Pastor Kris Wilder unpacks the heart behind the Wonder Junction VBS theme—helping kids (and adults) marvel at Jesus for who He is and respond by living for His glory. Read more as he explores how true awe begins when we recognize Jesus as God and experience the life-transforming grace He offers.
“The key to reading is to read books that you are keenly interested in.”
In 2024, with the flexibility that came after completing his doctorate, Pastor DeAngelo explored a variety of topics—theology, history, biography, fiction, leadership, and more.
Setting a goal of 52 books, he ended the year having read 56.
Here are Pastor D’s favorites from what he read in 2024!
As Christians, we are called to be faithful in prayer, not only for ourselves but also for our communities, our nation, and our leaders. In a time when our world faces so many challenges, prayer is one of the most powerful tools we have to bring about change, peace, and wisdom.
Every year, as the calendar flips to January, we find ourselves swept up in the tradition of setting resolutions.
Lose weight. Read more. Save money.
While these are worthwhile pursuits, how often do they fizzle out by February?
As Christians, we are called to something deeper than fleeting resolutions.
In mid-October, seventeen FBC couples of all ages headed to a Couples’ Conference at The Wilds Christian Camp in the mountains of Brevard, North Carolina.
Leaves were turning golden and reddish hues, and evidence of Hurricane Helene’s flooding littered the roadsides with dried mud, downed trees, and debris.
Despite sustaining some storm damage, The Wilds opened up for camp just days before Friendship couples came to enjoy God’s beauty, great food, and fun activities, along with biblical teaching, music, and fellowship.
Life is full of change.
Just as nature goes through seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter, we too experience seasons in our lives. Some are filled with joy, growth, and abundance, while others are marked by challenges, loss, or waiting.
But through every shift and transition, there is one truth we can hold onto: God never changes—He is always the same.
Without the intake of Scripture—I’ll be left to my own reasoning and be easily influenced by the culture around me.
I’ll become stagnant in my walk with God. My spiritual growth will be stunted, and I’ll drift into sin.
I’ll become apathetic to eternal and spiritual things while growing in my love for things that are on earth.
I’ll operate in arrogance and independence, thinking I don’t really need God that much—like I desperately do.
As we wrapped up our most-recent ladies’ Bible study, an inductive look at the book of Titus, I thought about what made the study so special.
Christian camp can lay a foundation, but it’s up to the Church to build off of that foundation and continue to disciple, to support, and to train that young person for Christ. The Wilds acknowledges this, and they do a wonderful job helping refresh and prepare the sponsors during that week to be ready to continue with the camp decisions well after camp.
So here we are—several weeks removed from camp, and we’re needing to continue to keep that flame that they had at camp into this school year and help it become a life-shaping experience for them.
In a nation (and even an entire world) full of chaos and confusion, it’s easy to get caught up in the here and now—the news, the debates, the primaries, the wars, the politics, the polls, the elections, etc.
We become consumed by our daily routines, our immediate struggles, and our short-term goals. Yet, as believers, we are called to live with an eternal perspective, understanding that our true citizenship is not of this world but of heaven.
There is nothing inherently wrong with living a life that is full of excitement and entertainment, but our highest pursuit should be to stand before God one day and hear these words—“Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
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