Author: S. Tory Teller

Stan and I were again having breakfast and conversation at the Twelve Baskets Cafe. Between bites of the wonderful blueberry pancakes Stan was enjoying, he said he had something else to  say concerning a topic we’ve discussed before. I asked him what he had on his mind.

“Fulfilling our ministry,” He responded.

“Yeah,” I replied, “we’ve talked about that several times, what more do you have to talk about?”

“As you’ll remember,” he replied, “the apostle Paul told his friend Timothy to fulfill his ministry in the work God had given him to do in Ephesus. It seems to me, that’s the same thing for us, at least for me.”

“What same thing? Fulfill a ministry in Ephesus?”

“If that’s what God has me to do,” Stan replied with a smile, “but really everywhere is to be my ‘Ephesus’.”

“Everywhere is to be your ‘Ephesus’? How so?”

“Timothy was in Ephesus to do what God had for him to do. Same thing for me and for the rest of us. We’re where we are, wherever that is, to do what God has for us to do. That’s the ministry He’s given each one of us to fulfill.”

“So,” I replied, “what you’re saying is that simply being a Christian is a ministry we’re to fulfill, is that it?”

“That’s basically it,” Stan said, “but I would add that there’s nothing simple about it! It may sound simple or easy, but it’s not. If it were, all of us would be doing it, but we don’t. Just think what this world would look like if we all actually fulfilled the ministry of living the new life Christ came to give!”

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Bible verses to consider:

. . ., fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5.

. . . whatever you do, do all to glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17.

 . . . so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, . . . . 1 Peter 4:11.

I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. John 10:10.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus and His finished work on the cross as the way to life with you, the life that begins here and will continue forever. Even though I know I will spend eternity in your presence, I confess that too often while I remain on this side of eternity I don’t fulfill the ministry of actually living the new life Jesus came to give. Please forgive that foolishness and help me follow every step of your lead in fulfilling all you have for me for as long as I remain here. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Do you have a ministry to fulfill because you’ve accepted God’s provision of life with Him? If no, why do you choose to remain separated from Him both now and forever. If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with fulfilling what God has for you to do in and through your life with Him? If you sense the desire for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you truly want? Why or why not?

The need: Since God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), what does He know you need to not only have life with Him, but to fulfill what He has for you to do? Spend time studying God’s word, praying, reflecting, and journaling to see what God knows you need. He will show you!

Forward: Do you know others who would or could benefit from this devotional? If so, why not forward it and open them to be part of the conversation between Stan and S. Tory Teller?

Stan and I were again at the Twelve Baskets Cafe one morning having breakfast together. We had both ordered the blueberry pancakes. As we waited for Ricky to bring them, Stan mentioned he’d been talking to a neighbor who had found how to have a fulfilling life. Since I’m interested in having that kind of life, I asked Stan what his neighbor had to say.

“What he said,” Stan replied, “is that he took a cue from one thing Paul wrote to his friend Timothy.”

“What’s that?”

“Paul encouraged Timothy to fulfill his ministry.”

“So?”

“My neighbor said he assumes Timothy did what Paul encouraged him to do and, as a result,  found fulfillment in doing so.”

“Well,” I replied, “that’s probably great for Timothy that he found fulfillment in his ministry, but what about people who don’t have a ministry to fulfill?”

“Find one and fulfill it,” Stan said with a smile. “That’s the way to be fulfilled!”

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Bible verses to consider:

. . . fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5.

Therefore, gird your minds for action, . . . . 1 Peter 1:13.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus and His finished work on the cross as the way to life with you, the life that begins here and will continue forever. Even though I know I will spend eternity in your presence, I confess that too often while I remain on this side of eternity I’m not fulfilled by fulfilling a ministry. Help me be fulfilled by doing what you have for me to do for you and your kingdom in redeeming the lost world. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Do you want to have a ministry to fulfill for God and His kingdom because you have life with Him through the finished work of Jesus’ cross. If no, why do you choose to remain separated from God both now and forever? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, do you have a ministry to fulfill? If yes, how are you doing with it? If no, why do you not have such a ministry? If you sense the desire for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you truly want? Why or why not?

The need: Since God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), what does He know you need to have a ministry to fulfill? Spend time studying God’s word, praying, reflecting, and journalling to see what God knows you need. He will show you!

Forward: Do you know others who would or could benefit from this devotional? If so, why not forward it and open them to be part of the conversation between Stan and S. Tory Teller?

As Stan and I sat together at the Twelve Baskets Cafe having breakfast one morning, he told me he had heard from one of his neighbors another personal testimony he wanted to pass on. Since I love hearing what others have to say about their personal faith experiences, I asked him to tell me what he’d heard.

“As often happens,” he began, “a single Bible verse can have a huge impact on a person’s faith.”

“Is that what happened with your neighbor? A single verse made a difference?”

“That’s it,” Stan agreed. “My neighbor told me that for a long time he’d been pretty complacent about his faith. He was a believer, but he didn’t do much to increase his faith. He would read his Bible, but only occasionally.”

“However,” he continued, “as God is apt to do, one morning my neighbor said he was looking at John’s gospel and saw a single thing Jesus said that changed everything for him and his desire for a closer relationship with God.”

“A single verse? It must have been a powerful one.”

“It was for him,” Stan responded. “It actually became his guiding verse. It’s the one he focuses on every day that gets him to move.”

“Move? Move where?”

“From where he is,” Stan replied with a smile, “to where God knows he needs to be.”

“Where God knows he needs to be for what?”

“Whatever God has for him to be and do there,” Stan replied. “And, it seems to me, what Jesus said is good advice for all of us, but especially for me!”

“What’d Jesus say?”

“He said three separate but related things, “Stan replied. “He said to ‘arise’, which means we have to get up so we can actually go, which is the third thing. In between, Jesus said a really important thing by using ‘us’.”

“Us?”

“Yeah,” Stan said. “Jesus said,’Let us go,’ which looks to me like He’s going to go with us to where He has for us to go. If we arise and go, He will go with us!”

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Bible verses to consider:

Arise, let us go from here. John 14:31.

Go therefore . . . , I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus and His finished work on the cross as the way to life with you, the life that begins here and will continue forever. Even though I know I will spend eternity in your presence, I confess that too often while I remain on this side of eternity I don’t arise and go from where I am to where you know I need to be to be a part of what you are doing for your kingdom. Please forgive that foolishness and help me follow every step of your lead in arising and going from where I am to where you have for me to be, knowing you will go with me. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you arisen from where you were, separated from God, to where you now have life eternally with Him? If no, why do you choose to remain separated from God both now and forever? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with arising and going from where you are to where God knows you need to be? How about with knowing He will go with you? If you sense the desire for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you truly want? Why or why not?

The need: Since God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), what does He know you need, not only to change from being eternally separated from Him, but what you need to continually arise from where you are to where He knows you need to be for His purposes. Spend time studying God’s word, praying, reflecting, and journaling to see what God knows you need. He will show you!

Forward: Do you know others who would or could benefit from this devotional? If so, why not forward it and open them to be part of the conversation between Stan and S. Tory Teller?

Stan and I were back at the Twelve Baskets Cafe for breakfast and conversation. As we waited for Ricky to bring what we had ordered for breakfast, Stan mentioned that earlier that morning in his journaling time he’d seen something in a conversation between Jesus and Pilate that he wanted to talk about and pass on to me. “What,” I asked, “was the conversation between Jesus and Pilate?”

“After Pilate had asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews,” Stan replied, “Jesus said something that struck me as a conversation He might have with me.”

“A conversation Jesus might have with you? What would that be?”

“After Pilate had asked Jesus the question about His being the King, Jesus asked Pilate if he was asking on his own accord, or if others had told him about Jesus.”

“So?”

“This conversation gave me a mental picture of standing before Jesus with another person, say his name is Bob. Jesus looks at Bob and asks, ‘Did others tell you about Me?’ And when Bob says, ‘No, there was no one who told me about You’, Jesus looks at me and asks, ‘Why didn’t you tell him?’”

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Bible verses to consider:

. . . did others tell you about Me? John 18:34.

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15.

. . . whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? Romans 10:13-14.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus and His finished work on the cross as the way to life with you, the life that begins here and will continue forever. Thank you for those who told me the truth of the gospel. Even though I know I will spend eternity in your presence, I confess that too often while I remain on this side of eternity I don’t go anywhere to tell anyone anything about your provision for them. Please forgive that foolishness and help me follow every step of your lead in going and telling others about you and your provision for them. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s provision of life with Him through what Jesus accomplished on the cross? If no, why do you choose to remain separated from God both now and forever? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with telling others about Jesus? If you sense the desire for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you truly want? Why or why not?

The need: Since God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), what does He know you need to go and tell others about His provision for them through the cross of Christ? Spend time studying God’s word, praying, reflecting, and journaling to see what God knows you need. He will show you!

Forward: Do you know others who would or could benefit from this devotional? If so, why not forward it and open them to be part of the conversation between Stan and S. Tory Teller?

For those who may have missed it (or want to spend time with it again), each Sunday we re-post the prior week’s WFTT devotional that got the most attention. The selection for this week is Monday’s posting where Stan talked about what Jesus said will happen to anyone who doesn’t abide in Him, and how important it is for those who do abide in Him to help others not be one of those “anyone.” Link — June 22, 2026 — Telling everyone not to be that kind of anyone

Stan’s main takeaway for each posting this past week. Each posting can be accessed by clicking the link for that day. 

Please forward this to friends, family, colleagues, etc. as a way to introduce them to Stan,  S. Tory Teller, and the conversations about faith, discipleship, and what it means to be a Christian who is pursuing discipleship.

Also, don’t forget that S. Tory Teller’s book, the 100-day devotional, Waiting for the Train — Biblical Food for Growing Before Going, is available from amazon.com, other on-line book sellers, and directly from the publisher at www.s-toryteller.com 

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Monday, June 22, 2026 —Jesus said that the eternal consequences for anyone who does not abide in Him are very significant. Stan uses what Jesus said about those consequences to talk about how we should not want anyone to be impacted in that way. Link — June 22, 2026 — Telling everyone not to be that kind of anyone

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 —The Holy Spirit is in believers to bear witness that we are not only children of God, but also fellow-heirs with Christ. Do we listen to His witness to help us understand and live what that means? Link —June 23, 2026 — Listen to what the witness has to say

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 — Jesus said that we are to go and learn what delights God. Stan uses this to talk about how too often we don’t go anywhere to learn anything about God and what delights Him, and how that’s our loss. Link — June 24, 2026 — How can I go and learn if I stay where I am?

Thursday, June 25, 2026 —Even though God knows what we need before we ask Him, our prayers often are self-focused and only tell God what we want Him to hear. Stan talks about Abraham and a lesson on listening to what God says. Link — June 25, 2026 — Don’t leave until God is finished saying what He has to say

Friday, June 26, 2026 —Having God’s will at the forefront of our minds is what God intends, but too often we are quick to substitute our will for His. Stan talks about what Peter did in the garden and how it’s a good bad example for us. Link — June 26, 2026 — Fighting against God’s will

Stan and I were again having breakfast together at the Twelve Baskets Cafe. As we do each time we’re together, Stan had something he wanted to talk about concerning our faith walks and spiritual growth. I asked him what he wanted to talk about this morning. “How not to fight what God wants to do,” was his quick response.

“Not fight what God wants to do? Why would a person do that?

“I can only speak for myself,” he replied, “but it’s usually because I think I know better than God does, just like Peter did in the garden.”

“Peter in the garden? What’d he do?

“When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethesame,” Stan replied, “after Judas betrayed Him and the Roman soldiers and the officers of the chief priests came to arrest Him, Peter drew his sword and tried to prevent it from happening.”

“Is that when Peter cut off some guy’s ear?”

“It is,” Stan agreed, “but that’s a different story for another day. Here I want to talk about what Jesus said to Peter and how He’ll say the same thing today when I try to keep God’s will from happening.”

“What’d He say?”

“Not to interfere with the cup His Father had given Him to drink.”

“Oh,” I responded. “The cup He’d been given to drink. The cup of going to the cross and redeeming the lost world. Is that it?”

“That’s it,” Stan agreed, “and Peter tried to get in the way of that happening. Just think where we’d be today if Peter had been able to do what he wanted to do.”

“No cup, no cross, no resurrection, no salvation, no all sorts of things.”

“Exactly,” Stan replied. “While the cost of my trying to get in the way of God’s will may not be that significant, it’s always better for me and others to not fight against God’s will!”

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Bible verses to consider:

Simon Peter therefore having a sword, drew it, and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus therefore said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” John 18:10-11.

And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” Matthew 16:22-23.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus and His finished work on the cross as the way to life with you, the life that begins here and will continue forever. Even though I know I will spend eternity in your presence, I confess that too often while I remain on this side of eternity I seek to impose my will above yours. Please forgive the foolishness of trying to live the new life you’ve given without being totally committed to your will being done in and through me. Help me follow every step of your lead in being part of your will being done on earth as it is in heaven. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted what Jesus accomplished by being obedient to the Father in going to the cross to redeem you? If not, why do you choose to remain separated from God both now and forever? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with being a part of God’s will being done on earth rather than seeking your will over His? If you sense the desire for change with any of his, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you truly want? Why or why not?

The need: Since God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), what does He know you need to be a part of His will being done on earth, rather than your will being in  conflict with His? Spend time studying God’s word, praying, reflecting, and journaling to see what God knows you need. He will show you!

Forward:  Do you know others who could or would benefit from this devotional? If so, why not forward it and open them to be part of the conversation between Stan and S. Tory Teller?

Having gathered again for breakfast at the Twelve Baskets Cafe one morning, Stan mentioned he’d been talking with a neighbor about the importance of prayer and not ending our prayers when we’re done.”

“Not ending our prayers when we’re done?” I said. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“As you’ll remember,” Stan replied, “we’ve talked a lot about how prayer is not just about telling God what we want.”

“Yeah,” I said. “He already knows what we want. What He desires is for us to ask Him what He knows we need.”

“That’s it,” Stan agreed. “And what my neighbor told me is that he learned something the Bible says about God, Abraham, and prayer that’s important for his personal prayer life.”

“What’s that?”

“The Bible says that when God had finished speaking to Abraham, that’s when God left.”

“Oh,” I replied, “God left when He was done talking to Abraham, not that Abraham left when he was done talking to God. Is that it?”

“You got it,” Stan agreed. “And the lesson for me is I’m not to leave my prayer time when I’m done, but I’m to wait until God is finished saying what He has to say!”

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Bible verses to consider:

And as soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the Lord departed; and Abraham returned to his place. Genesis 18:33.

And when He had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Genesis 17:22.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus and His finished work on the cross as the way to life with you, the life that begins here and will continue forever. Thank you, too, for allowing me to come before you in prayer. I confess that even though I know I will spend eternity in your presence, too often while I remain on this side of eternity my prayers are self-focused and I only want to tell you what’s on my heart and mind, rather than listening to what you have to say to me. Please forgive that foolishness. Help me follow every step of your lead into the deepest possible prayer life where I actually take the time to listen to what you have to say. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Can you approach God in prayer thorough Jesus because you’ve accepted what He accomplished by His finished work on the cross? If no, why do you choose to remain separated from God both now and forever? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with taking the time to truly listen to what God has to say to you? If you sense the desire for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you truly want? Why or why not?

The need: Since God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), what does He know you need to actually take the time to listen to what He has to say to you in prayer? Spend time studying God’s word, praying, reflecting, and journaling to see what God knows you need. He will show you!

Forward: Do you know others who would or could benefit from this devotional? If so, why not forward it and open them to be part of the conversation between Stan and S. Tory Teller?

Stan and I were again at the Twelve Baskets Cafe having breakfast together to talk about what it means to be a Christian who actually lives the new Christian life. Between bites of the delicious blueberry pancakes Stan was enjoying, he commented about the importance of doing what Jesus says when He says to go. “You mean,” I asked, “go and preach the gospel and make disciples?”

“That’s certainly an important ‘go,” Stan responded, “but I was thinking about a different ‘go’ Jesus talked about.”

“Which one?”

“Where Jesus said to ‘Go and learn.”

“Learn what?”

“In this particular instance,” Stan replied, “Jesus was telling some people to go and learn what it means that God delights in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and that He delights in the knowledge of Himself rather than in burnt offerings.”

“Okay, “I said, “if that’s what we’re supposed to learn, where are we supposed to go to learn that?”

“It seems to me,” Stan replied with a smile, “that the best place to find out what delights God is to go and spend time asking Him what delights Him, and then listen when He tells me what He knows I need to do to actually delight Him.”

“But remember,” he added, “it all begins with going. I can’t go and learn if I stay where I am!”

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Bible verses to consider:

For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6.

But go and learn what this means, “I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,” for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Matthew 9:13.

But if you had known what this means, “I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,” you would not have condemned the innocent. Matthew 12:7.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus and His finished work on the cross as the way to a delightful new life in and with you, a life that begins here and will continue forever. Even though I know I will spend eternity in your presence, I confess that too often while I remain on this side of eternity I don’t go and learn what delights you. Please forgive the foolishness of seeking to live the new life you’ve provided without knowing what delights you in actually living it. Help me follow ever step of your lead in going and learning what delights you. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted what God delighted in providing: life eternally with Him through Jesus, the life that begins here and will continue forever? If no, why do you choose to remain separated from God both now and forever? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with going and learning what delights God, as well as living what you have learned? If you sense the desire for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you truly want? Why or why not?

The need: Since God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), what does He  know you need in order to go and learn what delights Him, as well as how to actually delight Him? Spend time studying God’s word, praying, reflecting, and journaling to see what God knows you need. He will show you!

Forward: Do you know others who would or could benefit from this devotional? If so, why not forward it and open them to be part of the conversation between Stan and S. Tory Teller?

I was with Stan for breakfast at the Twelve Baskets Cafe. As we were enjoying our time  together, I mentioned I had been thinking about something we talked about the other day and was wondering if it fit in with what we had talked about. He asked me what was on my mind.

“The other day,” I replied, “we talked about the advantage believers are given by having the Holy Spirit.”

“That’s right,” Stan agreed. “We talked about what Jesus said about how He needed to go away so the Holy Spirit could come [Link — June 16, 2026 — The advantage of His presence]. “What about it?”

“Well,” I replied, “I was reading something the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Rome and it seems he was saying kind of the same thing about why the Holy Spirit is in us.”

“Yeah,” Stan said, “I remember that. Paul wrote about the Spirit being in us as a witness that we are children of God and joint-heirs with Christ.”

“That’s what I was looking at,” I responded, “being a witness in us. Being a child of God and a joint-heir with Christ is a lot to grasp and truly understand. Maybe that’s another advantage of having the Holy Spirit, so He can help us with that.”

“I think you’re right,” Stan agreed. “We’re to take advantage of what the witness has to say!”

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Bible verses to consider:

But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. John 16:7.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:16-17.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus and His finished work on the cross as the way to life with you, the life that begins here and will continue forever. Even though I know I will spend eternity in your presence, I confess that too often while I remain on this side of eternity, I don’t listen to your Holy Spirit as He witnesses to me what it means to be your child and a joint-heir with Christ. Please forgive the foolishness of not listening to Him. Help me follow every step of your lead in listening to your Spirit so I will grow in my understanding of all you have done and want to do in and through me. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Do you have the Holy Spirit in you because you have accepted Him as God’s provision as a believer in His Son? If no, why do you choose to remain separated from God and His provision both now and forever? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with listening to the witness of the Holy Spirit as to what it means to be a child of God and a joint-heir with Christ? If you sense the need for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you truly want? Why or why not?

The need: Since God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), what does He know you need in order to listen to the witness of the Holy Spirit? Spend time studying God’s word, praying, reflecting, and journaling to see what God knows you need. He will show you!

Forward: Do you know others who would or could benefit from this devotional? If so, why not forward it and open them to be part of the conversation between Stan and S. Tory Teller?