My friend didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it was impossible not to overhear the man next to her. Cell phone conversations are like that. The well-groomed stranger was clearly talking to his wife, and judging by how infrequently he spoke, it was pretty much a one-sided conversation. Then suddenly, the stranger said good-bye—at precisely the…

Our weekly “Get Real” post from Donna Jones: Real Faith Brings Real Reward   “Come on, Lord. Throw the dog a bone.”   Not a very spiritual sounding prayer, is it? But it was heartfelt when I prayed it. Someone I love was weary. Worn out from battles of trying to live faithfully, they’d had…

Our weekly “Get Real” post from Donna Jones: Real Believers Pray to a God Who Really Hears. Have you ever wondered if God really listens to your prayers? If you’re like most people the answer is “yes”. Sometimes it can seem like our prayers just bounce off the ceiling. Or that perhaps God is too…

Our weekly “Get Real” post from Donna Jones:   Real Faith Works in Real Life If a picture is worth a thousand words, a story is worth a million.  That’s why stories of how people like you and me live out faith in real life encourage, inspire, convict and motivate us to live out our…

Our weekly “Get Real” post from Donna Jones: I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.15 And if we know…

  Love Looks a Lot Like Service You were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14) The word “servant” gets a bad rap.…

Our weekly “Get Real” post from Donna Jones: Real Comfort and Real Confidence Comes from Knowing I’m a Child of God   Every once in awhile life throws us a curve ball. A new season of life. A major life change. A diagnosis. A relational issue. Whether the change is welcome or unwanted these events…

Our weekly “Get Real” post from Donna Jones: True Faith Isn’t Religious. It’s Real. Whenever someone finds out JP is a pastor they pretty much say the same thing: “Oh, so then you’re really religious.” I don’t like being called religious. In my mind being “religious” carries a negative connotation. I much prefer to think…

Our weekly “Get Real” post from Donna Jones: We’ve all stumbled trying to find our way in a dark room. And we have all kinds of reasons we choose darkness over turning on the light; it would disturb our spouse or roommate; our eyes have to adjust to the change; we’re too lazy to deal…

Our weekly “Get Real” post from Donna Jones: I love Kelly Minter’s thoughts on fellowship: “The absolute irrevocable result of fellowship is joy. So why are so many of us dragging ourselves to church or Bible study? Why are we bored with religion? Why would we rather do anything than stand around a crusty tin…

I Corinthians 5:17-20 (NIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s…