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Drawing Nearer to God: An Average Joe’s 7-Part Journey of Faith
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ScottKJames.com, Approved, Commentary, National

Drawing Nearer to God: An Average Joe’s 7-Part Journey of Faith

By Scott K. James | Commentary, ScottKJames.com Drawing nearer to God sounds great – but how do ordinary believers actually do it? Join this 7-part Scott Sheet Sunday series to find out. Last Sunday, my pastor said something that’s stuck with me all week. He talked about “drawing nearer to God in times of trouble.” That sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Poetic. Comforting. Instagram-worthy. But here’s the question I couldn’t shake: how, exactly, do I do that? Because if you’re anything like me, you’ve heard these phrases in church for years. “Seek God.” “Pursue His presence.” “Draw near to Him.” They roll off the tongue like we all have a built-in GPS that beeps every time we’re taking a step closer to the Almighty. But let’s be honest: most of us are just Average Joes and Ja...
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Prayer works: Science confirms what believers have always known
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The Daily Signal, Approved, Commentary, National

Prayer works: Science confirms what believers have always known

By Andrew Fowler | Commentary, The Daily Signal The role of prayer in civil society has emerged in the wake of the Annunciation Catholic School shooting, and this may be a blessing of sorts amidst the tragedy. This is because scientific research has shown time and again that religious faith and the practice of prayer check pathologies and improve quality of life on almost every level.  However, politicians and commentators belittled “thoughts and prayers” as ineffective in preventing other mass killings. Others, from Vice President JD Vance to Bishop Robert Barron to Franciscan University, were quick to emphasize prayer’s importance in moments of anguish and darkness. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security even&nbs...
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Government Isn’t God: Why Broken People Need More Faith, Not Bigger Bureaucracy
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ScottKJames.com, Approved, Commentary, National

Government Isn’t God: Why Broken People Need More Faith, Not Bigger Bureaucracy

By Scott K. James | Commentary, ScottKJames.com America doesn’t need bigger government. It needs bigger faith. Romans 13 shows government is a servant – not the savior. Since the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church, I’ve watched the same battle lines get drawn. The script writes itself: “Take the guns. Prayer doesn’t work. Faith isn’t enough.” It breaks my heart – not only because of the lives shattered, but because half of America’s first instinct is to strip away our God-given rights. But the answer isn’t taking things away. The answer is realizing that people are broken, and only God – not government – can heal broken people. And if the church shooting wasn’t proof enough of how far we’ve drifted, the recent Colorado General Assembly Special Session sealed it. It...
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The Sword of the Spirit: On the Offensive–Advancing with God’s Sword
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Devotional, Top Stories

The Sword of the Spirit: On the Offensive–Advancing with God’s Sword

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” ~ Ephesians 6:17 ~ As a boy, I loved playing with swords. Sometimes I’d pick up a stick and pretend to be Robin Hood, while other times I engaged in lightsaber duels reminiscent of Star Wars. Our battles were always grand—filled with heroic moves, slow-motion falls, and victory speeches nobody requested. My two triplet sisters, Faye and Barbara, along with my little brother, Todd, were my sparring partners. We weren’t a medieval army, but when we started fighting, the backyard often turned into a battlefield in more ways than one. Someone always ended up ‘injured,’ usually me, and the rules often changed mid-fight to give the girls an advantage. ...
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The Shield of Faith: The Final Move – Who Do You Want to Be?
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Devotional, Top Stories

The Shield of Faith: The Final Move – Who Do You Want to Be?

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice “Who do you want to be today… who do you want to be?” – Devo If you knew me back in the 80s, or if you’ve read my devotions or heard me preach, you know I wasn’t grooving to synth-pop or rocking parachute pants. I was a hard rocker through and through. Zeppelin, Dio, Ozzy… those were my peeps. My soul leaned into guitar solos, not synthesizers. But recently, I caught myself humming a Devo tune—yeah, that Devo—the 1984 track “Who Do You Want to Be Today?” And it struck me: that quirky little lyric actually echoes something Jesus asked long before the ‘80s ever got weird. Jesus said it better, and with eternal weight: “Follow Me.” Devo asked a fun question; however, Jesus asked a life-altering one. “Who do you want to be today?” ...
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The culture war at home: How modern trends leave kids vulnerable
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, National, Top Stories

The culture war at home: How modern trends leave kids vulnerable

By John DiGirolamo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Modern culture directly affects our society. This is not your parent’s Yoplait yogurt. The current culture’s influence is stronger than ever and is constantly evolving. Ask a typical high school student what they want to be when they grow up, and you won’t hear answers of doctor, lawyer or accountant. They dream of being an influencer. But they've already been influenced themselves. The Influence of Modern Culture The culture and its sphere of influence include several facets. Changing societal norms benefit predators. Vulnerable kids and teens correlate with an increased risk of manipulation and exploitation. Specific examples are summarized below: Unstable home life: Unsupervised children have a higher tendency to s...
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True Christians Called to Reject the False Gospel of Transgender Ideology
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National, Approved, Commentary, The Daily Signal

True Christians Called to Reject the False Gospel of Transgender Ideology

By Tyler O’Neil | Commentary, The Daily Signal Transgender advocates say their movement is about compassion and acceptance, but is it not extremely cruel to gaslight children into taking experimental drugs with documented harms but no proof they improve their lives? Is there anything more disempowering or dehumanizing than saying your natural process of puberty is so drastic a threat to your mental health that nothing short of fundamentally reshaping your body is necessary to prevent you from committing suicide? I can think of few things as antithetical to Christian love, and, in fact, I can’t help but see transgender orthodoxy as a counterfeit gospel, competing against the faith once delivered to the saints. Cruel Activists use the gaslighting term “gender-affirmin...
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Faith over fear: How Christians can stand strong when the world unravels
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Devotional, Top Stories

Faith over fear: How Christians can stand strong when the world unravels

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. ~ Genesis 1:2–3 Long, long ago…God brought order to chaos—and He’s still doing it today. How? Through our acts of faith. While chaos bullies its way into our lives uninvited, faith rolls out the welcome mat for God's power to bring order, peace, and purpose (Luke 24:49). Let’s talk about chaos. Not just the kind playing out on the news, but the kind that shows up in your story, in childhood wounds, military mayhem, workplace drama, and ministry madness. For me, chaos wasn’t a stranger. It was a full-time roommate. I grew up with it, wore i...
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Devotional: Be a Twinkie in a Ding Dong world
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Devotional, Top Stories

Devotional: Be a Twinkie in a Ding Dong world

By Pastor Drake Hunter | Commentary, Elevating Life Church Let me take you back to the year 1988—my early days as a Christian, stationed in Germany with the United States Air Force. I was a brand-new convert, ready to charge hell with a squirt gun. Freshly saved and fully fired up, I figured the best way to show my faith was with the biggest King James Bible I could find. In Germany. That was no easy task. But I found a Christian bookstore, marched in, and said something like, “Give me the real deal.” What they handed me was less a Bible and more a leather-bound briefcase of holy intimidation. It had gold letters on the front, multiple bookmarks, and enough weight to count as carry-on luggage. I was thrilled. I thought, The bigger the Bible, the greater the faith. Here I...
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Garbo: A Christian conservative’s honest, loving perspective on LGBTQIA+ and sin
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Approved, Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Garbo: A Christian conservative’s honest, loving perspective on LGBTQIA+ and sin

By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice I’m a Christian. I’m a Conservative. I believe the Bible is the Word of God, not a suggestion, not a cultural relic, but the truth. And, though it is admittedly very difficult to do at times, I also believe deeply in loving my neighbor - all of them - unconditionally. That includes the LGBTQIA+ community. Let’s be honest: Pride Month brings up tension, especially for those of us who don't support the ideology or the prurient displays often celebrated in public forums. But disagreement is not hate. Conviction is not fear. And rejecting a behavior doesn’t mean rejecting a person. If I’m going to be consistent with my faith, then I have to love people - really love them - even when I believe they're sinning. I’m called to lo...
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