On the Road Again" - Bill Watkins - June 14, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Burning Hearts on the Dusty Road

Two disciples trudged toward Emmaus, shoulders slumped under the weight of shattered hopes. They rehearsed their grief aloud, unaware the resurrected Christ walked beside them. Their eyes opened not during a sermon or temple ritual, but through broken bread at a roadside meal. Ordinary moments become thin places where heaven touches earth. The road itself becomes sanctuary when we walk with the Stranger who knows our deepest longings. [45:24]

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him.”
(Luke 24:27,30-31, NIV)

Reflection: What ordinary moment this week might become holy ground if you paused to invite Christ into it? Where have you rehearsed disappointment while grace walked beside you unseen?

Day 2: Oil, Wine, and Unplanned Detours

The Samaritan’s journey stalled when bloodied flesh interrupted his schedule. He bandaged wounds with his own linen, poured costly oil into a stranger’s gashes, and traded his donkey’s comfort for another’s survival. True neighborliness isn’t mapped on calendars but discovered in derailed agendas. The road rewards those willing to be waylaid by mercy. [51:33]

“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.”
(Luke 10:33-34, NIV)

Reflection: When has an inconvenient interruption become your most sacred assignment? Who needs your oil and wine more than your punctuality today?

Day 3: Damascus Light in Rearview Mirrors

Saul’s murderous zeal crumbled under desert light. The persecutor became prey, knocked flat by glory. Divine ambushes don’t wait for optimal spiritual conditions. Grace intercepts us mid-stride, turning enemies into emissaries. The road remakes us when we least expect it. [56:12]

“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’”
(Acts 9:3-4, NIV)

Reflection: What hardened journey are you currently on that might become your conversion story? Where do you need to surrender to being knocked off your horse?

Day 4: Desert Roads and Divine Appointments

Philip abandoned a revival to walk a barren road. One chariot, one seeker, one verse about a suffering servant – and a nation received the gospel. God’s detours feel like demotions until eternity reveals their scope. The road values single souls over crowds. [59:11]

“The angel told Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch.”
(Acts 8:26-27, NIV)

Reflection: What fruitful ministry have you been reluctant to leave for a desert assignment? Who might be waiting on your obscure road to carry gospel fire elsewhere?

Day 5: Footprints in the Ditch

The priest saw theology; the Samaritan saw a human. Holiness isn’t measured by temple attendance but ditch-digging compassion. True worship walks in bloodstained sandals, stops for the half-dead, and risks ritual impurity. The road tests our orthodoxy through others’ wounds. [51:57]

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”
(Luke 10:36-37, NIV)

Reflection: When have you prioritized doctrinal purity over dirty mercy? What ditch along your path today demands your costly compassion?

Sermon Summary

The road names life as a journey, not a finish line. Tolkien’s line sets the tone. It is a dangerous business, stepping out the door, because once a foot hits the path a person may be swept where he never planned. Goal chasing keeps the eyes on the horizon and robs the gift of today. Longing for adventure still runs deep, yet adventure often carries another name in the moment. Trouble. Only in hindsight does a traveler say, what an adventure that was.

Luke 24 lets the road to Emmaus do the preaching. Jesus himself draws near, hides in plain sight, opens the Scriptures, and is known in the breaking of bread. Ordinary steps become holy ground. The supposed split between spiritual time and secular time turns out to be a delusion. Jesus keeps company on Sunday in worship and on Monday in the office. The faces that actually shape a life are not the award winners but the ones who cared on the way.

The Good Samaritan sets the pattern. Mercy crosses the road, binds wounds, spends real money, promises return. The call is simple and stubborn. Go and do likewise. A roadside mercy in Puerto Rico sounds like it. Quiet help, a whole day given, a bill forgiven, a table set, and then gone. On the road, a traveler might find a neighbor. Better yet, a traveler gets to be one.

Acts 9 shows the road throwing a bright light at Saul. Life turns around when Jesus says his name twice and claims the persecution as his own. Life is what happens when other plans are busy happening, but God has no trouble steering moving feet. An invalid rises without a pool. A lame man begs for alms and leaps into praise. Acts 8 rolls a chariot into view. One reader, one text, one evangelist, one pool of water. God pauses a citywide joy to meet one soul in the desert and send joy south to Ethiopia. First Timothy 1 says Jesus came for sinners, not the good enough. Isaiah 41 says the weak get upheld, strengthened, helped. The invitation sounds like this. On the road, right now, do not miss Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1. The road is holy ground [50:48] Ordinary places and unplanned moments make room for the risen Lord. Emmaus shows Jesus walking, asking questions, opening Scripture, and turning supper into sight. The line between spiritual and secular time collapses when Christ keeps company at every hour. Attention, not occasion, becomes the doorway to encounter. [50:48]
2. Be a neighbor on the way [55:14] Mercy does not wait for ideal conditions; it crosses the street with oil, wine, time, and coin. The command is not to identify a neighbor but to be one. Small, concrete care on an inconvenient day often becomes someone else’s rescue story. Compassion spends itself and trusts God to refill the purse. [55:14]
3. God redirects lives in motion [56:55] Saul’s journey to arrest disciples becomes the road where Jesus arrests him with grace. Conversion is not mainly a new plan but a new Person calling a name and handing a new assignment. When the light breaks in, humility replaces control and obedience starts with the next step. Surrender becomes the steering wheel. [56:55]
4. Salvation meets seekers mid-journey [01:01:29] A lone reader on a desert road meets a servant sent from a joyful city because one soul matters to God. Isaiah’s suffering servant becomes Jesus, and the nearest water becomes a doorway to joy. God is not stingy with detours when eternity is at stake. Desire, Scripture, and timely guidance often meet in a single mile marker. [61:29]
5. Grace supplies strength for the walk [01:02:31] Fear loosens when God says, I am with you, I will strengthen you, I will uphold you. The point is not human grit but divine grip. Ongoing cleansing and present help free a disciple to rise after stumbles and keep moving. Faith grows legs when promise carries the weight. [62:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[42:12] - Tolkien and the dangerous road
[43:33] - Adventure often looks like trouble
[45:24] - Emmaus: Jesus joins the walk
[47:49] - Ordinary moments become extraordinary
[49:07] - Who really changed your life
[49:28] - Jesus meets people on the road
[50:48] - No sacred time secular time
[51:33] - Good Samaritan story retold
[55:14] - Go and do likewise
[56:12] - Saul meets Jesus and turns
[58:39] - Desert road and seeking heart
[61:50] - Jesus came to save sinners
[62:31] - Strength for the journey
[64:02] - Call to respond now

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Luke 24:13-35 (ESV)
Luke 10:25-37 (ESV)
Acts 9:1-19 (ESV)

Observation Questions

In Luke 24, how did Jesus reveal Himself to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and what ordinary action led to their recognition of Him?
What specific actions did the Good Samaritan take to help the injured man in Luke 10, and how did Jesus redefine the idea of being a "neighbor"?
What happened to Saul on the road to Damascus in Acts 9, and how did his encounter with Jesus immediately change his purpose? [56:55]
The sermon shared a story about a mechanic in Puerto Rico who helped a stranded family. What practical acts of mercy did he demonstrate? [54:47]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus chose to walk with the disciples before revealing His identity in Luke 24? What does this suggest about how God often works in our daily lives?
The Good Samaritan story ends with the command to "go and do likewise." What does this imply about the relationship between mercy and inconvenience?
Saul’s life was redirected while he was actively opposing Christians. How does this challenge the idea that we need to "fix ourselves" before God can use us? [57:35]
In Acts 9, Ananias called Saul "brother" despite Saul’s violent reputation. What does this teach about how grace reshapes our view of others?

Application Questions

What ordinary moments in your daily routine (e.g., commuting, chores, work) could become opportunities to recognize Jesus’ presence? How might you practice attentiveness in those moments?
Describe a time when you hesitated to help someone because it felt inconvenient or costly. What would it look like to "cross the road" in a similar situation this week?
Saul’s plans were interrupted by Jesus. When has God redirected your life in an unexpected way? How did it challenge your sense of control? [57:16]
The mechanic in Puerto Rico acted anonymously and sacrificially. Who in your life needs "roadside mercy" right now, and what small, concrete step could you take to help?
Isaiah 41:10 says, "Fear not, for I am with you." What fear or weakness are you carrying that requires trusting God’s strength instead of your own? [01:02:31]
The Ethiopian eunuch was reading Scripture but needed guidance. Who could you intentionally walk alongside to help them understand God’s Word better?

Sermon Clips

47s

#FaithEverywhere

“``I think we tend to compartmentalize our lives. We act as if there's an appropriate time and place for an encounter with Christ. It's some kind of special set apart, time like this morning or or some other times. But I think what Luke 24 tells me is that that distinction between spiritual time and secular time is an absolute delusion. He's in all time. He's with us at all times. We find him at worship on Sunday, but you find him in the office on Monday. He's there. Wherever you are, he's there. On the road, you can experience the lord just on your journey.”

52s

#JesusOnTheRoad

“On the road, Jesus helped the outcast Samaritan woman in John chapter four. It was on the road that he took care of the woman with a blood disorder in Mark chapter five. It it was on the road that he made a blind beggar see in Mark chapter 10. It's on the road that he healed 10 lepers in Luke chapter 17. It's on the road that he brought salvation to Zacchaeus in Luke chapter 19. Wherever you are on your road in life, Jesus is there. Wherever you are on your road in life, he cares and he can help. And he's not waiting for all the problems in your life to be solved. He's not holding back until you take care of all the sin in your life. He cares right now. He's with us even when we don't know it.”

59s

#GraceOnTheMove

“God has no problem changing us when we're moving. He has no problem changing us when we're looking and on our way to something else. There was an invalid in John chapter five wanting someone to help get in the Pool Of Bethesda. But instead, he got up, took up his bed, and walked home because he met Jesus when he wasn't expecting him. There was a lame beggar in acts chapter three who thought he wanted alms, but he got what seemed impossible. Suddenly, because of Peter and John, he's leaping and shouting and praising God and opened the door for hundreds of people to hear the gospel of Christ. I want you to trust in God's grace for personal transformation. God can change us. Look for him in unlooked for times and be willing to pivot when those times come. On the road, your life can be turned around.”

64s

#StrengthInGrace

“He says, of course, you're not strong enough, but I am. I'm not strong enough not to sin, but there's grace when I fall on my knees before Jesus. He says, I'll strengthen you. I'll help you, and I'll uphold you. You don't walk by yourself. He said, long with you always even to the end of the age, you're not by yourself, and there's grace. And the blood of Christ keeps on cleansing us from all sin. On the road, you can give your life to Jesus and find salvation. On your road right now, you can too. Some of you need, as Christians, to ask for prayer. Some of you need to become a Christian by being baptized in faith and repentance.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Crieve Hall Church of Christ This sermon · AI assistant

How can ordinary journeys become encounters with Christ

What does being a neighbor look like today

When can God interrupt plans to transform lives

On the Road Again" - Bill Watkins - June 14, 2026 - 9am