Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it’s amazing to be here with you today.
Today is August 25.
Each day, we follow a simple rhythm: Slow Down, Read, Notice, Reread, Meditate, Respond, and Exercise.
Let’s begin.

Slow Down

Jesus is here. He’s sitting in your favorite spot, waiting for you to join Him.
You may have a million things on your mind, but for these few moments, set them aside. Relax. Calm your body.
As you inhale, whisper: “Jesus, You endured it all for me.”
As you exhale, pray: “Thank You”
Do this three times, then rest in His presence.

Read

“I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.
‘Father will be divided against son
and son against father;
mother against daughter
and daughter against mother;
and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’”
(Luke 12:49–53, NLT)

Notice

What stands out to you in this passage?
Is there a phrase or truth that speaks directly to you?
Hold it before the Lord for a moment.

Reread

Hear this passage again — and notice the weight Jesus is carrying as He speaks these words.

Meditate

This is not the Jesus of greeting cards.
"I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning!"
This is a Jesus who is urgent. Burdened. Pressing toward something that is costing Him everything. He has a baptism of suffering ahead — the cross, the condemnation, the weight of the world's sin — and He is under a heavy burden until it is accomplished.
We sometimes imagine Jesus as serene and untroubled. But here He is raw. Honest about the weight He's carrying. Longing for the mission to be complete.
And then He says something that sounds completely out of character: "I have not come to bring peace, but division."
This surprises us. But it shouldn't. The prophet Micah predicted it centuries earlier in Micah 7:6 — that a man's enemies would be the members of his own household. Jesus's message has always been divisive — not because He wants to destroy families, but because truth divides. Light divides. When Jesus enters a life, a family, a community — not everyone responds the same way.
Some say yes. Some say no. And that difference creates division even among the closest relationships.
This is the cost of following Jesus that we don't talk about enough. It's not just the personal sacrifice. It's the relational cost. The family member who thinks you've gone too far. The friend who distances themselves. The colleague who doesn't understand.
But here's what holds it all together: Jesus endured His baptism of suffering. He went to the cross. He took on the condemnation so that you could be made right with God. The division He brought is real — but so is the reconciliation He made possible.
Through the judgment, He made a way. Through the fire, He brought purification. Through the cross, He brought peace — not the peace the world gives, but the peace that passes understanding.
Take a few moments to sit with this question:
Do I trust that through everything Jesus endured — the suffering, the division, the cross — I have been made right with God?

Respond

Jesus, thank You for the baptism You endured for all of us. Thank You for carrying the weight of the world's sin so that I could be free from it. I trust that through Your suffering, I am made right with God. And I trust that even the divisions Your message creates will one day be made right in You.

Exercise

The rush of life will meet you again when you leave this sacred place—but you can carry this moment into your day by forming new habits.
Habit: Carry the Fire
Today's habit is an act of bold witness: identify one person in your life who doesn't yet know Jesus — someone who might even push back on your faith — and do one thing today to carry the fire of the Gospel toward them.
Not a lecture. Not a debate. Just one genuine act of love, one honest word, one moment of being unashamed about who Jesus is to you.
It might be as simple as telling them what this podcast has meant to you. It might be inviting them to church or to a conversation over coffee. It might be praying for them by name and then reaching out just to check in. It might be sharing something God has done in your life — simply, honestly, without apology.
Write their name down.
Bring it to Jesus and pray: "Jesus, You came to set the world on fire. You endured everything to make a way for people like _________________. I'm willing to carry that fire toward them today. Give me the courage to be honest about who You are. Give me the love to do it without judgment. And give me the trust to leave the results with You."

I have two asks of you before you go, could you please share this podcast with one person today and check out the review of this podcast on Elevate Society?
That’s your two minutes with Jesus for today.
Now, take what you’ve heard…share it and live it.
Until next time, keep slowing down, keep listening, and keep walking with Jesus.