Daily Bible with Hunter and Heather

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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:  Ezra 5–6; Psalm 138; Luke 16

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One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved.
TODAY'S EPISODE
Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is October 3rd, and our readings are Ezra 5–6, Psalm 138, and Luke 16.
Ezra brings us back to the rebuilding of the temple.
The work that had stalled begins again. Haggai and Zechariah encourage the people, opposition comes, questions are raised, old records are searched, and eventually King Darius confirms the decree of Cyrus.
The temple is completed.
And God's people celebrate.
Psalm 138 gives us David's song of gratitude:
"I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart."
And then we come to Luke 16, where Jesus speaks about money, faithfulness, and the things that can take possession of our hearts.
"You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money."
Then Jesus tells a story about two men.
One is extraordinarily rich.
The other is desperately poor.
But something strange happens in the telling.
The poor man has a name.
Lazarus.
The rich man doesn't.
One has almost nothing the world values, yet he is known.
The other seems to have everything the world values, yet somehow he has lost sight of who he is.
Maybe that's the question before us today.
What tells you who you are?
Your possessions?
Your accomplishments?
Your reputation?
Your failures?
Or the God who knows you and calls you by name?
TODAY'S DEVOTION
The Named and the Nameless
He's a rich man with no name.
I've always found that interesting.
Jesus tells us about a man who lives in luxury.
He dresses in expensive purple and fine linen.
Every day is a feast.
He has wealth.
Status.
Comfort.
Influence.
But Jesus never tells us his name.
Then outside his gate lies another man.
Poor.
Hungry.
Covered with sores.
Longing for scraps from the rich man's table.
And Jesus tells us his name.
Lazarus.
The man whom the world hardly notices is named.
The man everyone probably knows is nameless.
I think Jesus wants us to notice that.
Because the rich man has constructed an identity out of all the things the world tells us matter.
Money.
Possessions.
Status.
Comfort.
Maybe reputation.
But somehow all of it has blinded him.
Lazarus has been lying outside his gate.
Close enough to see.
Close enough to help.
But the rich man doesn't really see him.
And perhaps even more tragically, he doesn't see himself.
He doesn't recognize his own poverty.
His own need.
His own dependence upon grace.
That's one of the dangers of wealth, power, success, and even religion.
They can create the illusion that we are self-sufficient.
That we don't need anything.
That we don't need anyone.
That we can build a life substantial enough to give ourselves an identity.
But Jesus says:
Be careful.
You might gain everything and lose sight of who you actually are.
And even after death, the rich man's blindness seems to continue.
He sees Lazarus beside Abraham, and yet he still seems to imagine Lazarus as someone who should serve him.
Send Lazarus to bring me water.
Send Lazarus to warn my brothers.
He sees Lazarus.
But he still doesn't really see him.
That's what blindness does.
It reduces people to their usefulness to us.
But Jesus gives Lazarus a name.
Lazarus.
It means something like, "God has helped."
And that's exactly what happens.
The one who had nothing is gathered into the embrace of Abraham.
The one who was ignored is seen.
The one who was hungry is brought to the table.
The one who appeared forgotten is known by name.
And maybe that's the good news for us.
God knows your name.
Before your accomplishments.
Before your possessions.
Before your reputation.
Before your failures.
Before all the labels other people have placed upon you.
You are known.
And your life doesn't come from what you possess.
Your life comes from God.
Psalm 138 says:
"Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble."
That's Lazarus.
The world may overlook him.
God does not.
And then Jesus says something at the end of this story that points us toward resurrection.
The rich man wants someone to rise from the dead and warn his brothers.
Abraham tells him that if they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.
And, of course, we know where Luke's Gospel is going.
Someone will rise from the dead.
Jesus.
The truly Named One.
The One who enters our poverty.
The One who identifies himself with the hungry, the poor, the excluded, and the forgotten.
The One who dies.
And the One whom God raises up.
Resurrection tells us where true life is found.
Not in riches.
Not in status.
Not in our ability to secure ourselves.
Life is found in God.
And that life is gift.
So maybe the invitation today is simply to let God call you by name.
Set aside the identities you've been trying to construct.
The successful one.
The failure.
The wealthy one.
The poor one.
The important one.
The forgotten one.
The good Christian.
The disappointment.
Whatever name the world has given you, let Jesus speak something deeper.
You are known.
You are seen.
You are loved.
And then, knowing that we are seen, perhaps we can begin to see the Lazarus lying outside our own gates.
The person we've overlooked.
The person our comfort has allowed us not to notice.
The person who has a name.
Because everyone does.
That's the kingdom Jesus is revealing.
A kingdom where the nameless are named.
Where the unseen are seen.
Where the hungry are brought to the table.
Where the dead are raised.
And where our deepest identity is received from the God who knows us completely and loves us still.
That's the prayer I have for my own soul.
That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.
And that's the prayer I have for you.
May we know who we are in Christ.
May our eyes be opened to those lying outside our gates.
And may we trust the God who raises the dead and calls each of us by name.
May it be so.
TODAY'S PRAYERS:
Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.  
Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  
And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen
And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen. 
OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com
We are reading through the New Living Translation.  

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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:  Zechariah 13–14; Psalm 147; Luke 15

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One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved.
TODAY'S EPISODE
Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is October 2nd, and our readings are Zechariah 13–14, Psalm 147, and Luke 15.
Zechariah gives us visions of cleansing, restoration, and God's presence among his people.
Psalm 147 tells us that God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. He gathers the outcasts and brings them home.
And then we come to Luke 15.
Jesus tells three stories about lost things.
A shepherd loses a sheep.
A woman loses a coin.
And a father loses his sons.
In each story, something precious has been lost.
And in each story, the heart of God is revealed in the finding.
The shepherd searches.
The woman searches.
The father runs toward the younger son and then goes outside looking for the older one.
And when what is lost is found, there's a party.
Jesus is showing us what God is like.
God is not standing at a distance waiting for lost people to somehow find their own way home.
God is the Good Shepherd who goes looking.
God is the Good Father who runs down the road.
And God is the Father who walks out of the party to find the child who is standing just outside the door.
Maybe that's the invitation today.
Let yourself be found.
And come join the party.
TODAY'S DEVOTION
The Father Who Finds Lost Things
God has a way of finding lost things.
That's what Luke 15 is about.
A lost sheep.
A lost coin.
And two lost boys.
We usually call this last story the parable of the prodigal son.
And usually our attention goes immediately to the younger brother.
And for good reason.
He is obviously lost.
He asks his father for his inheritance.
He leaves home.
He travels to a distant land.
He wastes everything.
And eventually he finds himself hungry, broken, and feeding pigs.
He's lost.
But then Jesus tells us something beautiful.
He comes to his senses.
Something awakens in him.
He remembers his father's house.
And so he begins the long journey home.
But the younger brother isn't the only lost son in the story.
There's another one.
The older brother.
He's been home the whole time.
He's been working.
He's been responsible.
He's followed the rules.
He's done what was expected of him.
And he's lost too.
The younger brother is lost in his appetites.
The older brother is lost in his pride.
One has wandered into a distant country.
The other has managed to become distant from his father's heart while never leaving the property.
And maybe that's the more dangerous kind of lostness.
Because it's harder to recognize.
You can be in the house and still not know the Father's heart.
You can be religious.
Responsible.
Obedient.
Hardworking.
And still imagine that everything the Father has must somehow be earned.
Listen to the older brother.
"All these years I've slaved for you."
Slaved.
That's how he sees himself.
Not as a son.
As a slave.
And that's exactly how the younger brother planned to return too.
"I'll go home and ask my father to make me one of his hired servants."
Both boys misunderstand their father.
Both imagine their relationship with him in terms of servitude.
One runs away from the Father.
The other works for the Father.
But neither seems to understand what it means simply to be loved by the Father.
And the Father goes after both.
When the younger son is still a long way off, his father sees him.
He runs.
He embraces him.
He kisses him.
Before the boy can finish his speech, the Father is already restoring him.
Bring the robe.
Bring the ring.
Bring the sandals.
Prepare the feast.
My son was lost, and now he is found.
But then the Father notices someone else is missing.
The older brother.
He's standing outside.
Angry.
Refusing to come in.
So what does the Father do?
He goes out to him too.
The Father leaves the party to find another lost son.
And his words are so tender:
"My dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours."
Everything I have is yours.
You don't have to earn this.
You don't have to compete with your brother.
You don't have to prove your worth.
You're my son.
Come inside.
Join the party.
That's the heart of God.
The shepherd goes looking for the sheep.
The woman goes looking for the coin.
The Father goes looking for both sons.
God has a way of finding lost things.
Maybe you identify with the younger brother today.
Maybe you've wandered.
Maybe you've made choices you regret.
Maybe shame has convinced you that you have forfeited your place at the table.
Look down the road.
The Father is running toward you.
Or maybe you're the older brother.
You've tried hard.
You've done the right things.
You've been faithful.
But somewhere along the way, faith became labor.
Relationship became obligation.
And you started thinking like a servant instead of a beloved child.
The Father comes looking for you too.
He's standing outside with you.
"My dear son."
"My dear daughter."
"Everything I have is yours."
Come inside.
Psalm 147 says that God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
He gathers the outcasts.
That's what Jesus shows us.
This is the Father's heart.
He gathers.
He heals.
He restores.
He finds.
And then he celebrates.
So wherever you are today, let yourself be found.
If you're far away, look toward home.
If you're standing just outside the door, listen for the Father's voice.
The party isn't complete without you.
Come home.
Come inside.
Receive the robe.
Receive the ring.
Receive your place at the table.
You are not a slave.
You are a beloved child.
And the Father has come looking for you.
That's the prayer I have for my own soul.
That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.
And that's the prayer I have for you.
May we see the Good Father today.
May we see the Good Shepherd.
May we awaken to the God who is always pursuing our hearts.
And may we hear him say:
"My dear son, my dear daughter, all I have is yours. Come, let's join the party."
May it be so.
TODAY'S PRAYERS:
Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.  
Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  
And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen
And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen. 
OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com
We are reading through the New Living Translation.  

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OTHER PODCASTS:
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DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS
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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:  Zechariah 10–12; Psalm 126; Luke 14

Click HERE to give!
One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved.
TODAY'S EPISODE
Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is October 1st. A brand-new month is here, and we begin again, right where we are.
Our readings today are Zechariah 10–12, Psalm 126, and Luke 14.
Zechariah speaks of restoration. God gathers his scattered people and brings them home.
Psalm 126 remembers another homecoming:
"When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!"
Mouths that had been filled with sorrow are filled with laughter. Those who planted in tears are harvesting with shouts of joy.
And then Jesus brings us to a table.
In Luke 14, Jesus tells a story about a great banquet. Invitations have gone out, but those who were originally invited are too preoccupied to come.
They have property to inspect.
Oxen to examine.
Relationships and responsibilities demanding their attention.
They have lives to manage.
So the host does something surprising.
He sends his servant into the streets and alleys and tells him to bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.
"Come. The banquet is ready."
And there is still room.
Maybe that's the good news for us today.
There is still room.
The kingdom of God isn't a prize for those who have managed to make something impressive of themselves.
It's a banquet.
And the invitation is gift.
Come.
Take your place.
Receive the life God has given you in Christ.
There is a place for you at the table.
TODAY'S DEVOTION
There's a Place for You at the Table
There's a party going on.
And everybody is invited.
Jesus tells us about a man who prepares a great feast and sends out many invitations.
Everything is ready.
The table has been set.
The food has been prepared.
The invitation has gone out.
"Come, the banquet is ready."
But then the excuses begin.
One person has purchased a field and needs to go inspect it.
Another has bought some oxen and wants to try them out.
Another has just gotten married.
None of those things are bad.
That's worth noticing.
Fields aren't bad.
Oxen aren't bad.
Marriage certainly isn't bad.
The problem isn't that these people are doing terrible things.
The problem is that their lives have become so filled with their own interests that they cannot receive the invitation.
They have things to manage.
Things to protect.
Things to accomplish.
Things that feel more urgent than the banquet.
And so they miss it.
Then the host does something extraordinary.
He says:
Go out into the streets and alleys.
Bring in the poor.
The crippled.
The blind.
The lame.
Bring them in.
And they come.
Why?
Maybe because they don't have much to protect.
They don't have impressive résumés to present.
They don't have fields that need inspecting or investments that need managing.
They simply hear the invitation.
And they receive it.
There's something beautiful about that.
Because grace can only be received.
You can't achieve an invitation.
You can't earn a gift.
You can only open your hands.
And maybe that's why Jesus turns immediately afterward to the crowds following him and says some very difficult things.
He tells them that following him means letting go.
He even uses that shocking language about hating father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, even our own lives.
I don't think Jesus is teaching us to despise ourselves or the people we love.
That would contradict the very love he embodies and teaches.
I think Jesus is exposing the things we cling to as sources of identity and security.
He's saying:
You can't receive the kingdom while insisting on possessing your life on your own terms.
You can't follow me while demanding that everything remain under your control.
You have to let go.
And then Jesus says:
"You cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own."
Maybe there's another way of hearing that.
Give up everything you own, and you might discover freedom from everything that owns you.
Because there is so much that can own us.
Our need to be recognized.
Our success.
Our failures.
Our past.
Our shame.
Our money.
Our reputation.
Our religious identity.
Our need to be right.
Our need to prove ourselves.
Even our image of who we think we're supposed to be.
These things can own us.
But Jesus is setting us free.
He invites us to the table.
Come as you are.
Come empty-handed.
Come hungry.
Come knowing that you need grace.
Come knowing that life is gift.
Psalm 126 says that when God's people came home from exile, it felt like a dream.
They laughed again.
They sang again.
Those who had planted with tears harvested with joy.
That's what grace feels like.
Homecoming.
And maybe that's what the banquet is too.
It's coming home.
It's discovering that the seat at the table wasn't something you had to earn.
It was prepared for you.
It's discovering that your identity isn't something you have to manufacture.
Your life is hidden with Christ in God.
It's discovering that the things you thought would save you never could.
But Jesus can.
So bring your empty hands.
Bring your hunger.
Bring the parts of your life that have been owned by fear, shame, ambition, or regret.
Bring them to the table.
There's a place for you.
The feast is ready.
The invitation has gone out.
Come.
And maybe as we sit at that table, we will discover that the things that once owned us don't have the same power anymore.
Because we know where we belong.
We belong with him.
That's the prayer I have for my own soul.
That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.
And that's the prayer I have for you.
May we release what owns us.
May we receive the invitation with gratitude.
And may we discover who we truly are in Christ, seated at the table of grace.
May it be so.
TODAY'S PRAYERS:
Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.  
Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  
And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen
And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen. 
OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com
We are reading through the New Living Translation.  

Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible

Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured
OTHER PODCASTS:
Listen with Apple Podcast
DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS
DAILY PSALMS
DAILY PROVERBS
DAILY LECTIONARY
DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL

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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Zechariah 7–9; Luke 13
Click HERE to give!
One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved.
TODAY'S EPISODE
Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is September 30th, and our readings are Zechariah 7–9 and Luke 13.
Zechariah speaks to people trying to rebuild their lives after exile.
They have questions about religion, fasting, and what faithfulness should look like now.
And God's response is remarkably practical:
Judge fairly.
Show mercy and kindness to one another.
Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor.
Don't scheme against one another.
And then Zechariah gives us a beautiful vision of restoration.
Old men and women will once again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.
Children will play there.
God's people will come home.
And their king will come to them, righteous and victorious, yet humble, riding on a donkey.
Then in Luke 13, Jesus confronts some of the hardest realities of life.
People have been murdered by Pilate.
A tower has collapsed and killed eighteen people.
A woman has lived bent over for eighteen years.
The world is falling down.
But Jesus refuses to let tragedy tell us what God is like.
Instead, he shows us the kingdom.
A gardener tends patiently to a tree.
A woman who has been bent over is lifted up.
A mustard seed grows.
Yeast quietly works through the dough.
Something is happening.
The kingdom of God is rising up.
TODAY'S DEVOTION
When the World Is Falling Down
The world is falling down.
Those are the headlines.
They were the headlines in Jesus' day too.
Violence.
Tragedy.
Disaster.
Death.
People come to Jesus with news that Pilate has killed some Galileans while they were offering sacrifices.
It's horrifying.
And behind their report seems to be a question.
Why?
Why did this happen to them?
Did they somehow deserve it?
Was God judging them?
Were they worse than everyone else?
Jesus says no.
Then he brings up another tragedy.
A tower in Siloam collapsed and killed eighteen people.
Were they worse sinners than everyone else in Jerusalem?
Again, Jesus says no.
I think that's important.
Because human beings have a long history of trying to make sense of suffering by assigning blame.
Something terrible happens, and we want to know whose fault it was.
Sometimes religious people take it even further.
They tell us that tragedy is God's punishment.
That suffering tells us something about the moral worth of the person who suffers.
Jesus refuses that explanation.
Towers fall.
Violence happens.
Bodies break.
People die.
We live in a world that groans.
And Jesus doesn't give us an easy explanation for all of it.
Instead, he gives us himself.
And he announces something new.
The kingdom of God is rising up.
Look at what happens next.
Jesus encounters a woman who has been bent over for eighteen years.
Eighteen years.
Imagine seeing the world that way for eighteen years.
Unable to stand straight.
Unable to lift your face.
And Jesus sees her.
That's important.
He sees her.
He calls her over.
And he says:
"Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!"
Then he touches her.
And immediately she stands up straight.
The world has been pushing her down for eighteen years.
Jesus raises her up.
That's the kingdom.
And when the religious leader objects because Jesus has healed her on the Sabbath, Jesus calls her a daughter of Abraham.
He restores more than her body.
He restores her place.
Her dignity.
Her belonging.
The world bends people down.
The kingdom raises them up.
The world says some people don't matter.
Jesus sees them.
The world creates categories of insiders and outsiders.
Jesus calls her daughter.
The world is falling down.
The kingdom is rising up.
And Jesus says the kingdom is like a mustard seed.
Tiny.
Easy to overlook.
But alive.
Growing.
Becoming a place where birds can find shelter.
The kingdom is like yeast hidden in flour.
You can't always see it working.
But slowly, quietly, it changes everything.
I need that word.
Because sometimes I look at the world and I see everything that's falling down.
War.
Violence.
Fear.
Division.
Loneliness.
Grief.
People bent beneath burdens they've carried for years.
And it can seem overwhelming.
Maybe you feel that too.
But Jesus invites us to look again.
Look for the mustard seed.
Look for the yeast.
Look for the woman standing up straight.
Look for mercy.
Look for healing.
Look for forgiveness.
Look for people crossing boundaries to love one another.
Look for the quiet work of the Spirit.
The kingdom is rising.
And Zechariah gives us the same hope.
He sees a king coming.
But this king doesn't arrive on a war horse.
He comes humbly.
Riding on a donkey.
And Zechariah says this king will bring an end to war.
That's the king Jesus chooses to be.
He doesn't save the world by becoming more violent than the violent.
He doesn't conquer the world by becoming a greater version of Caesar.
He comes in humility.
He comes in peace.
He comes in self-giving love.
He comes to raise up those who have been bent down.
And ultimately, he enters into the world's death and rises from it.
That's our hope.
The world is falling down.
But death doesn't get the last word.
Violence doesn't get the last word.
Fear doesn't get the last word.
The kingdom of God is rising up.
And Jesus invites us to participate in it.
To show mercy.
To pursue justice.
To lift up those who have been bent down.
To make room for those who have been pushed aside.
To become little mustard seeds of hope.
To let the life and love of Christ work through us like yeast in the dough.
So don't lose heart.
The headlines aren't the whole story.
There is another story unfolding.
The kingdom is rising.
Christ is making all things new.
That's the prayer I have for my own soul.
That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.
And that's the prayer I have for you.
May we see the kingdom rising in the midst of a world that seems to be falling down.
And may we join Jesus in his work of healing, mercy, justice, peace, and love.
May it be so.
TODAY'S PRAYERS:
Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.  
Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  
And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen
And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen. 
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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Zechariah 4–6; Luke 12
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One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved.
TODAY'S EPISODE
Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is September 29th, and our readings are Zechariah 4–6 and Luke 12.
Zechariah continues his strange and beautiful visions.
God's people have returned from exile. The temple lies unfinished. The task before Zerubbabel must have seemed enormous.
And into that uncertainty comes one of Scripture's great words:
"It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies."
Not by might.
Not by power.
But by my Spirit.
Then we come to Luke 12, where Jesus warns us about another kind of power.
The power of possessions.
The illusion of control.
The anxiety that tells us we must accumulate enough, protect enough, and plan enough to make ourselves secure.
Jesus tells the story of a rich man who has so much that he decides to tear down his barns and build bigger ones.
But Jesus reminds us that life cannot be secured in a barn.
And then he turns toward his disciples and says:
"Don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom."
Maybe that's the word for us today.
Not by might.
Not by power.
Not by bigger barns.
Not by controlling everything around us.
But by the Spirit.
And by trusting the heart of the Father who delights in giving us the kingdom.
TODAY'S DEVOTION
Not by Might, Not by Power
We like big barns.
Maybe we don't call them barns anymore.
But we like them.
We like bank accounts.
Retirement accounts.
Houses.
Careers.
Platforms.
Reputations.
Plans.
We like whatever gives us the feeling that we've finally managed to secure our lives.
And to be clear, there's nothing wrong with planning.
There's nothing wrong with saving.
There's nothing wrong with being responsible.
But Jesus knows how easily these good things can become something else.
They can become the place where we look for life.
Jesus tells a story about a man whose land produces an enormous harvest.
The man looks at everything he has and says:
What am I going to do?
I don't have room for all this.
And then he comes up with a plan.
"I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones."
Bigger barns.
More storage.
More security.
More control.
And then he says something revealing.
He tells himself that once he has enough stored away, he can finally relax.
Now I'll be safe.
Now I'll be secure.
Now I can live.
But Jesus says:
That's an illusion.
Because your life isn't stored in your barns.
Your life isn't stored in your bank account.
Your life isn't stored in your reputation.
Your life isn't stored in how much control you can exercise over the future.
Your life is in God.
And that brings me back to Zechariah.
Zerubbabel has been given an enormous task.
The temple must be rebuilt.
The mountain in front of him looks overwhelming.
And God's word to him is:
"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit."
I need to hear that.
Because I can spend a lot of energy trying to make things happen.
Trying to manage outcomes.
Trying to get everything lined up just right.
Trying to build a big enough barn so that nothing unexpected can hurt me.
Maybe you know that feeling too.
If I can just get enough money.
If I can just get the right job.
If I can just get everyone to understand me.
If I can just fix this relationship.
If I can just get my health under control.
If I can just make sure my children are okay.
If I can just figure out what's coming next.
Then I can breathe.
Then I'll be safe.
Then I'll have peace.
But Jesus doesn't point us toward bigger barns.
He points us toward the Father.
And then he says something so tender:
"Don't be afraid, little flock."
I love that.
Don't be afraid, little flock.
Why?
Because you've figured everything out?
No.
Because you've accumulated enough?
No.
Because you've protected yourself from every possible loss?
No.
"Because it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom."
There it is.
Gift.
The kingdom is gift.
Life is gift.
Grace is gift.
God himself is gift.
And the Spirit is at work in us and around us in ways we cannot manufacture or control.
Not by might.
Not by power.
But by my Spirit.
Maybe that's the invitation today.
Open your hands.
Release your grip.
Let go of the illusion that everything depends on you.
You don't have to build a barn big enough to hold your future.
You don't have to possess enough to become secure.
You don't have to control everyone and everything around you.
You have a Father who delights to give you the kingdom.
And maybe the Spirit is whispering to us today:
You can breathe.
You can trust.
You can let go.
You are held.
Jesus tells us to look at the ravens.
Look at the lilies.
Look at creation itself.
God is present.
God is giving.
God is sustaining.
And you are worth far more to him than birds and flowers.
So maybe today we can stop measuring our lives by what we've managed to accumulate, achieve, or control.
Maybe we can open our hands.
Not by might.
Not by power.
Not by bigger barns.
But by the Spirit.
And maybe we'll discover that the life we've been trying so hard to secure has been gift all along.
That's the prayer I have for my own soul.
That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son.
And that's the prayer I have for you.
May we loosen our grip.
May we trust the Spirit.
May we hear Jesus say again, "Don't be afraid, little flock."
And may we discover the joy of receiving the kingdom as gift.
May it be so.
TODAY'S PRAYERS:
Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.  
Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  
And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen
And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen. 
OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com
We are reading through the New Living Translation.  

Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible

Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured
OTHER PODCASTS:
Listen with Apple Podcast
DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS
DAILY PSALMS
DAILY PROVERBS
DAILY LECTIONARY
DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL