Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 19:4-9.

"And his father-in-law, the girl's father, made him stay, and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank and spent the night there. And on the fourth day they arose early in the morning, and he prepared to go, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, 'Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and after that you may go.' So the two of them sat and ate and drank together. And the girl's father said to the man, 'Be pleased to spend the night, and let your heart be merry.'" — Judges 19:4-9

This scene feels harmless—two men eating, drinking, laughing, and delaying their journey. But beneath the surface, the nation reveals itself to be completely desensitized to holiness.

The Levite and his father-in-law are Israelites, descendants of Abraham, men who should know the covenant and honor the Lord. Yet there's no mention of prayer, no reflection on repentance, no concern for God's will. Only indulgence. Self-gratification. Endless feasting and comfort.

They look like men at peace—but it's not. It's the peace of distraction, not devotion. The peace of full bellies and empty hearts.

And notice where they are—Bethlehem, "the house of bread." A place that should symbolize God's provision has become a house of pleasure. These are supposed to be God's people, yet you can't tell them apart from the world around them. Today, the same confusion fills our culture. Christians binge what the world watches, laugh at what the world listens to, and chase the same comforts and conveniences. The line between the sacred and the secular has blurred so much that many can't tell the difference.

But Jesus never called us to blend in—He called us to stand out. To live holy. To look different. To love differently. To lead homes that don't reflect the world, but reflect Christ.

Bethlehem may have been filled with Israelites, but their hearts were filled with idolatrous activities. And if we're not careful, our homes can become just as spiritually hollow.

Stop living like the culture and expecting God's continued approval. Your Godliness begins with you at home. If you want the world to see the difference, they need to see it first in you.

ASK THIS:

1. Where has comfort made you spiritually lazy?
2. Can others tell by your life that you belong to Christ?
3. How does your home reflect holiness—or worldly habits?
4. What's one way you can lead your family to live differently this week?

DO THIS:

• Lead your family in one act of obedience—read Scripture together, serve a neighbor, or repent together in prayer.
• Ask God to make your home a holy contrast to the culture.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, open my eyes to the ways I've looked like the world. Strip away my comfort and awaken my conviction. Make my home distinct, my faith courageous, and my heart devoted fully to You. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Set Apart."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 18:30-31.

And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. So they set up Micah's carved image that he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh. — Judges 18:30-31

The tribe of Dan ends their story with idols, not inheritance. They set up a fake priesthood, a false religion, and call it "faith." It looked spiritual—but it was hollow. Everything they built was founded on force, not faith; ritual, not repentance.

What began as one man's compromise became a tribe's tradition—and a nation's decay.

And that's exactly where we stand today. We've kept the symbols of faith but lost the substance. We sing about Jesus but live as if His Word no longer defines truth. We've traded repentance for relevance and holiness for acceptance.

The signs are flashing, and time is running short. Our culture isn't collapsing because evil is stronger—it's collapsing because truth is weaker. The light has dimmed. The Church has grown quiet. We've learned to tolerate what we should confront and bless what we should repent of.

But this is not the time to coast. It's time to come back. Not next year. Not after things "settle down."
Now.

Because a nation that forgets God doesn't lose Him overnight—it loses Him one compromise at a time. The tribe of Dan thought they secured their future, but they only secured their judgment. And if we keep drifting from the truth, we'll do the same.

God is calling His people.

It's time to return to the Lord while there's still time.

ASK THIS:

1. What signs of drift do you see in your own heart or church?
2. How can you personally help call others back to truth?
3. What step of repentance could you take today?

DO THIS:

• Pray daily this week for revival—in your heart, home, and church.
• Speak truth where others have grown silent.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, wake us up. Stir Your people to repent, return, and rebuild on truth. Let revival start in me—and spread before it's too late. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Revive Us Again."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 18:25-29.

And the people of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household." Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home. But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. Then they rebuilt the city and lived in it. And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was Laish at the first. — Judges 18:25-29

The Danites finally get what they wanted—a city, a priest, and a name. From the outside, it looks like triumph. But it's all built on theft and deceit. They conquered Laish not through faith, but through force.

God never told them to take this land. They took it because it was easy. They called it "God's will," but it was just willpower.

That's how sin disguises itself: it borrows the language of faith to bless the work of the flesh.
The Danites built a city on the illusion of success. But anything built on disobedience will eventually collapse.

We have all done this: We push instead of pray. We manipulate instead of trusting. We use strength, strategy, and spin to get what we want—and then call it God's blessing. But real victory never comes by force.

It comes by faith. Faith waits when force demands. Faith obeys when ambition rushes. Faith surrenders when pride insists.

The tribe of Dan won a city—but lost its way. Don't lose your way, do things God's way.

ASK THIS:

1. Where have you been pushing by force instead of walking by faith?
2. Have you ever mistaken human success for God's blessing?
3. What would it look like to stop striving and start trusting?
4. How can you rebuild what's been done your way, God's way?

DO THIS:

• Pause before your next decision—ask, "Am I forcing this, or is God leading it?"
• Read Psalm 127:1: "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain."

PRAY THIS:

Lord, keep me from building by force what You've called me to build by faith. I don't want hollow victories or false success—only what's done in Your strength and truth. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Wait On You."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. And Merry Christmas to you all.

Our text today is Judges 18:21-24.

So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the livestock and the goods in front of them. When they had gone a distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called out, and they overtook the people of Dan. And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, "What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?" And he said, "You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, 'What is the matter with you?'" — Judges 18:21-24

The Danites march away from Micah's house with his idols, his priest, and his faith-for-hire religion. Micah chases after them and shouts, "What's the matter with you?"

It's the right question — but no one in this story has the courage to answer it.

The Danites should've said, "Our cowardice." They were too afraid to claim the land God gave them, so they stole what belonged to others. Disobedience bred desperation, and cowardice turned into theft.

The Levite should've said, "My ambition." He left Micah's house not because of conviction, but because the job offer was better — more people, more influence, more recognition. His ministry was a career move, not a calling.

But neither the Danites nor the Levite can face their sin. So when Micah asks, "What's the matter with you?" they flip it back: "What's the matter with you?" That's what sin always does — it deflects instead of reflects.

We do the same thing.
When confronted, we defend. And we say, "I'm just under a lot of stress."
When corrected, we justify. And we say, "At least I'm not as bad as them."
When convicted, we rationalize. And we say, "God knows my heart."

But the heart is exactly where the problem lies. Like the Danites, our disobedience starts small — fear, laziness, pride — until it grows into actions we can't explain or admit. And like the Levite, ambition can masquerade as ministry until the applause becomes louder than obedience.

But the question still stands: What is the matter with you?

This question is not intended to shame you, but to awaken you. To make you stop running long enough to face what's hiding in your heart. Because until you name the sin, you'll keep defending it. The Danites justified their sin all the way into idolatry. But God calls us all to something better: to stop deflecting and start repenting.

ASK THIS:

1. When was the last time you blamed someone else instead of owning your sin?
2. What's harder for you to confront—cowardice or ambition?
3. Have you ever used "spiritual" excuses to justify disobedience?
4. How can confession restore courage and integrity in your life today?

DO THIS:

• Ask the Spirit to reveal one area of your life where you've been justifying sin.
• Write down the excuses you've used to defend it—then confess them one by one.
• Replace justification with repentance.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, help me stop deflecting and start confessing. Reveal the cowardice or ambition hiding in my heart, and give me the courage to face it with repentance and faith. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Refiner."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Our shout-out today goes to Scott Kacos and family. Thank you so much for partnering with us on Project23. We cannot do this without you. This is for you today.

Our text today is Judges 18:7-10.

Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, "What do you report?" They said, "Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, to enter in and possess the land. As soon as you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth."— Judges 18:7-10

The Danite scouts find Laish—a city that looks perfect. Peaceful. Prosperous. Secure. Everything their own land was not. And they instantly assume, "God has given it into our hands."

But notice—there's no record of prayer, no word from the Lord, and no evidence of obedience in the moments leading up to this. They mistake opportunity for confirmation. They see abundance and assume it's God's blessing. But it's fake faith—faith built on feelings, not on truth.

This is how counterfeit obedience works. It looks spiritual, it sounds hopeful, but it's driven by convenience and comfort, not conviction. Remember, the Danites didn't want to fight the Amorites for the land God gave them in Joshua 19. They wanted the easy win, and this was it. Easy victories frequently lead to empty lives.

We do the same when we chase the "Laish" in front of us:

The job that pays more but pulls us from church.
The relationship that feels good but bends God's truth.|
The comfort that whispers, "This has to be right, it's working."

But not everything that looks right is righteous. Sometimes what looks like God's favor is just avoidance in disguise.

When our faith loses its fight, it starts settling for false flags. And the Danites here traded commands for the convenient conquest—and then called it compliance. Real faith does not do this. It never chases comfort; it counts on God even when the command is challenging.

ASK THIS:

1. Where have you confused convenience with God's calling?
2. What's your "Laish"—the easy path that tempts you to compromise?
3. Have you been mistaking peace for permission?
4. How can you return to the ground God actually called you to claim?

DO THIS:

• Identify one area where comfort has replaced conviction.
• Choose faithfulness over feelings this week—even if it costs you ease.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, forgive me for chasing comfort and calling it faith. Teach me to obey You when the way is hard and to trust You when the road isn't easy. Give me real faith—not imitation peace. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Trust In God."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 18:2-6.

So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, "Go and explore the land." And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?" And he said to them, "This is how Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest." And they said to him, "Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed." And the priest said to them, "Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord." — Judges 18:2-6

The Danite scouts stop by Micah's house, meet his Levite-for-hire, and ask three questions that sound curious but expose their compromise:

1. "Who brought you here?"
2. "What are you doing in this place?"
3. "Why are you here?"

Not one of those questions mentions God. They're interested in Micah, not in God. It's a spiritual conversation with no Spirit in it.

If this Levite had been faithful, he would have responded very differently:

1. You would go where God sends, not where you choose.
2. You wouldn't stay in a house filled with idols.
3. You would claim the land God already gave you, not shop for easy pickings.

But instead, the Levite answers, "Micah has done these things for me."
Not "God brought me." Not "I serve the Lord." Just "Micah." His allegiance—and his paycheck—come from the same source.

The Danites and the Levite both prove the same point: they're using spiritual language to hide spiritual rebellion. The Levite blesses their mission; they leave feeling "confirmed." But it's all self-validation dressed up in spiritual garb.

We do the same when we call it "discernment," but it's really rationalization. When we pray, not to surrender, but to get reassurance. When we say, "God's got this," but never ask if God is sending us.

Faith without conviction always drifts toward convenience. And convenience disguised as faith is still disobedience.

ASK THIS:

1. Are you seeking God's will—or His approval of your will?
2. Have you ever asked God to bless what He never called you to do?
3. Where have you replaced obedience with rationalization?
4. Who in your life tells you truth instead of what you want to hear?

DO THIS:

• Pause before your next big decision—ask, "Is this obedience or convenience?"
• Read Proverbs 3:5–6 and invite God to redirect you.
• Seek counsel from someone who tells you truth, not comfort.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, forgive me for blessing my own plans in Your name. Teach me to ask Your questions, listen for Your answers, and follow where You lead. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"What I Needed."