I’d like you to hear from one of hundreds of people who saw "One Life" in person, the Christmas Story ballet we’re turning into a movie.
I love hearing people’s reactions to the show. It’s one thing to hear from a salesman about their product, but another to hear from a "satisfied customer."
Here’s a one-minute clip from just one "satisfied customer" who tells us what he loved about the show and why.
I can’t wait for you to see it, too!
Would you like to help us get this movie out to the world? You can help us greatly by making a donation on our GoFundMe page:
For your donation of any size, I’ll be glad to send you a sneak peak of the movie before we unveil it to the general public. Just be sure to include your email address with your donation so I can send you the link!
My sister (Marilyn Byrnes) and I have put together a playlist of 5 hours of Christmas piano music, including 84 songs from 29 albums and 20 artists–including my sister and me!
The playlist is called "Relaxing Christmas Piano Music for the Holidays" and features instrumental piano music great for relaxing, studying, cooking, cleaning, wrapping, decorating, and dinner parties!
It’s available now on Pandora, YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music. It’s free if you have access to any of these services. Just click a link to start streaming!
When I was looking through the footage of our first day of filming this story of the life of St. Nicholas, I was astounded at the number of gorgeous shots we had of the dancers, their emotions, and their colorful costumes. There was only one thing missing… their feet! This was a ballet, and I wanted to showcase their incredible dancing.
So the next day, I said to our director and cameramen: “More feet, more feet!” From that point on, the quest began to capture as many feet as possible, dancing their way through the story in ways that are truly remarkable!
I can’t wait to share this film with you when it’s done, even if you’ve never seen a ballet before, as I believe you’ll be moved by it like those who have seen it in person. It’s an all-out display of passionate faith, moving many to tears as they hear God speaking to them through the sights, sounds, movements, and storyline.
We have much to do to bring this film to life, and we could use your help! I’ve brought in some of the most talented people I know to help out with the production to make it the highest quality possible. I want people to be able to enjoy the film, over and over, for years to come.
If you’d like to help with a donation of any size, I’d be glad to send you a special sneak peak of movie when it’s done before we unveil it to the general public. Just be sure to include your email address with your donation so I can send you the link!
You can make a donation on our GoFundMe page at this link:
P.S. Here’s another scene from last year’s production of “One Life,” called “There’s Always Something You Can Give.” It’s a song I wrote, sung by Cooper Smith and orchestrated by Matt Ludwig, as a reminder that God can use each of us, even in the smallest of ways to make the biggest of differences. I can’t wait to show you the scene from this year’s production, filmed up close and personal with full cinematic cameras!
When I was looking through the footage of our first day of filming this story of the life of St. Nicholas, I was astounded at the number of gorgeous shots we had of the dancers, their emotions, and their colorful costumes. There was only one thing missing… their feet! This was a ballet, and I wanted to showcase their incredible dancing.
So the next day, I said to our director and cameramen: "More feet, more feet!" From that point on, the quest began to capture as many feet as possible, dancing their way through the story in ways that are truly remarkable!
I can’t wait to share this film with you when it’s done, even if you’ve never seen a ballet before, as I believe you’ll be moved by it like those who have seen it in person. It’s an all-out display of passionate faith, moving many to tears as they hear God speaking to them through the sights, sounds, movements, and storyline.
We have much to do to bring this film to life, and we could use your help! I’ve brought in some of the most talented people I know to help out with the production to make it the highest quality possible. I want people to be able to enjoy the film, over and over, for years to come.
If you’d like to help with a donation of any size, I’d be glad to send you a special sneak peak of movie when it’s done before we unveil it to the general public. Just be sure to include your email address with your donation so I can send you the link!
You can make a donation on our GoFundMe page at this link:
P.S. Here’s another scene from last year’s production of "One Life," called "There’s Always Something You Can Give." It’s a song I wrote, sung by Cooper Smith and orchestrated by Matt Ludwig, as a reminder that God can use each of us, even in the smallest of ways to make the biggest of differences. I can’t wait to show you the scene from this year’s production, filmed up close and personal with full cinematic cameras!
25 years ago, my wife Lana and I had the idea to make a movie about the life of St. Nicholas, the real one who lived back in the 4th century AD. His story is fascinating, but not many people have ever heard about it.
7 years ago, we finished writing a book about the life of St. Nicholas called "St. Nicholas: The Believer." Many have read it and been blessed year after year as they hear this heartwarming new story for Christmas based on the old story of St. Nicholas.
1 year ago, a Christian dance company in South Carolina was looking for a new Christmas story to stage for their dancers. When the director, Cynthia Dewar, searched online for "a new Christmas story" she pulled up our book, thought it sounded interesting, and ordered it.
She says she fell in love with the story immediately and passed it along to her co-director, Erin-Elizabeth Morton. Together, they carefully composed a note to me asking for permission to stage the story for their Christmas performance with over 200 dancers from their studio!
I was thrilled that they wanted to stage the story and that their hearts for the Lord and commitment to excellence were fully in line with mine.
A few months later, when I saw the show they put together, I said, "We’ve got to film this! This has to go out to the whole world!" I believed it would give boundless HOPE to millions.
SO THIS YEAR, we’re making a movie of the production in order to get it out to as many people as possible all around the world!
Would you like to help? We’ve hired a film crew of some of the best filmmakers I know, rented some of the highest caliber cinematic cameras , and are working to create an awesome experience that families will want to watch over and over and over again for years to come.
I’ve committed to doing this project personally, no matter what it takes, because I’m THAT BIG of a FAN of their show! But many of you have asked how you can be involved too, and to be honest, I would LOVE your help! "Many hands make light work," and your hands holding mine, will help to lighten my load as we finish crafting this beautiful new movie.
This is FUN! I love everything about this project. And I would love for you to be a part of it.
For your donation of any size, I’ll be glad to send you a special sneak peak of movie before we unveil it to the general public. Just be sure to include your email address with your donation so I can send you the link!
You can make a donation on our GoFundMe page at this link:
P.S. Here’s a scene from last year’s production of "One Life" called "Holy Night." Imagine how it will look as a full-length film with cinematic cameras!
Dear friends, it’s been six months today since my unexpected trip to the hospital after experiencing a heart attack, which led to open heart surgery and a quadruple bypass.
I’d like to share a special message about what I learned, not only from that experience, but also from a series of God-moments in my life. The message is called "The Importance of Showing Up," and I hope it will encourage you to keep showing up, even when you feel the most like giving up .
Through this, I felt God say to me:
"Eric, 9/10ths of the Christian walk is just showing up, not even what you say or do or don’t say or don’t do. When you show up… at church, at work, at the food pantry, at small groups… that is 9/10ths of the work, and allows you to be used and blessed in hundreds of ways. Keep showing up! And I will bless you and bless many others through you."
I hope you’ll listen to this special message… and keep showing up!
I’ve added 4 new devotional series to The Ranch website that you can sign up to receive each day by email.You can sign up now with the click of a button… just use the highlighted links in the paragraphs below.
For those interested in rebuilding something in your lives, you might like Nehemiah: Lessons In Rebuilding, based on one of the most ambitious rebuilding projects of all time. You’ll learn how to rebuild whatever’s broken in your life: whether it’s a house, a church, a ministry, a business, a marriage or a relationship. Let God speak to you through these words of Nehemiah. (15 devotions)
If you’re interested in reading through some of the most popular passages in the Bible, check out The Top 20 Passages In
The Bible, featuring 20 of the most cherished passages in the best-selling book of all time. Each of these passages contain some of the most inspiring, convicting, encouraging, and faith-building passages I’ve ever encountered. (20 devotions)
If you’d like to take a tour of the land where Jesus walked, sign up for Israel: Lessons from the Holy Land,featuring devotions based on 30 special locations throughout the Holy Land. Each devotion includes an inspiring message, plus a link to a short (1-2 minute) video clip shot on location. (30 devotions)
And if you’re ready for a new perspective on life, sign up forRomans: Lessons In Renewing Your Mind. You’ll learn how to think clearer, live better, and enjoy life more fully. No book of the Bible has changed my life more drastically than Romans, and this daily devotional tells why. (45 devotions)
You can sign up for any or all of these daily devotions by just clicking the highlighted links in the paragraphs above, or click here to see all the daily devotions now available on The Ranch website.
(Note: If you’re already receiving "365 Daily Devotions with Eric," you don’t need to sign up for these devotions separately. You’ll get them as part of your daily messages throughout the year. You can still sign up here for "365 Daily Devotions with Eric" and start receiving them today.)
Piano, piano, piano!
If you like piano music, or even if you’ve never listened to it much before, my sister and I have just finished creating a playlist of some of THE BEST PIANO MUSIC on the PLANET! That might sound a little grand, but it’s true! I love all these songs, and I hope you will, too.
The playlist includes 5 hours of continuous piano music, featuring over 90 songs from 20 albums and 15 different artists (including my sister, Marilyn Byrnes, and me!)
Here are the links. I hope you’ll listen, either on The Ranch website or on one of your favorite streaming platforms. Each playlist offers a slightly different listening experience, depending on if you have a paid or free account on these services, so try them all and see which one you like the best!
Perfect for relaxing, studying or chilling out! Click to listen now on:
Featuring the music of Marilyn Byrnes, Eric Elder, Philip Aaberg, Andre Previn, David Lanz, Michael Gettel, Yiruma, Laurie Z., David Benoit, Stephen Sondheim, Jeremy Lubbock, Emile Pandolfi, Jennifer Thomas, Kevin Kern, and Alice Perrey.
I can’t thank you enough for your thoughts and prayers, cards and meals, and true care and concern for me during my recovery from open heart surgery 3 months ago. This picture is of a sticker book a friend gave me to earn gold stars for all my "little wins" along the way… like making it through a difficult procedure or climbing to the top of a flight of stairs. It really helped!
Thankfully, I’m back to 80% health now. Praise God! When I wrote my last health update, 2 months ago, I was not doing well at all… my shortness of breath and fatigue were affecting everything I did. I was afraid it would take a year or more to get back to where I am now.
But about 1 month ago it was like a "fever broke" and I was suddenly on the fast-track to healing. I could breathe again! I could go for 3-4 hours at a time before I had to rest again! And, quite honestly, I had hope for my future again for the first time in months.
Someone asked me "What was the most surprising thing about this process?" and I have to say it was just how dark and depressing my recovery would be. One of my friends told me that when her dad had open heart surgery, the nurse at the hospital sent them home with a bottle of anti-depressants. My friend said, "But he’s not depressed." The nurse said: "Oh, he will be!"
I wouldn’t have expected my heart surgery to take that type of toll on me, but it did. I felt broken, like damaged goods that no one would ever want again. How could I be useful or helpful to anyone, when I couldn’t even pull up my own pants? I was totally broken.
But God has been reminding me about the incredible value of brokenness. Jesus said, "This is My body, broken for you," (1 Corinthians 11:24, KJV), just before suffering a horrifying death. But how many billions of people have since looked upon His suffering and poured out their thanks to God for it? There is a resurrection on the other side of brokenness.
If you’re feeling broken today, let me remind you what God has been reminding me: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). He cares about your heart. He cares about your life. He is still "for" you, just as He is still "for" me.
Brokenness can often be a precursor to blessings. I’m encouraged by this thought by the Benham brothers in their new book Bold & Broken:"A horse that’s broken can pull the chariot for its master, but a horse that’s unbroken is put out to pasture." Brokenness has incredible value, depending on how we respond to it.
I can see it now, this side of recovery! But going through it, everything looked pretty dark and dismal. I still have a ways to go to get back to 100% (and I’m praying for 150%, now that I’ve gotten this "upgrade" to my heart!) So I would appreciate your continued prayers to help me get there. I can see it now: there really is a resurrection on the other side of brokenness.
Thanks so much for your prayers. They really do make a difference!
New Devotionals Online: Acts & Ephesians!
I’ve put 2 more daily devotionals online recently, a 30-day devotional called "Acts: Lessons In Faith," and a 20-day devotional called "Ephesians: Lessons In Grace."
If you need a boost in your faith, I hope you’ll sign up for "Acts: Lessons In Faith." I truly believe that God can do whatever He says He can do, whether it’s healing, forgiving, restoring, reconciling, you-name-it… He can do it! The book of Acts is filled with such stories, and I’d love for you to read them along with me.
You’ll get the Acts devotional automatically (or may have already gotten it!) if you’ve signed up for "365 Daily Devotions with Eric." But you can also sign up for this 30-day devotional on its own at this link:
And if you’d like to learn more about grace, I hope you’ll sign up for "Ephesians: Lessons In Grace."
If you’ve never read the book of Ephesians, I think you’ll find it filled with both grand thoughts about God and practical suggestions for your life. For those who have read it before, you’ll be amazed at how many of the most famous Bible verses are found in this very short book. You can sign up to start receiving it today at the link below (and again, if you’re already receiving "365 Daily Devotions with Eric," You don’t need to sign up for the Ephesians devotional separately).
And for those who aren’t getting my "365 Daily Devotions with Eric," you can still sign up for them anytime and get every one of my daily devotions from the beginning. You’ll get both "Acts: Lessons In Faith" and "Ephesians: Lessons In Grace" along the way. They’re all free and they’ll help you grow stronger in your faith every day.
Some of you may have heard that I’ve taken on a new, part-time role at my church as their Online Campus Pastor. That means that when you click to watch our live services, you’ll see my face pop up to welcome you to our church and invite you to be involved with us as much as you want to be, regardless of where you might live in the world!
We really take out online guests seriously, with volunteers in the chat room during every online service, chatting and praying with anyone who wants to talk or has a prayer request.
You can join us live, online, at either 9 or 11 a.m. CST on Sunday mornings at live.eastview.church. We start streaming from our worship center about 15 minutes before the service begins for anyone who wants to join the chat early and say hello beforehand.
If you miss the live service, no problem! You can always watch it later, anytime during the week, at the same link: live.eastview.church. Just go to the link and click "play."
I love our church! I hope you’ll take a chance and check it out! You can learn more about it at eastview.church.
I can’t thank you enough
for your thoughts and prayers, cards and meals, and true care and
concern for me during my recovery from open heart surgery 3 months ago.
This picture is of a sticker book a friend gave me to earn gold stars
for all my “little wins” along the way… like making it through a
difficult procedure or climbing to the top of a flight of stairs. It
really helped!
Thankfully, I’m back to 80% health now. Praise
God! When I wrote my last health update, 2 months ago, I was
not doing well at all… my shortness of breath and fatigue were
affecting everything I did. I was afraid it would take a year or more to
get back to where I am now.
But about 1 month ago it was like a “fever broke” and
I was suddenly on the fast-track to healing. I could breathe again! I
could go for 3-4 hours at a time before I had to rest again! And,
quite honestly, I had hope for my future again for the first time in
months.
Someone asked me “What was the most surprising thing about this process?” and
I have to say it was just how dark and depressing my recovery would be.
One of my friends told me that when her dad had open heart surgery,
the nurse at the hospital sent them home with a
bottle of anti-depressants. My friend said, “But he’s not depressed.”
The nurse said: “Oh, he will be!”
I wouldn’t have expected my heart surgery to take that type of toll on me, but it did. I felt broken, like damaged goods that no one would ever want again. How could I be useful or helpful to anyone, when I couldn’t even pull up my own pants? I was totally broken.
But God has been reminding me about the incredible value of brokenness. Jesus said, “This is My body, broken for you,” (1
Corinthians 11:24, KJV), just before suffering a horrifying death. But
how many billions of people have since looked upon His suffering and
poured out their thanks to God for it? There is a
resurrection on the other side of brokenness.
If you’re feeling broken today, let me remind you what God has been reminding me: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). He cares about your heart. He cares about your life. He is still “for” you, just as He is still “for” me.
Brokenness can often be a precursor to blessings. I’m encouraged by this thought by the Benham brothers in their new book Bold & Broken:“A horse that’s broken can pull the chariot for its master, but a horse that’s unbroken is put out to pasture.” Brokenness has incredible value, depending on how we respond to it.
I can see it now, this side of recovery! But
going through it, everything looked pretty dark and dismal. I still
have a ways to go to get back to 100% (and I’m praying for 150%, now
that I’ve gotten this “upgrade” to my heart!) So I would appreciate your
continued prayers to help me get there. I can see it now: there really
is a resurrection on the other side of brokenness.
Thanks so much for your prayers. They really do make a difference!
New Devotionals Online: Acts & Ephesians!
I’ve put 2 more daily devotionals online recently, a 30-day devotional called “Acts: Lessons In Faith,” and a 20-day devotional called “Ephesians: Lessons In Grace.”
If you need a boost in your faith, I hope you’ll sign up for “Acts: Lessons In Faith.” I
truly believe that God can do whatever He says He can do, whether it’s
healing, forgiving, restoring, reconciling, you-name-it… He can do
it! The book of Acts is filled with such stories, and I’d love for you
to read them along with me.
You’ll get the Acts devotional automatically (or may have already gotten it!) if you’ve signed up for “365 Daily Devotions with Eric.” But you can also sign up for this 30-day devotional on its own at this link:
And if you’d like to learn more about grace, I hope you’ll sign up for
“Ephesians: Lessons In Grace.”
If
you’ve never read the book of Ephesians, I think you’ll find it filled
with both grand thoughts about God and practical suggestions for your
life. For those who have read it before, you’ll be amazed at how many of the most famous Bible verses are found in this very short book. You can sign up to start receiving it today at the link below (and again, if you’re already receiving “365 Daily Devotions with Eric,” You don’t need to sign up for the Ephesians devotional separately).
And for those who aren’t getting my “365 Daily Devotions with Eric,” you can still sign up for them anytime and get every one of my daily devotions from the beginning. You’ll get both “Acts: Lessons In Faith” and “Ephesians: Lessons In Grace” along the way. They’re all free and they’ll help you grow stronger in your faith every day.
Some of you may have heard that I’ve taken on a new, part-time role at my church as their Online Campus Pastor. That means that when you click to watch our live services, you’ll see my face pop up to welcome you to our church and invite you to be involved with us as much as you want to be, regardless of where you might live in the world!
We really take out online guests seriously, with volunteers in the chat room during every online service, chatting and praying with anyone who wants to talk or has a prayer request.
You can join us live, online, at either 9 or 11 a.m. CST on Sunday mornings at live.eastview.church. We start streaming from our worship center about 15 minutes before the service begins for anyone who wants to join the chat early and say hello beforehand.
If you miss the live service, no problem! You can always watch it later, anytime during the week, at the same link: live.eastview.church. Just go to the link and click “play.”
I love our church! I hope you’ll take a chance and check it out! You can learn more about it at eastview.church.
Dear Friends, This heart pillow is a souvenir from my unexpected stay last month at BroMenn Hospital. I had gone to the Emergency Room on March 3rd with some strong chest pains and three days later was having open heart surgery and a quadruple bypass! My surgeon signed my pillow with a Sharpie and drew on it the four bypasses he had put in my heart.
I’m at home now recovering, doing well in many ways but still needing your prayers in others, mainly, that the doctors would be able to diagnosis and treat some shortness of breath I’ve been having ever since the surgery. It’s affecting my ability to sit, stand, walk, talk, eat, sleep… just about every aspect of my life!
I’m very thankful I had a "warning shot," as my surgeon calls my heart attack, as I had no other symptoms to indicate that my heart needed this major repair. I know not everyone gets such a warning, so I’m thankful for it and for those who have been able to help me get through this—including you, if you could keep me in your prayers.
I have 2 more updates for you below that I hope you’ll find encouraging, so please read on!
Podcast Interview
I was recently interviewed by my good friend Kent Sanders for his innovative podcast called "Born to Create." We talked about "Taking Control of Your Destiny" and how to fulfill God’s call on your life in whatever situation you find yourself.
I was able to share some deeply personal stories of how God has walked with me, talked with me, and encouraged me to fulfill the calling He has had on my life. The podcast was just released about 10 days ago, but has already started touching people in profound ways, for which I’m thankful.
I hope you’ll listen, too. Here are a few comments from others who have heard it:
"I listened to your podcast this morning titled “Taking Control of Your Destiny” and loved it! I honestly have to say that this podcast is now one of my all-time favorite podcasts of any podcast I have listened to! It spoke to me in so many ways, being as I’m also in full-time ministry and also an entrepreneur. I will for sure come back and listen to this one over again." Keith
"Loved your conversations with Eric Elder. Great combination of practicality and passion. Tugged at the heart strings. Thanks for the posts." Jim
I’ve also just put another of my 30-day devotionals online, this one based on the book of Matthew and called "Jesus: Lessons In Love."
I love Matthew’s stories about Jesus for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I put my faith in Christ over 30 years ago while reading about Him in the stories Matthew recorded for us.
If you’d like to learn how to love God, love others and love yourself more, I think you’ll really really benefit from this devotional. Jesus is, after all, the greatest "lover" of all time, and Matthew gives us example after example of how we can be better lovers as well.
You’ll get this devotional automatically if you’re already signed up for "365 Daily Devotions with Eric" (after the Exodus series). But if you’re not signed up for that, you can sign up separately to get this new devotional delivered by email every day for the next 30 days at this link:
(And if you haven’t signed up for my "365 Daily Devotions with Eric," and would like to start receiving them from the beginning, you can do that instead byclicking here! You’ll get "Jesus: Lessons In Love" along the way. The daily devotions are free and a great way to grow stronger in your faith every day.)
Thanks for everything, especially your prayers as I continue to recover in the upcoming weeks!
Dear Friends, This heart pillow is a souvenir from my unexpected stay last month at BroMenn Hospital. I had gone to the Emergency Room on March 3rd with some strong chest pains and three days later was having open heart surgery and a quadruple bypass! My surgeon signed my pillow with a Sharpie and drew on it the four bypasses he had put in my heart.
I’m at home now recovering, doing well in many ways but still needing your prayers in others, mainly, that the doctors would be able to diagnosis and treat some shortness of breath I’ve been having ever since the surgery. It’s affecting my ability to sit, stand, walk, talk, eat, sleep… just about every aspect of my life!
I’m very thankful I had a “warning shot,” as my surgeon calls my heart attack, as I had no other symptoms to indicate that my heart needed this major repair. I know not everyone gets such a warning, so I’m thankful for it and for those who have been able to help me get through this—including you, if you could keep me in your prayers.
I have 2 more updates for you below that I hope you’ll find encouraging, so please read on!
Podcast Interview
I was recently interviewed by my good friend Kent Sanders for his innovative podcast called “Born to Create.” We talked about “Taking Control of Your Destiny” and how to fulfill God’s call on your life in whatever situation you find yourself.
I was able to share some deeply personal stories of how God has walked with me, talked with me, and encouraged me to fulfill the calling He has had on my life. The podcast was just released about 10 days ago, but has already started touching people in profound ways, for which I’m thankful.
I hope you’ll listen, too. Here are a few comments from others who have heard it:
“I listened to your podcast this morning titled “Taking Control of Your Destiny” and loved it! I honestly have to say that this podcast is now one of my all-time favorite podcasts of any podcast I have listened to! It spoke to me in so many ways, being as I’m also in full-time ministry and also an entrepreneur. I will for sure come back and listen to this one over again.” Keith
“Loved your conversations with Eric Elder. Great combination of practicality and passion. Tugged at the heart strings. Thanks for the posts.” Jim
I’ve also just put another of my 30-day devotionals online, this one based on the book of Matthew and called “Jesus: Lessons In Love.”
I love Matthew’s stories about Jesus for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I put my faith in Christ over 30 years ago while reading about Him in the stories Matthew recorded for us.
If you’d like to learn how to love God, love others and love yourself more, I think you’ll really really benefit from this devotional. Jesus is, after all, the greatest “lover” of all time, and Matthew gives us example after example of how we can be better lovers as well.
You’ll get this devotional automatically if you’re already signed up for “365 Daily Devotions with Eric” (after the Exodus series). But if you’re not signed up for that, you can sign up separately to get this new devotional delivered by email every day for the next 30 days at this link:
(And if you haven’t signed up for my “365 Daily Devotions with Eric,” and would like to start receiving them from the beginning, you can do that instead byclicking here! You’ll get “Jesus: Lessons In Love” along the way. The daily devotions are free and a great way to grow stronger in your faith every day.)
Thanks for everything, especially your prayers as I continue to recover in the upcoming weeks!
Want to dive into one of the most dramatic, yet practical books in the Bible? I’ve just finished putting all 50 of my daily devotions for the book of Exodus online. You can sign up to start receiving them today! They’re free… and a great way to get a boost in your faith EVERY DAY! Read on and sign up!
Exodus Devotions Now Online!
Exodus is one of the most dramatic books in the Bible. Feature films have told various stories from the book of Exodus, ranging from Cecil B. Demille’s epic The Ten Commandments, to DreamWorks’ animated The Prince of Egypt, to Stephen Spielberg’s classic Raiders of the Lost Ark.
But what I like most about the book of Exodus is not how dramatic it is, but how practical it is.
I began this study at a time when I wanted to expand my own ministry. I wanted to learn how God used Moses to set hundreds of thousands of people free. I thought I might learn a few lessons for how God might use me to set others free, too.
I was right. But instead of finding one or two lessons, I found fifty!
I began applying these lessons to my own life and ministry and began to see results immediately. These are the lessons that I’ll be sharing with you throughout this book―lessons from stories that are over 3,000 years old and lessons from from my own life today; lessons that include some of my favorite Bible stories and lessons that include some of my favorite personal stories of my own walk with God.
God wants to set you free. He wants to keep you free. And He wants to use you to set others free.May God bless you―and many others―as you read and apply these lessons to your life.
(NOTE: If you’ve ALREADY signed up for "365 Daily Devotions with Eric," you DON’T need to sign up again for these Exodus devotions. They will be sent to you AUTOMATICALLY after the "Two Weeks With God" devotions. And if you’d LIKE to sign up for all "365 Daily Devotions with Eric," you can do that now byclicking here! You’ll get the Exodus devotions included, starting on week 3.)
Want to dive into one of the most dramatic, yet practical books in the Bible? I’ve just finished putting all 50 of my daily devotions for the book of Exodus online. You can sign up to start receiving them today! They’re free… and a great way to get a boost in your faith EVERY DAY! Read on and sign up!
Exodus Devotions Now Online!
Exodus is one of the most dramatic books in the Bible. Feature films have told various stories from the book of Exodus, ranging from Cecil B. Demille’s epic The Ten Commandments, to DreamWorks’ animated The Prince of Egypt, to Stephen Spielberg’s classic Raiders of the Lost Ark.
But what I like most about the book of Exodus is not how dramatic it is, but how practical it is.
I began this study at a time when I wanted to expand my own ministry. I wanted to learn how God used Moses to set hundreds of thousands of people free. I thought I might learn a few lessons for how God might use me to set others free, too.
I was right. But instead of finding one or two lessons, I found fifty!
I began applying these lessons to my own life and ministry and began to see results immediately. These are the lessons that I’ll be sharing with you throughout this book―lessons from stories that are over 3,000 years old and lessons from from my own life today; lessons that include some of my favorite Bible stories and lessons that include some of my favorite personal stories of my own walk with God.
God wants to set you free. He wants to keep you free. And He wants to use you to set others free.May God bless you―and many others―as you read and apply these lessons to your life.
(NOTE: If you’ve ALREADY signed up for “365 Daily Devotions with Eric,” you DON’T need to sign up again for these Exodus devotions. They will be sent to you AUTOMATICALLY after the “Two Weeks With God” devotions. And if you’d LIKE to sign up for all “365 Daily Devotions with Eric,” you can do that now by clicking here! You’ll get the Exodus devotions included, starting on week 3.)
Do you like daily devotions? If so (or even if you’ve never tried them before), I’m excited to announce that starting today you can sign up to receive "365 Daily Devotions with Eric!" Each day I’ll share some thoughts from the Bible and some thoughts from my heart to give you a boost in your faith. To learn more or to sign up, read on…
365 Daily Devotions with Eric!
I love daily devotions. Why? Because I love spending quiet time with God, every day. He centers me. He gives me hope. He gives me His thoughts on what He wants me to do with my day.
And more than anything else, He reminds me that He loves me—even if I don’t get anything else done with my day than to spend that time with Him.
If you’d like a boost in your faith EVERY DAY, I’d love to send you a daily devotional—a short reading with some thoughts from the Bible and some thoughts from my heart—every day for the next 365 days!
You can start right now, today!It’s easy, it’s free, and the daily devotionals will be delivered to your inbox at the same time every day, based on the time of day that you sign up.
The devotions contain a range of topics, from why God waits to answer our prayers and how to deal with loss and grief, to how to get free, stay free and set others free from the bonds that are holding them down.
The featured passages come from a range of books in the Bible, from Old Testament books like Exodus, Psalms and Nehemiah to New Testament books like Matthew, Acts and Romans.
And the stories I share come from my heart, containing real life examples of how God has spoken to me, led me and guided me through the various biblical passages I highlight.
My hope for this series is to give you a boost in your faith every day, trusting and believing that God is there and really cares—for you. Nothing else is more important.
As the Bible says:
"Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).
God is there, and He really cares. I can’t wait for you to start this series! I really do believe God will speak to you daily if you’ll listen for His voice.
Click here to start the series, which begins with two weeks’ worth of devotions from my devotional book, Two Weeks With God. At the end of the two weeks, you can sign up for more! They’re all free, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
I hope you enjoy your new year, and I hope you enjoy your time with God!
Do you like daily devotions?If so (or even if you’ve never tried them before), I’m excited to announce that starting today you can sign up to receive “365 Daily Devotions with Eric!” Each day I’ll share some thoughts from the Bible and some thoughts from my heart to give you a boost in your faith. To learn more or to sign up, read on…
365 Daily Devotions with Eric!
I love daily devotions. Why? Because I love spending quiet time with God, every day. He centers me. He gives me hope. He gives me His thoughts on what He wants me to do with my day.
And more than anything else, He reminds me that He loves me—even if I don’t get anything else done with my day than to spend that time with Him.
If you’d like a boost in your faith EVERY DAY, I’d love to send you a daily devotional—a short reading with some thoughts from the Bible and some thoughts from my heart—every day for the next 365 days!
You can start right now, today! It’s easy, it’s free, and the daily devotionals will be delivered to your inbox at the same time every day, based on the time of day that you sign up.
The devotions contain a range of topics, from why God waits to answer our prayers and how to deal with loss and grief, to how to get free, stay free and set others free from the bonds that are holding them down.
The featured passages come from a range of books in the Bible, from Old Testament books like Exodus, Psalms and Nehemiah to New Testament books like Matthew, Acts and Romans.
And the stories I share come from my heart, containing real life examples of how God has spoken to me, led me and guided me through the various biblical passages I highlight.
My hope for this series is to give you a boost in your faith every day, trusting and believing that God is there and really cares—for you. Nothing else is more important.
As the Bible says:
“Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
God is there, and He really cares. I can’t wait for you to start this series! I really do believe God will speak to you daily if you’ll listen for His voice.
Click here to start the series, which begins with two weeks’ worth of devotions from my devotional book, Two Weeks With God. At the end of the two weeks, you can sign up for more! They’re all free, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
I hope you enjoy your new year, and I hope you enjoy your time with God!
As we announced a few months ago, Greg and I have some new opportunities on the horizon so we’re going to be sending you our messages from two different email addresses as two separate ministries—starting tomorrow!
Greg will continue sending you his daily Christian quotes, Bible verses and occasional smiles every Monday through Friday from message@thisdaysthought.org.
And I (Eric) will continue sending you encouraging messages from time to time on weekends to help you stay strong in your faith from eric@theranch.org. (You might want to “whitelist” both of these addresses to be sure you receive our messages to your inbox.)
You’ll also notice our top banners are changing… “This Day’s Thought from The Ranch” will change to “This Day’s Thought” from Greg and “What’s New at The Ranch” from me.
A few other notes:
Prayer requests will continue to be received at “The Ranch” on a confidential prayer page called “A Quiet Place to Pray.”
Our app for iOS and Android devices will be discontinued.
Donations for “This Day’s Thought” can now be made directly at thisdaysthought.org/make-a-donation and for “The Ranch” directly at theranch.org/make-a-donation. While Greg and I will continue working together behind-the-scenes to help each other with our ministries, we will be raising our support and funding for our two ministries separately.
I’ll share more in the weeks ahead about some of these new opportunities in “What’s New at The Ranch,” including new music, new messages, new books, new podcasts, new interviews, new devotions and more—all designed to help you put your faith in Jesus Christ for everything in your life. What Isaiah the prophet said in the Bible is still happening today:
“See, I am doing a new thing; Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19).
Thanks for coming along with us this far, and I’m looking forward to our days ahead. The best really is yet to come. P.S. If you should have any questions, you can contact me at eric@theranch.org and Greg at greg@thisdaysthought.org.
Special Note… Change of (email) address! Starting this Monday, January 21st, we’ll be sending you our daily thoughts from this email address: message@thisdaysthought.org. You might also “white list” this sending address by adding it to your Contact list, etc.
We expect a smooth transition, but just wanted to give you a heads-up before the change in case you stop receiving our daily thoughts for any reason.
There are no disappointments to those whose wills are buried in the will of God.
Frederick W. Faber
“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Mark 2:10-12
The New International Version
Very few people take the trouble to use their brains as long as their prejudices are in working condition.
Special Note… Change of (email) address! Starting this Monday, January 21st, we’ll be sending you our daily thoughts from this email address: message@thisdaysthought.org. You might also “white list” this sending address by adding it to your Contact list, etc.
We expect a smooth transition, but just wanted to give you a heads-up before the change in case you stop receiving our daily thoughts for any reason.
While the Kingdom of God as the realm in which God’s will is perfectly done continues to be future, the Kingdom as the active saving power of God has come into the world in the person and activity of Christ to redeem men from the kingdom of Satan.
George E. Ladd
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Change of (email) address! Starting this Monday, January 21st, we’ll be sending you our daily thoughts from this email address: message@thisdaysthought.org. You might also “white list” this sending address by adding it to your Contact list.
We expect a smooth transition, but just wanted to give you a heads-up before the change in case you stop receiving our daily thoughts for any reason.
There is no need to plead that the love of God shall fill our heart as though he were unwilling to fill us. He is willing as light is willing to flood a room that is opened to its brightness; willing as water is willing to flow into an emptied channel. Love is pressing round us on all sides like air. Cease to resist, and instantly love takes possession.
Amy Carmichael
He trusted in the Lord the God of Israel; so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.
The life of faith is not a life of mounting up with wings, but a life of walking and not fainting. Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.
Oswald Chambers
Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.
God Incarnate is the end of fear; and the heart that realizes that he is in the midst, that takes heed to the assurance of his loving presence, will be quiet in the midst of alarm. “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.” Only be patient and be quiet.
F. B. Meyer
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
Because some of you have asked if we made our goal in our 2018 fundraiser, I thought I’d answer it here…
No, we didn’t, but we’re so grateful for all the funds that did come in!
We received a total of $16,431.19… a record for us in terms of total funds raised during our year-end fundraiser.
I love this chart because it shows all 237 gifts that came in and how each gift, ranging from $3 to $1,000, contributed to the total amount. This chart beautifully illustrates that many hands really do make light work.
I’d like to share one more chart with you, though. It shows the total number of donors to our fundraiser compared to our total number of subscribers.
I share this chart just as a fact of fundraising. Less than 1% of our subscribers ever make a donation to our ministry. That’s not a complaint, just a fact. You’ll find similar stats for “listener supported radio” and other kinds of fundraisers.
We’re happy to provide our daily and weekend messages freely to anyone who wants them, and we’re thankful for those who contribute to make it possible.
But the truth is that Greg and I have been making up the difference each year from our own personal resources and other funds we have raised behind-the-scenes to help make this ministry possible.
We have new ministry opportunities before us, however, and we were hoping to transfer some of the financial weight of this ministry to those who benefit directly from it. For this reason, we set our fundraising goal at $60,000, which means we fell short of that goal by about $44,000.
So we are in the process of restructuring how we do the ministry so we can keep it going as strongly as possible and continue sending you these wonderful daily messages, while still pursuing all of the other opportunities before us.
I share all this because we like to present you with the facts, keep you in the loop with what’s going on, and let you know how you can help, if you’re so inclined. We’ll be letting you know in the next week or two the changes we’re making in how you’ll receive our messages.
Even though our year-end fundraiser is over, if you’d still like to contribute, please know that every gift you make truly does lighten the financial load. Many hands really do make light work! As the Bible says:
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
Thanks to those of you who asked, and thanks to those of you who read this far!
Please know that this list is always free to you with no obligation to give. We’re happy to share whatever we have. Sometimes, though, we need to be good receivers as well as good givers in order to accomplish all that God has put on our hearts to do.
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
M. Louise Haskins
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
To be sure, we cannot make the wind blow. But we do not need to do so, for it is already blowing. Wherever the Son of God goes, the winds of God are blowing, the streams of living water are flowing, and the sun of God is smiling. He is the bodily guarantee that the sun and streams and wind of God are round me. I do not need to seek them. I am already encircled by the rush of wind and water and the radiance of light when Jesus begins to speak.
Helmut Thielicke
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”
Faith is the Christian’s foundation, hope is his anchor, death is his harbor, Christ is his pilot, and heaven is his country.
Jeremy Taylor
I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered. My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long,
(Click to watch or listen to this 7-minute message)
My 2018 felt like a failure. It wasn’t, but it felt like it was.
That’s because one of my heartfelt hopes and dreams for the year didn’t happen.
And because the one thing I hoped would happen didn’t happen, it colored the way I saw everything else that happened in 2018. Like a bit of glass in my eye from the shattered mirror in Hans Christian Anderson’s story “The Snow Queen,” that one shard in my eye affected the way I saw everything else.
But a more objective look at my 2018 reveals a different view than the one I see only through my glass-distorted eye.
2018 was filled with friends who have continued to support and encourage me in my life: a Monday morning foursome of guys who check in each week via video chat for an hour, a group of a dozen or more of us who do ministry together at church and who also share our hopes and dreams and struggles along the way, a few close friends who call or take calls at any hour of the day or night to keep me from going off a cliff, and my family who does life with me and who laughs and cries and eats and prays with me day by day. For these, I am so thankful.
2018 was filled with travel and speaking opportunities ranging from talking about the wonders of God’s creation with 80 junior highers at a summer camp for a week in Indiana to talking about the joys and pitfalls of godly and ungodly intimacy to 450 young adults during a weekend in Colombia. I spoke multiple times to a local county board about a building project that would affect my life and the lives of hundreds of others for years to come. I led 3 very small groups of 3-5 people each, spoke at 3 retreats of 12-120 each, shared sermons at 3 churches of 300-400 each, and spoke at the wedding of a family friend with 100 others listening in, all of whom were touched by God at these events in meaningful ways. For these, I am so thankful.
2018 was filled with healthy living and helpful diagnoses, having finally reached an ideal weight after 8 years of weighing less than ideal, seeing a few of my vital stats come into normal ranges after being on the edges of normal for awhile, getting regular exercise and getting rid of a sleeping device I feared I’d have to use for the rest of my life. On the flip side, I’ve had some medical tests this year, now that I’ve reached the age to do such routine testing, some of which have helped me see I still have farther to go and more work to do so I don’t shortchange my life from even one day that God has in mind for me. For these, I am so thankful.
2018 was filled with helping others achieve their dreams and goals, from recording some gifted pianists and getting their music online to encouraging some gifted writers and getting their words out to the world. And I’ve stepped into a new role at our church this year, first as a volunteer and since September as a part-time, paid staff member, helping to grow their online ministry to reach thousands more with the good news of Christ. For these, I am so thankful.
And 2018 was filled with some personal achievements that have been a long time in coming, from completing a 9-year renovation project at my home turning an attic into a personal retreat center to watching a 25-year writing project about the life of St. Nicholas turn into a wonder-filled stage production in the form of “a Christmas story ballet.” I’ve enjoyed trips to the west coast to celebrate a birthday of a friend and to the east coast in honor of the memory of my late wife, Lana, and took in two fantastic Broadway shows. I’ve enjoyed playing my piano and seeing my kids go after their own dreams. For these, I am so thankful.
I’m not where I want to be, and I’m not where I could be. But with God’s help and the help of others who love me, I think I’m better than I used to be.
The story of “The Snow Queen,” it turns out, is more relevant to my life than I realized.
The story was written, at least one biographer believes, after Hans Christian Anderson went through a personal heartache as well. That real-life event so impacted him that he wrote about it in allegory form, capturing a condition that affects us all universally.
The beauty of the story is that it also points to the solution to the problem of having bits of glass in our eyes which distort our vision: to return to the One who gave us our lives, our Lord who loves us unconditionally and who will never leave us nor forsake us.
Anderson tells in his story how our heartfelt tears can wash away those bits of glass, tears that were sparked by a friend who cared, and who pointed him back to Christ. He writes:
“Gerda shed hot tears, and when they fell upon him they went straight to his heart. They melted the lump of ice and burned away the splinter of glass in it….
“Kay burst into tears. He cried so freely that the little piece of glass in his eye was washed right out.”
The story ends with a verse from the Bible and a verse from a hymn, read by a grandmother to these two young friends who had been through so much:
“Both of them had forgotten the icy, empty splendor of the Snow Queen’s palace as completely as if it were some bad dream. Grandmother sat in God’s good sunshine, reading to them from her Bible:
“‘Except ye become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.’
“The two looked into each other’s eyes, and at last they understood the meaning of their old hymn:
“’Where roses bloom so sweetly in the vale,
There shall you find the Christ Child, without fail.’
“And they sat there, grown-up, but children still–children at heart. And it was summer, warm, glorious summer.”
As 2018 has ended and 2019 has come, I’m reminded that the tears I’ve shed weren’t wasted tears; they’re part of the healing love that flows from God above, the One who renews our vision and restores our souls to see the world anew. For this, I am so thankful.
My prayer for you this year is the same as my prayer for myself, that God would renew your vision and restore your soul as you head into 2019, knowing that He sees every tear and walks beside you always–even when you have no more tears left to cry.
May God bless you abundantly in 2019, and may He give you His vision for your New Year. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
You must learn to make your evils your great good and to spin comforts, peace, joy, communion with Christ, out of your troubles. They are Christ’s wooers, sent to speak on your behalf to himself.
Samuel Rutherford
The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the Lord’s musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.
2 Chronicles 7:6
The New International Version
A little Swedish girl was walking with her father one night under the starry sky, intently meditating on the glories of heaven. At last, looking up to the sky, she said, “Father, I have been thinking that if the wrong side of heaven is so beautiful, what will the right side be?”
He brought light out of darkness, not out of a lesser light; he can bring your summer out of winter, though you have no spring; though in the ways of fortune, or understanding, or conscience, you have been benighted until now, wintered and frozen, clouded and eclipsed, damped and benumbed, smothered and stupefied till now, now God comes to you, not as in the dawning of the day, not as in the bud of the spring, but as the sun at noon.
John Donne
Thou hast put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.
There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him.
William Law
But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” And they did so, and had them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
I suppose when we wake on January 1 the world will look the same. But there is a reminder of the Resurrection at the start of each new year, each new decade. That’s why I also like sunrises, Mondays, and new seasons. God seems to be saying, “With me you can always start afresh.”
Ada Lum
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
