Derek Charles Johnson

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…

But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.  And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.  Acts 6:10,15 

Often the…

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…

I’m going to be spending the next few weeks going through a series titled PROFILES IN COURAGE.  I introduced this topic last year in 2020 and these blogs were interspersed throughout the year.  My heart has been drawn to stories…

Psalm 138 

1 
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; 
    before the gods I sing your praise; 
2 
I bow down toward your holy temple 
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your…

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…