We Make A Great Team!

Advent begins this Sunday, and I’m already experiencing that familiar mix of excitement and fear as so many people will be opening the devotional book I’ve written this year. This year, I’ve asked some very special people to contribute their voices to the book, and I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce you to the team.

The story of rescue, redemption, and transformation looks different in every life, and that is why I have asked these friends to share from their perspectives. Many of us have been rescued from a “religious life” of thinking that our good works are enough; some of us have been rescued from a not so religious life at all. The one thing we all have in common is that at one point in our lives we looked up at the cross of Christ and proclaimed our need for Him. We were rescued and redeemed at the foot of Calvary, and we are all in the process of being transformed.

Yes, I am blessed to have such faithful men and women walking this road to Glory with me. Here’s the team that has shared their hearts with you this year.

David and Christy Grantham– David and Christy are veterans in the ministry. David currently serves as pastor of Pinecrest Baptist Church in Cordele, Georgia. Christy teaches at Westfield Schools in Perry, Georgia. David also serves as President of Grasp International, and he and Christy are resident overseers at Stillwater Pastor Retreat in Arabi, Georgia. They have three adult children- Evan (Taylor), Logan (Cara) and Sara Fogarty (Andrew), and one grandchild, Stephan Grantham.
• David- “Looking Forward to Glory,” December 11
• Christy- “Mary’s Song,” December 21

Debi Hutchens– Debi is the author of two books, Bypass in the Road: Journey of the Heart and Got a Hole in the Bottom of My Shoe but It Is Well with My “Sole.” She considers her family to be her greatest accomplishment. She and her high-school sweetheart and husband, Larry, have been married for over 47 years. They have four married children and nine “grand-blessings.” Her heart’s passion is sharing and encouraging others about the Lord, especially in such a time as this when many are seeking hope on their journey.
• “Desperate Faith: The Woman with the Issue,” December 4
• “The Lord Has Done Great Things for Us,” December 19

John Myer– John is currently serving as pastor at Grandview Christian Assembly, a church he planted in the Columbus, Ohio, area. He is the author of three books, Shopping vs. Seeking: A Focused Approach to Finding a Church; Presence: Praying the Scriptures to Encounter the Glory of God; and Solid: An Indestructible Foundation for New Christians. He also authors a blog, bareknuckle.org. Natives of Louisiana, He and his wife Aleisha have been married for over 30 years and have one adult daughter. For information about John’s availability for your ministry event, contact him via his blog or his church’s website at grandviewchristianassembly.org
• “More Thrilling, More Filling,” December 23

Jamie and Traci Powell– Jamie and Traci have been serving in ministry almost 32 years. Jamie is currently the Pastor at First Baptist Church in Perry, Georgia, where he has served for 10 years. They met at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas, and have been married 31 years. Their daughter Kati and her husband Andrew Cannon are in pastoral ministry in Arizona, and their son, Caleb owns a welding business in Utah. They have one grandson, Elijah Cannon.
• Traci: “Open Up the Heavens,” December 8 and “Rescue in the Storm,” December 15
• Jamie: “Finally Some Good News,” December 18

Justin Stewart- Justin and his family live on a small farm in middle Georgia where they practice regenerative agriculture and permaculture principles. He and his wife Ashley have been married for 11 years. They have two beautiful daughters, Kate (5), and Ellie (2).
• “An Adopted Lamb,” December 1