Considering the Christ

 

 

Week 1: The Person of Jesus

Theme: Christ as the center of all things

 Day 1: The Eternal Word

Scripture: John 1:1–3

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Reflection:

It All begins with Jesus—not as a character in history, but as the eternal Word through whom all things were made. This passage reminds us that Christ is not an afterthought in God’s plan—He is the beginning, the center, and the end.  Jesus is the “living fountain” from which all spiritual life flows. Before creation, before time, before us—He was.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you are the Word eternal. Let Your truth shape my thoughts today and Your presence anchor my soul. Amen.

 Day 2: Christ Above All

Scripture: Colossians 1:15–20

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

Reflection:

This passage paints a cosmic portrait of Jesus—Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer. Rev. Crouch’s reflections often echo this truth: that Jesus is not just part of our lives, but the One who holds them together. In a world of fragmentation, He is the center that restores wholeness. His supremacy is not distant—it’s intimate.

 
Prayer:

Jesus, hold me together today. In my chaos, be my calm. In my weakness, be my strength, Amen.

Day 3: The Radiance of God’s Glory

Scripture: Hebrews 1:3

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”

Reflection:

Scripture speaks of Jesus as the visible face of the invisible God. In this verse, we see that Jesus doesn’t just reflect God—He reveals Him. Every word, every act, every moment in Jesus’ life is a glimpse into the heart of the Father. To know Jesus is to know God.

Prayer:

Father, let me see Your glory in the face of Jesus. Let His light guides me through every shadow. Amen.

Day 4: The Way, Truth, and Life

Scripture: John 14:6

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Reflection:

Jesus is not one of many paths—He is the path. This verse reminds us that truth is not an idea—it’s a person. Life is not a concept—it’s communion. In Jesus, we find direction, certainty, and vitality.

Prayer:

Jesus, be my way today. Lead me in truth. Fill me with life that flows from You alone, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

 Day 5: The Humility of Christ

Scripture: Philippians 2:5–11

“He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

Reflection:

We should often reflect on the paradox of power through humility. Jesus, though divine, chose the path of surrender. His descent into suffering was the doorway to glory. This humility isn’t weakness—it’s love in its purest form.

Prayer:

Lord, teach me Your humility. Let me serve with grace, love without pride, and follow You in obedience. Amen.

Day 6: The Living One

Scripture: Revelation 1:17–18

“I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever!”

Reflection:

Easter’s messages often echo this triumphant declaration. Jesus is not a memory—He is alive. His resurrection is not just history—it’s our hope. In Him, death is defeated, and life is eternal. This truth changes everything.

Prayer:

Risen Lord, live in me today. Let Your victory be my confidence and Your life my joy. Amen.

 Day 7: Rest in Jesus

Scripture: Matthew 11:28–30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

 Reflection:

Pastoral tones often invite readers into rest—not escape, but renewal. Jesus doesn’t offer relief from reality; He offers strength within it. His yoke is light because He carries it with us. In Him, we find rest for our souls.

Prayer:

Jesus, I come to You weary. Give me rest—not just for my body, but for my heart. Let me walk with You today. Amen.

 Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

Draw Me Deeper Lord

 

Scripture:

"Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me."
—Psalm 42:7 (NIV)

Reflection:

There’s a kind of hunger that polite words can’t express. It stirs beneath the surface when the soul knows there’s more—not more to do, but more of Christ to discover. This is where deeper communion begins.

In the Apostles’ ministry, you can hear this longing like a thread running through every message: an invitation to a closeness with Christ that isn’t shallow or seasonal, but steady, deep, and alive. This isn’t about head knowledge—it’s about heart transformation. About learning to listen for the Spirit’s whisper in the middle of the noise.

Deeper communion doesn’t mean escaping the world. It means seeing the world through Christ’s eyes. It’s where sacredness finds us in the ordinary, and grace becomes the rhythm of how we live and love.

And the wonder? Jesus wants this for us even more than we do.

Prayer:

Jesus,
Draw me deeper—not into knowledge alone,
but into knowing You.
Past the surface, past the fear,
into the place where Your love anchors me.
Let our communion be real,
not reserved.
Take me to the quiet waters
where my soul is restored today, today, tomorrow and forevermore .Amen.

 Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

“The Table in the Highlands”

 

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…” — Psalm 23:

Fellow Christians 

Today, I want to take you to the mist-covered hills of 17th-century Scotland. Not because we seek to escape our world, but because I believe Christ was just as present there as He is here now. And if we listen closely, we’ll find the gospel echoing through the heather and stone.

There, among the shadows of persecution, the Covenanters—men and women who would not renounce their allegiance to Christ as Head of the Church—gathered quietly in glens and forests. And what did they gather around?

Not a fortress. Not a pulpit.
But a table.

Often, it was no more than a blanket laid over a rock. Sometimes a few crusts of bread and a flask of wine. But there, surrounded by danger, they celebrated the same communion we celebrate today. Why? Because they believed, fiercely and tenderly, that Christ had not abandoned them—and never would.

You see, they understood something we must never forget: the Lord’s Table is not just about remembrance. It is about presence. It is a declaration, whispered or shouted, that Jesus Christ is here, in the hills and in the heart, in sorrow and in song.

They knew that grace is not a doctrine to be dissected. Grace is someone. And He meets us here.

So what about us?

What if communion isn’t just something we do at church, but a rhythm we live in the middle of our days—in the ordinary, and yes, even in the terrifying? What if the Table is set not just on Sunday mornings, but in hospital rooms, broken homes, and quiet commutes?

The real miracle isn’t that Jesus once ate with His disciples. The miracle is that He still does—with you and with me.

So let’s come. Not with fear. Not with shame.
Let’s come as the Covenanters of Scotland came—trusting that even when the world trembles, the Table stands firm.

Because Christ is not watching us from a distance. He is eating with us in the glen today, tomorrow and forevermore . Amen.

 Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

a Reflection: “The Table in the Trailer”

 I remember once my friend Elder Rev. George Relic and I sharing communion in a weather-beaten trailer tucked into a windy ridge in West Virginia. The walls rattled, the wind howled like a memory trying to come home, and there we were—six of us in folding chairs, gathered around what had once been a 1970s TV dinner tray.

You know the kind—thin metal legs, aluminum  or vinyl surface, maybe a faded woodgrain or a rusty  print. It was made for meatloaf and sitcoms, not sacraments. But that night? It became an altar.

That little tray, battered and bowed, once served TV dinners in front of laugh tracks and commercial jingles. Now it held bread and a cup, passed gently from hand to hand. We didn’t have vestments or stained glass—just hearts aware of grace, and the unshakable sense that Jesus was in the room.

I realized then what I still hold dear: The holiness of communion doesn’t depend on the grandeur of the table. It depends on the presence of the Host.

And He was there—in plastic chairs and whispered prayers, in grape juice and chipped bread. Heaven did not flinch. In fact, I think it leaned in.

 Prayer: “For Tables That Lean and Lives That Tremble”

Lord Jesus,
You who chose the stable over the palace,
the foot-washing bowl over the sword,
Choose again the simple places to meet us.

Bless the tables that wobble.
Bless the grape juice in paper cups,
the bread passed with calloused hands.

Let this communion remind us
that You come not for performance,
but for presence. And just as You once took a fisherman’s boat for a pulpit,
take our old TV trays, our trembling hearts,
and turn them into holy ground, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

 Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

Dear Friend

“I no longer call you servants … Instead, I have called you friends.” – John 15:15

In King David’s court, one unique figure stood out—not a warrior, not a scribe, but Hushai the King’s Friend (1 Chronicles 27:33). Hushai wasn’t tasked with policy or battle. His calling was personal—offering loyalty, counsel, and companionship to the King.

When rebellion rose and Absalom seized the throne, Hushai risked everything to remain faithful to David. Though he walked among false rulers, his heart belonged to the true King.

We, too, live in a world of rival thrones. Yet as believers, we follow the rightful King—Jesus Christ. He does not call us mere followers, but friends. Not only does He give us access to the throne, He invites us into His heart.

Like Hushai, we are called to stay close, to listen, and to remain loyal—through Scripture, through prayer, in worship, and in walking with His people.

Jesus chose us before we ever chose Him. Today, may we delight in that sacred friendship and walk faithfully in His service.

Lord Jesus, thank You for calling us Your friends. Strengthen our hearts to stay close to You, even when the world offers counterfeit thrones. Amen.

Reflection:

In what ways have we experienced friendship with Jesus in my own lives?
What competing “thrones” in the world tempt us to compromise our loyalty to Him?
How can we invest more deeply in my relationship with Jesus—through prayer, Scripture, or serving others?

Like Hushai, are we willing to stand faithfully even when it's risky or unpopular?

Benediction:

May we walk closely with your King,
Faithful amidst the noise of this world,
Unshaken by false crowns or fleeting kingdoms.
May His friendship be your joy, your strength, and your guiding light—
Today, tomorrow, and forevermore. Amen.

 Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

God in the Darkness

 

 

Scripture: “Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.” – Exodus 20:21

We often equate darkness with absence—of clarity, of peace, of God. But Scripture tells a different story. When the mountain trembled and the people stood at a distance, Moses stepped into the thick darkness. Why? Because that’s where God was.

This moment invites us to reframe our understanding: darkness is not always a sign of God’s absence. Sometimes, it’s the very place He chooses to meet us.

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…” (Hebrews 12:2) reminds us that our focus must remain on Christ, especially when the path ahead is unclear. Jesus endured the cross—the darkest moment in history—because of the joy set before Him. He didn’t avoid the pain; He walked through it, and now sits at the right hand of God. When we fix our eyes on Him, we find the courage to walk forward, even when we can’t see the way.

And as St. Paul writes, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) Faith doesn’t require full visibility. It requires trust. Like Moses, we’re called to step into the unknown—not because we understand it, but because we trust the One who is already there.

Reflection:

Are you in a season where the light feels distant? Where answers are few and the way forward is hidden? Don’t retreat. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Walk by faith. God is not only present in the light—He is profoundly present in the dark.

Prayer:

Lord, when we can’t see the way ahead, help me to trust You more deeply. Teach us  to fix our eyes on Jesus and walk by faith, not by sight. Thank You for meeting us in the shadows and leading us with Your love, today ,tomorrow and forevermore Amen.

 Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

Be With Me

 

Be With Me

A Devotional Reflection inspired by Rev. Todd Crouch’s words

“If it’s not about Jesus, then it’s not about anything.”
—Rev. Todd Crouch

There are words that instruct. There are words that inspire. And then there are words that awaken something deeper—words that quietly realign the soul. This  simple, fierce declaration does exactly that. If it’s not about Jesus, then it’s not about anything. The more you sit with it, the more it whispers—everything else fades.

But what does that mean, really?

It means that Jesus is not the garnish to a meaningful life. He is the meaning. He is the center of the story, not the footnote. Through Him, all things were made. In Him, all things hold together (Colossians 1). And without Him, no matter how noble, our pursuits drift untethered from eternity.

But there is something even deeper pulsing beneath this truth—a quiet, divine invitation:
Be with Me.

From Eden’s garden to a carpenter’s cross, from Pentecost’s fire to the stirrings in your own soul, that has always been the heart of God. Not a demand for perfection. Not a call to religious performance. Just… “Be with Me.”

It’s Jesus saying to the weary, “Come to Me.”
To the outcast, “Follow Me.”
To the fearful, “Abide in Me.”

The Trinity itself—Father, Son, and Spirit—is a relationship so radiant that it couldn’t help but overflow. And that overflow created a world, wrote a story, built a bridge, and whispered your name. God’s longing has always been union. Fellowship. Joy shared.

That’s why it’s all about Jesus. Because Jesus is the embodiment of that I want of God, made visible, audible, embraceable. Through Him, we see that God doesn’t just want something from us—He wants us. He desires to share His joy, His life, His very self.

And so today, we pause not just to believe—but to belong. To answer that whisper.

Not with striving. Not with fear.
Just presence. Just honesty.
Just… yes.

Reflection:

Where in your life might Jesus be quietly saying, “Be with Me”?
What would it look like to live—really live—as though He were not just part of your life, but the center of it?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus,
You are the center, the source, the song beneath all songs.
If life is not about You, then let me lay it down—
so I can take up what is real, what is lasting, what is filled with You.

Draw me into Your presence—not just for a moment,
but for a life that walks with You, speaks with You,
laughs and weeps and hopes with You.

Thank You for the holy ache that reminds me You desire me.
You call me not to strive, but to come. Not to impress, but to abide.
And so I say, as simply as I know how—
I am here. Be with me. Let me be with You.  Amen.

 Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"