Devotional

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Hear the Word Every Day This Year!

Most believers are content to hear a sermon on Sunday or listen to a preacher a couple of times each week. God designed it that we would hear from Him...
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A Prayer at the Door of a New Year

One of my favorite authors through the years has been F.B. Meyer. His writings have stirred my thinking and warmed my heart. Recently as I browsed through a bookstore, I...
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My Favorite Bible Story & Our New Podcast Study

Do you have a favorite portion of Scripture? Keith Kiser, one of my early Bible teachers, used to say that his favorite Scripture was whatever portion he was studying at...
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The Library of Your Life – A Story to Make You Think

The following story is not original. It has been shared by other preachers, and I am passing it on because of the way it has affected me. Our Lord Jesus...
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Spiritual Exercise

Medical doctors and health professionals are consistently reminding us to give attention to “diet and exercise.” Henry Drummond believed that every thing we see in the natural world is simply...
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Improving Your Spiritual Memory through Scripture Memory

There are all types of memory. You may have an extremely good long term memory, or perhaps your short term memory is better. This is different for every person -...
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Higgaion: A Note We All Need

Unlike my wife, I do not read music. Though the notes on the page mean little to me, I know a good note or a bad note when I hear...
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Where Are the Calebs?

One phrase from God’s Word characterizes Caleb’s life: “he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.” (Joshua 14:14) What an example for us to follow! Caleb's life serves as a...
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10 of the Oldest Tricks in the Book

Satan is a deceiver - he always has been and always will be (John 8:44). Some things never change! The enemy often dresses his lies in new clothes, but beneath...
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The Need of Every Nation

Truth transcends all language, time, and cultural bounds. There are no social, moral, economic, or political solutions to a spiritual problem. Therefore, the only hope of a nation is in...
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Looking Vertically

Looking vertically in a world where the majority looks horizontally can be quite the difference maker. To be a dynamic follower of Christ and not a discontent believer, we must...
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There is Freedom in Christ!

The world calls it addiction; the Word calls it bondage. Sin always makes men slaves, and only Christ can give liberty. This is very important to realize: enslaving sin is...
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Recapturing the Hallelujah

My memory is still vivid of the first time I heard the Hallelujah Chorus given in a pubic meeting. I remember watching that vast crowd of people stand in honor of the...
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Seeing God in Every Scripture

The preacher speaks about the necessity of all Scripture and people politely nod their heads. We read, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable..." and everyone...
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New Audio Book Now Available!

It has been a great joy living with Joseph for the last few months. Just think - we will spend eternity with all of these godly Bible characters! The more...
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The Next Step for our ETJ Podcast

It is a pleasure to walk through God's Word with so many of you on our daily podcast. The paths of Scripture are full of adventure and spiritual refreshment! Thank...
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God Still Moves Mountains

A few week's ago I asked friends who follow us on social media if they would help me pray for a mountain that needed to be moved. Since that time...
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New Book Release!!!

Dreams. Opportunity. Favor. Power. Blessings. Purpose. Jealousy. Conflict. Betrayal. Temptation. Prison. Difficulty. All of this and much more is found in the story of Joseph. His is a representative life...
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Comfort in Troubling Times

Do you have a favorite psalm? The psalm I hear most often referred to is Psalm 23. Unfortunately, it has become so associated with funerals that we easily forget that...
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No Substitute for Faithfulness

This week I have been speaking in a church in south Georgia. (Let me say that I am grateful it is not an outdoor meeting - it is hot!) In...
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When Life Brings Us to Our Knees

Have you ever been so weak, so weary, so wounded that your legs gave out? You did not even have strength to stand up! Occasionally, I have heard people use...
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What was He Thinking?

The only way that we can truly know what another person is thinking is through their words. Words are an expression of the mind. In the words of Jesus, "Out...
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Do You Know the Four Verses?

Recently I was sharing with a friend some of what God is teaching me through Psalm 119 this year. (Read more here.) It has been a joy to study it...
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New 10 Day Study in Haggai Now Available!

Several people have reached out to let us know that our studies on the Bible App have been helpful to them devotionally. We are happy to provide these short series...
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The 22 Day Challenge

Behavioral scientists have suggested that it takes 21 days to create a habit. I don’t know about that but I do know that in three weeks time much can be...
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Prayer Help: Use a PRAYER CALENDAR

Satan hates prayer and will do anything in his power to stop it. Samuel Chadwick observed, "Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from...
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Prayer Help: Take a PRAYER WALK

Prayer is a discipline and yet there is a danger in it becoming simply a dutiful routine. How quickly the time of prayer - our communion with the God of...
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Love Is Not Just for Couples!

There are varying expressions of love - friendship love, marital love, love for enemies - but there is only one Source of love, and that is the God who “is...
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A Devotional Discipline: Writing the Scriptures

God gave His Word once and promised to preserve it to every generation (Psalm 12:7). No new truth is being revealed and it is our conviction that God’s last word...
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“Truth for Youth” Available on the Bible App!

Last month we made available for the first time a devotional plan on the YouVersion Bible App. “Which Way Do We Go?” is a fifteen day study on discerning the...
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What Will This Year Hold?

Some "woke" theologians have decided of late to criticize the well known commentator Matthew Henry. While there are some things I would not fully agree with in his writings, I...
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New Bible App Plan!

"Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not." (Psalm 17:5) We are firm believers in the power of God's Word. Enjoying the Journey is dedicated to...
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5 Pieces of Advice I Was Given

In nearly twenty years of serving on a church staff I sat in hundreds of staff meetings and training sessions. Some were functional and others were philosophical. One of the...
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Hitting the Pause Button

There are moments when we all need to hit the pause button. Life races on and, if we are not intentional and careful, we lose the joy and purpose of...
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NEW SERIES: Why Jesus Came

When people speak about Christ coming to earth, the first time they usually talk about HOW He came. But the great emphasis of Scripture is on WHY He came! Today...
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Bible Guideposts

“I know where I’m going.” Famous last words - just before the embarrassing admission that we have lost our way! Along the journey of life we all need direction. Sometimes...
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How to Conquer Fear

Fear is real and it is paralyzing. A world in flux has produced a world filled with fear. Frequently I hear someone quote 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not...
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Countdown to Christmas

Can you imagine the days leading up to the birth of Christ? No family has ever had thoughts, emotions, and Christmas preparation like that first family! Joseph and Mary, thrilled...
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My First Sermon

Just a few days after my 13th birthday, I preached the first sermon I ever gave behind a pulpit. On that Sunday afternoon, in August, I spoke on the subject...
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3 Connections to Make In Every Scripture Passage

Have you ever read a portion of God's Word only to find yourself totally disconnected from what you just read? Your hands held the Bible, your eyes scanned the page,...
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5 Ways to Get More Out of Your Bible Reading

Would you like to get more out of your daily Bible reading? We all find ourselves at times going through the motions but missing the meaning. Routines very easily become...
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Do You Want to Have a Great Week?

Today is actually not the beginning of the week...yesterday was. Sunday is the first day of the week! Like all of life each week is to begin with worship. I...
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Days That Change You Forever

There are days in life that change you. God in His providence causes certain days to stand out in our memory as turning points. The day you are married is...
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It Is Time To Move On!

Recently I had the privilege to talk and pray with a kind Christian lady where I was speaking. This sincere believer wondered if one decision in her past would prevent...
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“They Never Smile.”

Some time back I heard an individual talking about a certain group of Christians and they described them with these sad words: "They never smile." Now, to be fair, I'm...
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3 Times to Yield

Our son has just passed his driver's test and is now officially taking our prayer life to new heights! It is hard to believe that all of our children are...
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Your Best Friend

As a child it always seemed important to have a "best friend." I don't know all of the reasons, but there is in all of us a desire for closeness...
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Where Is Your Citizenship?

Our global world talks more and more about "world citizenship" - the idea that we belong to something bigger than our own country because we are a part of humanity....
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NEW PODCAST SERIES: “Family Time”

It has been a great joy to meet so many people across the country who are listening each day to the broadcast and Enjoying the Journey with us through God’s...
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It’s Time To Stop Being Sorry

Some people live their entire life in an apologetic tone. The words “I’m sorry” are necessary and helpful, but they cannot become your identity. Yes, there is a time for...
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New Podcast Series: A Message We All Need

Today we conclude our study of "The Twelve" with a final word to all would-be followers of Jesus. I hope you will listen to this important application for every believer....
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Why Does God Bless ANY of Us?

There are some meetings that stand out in your memory, not because of what God did in others but because of what God did in your own life. It was...
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Don’t Lose Your Laughter!

This week the Lord reminded me of a simple and yet profound truth. Tammy was taking me to the airport and we were talking about a number of things. Throughout...
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Dealing with Sadness

In a generation deteriorating because of sin we must always guard against allowing our own spirits to deteriorate. Sad days must not become sad Christians! Many are sad because of...
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The Worst Thing Job Lost & the One Thing We All Must Find

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job…” So begins the story of a man who knew more about suffering and loss than most people...
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He Only Lived to 33.

Life is a vapor for every man, but for the God-Man it was especially brief. A short thirty-three and a half years was all that He lived on this earth....
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Do You Really Believe In The Authority of the Bible?

Few want to talk about it today and even fewer understand it. Yet all of life boils down to authority: whose authority will we live under? The world is full...
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How To Learn To Pray

We are all students when it comes to prayer. Andrew Murray wrote a classic book called With Christ In The School of Prayer. I must confess to you that I...
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Victims or Victors?

It seems so many want to be the “victim” today. To be sure, there are wounded souls who have been victims of horrible abuse and heinous crimes and those hurts...
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More To Come

Are you worn down? Nerves on edge? Wondering what is coming next? These have been challenging days for so many, but we should not be surprised. As we near the...
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When We Are Blessed…

Blessed people often become the most rebellious. If you don't believe me, look at God's chosen people, the nation of Israel. When we are full of good things it is...
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The Next Leg of the Race

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Each phase of the race is both distinct and essential to the whole. We have begun, in many respects, the next leg of...
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Lessons Learned On A Walk Through the Woods

Henry Drummond who wrote the classic work on 1 Corinthians 13, The Greatest Thing In The World, was a naturalist. He believed that every spiritual reality has some natural parallel...
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The King Is Coming!

What are you expecting to happen next in our world? Every day brings new challenges and changing circumstances. I cannot tell you what the government will do, how the economy...
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A Way To Escape

One of Satan's lies is that the besetting sin in your life (you know the one) will always defeat you. "That's just the way you are and it will never...
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“Just Use My Name.”

In times of need it is wonderful to know someone who has abundant resources. A friend may send you to another with the instructions: "Just use my name." They mean...
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NEW STUDY: “A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ”

There is a great deal of discussion now about peace around the world. At the same time, there is increased strife and fighting in our own country. But the biggest...
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How To Make The Most Of This Season In Life

Seasons are marked by change. The autumn leaves turning colors and falling to the ground are a reminder to us all that time is passing. And while we love some...
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Wash Your Hands!

How many times have you heard about the importance of hand washing over the last few months? The entire world is being reeducated in basic hygiene that our mothers tried...
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5 Books To Help With Your Personal Devotions

There is a delicate balance in the daily devotional life: we want to keep both discipline and freshness in our time with God. Very easily routines turn into ruts and...
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3 Lists You Should Make Today

We live by lists! Grocery lists, to do lists, lists to keep up with our lists. At this particular time in our world people are more reflective. God has providentially...
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Stop (Just) Reading the Bible!

Yes, that's what I said. Stop it. Stop reading the Bible. It is not that the Bible should not be read, rather, it is that too often we substitute Bible...
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Living In Uncertain Times

The world is shaking...but God is not! These are uncertain days but the people of God have a certain future. He has not failed us, forgotten us, or forsaken us...
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Dealing With Fear

What is ahead? As I write these words the news is filled with stories related to the Coronavirus that is sweeping the globe and the downturn of financial markets. Mix...
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Our Next Step & A New Study

This week we concluded our series on The Great Journey's of the Bible. The Lord has been so gracious to allow us to study Scripture with people around the world...
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Givers And Takers

As a boy my dad told me, "Son, there are two kinds of people in the world - givers and takers - and you're going to have to decide which...
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A New Book On An Eternal Truth

Do you have a difficult time loving some people? Do you struggle to express love to others? Does it seem that even with those you love that your love falls...
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When God Changes Your Direction

Sometimes the straightest line between A and B is not the route God chooses for us. His ways and thoughts truly are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). At times we...
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3 Things To Look For As You Study the Bible

Are you hungry to know God in a deeper way? We come to know God through His Word - literally, through His words. We believe that the very words of...
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Some Advice For Your Bible Reading This Year

We are one week into the new year. How are you doing with your devotional Bible reading so far? Many believers begin at the first of the year with some...
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2020 – NEW DEVOTIONAL PODCAST SERIES!

If you have been traveling with us through the Word of God, thank you! If you have not yet joined us on this journey I would like to encourage you...
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The Miracle Continues

Around this time of year it is not uncommon to hear someone refer to "a Christmas miracle." A miracle is something that cannot be explained by natural wisdom or human...
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Christmas Blessings

This is my favorite season of the year! I love the time with family and friends. But the older I get the more I realize that the greatest Christmas blessings...
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The Danger Of Discontent

A friend remarked to me recently that men often struggle with discontentment. It is one of the deceiver's ways of leading us to things that God has not chosen for...
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Do You Have A Life Verse?

Recently God has used a Bible verse in my life in such a profound way that I have chosen it as my "second half verse." Along the journey there have...
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Thanksgiving Meditations

Through the years I have written a number of brief articles on the subject of gratitude. From time to time we all must be reminded how good God has been...
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What Do You See When You Look In The Mirror?

The Word of God is an amazing book. Only through its divine lens do we begin to see clearly. Without it our view of reality is skewed by sin and...
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New Podcast Series!

Today we conclude our podcast series on "What The Bible Says..." I am more convinced than ever that this is a day where we must know what we believe, why...
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A Question For The Week: How May I Help You?

It is a question that we hear frequently by those who are serving us in some way.  Perhaps it is a question that too often we fail to ask others. It...
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4 Things We Must Not Do With The Truth

We live in a world of lies because people have rejected the truth. The condition of Isaiah's day is much like our own, "And judgment is turned away backward, and...
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Consumer Christianity

American Christianity (which is a far cry from Acts Christianity) has done much to develop consumerism in the minds of the average church member. People shop for a church today....
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The Danger Of Conservative News

Have you heard the news today? It is easier than ever in our digital age to keep up with what is going on in the world. Usually if you listen...
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How Sensitive Are You?

It is ironic that we are living in a world where people are easily offended by others and yet so often hardened to the needs of others around them. Such...
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3 Simple Helps For Bible Study

It is truly amazing the number of Bible study helps that are now available at our fingertips. The proliferation of tools and the accessibility of technology has changed study forever....
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Life’s Delays

Delayed. One of the most dreaded words in air travel. It glares in yellow letters from the airport monitors. The very word sounds like what it represents - a long...
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Starting Today!

One of the most exciting ways to study Scripture is to get acquainted with the great characters of the Bible. When you begin to identify with the men and women...
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Control Issues

Let’s face it: we all like to be in control. To feel as though we can direct the course of things and determine the outcome. But this mentality works against...
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Obedient Children

Every father and mother knows that one of the greatest joys in life is seeing your children obey - immediately, cheerfully, and when they don't even know that you are...
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3 Ways To Use Your Lunch Break For God

We all love the lunch hour! A few moments of quiet from the busyness of the work day. The halfway point. And, most of all...the food! But have you ever...
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Don’t Just Serve The Lord!

When the Queen of Sheba came to visit King Solomon it was not just his riches and wisdom that she observed with amazement. It was his servants. She noted, "Happy...