Our text for today is Luke 14:28.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” 

Imagine a man standing in his backyard, dreaming of building a shed. He’s excited. He can see it finished in his mind. But Jesus says, “Wait. Sit down first. Count the cost.”

This isn’t a story about construction. It’s about wisdom.

Jesus knows something we often forget: good intentions aren’t enough. Dreams need plans. Faith needs preparation. Even God’s work requires counting the cost.

Planning isn’t the opposite of faith—it’s faith in action. When we think ahead, we’re being wise. When we prepare, we’re being biblical. Jesus himself planned his ministry, chose his disciples carefully, and prepared for his mission.

Before you say yes to a commitment, count the cost. Before you make a promise, think it through. Before you start a project, sit down and plan.

God gave you a brain. Use it. Planning isn’t faithless—it’s faithful. It honors God when we’re wise with our time, energy, and resources.

Count the cost. Then build with confidence, knowing He’s with you every step.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Mark 8 tells us the story of Jesus feeding 4,000 men with seven loaves and a few fish. 

They’d been with Him three days. No food. No supplies. Just hunger—and Him. The crowd probably didn’t come prepared, but they didn’t want to leave. Jesus had been feeding their souls, but now their stomachs were empty.

And here’s the part I love: Jesus noticed.

“I have compassion for these people; they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat” (Mark 8:2). He didn’t say, “They should’ve brought lunch.” He didn’t say, “Let’s stick to spiritual things.” He said, “They’re hungry.” Then He did something about it.

Jesus doesn’t just care about your church attendance or your quiet time. He cares about your groceries, your bills, and your weariness. He knows when the pantry is low and the pressure is high. He sees the real-life struggles we carry. And like He did for that crowd, He meets us in our need—with compassion and provision.

So don’t be afraid to bring your everyday worries to Him. He won’t turn them away. He welcomes them. And He’s still in the business of multiplying bread.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our devotional comes from Mark 7, the story of a deaf and mute man who was brought to Jesus for help. Let’s read the actual healing, Mark 7: 33 through 35.

So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue. And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him,  “Be opened!” Immediately the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly.

Why does Jesus do it in this fashion? He could have simply spoken a word. Instead, He touches the man’s ears and tongue. Why? Because Jesus speaks the man’s language—the language of touch.

Jesus knew this man understood gestures, not words. So Jesus used sign language that said, “I care about you. I see your need. I will help you.”

Here’s the beautiful truth: Jesus still speaks our language today. When words fail us, He communicates through His gentle presence. When we can’t hear His voice above life’s noise, He touches our hearts with His love.

Maybe you feel like that deaf man—isolated, unable to connect. Remember, Jesus doesn’t give up on us. He finds a way to reach us right where we are. He speaks fluent “you.”

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

She was desperate for Jesus to help her daughter. Even though she was not a Jew, she cried to Jesus, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.” Her exchange with Jesus serves to remind us of what is important. Let’s read Matthew 15:26-27.

Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
“Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

There’s something beautiful in the way this woman responded. Jesus’ words could have easily sent her away, hurt and rejected. But she wasn’t looking for reasons to quit. She wasn’t scanning His tone or choice of words to find offense. She was looking for hope—and she found it, even in crumbs.

That’s the mark of real faith. She wasn’t focused on her pride. She was focused on her daughter. Her love gave her boldness, and her faith gave her eyes to see grace in a place others might have turned away from.

Too often, we let pride or hurt feelings block the blessing. We want God to speak gently, to act on our terms. But this woman shows us a better way: keep your eyes on what matters most.

Even crumbs from the Master’s table are enough to change everything.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

My wife planted a yucca plant in our yard. After a few years, we grew tired of its sharp leaves and ugly appearance. “Get rid of it,” she said. So I grabbed my hoe and chopped it down.

A few weeks later, it was back. I chopped it down again. It grew back again. This went on for years. I felt like I was fighting a losing battle against this stubborn plant.

Finally, someone solved the problem for me. He didn’t just cut the top—he dug deep and pulled out all the roots. When the roots were gone, the plant was gone for good.

This story reminds me of what Jesus taught in Matthew 15:19. He says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.”

Sin too has roots. We can try to fix our bad behavior on the surface. We can promise to do better. We can make rules and resolutions. But unless we deal with the heart—the root of the problem—sin will keep growing back.

Jesus wants to change us from the inside out. He doesn’t just trim our bad habits. He transforms our hearts. When the heart changes, everything else follows.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Imagine a crowded room, buzzing with excitement; then suddenly, the crowd thins. People are walking away, grumbling, confused by Jesus’s challenging words. It’s a tough moment. Even some of Jesus’s closest followers are scratching their heads, wondering if this is too much.

Then, Jesus turns to His twelve disciples and asks, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” And Peter, bless his heart, steps forward with a response that still echoes with quiet thunder: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Think about that for a moment. Peter wasn’t saying he understood every single thing Jesus had just said. He probably didn’t! His mind might have been swirling with questions. But deep in his soul, he knew one thing for sure: there was nowhere else to go. Jesus held the key to life itself.

This isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about full surrender. It’s about realizing that Jesus isn’t just a good teacher or a nice option; He’s absolutely essential. In a world full of loud voices and shifting opinions, Peter’s simple, honest cry reminds us. When life gets confusing, when the path isn’t clear, where else would we go? Only Jesus offers what our hearts truly long for: eternal life. He’s not just a way; He’s the way.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

In Matthew 14, we see Jesus walking on the water. Peter joined him on the water walk. If you know the story, you will remember that Peter wound up sinking and Jesus saved him. 

Did you ever feel like you’re in a boat, miles from shore, with the wind howling and waves crashing? 

Peter surely did. One moment, he’s safe in the boat. The next, Jesus, walking on the water as if it were solid ground, tells him, “Come!” 

Peter steps out, and for a few glorious strides, he’s defying gravity, walking on water!

Then, the wind howls a little louder, the waves crash a little higher, and Peter glances down. Instantly, the miracle fades. The water that held him firm now swallows him. His eyes fixated on the storm, not the Savior.

How often do we do the same? God invites us to step into the impossible, to trust Him with our fears, our finances, and our future. For a moment, we soar. But then the “what ifs” start to swirl, the problems loom large, and we sink. 

Remember Peter’s cry: “Lord, save me!” Jesus, always there, always ready, reaches out. 

Your storm might be raging, but Jesus is still on the water. Keep your eyes on Him, not the waves. He’ll never let you drown.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

One of the quiet tragedies in Scripture is how often people measured miracles with wallets. When Jesus told His disciples to feed the five thousand, they panicked. “That would take more than half a year’s wages!” they replied (Mark 6:37). Their reply reveals practical concern, but also limited vision. They were thinking in terms of what money could buy, not what faith could do.

Aren’t we just like them? Faced with a need, we reach for the checkbook or calculator. We assess the budget, the effort, the odds—and forget to factor in God. But Jesus wasn’t asking for math. He was inviting trust.

He didn’t need a catering budget. Just five loaves and two fish. Just someone to believe that little becomes much when placed in the hands of the Master.

What if we saw our needs not through the lens of limitation, but through the eyes of faith? What if we asked not “How much will it cost?” but “How much will God do?”

Bring your lunchbox to Jesus today. You’ll be amazed at what He can do with it.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Jesus wasn’t just a speaker. He touched people’s lives. He didn’t just preach about heaven; He stepped right into the messy, painful reality of earth.

In Luke 9:2, it says, He sent His disciples out “to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” 

In this verse you can see how the message and mercy went hand-in-hand. That’s  still how Jesus operates today.

Too often, we try to split these two. We talk about salvation but then walk right past someone hurting. Or we offer practical help without offering the story of the gospel. Jesus, though, did both. He didn’t just talk about God’s love—He touched the leper, opened blind eyes, and literally called the broken close to Him. His gospel wasn’t a lecture; it was compassion in vibrant, life-giving action.

What if our everyday lives looked more like that? What if our words brought healing, and our actions genuinely carried the gospel message?

You don’t have to be a preacher or a theologian to do this. All you need is a willing heart. 

Share the truth of the kingdom, and then love people just like the King did. When we offer both the message and the mercy, we are genuinely offering Jesus Himself.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

John the Baptist knew who Jesus was. He had proclaimed it boldly. He had baptized Him in the Jordan. He had seen the Spirit descend and heard the voice from heaven. But now? Now he was sitting in a prison cell, waiting for a verdict from a wicked man. The same voice that once shouted, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” now whispered a question through prison bars: “Are You the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3).

It wasn’t that John stopped believing. It’s just that life didn’t look like he thought it would. And discouragement crept in like a shadow at dusk. He didn’t lose his faith, he lost his footing.

But notice this: Jesus didn’t scold John. He didn’t shame him. He didn’t say, “After all you’ve seen, how could you ask that?” No, Jesus responded with evidence and kindness. “Tell John what you see—the blind see, the lame walk, the dead live, and good news is preached.” In other words, “John, I’m still at work. Even when you don’t see it.”

Friend, God is not threatened by your questions. You can bring them to Him. Faith isn’t the absence of doubt—it’s what keeps walking when doubt whispers. So if you’re wondering, hurting, or just plain worn out, come, like John did. Ask.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.