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| | Do Not Fear!!! Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 ESV
All Eyes on Jesus! |
| | ... in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their sins against them... 2 Cor 5:19
... Through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
"I will forgive their iniquity, I will remember their sin no more.” Jer 31:34b
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| | Today's Devotional
He is Risen!
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| | | Play for the Coach, Not the Crowd Michael Edwards
In the game of life, the stands roar with voices—opinions, expectations, applause, and criticism from the crowd. Yet the wise athlete fixes their eyes on one voice: the coach. For the believer, that Coach is God Himself. We are called to play for His approval alone, not the fickle cheers or jeers of people. This singular focus brings profound freedom, peace, and victory.
The fear of man is a constant snare. “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Proverbs 29:25 ESV). Trying to please the crowd divides our hearts and exhausts our souls. No matter how hard we strive, some will always disapprove. As Jesus warned, “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you” (Luke 6:26 ESV). The crowd is inconsistent; God is not.
Scripture repeatedly urges us to please God rather than people. Paul boldly declares, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10 ESV). Our calling is clear: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23 ESV).
When we play wholeheartedly for the Coach, wonderful things happen. “When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7 ESV). God Himself steps in and handles our opponents. Jesus modeled perfect obedience to the Father. He declared, “I do not seek my own glory” (John 8:50 ESV), while the Pharisees loved “the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (John 12:43 ESV)—a tragic exchange. In contrast, we are freed by the truth that “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6 ESV; see also Hebrews 13:6 ESV).
Listening to one voice simplifies everything. The crowd’s demands pull us in countless directions, breeding anxiety and compromise. But when we fix our eyes on God, His Word becomes our playbook. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2 ESV). We aim to please Him in all things: “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him” (2 Corinthians 5:9 ESV).
Some will still reject us when we play for the Coach. So what? Jesus was despised and rejected, yet He finished His race in triumph. Our reward is not earthly applause but the Master’s “Well done.” In a noisy world, tune your ear to His voice through prayer, Scripture, and the Spirit. Obey Him boldly. The fear of man loses its power when the fear of the Lord—reverent awe—rules our hearts. |
| | "If false, Christianity is an irrelevant hoax. If true, Christianity is the most important fact for every human being. This little book concisely shows you why Christianity is true and what that means for you. No fluff, just the facts!" Dr. Frank Turek author/co-author of I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Charlie Kirks mentor on the evidence for Christianity)
Offer Life to the Lost!
Always Free E-Book Share with Anyone Who Does Not Believe or Encourage the Faith of Those Who Do Believe. Send to inmates direct from Amazon.
Perfect to equip the believer for defending their faith. Ideal to send to a skeptical friend, family member or inmate (free e-book or $3.99 print copy). Great for teens and young adults who have never reviewed the objective evidence for God's existence and identity. God has used Gravity to help lead many to Christ, even atheists. It is being used in over 1,300 prisons, by the Navigators on numerous college campuses and online in several languages.
"Michael, I have ordered books a couple times now and have had nothing but good responses from the inmates that read it. I had one approach me with tears in his eyes thanking me for giving him a book that answered questions he has always wondered about regarding the Bible. I had another one ask me for another copy so he could mail it to his family to read. Another one told me that everyone in his pod was passing it around reading it, the cover made people ask what he was reading. He then asked if I could get more. I would like twenty more books please. It's nice to be able to give a concise apologetic at an affordable price." Gordon, a prison guard who has ordered books."
"After reading your book, and being that I’m a cop, the evidence was compelling so the choice became easy. Thank you for being a big part of saving my life and seeing the truth about Jesus. My life has drastically changed for the better!!! I’ve handed out many of your books already, and can hardly wait to give more away! Thank you. And God bless!"
"For anyone on the fence, backsliding, or doubtful this book clarifies misunderstandings, perceived contradictions, and outright lies. I was led to read this book at a time when I thought I was over Jesus, but truth defeat lies every time and never forsakes the believer.”
Maybe you know someone in prison or just a lost soul that you love who needs to trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior or needs to have their faith encouraged? You can ship single paperback copies directly from Amazon for $3.99 each to an inmate or anyone. For inmates, you just need their facility name, address, inmates name and id number. Most prisons and jails will accept packages directly from places like Amazon. If you are a member of Amazon prime it would ship for free. Just add the person's shipping address when you check out and it goes directly to them. If you try to send it from a personal address, it will be rejected.
GO HERE to order your copy of Gravity to be sent to your lost friend or family member who is (incarcerated or not) and needs Jesus. Offer them the gift of eternal life in Christ for $3.99. What a great investment. For orders of 10 or more, go to my website and you will get them at my cost of about $3.00 each, including shipping.
An in-depth study of the factual evidence leads a person to realize how little faith they need to believe, while it gives them great faith at the same time.
Free e-book and print copies at our cost for orders of ten or more HERE. |
| | | Free Reads for Reviews
Be inspired while you encourage and support new Christian authors. Read great Christian books for FREE in exchange for a brief review.
This is one of many great Christian books you can read for free in exchange for a simple review on Amazon. New books come into the program on a regular basis.
Below is today's featured book in Free Reads for Review.
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| Smiling Again: Coming Back to Life and Faith After Brain Surgery
Sally Stap
“When I woke up. . .I quickly became aware that gliding through brain surgery recovery was not the big plan. Pain, paralysis, and single-sided deafness loomed ahead.” This is my story of brain surgery and recovery.
Go HERE to see today's book.
Go HERE to learn how Free Reads works. |
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Unique Free Gospel tract that you can copy and reprint. This tract is being used in many locations around the world, producing incredible amounts of fruit, once again proving that God uses the simple things of the world to produce great fruit. Print one out in your own language and then make copies to hand out. |
| | Share Jesus Without Fear (Copy and print out for use.)
The steps to share your faith without fear – no confrontation. Pray and then get them alone.
Ask these five questions to help discover their personal spiritual condition.
Do you have any kind of spiritual belief?
To you, who is Jesus?
Do you think there is a heaven and a hell?
If you died right now, where would you go?
If what you believe were not true, would you want to know it?
Listen to their answers in a calm and open way. You are asking their permission to share Christ with the last question. If they say no, you can drop it – no confrontation. You have still done the work of Christ and offered the truth.
Here are a series of five Bible verses to ask the lost person to read aloud if you have their permission. Let them read them and remain silent. After each verse they read, ask them what it says to them. If they misunderstand, ask them to read it again until they admit the truth in the verse.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23 ESV
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 ESV
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 ESV
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 ESV
if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.… Romans 10:9-10 BSB
Then ask them a series of five questions that summarizes the truth of the verses and lead the lost person to the point of decision.
Are you a sinner?
Do you want forgiveness for your sins?
Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you and rose again?
Are you willing to surrender yourself to Christ?
Are you ready to invite Jesus into your heart and into your life?
Lead them in the Sinner's Prayer if they are ready to make a decision. Stay in touch and get them discipled or connect them with a local fellowship or small group for future growth.
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| | | Use the Good Person Test to share your faith. It is very powerful. Go HERE. |
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