Blog

~ By John Woodward

When I embarked as a high school graduate from Atlanta, Georgia to Florida Bible College, one of my main concerns was to gain the assurance of my salvation. On my parent's recommendation and sponsorship I planned to get a year of biblical training as a foundation for my future career--whatever that might be. Although I received Christ as my personal Savior at an early age and attended church with my family, I read only little of the Bible. In my middle teen years I lacked a deeper commitment to eternal values.

by Mark Maulding -

Over the past twenty years of counseling, coaching, and teaching, my staff and I have had a front-row seat to watch great healing in those who experience God’s love. Of course, this is available to everyone who has believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior, but let me explain it further...

by Mark Maulding

Did you know that worry, anxiety, fear, anger, and exhaustion may be the results of fighting for control of unchangeable circumstances and relationships? Giving up control is not good enough and will not last. The flesh desperately desires to stay in control. What is the flesh? Good or bad patterns, we have learned to try to meet our basic needs in our own way for Love, Acceptance, Worth, and Security. The flesh can also be described as all the ways I’ve attempted to make my life meaningful apart from God. All of this unwittingly leads to a dependence on ourselves instead of Christ as our only legitimate Source of Life...

~ By John Woodward

We have been considering the profound blessings we have in Christ as our Good Shepherd (Psalm 23; John 10).

When our 98 year old church member went to be with the Lord, her funeral service bulletin contained Psalm 23. Then verse six was fulfilled in her experience: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.” This Psalm is universally appreciated for its poetic beauty and devotional meaning. It portrays God’s sufficiency as described through the Shepherd’s roles as provider, leader, and protector.

~ By John Woodward

Friends who live in Jerusalem testified of the renewed cycle of violence taking place around them. I was intrigued by their description of a local shepherd and how he calmed his little flock:

“On Saturday morning, for the first time in three years, we had a major conflict on our street… Six Israeli jeeps of soldiers were protecting our street as we headed out to our Sabbath Meeting. The soldiers responded [to Palestinian rioters] by firing tear gas canisters at regular intervals...

~ by Wild At Heart

Let me say this again: the story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it. I hope you are beginning to see that more clearly now. Otherwise, much of the Bible will not make sense to you. Much of your life will not make sense to you...

by Mark Maulding

It doesn’t matter if you are a Christian or not; you are going to experience suffering in this world. In fact, we are told we will definitely experience suffering. Jesus famously said:

John 16:33 (TPT) “And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!”...

by Mark Maulding

It doesn’t matter if you are a Christian or not; you are going to experience suffering in this world. In fact, we are told we will definitely experience suffering. Jesus famously said:

John 16:33 (TPT) “And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!”...

~ By Renée Berry

My old identity has been co-crucified with Messiah and no longer lives; for the nails of his cross crucified me with him. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me— we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, and dispenses his life into mine! ...

~ by Wild At Heart

Today’s Daily Reading is an excerpt from Morgan Snyder's book “Becoming a King”

Whatever else we observe about the life of Jesus, we know this to be true: at every moment, Jesus modeled what it looks like to live as God’s Son. It was the bedrock of his life that allowed him to become the cornerstone of restoration for all of mankind. It’s amazing to think that even Jesus needed to receive the validation of his Father before he launched into his life’s mission. I wonder what it was like for him to hear those words from his Father: “Son, you are the real deal. You have what it takes. I delight in you” (Matt. 3:17, my paraphrase). His Father’s constant validation was a holy reservoir from which Jesus drew strength for the rest of his days...