Are you willing to give and go wherever the Lord calls you? The next step of obedience, after surrendering and sealing our commitments to God in writing, is to ask: “Lord, what do You want me to do for You? Where do You want me to serve?” That service could be as humble as a parking attendant, as an usher, a deacon, as visible as a worship leader or pastor, a compassionate counselor, serving in the nursery, or as unseen yet powerful as being a prayer warrior for your church and pastor.

When the leader is away, people will stray. After 12 years of faithfully serving and leading in Jerusalem, Nehemiah reported back to King Artaxerxes, who was then ruling from what we now know as Iran. In his absence, strategic violations of God’s Word crept in and began to spread. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem (13:6–7), he didn’t sit back. He confronted the problems head-on and boldly enacted changes once again in line with God’s Word.

My wife, Cristie Jo, and I have devoted our lives to full-time ministry for decades. As preachers and teachers of God’s Word, we began noticing a troubling cultural shift with the dawn of the new millennium: a sharp rise in biblical illiteracy and growing disaffiliation toward organized religion.

Don’t ever let an atheist intimidate you. Their bark is always louder than their bite! I discovered that firsthand after filming with several of the most renowned atheists. In this message, you’ll uncover nine proofs of God’s existence—truths every Christian should know and be ready to share with those who need Christ as Savior.

Don’t ever let an atheist intimidate you. Their bark is always louder than their bite! I discovered that firsthand after filming with several of the most renowned atheists. In this message, you’ll uncover nine proofs of God’s existence—truths every Christian should know and be ready to share with those who need Christ as Savior.

Building on the nine proofs of God we learned in The Atheist Delusion, Part Two, we now examine nine additional, awe-inspiring proofs of God. We are commanded to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). The Good News of the Gospel begins with God Himself.

I began an unforgettable friendship with Florida State University Legend Coach Bobby Bowden after he came to speak at my church. His faith in Jesus Christ was always his first priority.

Thanks for joining me in this preaching series, Spiritual Armor, which includes six sermons that will help you understand the one passage in the Bible you would be wise to know thoroughly, which will guarantee your spiritual victory regardless of the challenge!

Did you know 80% of the 60,000–80,000 thoughts you think per day will be negative according to scientific studies, and most of them are lies? Imagine the impact of letting lies dominate your constant mental traffic. We live in a world full of distractions, doubts, and deception.

One slip in battle could mean a soldier’s life. In the same way, our “spiritual shoes” give us traction, grip, and stability when life feels like a fight.

In the spiritual war, there are far more casualties. Men and women who began well in the race of faith but did not finish. Over the decades in my ministry, I’ve heard heartbreaking stories: young believers who got pulled into destructive habits, adults who gave up when life crushed them, even pastors who fell under relentless attack. What was missing?

The shield of faith, the fourth piece of spiritual armor, is uniquely important because it protects all the other pieces of armor. Paul says in Ephesians 6:16, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Those darts are real: fear, doubt, temptation, and discouragement aimed at your mind and heart every single day.

Imagine a Roman soldier in the middle of fierce combat with no helmet protecting his head. One blow from a sword or battle axe, and his life would end instantly. That image illustrates why the fifth piece of armor—the helmet of salvation—is so crucial. God has given it to protect the believer’s mind, thought process, and very brain through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The sixth piece of armor is the sword of the Spirit. Unlike the shield or the helmet, it is an offensive weapon placed in your hands for spiritual warfare. Paul declares, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).