ODJ: sleepless nights


Sleep. It’s one of the most underrated pleasures in life.There’s nothing like a good night’s rest or napping on a rainy day. My bed feels like a refuge—a small sanctuary from the cares of life. 


On some nights, however, sleep is hard to find. In the dark stillness, cares and concerns of all kinds can leave us tossing and turning. 


The Bible contains tw

ODB: A Shared Bond

When I needed a locksmith to get into my car, I had a pleasant surprise. After he arrived and began opening my little Ford’s door, we began chatting and I recognized his warm, familiar accent.It turned out that my rescuer was originally from Jamaica—a land I’ve visited often and have grown to love. This changed a negative event into a positive one. We were in a small way kindred spirits beca

ODJ: craving cashmere


While I was helping to organise donations of clothing for a church event, I paused to touch a cashmere sweater’s soft grey cloth. When I realised it would fit me, I considered the possibility of owning it—for free! Volunteers were allowed first pick of the donations. Cashmere is an expensive fabric, and although I have enough sweaters, this one was calling my name. After some inner turmoil, I

ODB: Graceland

The Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the most visited homes in the US. It was built in the 1930s and named after the original owner’s great aunt, Grace. It later became famous as the home of Elvis Presley.I love the name Graceland because it describes the amazing territory into which God placed me when He forgave me of my sin and made me His own. He took me out of the

ODJ: coffee house


A pastor wanted to break his church out of their formal traditions and nudge them in a fresh direction. He sensed that the congregation’s formality was discouraging the local community from walking through the church’s doors. So he began to take small steps to help them change. 


One Sunday morning he replaced the lectern with a small, café-style table. Cup of coffee in hand, he

ODB: City Of Refuge

As we entered a town in Australia, we were greeted by a sign that declared: “We welcome all who are seeking refuge and asylum.” This kind of welcome seems to resonate with the Old Testament concept of the cities of refuge. In the Old Testament era, cities of refuge (Num. 35:6) were established to be a safe haven for people who had accidentally killed someone and were needing protection. God ha

ODJ: one diverse family


A question I often hear (and also ask myself) regarding diversity is this: “God calls us to reach out to those who are different from us, but how far are we supposed to go?” Is it enough to serve and minister to people who are different, or are we called to do more?


Acts 2 is a wonderful guide for us. It seems on the surface that there are two separate and distinct accounts in th

ODB: Just As I Am

Good memories flooded my mind as I sat in a concert. The group’s leader had just introduced the song they were about to sing: “Just As I Am.” I remembered how years ago at the end of his sermons my pastor would ask people to come forward while we sang that song, indicating they would like to receive the forgiveness Christ offers for their sins.But the leader of the musical group at the conce

ODJ: blameless

Pastor guilty of bilking money from elderly woman . . . Church elder convicted of accounting fraud . . . Pastor of megachurch accused of financial misappropriation.
Headlines like these tell of an insidious sin that has plagued the church since it began (Acts 5:1-5; Romans 16:17-18; 1 Timothy 6:3-5).
As a minister of the gospel, the apostle Paul was careful to ensure that his conduct an