More Than Reading

The Harder Victory

We celebrate bold action — decisive leaders, fearless risk-takers, the ones who charge ahead. But Solomon says the person who masters themselves has achieved something greater than a warrior who takes a city. In this episode, we dig into Proverbs 16:32 and explore why patience is the harder victory — and why the kind that comes from waiting on God will always outweigh the kind that comes from avoiding what’s hard. Subscribe to receive Before the Lord devotionals in your inbox: www.blakescrawford.com / Follow Before the Lord on Facebook (@BeforeTheLord) and Instagram (@beforethelorddevo)

Genuine Love

We tend to think of love as warmth — patience, kindness, showing up when it counts. But in Romans 12:9, Paul connects genuine love to something unexpected: moral backbone. In this episode, we explore why love without moral clarity isn’t genuine — it’s merely agreeable — and what it looks like to be anchored in truth as a continuing quality of life. Subscribe to receive Before the Lord devotionals in your inbox: www.blakescrawford.com / Follow Before the Lord on Facebook (@BeforeTheLord) and Instagram (@beforethelorddevo)

Pride's Blind Spot

We tend to think of pride as something obvious — arrogance, ego, the need to be right. But what if the most dangerous kind of pride is the kind you’d never think to confess? In this episode, we look at James 4:6, the story of Haman, and the subtle pride that keeps us from receiving the grace God is offering — the belief that we shouldn’t need it as often as we do. Subscribe to receive Before theLord devotionals in your inbox: www.blakescrawford.com / Follow Before the Lordon Facebook (@BeforeTheLord) and Instagram (@beforethelorddevo)

Collateral Damage

We often think of disobedience as the easy road — until the day we try to come back. In Ezra 9–10, Israel’s return to obedience meant tearing apart families that never should have been built. In this episode, we dig into Galatians 6:7 and the devastating reality that sin doesn’t stay contained — and when God calls you back, the cost of obedience often falls on more than just you. Subscribe to receive Before theLord devotionals in your inbox: www.blakescrawford.com / Follow Before the Lordon Facebook (@BeforeTheLord) and Instagram (@beforethelorddevo)

The Wrong Table

In first-century Jewish culture, who you ate with said something about who you were. So when Jesus sat down at a table full of tax collectors and sinners, every Pharisee in the room knew exactly what He was doing — and they were offended. In this episode, we dig into Matthew 9:13 and the scandal of who Jesus chose to eat with. Because the real question isn’t whether you’re worthy of a seat at His table. It’s whether you’ll stop performing your way toward Him and just sit down. Subscribe to receive Before theLord devotionals in your inbox: www.blakescrawford.com / Follow Before the Lordon Facebook (@BeforeTheLord) and Instagram (@beforethelorddevo)