My Heart Is On Fire by Doug Apple - a short Christian devotional to open the Scriptures and make your heart burn within you!

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) Can you name even one person who lives close enough to God to hear what He is saying? That’s a provocative question, and it comes from Jeremiah 23:18 in The Living Bible. God was talking about the false prophets in Jerusalem, and He said, “Can you name even one of these prophets who lives close enough to God to hear what He i...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) I remember going out on Friday nights with high expectations. “It’s going to be the best time ever!” There were high expectations of fun, of making memories, laughter, good times, great music, and stories to tell. But at some point I started thinking thoughts like, “It’s never really all that.” Even in...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) Do this one thing and your life will be radically changed. I call it The Matthew 6:6 Principle. In short it says, “Go into your room. Shut your door. Pray to your Father.” Or I word it this say, “Get alone. Shut out the distractions. Talk to God.” When we do that, Jesus said the Father will reward us. I want that,...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) “Someone passed me a joint at Lollapalooza.” That’s what the young man said. He had gone to the big festival in Chicago to check out the scene. “Did you smoke it?” “No,” he said. “I don’t know whose mouth had been on that thing.” Good point. But I was thinking about a bigger poi...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) Take an apple seed from the next apple you eat. Plant it in a little pot on your desk. How long until you are eating apples? Just guess. You don’t have to be a botanist. A year? Five years? Ten years? Well here’s your answer. Never. You will never be eating apples from the seed planted in the little pot on your desk. Why not?...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) “What do you think about those little Christian fishes people put on their cars?” I like ‘em. “Why? Who cares?” Well, here’s why, and I can sum it all up in one word: acknowledge. Acknowledge basically means to accept something and to announce it. I can accept that my wife is a better ping pong player,...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) “Just give me one thing to do,” she said. We were talking about Christianity and faith in God and salvation, you know, all the basics of the Gospel. She wasn’t sure if she believed it, but she wanted to. I said, “God created the universe, and He created people in His image.” She said, “Okay, I don&rsqu...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) We know we are supposed to love people, but how? Love one another. Love your neighbor. Even love your enemy, but how? Do we just work harder at it? Do we need a new book, “Five Fantastic Strategies for Loving People More in Just Five Days!” I want to propose a new way, a better way, and it starts with this: I don’t know...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) Fun was my gold standard growing up. Everything was measured by how fun it was. “How was school today?” “Boring.” “How was the birthday party?” “Fun!” “Would you like to go visit Grandma?” “Does she have any new toys?” Yes, it was the old days when we were kicked out...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) You are not your body. You have been given a body to steward. You are not your body. You have been placed by God into a body, and one day soon you will leave that body. You are not your body, and that means your worth, your value, your self-esteem, your identity are not wrapped up in your body. Your worth, your value, your identity all c...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) “I want you to do a self-test over the next week.” That was the assignment from our Sunday school teacher Rodney Rowland. “I want you to observe your thoughts and see how much of the time you are spiritually-minded compared to how much of the time you are carnally-minded.” So I did it, and the results surprised me...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) “Should I take this sandwich home?” That’s what my co-worker asked when I walked in the kitchen and saw the ponderous look on his face. “Should I take this sandwich home, or leave it here for tomorrow?” Instead of answering outright, I gave him a priceless tool for decision-making. I said, “What will y...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) You’ve heard of the Prayer of Jabez? Well, this is the prayer of George. George Bailey, that is, and I pray it all the time. George Bailey is the guy in the classic Christmas movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” His life was going down the drain, and he found himself in a bar one snowy night trying to drink the edge off...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) I was never good at fasting. I tried it off and on for years and never had what I thought were good results. I’d make the commitment, “I’m not eating anything from this time to this time. I’m really going to seek God and dedicate myself.” I gave it the old college try, and then would just feel cranky and hungry and scattered. My work suffered....

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) Maybe don’t be in such a hurry to flee the church building after service. Maybe your interactions with people in the hallway are as important as the service itself. I call it Hallway Discipleship. You can also call it “loving people.” It’s interacting with people in the hallway, your brothers and sisters in Christ, your family members in the f...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire.  (Luke 24:32) If you’re being bombarded today, you need a bigger shield. If the flaming arrows are pounding your life, you need a bigger shield. If you are feeling vulnerable and weak, and you’re running low on resistance, you need a bigger shield. What is this shield I’m talking about? I’m talking about the shield of fai...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire.  (Luke 24:32) What does it mean to worship in spirit and truth? Jesus said to worship in spirit and truth, but it’s so mysterious.  What did He mean? I don’t have all the answers, but let’s look at the context. In John chapter four Jesus was talking to the woman at the well.  At one point she tried to pull a fast one...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire.   (Luke 24:32) You can’t do everything. You aren’t even supposed to.  You weren’t designed to. There’s a whole body for that. I’m talking about the church, which is the body of Christ. Jesus is the head, and all of His followers make up the body. Yes, Jesus has humongous plans for His body, such as reaching the...

+DESCRIPTION+ I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire.   (Luke 24:32)   Not keeping your word is like pouring gas on the grass.   Have you ever accidentally spilled gas on your lawn?   You’ll know if you did because the grass will die a terrible death.   Right now I have a big dead circle in my backyard, and I’m blaming the grandkids.   When we move...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) Sometimes God uses little scraps of words to speak mountains of truth. I think that’s what’s happening in the song “In Awe” by Hollyn. If my sources are correct, this song wasn’t written in the usual way. The singer Hollyn was literally put into a vocal booth in a sound studio and told to just sing. She said, “I didn’t have any words at first,...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) There’s Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree. How did he get there? He climbed, which must have been a funny sight. I have 13 grandkids. We see them in trees all the time, but we never see older people in trees. And we NEVER see older rich people in robes up in trees. But that was Zacchaeus, an older, rich, short man in robes, climbing up a sycamore...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) It’s one of the most exciting times in life. It’s when opportunity presents itself. It’s exciting because you have to make a choice, and you know that your choice will affect your future, and maybe the future of many others. It’s exciting, and nerve wracking. In fact, some people are scared of opportunities precisely because of the possible hu...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) I’ve shared this parable with a bunch of people lately. Jesus was often asked about the kingdom of heaven, and I can imagine Him looking up, hand on his bearded chin, pondering and saying, “What is the kingdom of heaven like, and to what shall I compare it? Hmmm…” “It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden, and it grew...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) “Your boss is taking advantage of you.” “What? I’m just walking his dog.” “Yeah. That’s not part of your job. You’re a radio station manager, not a dog walker.” “Okay, well, call it my senior citizen ministry. I’m helping the old guy out.” “Call it what you want. You’re being taken advantage of.” “No. What I’m doing is loving my neighbor. If s...

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32) Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand in the presence of kings! That’s what it says in Proverbs 22:29. Are you skilled in your work? Are you improving your skills? It’s a lifelong effort. We never stop improving. Jesus’ parable of the talents tells us the value of taking what we have and growing it. Matthew 25:23 says, “Well done...