March 26, 2026

🌿 Living Water Vineyard Devotion

Thursday — 10 Days Until Resurrection Sunday

“A Kingdom That Refuses to Look Away”

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📖 John 15:22 (NLT)

“They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin…”

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I want to start a little differently today—just talking to you like a friend.

We use this word a lot in the Church: countercultural.

But what does that actually mean?

It means we live in a way that goes against the spirit of the age.

Every generation has one—

a way of thinking,

a set of values,

a cultural current that quietly pulls people in.

And if you’re not paying attention…

you don’t even realize you’re drifting with it.

The Bible makes it clear—there is a pattern of this world, a way of thinking that shapes what people call normal, acceptable, even good.

And here’s the tension:

👉 Not everything our culture celebrates aligns with the Kingdom of God.

Some of it directly opposes it.

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And as we get closer to Resurrection Sunday, we’re right in the middle of John 15—Jesus’ final words to His disciples.

And He gives them a warning:

👉 “They’re going to hate you… because they hate me.”

They hate His words.

They hate what He’s done.

And if we carry His truth…

👉 we shouldn’t be surprised when there’s resistance.

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So over the next couple days, I want to talk about that.

Not in a harsh way.

Not in a political way.

But in a clear, honest, Kingdom way.

Because the truth He brings doesn’t just comfort…

👉 it confronts what the culture normalizes.

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If we’re not careful, we don’t stand against it…

we slowly assimilate into it.

And honestly, that’s one of the greatest dangers for the Church.

Not persecution.

👉 Assimilation.

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So let’s talk about one of the clearest places we see this tension:

👉 The value of human life—from the beginning to the end.

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The Kingdom of God says:

👉 Every human being is created in the image of God.

📖 Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

And not just at birth…

📖 Psalm 139:13–14 (NLT)

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb…”

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And the Bible is also very clear about something else—

God strongly opposes the sacrificing of children.

📖 Deuteronomy 12:31 (NLT)

“You must not worship the Lord your God the way the other nations worship their gods… They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.”

📖 Jeremiah 19:5 (NLT)

“…they burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices… something I never commanded or even thought of.”

God doesn’t just value life—

👉 He defends it.

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But we live in a culture that says:

👉 Life is valuable when it’s convenient.

👉 Life is valuable when it’s wanted.

And that’s where the tension comes in.

Because the gospel doesn’t allow us to redefine value.

👉 It tells us where value comes from.

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And this doesn’t stop at the beginning of life.

It carries all the way through.

Because if someone is made in the image of God…

that means their life has dignity—no matter their age, condition, or circumstance.

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And then you zoom out even further…

I remember sitting in a theater watching The Sound of Freedom.

At first, it just felt like a movie.

But then it hits you:

👉 This is real.

And that line stays with you:

👉 “God’s children are not for sale.”

Those aren’t just statistics.

👉 Those are image-bearers.

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And I want to share something personal that really shaped me.

When we were in Belize, we visited what used to be a traditional orphanage.

It’s still an orphanage—but they completely changed the model.

Instead of institutional dorms—

a boys dorm and a girls dorm—

they took the 5-acre property and built small homes across it.

And they brought in foster families.

So instead of children being raised in a system…

👉 they were raised in families.

Around a table.

In a home.

With parents who chose them.

And here’s what really hit me…

Many of those kids—around 60 of them—had been rescued out of sex trafficking.

Think about that.

Children who had experienced deep trauma…

now sitting at a dinner table…

being called son and daughter…

being loved.

And years later, those same kids are now graduating, going to university, and stepping into purpose.

Why?

Because people didn’t just say, “This is wrong.”

👉 They stepped in and became the answer.

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And this is the part that I’m honestly really excited about right now.

We’ve put an offer in on a new church property—and they’ve accepted it.

And on that property… there are two houses.

And I can’t stop seeing it.

👉 I can envision those homes filled with foster families

👉 I can envision children who have been forgotten in our valley finding a place to belong

And not just that…

👉 I can envision building more small homes on that property

👉 a place where Living Water is truly happening

Where kids are rescued—

from trafficking

from abuse

from neglect

And restored in love.

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That’s why I’m inviting you into this.

👉 To dream with us

👉 To pray with us

👉 To even consider giving

Because this isn’t just about a building.

👉 It’s about building a place of restoration.

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And here’s where we have to be really clear as the Church:

👉 We are not just called to be anti-abortion.

👉 We are called to be pro-life.

All of life.

From the womb…

to the vulnerable…

to the forgotten…

to the trafficked…

to the elderly…

to the broken.

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Which means we don’t just speak…

👉 we act.

We adopt.

We foster.

We support.

We pray.

We give.

We love.

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And our gatherings should reflect that.

👉 A place where broken people can come

👉 A place where restoration happens

👉 A place that looks like family

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Jesus taught us to pray like this:

📖 Matthew 6:10 (NLT)

“May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”

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In other words:

👉 “Let it be that way here.”

Not just somewhere else.

Not just someday.

👉 Here.

👉 Now.

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The world shouldn’t just know what we’re against.

👉 They should know what we’re for.

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And the Kingdom of God is for:

life

restoration

dignity

freedom

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So maybe today isn’t about fixing everything.

But it might be about this:

👉 Refusing to look away

👉 Refusing to drift

👉 Choosing to live differently

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🔹 Reflection Questions

1. Where have I been drifting with culture instead of standing with Christ?

2. What does it look like for me to be truly pro-life in action?

3. What is one practical step I can take to reflect God’s heart this week?

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🔹 Prayer

Jesus,

You are truth in a world full of confusion.

Open our eyes to see clearly.

Guard our hearts from drifting.

Make us a people who don’t just speak truth—

but live it.

Let Your Kingdom come here.

Let Your will be done here—

in our lives, in our church, in our city.

Make us a place of restoration.

Amen.