By Rebecca Holloway When I awakened this morning, Evan and Zach were lying on the couch - one on one end, one on the other. I picked Evan up to take him to the table for breakfast, and he pressed his cheek up against mine, which is how he shows love. We ate breakfast and laughed and talked the whole time. We discussed our trip to South Dakota this summer and how we would be traveling through several states before getting there. Zach excitedly showed me the map of South Dakota in his atlas, pointing out we would be traversing the whole bottom of the state. After breakfast, I dressed Evan as always and brushed his teeth. While we were doing that, I gave him extra kisses and played with him. It was a totally normal morning. Mundane, even. I was dreading picking up my phone this morning. Dreading what the memory for today would be. There was a picture taken a year ago today that still haunts my nightmares. March 20, 2017 was one of the most horrific days of my life. It was the day we almost lost our Evan. I still can't talk about that day without tearing up and crying. In fact, several weeks ago Stewart took me with him as he visited a church member who was in the same ER where Evan had been. Walking down … [Read more...]

By Greg Laurie For me it’s always a great thing to start something fresh. I love it when Daylight Saving Time begins and we spring forward an hour. It’s like getting a whole new part of the day. I also love the first day of spring. I like the way everything looks after it rains. And as an artist, I love a blank sheet of paper. Another thing that’s great is when you come to the end of a great difficulty or failure and can have a fresh start, a new beginning. Moses, the world changer, changed the world for the captives of Egypt, the nation Israel. He led them to a new beginning in a new land. And the way he did it all was by faith. But before this happened, Moses himself needed a new beginning. You probably know the story. He killed an Egyptian and went into exile for 40 years. But the Lord spoke to him and recommissioned him to service. Moses had crashed and burned, but God gave him a second chance. God gave him, and ultimately the Israelites, a new beginning. It comes down to this: When you’ve been changed, you want to see others changed as well. Or to turn that around, if you don’t want to see others changed, then how have you really been changed? Jesus said, “But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little” … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn Some of you sports fans like me know the phrase “March Madness.” This is the phrase that identifies the NCAA basketball year-end tournament that crowns the National Champion for both men’s and women’s basketball. I was thinking about this phrase “March Madness” in relation to my own schedule. We have major church events for the rest of this month, and I have a number of ministry, personal, and family matters to complete. (And, I’ve got some basketball to watch!) We are all busy. How do we survive and thrive in these busy seasons of life? Prioritize. I have learned throughout life that we all basically can find a way to do what we really want to do. No one person can do everything, but we can’t use this as an excuse to do nothing. Pray to seek the Lord what should be your priorities. Worship. Worship must be a priority. Personal time with the Lord and corporate worship with our church family must be a priority. In my own life, I have learned that I must be more disciplined about personal worship in times of intense busyness. No one else helps me to protect my time alone with God. Everybody thinks their issue is more important than anyone else’s issue. We must resist the urge to give in to the … [Read more...]

By Waylon Bailey As we move toward Easter, I want to move us toward the cross. The cross of Christ is the heart of the Gospel. Because of the cross we have hope for the future. The cross brings us into right relationship with God and opens the way to God. No wonder the coming of Christ into the world divided time and changed the course of world history. Because of the cross, all sinners are able to share in the inheritance of the saints. Paul gave four unique contributions we receive from the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (Colossians 1:13-14). First, the cross delivers us from the domain of darkness. “All we like sheep have gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6). We were born into darkness and apart from the saving work of Christ on the cross we remain in darkness. But God in His mercy has rescued us from the domain of darkness and brought us into His light. Second, by the cross we have been transferred from darkness into light, from sin into newness of life, and from slavery into freedom. We are a part of the Kingdom of God’s Son whom He loves. Third, the cross is the method of our redemption. We who were slaves to this world and its sinful passions have been bought out of our slavery. To be redeemed is to … [Read more...]

By David H. Anderson Once again this April, hundreds of elementary, middle and highschool students will be compete in Bible Drills all over the state! The rewards are life-changing. Memorization of scripture sticks with a believer for the rest of his or her life. I still remember the scriptures I memorized as a child. Some might argue that Bible Drill and Bible memorization is passé. Nothing could be further from the truth. If your son or daughter has the opportunity to be involved in Bible Drill, please don’t hesitate to encourage them! Here are six reasons why Bible Drill and scripture memorization are important to kids and students. Memorization of scripture is a radical distinctive of God’s people. In fact in Jesus day, children would memorize the entire first five books of the Old Testament by age twelve. The Babylonian Talmud Baba Bathra 21a:6 says, “Before the age of six do not accept pupils; from that age you can accept them, and stuff them with Torah like an ox.” Saturating you mind with the Word of God prepares kids for the challenges of the future. You will have a greater chance to see them remain faithful to God in the years to come. Scripture is the best tool for prayer. A student who knows … [Read more...]

By Whitney Robertson As a junior in college, I have had the opportunity to do two main things the past three years — (1) observe and (2) learn. And as a junior at one of the most conservative yet politically involved colleges in the nation, I have seen the integration of politics and Christianity on more than one occasion. Whether it was hearing from presidential candidates, senators, congressmen or the president of my university promote a political ideal, we have been soaked in it all — from the far left to the far right. What I have observed is that Christians like to separate their faith from their politics. I cannot tell you how many people complain when we have a politician come to convocation or when President Falwell references the infamous Bible passage, Matthew 22:15–22. What I have observed is the fact that, outside of my father's preaching, I can count on one hand the number of sermons these past three years I have heard on topics such as voting, a Christian’s role in government, and/or more sensitive topics like abortion, gay marriage, or immigration. What I have observed is the amount of Christians posting on Facebook about how they are tired of seeing articles or posts regarding politics filter through … [Read more...]

By David Jeremiah "He…supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you." Galatians 3:5 In the Gospels, the miracles of Jesus were usually prompted by problems. He turned water to wine because the wedding feast had run out. He healed Peter’s mother-in-law because of her fever. He raised the widow’s son because of the woman’s pitiful grief. He calmed the storm because the disciples were panicked. He fed the multitude because of hunger. Every miracle begins with a problem, and every problem presents an opportunity for Christ to help us in our difficulty. God can still perform miracles, but they come in all shapes and sizes. Because of the crowning miracle of Scripture — the Resurrection of Christ — all our problems are in the process of resolving for our good. The backdrop of every believer’s life is the miraculous curtain of God’s grace. He turns curses into blessings for us every day. He protects us when we don’t know it. He overrules circumstances when we don’t even realize it. Take your problem to the Lord today and ask Him for a miracle—in His timing, in His way, and for the glory of Him who supplies the Spirit to us and works miracles among us. When He saved my soul, cleansed and made me whole, it took … [Read more...]

By Rebecca Holloway Our church is reading through the Bible this year using Foundations, a study by Robby and Kandi Gallaty. (The subtitle is "A 260-Day Bible Reading Plan for Busy Believers." I think that's all of us.) As I was journeying back through the story of Joseph, which begins in Genesis 37, I was struck how much his story is like a sweeping Hollywood narrative. He’s the favorite son of his father, Israel. But his brothers hated him, so they threw him in a well, sold him to gypsies, and told their father he has died. Then Joseph is taken all the way to Egypt, and where by the providence of God, he is sold to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials. The Bible tells us in the early verses of Genesis 39 that the Lord was with Joseph, and he prospered in the house of Potiphar. They soon saw how valuable Joseph was, and Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his entire household. Now apparently, Joseph was handsome, and Potiphar’s wife took notice. After Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of sexual misconduct, he was thrown into prison. Things weren’t looking so great. But as before, the Lord was with Joseph and made him successful – even in prison. The warden took notice of him and made him responsible for all of … [Read more...]

By Joe McKeever I was in a congregation of ministers in Birmingham once in the early 70s when Billy Graham entered. A shock wave moved across the auditorium. It was amazing, and I had no explanation for it. He was God’s man. No question about it. During the last years of the 1980s, I pastored Charlotte’s First Baptist Church and visited with Billy and Ruth Graham on several occasions. His sister Catherine was in my church, along with her family. Mostly, we shared a hospital waiting room while their friend and my congregant Grady Wilson was in surgery. Once I handed them a notepad and asked them to write their favorite scripture verse and sign it. That this was a presumptuous thing to do never entered my mind. Billy jotted down “Psalm 16:11” and signed that familiar name. I said, “I’m glad you wrote that because I’ve quoted that verse for years as Billy Graham’s favorite.” Ruth Bell Graham laughed and said, “My favorite keeps changing!” As I recall, she wrote Proverbs 3:8-13 and signed it. My secretary had those two notes framed and they hung in my office for years, until I donated them to a fundraiser for a New Orleans ministry. In November of 1987, the entire Graham team came to our church for the celebration of … [Read more...]