Beyond the Weekend
Dig into God's Word Together
A five-day devotional written by the people of Ada Bible. Each week connects to the weekend's sermon.
- Today's Devotional
Worship in Prayer
The psalmist's voice rings out, calling people to attention. In ancient Israel, many of the Psalms are sung as God's people head toward the temple to prepare their hearts for worship. Psalm 95 opens with a burst of joyful noise, then slows to a reverent hush: bow down, kneel, come before your Maker. The psalmist’s words remind people of who God is—the great King, Creator of oceans and mountain peaks—and who they are: his flock, safe under his care. Their worship flows from the truth of who God is...
Beyond the Weekend
How it Works
Follow Along
Each week ties directly to Sunday's sermon. Monday through Friday, a new reading drops.
Open your Bible
Each day gives you a short passage, a reflection, and a question to sit with.
Go deeper together
Share your takeaways with your group or a friend. Community makes it stick.
Written by your church
Staff and volunteers write every devotional—people who love God and Ada Bible.
Latest Devotionals
For every step of your journey.
- Devotional
Worship in Prayer
The psalmist's voice rings out, calling people to attention. In ancient Israel, many of the Psalms are sung as God's people head toward the temple to prepare their hearts for worship. Psalm 95 opens with a burst of joyful noise, then slows to a reverent hush: bow down, kneel, come before your Maker. The psalmist’s words remind people of who God is—the great King, Creator of oceans and mountain peaks—and who they are: his flock, safe under his care. Their worship flows from the truth of who God is...
- Devotional
Skipping Meals
When John the Baptist’s disciples approach Jesus with a question about fasting, there is palpable confusion. Both John’s apprentices and the Pharisees have good reasons for fasting. They want to show God how serious they are about their faith. Like Daniel in the Old Testament, who studied God’s Word and responded through prayer and fasting, these men fast because they want God to return to set up his kingdom ( Daniel 9:3 ). So, when they see Jesus and his disciples celebrating and feasting, they are bewildered. “They must not be desperate for God’s kingdom to come,” they think. Yet, in that accusation, they miss who Jesus really is. The kingdom has come, and it is in him. He doesn’t fit their expectations. While committed to their faith, they miss the object of their devotion...
- Devotional
Tax Collector’s Feast
Before Jesus shares his parable about the patches and wineskins, he joins a feast at a tax collector’s house. The table is set by Levi, a tax collector whom Jesus has just invited to follow him. Levi has dropped everything to do so. The entourage sitting around the table this evening includes the “who’s who” of cheats and hated men. These people cooperate with Rome and steal money from their own people. For Jesus to sit and laugh with them is beyond radical. It’s jaw-dropping! Yet, through his presence, Jesus proclaims that the kingdom of heaven is here. The promised one has arrived. The people around the table, captivated by his presence, will be changed forever...
- Devotional
Patches and Wineskins
The anxious tenor of accusation strikes early in Jesus’s ministry. He is not like other rabbis, nor are his disciples like other disciples. Early on, people accuse them for not fasting. When pressed, Jesus responds with a parable. He says that in the same way you cannot fix an old garment with a new patch without ruining the clothing, so the kingdom of heaven does not fit into the old system. The same is true for new wine in old wineskins. Wine that is still fermenting and expanding will burst an old, brittle container. Jesus’s onlookers don’t understand God’s kingdom, and Jesus doesn’t fit into their system. Something new is happening here. Jesus is that new thing...
- Devotional
Parables
Crowds gather around Jesus from the start of his ministry. His teaching compels them to follow him. Some find that he speaks directly to their hearts. Others are captivated by the risk he poses to the current establishment. Some want to crown him King. Others seek to kill him. One essential teaching element contributes to his allure—parables, which are small stories that use common, earthly things to reveal heavenly meaning. Jesus uses these stories to reveal who he is, his way, and his realm. They paint a picture of what God is doing. Like a canvas that must be observed, his parables force his audience to pause and mull them over. To do so is to gain deeper meaning...
- Devotional
50 Days of Prayer | Prayer Day 49
PRAYER DAY #49 : Throughout these 50 Days of Prayer, we’ve grown together in prayer. We've used Hannah’s example to bring our sorrow and deep emotions to God in lament, asking him to move and trusting his character ( 1 Samuel 1:1-18 ). We’ve prayed Jehoshaphat’s prayer for when we feel overwhelmed: "We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you" ( 2 Chronicles 20:12 ). We looked at Solomon’s prayer of dedication and prayed with adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication ( 1 Kings 8:22-51 ). We followed Paul’s prayer for overflowing, insightful, and reflective love ( Philippians 1:9-11 ). We learned from Daniel’s model of reading and responding to Scripture in prayer ( Daniel 9:1-19 ). And we prayed Paul's prayer for a worthy life ( Colossians 1:9-14 ). Pick one of these prayers to return to today, and pray it for our church. Pray we would continue to grow in prayer, impacting our families, friends, and community for the gospel.
- Devotional
50 Days of Prayer | Prayer Day 48
PRAYER DAY #48 : This week we prayed Paul's prayer in Colossians to live a worthy life, one that recognizes we’ve been brought from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light through God's Son ( Colossians 1:9-14 ). Today, pray the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 . Focus on the kingdom language, praying that God's kingdom would come in and through your life and that you would live a worthy life through his Son. Then join Ada Bible Worship as they sing “ Goodness of God .” Thank him for his goodness in bringing you from darkness into his kingdom of light.
- Devotional
Peter Receives a Vision
The early church is growing rapidly. Peter travels from city to city, healing the sick and proclaiming Jesus as Lord ( Acts 9:32–43 ). But in the town of Joppa, something shifts. At noon, Peter prays alone on the rooftop. God interrupts his prayer with an extraordinary vision to eat animals considered unclean under Jewish law. Three times Peter resists, and three times God answers: "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean" ( Acts 10:15 ). In the quiet before God, Peter receives a powerful revelation. God is throwing the door wide open, proclaiming that the gospel is for everyone, Jew and Gentile.
