DeKalb County Jail Ministries

03/03/2026

02/25/2026

It seems to me Jesus has a pattern of performing miraculous acts in the setting of messes.

This revelation led me to a gut-honest prayer...

Oh Lord, let me see this. Please don’t let the messes of life harden my heart and blind me to Your presence. Instead of being so terrified in the midst of the mess, might I keep the picture of You, watching me, always watching me. And might I find courage in the assurance that You will come to me with Your miraculous presence.

Yes, I need to spend a whole lot less time trying to fix the messes in my life … and a whole lot more time keeping my heart soft in the process.

Then I won’t miss the miraculous work of Jesus in the midst of my mess.
- Lysa TerKeurst

01/13/2026

Wow 😯!! Never heard it this way😮😞🧐🤔.

A Five-Star Recommendation

Imagine if someone were in a house that caught fire and rushed out to save their own life but didn’t do anything to help the others who still were inside. Worse yet, they didn’t even call the fire department. Instead, they walked off and acted as though it didn’t happen.

Not only would that be wrong, but it’s even a criminal act.

Or let’s say that a physician ran a series of tests on a patient and realized that person could be treated with a course of antibiotics or perhaps a simple surgery. But the physician felt uncomfortable, even awkward, about telling the patient some bad news. Instead, he sent the patient away and said, “You’re good to go.” That is an irresponsible doctor.

So how much worse would it be to know the way to Heaven, to know the way for someone to be forgiven of their sins and find the meaning and purpose of their life, and not tell them? That’s why not sharing the gospel can be a sin.

Understand, sin has many definitions. There are sins of commission and sins of omission. A sin of commission is breaking a commandment and crossing the line. It’s doing something that we know is wrong.

On the other hand, a sin of omission is not doing something that we know is right. In fact, the Bible says, “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:17 NLT).

Let’s remove the words preach and evangelism for a moment and put a different word on the table: recommendation. We make recommendations all the time, from restaurants to the best products to buy. And when another person recommends something to us, it carries weight.

So let’s take that idea and apply it to sharing the gospel. We’re willing to talk about hamburgers, but are we willing to talk about Jesus? -Greg Laurie

12/14/2025

Success Story!

We are proud to celebrate the remarkable success of Marcos Hernandez, who faithfully participated in Sunday services and Christian Education classes through the DeKalb Jail Ministry while incarcerated and has since graduated Summa Cum Laude from Elgin Community College (ECC).

His commitment to faith and learning during incarceration continued after his release, leading to outstanding academic achievement despite the challenges of reentry. This milestone reflects his resilience and highlights the transformative impact of faith-based programs that foster rehabilitation, restoration, and hope.

09/05/2025

Love is a Battlefield

The war has been won by way of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but there is still a battle waging war on our life, soul, and heart.

Yesterday, we read Psalm 23 in its entirety and reflected on the different names of God. It is worth noticing, the familiar words of Christ on the cross were also written by David in Psalm 22:1, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me.”

As a follower of Jesus, at some point or another, we all will struggle with the thought, God is not listening to my prayers. He has left me alone. He cannot be trusted, and it is up to me to be in control of my happiness. These thoughts are all lies against who Jesus is in order to weaken our faith in Him and steal our peace.

If you are a follower of Jesus and have given your life to Him, you can be assured that the only person God has forsaken was Jesus. During His most extravagant expression of love, Jesus was abandoned on the cross by His Father so that we will never be abandoned. With His last breath, Jesus declared, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) All of Heaven mourned.

Meanwhile, for three days Hell rejoiced. We all know what happened next. Jesus walked out of that same grave in Glory and in victory. What darkness meant to destroy, Jesus died to redeem. God defeated the powers of evil. As followers of Jesus, we can claim that same victory.

Jesus didn’t just say He loved us; He proved His love in ways words could never express by laying down His life for us. He paid off our sinful debt with His perfect life. Because of Jesus, we will never be forsaken but are always loved and worthy to call a Holy God our Father. Our place with God has been forever sealed with triumph!

The war was won long ago, but we are still in a battle. If we don’t know who we are fighting, we cannot win the battle. Jesus called Satan a liar, thief, and deceiver; his goal is to destroy who you are and your relationship with God. Satan is opportunistic, and he will attack when we least expect it. That being said, I’m confident that God, our defender, will fight to protect our hearts, strengthen our faith, and win this waging battle around us.

When COVID-19 invaded our land, the threat of death surrounded us every day. Our dreams and plans appeared to be thrown down a dark pit never to be seen again. We must remember, there is no pit so deep that God’s love cannot reach to pull us out. Yes, my friend, there is no war or invisible enemy that Jesus has not already fought and won. So, let’s hold on to Him and let Him fight our battles! -Cupofjoy.org-

Cup of Joy equips women to embrace & run their race well. Through devotions, bible studies, biblically focused teaching, retreats and events, we are here to encourage you no matter where you are on your journey.

08/20/2025

Set Up Some Safeguards

There are certain questions in life that we don’t need to think about or pray about. Why? Because we already know what God says about them.

For example, we already know that it’s not okay to steal because God tells us, “You must not steal” (Exodus 20:15 NLT). We already know that it’s not okay to have an adulterous relationship because God says, “You must not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14 NLT).

But then there are things that we’re unsure about. We don’t know for certain whether they’re right or wrong.

The good news is that we can set up some safeguards in our lives to help us determine what we should do. Before you engage in that activity you’re uncertain about, ask yourself some questions.

First, does it build you up spiritually, or does it tear you down? The apostle Paul wrote, “You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you. You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is beneficial” (1 Corinthians 10:23 NLT).

You should avoid, at all costs, anything that could tear you down spiritually, pull you away from the people of God, keep you from Christian fellowship, or take the edge off your desire for prayer or Bible study.

Second, does it bring you under its power? Again, Paul wrote, “I must not become a slave to anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT). I don’t want to be under the control of anyone or anything except Jesus Christ.

Third, do you have an uneasy conscience about it? Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, “If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning” (Romans 14:23 NLT).

These are things we need to consider as believers because we have an adversary, the Devil, who is waiting to strike. So be careful. -Greg Laurie -

06/24/2025

A Friend’s Comfort

I read about a mom who was surprised to see her daughter muddy from the waist down when she walked in the door after school. Her daughter explained that a friend had slipped and fallen into a mud puddle. While another classmate ran to get help, the little girl felt sorry for her friend sitting by herself and holding her hurt leg. So, the daughter went over and sat in the mud puddle with her friend until a teacher arrived.

When Job experienced the devastating loss of his children and became afflicted with painful sores on his entire body, his suffering was overwhelming. The Bible tells us that three of his friends wanted to comfort him. When they found Job, “they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was” (Job 2:12–13).

Job’s friends initially showed remarkable understanding. They sensed that Job simply needed someone to sit and mourn with him. The three men will begin to speak in the next few chapters. The irony is that when the friends do begin to speak, they end up giving Job poor advice (16:1–4).

Often the best thing we can do when comforting a hurting friend is to sit with them in their suffering.

Heavenly Father, help me to be a good friend to those who are hurting. Thank You that You promise to be near to those who are suffering and provide encouragement through Your Holy Spirit.
By Lisa Samra- Our Daily Bread Ministries

A friend’s presence in the midst of suffering provides great comfort.

Job’s wife’s suffering (except for the painful sores) was just as keen as Job’s. She had lost just as much, and her angry advice to Job is completely understandable: “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). Yet even in Job’s response, he “did not sin in what he said” (v. 10). He merely noted that she spoke “like a foolish woman,” implying that he knew her character to be noble. The text also highlights the fact that Job’s friends truly did sympathize with his situation and were there to provide genuine comfort (v. 11). But Job’s wife and his friends couldn’t fathom that he was part of a cosmic battle they didn’t comprehend.

In this life, certain things will remain beyond our understanding. Perhaps someone close to you faces some unanswerable questions. Who might need your quiet presence today?

-Tim Gustafson-