YOUR COMMON ENEMY

According to Webster’s dictionary doubt is a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction. Doubt damages your self-worth and your relationships. Even more important it can disintegrate the foundations of what you believe and cause you to disconnect from your faith and walk away from God. “Knowing how to defeat doubt before it takes you out is a critical skill that each of us must learn. If you don’t deal with doubt, you can miss out on the life God has for you. It will cause you to not step out and take risks. Todd shares, “God is always calling us to increase, to expand, to stretch, to take on more. He doesn’t want you staying where you are. God wants to do more in and through you than you could ever imagine.”

TODD’S STORY

Your doubts and fears can cripple your spirit and keep you from living the life God intended for you to live. However, if you stay rooted in God – through Scripture, prayer, community, and worship – you can navigate your doubts to deepen your trust in God and strengthen your faith. Todd shares times in his own life when he wrestled with doubt:

• Horrific Accident –Todd and Julie traveled to Colorado to go hiking in the mountains. They saw other people in the resort load their bikes onto chairlifts with the intent to ride them down the mountain. Todd convinced Julie to do the same. As they began the descent, Julie picked up speed quickly. She hit a rock, was thrown through the air, and landed on her back. Julie was barely conscious and unable to move from her neck down. Todd called 911. A few moments later all the feeling came back, and she could feel everything. For two hours they were stranded on the side of the mountain because the vegetation kept them hidden from the mountain patrol. When help finally arrived, Julie was taken to the hospital where they discovered she had a fractured back, broken shoulder, collapsed lung, and five shattered ribs. Doctors were working hard to make sure her vital organs were functioning properly. After a long recovery, Julie regained her strength. However, this incident affected Todd’s sense of adventure and he began to doubt his ability to make decisions and protect his wife. Todd dealt with the doubts he faced by speaking God’s promises over his life and replacing lies of the enemy with truth.

• Christ Fellowship Church – When Todd and Julie stepped into the role of Senior Pastors at Christ Fellowship, they had already been on staff for over twenty years serving Todd’s parents’ vision of the church. Understandably, Todd felt intimidated to follow in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Tom Mullins. In addition, John Maxwell, an international speaker and leadership expert, attended the church and often sat on the front row listening to him. “I felt myself constantly comparing my preaching to John’s or my dad’s,” shares Todd. Comparing himself to his dad or John was stirring up feelings of insecurity and doubt. Todd decided to deal with the doubt that was trying to derail him. He went up to John after the service and asked him to coach him. As a result of John’s coaching, Todd’s communication skills improved.

• Jefferson – When Todd and Julie got married, they knew they wanted to have lots of children. However, their seven-year infertility journey delayed their dream to become parents. Thankfully, in 1995, their prayers were answered when their son Jefferson was born. Although they were thankful for their son, they were heartbroken when he stopped reaching some of his developmental milestones at age 2. Doctors told them that Jefferson was on the autism spectrum. They prayed for his healing, and he slowly began to thrive. At five years old, Jefferson began to speak. However, all that changed when he turned 13. Jefferson began experiencing unexplainable neurological and psychological episodes which caused him to regress and lose his will to live. This all happened as Todd and Julie were stepping up to be the senior pastors of the church. “It was one of the darkest and most difficult times we ever faced,” shares Todd. Instead of isolating himself, Todd purposefully surrounded himself with people of faith who reminded him how God could still do miracles. Eighteen months later, Jefferson began to experience some breakthrough. He began playing guitar and joined a local theater group. He graduated from high school and went on to college graduating at the top of his class. In 2020, Jefferson married the girl of his dreams, Cassie. He is a worship leader to the students at Christ Fellowship Church. Todd says, “While Jefferson’s story is still being written, we continue to make declarations of faith over his future.”

In looking back on storms he has weathered through the years, Todd can now see that God used them for his good. He reveals, “When the storm is over and the clouds have parted, you realize you’ve come through stronger, more resilient…what I discovered without my realizing it is my doubt had strengthened my faith.” 

DEFEAT DOUBT
    
When it comes to comparing yourself to others, there are some things you can do to remove doubt: (1) Be self-aware – don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by people who have accomplished more than you; (2) Set personal goals – focus on your own personal growth and achievements; (3) Limit social media – reduce time on social media so you can lessen your exposure to the unrealistic portrayals of other people’s lives; (4) Cultivate gratitude – shift your focus from what you don’t have to what you do have, and you will find more contentment; (5) Flip the script – seek to understand what motivates successful people and it might inspire you, and (6) See yourself the way God sees you – God does not compare you to anyone else. 

Many people around you struggle with doubt. They may be questioning their self-worth or doubting God’s goodness. You can be a source of hope and strength for them by being attentive and responding to their doubts with the compassion and grace that Christ has shown you. 

TODD’S STORY

Todd and Julie are the Senior Pastors of Christ Fellowship Church. Under their leadership, Christ Fellowship has continued its growth as a multi-site congregation that gathers thousands in South Florida each week and digitally reaches thousands beyond the region through Christ Fellowship Everywhere. Their leadership expands beyond the walls of Christ Fellowship as they serve the South Florida region and beyond. They are the founders of Church United, a partnership of local churches across various denominations that join together to transform South Florida. Todd and Julie also serve on the lead team of the Association of Related Churches (ARC) and on the board of directors for Place of Hope Children's Home in South Florida. They are both frequently invited to speak at churches and conferences around the globe.
 

For more information on Todd Mullins click the LINK! 

CREDITS

Author, Don’t Let Doubt Take You Out (Charisma House, 2025); Senior Pastor of Christ Fellowship Church, one of the top ten largest churches in America, with sixteen campus locations across South Florida; Serves on the lead team of the Association of Related Churches, a global church planting organization, and the board of directors for Place of Hope Children’s Home in South Florida which cares for children and families in the foster care system; Speaker; Married to his seventh-grade sweetheart, Julie; Children: Jefferson and Cassie

Noelle Taylor and her son had been meditating on Genesis 8:11 for several weeks. During a game of hide and seek, she noticed another 8:11 reference in a healing scripture book.

Noelle remembers, “It was, chapter eight, verse 11 of Romans, which says, “that the same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives within us, giving life to our mortal bodies.” And it spoke to me and kind of almost startled me, like, why is it open to this portion?”

Wondering what God was showing her, she soon started experiencing sharp chest pains.
Noelle continues, “So at some point that night, I did start to feel pains in my chest area, and it very quickly clicked with me, if God showed me this, he showed it to me in a healing scripture book. And he wants me to use this scripture to speak over myself for healing.

Every day I felt that pain. And so, I took the book. I went in my prayer closet, and I was ready to do battle. So, every day or about every day, I would take that one page. I will speak this over my body to overcome this problem.”
Noelle continued to pray for relief. Then, she felt God prompt her to watch testimonies on The 700 Club.  “I started to watch all of the different healing testimonies,” says Noelle, “and I would always literally feel better when I would watch them. And so, I continue to watch and fight through, and I was feeling better. Good enough to go to the gym, but still fighting through some pain, and I had one of the programs on. And I heard, Ashley, I heard her say, “I have wait, I have one more.” 

And when she said that, something just lit up inside of me and, she continued and said, “Somebody is experiencing severe heart palpitations, but also like chest pain as well. It could be also from like severe gastritis. I just believe God is healing you of that. In Jesus name, Amen.” Noelle recalls, “It was so impactful, like, to my spirit at that moment when she said that, hold on just one minute, I have one more. I immediately looked at my phone, replayed it back, and God said, look and see the timestamp. I went to the timestamp, and it was 8-11. When I saw the number 8-11. I knew that the Lord was again, no doubt about it speaking to me, because it could have been any second, any minute. But it was 811. having that to grab on to, I remember that it didn't happen right then, as sometimes it can, but slowly, I would say within, like the next couple of days, it completely went away. It completely went away.”

Now pain free, Noelle is passionate to share the source of her healing.

“This comes through the salvation of Jesus Christ”, says Noelle, “and Romans 10:9 says that if you openly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that he has raised him from the dead, it says that you will be saved, and that is the foundation to anything else. And the most important thing is your salvation here on earth.”

When Hurricane Helene tore through Swannanoa, North Carolina, Hannah and Thomas Gibson awoke to a nightmare.

"I walked outside and literally 150-year-old oak trees were just dropping on top of each other all around our house,” Thomas told us. “So I told Hannah, my wife, ‘We've got to get out of here.’"

"We're running through the field,” added Hannah. “There's just rain pouring down, wind almost blowing you backwards. All the kids are just sobbing and we're holding them. And I mean, it just felt like we were fleeing a war zone." 

The Gibson’s returned. They were surrounded by fallen trees and debris and their power was out.  With damage all around, they faced an enormous cleanup along with the emotional toll that came with it. “That initial energy only lasted so long,” recalled Thomas. “And then pretty quickly, I just started getting drained and drained and drained because there's only so much you can do by yourself.”    

That’s when Operation Blessing stepped in bringing volunteers, equipment, and most of all, hope. "It was a little overwhelming to turn in the driveway and see 30 people there... to actually have all these people that we don't know come to our house and work, it's incredible,” declared Hannah.

Volunteer teams cleared trees, removed debris, and brought a degree of relief to a family exhausted by the challenges they had faced.  “It's amazing. I'm not much of a crier but I wanted to cry,” said the emotional Thomas.  Thanks to you, the Gibsons are on the road to recovery.  

“I mean, it makes me want to go help other people because it really matters,” said Hannah. “What they're doing really matters.” 

Do you know that CBN partners can reach people around the world for Christ every day? We invite you to join us in ministry together as we provide financial support to those in need through our life-giving surgeries, food and clothing programs, humanitarian aid, and so much more! When you give today and become a CBN partner, you’ll help transform lives in the name of Jesus Christ! Join us now!

Two things become clear when watching Oklahoma State’s Rylee Langerman play basketball. Inside, she’s all grit and determination---driven by relentless hustle and heart. On the outside she’s noticeable in ways that go beyond her jersey.

“I've had alopecia since I was in second grade,” says Langerman. “Little patches would fall out and you could hide it no one really knew that I had it, but then in middle school I started to lose everything. So I just was kind of caught in a place where I was just really confused and no one else around me struggled with the same struggles that I had so I just felt very alone.”

Riley gave her life to Jesus in elementary school which gave her hope and strength as she navigated the challenges of hair loss.

Will Dawson: In middle school you're going through all kinds of changes and trying to figure out who you are and for a girl I’m sure it's probably even more so because your hair is part of your identity.

Rylee: Towards the end of my eighth-grade year is whenever it really started to get bad. That’s when I was like ‘Wow, this is actually going to happen to me.’ My family was asking me if I wanted to wear a wig or if I wanted to do something like that and we went and tried them on and I was like, ‘I just don’t think this is right. I don’t think this is what God has for me.’ I felt like I was hiding something about myself. And I just had to confront that head on instead of putting it off and hoping that it wouldn’t. I just was like, ‘This is what the Lord has for me and I’m going to do my best to embrace it.’ I knew at the time I don’t know how the Lord is going to use this, but I felt very convicted that it was happening to me for a reason so I tried to lean into that.

During those difficult years Rylee developed a love for basketball. The game grew into more than just a passion. It became a source of strength and confidence.

“I think the Lord definitely provided an outlet for me in basketball because I was able to just be on the court, be a completely different person, disassociate from whatever was going on outside of the court because at that time nothing else mattered whenever you’re in the game. So, I think that was definitely a place for me to find a little bit of confidence outside of middle school struggles.”

Her confidence was justified. By her senior year of high school, Rylee led her team to two state championships. Then she took her talents to the University of Arkansas where she spent three seasons---growing both her game and her influence.

“I think anytime a little girl with alopecia comes to my game and stays after to talk to me I think that that is whenever God really just shows me what I was able to do with the platform that he gave me. Being able to meet with the little kids and show them that they’re not alone and show them that it doesn’t have to define you and that you and that you can still be good at basketball or do other things and be in the spotlight and you don’t have to hide. I think that’s every time when I feel the most rewarded.”

In 2024, Rylee made the move to Oklahoma State, joining forces with Christian head coach Jacie Hoyt, who saw firsthand the courage Rylee brought both on and off the court.

Jacie Hoyt: “The light of Christ just shines through her I mean it's very evident in the way that she talks the way that she goes about her business and the way that she just walks in confidence in a situation that I don't know other people could really do it the way she does.”

After earning her master’s degree in health administration this past May, Rylee is now pursuing medical school—driven by the same passion to help others that’s guided her journey all along.

“I just grew up in the medical field. My dad's an orthopedic surgeon, my grandpa was an anesthesiologist, and my uncle is an ER doctor so from a very young age it was just my dream to be a doctor, and I get really emotional when I think about it, just think about how good the Lord has been to provide this opportunity for me and it's an honor to be able to follow in their footsteps and to take care of people and to hopefully show God's love through being a doctor.”

Dawson: “What does your story tell you about God's faithfulness to you?” 

Lagerman: “It tells me that no matter what I'm going through he is always going to be good and his plan is always going to work out better than you could have ever imagined. I think that there's been a lot of times in my life where there's been a lot of unknown and a lot of confusion and I've been able to just rest in the fact that it's going to work out and it's not in my hands and God's going to take care of it even if it's not how I picture it going to be it's going to be better than I could imagine. And being able to look back at personal times in my life and say that I now have no doubt in my mind that that's how it's going to work out and so being able to just rely on God's faithfulness like that is just it's a huge blessing and a comfort.”