Recent Devotions
The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. “Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.” (Acts 6:2-3, CSB) So many restaurants I go into these days have a “Help Wanted” sign in the window. It seems there is a shortage of servers in most places. These signs remind me of the events described in Acts 6. There may not have…
Have you ever been falsely accused of something? It happens. The motive behind such an action may be done out of spite, envy, or the desire to make themselves look better. It hurts when your good name and reputation are unjustly attacked. Those false accusations may cause you to suffer…
“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” (John 6:9, NKJV) Recently, I heard a minister relate the very familiar story of the feeding of the 5,000—with a twist. He told the story from an angle that…
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Can I be honest? The past year has been a walk by faith journey financially. Just when I think we are getting ahead, we get set back. You may be thinking, “Well, maybe you’re bad with money,” or, “I bet she isn’t paying her tithes.” I’m not going to tell you I’m a money-saving guru, but I have learned how to live a frugal life. Not only that, I have discovered how to take a can of black beans and make them into a masterpiece. My secret? Cumin, cayenne, and chili pepper spices. Seriously though, shredded carrot and black bean tacos have changed…
In the meantime … Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem. In the midst of His journey—as He came through a village on the way, He heard a group of lepers crying out to Him from a distance. Why not?! What did they have to lose? Perhaps they saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snag some mercy for their plight—on the fly. Luke doesn’t tell us that Jesus stopped, touched them, or even broke His stride. It simply says that when He saw the lepers, He said, “Go. Show yourselves to the priest.” In other words, “Go get your life back.”…
“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.” 1 Timothy 1:15 As I read through this chapter in 1 Timothy, I realized that as Paul preached the gospel, it was infused with his testimony. The Gospel and testimony seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. Paul gave instructions to the people on how to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, but he also told them how God had so mercifully saved him. Paul had done some pretty…
I remember the old tire store and garage. Well, it once was a tire store and garage. When God called us to a small town to preach the gospel, He provided that building for us to use. We knew that although it would take many buckets of soap and water to wash the absolutely filthy walls and floors, it would become so much more. It was destined to be a soul-saving station. The front of the building became the church. The back, which was actually a barn, became our home. Walls were constructed from curtains, and end tables were made…
