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The joy weapon: Rowing with Jesus through the battles of life
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The joy weapon: Rowing with Jesus through the battles of life

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice "Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream…merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.” Children sing this rhyme with a smile, but adults sing it exhausted because life feels like a battlefield. Bills, relationships, politics, and bodies weaken. Expectations come and go, betrayals and drifting dreams make us row harder and angrier. Then Jesus steps onto the shoreline and says, “Follow Me.” That command truly shifts everything. Jesus never guaranteed His followers a life free of storms; instead, He assured them of His presence right in the middle of them.  That’s where the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-16) come into play. They’re not just gentle religious sayings meant for pillows or sentimental Hallmark moments. No, th...
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The meekness weapon: The hill where warriors win
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Top Stories, Commentary, Devotional, Rocky Mountain Voice

The meekness weapon: The hill where warriors win

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”   ~ Matthew 4:19 ~ We continue with our nursery rhyme, The Itsy Bitsy Spider – Part Two. So, become that child again and remember: The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout… Most are familiar with the rest. Christianity is more than a fleeting encounter with Jesus. It means following Him into a radically different reality that begins on a mountain. Let’s start with our spider. In our last devotion, we discussed climbing and how human nature drives us to reach upward—to grow, to overcome, to become. That small spider keeps climbing because something inside it says, “There’s more up there.” Honestly, that’s also us—we pursue power...
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The Confidence Weapon: Climb Again
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, Devotional, Top Stories

The Confidence Weapon: Climb Again

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again…’~ John 3:7 ~ The last few weeks, we watched Jack and Jill go up the hill… and come tumbling down. It was a picture of humility and trust. A reminder that sometimes the first step toward God is the fall that wakes us up. But Jesus doesn’t just leave us at the bottom of the hill. He looks at us—like children—and says, “Now… begin again.” Because the goal is not just to fall and feel sorry…The goal is to become something new. That’s where a different childhood rhyme helps us see what Jesus is teaching: “The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout.Down came the rain and washed the spider out.Out came the sun and dried up all the rain…And the itsy bitsy spider clim...
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Born for Battle: A New Identity, A New Fight
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Born for Battle: A New Identity, A New Fight

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 ~ Most of us remember the classic story “The Ugly Duckling.” A small bird is born on a farmyard, but something about him seems… off. The ducks mock him. The chickens peck at him. Everywhere he goes, the message is the same: “You’re awkward.” “You don’t belong.” “Something must be wrong with you.” So, the little duck grows up believing the lie: This is just who I am. Now, I’ve always felt a personal connection to that story. My name is Drake, and for those who may not know, a drake is literally a male duck. Not eagle. Not lion. Not stallion. Duck! So if anyone should understand the Ugly Duckling story, it’s me. ...
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Special edition: The Iranian War — the fiery darts of war
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Devotional, Top Stories

Special edition: The Iranian War — the fiery darts of war

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice "Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the fiery darts of the evil one."~ Ephesians 6:16 ~ I understand war. Not just as a headline or political talking point, but as someone who spent over twenty years in active duty military service and now lives with a 70% service-connected disability as a vet. During those years, wars came and went — Desert Storm, Afghanistan, Iraq, and countless endless conflicts that most Americans eventually stopped paying attention to. But when you serve long enough, you realize something: war is never just about nations. It is about human hearts. Today, the world again witnesses rising tensions between Israel, Iran, and the United States. Missiles are flying. Alliances...
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Weapons of War: Spirit Over Flesh
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Weapons of War: Spirit Over Flesh

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ~ Matthew 26:41 ~ Years ago, Sherrie and I ended up at one of those unforgettable Las Vegas timeshare presentations. You probably know the kind: a free stay, free breakfast, and free show tickets, all for just '90 minutes' of your time. Before we realized it, nearly three hours had gone by. The room was dim, beach scenes played on the screen, and soft music filled the air, almost like a Hallmark movie. The salesman encouraged us, saying, “Don’t overthink this. What does your gut tell you?” I noticed couples leaning in, whispering, nodding, and dreaming about more than just numbers. In that moment, it felt right. Bu...
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Callsign Light: The Way of the Warrior
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Callsign Light: The Way of the Warrior

By Drake Hunter | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Most people know I had a robust Air Force career, 21 years in all. In my early years, I found myself at Camp Bullis in Texas for Air Base Ground Defense training. It was demanding work—long days, heavy gear, minimal sleep. A major focus of that training was mastering map and compass skills. The Army Ranger instructors didn’t waste words—especially when speaking to those of us wearing Air Force uniforms. Out there, confusion wasn’t just inconvenient; it was dangerous. Much was happening. We practiced a lot, but one thing that stood out more than others was that we were trained to orient ourselves using the sun during the day and the moon at night.  Somewhere between sweat and calculation, a simple fact settle...
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Faith Over Feelings: The Rules of Engagement – Flight Line to Living Room
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Faith Over Feelings: The Rules of Engagement – Flight Line to Living Room

By Drake Hunter | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice If you love me, keep my commands. ~ John 14:15 ~ In the Air Force, Rules of Engagement were never suggestions. They weren’t emotional guidelines. They were commands—clearly defined before the pressure ever came. When executing missions on the flight line, especially in dangerous areas, you can't decide in the moment what feels right. You don’t rely on instinct alone. You don’t let adrenaline dictate your actions. You operate under authority—clear orders, strict boundaries, and a defined purpose. Never letting emotions alter the mission, because obedience is what ensures lives are protected—yours and others', no matter how you feel. In fact, I learned early on that the tougher the situation, the more im...
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Frontline Peace: The Fight for Reconciliation
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Frontline Peace: The Fight for Reconciliation

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Elevating Life Church Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. ~ Ephesians 4:26-27 ~ One of the most common—and most misunderstood—beliefs Christians carry is this: Avoiding conflict is an act of love. It sounds spiritual. It sounds peaceful. But it isn’t what Jesus teaches. Jesus does not command silence in close relationships—He commands reconciliation. And when we confuse avoidance with love, we quietly surrender ground the enemy is more than happy to occupy. Let me take you back to my younger Air Force days. I had just been stationed in Germany. I was a brand-new Christian—excited, sincere, and still very immature. I had started going to church and was building ...
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Strategy First: Obey Before You Engage
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Strategy First: Obey Before You Engage

By Pastor Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”  ~ Proverbs 16:25 (ESV) ~ Before acting, consider who is guiding you—God or man. The divine plan or human influence. Or, good versus bad influence. We live in a world that prizes action. People, society, and negative influences often push us with "make the move," urging us to take a shot, trust our instincts, and do what feels right. This advice is everywhere, and on the surface, it seems empowering—even virtuous. But trusting feelings over God’s guidance can lead to uncertainty. Remember Michel de Montaigne's words: “A lost soul without a well-established aim loses itself.” That’s chaos. In genuine conflict, no...
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