GRACE AND FREEDOM DURING RAMADAN
byPlease pray for Muslims to meet Jesus during Ramadan. Ramadan started 4 weeks ago on March 10 and it ends this Tuesday evening…
Shepherding
GIFTED to SHEPHERD overseeing, training, feeding, coaching/leading
FINDING OUR MISSION
bySomething happened … we went from a very comfortable-typical American-Christian-homeschool (Classical Conversations)-boating-dirt biking-mountain biking-camping type family to something different. We went from living…
WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT RUN
byAfter 16 years pastoring a church in England, Belinda and I never imagined we would wake-up one day in Zimbabwe, Southern Africa, a…
GOD PREPARES US
byFor we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians…
THE SECRET OF WAITING WELL
byEverybody talks about waiting for this and waiting for that, and although waiting can be painful, and quite honestly never ending, I have…
WISDOM OVER FEAR
byOne day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. Luke 6:12 I always…
THROUGH THE EYES OF PURPOSE
byI was born in Nigeria. I first began to grasp the understanding of Christianity through the eyes of PURPOSE. Your purpose as a…
A BOY, A DAD AND A BOAT
byWe all sail on the seas of life. Similar to that of the vast ocean, which can be serene, turbulent, unpredictable, or an…
HERE’S HOPING…
byWe have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Let me tell you about the hope of…
WHAT’S ON YOUR PLAYLIST?
byI once heard that “Friends know the songs in our hearts and will sing them back to us when we’ve forgotten the words.”…
THE BEAUTY AND PAIN OF KINSHIP
byFor the beginning of this Fruitful Story, you may want to first read Teresa Ku-Borden’s LIVING IN GETHSEMANE This second Fruitful story by Teresa is excerpted…
WHEN PERSECUTION GETS PERSONAL
byWe’ve lived under some “real” persecution. When I think of some of the situations my husband and I have lived through over the…
WITH HEARTS THAT LEAN TOWARD AFRICA
byCan you believe we’re here and doing this? During the past five years, my husband David and I have looked at each other often…
COME TO THE TABLE
byTables… We have them in our homes, schools, work places. We fight to get a good space at one in a cafe and we…
5 Ways to Recognize Resurrection
byThis year, Easter is celebrated today by Western Christians and on next Sunday by Orthodox Christians around the world. All around the world, the words “He…
WHEN LITTLE STEPS ARE GREATER THAN LEAPS
byIt was just over a year ago now that my husband and I cut our long-term overseas mission plans short to move back…
MY NAME IS ESTHER
byI’m learning the English language from The Internet, so I will do my best to tell you my story. We also learn English…
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR WORLD FALLS APART?
byIn 1980, Gerard Long had a dramatic encounter with God. Gerard and Jeannie married in 1981 and both felt called to serve in…
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME
byMuslims… What pictures come to mind when you hear that word? Angry looking men with long beards Women whose faces cannot be seen…
OVERWHELMED BY THE UNGRATEFUL
byIt seems like such a small thing, yet it can cause great discouragement. I know I’m not the first to experience it, but…
YOU WERE ALWAYS MY FIRST LOVE
byWhen I was young, my father would place me on his shoulders and encourage me to “reach for the trees!” His unconditional love…
MY MOTHER’S DREAMS
byMy mother breathes adventure. Not the thrill-seeking kind of adventures you would find in someone like Bear Grylls as he undertakes the cliffs of…
HIDDEN TREASURE IN THE DESERT
byEvery heart is different, and the path that leads each heart to the gospel is different. Only God knows the path that will…
WHEN TIME STANDS STILL
byAs a child, I believed I had the superpower to slow time. There were moments throughout my day when I perceived the world…
PURCHASED OUT OF SLAVERY
byOne day I woke up and everything had changed. I used to be this tough guy. I thought I could handle anything and…
THE ART OF BEING BUSY
byBusy has become the new fine. Casually ask someone how they’re doing today, and on autopilot, they might say they’re fine—but chances are…
CHOOSING JOY WHEN LIVING IN DISAPPOINTMENT
byThis morning I realised that it’s been 10 years to the day since I crammed as much stuff as I could into a…
MY PILGRIMAGE
bySome would call the Camino torture. Some would euphemize it to a nice walk. Some, like me, would call it meditation—just really really…
MIND THE GAP
byIf you have ever visited London and traveled on the underground tube, there is a common phrase you will hear over the bustling…
REMEMBER THOSE IN PRISON (HEBREWS 13:3)
byFor over 40 years I have had the joy of serving as a Family Life Pastor in several churches. My responsibilities were to model…
MY SEARCH FOR WORTH
byHave you ever asked the question: How do I prove myself worthy? Welcome to humanity. You are part of the global network of…
GOD GIVES US FRIENDS WHO CATCH US
byYesterday I laughed and laughed and my stomach hurts today. I am so thankful for the people God has put in my life…
We Have an Abundant Well of Love to Draw From (Valentine’s Day)
byWelcome to Fruitful–we love practical ideas about how to live our gifts with intentionality. I have the privilege of watching three young…
THE PASTOR IN ME: HOW I CAME TO DISCOVER THE TRUTH AND FACE MY FEAR
by“You’re going to be a pastor,” God tells me in the summer of 2011 while working at a fishing lodge in the Haida…
Get Started (Or Get Started Quitting)
bySometimes, to learn what you’re good at, you have to try new things, fail a lot, surprise yourself, succeed… all while leaning into…
Learning to Embrace Your Gift
byThree years ago I barely had a clue about my spiritual gift. Like any normal twenty-one year old, I was trying stay afloat…