Serving the Lord
"Make every effort to come to me soon, for Demas has deserted me … Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry." —2 Timothy 4:9–11 HCSB
The voices over the phone could not hide the emotions. Interviewers from an independent marketing firm were stunned by the honest comments made by pastors in a series of…
The Truth About the Words You Speak
Words are wonderful when they are used in a good way. They can encourage, edify and give confidence to the hearer. A right word spoken at the right time can actually be life-changing (Proverbs 15:23).
But words can also keep us from experiencing God’s plans for our lives. Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV) says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue….”
Words are containers for power and we need…
Dave Says: Let’s Shift the Focus
Dear Dave,
I graduated from college six years ago with a business degree. Currently, I’m in data analytics making about $40,000 a year and have $155,000 in student loan debt. Do you have any recommendations as far as refinancing my student loans and getting the interest rates and monthly payments down?
— Austin
Dear Austin,
I’m not trying to be mean here, but what in the world are you…
To Heaven and Back
Often it seems impossible to understand God’s plan in the midst of tragedy. Julie knows that struggle all too well, as her life was shattered in the blink of an eye.
October 19, 1997, was a Sunday just like any other for this North Carolina family. Julie, her husband Andy, and their eight-year-old son Landon were all smiles in their black Pontiac as they rode home after church.
But in an…
From Terror to Testimony
In Istanbul, Turkey, a young Muslim girl named Isik Abla had endured years of physical, verbal, and sexual abuse. Devoted to pleasing Allah, at age 12 she vowed at a Quran training camp to someday perform jihad – eliminating enemies of the faith in exchange for acceptance into paradise.
As an adult, Isik earned an advanced business degree and had great success working in high-ranking executive…
Empathy vs Sympathy
Empathy and sympathy are both ways we respond to the suffering of people around us. But there’s a crucial difference: Sympathy is acknowledging someone else’s pain, but empathy is choosing to feel the pain with them. Sympathy says, “I care about you,” while empathy says, “I’m hurting with you.”
Sympathy is being aware of and sensitive to the needs and suffering of others. It’s recognizing — or…
The Door to Freedom
"People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy."—Proverbs 28:13 NLT
God does not want us to be shackled by sins or prisoners to our mistakes. He wants us to be free—free of worries, free of the burdens that weigh on our hearts and minds.
But to be free, we must be honest with God, admitting our mistakes rather than ignoring or…
Jeff Senour and His Life Lessons from Soaring Through the Skies
Jeff Senour is an acclaimed Hollywood stunt pilot, aerial photographer, and multiple award-winning singer-songwriter. In April 2023, he released his debut single, “Angels Watching Over Me,” with Mi5 Recordings/Universal Music Group. The song is featured on his upcoming album, Angels and Miracles. The single entered the DRT Global Top 50 Rock Airplay Chart at No. 29 and rose to No. 16. The song’s…
Come
Excerpt taken from How to Stay Standing: 3 Essential Practices for Building a Faith That Lasts by Alli Patterson
Chapter 1
Come
I saw the little red light blinking as I walked by. The only reason I stopped at the guest bedroom that day was to push the button on the answering machine. I listened as my mother-in-law finished her voice message like a letter. Just as I heard, “Love,…
The Adoption Option
During the winter of 2009 in her Fayetteville, North Carolina home, Camelitha met her future daughter in the most unconventional of ways – in a dream. She knew her life would never be the same, but she had no idea the battle that was ahead. Just as the Lord’s love is fierce, relentless, and unconditional, so is the love of a mother fighting for a child she believes God has given her.
In her…