Posts with the category “devotional”

By Theresa Golden: "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." – John 15:2 (ESV) Has there ever been something in your life that, at first glance, seemed like a good thing; but over time, you realized it was actually hindering your growth in an area or keeping you from seeing the full scope of your potential?  Read More

By Pastor Aaron Kennedy: I think Jesus needs work on his discipleship pitch! It sounds a little harsh; yet when you pull back the layers of all he is saying, it rings absolutely true.   Read More

By Mary Beth Dunn: It’s almost the middle of 2025, and I find myself in the same cycle that I’m always in. It’s the cycle of doom scrolling. I suddenly realize the hours that I spend on my phone are bad for me, deleting all of my social media in one fell swoop. At first, I genuinely feel that my life is better without it.   Read More

By Guest Author | Brittany Hoyt: All throughout Scriptures, where there is Resurrection, there is God’s presence and His power. To resurrect means to restore, revive, or bring new life. God wants to revive the parts of us that are weary and doubtful, remind us of the hope of resurrection, and restore us to believing in hope and abundance again.   Read More

By Pastor Aaron Kennedy: Earlier this year, I came across this song by Brook Ligertwood, and it wrecked me. I would strongly encourage you to pull it up and listen to it this week as we approach Easter. Many times in our lives, we get lost in the complicated and lose the beauty of the simple.  Read More

By Guest Author | Anita Harrison: The story of the Prodigal Son Is one of my favorites. It is so rich in meaning. For a long time, I missed much of the meaning by not knowing the customs of the people in the time that Jesus walked the earth. When you understand the culture and context, the meaning becomes so rich.  Read More

By Pastor Aaron Kennedy: Doe, a Deer, a Female Deer...Now that I have your attention, take a minute to read these words from David: “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?” My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration Why am I discouraged?  Read More

By Christy Hubbard: We have been studying the parable of the Prodigal Son over the last few weeks. I love this story because it's so relatable. As a prodigal daughter in my younger years, I am thankful The Father welcomed me home with open arms.  Read More

For a long time, I believed that God was chronically disappointed in me.I knew that He loved me, but the heavy weight of shame and condemnation I felt over never quite being good enough led me to believe that there was still work to be done. I couldn’t accept His love for me until I felt like I had proven that I was worthy of it. Which, in case you were wondering, never happened. To quote Pastor A...  Read More

By Pastor Aaron Kennedy: '“ And when you pray , make sure you forgive the faults of others so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you withhold forgiveness from others, your Father withholds forgiveness from you.”' -- Matthew 6:14-15 Man, that’s a tough verse. I’ve read it and spoken it a thousand times. I must tell you, it’s one that says what it means and means very simply what it says.   Read More

By Steve Miller: When it comes to the story of the Prodigal Son, am I the only one who identifies more with the older brother than the prodigal? Sure, I’ve had seasons of doing my own thing and getting into trouble, but for the most part, my life has been about following the rules and doing what I’m told, much like the older brother in the parable.  Read More

By Theresa Golden: The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 is one of the most well-known parables in the Bible. It’s a story of rebellion, regret, and redemption. But the prodigal son isn’t the only one who has wandered from God’s path.   Read More

By Elliotte Pearson (Elder): Pastor Aaron has said many times, “church is for you, but not about you.” I would take that a little further to say that the Gospel is for you, but it’s not about you. We are not the center of the Gospel, and too often, we will read the Gospels like it is about us.   Read More

By Jake Haggard: For years, I read the story of the Prodigal Son and found myself identifying with one of the brothers. As a child, I was familiar with the dynamic of sibling rivalry, the longing for attention and sometimes feeling that one was loved more than the other.   Read More

By Guest Author | It’s me, I’m the prodigal. How often have I squandered my inheritance, chasing a life on my own terms, believing I had all the answers—only to find myself lost, hungry, and alone? I lived for the moment, seeking freedom, yet in the end, I was left longing for love, purpose, and a place to belong.  Read More

By Whitney Bailey: What should I do when I'm feeling stressed, overwhelmed, triggered, or spiraling? It's often easier to recognize when someone else is struggling, but when it comes to ourselves, we might feel trapped in a hamster wheel and find it hard to step off. The effort to break free from this cycle can feel like more than we have the energy to handle.   Read More

By Guest Author | Rachel Edwards: "You can't pour from an empty cup." This is a phrase I'm sure you’ve heard before, and it’s something I often encounter as a teacher. I need to take care of myself first to be able to show up for my students in the best way possible. Fortunately, I’m writing this devotional on the first day of my Spring Break, which gives me the opportunity to rest and refill my cup.  Read More

By Guest Author | Ashley Piner: Paul shares a wealth of valuable information throughout 1 Corinthians. He talks about the importance of unity within the church, the functions of the body of Christ, how the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts to build up the Church, the need for reverence and order in worship, and one of my favorites — 1 Corinthians 13 — where he teaches that love is the greatest virtue above all others.   Read More

By Pastor Mike Adkins: In our current message series, we’ve been studying 1 Corinthians, and many issues we see within the church of Corinth stand to teach us a needed lesson about the source of all spiritual gifts.   Read More

By Pastor Scott Conner | “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” Acts 18: 9-10 This promise from God comes to Paul in a vision during his first visit to Corinth when he establishes the church in that city.   Read More

By Joy Kimbril: Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬ “For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.” Faithful - that’s my word for 2025. Yes, it’s a reminder for me that God will be faithful, but it’s more than that.   Read More

By Guest Author | Heather Hamilton: I love sports! Football, soccer, basketball… it doesn’t matter to me what the sport is; I love watching teams work together for a common goal.  Read More

By Mary Beth Dunn: Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong in church? Whether it’s feeling out of place when greeted by a cheerful and enthusiastic greeter at the door while you’re having a rough morning and just aren’t in the mood, or watching the pastor confidently deliver a well-spoken message and thinking you could never do something like that, or even experiencing something in between.   Read More

By Pastor Nikki Bailey: If you would have told me as I child that I would end up like my parents watching journalists interviewing people and being captivated by people’s history, positions, and stances in life, I would have said, there is no way. Yet, here I am.   Read More

By Pastor Aaron Kennedy: A lamp that is trimmed correctly causes the flame to burn consistently.” I said this recently in a message. It was one of those statements that comes out after speaking three services; and as soon as I said it, I knew it was God speaking to me.   Read More

By Rachael Wynne: “...On the night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” - 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 NLT  Read More

By Guest Author | Megan Wamer: Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. - 1 Corinthians 13:7 Have you ever prayed for something for so long that you sometimes realized you had stopped consistently praying for that situation because you had accepted it as a reality?   Read More

By Guest Author | Anita Harrison: I love the adage that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence. And if you grew up in the country, that was usually followed by: if it is greener, you know what makes grass greener. In case you don’t know, it’s fertilizer; and in the country, that fertilizer often comes from the “other end” of a cow.   Read More

By Steve Miller: I can be really hard on myself sometimes. My wife has told me a thousand times, “You should be more kind to yourself,” or “Cut yourself some slack.” But I’m also a big rule follower.   Read More

By Pastor Aaron Kennedy: Three verses, one man, and a lot to unpack. We don’t know a ton about Enoch. There is a book called the “Book of Enoch” that didn’t pass the mustard in making it into the canon of Scripture and for good reason.  Read More

By Meghen Haggard: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”—Luke 16:10 We live in a world that celebrates the big moments—the promotions, the breakthroughs, the milestones. It’s easy to believe that our faithfulness only matters when it’s seen, applauded, or rewarded.   Read More

By Christy Hubbard: One thing my husband and I have learned in our marriage is to have an escape plan before going into a situation that, in the past, didn’t end well. In fact, I would suggest this to any new couple. We have found that having a plan brings peace knowing there’s a way out and my husband and I are already unified in the plan.   Read More

By Guest Author | Rebecca Alfred: Brittle. Broken. Dead. These were the thoughts that overwhelmed my mind as I drove down a tree-lined country road early one morning not long ago.   Read More

By Guest Author | Rachel Edwards: ’ve been thinking a lot lately about how our world leans toward disunity. Everywhere we turn, we are reminded of our differences, we are encouraged to voice our opinions more loudly than we voice our love, and we find ourselves caught in what can feel like a non-stop cycle of upsetting news.   Read More

By Elliotte Pearson [Elder]: In these last days, it is so important for God’s people to know God’s work. In the garden, Adam and Eve only needed to understand one command from God. However, the enemy twisted that command, leading Eve to perceive God differently.   Read More

By Jake Haggard: I recently signed my 7-year-old up for City League basketball. With that came the excitement of starting a new sport that he has shown so much interest in, but it also came with an email from the league asking parents if they would be willing to coach a team.  Read More

By Christy Hubbard: Do you ever feel the burden that an outcome is solely on your shoulders? Maybe you feel like someone’s salvation is dependent on you and your lifestyle. Have you faced struggles in your life that caused you to believe a lie that you don’t deserve something better because you didn’t work hard enough?   Read More

By Whitney Bailey: Have you ever had a conversation where you walked away with a feeling of unrest? After processing it, you may have felt unsettled or even sad. I know I have. As I get older, understanding why I experience those feelings becomes important, but it isn't always convenient or something I can address in a timely manner.  Read More

By Guest Author | Ashley Piner: As a church, we have just come out of Conference 2025. In every session, the Word that was shared spoke directly to my heart, and I pray it did the same for you.   Read More

By Pastor Mike Adkins: Judges chapter six begins with the usual cycle of rebellion from the children of Israel. The Midianites conquer and oppress Israel leading to a collective cry for help from the Lord they recently left. Gideon, son of Joash, was working to hide grain from the Midianites when the Angel of the Lord appeared to him.  Read More