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‘Life Returns to Their Eyes’: Florida Jail Ministry Sees Revival, Record Baptisms
Walton County Jail in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, is being transformed from a place of confinement to a site of spiritual freedom.
Rev. Jonathan King, pastor of First Apostolic Church of DeFuniak Springs, serves as a volunteer chaplain for the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.
He said the ministry takes a specific angle that’s bearing fruit.
“When we approach these men and women as people instead of just as inmates, we’re finding that God is doing the work in their lives,” King told CBN News.
The ministry at the jail is a coordinated effort between the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, First Apostolic and New Life Church of Santa Rosa and includes worship, prayer, and Bible study.
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But the impact is going far beyond a weekly meeting.
“We can only have 28 men in there at a time,” explained King. “And so, obviously that doesn’t scratch the surface. And so, we teach them, we want you to take this and go and teach it to the ones that didn’t get to come today. And so, they’re teaching Bible studies in their pods. They’re having prayer meetings in their pods. They’re encouraging one another in their pods.”
The results have been impressive with 70 inmates baptized in July. King also helped baptize another 45 inmates in August at the Okaloosa County Jail.
“It’s a beautiful thing to watch as men who started the day with absolutely no hope of anything for the future,” King said, “and over months we watch as the life returns to their eyes and they have some purpose.”
The jail ministry focuses on rehabilitating and discipling inmates so they can go beyond just redirecting them to completely change their lives.
Some take that transformation with them after they leave, including one man who now attends King’s church.
“He got out on a Thursday afternoon and on Sunday he was in our service on Sunday morning. We’ve been seeing him. We have multiple services on Sunday. He comes to both of them and he’s brought more people with him than most anybody I know,” said King.
There are other positive signs.
“I’ve watched as the Lord has literally changed the atmosphere in that jail,” King said in the interview. “Several weeks ago, they communicated to me that they pulled the reports of those 70 inmates that we baptized there at Walton a few months ago, and as of a couple weeks ago, they had zero disciplinary actions towards any of them.”
The ministry is now expanding to help men prepare for life after incarceration.
“They’re going to allow us to teach a recovery part of that reentry program where we’ll be able to connect with those that are fixing to leave and to connect with them and tell them that they have somewhere to go when they get out,” explained King.
For King, changed lives are more than just jailhouse conversions.
“If the Lord can convert somebody in a jailhouse, then who are we to look down on that and say, ‘well, it’s just because they’re in jail.’ Well, the truth of the matter is we all were converted somewhere. And I believe that God can start a conversion process in some inmates in a jail that will move past the jail,” said King.
Sources:CBN News
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America’s Women: Called for Such a Time as This
The order had already been issued. An entire people faced destruction, and the man responsible held extraordinary power. Yet one woman, who had not sought the responsibility before her, might be able to change what happened next. Speaking up could cost her life, while remaining silent offered the possibility of safety and comfort within the palace. She had a difficult decision to make, and the stakes could not have been higher.
Before approaching the king, she asked her people to fast with her for three days. She understood the danger, but she had no way of knowing whether the king would even allow her to speak. When the time came, she went. Her name was Esther.
More than 2,500 years later, I still think about the question her cousin Mordecai asked in Esther 4:14: “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Esther had no guarantee the king would listen or that her actions would save her people. She went anyway, trusting God with what happened next.
As a mother of five and a grandmother, I often think about the world we’re leaving to the next generation. The values we defend and the decisions we make today will shape our laws and communities long after we’re gone. Destructive movements we fail to confront now can grow into even greater threats, leaving our children and grandchildren to face battles we were unwilling to fight. If we remain passive, we risk making their challenges even harder. And by then, will they still have the freedom and opportunity to fight them?
I hear from women across the country who are genuinely worried about what they’re seeing. Mothers are questioning what their children are being taught in the classroom. Women are asking why protecting girls’ sports and private spaces has become so controversial. Parents are frustrated that their voices seem to carry less weight when decisions about their own children are being made.
Women ask me all the time what they can possibly do about what’s happening in our country. My answer is this: start where you live. Pay attention to what’s happening in your child’s school, get involved in your community, and don’t assume someone else will speak up. As Christians, we’re not promised that everything will turn out the way we want. We are, however, called to be faithful regardless of the outcome. We can face an uncertain future without fear because our confidence rests in something greater than the circumstances around us.
Our foundation is solid: Jesus Christ. And He does NOT change.
Ephesians 6:13 tells us to put on the full armor of God so we can stand firm when difficult days come. I’ve always found that instruction especially meaningful because Paul understood that difficult days were inevitable. Our circumstances may change, and doing what’s right may come at a cost, but Scripture doesn’t leave us wondering how to respond. We’re called to stand firm in our faith, even when doing so is uncomfortable or unpopular.
Standing firm begins with prayer.
When something troubles me, my instinct is to figure out what to do. I can become so caught up in finding a solution that I forget to seek the Lord’s wisdom first. Why do we make things so complicated when we have a God who knows far more than we ever could? We need to bring our concerns to Him, particularly when we’re facing decisions that affect our families and our communities. Prayer doesn’t absolve us of responsibility; it helps prepare us to meet that responsibility with wisdom and discernment. Once we’ve prayed, we must also be willing to act on what we know is right.
Prayer changes the posture of our hearts too. When we seek the Lord, we’re reminded that those who disagree with us are not our enemies. Some may be deeply influenced by a toxic culture, but they, too, are made in God’s image and worthy of dignity and love. Truth and love do not compete, and as followers of Christ, we are called to uphold both. We can stand firmly for what is right without abandoning the compassion that should distinguish us.
Proverbs 31:25 describes a woman clothed in strength and dignity who can smile at the future. I love that picture because it isn’t a portrait of a woman who has no concerns about what lies ahead. It’s a picture of someone who refuses to be consumed by fear because she knows where her strength comes from. She can face an uncertain future with confidence, not because she controls the outcome, but because she trusts the One who does.
That’s what I want to see more of in America’s women. We have enough voices telling women to be afraid or angry. I’d rather see women who are confident in their faith, willing to take responsibility for their families’ future, and prepared to use their influence for good. That means praying for our leaders, including those with whom we disagree; seeking God’s wisdom as we care for our families; and remaining engaged in the communities where our voices and actions can make a difference.
Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. We may not understand what He’s doing or why certain things happen, but our inability to see the bigger picture doesn’t excuse us from the responsibilities before us. We can trust Him with tomorrow while remaining faithful in the decisions we make today.
So when you face a difficult decision, seek God’s wisdom. When you see something that isn’t right, be willing to speak up. And when you enter the voting booth, remember that your vote is more than a mark on a ballot. It is an opportunity to exercise your voice, reflect your convictions, and help shape the world our children and grandchildren will inherit. We may not control every outcome, but we are responsible for how we respond to the opportunities God places before us.
Ephesians 6:13 reminds us that after we’ve done all we can, we are to stand. That means more than holding firm to our beliefs in private. It means living out our faith with courage, accepting the responsibilities that come with it, and refusing to surrender our voices when the moment calls for us to speak. Whatever happens in our nation, I want to be found standing firm.
Sources: Breaking Christian News
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Millions Encouraged to Open Their Bibles for Global Bible Month
Psalm 119 describes God’s Word as “a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”
Throughout November, Bible apps, ministries, and even retailers hope to spark a light worldwide with a challenge to read God’s Word daily.
Global Bible Month is a 30-day challenge that brings together organizations like Walmart, Hobby Lobby and the YouVersion Bible App with a shared goal of encouraging people to place Scripture at the center of their lives.
Whether through a physical Bible or a digital app, the initiative encourages people to make God’s Word a daily priority.
As the challenge enters its second year, YouVersion Bible App founder Bobby Gruenewald says the 2026 campaign will put God’s Word on display in some of the world’s busiest places.
“We have people that created 30-day Bible plans. I think there’s hundreds of our partners that have created special plans for Global Bible Month. We actually celebrate the Bible in Times Square, and Piccadilly Circus in London, and just different iconic places around the world,” Gruenewald said.
After YouVersion marked a major milestone last year with one billion app downloads, Gruenewald says the numbers continue to grow.
Daily use is up 13%, adding up to 18.5 million visitors each day.
Gruenewald believes the growth is no accident, especially as people look for truth and reliable information in the age of artificial intelligence.
“I don’t think it’s an accident. I think we have a generation right now, with AI, that is searching for what can be trusted and what is true, and there’s nothing like God’s Word, and so we see people turning to the Bible during this time as they’re trying to understand what is truth,” he said.
Words like anxiety, hope, and healing rank among the app’s most-searched terms this year. Gruenewald sees a silver lining in those searches as people turn to Scripture for answers.
“That’s encouragement to me, just because there’s a lot of places you can turn to in these types of moments, but the fact that people are turning to God’s Word, I feel like, should be an encouragement to all of us,” he said.
So far, nearly 15 million people have joined the Global Bible Month movement.
Sources:CBN News
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NACOG 2027 ഓസ്റ്റിൻ ദേശീയ പേൾ ജൂബിലി സമ്മേളനം : രജിസ്ട്രേഷൻ ഉൽഘാടനം ഡിസംബർ അഞ്ചിന് അറ്റ്ലാൻ്റയിൽ
30 -ാമത് നോർത്തമേരിക്കൻ ചർച്ച് ഓഫ് ഗോഡ് ഇന്ത്യാ ദേശീയ സമ്മേളനം ഓസ്റ്റനിൽ 2027 ജൂലൈ 15 മുതൽ 18 വരെ നടക്കും. 30 -ാമത് പേൾ ജൂബിലി കോൺഫ്രൻസാണിത്.
ഈ സമ്മേളനത്തിൽ പങ്കെടുക്കുന്നവരുടെ രജിസ്ട്രേഷൻ്റെ ഉൽഘാടനം അറ്റ്ലാൻ്റയിൽ ഡിസംബർ അഞ്ചിന് നടക്കും. ചർച്ച് ഓഫ് ഗോഡ് വേൾഡ് മിഷൻസ് അസിസ്റ്റൻ്റ് ഡയറക്ടർ ബിഷപ്പ് ഇസ്മായേൽ ചാൾസ് പ്രസംഗിക്കും.
പാസ്റ്റർ ഏബ്രഹാം തോമസ് – ടെക്സസ് ഓസ്റ്റിൻ ( പ്രസിഡൻ്റ്) , പാസ്റ്റർ എബി തോമസ് – ന്യൂ യോർക്ക് (വൈസ്. പ്രസിഡൻ്റ്), ഫിന്നി ഫിലിപ്പ് – ഫിലദെൽഫിയ ( സെക്രട്ടറി), അജി ഇടിക്കുള – ഹ്യൂസ്റ്റൻ ( ട്രഷറാർ), പാസ്റ്റർ ജെറമി മാത്യു – ഡാളസ് ( ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് കോ- ഓർഡിനേറ്റർ), ഡോ. ജൂലി തോമസ്- ഓസ്റ്റിൻ ( ലേഡീസ് പ്രസിഡൻ്റ്) എന്നിവരാണ് നാഷണൽ ഭാരവാഹികൾ.
ലോക്കൽ കമ്മറ്റിയെയും തെരഞ്ഞെടുത്തിട്ടുണ്ട്. ലോക്കൽ കൺവീനറായി സുവി. ജോർജ് മാമ്മൻ, സെക്രട്ടറിയായി ജുവിൻ ജോർജ്, ട്രഷററായി ഷെൽവിൻ പോളി, ലോക്കൽ ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് സെഷൻ കോ- ഓർഡിനേറ്ററായി കെസിയ അലക്സ് എന്നിവരെയും തെരഞ്ഞെടുത്തു.
Sources:cchintha.in
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