And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. - Revelation 12:11 (KJV). Have you ever heard someone share a personal story of overcoming that moved you to tears? The person doesn't have to be a polished speaker for their words to cut straight through the heart and mind of the listener. All they have to do is be genuine and honest. We all face trials in life, but the ones who come out on th

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, - Philippians 3:13 (KJV). I've been living for the Lord for 1,663 days or 4.55 years. That comes on the heels of me living for myself for 16,333.75 days or 44.75 years. About the time I start thinking that I've been living for God for a really long time, I have to remind myself that I've still spent over 90

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. - Matthew 18:20 (KJV). Recently, my wife and I were given a building to use for our recovery meeting in Poplar Bluff, MO. This Saturday will be the first service we hold there. It's not what you would envision when you think of a church; it's a construction warehouse. But what looks like a warehouse to most people, looks like a hospital to us. A hospital for bound, bruised, and broken p

For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes - 2 Peter 1:16 (NLT). Can you imagine what it would have been like to walk beside Jesus for three years? The healings, the feedings, having Emanuel - God with us, right there beside you. The Apostle John said this in his Gospel account, Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him." - Luke 15:20 (NLT). I was called to preach on January 10, 1993, at the age of 15; I preached my first sermon in November 2023, at the age of 46. I wish I could give you a list of good, honest reasons why there is a 30+ year gap between those dates, but all I have are really bad excuses. I wish

22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. - Acts 16:22-24 (NLT). Have you ever felt like the whole world was ganging up on you? We all have good days and bad days, but sometimes the bad d

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. - 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT). The struggle is REAL. Nobody said living for God was easy. Trials, tribulations, and temptations, a.k.a. "the struggle," make us question God and everything we believe. It's not confined to a certain group of people o

After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. - Revelation 7:9 (NLT). I'm no theologian and I don't claim to be an expert of end time prophecies. Sometimes I get confused when people start talking about the rapture, pre-millennial reigns, post-millennial reigns, and the tribulation times. I can'

John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’” - Luke 7:20 (NLT). There comes a point in every Christian's walk where we begin to question everything we believe. Whether it's due to the world throwing the kitchen sink at us or because someone we trusted let us down, we all have seasons of fear, doubt, and questions. But before you allow that seed to t

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. - James 1:2-3 (NLT). Why does the God who holds the whole world in His hands allow us to struggle? If He can change a situation in an instant, why do we have to go through trials and tribulations? I've asked these questions more times than I can count. When you're in the middle of the t

Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. - 1 Corinthians 8:2 (NLT). Life has a funny way of humbling a person. One minute you're up and the next you're flat on your back. If I've learned anything, I've learned that disaster can strike anyone at any time. No one is exempt. Whether it's self-inflicted, poor choices, or you're a victim of circumstance, the problems we face in this life are no respecter of persons. How you respond to them will be

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. - Matthew 5:14 (NLT). It's hard to lead people when you're running on empty, because you can't pour into others from an empty cup. Over the last week, Shevon and I have been resting, recharging, and refilling our tanks (literally) on a motorcycle in the Black Hills of South Dakota. From Mount Rushmore and Iron Mountain Road to Custer State Park and Needles Highway, we have seen God's creation on d

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” - John 5:6 (NIV). At some point in every bound, bruised, and broken life, the person has to decide: Do I want to get well or am I good with living in the ruins of my brokenness? No one wants to be broken, but sometimes we stay broken for so long that we begin thinking that our brokenness is just a normal part of life. Some of us have re

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” - Isaiah 6:8 (NLT). From the earliest prophets to the apostles, God has always used ordinary people to carry His extraordinary message. The Apostle Paul’s testimony is well known among Christians and how he went from a Christian killer to the writer of 14 books in the New Testament. But as great as Paul was to the establishment of the 1st centur

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” - John 13:34-35 (NLT). There's an old saying: The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist. That's a pretty true statement, but I think there's another trick he has pulled that has impacted the work of Jesus Christ in today's world on a far greater

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. - Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT). Some days we're on time; Other days we have time off. We can be just in the nick of time, if we're not already out of time. There's doing time, which can feel like a waste of time, unless you're making the most of your time, and then you

Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. - 1 Corinthians 1:21 (NLT). We all have our favorite preachers. Maybe it was your grandma's preacher when you were a kid. Maybe it was an evangelist who came to preach at your church one Sunday. To some people, preaching is the only thing standing between them and lunch. For others, preaching is boring compared to the singin

Compass Recovery November 2025 125 I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies. 126 It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law. - Psalm 119:125,126 (KJV). One of the most liberating things I've ever done was realizing that there are just some things I need to step back from and let God go to work. Sometimes I get mixed up on what my role is. I try to take control of situations in my life and in doing so, I unintentionally

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV). There are certain things in life that you have to experience to truly appreciate just how great they are. Experiences change perspective. For instance, I never truly appreciated freedom until mine was taken from me. Good and bad experiences have a

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. - Ephesians 2:10 (NLT). You've decided to follow Jesus. You've quit running and you're willing to do whatever He tells you to do. So, why are you feeling convicted about everything in your life? Things that you've never felt conviction about before? Are you under attack from the enemy? Or is God refining you into a newer, better version of yourself?