Active Faith

Elijah and Elisha: Mentoring And Connection

Jeffrey Rice
29 Nov 2023
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connection

In May of 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General’s office released a study showing that over half of the United States felt significant levels of isolation and loneliness BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. The lock downs and social distancing that followed only further increased disconnection. The report goes on to describe that isolation and loneliness have the same impact on health as smoking a pack of cigarettes daily. This leaves no doubt as to why God places such importance on our connection with others. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 conveys the importance of companionship, stating that two are better than one, as they support and […]

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God Doesn’t Move Parked Cars

Omar Aleman
22 Nov 2023
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While bringing the church service message at the Homestead Speedway on October 22nd prior to the NASCAR race, it struck me how appropriate it was to “bring God to the track.” For openers, as believers we have a defined start/finish line. He determined our arrival, and only He knows the “qualifying time” towards our finish line here on earth. Downshifting and accelerating are an integral part of both the vehicle and the spiritual race. It is imperative to have a competent crew, our “cloud of witnesses,” as we traverse through the deafening noise of society on our way to eternal […]

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A Heart of Thanksgiving: Jesus’ Acts of Gratitude

Rob Hoskins
20 Nov 2023
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gratitude

As we gather at the table this year to celebrate Thanksgiving, there are so many challenges happening around the world and maybe even in our own lives and relationships. However, I’ve learned the power of gratitude and how our gratitude can beget more gratitude in others and can then create a chain reaction that changes the atmosphere and attitudes of everyone around us.  This year, I want to focus on how Jesus’ life is full of examples of public displays of gratitude and thanksgiving to God.  As Christians, we continually navigate the beautiful yet complex truth that Jesus is both […]

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Giving God Our Best… Not The Rest

Dr. Tommy Boland
15 Nov 2023
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With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I have already begun thinking about all the leftovers from the Thanksgiving meal that always seem to taste even better than they did on the day of the big feast. I don’t know how God does it, but the Thanksgiving leftovers seem to taste better and better over the next few days. Now, as much as I love those leftovers, if Jesus were stopping by, I wouldn’t open the fridge, take out a few plastic containers and “nuke” some leftovers from our Thanksgiving meal. I’d want to give Him our best, prepared with love […]

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giving

Grateforgetfulness

Stephan Tchividjian
9 Nov 2023
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Grateforgetfulness

Imagine with me that you are experiencing some type of chronic pain.  The pain is excruciating and without cure. The pain has affected every aspect of your life. You are no longer able to work except in some very limited capacity, and your dream job is gone.  The pain has affected every relationship you have, including your marriage and family.  You are unable to embrace your loved ones and feel their touch.  Loneliness has become your constant companion.   Grateforgetfulness in action Your loved ones and best friends make every effort to live up to the expectations you have of them, […]

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“I Felt The Love of Jesus Through The Shoebox!”

Franklin Graham
6 Nov 2023
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As we look forward to celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Operation Christmas Child is also marking a birthday. This year marks 30 years since Samaritan’s Purse began collecting shoeboxes filled with gifts for hurting children around the world. In 1993, a man in England asked us to collect Christmas gifts for children in war-torn Bosnia. I called a church in Charlotte, where Pastor Ross Rhoads invited his congregation to fill shoeboxes with children’s gifts, and they overwhelmed us with 11 thousand boxes—so many that the church ran out of room to store them. I’ll never […]

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Where Is The Outrage?

Les Feldman
2 Nov 2023
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Tomorrow? I am reminded there are no guarantees about tomorrow; that’s His call not mine, so I find myself in a lot of reflection since October 7th, and I can’t seem to shake it. Where is the outrage? Where is the passion? I often find myself wrestling with what I believe to be utter hypocrisy – probably nothing bothers me more than hypocrisy. Somehow, we understand and can justify outrage. If you believe in the Bible, you have deep conviction, not passive conviction. If you believe that Israel is the “Holy Land,” and you gather yourself with great pride to […]

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The Power of Collaboration

Kevin Enders
16 Oct 2023
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Do you ever have a luncheon or a conference to go to that you find yourself dragging your heels toward? Maybe you think nothing new will come of a seemingly ordinary opportunity, and I have been tempted to think the same way especially in the busyness of life.  But what I have learned in a powerful way these past few years is that being where God wants you to be, whether that is a lunch or a conference, and being receptive to what God might have for you there can lead to incredible outcomes. Being spiritually sensitive to the people […]

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