Last spring I had the privilege of speaking at a conference for NFL players put on by Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), a group which exists to unite a community of pro athletes and couples to grow as disciples of Jesus and positively impact their spheres of influence. They have a fantastic outreach to professional football and baseball athletes and their wives. I’ve seen firsthand the amazing difference they’re making. In the off-season I exchanged emails and texts with dozens of NFL players and cha..Continue reading→
Home
Thoughts
Motherhood Is a Marathon
I wanted to do great things for God. In the spring of my senior year of college, on the brink of embarking upon my own journey into adulthood, my future was undecided and that was simultaneously terrifying and thrilling. As a philosophy major, my path was narrower than I had realized, but I was sure it would take me on some grand and glorious adventure. I knew the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. “Glorify” sounds like such a grand term. It evokes images of battlefie..Continue reading→
1 Peter 5:7–8: How Not to Battle Anxiety
Anxieties attack our faith and torment our peace. The question with anxiety is not whether it will come, but rather, how can I fight it when it does? Watch NowContinue reading→
Is Love of Money Really the Root of All Evils?
Is the love of money the “root of all evils” or only the “root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10)? “All evils” is the formal English equivalent of the original Greek (pantōn tōn kakōn). It is remarkable that all older versions of the Bible translate 1 Timothy 6:10 in the more literal way: “The love of money is the root of all evils” (or all evil). This includes the Wycliffe Bible, Luther Bibel, Geneva Bible, King James Version, Douay-Rheims, Darby Bible, and Revised Standard Version. Bu..Continue reading→
Daily Verses
Jesus Cares for You
Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7, NKJVDid you think Jesus only cares about things like heaven and hell? About forgiveness and sin? About holiness and wickedness? About truth and lies? About salvation and judgment? Jesus does care about those things. But He also cares about your job, about whether your child makes the sports team, about your children’s college tuition, about your budget now that you are unexpectedly pregnant, about the roof that leaks, about the c..Continue reading→
John 14:1-3
“[Jesus Comforts His Disciples] “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”Continue reading→
Hebrews 12:28-29 (12-28-16)
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire. — Hebrews 12:28-29 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Every earth-made empire will eventually topple. Every man-made structure will decay and fall. God, however, has given us a kingdom that can't rust, spoil, or fade, kept in heaven for us. It won't rot or ruin and no thief can break in and steal it a..Continue reading→
Jesus Meets Our Needs
"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." John 12:32, NKJVOften, when I arrive in a city to participate in some conference or seminar, the organizers will take me aside and tell me privately about the various people who will be attending. They describe the multitude. People with broken hearts and broken homes and broken dreams and broken hopes. And then they say, “Anne, we want you to know about someone in particular because we’re hoping you will say something t..Continue reading→
Matthew 11:28
““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”Continue reading→
Daily Wisdom
Psalm 104:33-34 (01-06-17)
I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet : I will be glad in the LORD.— Psalm 104:33-34 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Do you sing in the shower? What words are on your lips? Singing is such a wonderful gift! First, it is a gift from God to us, to help us express our joy, excitement, sorrow, and victory. Second, it is a gift from us to God, to help us communicate our respect, appreciation..Continue reading→
A Love Relationship with God
"God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16, NKJVThe first secret to loving others is to immerse yourself in a love relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – and abide there. I will never get over the wonder that God the Father and God the Son do not have a working kinship nor a business partnership nor a brotherly friendship nor a competing dictatorship nor a mandatory fellowship nor an obligatory guardianship but a ..Continue reading→
1 Peter 1:13
“[Be Holy] Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.”Continue reading→
Isaiah 26:9 (01-05-17)
With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early : for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.— Isaiah 26:9 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... When a young couple in love is apart, they long to be with each other again. When a parent is separated from his or her child, the parent misses the child intensely. When a spouse can no longer be with a long time marriage partner because of..Continue reading→
Prayers
Daily Prayer for December 30
And Mary said: "My soul praises the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name." Luke 1:46–49, NIV O Lord God, in exultation our hearts go out to you and your revelation of heaven, your revelation of the Spirit, who can fill our hearts so that we remain steadfast throughout our earthly life. It is still dark on earth. ..Continue reading→
Working Together
PassageColossians 4:12-18 PrayerDear Father,Help us to remember each other earnestly in our prayers.Help us to stand mature and to be fully assured in your will.Help us encourage one another to carry our assigned works to completion.Help us fulfil whatever ministry we have received in the Lord.Help us to remember those who are in prison, and those who suffer in any way for your service.May your perfect grace sustain and keep all of us.In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen. Devotional provided by Hear..Continue reading→
Daily Prayer for December 29
Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1, NIV Dear Father in heaven, whose might is over all the earth, we thank you for all the love you show us. We also thank you for everything that seems hard, but which you change into help and strength. We want to thank you in life and in death, in joy and in sorrow, for you are the great and mighty God, who calls us to life again and again, who leads us to fuller life. You have given us great love in J..Continue reading→
Encouragement and Comfort
PassageColossians 4:7-11 PrayerDear Father,Give us caring hearts when it comes to our fellow servants in Christ. May we carry the news of them to each other for the sake of building each other up.Stir us up to work hard for the kingdom of God and to encourage each other in all facets of our labor.Show us ways that we can encourage each other in our struggles and comfort each other in our sufferings.In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen. Devotional provided by Heartlight® © 1996-2016. All rights reser..Continue reading→
Questions & Answers
How You Can Believe God Will Release You From Evil
Most cultures have a belief in some sort of manifestation of evil. For some, it may be descriptive of the immoral behaviors that someone displays. For the vast majority of others, it may be descriptive of some sort of supernatural evil entity. As Christians, we know that Satan is the Biblical manifestation of evil and that he has the power to blind people to the truth and keep them in bondage to sin. However, God has provided a way of escape from evil. The question is, how can you believe that G..Continue reading→
What Jurors Can Teach Us About The World We Are Trying to Reach
Yes, I know I analogize and write often about the similarities between Christian Case Making and criminal case making, but bear with me one more time. I think we can learn something from the attributes of jurors when we consider how (and who) we ought to address as we defend what we believe as Christians. I’ve come to recognize the following characteristics of jurors: Jurors Usually Volunteer Their Service Reluctantly There’s a reason why we summon people for jury service; if we waited for peop..Continue reading→
What Are Prayers Of The Faithful?
Have you heard of the “prayers of the faithful?” If not, what are the prayers of the faithful? Definition: Prayers of the Faithful Prayers of the faithful are often prayers led by some church leader like a priest, pastor, minister, deacon, elder, or even a lay person. Some denominations have others in the congregation pray, and not just church leadership. This gives the church the idea that they too are one of many in the body of Christ, and since God has no respect for one person over another ..Continue reading→
Great KJV Bible Verses About Thankfulness
Have you taken time today to thank God for His mercy, kindness and grace? Are you thankful for all He has bestowed upon you? Here are some great KJV Bible verses about thankfulness. Thankfulness Described Psalm 116:17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the LORD. Ephesians 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord J..Continue reading→
Church & Ministries
Evangelicals Warn Of A ‘New Fascism’ Sweeping The World
Evangelical mission specialists have warned of the rise of a "new fascism" in different countries around the world.Continue reading→
Archbishop Of Canterbury In Bid To Save Iraqi Christian From Deportation
The Archbishop of Canterbury has intervened in an attempt to save a Christian asylum seeker from being sent back to Iraq.Continue reading→
Disgraced Former Minister Paul Flowers Criticises Church Over Sacking
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme, Flowers said the Church could have acted "with a bit more grace".Continue reading→
It’s Time to Get Mean About the Vision God Has Given You
Your church doesn’t need a new mission. God determines the mission. He defines the mission. And he’s been about the mission for thousands of years and simply wants your church involved in it. But your church is in desperate need of a vision that is informed by God’s Word, inspired by God’s Spirit, and applied passionately and broken-heartedly to your local context. If you’re a Lead (Senior) Pastor and you don’t have a vision for how your church will carry out its mission in your local context, ..Continue reading→
Hot Topics
Why Paula White is a Heretic
She is either denying the deity of Jesus or elevating believers to deity. She goes on later to say in a CNN interview that she affirms the Nicene Creed. But saying you do doesn’t actually mean that you do. I wonder if she even understands the Arian heresy the Council of Nicaea was called to address? On Thursday night, NBC Nightly News showed a tweet by Dr. Russell Moore, leader of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, calling the leading religious figur..Continue reading→
A Reminder Of Why We Should Not Long For A State Church
The United States of America, for all her greatness, is not the “my people” of 2 Chronicles 7:14. That people was God’s temporary, national people Israel. That national covenant expired at the cross. Since that time God has had no national people, though many have thought and apparently still think that they must be God’s special, national people. God made that promise to national Israel not the USA or to any other civil people. The USA has no more standing before God, as a national people, than..Continue reading→
The Myth of Influence
The only way to dispel the myth of influence is to commit ourselves anew to the importance of biblical theology as the foundation for Christian action. We must allow the Bible in its fullness to direct our thinking and our doing. We must remember that Paul did not preach an abbreviated gospel, but declared the whole counsel of God. In the March 7, 1998, issue of the Los Angeles Times, the Religion section featured an article entitled, “L.A.-Area Seminary Teachers Gather to Ponder the Truth.” Fo..Continue reading→
How Much Blood Will Save My Soul?
The High Priest came out from his once-a-year visit to the Most Holy Place and said, “That’s it, you don’t need to come back next year or ever again!” No, he came out and all that could be said was “See you again next year.” The sacrifices were a powerful reminder of sin, but, in and of themselves, they were powerless to save. If any Israelite ever asked a godly priest, “How many animals will it take to save my soul?” the answer would have been: “It is not possible for the blood of bulls and goa..Continue reading→
Women
The Stanford Rape Victim Said the Words I Couldn’t
Why we all should pay attention to her bold account. “You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here today.” With these brief opening words of her unflinching testimony, one sexual assault victim, named Emily Doe to protect her privacy, knocked a nation to its knees. Her story has hit us hard in recent days, but really it dates back to last January, when two Stanford University students caught a man thrusting himself on an unconscious girl behind a dumpster. They con..Continue reading→
‘yada, yada, yada’
"Whatever... " The Wednesday morning before turkey and pie and black Friday flyers, I wake up to this smothering of fog and this teen muttering it through the kitchen: "Whatever." And what do you say but that's not quite the way to start off the day, and he shrugs his shoulders and slams the bathroom door behind him, and I get it. It's there on the mantle, this framed God-thunder, "Give Thanks." It's no neon sign, more this painting in a quaint Shaker-style. There's only two..Continue reading→
Art by Faith
For we live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Growing up on my grandparents' farm, I was too busy playing outside with my sibling and cousins, chasing butterflies or climbing trees to worry very much about my poor eyesight. I was born with a progressive eye disease known as Retinitis Pigmentosa. As a child, I didn't understand that much about it and my family didn't make a big deal of it. Thankfully I was allowed the freedom to have fun in my childhood. My best friend�..Continue reading→
Finding Happiness?
During my twenties, I was a bridesmaid in several weddings. Unfortunately, most of those couples are now divorced. It will come as no surprise to you that each of them stated they were unhappy and they were getting a divorce in order to find happiness. After all, happiness is the American birthright, right? The United States Declaration of Independence says, in part, the following:We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with..Continue reading→
Music
Children of God Acoustic Sessions by Phil Wickham
Track Listing 01. Better Than Life (Acoustic) 02. The Secret Place (Acoustic) 03. Divine / Sailing / Time / Hymn (Acoustic) 04. Your Love Awakens Me (Acoustic) Purchase 05. My All In All (Acoustic) 06. Starmaker (High Above the Earth) [Acoustic] 07. At the Foot of the Cross (Acoustic) Purchase 08. Spirit of God (Acoustic) 09. As It Is in Heaven (Acoustic) 10. Here With Me (Acoustic) Purchase 11. Children of God (Acoustic) Purchase 12. Doxology / Amen (Acoustic) 13. Wide Awake (Acoustic) 14. Body Mind & Soul (Acoustic) 15. Stand in Awe (Acoustic) Continue reading→
Getting Stronger by Philip Hamrick
Track Listing 01. Bigger 02. Born Again 03. Getting Stronger 04. Will Not Let Me Go 05. The War 06. Calling Us By Name 07. Fire 08. Love Is On the Line 09. Rivers 10. By Your Love Continue reading→
Loss by Seeker
Track Listing 01. Without 02. Throat 03. Void 04. Rot 05. Swallowed 06. Welcome Death 07. Empty Vessel 08. Submit 09. Self Harm 10. Loss Continue reading→
Heart On My Sleeve by B.Reith
Track Listing 01. Winning Feeling (f/ Christon Gray) 02. Start Over 03. Can't Stop Lovin' You 04. Roll With the Punches 05. On My Own 06. Deep End Continue reading→
Beauty For Ashes by Heesun Lee
HeeSun Lee's 3rd full length album, "Beauty for Ashes," which is set to drop on October 14th, 2016 on all digital outlets, is further enhancing her credibility as an emcee. She named this album "Beauty for Ashes," quoting the Bible verse Isaiah 61:3, where it talks about how we were made out of ashes until God transformed us into beautiful. "A garment of praise instead of despair," which she mentions in one of her songs, in hopes to let the listener know how much they are worth. The album discusses topics on motherhood, the lack of "humble" artists, anxiety, being[...]Continue reading→
L’s by Puntin
New single by Puntin. Anthem type song for athletes, dream chasers, and whoever needs a little hype music to get pumped! This one is sure to be the soundtrack to a lot of highlight videos, and dance videos! Dab, whip, and jig away! Written Produced by Puntin of Puntanious Ent. Engineered by Dennis Thomas of TrynaTellEm. Follow Puntin: www.instagram.com/puntanious www.facebook.com/puntanious www.twitter.com/puntanious Buy this track here www.yaboypuntin.com[...]Continue reading→
Essential Music Publishing Celebrates Four GMA Dove Award Wins
It was announced during Tuesday's 47th Annual GMA Dove Awards that Essential Music Publishing received a total of four Dove Award wins, thanks to two of their most well-known producer/writers, Jason Ingram and Paul Mabury. Ingram was awarded as Songwriter of the Year (non-artist), while Paul Mabury won for "Trust In You" as Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year. Together, Mabury and Ingram received Dove wins as producers for both the Inspirational Album of the Year (Brave New World by Amanda Co..Continue reading→
Compassion International Announces 2017 Rock & Worship Roadshow Lineup
The 9th annual Rock & Worship Roadshow, presented by Compassion International, has announced its official 2017 tour lineup. Award-winning and chart-topping artists Steven Curtis Chapman, Francesca Battistelli, Rend Collective, Passion, Family Force 5, Jordan Feliz, along with Derek Minor and Urban Rescue, will join together for Christian music's most uplifting and entertaining concert experience for the whole family. Author and comedian, Tony Wolf, will be the guest speaker and Carlos Whitt..Continue reading→
Followers by Tenth Avenue North
"This album is about following Jesus wherever He calls us," explains frontman Mike Donehey. "Everyone says let's follow Jesus let's do all these extravagant things but what we're saying is not to follow Jesus in what we do but to follow Jesus in the WHY we do it." With numerous No. 1 radio singles, multiple Dove Awards including New Artist of the Year and touring accolades that include Casting Crowns, MercyMe and Chris Tomlin, it would be easy for Tenth Avenue North to get caught up in the success of being an artist. However, since their last album Cathedrals (2014),[...]Continue reading→
American
Feel the Bern? Here’s the Next Step
Daniel Strauss: The revolution is back in business. Supporters of Bernie Sanders’ failed presidential bid are seizing on Democratic disarray at the national level to launch a wave of challenges to Democratic Party leaders in the states. The goal is to replace party officials in states where Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton during the acrimonious Democratic primary with more progressive leadership. But the challenges also represent a reckoning for state party leaders who, in many cases, tacitly s..
Trump rebukes alleged racism among supporters
Copyright (c) 2016 Baptist Press. Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. The original story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/47889/trump-rebukes-alleged-racism-among-supporters Trump rebukes alleged racism among supporters Screen capture from CBS NewsScreen capture from CBS NewsWASHINGTON (BP) -- In his first major interview since Election Day, President-elect Donald Trump said he is "saddened" by reported incidents of r..
Bill Hunke, former Alaska exec & historian, dies
Copyright (c) 2016 Baptist Press. Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. The original story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/47888/bill-hunke-former-alaska-exec-and-historian-dies Bill Hunke, former Alaska exec & historian, dies E.W. "Bill" Hunke Jr. E.W. "Bill" Hunke Jr. SUN LAKES, Ariz. (BP) -- E.W. "Bill" Hunke Jr., executive director of the Alaska Baptist Convention from 1966-71 and prolific chronicler of Southern Ba..
Cloyd Sullins, Alaska exec from 1995-2000, dies
Copyright (c) 2016 Baptist Press. Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. The original story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/47887/cloyd-sullins-alaska-exec-from-19952000-dies Cloyd Sullins, Alaska exec from 1995-2000, dies Cloyd Sullins Cloyd Sullins MOORE, Okla. (BP) -- Cloyd Sullins, who led the Alaska Baptist Convention from its 50th anniversary year in 1995 until his retirement in 2000, died Nov. 7 in Moore, Okla. ..