5-Day Bible Reading Plan and Devotional Guide "Why You Should Hear Me Out About Believing Upon Jesus"

5-Day Bible Reading Plan and Devotional Guide
Based on the Sermon "Why You Should Hear Me Out About Believing Upon Jesus"
Christ Sanctuary Church | Pastor Terry Longmire

Day 1: You Have a Creator Who Knows You

Reading: Genesis 1:1; Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:19-20

Devotional:

Before the universe existed, before matter, space, or time, God was. Genesis 1:1 declares that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Creation did not happen by accident. The order you observe in the seasons, in the human body, in the vastness of the cosmos, all of it points to an intelligent, purposeful Designer. Romans 1:19-20 makes clear that what can be known about God is plain, revealed through what He has made. You are not a product of chance. You were fashioned by a Creator who knew you before you drew your first breath. The tragedy described in Romans 1 is not ignorance of God, but the willful suppression of what creation already declares. Today, slow down. Step outside. Look up. Let creation remind you that you belong to Someone far greater than yourself, and that belonging is not a burden. It is the beginning of everything.

Personal Reflection: In what areas of your daily life have you been suppressing what you already know to be true about God? What would it look like to acknowledge Him in those areas today?

Practical Application: Spend five minutes in silence outdoors or near a window. Observe something in creation and write down one attribute of God that it reveals to you.

Day 2: The Weight of a Guilty Conscience

Reading: Romans 2:14-16; Romans 3:10-12; Romans 3:23; Psalm 32:3-5

Devotional:

Every human being carries an internal witness. Romans 2:15-16 tells us that God's law is written on the hearts of all people, and that our own conscience either accuses us or defends us. That uneasy feeling when you have done wrong is not weakness. It is the voice of a holy God reminding you that His standard exists and that you have fallen short of it. Romans 3:23 leaves no room for exception: everyone has sinned and falls short of God's glorious standard. The temptation is to silence that conscience, to fill life with noise, distraction, and material comfort so the guilt cannot be heard. But Psalm 32 shows us what David discovered: unconfessed sin is a physical and spiritual weight. The relief does not come from suppressing guilt. It comes from bringing it honestly before God. He is not waiting to condemn you. He is waiting to forgive you.

Personal Reflection: What has your conscience been telling you that you have been working hard to ignore? What would it take for you to stop running and bring that weight before God today?

Practical Application: Write out an honest prayer of confession. Do not dress it up. Speak plainly to God about what your conscience has been carrying, and receive the freedom that comes with honesty before Him.

Day 3: The Diagnosis and the Need for a Savior

Reading: Romans 5:12; Romans 5:19; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-5

Devotional:

Romans 5:12 delivers a sobering truth: when Adam sinned, sin entered the world, and death spread to all people because all sinned. This is not merely a theological statement. It is a description of your daily experience. You do not simply commit sins as isolated mistakes. You sin because you are, by nature, a sinner. Ephesians 2:1-5 describes humanity as dead in trespasses and sins, following the course of this world and the ruler of the power of the air. The diagnosis is severe. But the severity of the diagnosis is precisely what makes the remedy so glorious. A doctor who understates the illness does the patient no favors. God does not understate the condition of humanity because He is not trying to shame you. He is preparing you to understand why you need a Savior, and why no amount of good behavior, religious effort, or self-improvement can substitute for one.

Personal Reflection: Have you ever tried to manage your sin on your own rather than bringing it to Jesus? What did that effort produce in your life?

Practical Application: Make a list of things you have trusted in besides Jesus to make yourself right before God, whether good works, religious routines, or personal willpower. Surrender that list to Him in prayer today.

Day 4: The Gospel That Changes Everything

Reading: John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21

Devotional:

John 3:16 is perhaps the most quoted verse in all of Scripture, and yet its depth is inexhaustible. God so loved the world. Not the world when it was cleaned up and presentable. Not the world after it had earned His favor. Romans 5:8 makes the timeline unmistakably clear: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The gospel is not a reward for the righteous. It is a rescue for the lost. First Corinthians 15:3-4 gives us the core: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. And 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us the breathtaking exchange that took place on the cross: He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The cross is not a symbol of defeat. It is the declaration that the debt has been paid in full by Someone who had no debt of His own.

Personal Reflection: When you think about the cross, do you see it as a historical event or as something personally meant for you? What would change in your daily life if you lived from the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:21?

Practical Application: Read 2 Corinthians 5:21 slowly three times. Write it out by hand and place it somewhere you will see it throughout the day. Let it anchor your identity.

Day 5: Repent, Believe, and Live From That Place

Reading: Acts 17:30-31; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:17

Devotional:

Acts 17:30 declares that God now commands all people everywhere to repent. This is not a suggestion. It is a command rooted in love, because God knows what is at stake. Romans 10:9-10 lays out the response with remarkable simplicity: confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved. Salvation is not earned through moral achievement. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes certain of that. It is received by grace through faith. But receiving it changes everything. Second Corinthians 5:17 promises that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old has gone. The new has come. This is not a renovation of the old life. It is a resurrection. Eternal life does not begin when you die. It begins the moment you place your trust in Jesus. You get to live from that place now, in your relationships, in your home, in your work, and in your worship.

Personal Reflection: Have you genuinely repented and believed upon Jesus, or have you been living as though knowing about Him is the same as knowing Him? What step is God calling you to take today?

Practical Application: If you have never openly confessed faith in Jesus, do so today. Tell someone. If you have walked with Him for years, find someone in your life who needs to hear the gospel and share it with them this week.