Awakenings and Quiet Times

by Curt Dodd on February 21st, 2025

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off -- for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39) The First Great Awakening occurred at Pentecost. God did an amazing thing that had never happened b... Read More

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Be Sensitive To Your Witness

by Curt Dodd on February 20th, 2025

Let your gentleness be evident to all. (Philippians 4:5) When things are going great in your life, you are making lots of money, you are healthy, your relationships are strong, your marriage is solid, your kids respect and honor you, and your parents are blessing you; that is when everyone expects you to be happy. However, when you are going through a difficult season in your life, that is when t... Read More

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A Public Answer

by Curt Dodd on February 19th, 2025

“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33) Yesterday, we talked about the personal answer we must give for our relationship with Jesus. The answer Peter gave to Jesus’ question in Matthew 16 was a personal answer. But that’s not all... Read More

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A Personal Answer

by Curt Dodd on February 18th, 2025

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:15-16 When Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter gave a personal answer. When he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” he was saying it very personally. He was saying, “As far as I'm concerned, regardless of what any of ... Read More

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A Faithful and Helpful Friend

by Curt Dodd on February 17th, 2025

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13 I have a distinct memory of going to church camp when I was about 11 or 12 years old. Whenever I went to church camp, I always took my fishing pole. When in doubt, fish; that was my philosophy as a kid. During some free time at this particular camp, I had the privilege and the freedom to fish. My bes... Read More

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A Church On Fire

by Curt Dodd on February 16th, 2025

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary… Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the ri... Read More

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A Christ-Honoring Epitaph

by Curt Dodd on February 15th, 2025

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. – Psalm 145:4 As a pastor, I sometimes do graveside services. When I go through graveyards, I find myself looking at the headstones. Have you ever done that and looked at the epitaphs? As you are looking at the epitaphs, you’ll realize that some of them are very interesting. I came across several as I was loo... Read More

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A Childlike Faith

by Curt Dodd on February 14th, 2025

He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never entre the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-4) In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry, he tells this simple yet impactful stor... Read More

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A Call To God’s Church

by Curt Dodd on February 13th, 2025

But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Mark 13:32) As we are anticipating the end times, there are three things we should be doing as members of God’s Church. We have so much hope because we are His children. Therefore we need to allow that hope to ignite our faith and carry out these three things as we await Christ’s ... Read More

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A Brand New Glimpse Of Jesus

by Curt Dodd on February 12th, 2025

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8) I want to tell you about Helen Howard Lemmel. She was a singer who had a successful career in the Midwest. She was a music teacher at Moody Bible Institute for years and years. She wrote over 500 hymns, poems and songs. She continued to write until her death at 97 years of age in 1961. After going through a dark time of chaos ... Read More

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Remember Who God Is

by Curt Dodd on February 11th, 2025

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19 In the midst of whatever you are going through today, you need to remember who God is. I know many people are going through difficult seasons in their lives. Although you might want God to immediately remedy that situation, you need to look to Him first. The reason you need to look to Hi... Read More

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Joy In The Midst Of Problems

by Curt Dodd on February 10th, 2025

So there was great joy in that city. – Acts 8:8Though persecution scattered the early church, the result was that many more people heard the gospel and experienced the joy of salvation. Joy in suffering is one of the greatest testimonies of our faith. Even in hardship, God is at work for our good and His glory.Many people think Christianity is all about being righteous, holy, sober, and not very h... Read More

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Guided By Problems

by Curt Dodd on February 9th, 2025

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. – Acts 1:8The early church faced intense persecution, forcing believers to scatter beyond Jerusalem. Though painful, this scattering fulfilled Jesus’ command to take the gospel to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.Before Jesus ... Read More

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God Is All-Sufficient

by Curt Dodd on February 8th, 2025

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.” - Genesis 17:1 When Abram was at the ripe old age of 99 years old, the Lord El Shaddai appeared to him and said he would be a dad. God would allow him to have a child later by His hand of miraculous touch on the couple named Abraham and Sarah. This is just on... Read More

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Making Sure

by Curt Dodd on February 7th, 2025

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20 Yesterday, we began talking about the... Read More

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Living Out The Great Commission

by Curt Dodd on February 6th, 2025

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20 Over the next couple of days, we are ... Read More

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The Danger Of Being Full Of Yourself

by Curt Dodd on February 5th, 2025

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. (Philippians 2:3) As sinful human beings, it is easy for us to be full of ourselves. In fact, I would venture to say that most people at some point or another struggle with a narcissistic attitude where they think they are too good, too busy, or too important to be involved in connecting with pe... Read More

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Why Support Israel?

by Curt Dodd on February 4th, 2025

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.” – Psalm 122:6 As believers, we need to be linked with the nation of Israel. We need to support them. We need to pray for them because God’s Word instructs us to do so. But why is that the case? That’s the exact question we’re going to be answering over the next couple of days. In this devotion, we’re going to look at three reaso... Read More

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A Faith That Draws or Drives

by Curt Dodd on February 3rd, 2025

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:5Stephen’s story teaches us that we have a faith that draws men to God—or drives them against us. Acts 6:8 says Stephen, “a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.” Yet, despite his faithfulness, opposition arose. When the Sanhedrin heard his defense, “they were furious... Read More

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A Faith Rooted in Fact

by Curt Dodd on February 2nd, 2025

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105As Christians, our faith is rooted in fact, not just feeling. Stephen’s defense before the Sanhedrin powerfully demonstrates this truth. When asked if the accusations against him were true, Stephen did not respond with emotion or opinions. Instead, he said, “Let me tell you the facts.” He recounted God’s faithfulness throughou... Read More

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3 Keys To A Heavenly Perspective

by Curt Dodd on February 1st, 2025

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. (Proverbs 19:21) If we want to live this life on earth well, we need to do so with a heavenly perspective at the forefront of our minds. This world is not our home, and one day we will begin our eternity in heaven with Jesus. Therefore while we are still here on this planet, I believe there are three attit... Read More

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Listening Instead Of Talking

by Curt Dodd on January 31st, 2025

The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him. – Acts 11:1-2 Conflict is an inevitable and unavoidable part of life. There is no way you are going to live on this planet and not face conflict. It’s just not possible. But believe it or not, there is actually a p... Read More

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Giving and Serving

by Curt Dodd on January 30th, 2025

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. (2 Corinthians 5:14) I love the story of Hudson Taylor when he was interviewing possible candidates for missionary work. During the interview process, he asked each of these young people, “Why do you want to become a missionary?” One of them answered, “I just want to be a missionary because the... Read More

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Focus On The Word

by Curt Dodd on January 29th, 2025

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:105 Yesterday, we talked about feeling stuck. It’s tough to find yourself in a situation where nothing seems to be changing. You’re not moving forward or backward. You just can’t seem to make any progress and you don’t know what to do! As we said yesterday, our Savior, Jesus Christ, is always with us, and He promises to help us w... Read More

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Dealing With Doubt

by Curt Dodd on January 28th, 2025

“If you can, will you heal him?” Jesus says, “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:23-24) Yesterday, we talked about what it looks like to pray in faith. Praying big prayers can be scary, especially when what you’re asking for seems impossible. But we serve a big God ... Read More

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Gratitude Is A Defense Against Anxiety

by Curt Dodd on January 27th, 2025

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7Anxiety is a common struggle, but God has given us a powerful tool to combat it: gratitude. You cannot be grateful and anxious at the sam... Read More

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Gratitude Is The Gateway To Contentment

by Curt Dodd on January 26th, 2025

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. – Philippians 4:12If you are having a difficult time being content, and all you can see are the negative things in your life, you need a double shot of gratitude. Paul wrote these words while in prison, showing that contentment is not about what we have but about ... Read More

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Surrender Your Life to Christ

by Curt Dodd on January 25th, 2025

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:17-18) The resurrection experience that these women had was very po... Read More

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The Triumphal Entry

by Curt Dodd on January 24th, 2025

The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21:9-11) In the Palm Sunday triumphal entry pass... Read More

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Powerful Prayers and a Burden

by Curt Dodd on January 23rd, 2025

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. (James 5:16-17) Have you ever listened to someone pray and thought, “Wow, that was a power-packed p... Read More

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Defeating Depression

by Curt Dodd on January 22nd, 2025

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9) When you allow feelings to become your reality, that's when you know you are headed for depression. Many of us are ruled by our feelings and what we are thinking on the inside. For example, “I feel like a failure, so I must be a failure.” Or the mentality that says, “I am afraid right now. I do... Read More

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Full of the Holy Spirit

by Curt Dodd on January 21st, 2025

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) It is very important that you understand several things about the Holy Spirit. His main job is to point people to Christ. Jesus said, “He will speak about me.” He doesn't talk about Himself; He points people to Christ. When you find people who only want to talk about the Holy Spirit, and they... Read More

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Be Ready For Interruptions

by Curt Dodd on January 20th, 2025

Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. – Proverbs 19:21No matter how much wisdom, prayer, or preparation goes into it, every plan will experience interruptions. That’s exactly what happened to John the Baptist, as we discussed yesterday. Do you think he planned to go to prison? That was never in the back of his mind. It wasn’t part of his plan.The same ... Read More

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Trust His Heart

by Curt Dodd on January 19th, 2025

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. – Provers 3:5-6I love Babbie Mason’s song. These words reveal some great insight:"So when you don't understandWhen you don't see His planWhen you can't trace His handTrust His heart."Maybe you’re in a season where you can't trace God's hand, and you’re... Read More

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Are You Feeling Stuck?

by Curt Dodd on January 18th, 2025

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10 Let me ask you a question. Have you ever been stuck? And by that, I mean have you ever been stuck while in a vehicle? I have gotten stuck several times in my life, but one particular instance sticks out in my mind that is ve... Read More

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Allowing God To Do The Changing

by Curt Dodd on January 17th, 2025

“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard this, they had no further objections and... Read More

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A Heart Of Repentance

by Curt Dodd on January 16th, 2025

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:8-9 As we talked about last week, there are many ways you can sense the Holy Spirit as a follower of Jesus. One of those ways is when you are convicted of your sins. The moment you gave y... Read More

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A Hand Of Blessing

by Curt Dodd on January 15th, 2025

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Revelation 1:17-18) For many of us, when we were growing up; we longed for the hand of blessing from our father. We wanted him to say to... Read More

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A Guilt-Free Life

by Curt Dodd on January 14th, 2025

“Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down on me. Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.” (Psalm 38:1-4) If you’ve ever felt guilty for something you’ve done, you know that this Psalmist’... Read More

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The Power To Restore

by Curt Dodd on January 13th, 2025

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32Going out of your way to reinstate someone who hurt you is a tall order, but that is exactly what Jesus did. And this is just the opposite of what our culture teaches. Our culture says, “If someone hurt you, maligned you, damaged you or your reputation, destroy them, reject them, and ... Read More

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