Hope & Faith

What Is Faith Worth? Devotional based on Acts 17-19.

How to Handle Faith Under Fire - Devotional based on Acts 14-16. Dealing with Tension, Transformation and Testimony.

Decay, Division, and Divine Mercy Short devotional based on Acts 11-13

A devotional based on Saul's experience on the road to Damascus.

Short devotional about Acts 7-8

Matthew McConaughey revealed the powerful childhood lessons that shaped him. The popular Hollywood actor shared three of the most important things his parents taught him as a child. Watch the short but insightful clip to hear what Matthew learned as a youngster that has had a profound impact on his life.

Life isn't always easy or even a pleasant experience. Many times, as you probably already know, life will knock you down, and it will hurt. No one enjoys going through those situations; pain and failure aren't any fun. However, oftentimes, if we're willing to stop, look at the situation and think about how we arrived at this point, some valuable lessons can be learned in those circumstances.

Failure isn't really failure if we learn something from it and apply those hard-won lessons to the future. Not everything we learn in life will come easily, as all children know. A parent's firm and immediate punishment and correction are rarely, if ever, an enjoyable experience.

In a clip posted on YouTube, Matthew mentioned that growing up, there were three things his parents would not tolerate. He was not allowed to say, "I can't," "I hate" and lying was strictly forbidden. He provided specific examples of how his mother and father reacted when he broke those rules and failed to live up to their standards, and how these reactions have shaped his life ever since.

"If I said, 'I can't,' my dad's teeth would just start to go, 'Excuse me? You sure you're not just having trouble?'" he recalled his father saying to him.

Later in the clip, he shares a time when he told a sibling that he hated them.

"I said, 'I hate you' to my brother 'cause I heard the word at school, and I thought it could make me feel like I was older," Matthew added. "So, I threw it out there one day – at my own birthday party! My own birthday party, I said to him, 'I hate you!' And my mom, whooped, stopped the entire party. Forty kids my age in the backyard. Stopped it - my birthday. Stopped it. Pulled me around the side of the house, and says, 'What did you say? You don't ever use that word, especially to someone in your family.' "

He added that he got "licks" with a belt, and then she told him to "dry his tears," resumed the birthday party, adding again that he was never to say that word.

"Well, what I was learning is the antonyms to those words," he said. "Because saying, 'I can't,' lying and saying, 'I hate you' were bringing me pain. So, the opposite must bring pleasure, right? Tell the truth, love and believe that you can. Those were the values, how I remember them getting instilled in me and to this day, I still have them."

Proverbs 22:6 "If a child is trained up in the right way, even when he is old, he will not be turned away from it."

Devotional about Acts 4-6

Psalm 113:3

He always is.

A Devotional based on Acts 1-3

“Malcolm in the Middle” star Frankie Muniz shared what led him to Christ. The actor discussed his faith journey and described the situation that ultimately led him to find Jesus Christ. Watch the short, yet powerful clip to hear actor Frankie Muniz discuss how he came to know Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.

None of us would have a chance if not for the love, mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. We all know what we deserve, and it’s not eternal life spent with Him in heaven. No, the Bible says that the wages of sin are death. We are all sinners, having willfully turned our backs on Him and His commands. Death and to be eternally separated from Him are what we rightfully deserve.

However, thankfully, that verse in Romans, which mentions death as the price for sin, does not end there. It goes on to say that “but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” He does not want to see any perish and is constantly chasing after the lost sheep. In a clip posted on YouTube, Frankie mentioned how the Lord used music and a poor connection to reach him.

“I’ll be honest with you,” the actor said. “It’s something new into my life. I found it on accident. I was driving across the country. If you had a really long time, I could tell you the whole story. But I was driving across the country, and everything that could possibly go wrong was going wrong. And, I was almost in tears, and the only station that would play was K-Love.”

Later in the video, Frankie mentions the specific songs that were playing at the time.

“The song came on, and it was Kari Jobe ‘Cover the Earth,’ and it was Big Daddy Weave ‘Overwhelmed,’ like back-to-back,” he added. “And where I was, I was somewhere in New Mexico at the time, and it was like the perfect moment, and I haven’t turned off that radio station since. And that brought me, I started going to church every Sunday, and really being involved in my faith, and definitely become a big part of my life.”

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Two generations of comedy greats – Carol Burnett and Kristen Wiig talked about humor and legacy. The two funny ladies sat down for an interview together, where they discussed the art of comedy and expressed their admiration for each other’s body of work and comedic gifts. Watch the short but insightful clip to listen to Carol and Kristen talk about the art of comedy.

It has been said that comedy is much more challenging to do than drama. That’s because everyone has a different sense of humor. What one person finds hilarious will likely not be the same thing that makes the next guy double over in laughter. So, when someone has been able to have and sustain a long career in comedy, you know they have a ton of talent.

One woman whose comedic talent is undeniable is Carol Burnett. If there were a Mt. Rushmore for comedy, she would most certainly be on it. Her legendary show, The Carol Burnett Show, continues to make people laugh all these years later. It’s hard to keep a straight face while watching one of the show’s many classic skits.

Similarly, Kristen, best known for her years on Saturday Night Live, is also a very funny lady. In addition to her many iconic characters on the long-running sketch show, she wrote and starred in one of the funniest films of the last 10 years or so, “Bridesmaids.” In a clip posted on YouTube, the two women sat down to discuss comedy and why they admire each other so much.

Of course, whenever Kristen or the interviewer heaped any praise on Carol, she sidestepped it, deflected it and was extremely modest. Even when Kristen said that The Carol Burnett Show inspired her to get into comedy, Carol said she would have done well in comedy regardless. Talent will always win out, Carol contended.

Job 8:21 “The time will come when your mouth will be full of laughing, and cries of joy will come from your lips.”

When You Believe, You Will See A devotional on John 19-21

A Journey Through The Kidron Valley - From curiosity to surrender, from comfort to sacrifice. Explore the valley, the garden, and the climb toward unity with Christ.

Through Him: Betrayal, Abiding, and the Vine -This devotional explores what it means to come through Christ, remain in Him, and bear fruit that glorifies the Father.

Explore how suffering can happen through us, not just to us, and how our response to adversity can lead others to Christ.

Anne Wilson shared how God spoke to her in the middle of pain and heartbreak. The Christian country musician shared what the Lord said to her during one of the darkest and most devastating situations of her life. Watch the short but powerful clip to hear what the Lord said to Anne and how her listening to his message and direction changed her entire life.

Sadly, painful, agonizing situations and circumstances are unavoidable. They have a way of finding all of us at one time or another. Whether it’s the death of a loved one, job loss or some other hardship, those dark times are real, and they hurt -  every single one of them.

But even when we are hurting and struggling, God remains faithful and loving. He can take even the most devastating tragedy and bring about something beautiful. The Bible states as much in the New Testament book of Romans: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”

In a clip posted on YouTube, Anne shared how she heard the voice of the Lord only moments after learning about a huge and devastating loss. She had just been informed that her brother had been killed in a car accident.

“So, I walked in, and the first thing I knew to ask was, ‘Dad, is he dead?’ she said. “And he looked up at me with tears in his eyes, and he said, ‘Yeah, Anne, Jacob’s dead.’ I turned around, and I faced these doors in this living room, and they were these glass doors. And I remember seeing myself in the reflection of these glass doors. I heard the voice of the Lord for the first time in my life, and I’ll never forget. He said to me, clear as day, ‘Anne, are you going to trust me or are you not?’”

Immediately after hearing that question, Anne decided to rely on and trust the Lord as she and her family navigated this horrific and devastating tragedy.

“I remember saying, ‘Jesus, I trust you,’” she said. “And in that exact same moment, I felt this peace that I have never experienced since then – the Lord’s presence, of like, I just knew I was going to get through it. I didn’t know what it was going to look like.”

It was at her brother’s funeral, while performing for the first time, that the Lord revealed His plans for her life to her. He was calling her to create music to bring praise, glory and honor to His name.

Psalm 23:4 “Yes, though I go through the valley of deep shade, I will have no fear of evil; for you are with me, your rod and your support are my comfort.”

Explores spiritual blindness, abundant life, and how God uses affliction to open hearts. Jesus reveals suffering isn’t always punishment.