By Pastor Mike Adkins: John The Baptist's life was lived preparing for something he would never see completed. This oddly scares and excites me, but don’t ask me why....

By Guest Author | Ashley Piner: As a teacher, I’ve heard the term “lifelong learner” numerous times. I love the idea of continually learning new information and being able to apply it to my life or to help others....

By Meghen Haggard: How often are we quick to forget the truths about who God is? Not long ago, I was sitting among friends feeling very defeated and discouraged when one friend asked the group what God had been showing us through His Word and in our lives....

After trying to get pregnant for eight years, my husband and I conceived our second daughter, Annalee. As with most expecting parents, we spent a great deal of time discussing name ideas, researching meanings, and praying that God would lead us to the perfect name for our child....

By Guest Author | Megan Wamer: Every summer, I’m home on break from teaching. For me, this is when life slows down, and I can pay more attention to things around the home. Because we are outside a lot during the summer, I am usually trying to make sure the landscaping looks “better.”...

By Pastor Scott Conner: This week has been extremely noisy for me. A little over a week ago, we woke up to a leak in our upstairs bathroom. Water had seeped into the floors and walls, causing a lot of damage to a first floor hallway and into the garage. ...

By Joy Kimbril: I can’t count the number of times I have heard a message about the armor of God; but as I was reading this passage the other day in my quiet time, I feel like the emphasis has been placed on the pieces of armor and not necessarily what they represent. ...

by Guest Author | Megan Wamer: Recently, I was a counselor at Opendoor Youth Camp, where the theme of our week was based on verses in Jeremiah. Much of what I want to share in this devotional with you comes from the speakers that week and notes I took....

By Miranda Braden: Nehemiah was afraid to appear sad in the presence of the king because cup-bearers were supposed to hide their emotions for the king's sake. To violate this was punishable by death....

By Elliotte Pearson (Elder): Recently I was out playing disc golf, an activity where I can enjoy some time with the Lord to talk through many things, when I felt like the Holy Spirit whispered a statement to me. He said, “Your position does not outweigh your function.”...

OYC Devotional | Trust is a weird thing. From the moment we are born, we are actually forced to trust. A baby has no choice but to trust. Their entire existence is dependent on others taking care of them. They must be fed, held, put to sleep, and changed, because they do not have the ability to do it themselves....

OYC Devotional | Have you ever thought about trees? Probably not. That’s weird, right? (No offense intended to anyone who loves trees and thinks about them often.) Trees fascinate me. I love being in nature. Gazing up at towering trees truly takes my breath away. In California, there are trees so large you can literally drive a car through it. ...

OYC Devotional | When I was a kid, I remember thinking that all I wanted to do was grow up. I was the youngest of four siblings, and I would constantly look at them and see all the cool things they were able to do just because they were older. ...

By Theresa Golden: When we look around at the world today, we see evidence of war, not just the physical war that rages on foreign land but a spiritual war right here on our doorstep. This war wages against our culture, our families, our marriages, and our church. It threatens our children, our finances, even our minds. We have a responsibility not only to fight back but to wage war against the op...

By Mary Beth Barefoot: What does it look like to be fully honest with God? Over the last few weeks, I’ve been reading and journeying through the book of 1 Samuel. This book is one that I’ve loved reading over the years because it’s chock-full of stories of hope, restoration, and miracles. ...