DEVO :: IN HIS GRIP
Colossians 1:16-17 "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible whether thrones or dominions or rules or authorities--all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

DEVO :: BEDRAGGLED HUMANITY
Through out my life I’ve often found that I associate myself with the lowly characters Jesus chose as disciples and often think of Paul’s words when I find myself acting in a way that I wish I wouldn't act.

DEVO :: IF I HAD A SON
Sometimes life doesn't work out the way you thought..you planned on having a son and sharing all your wisdom with him, but it never happens. Paul had many sons, yet no wife, and no biological children. In Christ there are spiritual fathers, so here it goes, all the things one man would have told his son...

DEVO :: PICKING UP THE PIECES
We all have seen or know of people that look like they have it all together. They wear the nicest clothes. They have the biggest and best cars and homes. Their kids go to the best schools. On the outside they seem to have it all.

DEVO :: DID THE CROSS AFFECT YOU?

I serve as a youth director at a suburban church and yesterday at our staff meeting a fellow employee commented on the graphic nature of our Good Friday service. She mentioned that the reality of what took place on the cross is best left to the imagination so that the fragile minds of our children won't be haunted by the gruesome images of Christ's sacrificial death.

DEVO :: TRUST
Five simple letters. One huge result.

DEVO :: THOSE EYES
As Jesus hung on the cross he was hardly recognizable. He was badly
beaten and bruised. His body was covered in his own blood. You could see
his skeleton through his torn and shattered skin.

DEVO :: USING GOD'S NAME
If you’re like me you were raised both to use God’s name repeatedly and to avoid it like the plague. Every prayer must end with, “In Jesus’ name”

DEVO :: IT WILL GROW BACK
We have a ritual around bedtime in the Balvin household. Often at night before my three young children go to sleep I lie on the floor in their room and tell them stories from the Bible.

DEVO :: LOOKING AHEAD
Just because a person is black/white/Hispanic/Asian, doesn’t mean that they are some sort of lower class Christian. We all have something to offer. We all have an important part to play in God’s orchestra

DEVO :: JOY vs HAPPINESS
There comes a point in some people's lives it seems that being happy isn't a very high priority. Life becomes so much simpler. You don't spend so much time worrying about being happy, and in that way, it relieves so much stress.

DEVO :: GIVE SELFLESSLY
As I sit here reading Mother Teresa, from a distant view it seems unattainable to become as humble in spirit as her, as willing to do the work of Christ as she. In my flesh I wonder to myself if her ways were absurd, even out of balance, unhealthy.

DEVO :: JUDGING IS NOT RESERVED FOR US
We are all created by God as unique and special people. Sometimes we as humans tend to judge people by the position they hold, their social status, or the way they look. However, this is not how God judges others

DEVOTION :: THE VAGABOND PATH
Like to travel? I do for sure. I love the thought of just getting up and going. Leaving behind the everyday workings and embracing a new path, a route that is unknown to a destination that is eagerly waiting.

DEVO :: THE OLD AND THE NEW
Baby boomers are growing in numbers and in most cases are making the decisions for the churches of America. At the same time the younger generations are getting tired of a faith that stays inside the walls of our buildings and doesn’t reach out to the dying world.

DEVO :: IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM
In life, storms are always on the horizon, and normally they come when everything seems to be calm. There are many different types of “life” storms and rarely are we prepared for them.

DEVO :: GROWING UP
Are you being fed or are you still on milk? It is time to grow up and take your faith to another level.

DEVO :: THE LEDGE
A poem about the intensity of Christianity. Are you ready to jump in?

DEVO :: THE LEDGE
A poem about the intensity of Christianity. Are you ready to jump in?

DEVOS :: ANCIENT VOICES
Joel Osteen preaches to over 30,000 congregants every single week. Billy Graham has been the voice of the evangelical world for nearly 70 years and the spiritual advisor to more than a few Presidents. But when is the last time you heard any of them described as having a mouth like a precious metal?

DEVOS :: The Lord's Prayer
When was the last time you read through the Lords Prayer slowly? To actually think about what it says. If you’re like me you have heard it and said it a thousand times.

DEVOS :: TOP 3
Real believers share their deepest devos. These top 3 devos show the struggles and realities of a gracious God interacting with His greatest creation, us.

DEVO :: ANCIENT VOICES : MATHETES
Mathetes has been considered one of the earliest apologists in Christian history. Writing no later than around the dawn of the 2nd century, Mathetes was possibly a pupil of St. Paul or one of the apostle’s close associates.

DEVO :: ANCIENT VOICES: Brother Lawrence
So what can a lowly kitchen attendant from the 1600’s, with some terribly smelly feet, know about my spiritual life?
Apparently, quite a bit.

DEVO :: THE FILTER AND THE TRAP
As a young man growing up I was told by my oldest brother (my dad didn’t live in our home and neither did my older brothers at that time) that if I wanted to be successful I had to work hard.

DEVO :: BROKEN GLASS

So let’s picture a casual drive down the road. Going to work, or maybe going to a friend’s house, getting a cup of coffee, or whatever it might be.

DEVO : REMEMBER THIS IN YOUR STRUGGLE
According to Webster’s New World Dictionary the word “struggle�? is defined as, “to fight violently with an opponent; conflict; or strife.�? We as followers of Jesus Christ will have struggles.

DEVO :: IT'S BETTER TO BE NAKED THAN...
“It is better to live naked in truth than clothed in fantasy.�? These words slipped from the lips of a little old man so frail he looked as if he was going to fall over while getting on stage.

DEVO :: AN ORGANIC APPETITE
It was one thing for my Jewish father to marry my non-Jewish mother. It was another thing completely for both of them to become Christian within a month of each other eight years into their marriage.

DEVO :: A FATHER'S HEART FOR THE HURTING
Have you ever gone through a day and become so exhausted that all you
wanted to do was flop down on the sofa and zone out in front of the TV?

DEVO :: THE 5 P's OF CHARACTER
Where we once had libraries housed in a physical building at or near educational institutions or in the center of our communities, we now carry expanded sets of information contained in a virtual world wide library in the palms of our hands.

DEVO :: DIS"TRACT"IONThe tract, you find them in gas station bathrooms, rolled up in toilet paper. You find them on diner tables, picnic tables, bowling alleys, grocery stores, and even tacked to telephone poles. They are everywhere.

DEVO :: I STOLE A HAIR DRYER
Jesus is the good teacher, and surely the beginning of wisdom is to simply acknowledge that Jesus has the best advice on how to organize our life. What is left for us to do, then, is to learn his ways.

DEVO :: FAST FOOD : SLOW ROT
...His mother was saving him from taking on the fast-food ideology of life. For much of my adult life I did whatever I pleased, and a great deal of it has been damaging.

DEVOTION :: FORGIVING THE UNFORGIVEABLE
Ten years ago, I became one of the over 300,000 children who are sexually abused every year. Like so many others who have felt the guilt and shame of abuse, I remained silent.

DEVO :: 3 KEYS FOR THE CHURCH
The times we are living in are unlike any other in history. As times and people change, there are 3 issues the church must deal with.

DEVOTION :: TO THOSE WHO HAVE LOST SOMEONE
Whether you have lost someone in the distant past or recently, I encourage you to have an eternal perspective. Yeah, yeah, I know you have been told this before… “Look at the positive side�?… “They are in a better place�?…

DEVO :: SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Through the Word of God and the power of prayer we, as believers, have the legal authority to TELL the enemy that he has no power in our lives, to let him know what God has done for us.

DEVO :: SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Through the Word of God and the power of prayer we, as believers, have the legal authority to TELL the enemy that he has no power in our lives, to let him know what God has done for us.

DEVO :: WORRY LESS
Worry is another name for fear run amuck. Worry can strike at any time �" waiting in line at the grocery store, while writing out those monthly bills, in the car.

DEVOTION :: SPIRITUAL GIFTS
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

DEVOTION :: THE JESUS FACTORY
Welcome to the jesus factory. Here you will find the greatest assortment of items pertaining to the religion and or denomination that fits your choice. Here you will be able to customize your very own personal jesus.

DEVO :: PASS IT ON
Grandma knows best, when I was a young boy she taught me the value of passing down Biblical stories.

DEVOTION :: EMERGING OUT OF DARKNESS
As Christians, are we showing a light that can bring a smile to someone’s face and for a chance, show that Christ can be the hope we truly look for. Ephesians 5:8 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are the light in the Lord.

THE DEVO :: RUMORS
Rumors can start so easily. Anybody who went through 5th grade knows what I'm talking about. Sadly, the devastation that rumors often create does not go away as simply as it begins.

THE DEVO :: THE BATTLE CRY
We have a battle cry: to STAND with the integrity and character of our God and to walk in His power. Today is the day of preparation.

THE DEVO :: 5 PRACTICAL TIPS TO STAY CONSISTANT
We all have trouble keeping consistant with our devotions, but here are a few practical tips to help you stay on track.

DEVOTION ::THE DEFINITION OF A REAL MAN
What is my role as a man? What is a real man? Where are the real men? If you're a man reading this, you've undoubtedly asked yourself these questions but may not have had much prospect of answering them.

DEVOTION :: WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Jesus taught us quite a few things from the Last Supper, but none bigger than love.

DEVOTION :: REST IN HIM
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Make sure you do that EVERYDAY...

DEVOTION :: SEPERATE YET RELEVANT
Maintaining a standard of purity and a degree of relevance is a balance that every believer should strive for.

DEVOTION :: FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD
You can recite it, but have you really broken it down and understood the profound meaning of this verse. Here, we did it for you...

DEVOTION :: ALABAMA ROCKET
Sometimes I feel stuck in life. I am not getting anywhere and the future and accomplishments can't come fast enough. It took a simple Rocket, to teach me the valuable lesson of living in the temporal.

DEVOTION :: HOMELESS LESSON
How do you treat people in need? This pastor got a rude awakening as he went undercover.

DEVOTION :: MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR QUIET TIME
I am by no means a professional in the area of spending quality time with the Lord, but recently my eyes have been opened to some practices that have helped me to feel like I have had a more intimate quiet time. Here are 5 things to remember...

DEVOTION :: ARE YOU A GOOD FRIEND?BE HONEST
Throughout our lifetime, we call many people by the name “friend�?. Though many of these are casual acquaintances, some do truly last for a lifetime. The question is not how many friends do you have, but rather how many people are you a friend to?

EXAMPLEHOOD - SETTING THE STANDARD
It is up to men of God, to set the standard in our society. A standard of love, courage, commitment and hard work. If you lead by example, people will see Jesus through many aspects of your life. Are you ready for the challenge?

DEVOTION :: BATTLE OF THE MIND
When one takes the time to look, nearly all verses in the Bible have something to do with thought, belief, or perception. Why then do Christians as a body have such extreme difficulty with the mind, with confusion? After all, aren’t we as Christians supposed to have peace?

DEVOTION ::IS GOD YOUR CRUTCH?
Many people criticize Christians for using God as a crutch. I am not ashamed to say my friends, the claims are true. For the Christian, God is our one and only crutch. And you shouldn’t be ashamed to say it either.

WILD AT HOME PT.3
The financial implications of being a stay at home father.

Vagabonds
In his book Story: Recapture the Mystery, Steven James poses the question “Am I really a follower of Jesus, or am I just an admirer?�?

SERMON :: INTIMACY WITH GOD
Francis Chan speaks on the incredible fulfillment of being intimate with God.

SERMON :: POWER OF WEAKNESS
Gentleman, you need to hear this message, I assure you, it will change your life. Listen

DEVOTION :: HIT THE BULLSEYE IN LIFE
Unfortunately many of us men get so caught up in the game of life that we end up firing at multiple targets from multiple angles, without ever stopping to think about what we are aiming at. It's about time we focus in on the purpose of our life...

WILD AT HOME PT.2
An editorial on the Social Implications of being a stay-at-home father. Part 2/3

SERMON OF THE ISSUE :: EFREM SMITH
Efrem brings it strong in this sermon about really giving your life to Jesus -- "It's not for the weak!"Listen

BEYOND THE TRACKS
An Editorial of one man's journey to lend a hand in the hurricane torn Gulf Coast.

WILD AT HOME
An editorial on the spiritual aspects of being a stay-at-home father. Part 1/4

SERMON OF THE ISSUE :: JEAN THEURAUF
A powerful message from Sister Jean Theurauf during the "Voices Series" at the Upper Room in Minneapolis, MN.

DEVOTION :: BENEATH THE SURFACE
Life is not easy. Life comes at you fast! We are constantly bombarded with situations and circumstances that have scary surface value. However, beneath the surface...