God Shines in Hard Times

(The following is the February 15 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Mark 5 and pay close attention to verses 21-24 and 35-43.) Hard times come to everyone. They come through physical challenges, poverty, broken relationships, disease, hunger, abuse, violence, fear, failure, and more. The most challenging times may …

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Make Disciples Who Make Disciples

(The following is the October 4 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read 2 Timothy 2 and pay close attention to verses 1-2.) Do you ever make something more complicated than necessary? Some people pour over options endlessly when making decisions or planning a course of action. They allow analysis paralysis to …

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Giving Generously, Not Legalistically

(The following is the January 30 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Matthew 23​ and pay close attention to verses 23-24.) In Matthew 23:23-24, Jesus condemned the scribes and Pharisees for being consumed with some detailed rules while ignoring weightier matters like justice, mercy, and faithfulness. That is, …

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