Derek Charles Johnson

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2 

This has been an eye-opening few weeks for me in composing these blogs.  I have had the opportunity to refocus and recenter my prayer life and I hope you have…

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2 

We are at the half-way point of this month and continuing on in this series on prayer.  This has not been so much a series about what prayer looks like…

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2 

We’re just getting started in a 5-part series that is focused on prayer.  The title “Prayer Points” comes from the idea that we are intentional and specific about who and…

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2 

As this blog has centered on various themes over the past 3+ years, I have yet to take time to really delve into a topic most near and dear to…

And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that He [Jesus] was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she…

When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.  For if you remain silent at this time, relief…

We started last week with a topic that I will admit is not the most popular.  It’s not popular to talk about things like repentance and correction.  It’s not popular to mention to Christians the areas we’ve missed the mark…

Back in 2018, I wrote a pair of blogs that were addressed to the American Christian.  The points I felt I needed to make rendered the article several paragraphs long and it made sense to dispense with the points over…

(Originally posted 11-29-18)  

In so much of what I’ve shared throughout the (now) almost 4 years of doing this blog, I’ve tried to be as honest as possible.  I can’t fake it and I hope that if anything ever seems…

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:19 

A steady diet of today’s news cycles inevitably leads an anxious population to turn inward, to question, and in many cases, lose hope over what…

(Originally posted 9-11-19)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.  Galatians 5:22,23   

Taking a slight turn this week, our discussion of The Fruit moves toward faith itself.  As mentioned, all traits…

Let me start off this week pulling back the curtain a bit on my process for writing.  Just for full disclosure!  If you’ve followed this blog for any certain length of time, you’ve probably noticed that it may lag at…

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, 
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, 
    make His paths straight. 
Every valley shall be filled, 
    and every mountain…

(Originally posted 6-1–17) 

I love Psalm 77.  When I was first starting out writing music and specifically, worship music, I would go to the Psalms.  Of course this was where any budding songwriter would go because the book is literally…

Into Faith I Go - Pat Barrett

I've never been good at change 
If I'm honest, it's always scared me 
But I can't deny this stirring deep inside me 
Now I know it's time to stop resisting 

…

(Originally posted 4-3-19)

If you’ve read much of the Bible, you know the concept of peace is often cited; certainly through the Gospels with Jesus but also in many other contexts.  It can be a very broad term in which…

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.  Share…

The fourth and final installment in this series is really about getting our kids to a place where they attain some level of spiritual maturity and depth in their own walk prior to leaving the nest.  There are two extreme…

In plotting out this series, I wanted to spend 4 weeks focusing on various aspects of raising kids in a Christ-like environment.  Three of the four weeks’ subjects came fairly readily.  But God impressed on my heart that one week…

Going further into our Parenthood series, I believe we need to pivot and look at the home with another perspective.  Last week was mission-focused.  We live our lives on purpose for Christ, always pointing little eyes and ears up to…

At the onset of 2020, I wanted to return to certain topics that are important to so many of us and to hear what the Bible has to say in those areas.  In the 2020 Vision series, I talked about…

When considering Bible heroes to present in this “Profiles In Courage” series, I have to admit that one of my favorite books of the Bible, Genesis, has several characters worth covering.  Abraham is certainly a man of courage; called to…

2020 has been an amazing ride so far, hasn’t it?  In a span of just a few short months we’ve seen some things that appear apocalyptic in nature.  Earthquakes, locust plagues, tornadoes, wildfires, and yes, the widespread pandemic known as…

(Originally posted 7-3-19) 

You’ve probably heard the phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”  It’s seemingly a nod to ingenuity and development; an acknowledgment that any process worth doing or worth building takes time.  “Nothing happens overnight” is another way…