(The following is the November 9 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read 1 Peter 2 and pay close attention to verses 1-10.) Peter generously quotes Old Testament references throughout the letter known as 1 Peter. Why cite so many? Because they relate to his point that God now has a new …
Tag: Church
Remember Who You Are
(The following is the August 28 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Ephesians 4 and pay close attention to verses 1-6.) Did your parents ever tell you as you walked out the door to go somewhere, “Remember who you are”?* The instruction reminds children that their actions reflect on the …
A Snapshot of a Healthy Church
(The following is the August 16 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read 2 Corinthians 13 and pay close attention to verses 11-13.) Paul spent much time with the Corinthian church in person and via correspondence. As a high-maintenance congregation with many troubles and strained interactions with Paul, the relationship between him …
Attending Church Isn’t Enough; Encounter Christ
(The following is the March 22 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Luke 13 and pay close attention to verses 10-13.) Once when Jesus taught in a synagogue, he encountered a woman who had endured a disability for more than eighteen years. “She was bent over and could not straighten up …
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Book Review: “Deacons: How They Serve and Strengthen the Church” by Matt Smethurst
I have served as a deacon for decades across two churches. Long before becoming a deacon, the church in which I grew up elected a friend and me to serve as "junior deacons" while we were high school teenagers—a non-voting position meant to expose us to the role and encourage our growth. From that time …
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