why He allows what He does?
It’s difficult, at times, to understand God, but according to Scripture, His thoughts are not like ours, and His ways are not like ours either. The Bible says we’re foolish to think we can ever fully understand the mind and ways of God.
We can tend to think we have Him figured out, and then He seems to act out of character by allowing something that we don’t understand.
But, my friend, God is always consistent with Who He is – loving, all-knowing, all-powerful, and faithful to the ends of the earth. So, if it seems like God is disappointing you, failing you, or abandoning you, you must not have the whole picture yet. And spoiler alert: you might not see the whole picture this side of heaven.
It occurred to me as I was reading through Isaiah 55:8-12 that God was not only telling His people, through the prophet Isaiah, to trust His ways and His timing, but He was giving them the formula for joy.
He wasn’t just saying, “Joy will someday be yours as you trust Me.” He was saying joy was a result of understanding Who He is and that His ways are sometimes unexplainable.
In Isaiah 55:8-11, God offers these encouraging, comforting, and (for me, they were life-changing) words:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” NASB).
Those four verses of Scripture assure us that even though we don’t always understand God’s thoughts and His ways, He is still God and He can still bring something good out of what He is allowing. And therefore, as we trust His ways and His timing, we can “go out with joy.”
Even when we can’t see it all yet.
Joy isn’t automatic. And joy certainly isn’t connected to our circumstances. Rather, joy is the result of understanding that God’s ways are so far above our own. God was telling His people, in verses 8-11, that His thoughts were not just different than theirs, but higher than theirs, and His ways were better than theirs, fuller than theirs, accomplishing so much more than theirs. And therefore, joy was theirs as they accepted that God’s ways and timing are different, but so much better. And He can be trusted.
The wonderful thing about this promise of joy in Isaiah 55:12 is that it follows that comforting passage, assuring us that God’s ways are not like our own. He doesn’t mess up. He doesn’t miss a thing. And He is always working on our behalf, as we trust and honor Him.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Can you trust His ways, my friend, regardless of your circumstances? In addition to this comfort in Isaiah 55:8-12, we are assured in Psalm 18:30 that all God’s ways are perfect. And in addition to His perfect methods and timing, “He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.”
Trust this God whose ways are higher, better, and more eternal than yours. And experience the joy that comes from being able to say, “I don’t understand. But my trust is in Him.”
Further Reading:
Psalm 121
For more on trusting God with your whole heart, see my newest book, The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God.
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Jesus consistently modeled dependence on the Father through prayer, obedience, and service. He came not to be served, but to serve others, ultimately giving His life for humanity. In the same way, believers are called to deny themselves daily, not through their own strength, but through the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. Through trials, hardships, and acts of service, God uses surrender to refine faith and produce spiritual maturity.
This devotional reminds readers that sanctification is a lifelong process. Though dying to self is difficult, it leads to deeper fellowship with Christ, greater spiritual growth, and the abundant life Jesus promises to those who follow Him faithfully.
Highlights
Philippians 3:10 reveals Paul’s desire to become more like Christ through surrender.
Following Jesus requires daily humility, sacrifice, and obedience.
Selflessness in everyday life reflects Christ’s servant-hearted example.
Jesus modeled dependence on the Father through prayer and submission.
The Holy Spirit empowers believers to deny the flesh and choose God’s way.
Trials and hardships can become opportunities for spiritual growth and sanctification.
True life is found when believers surrender their lives fully to Christ.
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Full Transcript Below:
We Must Die Daily
By: Emily Rose Massey
Bible Reading:
“…that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10, ESV).
As a mom and wife, I am given countless opportunities to set aside my own wants and to sacrifice my love, time, and attention to my husband and children's needs. Pouring yourself out like that on a daily basis can sometimes be physically exhausting; I find myself praying for supernatural strength often! Yet, at the end of the day, even though I am tempted to wonder where my “me time” is, my heart is always full.
This is when I begin to see more clearly what the Apostle Paul meant when he said: “I die daily.”
The Biblical principle of dying to yourself has always been true, but I didn’t always live it or even understand it. Becoming a stay-at-home mom has challenged me in more ways than I can count in the area of putting others before myself, and I am always learning and finding that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive.
As Jesus’ disciples, we are called to follow Him. That was Paul’s mission in life – to imitate Christ. And it is what he and the rest of the apostles literally gave their lives to preach to the world through their words and actions. We may not ever get the honor to literally die for Jesus Christ because of our faith in Him, but by God’s grace, we can imitate His selflessness every day.
The apostle Paul emphasizes his great desire to join Christ in His suffering and become like Christ in his daily dying of self:
“…that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10, ESV).
Intersecting Faith and Life:
To be able to imitate Christ and enjoy this kind of fellowship with Him, we must look to Jesus as our example. Even though Jesus was God in the flesh, He still leaned upon God the Father for everything He said and did while He walked this earth. Jesus would rise early to pray and seek God for His will for the day.
In addition to seeking God in prayer, Jesus obediently submitted Himself to the will of the Father, even unto death. Each day, we are faced with the temptation to satisfy our flesh and go outside the boundaries of God’s perfect will. We discover what that will is when we read the Bible and study it for ourselves to learn God’s ways. We are not perfect, but thankfully, Jesus was, and because of His sacrifice on the cross, we have been given the precious gift of the Holy Spirit as born-again believers.
The characteristics of Jesus’ death should be the characteristics of our lives: humility, sacrifice, and glory to God through disciple-making. Ultimately, Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve others (Mark 10:45). Jesus ministered to thousands upon thousands of people during His time here on earth. John 22 tells us that if all the things Jesus did were written down, the entire world could not contain the books that would be written! Dying daily definitely isn’t easy, but it is worth it because Jesus promises us that whoever loses his life will find it and find it abundantly (Matthew 10:39, John 10:10)!
But remember, we cannot die daily in our own strength, friends. The Holy Spirit is who empowers us to choose God’s way through the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). With each passing day, by God’s grace, we mature and cultivate a life worth dying for, a life found in Christ alone! Living like Christ’s dying is a continual process of humility and sacrifice. May God empower us to die daily and choose others above ourselves.
Our flesh wants nothing to do with denying it of anything. We don’t want to experience suffering. But it is in those moments of dying to self that you become more like Christ. What are the difficulties and trials you are currently facing? Ask the Lord to help you embrace those trials and sufferings so that you may grow closer to Him. Let us seek to look like Christ’s dying by learning how to be humble and sacrificial. Instead of resisting those difficult times, ask the Lord to help you to find great opportunities for sanctification to be conformed to the image of Christ Jesus and lean into His grace through the trial.
Further Reading:
2 Corinthians 4:10-11
Luke 9:23-27
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