Daily Devotional | Sacrifice for Jesus | 2 Timothy 3:1 | Pastor Jim Cymbala

I greet you in Japanese. Ohio. I greet you in Japanese. Ohio. If it's you watching this after 12:00 If it's you watching this after 12:00 If it's you watching this after 12:00 noon, konnichiwa. I was signing books at the Billy Graham I was signing books at the Billy Graham Center and someone came up to me this Center and someone came up to me this Center and someone came up to me this very week and I'm taping this way before very week and I'm taping this way before very week and I'm taping this way before and said, "Pastor Jim, and said, "Pastor Jim, and said, "Pastor Jim, I I watch your daily devotions and I'm I I watch your daily devotions and I'm I I watch your daily devotions and I'm thinking of I'm going to be in Chicago thinking of I'm going to be in Chicago thinking of I'm going to be in Chicago or somewhere and or somewhere and or somewhere and and I was going to look at Japanese and I was going to look at Japanese and I was going to look at Japanese restaurant. I hear you talk about that. restaurant. I hear you talk about that. restaurant. I hear you talk about that. I was going to treat my my relative to I was going to treat my my relative to I was going to treat my my relative to omakase." omakase." omakase." I said, "Don't do it. Don't do it." I said, "Don't do it. Don't do it." I said, "Don't do it. Don't do it." Un- un- unless you want to mortgage your Un- un- unless you want to mortgage your Un- un- unless you want to mortgage your house. house. house. You want to mortgage your house and get You want to mortgage your house and get You want to mortgage your house and get some money. Omakase is so expensive. some money. Omakase is so expensive. some money. Omakase is so expensive. And then there's low-end and high-tier And then there's low-end and high-tier And then there's low-end and high-tier omakase. That's a special kind of omakase. That's a special kind of omakase. That's a special kind of Japanese delicacy food. Mm. Go to a good sushi place and have great Go to a good sushi place and have great Japanese food.

Um we're reading By the way, check out Um we're reading By the way, check out our website about the conference coming our website about the conference coming our website about the conference coming in October. Don't you want to come here in October. Don't you want to come here in October. Don't you want to come here and enjoy the beautiful winds, the and enjoy the beautiful winds, the and enjoy the beautiful winds, the trees, the sands here in Brooklyn. trees, the sands here in Brooklyn. trees, the sands here in Brooklyn. You'll love it. You really will love it. You'll love it. You really will love it. You'll love it. You really will love it. We have uh ukuleles playing in the We have uh ukuleles playing in the We have uh ukuleles playing in the background and all the streets. You'll background and all the streets. You'll background and all the streets. You'll think you're on a foreign island. think you're on a foreign island. think you're on a foreign island. Come to Brooklyn and join us. Come to Brooklyn and join us. Come to Brooklyn and join us. Um Um Um "There'll be terrible times in the last "There'll be terrible times in the last "There'll be terrible times in the last days," Paul tells Timothy, chapter 3, 2 days," Paul tells Timothy, chapter 3, 2 days," Paul tells Timothy, chapter 3, 2 Timothy. Timothy. Timothy. Because people will be in church having Because people will be in church having Because people will be in church having a form of religion, practicing religion, a form of religion, practicing religion, a form of religion, practicing religion, having a form of godliness, but having a form of godliness, but having a form of godliness, but strangers to its power, denying the strangers to its power, denying the strangers to its power, denying the power. No, there's no power in this. power. No, there's no power in this. power. No, there's no power in this. There's just tradition. There's just tradition. There's just tradition. It placates my conscience. I can say I It placates my conscience. I can say I It placates my conscience. I can say I went to church. went to church. went to church. You know, mama told me before she died, You know, mama told me before she died, You know, mama told me before she died, "Son, never leave church." No, it's more how we live, not where we No, it's more how we live, not where we go on Sunday. go on Sunday. go on Sunday. So, So, So, it says here, it says here, it says here, "People will be lovers of themselves and "People will be lovers of themselves and "People will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money." To begin with this lovers of money." To begin with this lovers of money." To begin with this list.

Terrible time because this will be in Terrible time because this will be in the church. the church. the church. Lovers of self, you know? Lovers of self, you know? Lovers of self, you know? Not like they go, Not like they go, Not like they go, "I love you." "I love you." "I love you." Not like that. Not like that. Not like that. But lovers of self, always putting self But lovers of self, always putting self But lovers of self, always putting self first. first. first. No sacrifice for Jesus. No sacrifice for Jesus. No sacrifice for Jesus. Only sacrifice I make is if I can better Only sacrifice I make is if I can better Only sacrifice I make is if I can better myself, get something for myself. For myself, For myself, I'll spend anything, do anything. The I'll spend anything, do anything. The I'll spend anything, do anything. The Lord, the Lord's work, must I mental. must I mental. More or less. If you look at the giving statistics If you look at the giving statistics from today, from today, from today, we're in 2026, we're in 2026, we're in 2026, to 1926, or even '76, but especially 1926. or even '76, but especially 1926. The percentage of people who call The percentage of people who call The percentage of people who call themselves Christians and who give a themselves Christians and who give a themselves Christians and who give a certain percentage of their income to certain percentage of their income to certain percentage of their income to the work of the Lord, you can't even the work of the Lord, you can't even the work of the Lord, you can't even compare it.

compare it. compare it. It's so little now. Do we have more It's so little now. Do we have more It's so little now. Do we have more worship courses? Absolutely. More worship courses? Absolutely. More worship courses? Absolutely. More translations of the Bible? Absolutely. translations of the Bible? Absolutely. translations of the Bible? Absolutely. More Christian concerts? Absolutely. More Christian concerts? Absolutely. More Christian concerts? Absolutely. Absolutely. Good things happening in Absolutely. Good things happening in Absolutely. Good things happening in many places, yes, absolutely. But do we have But do we have sacrificial giving, sacrificial service sacrificial giving, sacrificial service sacrificial giving, sacrificial service per 100 Christians like there used to per 100 Christians like there used to per 100 Christians like there used to be? No. Now you say, "Those Come on, be? No. Now you say, "Those Come on, be? No. Now you say, "Those Come on, don't be a dinosaur. It's a new day." don't be a dinosaur. It's a new day." don't be a dinosaur. It's a new day." No, I'm trying to I'm not trying to do No, I'm trying to I'm not trying to do No, I'm trying to I'm not trying to do new school, old school. I'm trying to do new school, old school. I'm trying to do new school, old school. I'm trying to do Bible school, like what the Bible says. Coming in the church will be people who Coming in the church will be people who don't love Jesus as much as they do don't love Jesus as much as they do don't love Jesus as much as they do themselves. themselves. themselves. He died on the cross for them. He died on the cross for them. He died on the cross for them. He gave up his life, but they ain't He gave up his life, but they ain't He gave up his life, but they ain't giving up anything for him. I talked to someone the other day who's I talked to someone the other day who's thinking about getting married. I don't thinking about getting married. I don't thinking about getting married. I don't think he will. He's older now, think he will. He's older now, think he will. He's older now, and he's dating someone very lovely, and he's dating someone very lovely, and he's dating someone very lovely, loves She really loves the Lord. I don't loves She really loves the Lord. I don't loves She really loves the Lord. I don't think he will because he's so set in his think he will because he's so set in his think he will because he's so set in his selfish ways, which we all develop, selfish ways, which we all develop, selfish ways, which we all develop, that I don't think at this point he's that I don't think at this point he's that I don't think at this point he's going to pull the trigger and get going to pull the trigger and get going to pull the trigger and get married. Because when you get married, married. Because when you get married, married. Because when you get married, you have to give up stuff.

you have to give up stuff. you have to give up stuff. You know, when you're on your own, you You know, when you're on your own, you You know, when you're on your own, you do what you want. You're single, you're do what you want. You're single, you're do what you want. You're single, you're bachelor, and you do what you want when bachelor, and you do what you want when bachelor, and you do what you want when you want it. When you get married, it's you want it. When you get married, it's you want it. When you get married, it's not like that. not like that. not like that. But when you love someone, But when you love someone, But when you love someone, oh, the sacrifice is not even a oh, the sacrifice is not even a oh, the sacrifice is not even a sacrifice. sacrifice. sacrifice. So, people will be lovers of self So, people will be lovers of self So, people will be lovers of self and lovers of money in the church. So, we used to sing when I was little. So, we used to sing when I was little. Do you know it? Sing it with me. Oh, Do you know it? Sing it with me. Oh, Do you know it? Sing it with me. Oh, how I love Jesus. how I love Jesus. how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Because he first Because he first Because he first loved me. loved me. loved me. If the truth were told, If the truth were told, If the truth were told, I'm not trying to be ridiculous. I'm not trying to be ridiculous. I'm not trying to be ridiculous. Oh, Oh, Oh, how I love money. how I love money. how I love money. Oh, how I love money. Oh, how I love money. Oh, how I love money. What you think about What you think about What you think about what you protect what you protect what you protect what you're most concerned about what you're most concerned about what you're most concerned about tells you where your heart is.

tells you where your heart is. tells you where your heart is. What you talk about, what you think What you talk about, what you think What you talk about, what you think about. And the love of money, and notice they And the love of money, and notice they don't have money, don't have money, don't have money, they love money. they love money. they love money. We all have a self, but we don't have to We all have a self, but we don't have to We all have a self, but we don't have to be lovers of self. Put self on the be lovers of self. Put self on the be lovers of self. Put self on the pedestal. pedestal. pedestal. We all have to use money. Everyone has We all have to use money. Everyone has We all have to use money. Everyone has to make money. to make money. to make money. Jade Jade Jade JJ, my producer, director, camera JJ, my producer, director, camera JJ, my producer, director, camera person, he and his wife Jocelyn and person, he and his wife Jocelyn and person, he and his wife Jocelyn and their baby Milo, who will they won't let their baby Milo, who will they won't let their baby Milo, who will they won't let me see. She will not bring that child to me see. She will not bring that child to me see. She will not bring that child to my office. But that I don't want to vent my office. But that I don't want to vent my office. But that I don't want to vent and go on the side here. They have to use money. They have to pay They have to use money. They have to pay bills. bills. bills. But we don't have to love money. You But we don't have to love money. You But we don't have to love money. You can't love money. Jesus said you can't can't love money. Jesus said you can't can't love money. Jesus said you can't serve mammon, money, and God. That's serve mammon, money, and God. That's serve mammon, money, and God. That's what Jesus said. what Jesus said. what Jesus said. And a lot of us serve money. So cheap. So cheap. So lacking in So lacking in So lacking in in generosity, liberality because they in generosity, liberality because they in generosity, liberality because they don't want to let go.

don't want to let go. don't want to let go. Those $20 bills. Ooh, Benjamin, 100. Those $20 bills. Ooh, Benjamin, 100. Those $20 bills. Ooh, Benjamin, 100. Come on now. Now we're talking money. They love it. They love it. Terrible times. Terrible times. Terrible times. In the church In the church In the church singing with a cross in the front where singing with a cross in the front where singing with a cross in the front where Jesus gave his life, but the truth is Jesus gave his life, but the truth is Jesus gave his life, but the truth is they love themselves and they love they love themselves and they love they love themselves and they love money. Let's not be that way. And if you money. Let's not be that way. And if you money. Let's not be that way. And if you tend that way, can we all just ask God, tend that way, can we all just ask God, tend that way, can we all just ask God, God, help us. Forgive us. God, help us. Forgive us. God, help us. Forgive us. Break us, melt us, mold us, shape us, Break us, melt us, mold us, shape us, Break us, melt us, mold us, shape us, fill us, and use us fill us, and use us fill us, and use us for your glory. for your glory. for your glory. He deserves all the glory. He deserves all the glory. He deserves all the glory. Amen. See you next time.