Jewish Evangelism: Defusing IEDs

Improvised explosive devices and evangelism? What’s the connection? Did you know certain words when used to evangelize a Jewish person can cause an IED reaction? We cannot ignore the hundreds of years of anti-Semitism sadly done by those who claimed to be Christians. Therefore, there are words or phrases that to a Jewish person are charged with emotion, causing an angry explosion. Instead of opening a door to share the love of Messiah, it is slammed in your face. At the heart “You’re trying to convert me,” may be the quick response, which translated means “trying to take my Jewish […]

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Surviving the Storms

One thing that I can assure all students as they start or continue their journey is that they will have problems. They may be Aphysical, but all of them will have problems. If so, where should the student turn during these times of trial? They must turn to the Scriptures, and particularly stories of the trials of others. The passage at the end of Mark 4, the story of a storm in the life of the disciples, is a valuable lesson for modern-day disciples who are engaging in ministry training. “As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let’s cross […]

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Disney’s Night of Joy Sept. 5 & 6

Are you ready to rock? Prepare yourself for a magical weekend when 17 of the biggest names and hottest acts in Christian music take over Magic Kingdom park for two nights of unforgettable performances on September 5 and 6. From contemporary hits to hard-hitting high-energy rock, there’s something for every kind of music fan. Worship on Friday Friday’s performances include worship with Hillsong United, Chris Tomlin, Matthew West, for King & Country, Mandisa, Building 429, Matt Maher and The Neverclaim. Creating a unique musical expression, Hillsong United is an evolving collaboration of pastors, worship leaders, musicians and songwriters giving voice […]

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School Can Be a 9 Month Mission Trip

The Dominican Republic, Kenya, Colombia, Southeast Asia, Haiti — these are some places that may pop into your head when you think of a mission trip. Mission trips are altruistic endeavors by church groups to provide physical and/or spiritual relief in times of crisis. At First Priority students are equipped for a mission trip to places that desperately need Jesus. It is estimated that where they go 96% of the population is without Jesus. Where’s their destination? The public school campus. If you have gone on a mission trip before, it may have lasted a week, a month or a […]

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First Priority: Connecting the Church to Reach the Campus for Christ

  Three of the largest school districts in the country are right here in South Florida: Miami-Dade County is the 2nd largest, Broward County the 5th and Palm Beach County is the 12th. These are only three of the five counties First Priority serves. Startling evidence shows that 96% of those students do not attend church or show evidence of a personal relationship with Christ, which demonstrates the urgent need for us to meet them where they are — the campus. The greatest influence on a teenager is a peer, so First Priority partners with the local church to equip […]

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Faithwalker

The smell of buttery popcorn filled the living room as the microwave announced its readiness. On cue, I procured the bag, ripped it open, shook it into a bowl and with a quick spritz of I Can’t believe It’s Not Butter, headed back to the couch to start the movie. It was “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” and Bilbo Baggins was the unlikely brave hero. In this prequel of the classic Tolkien tale, Bilbo and his team were on a destiny quest. A journey of bravery into a land of danger to reclaim what was stolen: the right to […]

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A June Day in Jerusalem

Still waking up, but with hot coffee in hand, we step outside on the balcony to join the pots of red geraniums that are already welcoming the day. The Jerusalem sky never fails to stun us. It is too blue to be real, but there it is, always this blue through at least September, reaching down to touch the rooftops and mountains of this beautiful city. Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks Today is Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, one of the three feasts on which God required Jewish men to appear before Him in Jerusalem. It was during this very […]

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529 College Savings Plans Offer Tax Benefits

Saving for college—whether for your children or your grandchildren—has become easier in recent years with the emergence of state-sponsored savings plans. Called a Section 529 Plan, after the section of the Internal Revenue Code that created them, these plans are offered by all 50 states and provide tax benefits to college savers. Two options While each state plan is different, there are two general types of plans: prepaid tuition plans and college savings plans. With a prepaid tuition plan, the money you put into the plan is earmarked for tuition at your local state university. In most cases, once you […]

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Tell Mom How Much She Means To You

“For Mother’s Day this year, I want . . . .” If you’ve ever heard your mom utter these words, consider yourself among the fortunate. For the rest of us, Mother’s Day can be a somewhat stressful holiday filled with indecision and confusion as to what to buy for the woman who gave us birth. Not to worry, though; with a little forethought, Mother’s Day can be a breeze. Here are a few ways to let mom know she’s appreciated. Service and memories We often think that gifts need to be physical, but it isn’t so. Some of the best […]

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Do You Want to be Happier?

By: Dr. Norm Wise Happiness is one of the goals that people consider of significant value in their lives. However, if happiness comes from outside circumstances and other people, then only to the extent that we can control these factors will we be happy. Therefore, happiness is very fragile because we have little or no control over our circumstances. What can be done? One key to feeling greater happiness is having realistic godly expectations of life “East of Eden” and a committed acceptance of our community of imperfect people. If we can lower our expectations and increase our forbearance of […]

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