“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4
You may have heard that in 2024, Bible sales rose by 22% over the previous year. That is certainly very encouraging! At our “Hope for America” livestream event, we gave away 40 Bibles. There definitely seems to be a growing hunger for God’s Word.
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“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” — Acts 3:19-20 (NIV)
In Acts 3, Peter performed a miracle—he healed a man who couldn’t walk. The crowd was amazed. However, Peter didn’t bask in the attention. Instead, he used that moment to speak hard truth with bold love.
He told the people to repent and turn to God. Their sins would be wiped away. Times of refreshing would come from the Lord. That hard truth wasn’t just for the people in that crowd. He meant it for all of us. It doesn’t matter if you’re 16 or 60. Maybe you’ve followed Jesus for decades. Perhaps you just recently surrendered to Him. Peter’s message still applies to you today.
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I acquired a habit in my earlier days as a Christ follower. I made time in my busy schedule for what we lovingly called a D.A.W.G. (Day Alone With God). We can all agree that life can sometimes be overwhelming. Not only do we want to do it all, but we also want our families to do even more than we ever did. Our phones throw data at us like ants marching toward spilled pie and ice cream on a hot summer sidewalk.
As I look back on my early days as a young Christian, I see a wife, three kids, and working overtime as an electrician. In hindsight, I was just learning to zealously serve the Lord. Along with trying to figure out the concept of a balanced life. Much like a skateboarder learning complicated tricks, it was a roadrashy time in my walk with the Lord. I specifically remember one of the many conferences my wife Jeanne and I used to frequent. The speaker introduced me to the idea of a Day Alone With God.
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Author F.M. Alexander said, “People don’t define their futures, they decide their habits, and their habits decide their future.”
We all have habits. They range from the mundane (like brushing our teeth or what we listen to on our way to work) to practicing an instrument or creating art. Habits can be amoral, while others can be sinful. Whatever type it is, it will affect you (positively or negatively).
(more…)Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Tony D'Amico