2 Timothy 4:10-11 NLT
Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.

Demas was on Paul's team. His name was on the same list as Luke and Mark. He was in the room, doing the work, around the right people. But somewhere along the way his heart drifted, and Paul says it plainly, “Demas deserted me because he loves the things of this life.” That's the danger for all of us. Nobody wakes up one morning and decides to walk away from Jesus. It happens slowly — one compromise at a time, one priority moved ahead of Him at a time.

What we love will always shape what we follow. So, this week, let's be honest about what has our hearts. Our calendar tells the truth. Our checkbook tells the truth. Where we are on a Sunday morning tells the truth. God gives us good gifts, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying them. The problem comes when the gifts become more important than the Giver. Everything this world offers has an expiration date — the house, the car, the title, the paycheck. We will leave all of it behind one day. But Jesus is eternal, and there is nothing this world can hand us that compares to knowing Him.

And here is the good news: right after Paul tells us about Demas, he says, “Bring Mark.” Years earlier, Mark had walked away too. But he came back, and now Paul is asking for him by name. Walking away doesn't have to be the end of the story. If we have drifted, we can come back. Jesus is still calling our name.

So, let's put Him back in first place this week, and let's keep following Him all the way to the finish.

Just a thought,

PSS