Devotional Blog

On every trip, decisions are made. Along the road of life, we inevitably face intersections and decisions about which way to go. It is at those moments that we must live by faith, asking God for wisdom and believing that He will never lead in the wrong direction. It is our hope that each article on the blog will encourage you to keep enjoying the journey…and look for Jesus along the way.

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I have the greatest respect for ministry staff members who come alongside the pastor for one purpose: to help the pastor as he leads the church under God.

My Advice for Ministry Staff Members

March 11, 2026

Over the last few years, I have had the privilege of spending time with a number of church staff members in the places where I have been preaching. This is always a great joy for me. More than eighteen years of my life and ministry were spent as a staff member. Tammy and I were…

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Children in Togo. Mission to Togo

Report: God is at work everywhere!

By Micah Hendry | June 24, 2024
Report: God is at work everywhere! We serve a God who works in mighty ways. Time, location, or circumstances do not bind our great God....
The Waterfall at En Gedi. David would often come here to hide and find refreshment.

King David’s Blessing at En Gedi 

By John Buckner | June 19, 2024
King David’s Blessing at En Gedi  “And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying,...
Remains of Tel Motza. It was discovered by construction workers as they built a bridge across a valley. As you can see, parts of the site were destroyed in the construction process. The site is of interest because excavators found a small, fully functional replica of the Jerusalem Temple built here. Photo by John Buckner

Emmaus

By John Buckner | June 13, 2024
Emmaus In The New Testament “And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore...
Ruins of the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim overlooking Shechem. A massive, ancient staircase leads up from the valley floor to the temple. A small remnant of Samaritans lives nearby in a village on the mountain. They still practice their ancient religion.

The Samaritan Temple

By John Buckner | June 5, 2024
The Samaritan Temple “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith...
The account of the Prodigal Son demonstrates the insanity of sin and this world.

6 Reasons the World Is Getting More Insane

By Scott Pauley | June 4, 2024
6 Reasons the World Is Getting More Insane…And Why It Will Continue Have you noticed in recent days the tragic loss of logic? Relativism has...
Psalm 73

“Asaph’s Revival” by Dr. Bob Sanders

By Guest Author | May 31, 2024
Asaph’s Revival The more I read and study Psalm 73, the greater my appreciation for the individual known as Asaph. Even though he is following the...
The ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Corinth. The city was known in antiquity for this magnificent Doric temple. Ironically, this was the city where the preacher from Alexandria, Apollos, came to minister. Corinth was destroyed by the Romans under Lucius Mummius, then later refounded as a city by Julius Caesar, just before his assassination. As a result, many monuments in the city were dedicated to his memory, and that of his familv. Photo by John Buckner

Paul in Corinth

By John Buckner | May 29, 2024
Paul in Corinth  “And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the...
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Gospel Journeyman

By Scott Pauley | May 28, 2024
Schools, colleges, and seminaries have made a valuable investment in my life and ministry. In fact, authors and speakers whom I have never met personally...
The ruins of the Castle of the Servant in Jordan. The historian Josephus wrote that the dynasty of Tobiah built a castle on the east side of the Jordan River, in Ammon. He specifically wrote in the Antiquities of the Jews about the carved "beasts of gigantic size" visible here on the left corner of the structure. The beasts on the right side are not as well-preserved. The structure dates to the centuries after Nehemiah, however it shows the power and prestige of this family of "servants." Photo by John Buckner

The Castle of the Servant 

By John Buckner | May 22, 2024
The Castle of the Servant  “When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was...
Potter's hands making a vessel to be used.

4 Things To “Be” If You Want To Be Used By God

By Scott Pauley | May 21, 2024
“Pastor, I hope God will use my life as He is using yours.” Those were the words I spoke to my pastor as we rode...
Family time

Family Night

By Scott Pauley | May 17, 2024
Family Night Friday night was family night at our house growing up. Dad traveled for business through the week and, once he started preaching, preached...
The Mountain of the House, also known as the Temple Mount, with the Mount of Olives in the background. Some of the steps in the foreground date from the Second Temple period, and would have been the steps Jesus ascended. Archeologists have uncovered around 300 baptismal pools along the steps leading up to the Temple. They would be convenient for baptizing 3,000 people! The Hebrew word ruakh can mean either spirit, wind, or breath. The Breath of God, the Spirit of God, and the Wind of God are all understood to be cognates. Photo by John Buckner

Where Was the House on Pentecost? 

By John Buckner | May 15, 2024
 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from...
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3 Benefits of Memorizing Scripture (and How to Begin!)

By Scott Pauley | May 14, 2024
It was David, the man after God’s own heart, who wrote, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against...
Togo flag

Togo: A Gospel Opportunity!

By Micah Hendry | May 10, 2024
Togo. What do you know about it? For most people, the answer would be, "not much." Yet, in Togo, many faithful believers are laboring to...
Bible Valley

Bible Valleys  

By John Buckner | May 8, 2024
The Hebrew Bible uses several words for a valley. The largest valley is the emek, which is a wide, U-shaped valley. The valley of Elah,...
Just as a pillar supports a building, so the right doctrine guards the church.

Yes, Doctrine Matters!

By Scott Pauley | May 7, 2024
Yes, Doctrine Matters! “We have found a new church and it is wonderful! Everyone has a great time, and they don’t talk about doctrine.” I...
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What Can We Learn From Jonah?

By Chase Whitten | May 3, 2024
It has been well stated that the word “anger” is one letter short of the word “danger.” However, one does not have to search far...
The King Herod who built the Herodium is the same Herod who tried to kill Jesus, and ordered the slaughter of the babies in nearby Bethlehem. He knew his subjects hated him, so before he died, he provided for his tomb to be guarded after his death. After a couple of years, the money ran out so the guards went home. The vengeful locals trashed his palace and smashed his ornate mausoleum to tiny pieces. Photo by John Buckner

The Herodium in Bethlehem 

By John Buckner | May 1, 2024
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall...
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