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When they finished praying, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God's message with boldness. Acts 4:31 (GWT) I believe that it is time for us who truly follow Jesus Christ to take a bolder stand for the truth that has...

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (NKJV) My friends who work out at a local fitness center tell me that a "spotter" is someone who stands behind a person who is lifting a heavy weight. The spotter is there to bear the burden of the weight by helping...

Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. Philippians 1:4, 5 (NLT) Being a Christian minister, I have found that ministering to people does not always mean...

Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:15, 16 (The Living Bible) I cannot think of the performer who sings the lyric, “Let me be myself so I can shine”, but I can question the lyric. How...

As many of you know, my friends Michael and Natalie's 11-year-old son Hunter passed away this past Friday (March 31). Hunter was a great Christian young man with a positive attitude towards life. He was a real blessing to everyone he encountered. I remember talking with him at length about...

You...[p]ut my tears into Your bottle. Psalm 56:8b (NKJV) I have cried numerous times during my lifetime. I cried when my father diedin 1999. (I still cry whenever I visit his grave site.) I cried when one of myformer students died of leukemia at the age of 15. Not every tear-filled...

In the book of Hebrews, we are commanded to encourage others daily. Why is daily encouragement necessary? I believe that when we encourage others, our heart stays soft. God can work in, with, and through us when our hearts are soft. Allow me to encourage you all with these words from 1...

On this date (March 15) eighteen years ago, my father died of a massive heart attack.I will never forget that cold, snowy day. I can remember attempting to give my father CPR while waiting for the paramedics to arrive at our house.I can remember seeing the flat line and the 0 on the heart...

One of my favorite words is "outreach". When we Christians love non-Christians, we promote outreach. So, what exactly is outreach? Jesus commands His disciples (us included), "[P]reach the gospel...and make disciples of all nations..." (Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19, HCSB). This is outreach in a...

Prayer is a vital part of the Christian faith. It is our means of communicating with our Heavenly Father. The Apostle Paul had much to say about prayer in his many letters. In his letter to the Colossians, he states, "Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart"...

In Psalm 130:3 (NLT), the psalmist asks an interesting question: LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? Let's face it! We have all sinned and come short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). None of us would survive if God kept a complete record of our sins...

I love Paul's letter to the Ephesians. It contains some of the most valuable insights into the Christian faith. One such insight is found in Ephesians 2:14 which says, "He (Jesus) is our peace..." Let's break this phrase down a little bit to get a fuller understanding. "He" - Refers to Jesus...

Will you all pray for my friend who has brain cancer? He told me that he has a 5 cm tumor in the left side of his brain.

From time to time, my friends and I gather at a local gym to play some basketball. During the time of practice shooting, I imagine that there are three seconds left to go in a major game. I have the basketball in my hands, and I am set to make the game-winning three-point basket. I release...

I can remember physical education class well…maybe, too well. Our gym teacher (coach) would make us do exercises before we started playing whatever sport he had in mind. The push-ups were fairly simple, but the sit-ups were a grind. Jumping jacks were always fun, but those ten laps around the...

I wrote this devotional in August 2009...It's very timely for the present day. Turn away from evil and do what is good... Psalm 34:14a (Holman Christian Standard Bible) We live in a world that is becoming increasingly evil. Newspaper headlines and...

Hello, young Christians! I am a Christian youth minister, and I am interested in the issues that concern young Christians in their walk with Christ. What issues do you all go through as a follower of Jesus Christ?

The trombone is said to be one of the hardest musical instruments to play. It requires buzzing lips, a great amount of air, and manual dexterity (to move the slide in the proper position for each note). When I was in high school, I played this challenging instrument. Now that I am in my...

When I was a kid, I had a Rubik’s Cube. This mind-boggling puzzle required numerous twists and turns in an effort to get all nine tiles the same color for six different colors. I can remember how my best efforts could only get two sides the same color. The more I twisted that cube, the more...

Whene’er my heart is full of fear, I pray for my Lord to come near. He is my ever constant friend; His love for me will never end. Whene’er my mind is full of doubt, I pray that the doubt is cast out. Then, I’m filled with God’s total peace and His e’erlasting joyfulness. Whene’er I am in...