Derek Charles Johnson

Psalm 91 

1 
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High 
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 
2 
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, 
    my God, in whom I trust.” 
3 …

Psalm 51 

1 
Have mercy on me, O God, 
    according to your steadfast love; 
according to your abundant mercy 
    blot out my transgressions. 
2 
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, 
    and cleanse me from my sin! 
3 
For I know…

Psalm 19 

1 
The heavens declare the glory of God, 
    and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. 
2 
Day to day pours out speech, 
    and night to night reveals knowledge. 
3 
There is no speech, nor are there words, 
    whose…

Psalm 23 

1 
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

2 
    He makes me lie down in green pastures. 
He leads me beside still waters. 

3 
    He restores my soul. 
He leads me in paths of righteousness 
    for…

We're giving this series, Profiles In Courage, a bit of a reboot.  I enjoyed starting this topic back in 2020 as I love looking at heroes of the Bible.  My thought has been to spend an entire series (a single…

This was from a blog I wrote in 2018, titled Giants Will Fall.  As we delve into this week’s topic (and 3rd and final giant), these words seem appropriate: 

“If I haven’t offended you yet or poked at…

A real buzzword of today’s culture is the word identity. It seems today more than ever, we spend time talking about identity and being able to be who we truly are meant to be. Of course in a broken…

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of…

As we’ve gone through the past few weeks, everything has really been building toward a culmination of what this all leads to:  marriage.  Our years of singleness and our years of dating are (hopefully) preparing us for the years we…

Last time we began this conversation on dating knowing that much of what we encounter in our dating relationships can lead to brokenness and pain.  Honestly, what I write I wish I had taken to heart as a young man…

When I was in high school (over 20 years ago now!) there was a very popular book in Christian circles about dating.  The title was eye-catching and thought-provoking:  I Kissed Dating Goodbye.  It was probably in every youth pastor’s…

Perhaps what you are reading is not the usual content you might come to expect from the weekly As Bold As Lions blog.  I know it feels a bit “out of my wheel house” as they say and in full…

He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.  Matthew 28:6 

As I write this blog leading up to Easter, I am convicted to ask ourselves a question.  The question…

“There is no Christianity without the cross. If the cross is not central to our religion, ours is not the religion of Jesus.”  John R.W. Stott 

Coming into the Easter season, I wanted to leave room for a couple weeks…

Wrapping up a series on how to share and defend the Gospel, I wanted to take a week just to focus on some of the falsehoods that exist as we encounter our world.  Whenever the truth of Scripture is watered…

a·pol·o·get·ics (noun):  reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, typically a theory or religious doctrine. 

This term apologetics always used to confuse me a little.  It sounds like the word “apology” and I once thought, “Why do I want…

In plotting out a blog series for this upcoming month, I was stirred to think about the faith we possess.  In my own life, I wrestle with how well I understand what I believe and whether or not I can…

Wrapping up a series on marriage and the family, it may seem a little odd to spend some time talking about legacy.  After all, we’re getting into the practical nuts and bolts here right?  We’ve been all about the everyday…

Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  These words that I am giving you today are to be in…

As we dive back into our discussion on the home, we need a reminder that we face a battle each day that is spiritual in nature.  The forces trying to take down the home, dismantle marriages, and break family bonds…

As we started a new year, one of the areas I have blogged about in the past popped into my mind:  the home.  I wanted to do something fairly early on in 2021 about this topic.  I see the…

I hope this series “New Beginnings” has been an encouragement for you.  Let’s be honest.  January is a long month.  We start out with the hope of a new year where everything sort of has a climatic point; even before…

Switching gears here a bit, it’s time to look at how we move forward in faith and trust in the Lord into 2021.  We’ve spent sometime looking back (Looking Back To Move Forward) and we’ve also broken down…

Each year, I typically look for a verse or passage that God would use to direct the course of my life throughout the upcoming 12 months.  In 2020 I posted a blog The Verse God Gave Me For 2020 and…