Compassion

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ODJ: cross 'n' dagger

Heavy metal music, motorcycles and muscle cars. All of these things were present at the annual Cross ’n’ Dagger church service held at the Life Bridge Church. The congregation created this special service for people who might not attend a ‘regular’ Sunday morning meeting. Senior Pastor Bill Campbell said, “[People] can come in their leathers, if they’re bikers . . . . However they’re

ODJ: leftovers

According to a study released in August 2012,Americans throw away 40 percent of their food every year, valued at roughly $165 billion annually. The average American throws away 240 pounds (110 kg) of edibles per person every year. Just a 15 percent reduction in this amount would feed 25 million people annually.

God promised to bless the Israelites if they would simply obey Him. They wo

ODJ: unwanted and unloved

A pastor and his congregation, serving in an area known for addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes, haveprayed an interesting prayer for many years: Lord, send us the people nobody else wants. That prayer has been answered, as more than 800 church attendees are now involved in recovery programmes designed to help them break free from destructive lifestyles. Recently the pastor added this phrase to th

ODJ: had to go there

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Author Elizabeth Berg once wrote, “You know thephrase ‘It’s always in the little things’? In writing,it is always the little things—it’s the details . . . that make a character and a story come alive.”

The gospel authors knew the importance of details. For example the apostle John wrote that Jesus “had to go through Samaria” as He was travelling from Judea to Galilee (

ODJ: not broken


As someone who has spent a lot of time in the coastal waters of Florida, America, I’ve always enjoyed seeing bottlenose dolphins up close in the wild. That’s one reason I was particularly drawn to the film Dolphin Tale.


Based on a true story, the film is about a fatherless and disheartened boy named Sawyer who finds great joy and meaning in the rehabilitation of an injured bottle

ODJ: good religion


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As a pastor, I get interesting responses from people when they discover my vocation. Some will immediately apologise for the language they’ve used. Some offer a forced smile and then come up with an excuse to change the subject. One line I hear often is: “Well, I like Jesus, but I don’t like religion.”


I understand the sentiment. People are suspicious of the church and religi

ODJ: unexpected blessings


It’s likely we’ve read Jesus’ Beatitudes as a list of virtues—attitudes and actions that He wants us to pursue. So, we think, He wants us to be humble (Matthew 5:5), merciful (v.7), pure in heart (v.8) and peaceful (v.9).

ODJ: transforming grace


At the start of the 1998 film Les Miserables, recently released convict Jean Valjean staggers into a small village. Cold, starving and out of options, Valjean receives a meal and lodging from a local bishop. During the night, however, Valjean repays the bishop’s kindness by running off with his host’s expensive silverware. He’s caught the next morning, but the bishop graciously saves him fro

ODJ: affected


Rachel, the daughter of fellow ODJ author Jeff Olson, is a young woman I love as if she were my own. Recently she completed an 8 month missions trip. During that time I became concerned when she contracted malaria while serving in a rural part of Kenya. Fortunately her health was restored after taking some strong medication. Rachel’s ministry for Jesus definitely caused her to be affected physic