"When He went ashore, He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34).See ItAt this particular moment, J...

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought" (Romans 8:26)Sooner or later every youth leader must help a teenager through a tragedy. Perhaps a friend is killed...

"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:29).Every January in our annual staff retreat, I pass around a sheet of paper that contains several questi...

NFL Players Learn Success Extends Beyond the GameGet downloadable PDF.Get downloadablel PowerPoint presentation.About/DisclaimerWhat Happened:The NFL Playoffs are in full throttle, with a handful of teams drivi...

"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead" (Philippians 3:13).Human beings have a proclivity to cherish the past. We look at our own history and experiences through rose-...

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).In his book Failing Forward, John Maxwell explores growth from the vantage point of failure. For many, failure may...

"I am about to do a new thing" (Isaiah 43:19).When I was a kid, we sang a folk tune that went something like this:"Once was a man named Michael Finnigan"He had whiskers on his chinigan"Pulled them out and ...

The Backdrop:Depending on how long you've walked with Christ, there's a good chance you've done a good number of devotionals similiar to this one that you're doing right now. You've probably grown some and lear...

The Backdrop:Where is God?You may have found yourself asking that question lately. As this devo is being written, the events of Sandy Brook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., are less than a week old. Of cour...

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them (Luke 2:8-9).A couple of ye...