Livestream Preaching Times for Friday, September 18, 2026

5:30 AM

“The God Who Is With You”

(Isaiah 41:10)

10:00 AM

“What Are You Seeking?”

(John 1:38-39)

2:00 PM

“Did God Really Send Killer Bears?”

(2 Kings 2:23-25)

5:00 PM

“Treasuring Up Wrath”

(Romans 2:5)

TikTok: @dewaynedunawayministries

All times CST

#150 THE WIND BLOWS WHERE IT WISHES 9-17-26

Jesus’ words to Nicodemus concerning the new birth have certainly been greatly misunderstood. He said, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

Notice carefully what Jesus actually said. He did not say, “So is the new birth.” He said, “So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” The comparison is not primarily describing the experience of conversion. Jesus is explaining the nature of the people who belong to His kingdom. They are born of the Spirit because His kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.

The wind cannot be seen, but its effects can be heard and observed. You may not see the wind itself, but you see the trees bend, the leaves move, and the dust rise. In the same way, the Spirit is invisible, but the life He produces is evident. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

Jesus was speaking about a kingdom that cannot be reduced to earthly appearances. “My kingdom is not of this world,” He told Pilate (John 18:36). Paul would later say, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). The kingdom is spiritual because its King is spiritual, its life is spiritual, and its people are born of the Spirit.

This is why we must be careful about turning John 3:8 into a doctrine of emotional experience. Jesus was not teaching Nicodemus that the new birth is merely something mysterious that must be “better felt than told.” He was teaching him that the life of the kingdom cannot be understood merely through fleshly categories. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).

Nicodemus was thinking in earthly terms. Jesus was lifting his eyes toward heaven. “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12). The new birth brings a person into a new realm, a spiritual relationship with God through Christ.

The wind blows where it wishes. We do not see the wind itself, but we recognize its presence by what it does. Likewise, those who are born of the Spirit belong to a kingdom whose reality is spiritual, whose King is Christ, and whose life is produced by God.

The emphasis is not on chasing an invisible feeling. It is on becoming a new kind of person under the reign of a spiritual King. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

BDD

#149 THE COST OF THE CROSS 9-17-26

There is no greater symbol of love than the cross of Christ. At Calvary, heaven’s love met earth’s sin, and mercy flowed from the wounds of the Savior. Jesus “bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). He “was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:25). The cross was not an accident. It was the eternal purpose of God to redeem us through His Son (Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 1:18–20).

THE CROSS OF CHRIST

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The cross tells us what sin costs, but it also tells us what love is willing to pay. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus did exactly that—and He did it for us.

THE COST OF COMMITMENT

The cross is not merely something we admire; it is something we must answer. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Following Jesus costs us something. It costs our pride, our selfishness, our allegiance to the world, and our determination to live life on our own terms.

Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). There is a death that must take place before there can be a truly Christ-centered life. We must “put off” the old man and “put on” the new man (Ephesians 4:22-24). We cannot cling to the world with one hand and sincerely follow Jesus with the other (1 John 2:15-17).

But what we surrender to Christ is nothing compared with what we gain in Christ. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

THE CROWN OF CONQUEST

The Christian life is not just about surviving. Through Christ, we overcome. “This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4). The same Savior who carried the cross now gives strength to those who follow Him.

Paul could look back over a faithful life and say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Then he looked forward: “There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:8).

The cross leads to commitment, and commitment leads to conquest. We may suffer. We may stumble. We may be misunderstood. But “thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

The cross is where our Savior conquered sin. The commitment is where we follow Him. And the crown is where faithfulness finds its eternal reward.

________________

Father, thank You for the cross of Christ. Help us never to forget the price Jesus paid for our redemption. Give us courage to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him faithfully each day. Strengthen us when the road is difficult, keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus, and help us finish the race with faith. May our lives honor the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

BDD

#148 MADE BY GOD 9-17-26

Every human being possesses magnificence. Before we ever accomplished anything, before anyone praised us, before we had a name or a reputation, we possessed a dignity given to us by our Creator. “God created man in His own image” (Genesis 1:27). We were made to reflect something of God—to know Him, love Him, walk with Him, and bear His likeness in this world. Yet the beautiful image was marred by sin. And the story of redemption is the story of God restoring what sin damaged through His Son, Jesus Christ.

MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

Genesis tells us that humanity was uniquely created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). James tells us that human beings are “made in the similitude of God” (James 3:9). That means every person possesses a dignity that cannot be measured by wealth, intelligence, appearance, education, race, age, or social position. We belong to God by creation, and we were created for fellowship with Him. “For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). We were made for something higher than merely surviving this life. We were made to know our Creator.

MARRED BY SIN

But something went terribly wrong. “Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin” (Romans 5:12). Sin did not erase our humanity, but it corrupted our relationship with God. The mind became darkened (Ephesians 4:17-18), the heart became deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), and humanity wandered “like sheep” away from the Shepherd (Isaiah 53:6). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Sin stains what God created beautiful. It bends what God created straight. It takes the heart that was designed to worship God and teaches it to worship itself. Yet even in our fallen condition, God did not abandon us. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

MENDED BY CHRIST

Jesus came to restore what sin had broken. He is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), and in Him we see what humanity was intended to become. Through Christ, we are “renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created” us (Colossians 3:10). The old life can become new: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The gospel is not merely about getting forgiven and waiting for heaven. It is about being transformed into the likeness of Christ. “We all are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). What sin marred, Christ is mending. What sin distorted, grace is restoring. What was broken can be made beautiful again.

And one day, the work will be complete. “We shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). The hands that made us in the beginning are the hands that, through Christ, are making us new.

________________

Lord, thank You for creating us in Your image and for loving us when sin marred that image. Make us more like Jesus every day until faith becomes sight and we see Him face to face. Amen.

BDD

#147 THE DIRECTION OF YOUR LIFE 9-17-26

There are three things that can quietly shape the direction of a Christian’s life: position, people, and praise. Where we stand matters. How we treat people matters. And whose praise we seek matters. The world tells us to find our position, impress our people, and pursue their praise. Jesus calls us to something higher: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

POSITION

First, we must consider where we are standing. The Bible says, “Stand therefore, having put on the belt of truth” (Ephesians 6:14). There is a position of faith, a position of obedience, and a position of fellowship with Christ. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Our position is not ultimately determined by our popularity, our accomplishments, our possessions, or our place in society. “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Our greatest position is to be in Christ. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). We have been “raised with Christ” and are told to “seek those things which are above” (Colossians 3:1). Stand there. Remain there. Walk there.

PEOPLE

Then there are people. Christianity was never intended to be lived in isolation. Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). We are commanded, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

People are not interruptions to our ministry. People are our ministry. Jesus looked upon the multitudes and was moved with compassion (Matthew 9:36). He stopped for Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52), spoke with the Samaritan woman (John 4:7-26), touched the leper (Mark 1:40-41), and wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35). “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification” (Romans 15:2).

You may never know how desperately someone needs the encouragement you can give today. “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

PRAISE

Finally, whose praise are we seeking? Jesus warned about practicing righteousness “to be seen by men” (Matthew 6:1). The Pharisees loved “the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces” and “to be called by men” (Matthew 23:6-7). Their position had become more important than their relationship with God.

“For do I now persuade men, or God?” and then declared, “If I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). That settles it. We cannot spend our lives chasing applause from people and simultaneously make God our Master.

Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Notice the destination of the glory: the Father.

So stand in the right POSITION. Love the right PEOPLE. Seek the right PRAISE. “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). One day the applause of earth will be silent, earthly positions will disappear, and human opinions will mean nothing. But “well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21) will mean everything.

________________

Father, help me stand firmly in Christ, love the people You place in my path, and seek Your approval above the praise of men. Keep me humble, faithful, compassionate, and useful. May everything I say and do bring glory to Jesus Christ. Amen.

BDD

#146 THE COST HE PAID 9-16-26

There is no greater love than the love Jesus showed at Calvary. The Son of God, who created the heavens and the earth, came into this world to give His life for sinners. He did not come merely to teach us how to live. He came to die, that we might live through Him (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10).

THE PRICE OF HIS BLOOD

Redemption has a price, and the price was the precious blood of Christ. Peter reminds us that we were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold, “but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18–19). The value of our salvation is measured by the One who purchased it.

THE PAIN OF HIS SACRIFICE

Think of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in agony, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Think of the scourging, the mockery, the nails, and the cross. Isaiah had prophesied, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). The suffering was real, but so was His love. “Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1).

THE POWER OF HIS PAYMENT

When Jesus cried, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), He declared that the work given Him by the Father had been accomplished. His sacrifice was offered once for all (Hebrews 10:10-14). He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again according to the Bible (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

We could never purchase forgiveness by our own goodness. But Christ paid the price we could not pay. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7).

__________________

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the cost You paid for us. May our lives honor Your sacrifice. Amen.

BDD

Livestream Preaching Times for Thursday, September 17, 2026

5:30 AM

“The Peace That Passes Understanding”

(Philippians 4:6-7)

10:00 AM

“God Is Able”

(Ephesians 3:20-21)

2:00 PM

“When You Feel Like Giving Up”

(Galatians 6:9)

4:00 PM

“The Witnesses Who Would Not Be Silenced” (Revelation 11:3–6)

TikTok: @dewaynedunawayministries

All times CST

#145 JESUS, OUR HEAVENLY SAVIOR 9-16-26

Jesus is not merely the Savior who came. He is the Savior who lives. The manger is behind us. Calvary is behind us. The empty tomb is behind us. But Jesus Himself is alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18). “He is able also to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

OUR SAVIOR WHO DIED

The foundation of our salvation is the cross. “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” and “He was buried, and…He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves. “The just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). His death was not defeat. It was redemption accomplished.

OUR SAVIOR WHO LIVES

The grave could not hold Him. “God raised Him up, having loosed the pains of death” (Acts 2:24). Jesus said, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore” (Revelation 1:18).

Because He lives, our hope is alive. Because He lives, death does not have the final word (John 11:25–26). Because He lives, we can “come boldly to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16).

OUR SAVIOR WHO INTERCEDES

Right now, Jesus is our heavenly Savior and High Priest. “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).

What comfort this gives the struggling Christian. Jesus knows our weaknesses. He understands our temptations. He has walked where we walk, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

So keep looking to Jesus. He died for you, He rose for you, He lives for you, and He intercedes for you. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

________________

Lord Jesus, thank You for being our Savior—not only yesterday, but today and forever. Amen.

BDD

#144 THE CROSS HE BORE 9-16-26

There are many crosses in the world today. Some are worn around the neck, placed on church buildings, carved into stone, or displayed in homes. But there was one cross that changed everything. It was the cross Jesus carried to Calvary. The Son of God, who had done no sin (1 Peter 2:22), was led away to be crucified. “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull” (John 19:17). He was not carrying His own guilt. He was carrying ours.

HE BORE THE CROSS

The road to Calvary was a road of suffering. Jesus had been betrayed, falsely accused, beaten, mocked, scourged, and condemned. When His strength failed beneath the burden, Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry it behind Him (Luke 23:26). Yet Jesus was still the One going to the cross. He had already said, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself” (John 10:18).

The cross was not an accident. It was the purpose toward which His earthly ministry had been moving. Jesus told His disciples, “The Son of Man must suffer many things” (Mark 8:31). He knew what awaited Him, yet He set His face toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51).

HE BORE OUR SINS

This is where the cross becomes personal. Jesus was not merely suffering because wicked men hated Him. He was suffering for sinners.

Isaiah had written centuries before, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). Then Peter looked back at Calvary and declared, “He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).

Think about that. Our sins were not imaginary to God. They were so serious that Christ had to die because of them. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), but “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

The cross tells us two things at the same time: sin is terribly serious, and God’s love is immeasurably great.

HE BORE OUR SHAME

Hebrews says that Jesus endured the cross, “despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). Crucifixion was designed not only to cause pain but also to humiliate. Jesus was stripped, mocked, spit upon, and publicly displayed. Yet He endured it all.

Why?

Because He loved us.

“He was despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:3), yet He willingly stood in our place. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

The cross was His pathway to our reconciliation.

And then came the words that echo through history: “It is finished!” (John 19:30). The work had been accomplished. The sacrifice had been offered. The Lamb had given Himself.

So when we look at the cross, let us never see merely an instrument of Roman execution. Let us see the love of God, the seriousness of sin, the willingness of Jesus, and the hope of redemption.

“He loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

That is the cross He bore.

And He bore it for us.

BDD

#143 THE CROWN HE WORE 9-16-26

Jesus wearing the kind of crown that He wore while He was on earth is a difficult thought. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16), the One through whom all things were created (Colossians 1:16), yet His crown was woven from thorns. The soldiers pressed it upon His head, mocked Him, and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29). The One who deserved every crown wore the crown that belonged to a cursed world.

A CROWN OF THORNS

The thorns were more than an instrument of pain. They take us back to Eden, where sin entered the world and the ground brought forth “thorns and thistles” (Genesis 3:17-18). At Calvary, Jesus bore upon His brow a visible reminder of the curse. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). He stepped into our fallen world and carried its burden upon Himself (Isaiah 53:4-6).

A CROWN OF SHAME

Jesus was not only wounded; He was humiliated. He was despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3). They struck Him, spit upon Him, mocked Him, and clothed Him in mock royalty (Matthew 27:27-31). Yet Hebrews tells us that He “endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). He accepted the shame because He loved us. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

A CROWN OF GLORY

But the crown of thorns was not His final crown. “We see Jesus…crowned with glory and honor” (Hebrews 2:9). The One who humbled Himself became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross; therefore God also has highly exalted Him (Philippians 2:8–11).

He wore thorns so we could receive glory. He endured shame so we could be accepted. He suffered as a King so that sinners could become children of God. One day, by His grace, we will cast our crowns before Him and worship the One who is worthy (Revelation 4:10-11).

_________________

Lord Jesus, help us never forget the crown You wore for us. Amen.

BDD

#142 MADE FOR THE SON 9-16-26

The Father has appointed all things for His Son. The Son is the heir of all things, and the Father has purposed that His people should share in that inheritance with Him. We are not merely saved from something; we are being brought into something—the fellowship, joy, glory, and inheritance of Jesus Christ. “He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), and we have “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4).

And then the Bible gives us another beautiful picture. Christ has a bride.

That bride is the church. “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25). He did not merely tolerate His bride. He loved her. He gave Himself for her. He desired to “sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word” and ultimately “present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Ephesians 5:26–27).

Think about that.

The bride of Christ was taken from the human race. We are creatures of the dust, sons and daughters of Adam, formed by the hand of God in the beginning (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:7). Yet God has purposed that people who were once separated from Him could become the beloved of His Son. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

But a bride must be made suitable for the bridegroom.

God is not merely interested in getting us out of hell. He is making us into the kind of people who belong with His Son. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). The goal is likeness to Christ. “But we all are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

This is why salvation is more than forgiveness. Forgiveness is glorious, but God is doing something deeper in us. He is forming Christ in us (Galatians 4:19). He is teaching us to think like Christ, love like Christ, forgive like Christ, serve like Christ, suffer with Christ, and ultimately share in His glory (Philippians 2:5; Romans 8:17).

The world may ask, “What are you becoming?”

The gospel answers, I am becoming like Jesus.

The church is being prepared for the Son. Peter says that we are being built together as “living stones” into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). Paul says that we are “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). God is not finished with us. “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

It is wonderful and it is personal.

Jesus knows His bride. He knows every weakness, every failure, every wound, every struggle. Yet He does not abandon her. He gave Himself for her. “Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1).

The bride is not making herself beautiful by human achievement. She is being made beautiful by the love and work of the Bridegroom. “You are complete in Him” (Colossians 2:10). His grace forgives us, His word cleanses us, His Spirit transforms us, and His love holds us.

And one day the preparation will be finished.

John saw the great picture: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7). Then comes the magnificent declaration that she was “arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright” (Revelation 19:8).

What a destiny!

We were created from the dust, but we are being prepared for glory. We were sinners, but Christ loved us. We were far away, but He brought us near. We were strangers, but we have been made members of His household (Ephesians 2:13, 19). We were without hope, but now we have “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

You were made by God.

You were loved by Christ.

You were redeemed by His blood.

You are being formed into His likeness.

And you are being prepared for the Son.

So let us live like the bride of Christ. Let us keep our hearts faithful, our garments clean, our lamps burning, and our eyes fixed upon the Bridegroom. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). The One who loved us enough to die for us is the One for whom we are being prepared.

And when everything God has purposed is complete, we will understand that every trial, every correction, every lesson of grace, every moment of surrender, and every step of faith was part of the Father’s great purpose—to prepare a people suitable for His Son.

We were made for Him. We were redeemed for Him. And we are being prepared for Him.

__________________

Father, thank You for loving us and for giving Your Son for us. Make us more like Jesus every day. Cleanse our hearts, strengthen our faith, and teach us to live as the faithful bride of Christ. May our lives bring joy and honor to the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

BDD

#141 DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE 9-16-26

Life is short. James says it is “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Ephesians 5:15-17 gives us a beautiful answer to the question of what we should do with the brief life God has given us: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

WALK WITH JESUS. Paul says, “walk…as wise.” We definitely believe certain things the Bible teaches, but Christianity is far more than that. It is walking with Christ every day. “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6). Walk with Him in the morning. Walk with Him through your work. Walk with Him through your difficulties. Don’t waste your life walking alone.

WORK FOR JESUS. “Redeeming the time” means making your moments count. Every day is an opportunity to serve. “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). There are people to encourage, souls to reach, burdens to carry, prayers to pray, and good works to do (Ephesians 2:10).

WANT WHAT JESUS WANTS. Ephesians 5:17 says to understand “the will of the Lord.” The great question of life is not merely, “What do I want?” but, “What does Jesus want?” Paul could say, “For to me, to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21).

Walk with Jesus. Work for Jesus. Want what Jesus wants.

That is how you keep from wasting your life.

BDD

Livestream Preaching Times for Wednesday, September 16, 2026

5:30 AM

“Don’t Waste Your Life”
(Ephesians 5:15-17)

8:00 AM

“Jesus Is Worth Following”
(Luke 14:33)

10:00 AM

“What Is Your Life Really Worth?”
(Mark 8:36)

2:00 PM

“The Sin of Sexual Immorality”
(1 Corinthians 6:18)

5:00 PM

“Are You Ready to Meet God?”
(Amos 4:12)

TikTok: @dewaynedunawayministries

All times CST

#140 THE POTTER STILL HAS HIS HANDS ON YOU 9-15-26

We should rejoice at the picture of the potter and the clay. The clay is not finished when it enters the potter’s hands. It is shapeless. It is marred. It needs pressure, water, patience, and the skilled touch of the one who knows what it can become. Jeremiah watched the potter working at his wheel and saw something that reveals the heart of God: “The vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel” (Jeremiah 18:4). He made it again. What a beautiful thought. God does not throw away what sin has damaged. He is the God who makes things new (2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:5).

Paul uses the same imagery in Romans 9: “Does not the potter have power over the clay?” (Romans 9:21). Whatever questions we may have about this difficult chapter, we must never separate Romans 9 from the character of God revealed throughout the Bible. The Potter is not cruel. He is merciful. He is patient. He is “the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). And the fullest revelation of that heart is Jesus Christ, “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

THE POTTER SEES WHAT THE CLAY CAN BECOME

Clay cannot see what the potter sees. The clay only feels the pressure of the hand. It does not understand the wheel. It does not know why it is being pressed here or pulled there. It simply rests beneath the hand of the craftsman.

Sometimes life feels that way.

God allows circumstances to press us. He changes our plans. He closes doors we wanted open. He takes us through seasons we would never have chosen. Yet “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28). We may not understand the process, but we can trust the Potter.

The pressure is not necessarily punishment. Sometimes the pressure is preparation. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3). Peter said that the testing of our faith is “much more precious than gold that perishes” (1 Peter 1:6-7). The wheel may turn, but the Potter has not lost control.

And remember what Jeremiah saw. The vessel was marred in the hand of the potter. It was damaged, but it was still in his hand. That may be where somebody needs to live today. You may be wounded. You may have failed. You may look at your life and see cracks where you once saw beauty. But if you have placed yourself in the hands of Christ, your story is not over.

“He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:3).

THE POTTER IS PATIENT WITH THE CLAY

Jeremiah does not say the potter became angry and threw the clay away. He made it again. God is patient with us.

Peter knew something about this. He denied Jesus three times, but Jesus was not finished with Peter. After the resurrection, Christ sought him out and restored him (John 21:15-17). That is grace.

God knows how fragile we are. “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14). He knows our weaknesses before we confess them. He knows our failures before we commit them. He knows the places where we are still unfinished. Yet “the LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8).

This does not mean God is indifferent toward sin. He calls us to repentance, holiness, obedience, and faith (Acts 17:30; Romans 6:1–2; Hebrews 12:14). But His correction is not the rejection of His children. “For whom the LORD loves He chastens” (Hebrews 12:6). The hand that corrects is still the hand that loves.

Sometimes God has to break our pride before He can build our character. Sometimes He has to empty our hands before He can fill them. Sometimes He allows us to discover that our strength is insufficient so that we will learn to depend upon His strength. Paul learned this when Christ told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The Potter knows what He is doing.

THE POTTER IS FORMING CHRIST IN US

The goal is not simply to make us better people. God is doing something deeper. He is forming Christ in us.

Paul said, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). He also said that God has predestined His people “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). The Potter is shaping the vessel until the character of Jesus begins to show through it.

That is why Paul could say, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7). We are the vessels. Christ is the treasure.

There is nothing impressive about clay by itself. It is common, fragile, and easily broken. But put that clay into the hands of a master potter, and something beautiful can emerge. So it is with us. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).

The glory belongs to the Potter.

Maybe that is why God sometimes allows us to remain conscious of our weakness. We want to be strong enough that we no longer need Him. God wants us to become so dependent upon Him that His strength becomes visible through us. “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

The vessel does not receive glory because of the clay.

The vessel displays the glory of the One who formed it.

And then there is something even more wonderful. The Potter Himself came into the world He had made. “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14). The Creator entered His creation. Jesus took upon Himself our humanity, bore our sins on the cross, and “by His stripes we are healed” (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5). The hands that formed the world were stretched out upon Calvary. The hands that could have called “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53) were pierced for us.

What kind of Potter does that?

A Potter who loves His clay.

YIELD TO THE POTTER

The greatest question is not whether the Potter has power. Romans 9 settles that: “Does not the potter have power over the clay?” (Romans 9:21). The question for us is whether we will yield ourselves to His hands.

God does not force us into fellowship with Him. He calls us. He draws us. He commands us to repent and believe (John 6:44; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38). He invites us to come to Christ and find rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28–29). His desire is not that we perish, but that we turn to Him and live (Ezekiel 18:23; 2 Peter 3:9).

So let the Potter work.

If He is pressing you, trust Him.

If He is reshaping you, trust Him.

If He is breaking something in you that needs to be broken, trust Him.

If He is teaching you patience, trust Him.

If He is making you wait, trust Him.

If He is leading you somewhere you do not understand, trust Him.

The clay does not need to understand the wheel. It needs to remain in the Potter’s hands.

And perhaps that is the word somebody needs today: you are not finished yet.

The Potter is still working.

The hands that hold you are scarred hands. The hands that shape you are loving hands. The hands that correct you are faithful hands. And the hands that were pierced for you will never abandon you.

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

You are clay.

He is the Potter.

Stay in His hands.

BDD

#139 THE GOD WHO SEES YOU (3) 9-15-26

HE SEES YOUR PATH

Perhaps this is the most comforting part of all.

God not only sees where you have been and where you are now. He sees where you are going.

Hagar did not know what tomorrow held. She was in the wilderness, and her life had suddenly become uncertain. But the God who saw her also gave her direction. He told her what she needed to do and gave her promises concerning her future (Genesis 16:9–12).

She didn’t know everything.

But God did.

And that’s enough.

We often want God to show us the whole map. He usually gives us the next step.

That is why the Bible says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6).

Notice that He does not say, “Understand everything.”

He says, trust Me.

We want explanations.

God asks for faith.

We want the destination.

God often gives us the next step.

We want to know what is around the bend.

God simply says, “Follow Me.”

Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD.” Isaiah 30:21 says, “This is the way, walk in it.”

Think about a GPS.

You don’t have to see the entire road before you begin the journey. You don’t have to know every intersection. You don’t have to know every turn. You simply follow the directions one step at a time.

Faith is somewhat like that.

God sees what you cannot see.

God knows what you do not know.

God understands what you do not understand.

And He can lead you through places you never could have navigated by yourself.

Robert Frost wrote about standing where two roads diverged in a wood. That image resonates because life is full of intersections. We stand before decisions without knowing what lies beyond the bend. We choose a direction, but we cannot see the entire road.

God can.

Before you ever reached today’s intersection, God already knew it was coming.

And He is not finished writing your story yet. He sees you.

BDD

#138 THE GOD WHO SEES YOU (2) 9-15-26

HE SEES YOUR POTENTIAL

People often see what you are. God sees what you can become.

People look at the present. God sees the future.

People see the block of marble. God sees the statue.

It’s like Michelangelo’s David. Before there was a magnificent sculpture standing in Florence, there was simply a massive block of marble. To an ordinary observer, it was just stone. But Michelangelo saw something in it that other people could not see. He could envision what was hidden inside.

God does something like that with human lives.

He sees possibilities that we cannot yet see.

He saw David while David was still watching sheep. When Samuel came to Jesse’s house to anoint one of his sons, David wasn’t even invited into the first meeting. His brothers stood before Samuel, and Samuel thought one of them must surely be the LORD’s anointed. But God said, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature. For man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Everybody else was looking at Jesse’s sons.

God was looking at David.

Everybody else was seeing a shepherd.

God was seeing a king.

That ought to encourage somebody today.

You may not look like much to the world. You may have made mistakes. You may have wasted years. You may have a past you wish you could erase. You may look at your own life and see limitations, failures, weaknesses, and disappointments.

But God sees possibilities.

“We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). God is not finished with you. “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Think about a seed.

Hold an acorn in your hand, and you don’t see a forest. You see something small. You see something that can fit between your fingers. But inside that little acorn is the potential for an enormous oak tree.

Jesus used the language of small beginnings when He spoke of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32). God delights in taking what seems small and using it for something greater than anyone imagined. “Do not despise these small beginnings” (Zechariah 4:10).

Maybe you are looking at your life and thinking, “What difference can I make?”

God sees more than you see.

Maybe you are thinking, “I’ve wasted too much time.”

God sees what He can still do with your remaining time.

Maybe you are thinking, “I’m too weak.”

Paul learned that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

A good coach can sometimes see something in an overlooked athlete that the crowd cannot see. The athlete may be sitting on the bench while the crowd watches somebody else. But the coach sees ability. The coach sees discipline. The coach sees potential.

God saw something in David while David was still in the pasture.

God saw something in Moses while Moses was tending sheep.

God saw something in Peter while Peter was still casting nets.

God saw something in Saul of Tarsus while Saul was still persecuting the church.

And God sees something in you.

That does not mean God ignores our sins or excuses our failures. Grace never requires God to pretend that sin isn’t sin. But our failures do not exhaust God’s ability to redeem a life.

Peter denied Jesus, but Jesus restored Peter.

Mark failed on one missionary journey, but later Paul said, “He is useful to me for ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).

David fell terribly, but God was not finished with David.

The God who sees your past also sees your future.

He sees beyond your weakness.

He sees beyond your failure.

He sees beyond your present circumstances.

He sees what grace can make of a surrendered life.

BDD

#137 THE GOD WHO SEES YOU 9-15-26

Sometimes it’s hard. Very hard. Hard to believe that someone sees what you are going through. You can be surrounded by people and still feel completely alone. You can smile in public while carrying a private burden. You can sit quietly in a room while a thousand thoughts are screaming inside your heart. But there is something Hagar discovered in the wilderness that every child of God needs to remember: God sees you. After the Angel of the LORD met her in the wilderness, Hagar called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees” (Genesis 16:13). He saw Hagar. He sees you. “For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry” (Psalm 34:15).

HE SEES YOUR PAIN

God saw Hagar when nobody seemed to care about what she was experiencing. She had been mistreated, she had fled into the wilderness, and she was sitting beside a spring of water in a lonely place. But the wilderness was not Godless. She was not invisible. Heaven knew exactly where she was. God asked her, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from and where are you going?” (Genesis 16:8). He knew the answer, but He wanted her to know that He knew.

That is one of the tenderest truths in all of God’s word. God does not merely see crowds. He sees individuals. He sees the person standing alone. He sees the widow. He sees the grieving husband. He sees the exhausted mother. He sees the man who has learned to hide his pain behind a smile. He sees the person sitting in a church building wondering whether anybody understands what he is carrying. “The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men” (Psalm 33:13-15). “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).

Think about what science has taught us about seeing. The Hubble Space Telescope has allowed human beings to observe objects unimaginably distant from earth. Astronomers can study light that has traveled across enormous stretches of space. We marvel that human beings can detect something so distant.

But God does not need a telescope.

He does not need an instrument to find you.

He does not need a satellite to locate you.

He does not need a microscope to examine your heart.

“O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off” (Psalm 139:1-2). David continued, “There is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether” (Psalm 139:4). You cannot get so far away that God loses sight of you. “If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there” (Psalm 139:8).

And God does not merely see your circumstances. He sees your tears.

David said, “You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8). What a picture. The tears you think nobody noticed were noticed by God. The prayer you could barely pray was heard by God. The sigh that never became a sentence was understood by God.

“I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry” (Exodus 3:7). God saw their suffering. God heard their cry. God knew their sorrows.

So when you hurt, remember Hagar.

You are not unseen.

There is a God who sees.

There is a God who hears.

There is a God who cares.

“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

BDD

#136 WALK WITH JESUS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY 9-15-26

Walk with Jesus every step of the way. Not just on Sunday. Not just when life is easy. Not just when you need something from Him. Walk with Him through the ordinary moments, the difficult moments, the decisions, the disappointments, the victories, and the valleys. Jesus said, “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19), and that invitation is still the greatest invitation anyone will ever receive. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). There is nowhere better to walk than with Jesus.

He cares for you. He knows you completely and loves you completely. “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). He knows when you sit down and when you rise up; He understands your thoughts and is acquainted with all your ways (Psalm 139:1-6). He knows the burdens you carry and the battles nobody else sees. “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart” (Psalm 34:18). You are not walking alone. “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). His presence is not merely a theological idea—it is the comfort of the Christian life (Matthew 28:20; John 14:18).

And remember what He has already done for you. “He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Jesus “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). He “bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). The cross is God’s declaration of love toward sinners (Romans 5:6–8). When you wonder whether you matter, look at Calvary. When you wonder whether He cares, look at the cross.

So don’t let the distractions of this world pull you away from Him. “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). “Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us” (Ephesians 5:2). “Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Ephesians 4:1). “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6). We are not merely called to believe in Jesus as a fact; we are called to live with Jesus as our Lord. “For to me, to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21).

There will be times when you stumble. There will be moments when you fail. But don’t run away from Jesus when you fall—run toward Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9). “We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). The Shepherd who searches for the wandering sheep is the same Shepherd who rejoices when He finds it (Luke 15:3–7). His grace does not give us permission to wander; it gives us reason to come home.

Walking with Jesus is the greatest privilege of life. Think about it: the Son of God invites you to follow Him (Matthew 4:19). He calls you His friend (John 15:15). He promises to be with you (Matthew 28:20). He gives you peace (John 14:27), strength (Philippians 4:13), hope (Romans 15:13), joy (John 15:11), and eternal life (John 10:27-28). “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You” (Psalm 86:5). What greater life could there be than a life spent walking with Jesus?

So take the next step with Him. Then take the next one. When you don’t know what tomorrow holds, keep walking. When you are tired, keep walking. When you are tempted, keep walking. When you are blessed, keep walking. When you have failed, get back up and keep walking. “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Keep your eyes on Him. Keep your heart near Him. Keep trusting Him. Keep following Him. And when this earthly walk is finished, may it be said that you walked faithfully with your Savior all the way home (2 Timothy 4:7–8; Revelation 2:10).

_________________

Father, help us to walk with Jesus every step of the way. Keep our hearts faithful, our eyes fixed upon Christ, and our feet moving in the direction of Your will. When we stumble, lift us. When we grow weary, strengthen us. When we are tempted to turn aside, remind us of the cross and the love of Jesus. Thank You for caring for us, dying for us, forgiving us, and calling us to walk with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

BDD

Livestream Preaching Times for Tuesday, September 15, 2026

5:30 AM

“The Power of a Good Example”

(1 Timothy 4:12)

10:00 AM

“What Kind of Christian Are You?”

(1 Corinthians 3:1-3)

2:00 PM

“The God Who Sees You”

(Genesis 16:13)

5:00 PM Livestream is cancelled due to passing of a good friend.

TikTok: @dewaynedunawayministries

All times CST

#135 SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR 9-14-26

Life often demands more of us than we seem able to give. And that’s when we need extra assistance. We can become discouraged, weary, tempted, and sometimes uncertain about tomorrow. But God has not left us without what we need. The Gospel gives us hope for tomorrow, help for today, and holiness for the journey. In Christ, we have something to look forward to, Someone to lean upon, and a life to live.

HOPE—LOOK UP. “Hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13). Biblical hope is grounded in reality and has nothing to do with wishful thinking. It is confidence in the promises of God. We “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2), because our hope rests upon Someone greater than our circumstances. Christ in us is “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27), and that hope is “an anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19). The world may change. Circumstances may change. People may change. But Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). So look up. Your future is not determined by what you can see today. God is still working, Christ is still reigning, and the promises of God are still true.

HELP—LEAN IN. God never intended for us to walk this road in our own strength. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). When we don’t know what to do, “My help comes from the LORD” (Psalm 121:2). When we are afraid, He says, “Fear not; for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10). When we are weak, His grace is sufficient, and His strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). We can come boldly to the throne of grace, “that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). You don’t have to pretend you are strong enough. You don’t have to carry every burden yourself. “Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Lean in. God is not merely watching you struggle; He is your present help.

HOLINESS— LIVE OUT. God says, “Be holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). Holiness is not an attempt to earn God’s love. It is the response of a heart that has already received His grace. Because Christ has redeemed us, we present ourselves to God as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Romans 12:1). We cleanse ourselves from “all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). We are called to “follow peace with all men, and holiness” (Hebrews 12:14). Holiness means allowing Jesus to shape our thoughts, our words, our choices, our relationships, and our desires. We are called out of darkness so that we might “show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

These three belong together. Hope changes how we face tomorrow. Help changes how we handle today. Holiness changes how we live every day. Our hope is in Christ. Our help comes from Christ. Our holiness flows from Christ. We don’t pursue holiness because we are trying to make God love us; we pursue holiness because He loved us enough to give His Son for us. “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

So when you’re discouraged, hope. Look beyond the present circumstances to the promises of God. When you’re overwhelmed, ask for help. Stop carrying what God has invited you to cast upon Him. When you’re tempted, choose holiness. Remember who you are, remember whose you are, and remember the One who lives within you.

Keep looking up. Keep leaning in. Keep living out your faith. And above everything else, keep your eyes on Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). He is our Hope, our Help, and our Holiness.

BDD