Showcase: Assorted Treats

  • My Soul Cries Out in Worship +

    Over the past ten years, Vicki Yohe has written some of the most popular songs sung in churches. This song Read More
  • Worship Matters: A blog by Bob Kauflin +

    Worship Matters is a blog by Bob Kauflin. Good, inspired food for one's soul. http://www.worshipmatters.com/ Read More
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mirrorqAnd he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15

Summer in North Carolina is perfect to enjoy one of the most blessed places in God’s wondrous creation-- the beach! On a beautiful, sun-soaked day, we can sit and watch waves roll in and out, and be entertained by birds dancing on the sand as they scrounge for tidbits. 

The joy of the gospel, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all, outshines the brightest summer sun. For us to share that joy as Jesus commanded requires a daily cultivation of our lives by Jesus. 

Because we cannot share joy if we don’t know real joy ourselves. 

The only way to be filled with his inexpressible, soul-saturating joy is to become disciples of Jesus. Without His Spirit-directed cultivation of prayer and scripture reading, we will become blind and dried up by the joylessness of this world. 

When ministered by the Holy Spirit, prayer and scripture are like the heaven-sent food Elijah ate and drank. Otherwise we are powerless against the world’s imitation of the one true light. The world offers darkness masquerading as light, but there is only one true light: Jesus. 

Why surrender to His cultivation daily? Remember how Jesus first called the disciples? He said “follow me.” He didn’t say follow me for an hour or two today, then you can go back to doing what you were doing before. 

Being a disciple means the same now for you and me as it did for the first ones: choosing, moment by day by lifetime to align our life with his, taking the steps he took. If we don’t, we will be clueless about how to survive the crises that will surely come, let alone be able to have the deeply rooted joy that bathing in his holy light, his healing presence provide. 

Joy is cultivated as each day we recognize and acknowledge before him how powerless we are, and how our lives are unmanageable apart from him. Each day brings a new set of circumstances that will require a greater power than ourselves. 

Each day we must decide to turn our will and our lives over to the care of Jesus. It is his grace that meets our needs as we feed and clothe ourselves in the Word and presence of God. Then we can proclaim the gospel, with a joy resonating from him. 

15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Reflections to Consider

  • Warfare Spirituality

    The Trinity function as farmers of our souls, actively caring for God’s creation: an ongoing, radical reclamation of His creation. Read More
  • Corporate Spirituality

    Encouragement, Accountability, and Worship Solitude, community and ministry are three areas requiring balance and integration in the Christian walk. The Read More
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Publications

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Music

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Audio & Video

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Favorites

  • Praise Adonai by Paul Baloche +

    Who is like Him The Lion and the Lamb Seated on the throne Mountains bow down Every ocean roars To the Lord of hosts  Read More
  • An Interview with Paul Washer by Tim Challies +

    You probably know Paul Washer as the man who preached the infamous "Shocking Youth Message," a sermon that has tallied Read More
  • Glorious by Paul Baloche +

    Look inside the mysterySee the empty crossSee the risen SaviorVictorious and strong Read More
  • Paul's Prayers +

    How do we pray? What should we pray for? Yes, there is the Lord's prayer--Jesus teaching his disciples, and us, Read More
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Hidden Blessings

  • Joy Will Find A Way: Bruce Cockburn +

    Bruce Cockburn’s song Joy Will Find A Way describes the way joy from love can transform one’s life. make me Read More
  • Shepherd's Joy by Luther Jackson Middle School Advanced Chorus +

    Read More
  • Joy to the World! by Surfjan Stevens +

    Joy to the World , the Lord is come!Let earth receive her King;Let every heart prepare Him room,And Heaven and nature Read More
  • The joy of the Lord is my strength by Douglas Miller +

    The joy of the LORD is my strengthThe joy of the LORD is my strengthThe joy of the LORD is Read More
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