Excellence in Work as a Testimony of Faith
Devotional Paulo Ribeiro Devotional Paulo Ribeiro

Excellence in Work as a Testimony of Faith

Devotional week 45

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about doing our work with excellence. This is a topic that can cause some confusion if not properly understood. I believe that working with excellence can — and should — be done by keeping a few important points in mind.

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Communicating Across Cultures
Devotional Arne Kristoffer Haaland Devotional Arne Kristoffer Haaland

Communicating Across Cultures

Devotional week 44

Right from the start the message of the gospel has been communicated to people from different cultures. On the day of Pentecost many jews and proselytes from the diaspora where gathered in Jerusalem and heard the disciples speak about the wonderful works of God in there own language! Thus they could understand what was said to them. Language is the most important tool of communication, but it's not the only thing we need to consider when sharing the good news to someone from a different culture; we also need to take into consideration their worldview and cultural customs.

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My Voice and His Word — Communicating Like Jesus in a Digital Age
Devotional Elizabeth Strauss Devotional Elizabeth Strauss

My Voice and His Word — Communicating Like Jesus in a Digital Age

Devotional week 43

As long as I can remember, I always felt misunderstood. This has not changed much in the last couple of years, but my relationship with God did. I am much more secure in who I am, the way God made me, and I am not longing for everyone to understand me, but my people, the ones I love and the ones that work with me or serve in our community, that's a different story.

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Christ Made the First Move: Choosing Peace in Conflict
Devotional Praise Mark Devotional Praise Mark

Christ Made the First Move: Choosing Peace in Conflict

Devotional week 40

Conflict in the workplace is almost unavoidable. Performance reviews, deadlines, personality clashes, or misunderstandings can easily stir up tension. A friend of mine once came home bitter and discouraged. She had just received a surprisingly low score on her performance review. Shocked, she asked her supervisor why, but the answer was not clear. Feeling treated unfairly, she rejected the review and requested an inquiry that involved higher management.

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The Price of Peace
Devotional Praise Mark Devotional Praise Mark

The Price of Peace

Devotional week 38

A friend once said during our house church gathering, “For any place where there is peace, someone has paid the price for it.” That statement jolted me awake. At the time, I was having a hard time with a fellow postgraduate student in the campus “family house” where I lived. We both followed Jesus, yet we did not get along well.

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Conflict Resolution – Applying Christian Principles to Resolve Workplace Conflicts
Devotional Elizabeth Strauss Devotional Elizabeth Strauss

Conflict Resolution – Applying Christian Principles to Resolve Workplace Conflicts

Devotional week 37

I tried to live a life conflict-free, but then realized that issues never get solved and someone always feels like their opinion did not matter. We all view scenarios from our perspective, our culture, and our personality type.

But as followers of Christ, we are called to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), reflecting His heart in how we handle disagreements.

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The Power of Relationships
Devotional Praise Mark Devotional Praise Mark

The Power of Relationships

Devotional week 36

During my first training on tentmaking, I heard something that really surprised me: the number one reason people come to Christ is through relationships, friendships between those who know Jesus and those who do not yet know Him.

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When Culture Clashes with the Cross
Devotional Arne Kristoffer Haaland Devotional Arne Kristoffer Haaland

When Culture Clashes with the Cross

Devotional week 34

The world is a fantastic place, displaying the wonders and riches of so many different cultures. This is how God intended it to be. John describes in the book of Revelation how, in the New Jerusalem, the nations will bring their glory and honor—their splendor and riches—into the city (Revelation 21:24–26.). Can you imagine the colors, sounds, smells, and noises we will take in on that day? But until then, we live in a world where culture has been infested by sin, and traditions can be harmful—yes, even outright evil like the burying of children alive to appease the gods.

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Planted, Not Misplaced
Devotional Praise Mark Devotional Praise Mark

Planted, Not Misplaced

Devotional week 32

I had never left my home state in the South before. So when I moved to the North for the first time, it felt like stepping into a different world. The journey was long and dusty. The roads stretched endlessly. The weather was dry and hot, unlike the green, humid South I was used to. Then came the food — different textures, different tastes. Everything felt unfamiliar. I missed home almost immediately.

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The Gift We Often Resist
Devotional Praise Mark Devotional Praise Mark

The Gift We Often Resist

Devotional week 31

Sometimes, receiving feedback feels like a slap, sudden, uncomfortable, and difficult to accept. Our first instinct might be to defend ourselves or walk away. But in Psalm 141:5, David invites us to see correction differently. He describes it as a kindness, as something valuable and healing, like fine oil. That is a very different way of thinking.

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Giving Feedback with Grace and Wisdom
Devotional Praise Mark Devotional Praise Mark

Giving Feedback with Grace and Wisdom

Devotional week 29

Words are like eggs, once they are broken, you cannot put them back together. That is why it matters how we speak, especially in tense situations.

When emotions are raw, it is tempting to speak quickly, harshly, or defensively. We may feel the urge to correct someone immediately or prove our point without thinking. But feedback given in anger often leaves behind damage that can’t be undone.

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