Image: Johnny Derouen’s first day at FBC Houston, spring of 1984. Also pictured, Joel Nettles. Photo courtesy of Lance Vinson. The story goes that in the early ‘80s, Associate Pastor Felix Wagner interviewed 70-some people before he found the right man for the job. Let’s call it 77—the perfect number. After a two-year quest, FirstContinue reading “THAT’S PRACTICAL. My Johnny Derouen Story. Psalm 27:4.”
Tag Archives: 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Do You Need Answered Prayers or Do You Need Grace? 2 Corinthians 12:9
Paul writes that God brought him to heaven and showed him amazing things no other mortal has seen. Then, to keep the apostle humble, God sent him a thorn in his flesh. No one is sure what that thorn was, whether illness, temptation, or constant persecution. But Paul asked God to remove the thorn. “AndContinue reading “Do You Need Answered Prayers or Do You Need Grace? 2 Corinthians 12:9”
Cooking Thought for the Day. Revelation 3:14-22.
Have you ever put something like spaghetti in the microwave then sat down to eat it only to find it had cool spots in it? Isn’t that the worst—when you expect it to be hot and it’s lukewarm? Yuck. Jesus talks about Christians with lukewarm faith in Revelation 3:14-22: “To the angel of the churchContinue reading “Cooking Thought for the Day. Revelation 3:14-22.”
Pray Without Ceasing. Matthew 15:21-28.
Jesus says, “You have not because you ask not.” Are you remembering to ASK? And when you ask, He says to “pray without ceasing,” (I Thess. 5:17) and to “knock and keep on knocking” (Matt. 7:7). Don’t give up in prayer. Consider the story of the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28. She comes to JesusContinue reading “Pray Without Ceasing. Matthew 15:21-28.”
PRAY HARD! Luke 11:5-10.
Have you persisted in prayer? Have you? Have you really, really prayed hard? Have you prayed for a long time? Have you ever had something on a prayer list that you came back to day-after-day for a long time? Have you prayed consistently, while days turned to weeks and weeks to months and months toContinue reading “PRAY HARD! Luke 11:5-10.”
PRAY! 2 Kings 20:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
Have you ever thought ‘Oh, well, it’s God’s will—God is going to do what God is going to do’? Are you tempted to think prayer won’t change anything, so why bother—as if God has already decided what He is going to do? THAT’S FALSE! What God has DECIDED is that PRAYER WORKS! What He hasContinue reading “PRAY! 2 Kings 20:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 5:17.”
Wrestling With God.
Jacob is the only person to wrestle with God literally. But countless others have wrestled with God, figuratively speaking. Have you? If God seems silent, or seems to be saying no, DON’T GIVE UP! Keep praying! Don’t quit until the Holy Spirit tells you to quit. “A certain woman … heard of Jesus and cameContinue reading “Wrestling With God.”
Household Words: 