Mid-Week Devotionals
THE CHRISTIAN ATHLETE (1Cor. 9:24-27)
October 16th, 2024
Last week, I was thinking about going back to the YMCA, months after I stopped because of the problem I experienced earlier in the year, which necessitated the implantation of a pacemaker to regulate my heart rate. As I did, my mind wandered to the time when I was very athletic. I used to lift weights for strength and bodybuilding, and compete in track and field: racing, high and long jumps. It wa...
SPIRITUAL WORKOUT
October 11th, 2024
“…Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness [keeping yourself spiritually fit]. For physical training is of some value, but godliness [spiritual training] is of value in everything and in everyway, since it holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.” 1Timothy 4:7-8 [AMP]An individual once told me that she does not get anything out of the church services when she attends ch...
Trusting Jesus in Our Brokenness
October 3rd, 2024
Scripture: Mark 10:2-16The world around us today feels heavy with grief and turmoil. Just today, Iran launched a ballistic attack on Israel, escalating tensions in an already volatile region. In North Carolina, Hurricane Helene tore through Asheville, leaving devastation in its path. And our hearts ache with the news of another school shooting that took the lives of innocent children, leaving fami...
THE RIGHT TIME (Isaiah 60:19-22)
September 18th, 2024
Last Tuesday, the nation solemnly remembered the worst terrorist attack in the history of the United States, known to all simply as 9/11. On that infamous Tuesday, 2,996 people ranging from age 2½ to 85 years old lost their lives. It is fair to say that most, if not all, of us, remember where we were when news of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center began to spread.For me, I was in the o...
RISING FROM THE ASHES
September 11th, 2024
As we hold a moment of silence in observance of the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States, let us remember all those who lost their lives when our nation was attacked and the bravery shown by so many on that tragic day. However, twenty-three years later, we have shown resilience by rising strongly from the ashes.Sometimes, circumstances in our lives may make us ...
Be Opened
September 4th, 2024
"Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, 'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be opened.'" - Mark 7:34.Jesus' command to "be opened" echoes through time, calling us to open ourselves to God's transformative power. Like the deaf man Jesus healed, we, too, need our ears and hearts opened to truly hear God's voice and receive God's healing grace.Being open means having the desire for healing and change. I...
The Church, Global Migration, and Reality
August 30th, 2024
Global migration is impacting countries around the world at historic highs.According to the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, there are more than 120 million forcibly displaced people in the world today, and every five seconds, someone else is forced to flee their home. These levels of migration have not been seen since World War II, more than 70 years ago.Many of us cannot imagine wha...
GODLY TRAINING
August 23rd, 2024
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.” Prov. 22:6For the past three weeks, the attention of the world was fixated on France and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Besides the competition between athletes in many disciplines, the medals count, the ecstasy of victory and the agony of defeat, there were hundreds of human stories most of which had escaped the Netw...
FALSE START
August 14th, 2024
The 2024 Olympics in Paris began on July 26 with a beautiful opening ceremony. Thousands of athletes from across the globe descended in Paris for this event. Athletes trained for several years for an opportunity to showcase their talents in hopes of winning a medal. During one of the track and field events, the players lined up and placed their feet in the starting blocks as they waited for the si...
The Hunger That Satisfies John 6:27
August 7th, 2024
For the past six weeks, scholars at our Freedom School have constantly asked for food, saying they're hungry. Yet, when meals are provided, much of it ends up in the trash. Why? Because it's not the type of food they crave. When asked, they express desires for pizza, hot dogs, burgers, and chips—foods that satisfy their immediate cravings.This scenario reflects a deeper truth about human nature. W...
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