To the Class of 2016

When I graduated from Robinson High School back in the dark ages of 1989, I’m sure I thought I knew everything I needed to know. Oh my, how I wish I could go back and relearn all the stuff I should have learned in the first place. Experience has proven to be a pretty good teacher, though, despite the rigorous course work she demands.

So with some life lessons learned along the way (and many more sure to come), here are three foundational truths I’d like to offer to the Class of 2016 as a blueprint for anchoring your life on a solid foundation in a world where everyone else (it seems) is building houses on the sand.

One – The Bible is the true compass for life’s navigation. No other book nor any other voice speaks truth like the living Word of the King of kings – unchanging, uncompromising, in every age and every culture. It will never steer you wrong.

In its pages the divine Author reveals Himself to us as the holy, creative, sovereign, majestic, righteous, just, faithful, merciful, compassionate, gracious, loving, omniscient, omnipotent, omni-present God of the universe, for starters. And woven throughout the entire biblical narrative is Jesus, the One who offers redemption for sinful mankind like you and me so that we may know the life that is truly life.

Friends, instead of sticking our finger in the air to see which way the wind’s blowing or basing our beliefs on how we feel in the moment or what seems right in our own eyes, let’s dig into the Word of God to see what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s true and what’s false, which path leads to life and which one leads to death.

Two – Prayer is the key to the throne room of heaven. When we come to God through faith in the name of Jesus, all of heaven’s resources are unlocked and unleashed. God hears our prayers and shows Himself to be our strong and mighty tower, a rock of refuge and a shelter in the storm. Provision for our needs, forgiveness for our sins, victory over temptation and abiding fellowship with our Father are ours when we pray.

Friends, you’re going to face some impossible, unbearable circumstances in life. But instead of caving in to fear, worry, guilt or despair, make prayer with God become as natural as breathing. Turn the key of prayer and you’ll be living in the joy and peace of the Lord with the assurance of His presence and His help in those difficult days.

Three – The Church is the movement God uses to impact this world for good. Causes fade away. Civic clubs run their course. Governments falter. Nations crumble. But Jesus said, “upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

The Church will not only endure when everything else disappears, but also is the means by which this world is incalculably enriched through her godly influence.

Friends, instead of linking arms with the world’s wicked and foolish scoffers, get plugged into a community of Christ-followers. That’s where you’ll be strengthened in grace. That’s where you’ll grow in wisdom and understanding. That’s where you’ll be anchored in truth and love. And that’s where you’ll make an invaluable difference in this world for both now and eternity.

Who knows where your next steps will lead? But if you follow this blueprint, you’ll be building your life on solid ground.

Dear Heavenly Father

Thursday, May 5, is the National Day of Prayer. Let me invite you right up front here to join us for a community-wide prayer gathering at 12 noon on the west lawn of the Menard County Courthouse. This event is a non-denominational, non-political gathering of people who choose to assemble together for the purpose of prayer.

And while I want to compel you to see how urgently we need to pray, I believe the even more pressing concern is for us to see how desperately we need God.

Yes, the two are certainly related – prayer and God. But many people pray for the sake of praying without truly recognizing the One they profess to address. In other words, it’s very possible to go through the motions of prayer as part of a religious routine, saying the right words, perhaps, and yet not really be communicating with the Lord.

I say we’re in dire need of getting in touch with God.

Here is this year’s national prayer as written by Dr. Tony Evans. I encourage you to make these words your own as you call out to our Father in prayer, and I hope to see you this Thursday!

“Dear heavenly Father, we come to You today as a humble people desperate for Your supernatural intervention on behalf of our beloved nation.  First, we thank You for all the blessings You have bestowed on our land, blessings that have allowed us to bring so much good and benefit to not only our own citizens but also to the rest of the world. The very ideals upon which this country was founded were based on biblical truths, no matter how some try to rewrite history to deny that very fact today.

This is why our hearts are so broken over how You continue to be marginalized and dismissed by both our people and our institutions. We are also saddened by the fact that Your people have contributed greatly to the spiritual apathy that now engulfs us. Our satisfaction in remaining religious without being fully committed to living out the truths of Your Word has caused us to become co-conspirators with the forces of evil that are destroying us as a society.

It is for this reason that we personally and collectively repent of our carnality and recommit ourselves to becoming visible and verbal disciples of Jesus Christ. Enable us, by Your Spirit, to no longer be secret agent Christians but rather to publicly declare and live out Your truth in a spirit of love so that You feel welcome in our country once again.

Thank You for Your promise to hear our prayers when we call to You with hearts of repentance and obedience, which is how we are appealing to You today, Father. On behalf of Your church, we affirm afresh the priority You are to us that You would fill every dimension of our lives as we seek to bring You glory through the advancement of Your kingdom in our personal lives, our family lives, and in the lives of our churches and our government leaders. We confidently invite heaven’s intervention into all the affairs of our nation and we praise You in advance for Your answer.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”

Connecting to Sunday School

I agree with McGary – we do have some outstanding Sunday School teachers at First Baptist Church! From the nursery all the way up to senior adults, we have teachers who love the Lord first and foremost, who love the church family dearly, and who want to make an eternal impact for the Kingdom of God right here in Petersburg, Illinois, and all throughout the world.

It’s a privilege to work together with such a faithful, devoted team.

And I don’t mind making this plea to you, that if you aren’t actively involved in a church that’s leading you to become a more fully devoted follower of Jesus, then let me invite you to come and check out our Sunday School. It’s not just for kids!

Let me share with you briefly at least three things you can expect by participating in Sunday School.  

Encouragement. You know how, “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came”? Sunday School provides that environment for you on a deeper level than any bar ever will. We care for each other, pray for each other, and love each other with Christ-like love. Get involved in a Sunday School class and you’ll find people who will give you encouragement in your life.

Equipping. We unapologetically teach biblical truth to equip you to live the kind of life that pleases God. We teach not only for information, but for transformation. Our desire is that your life will be changed by the power of Christ, so that you will live out the faith, and in so doing find purpose, contentment, joy and peace like never before.

Engagement. Not referring to finding a potential mate (although who knows?), but finding opportunities to engage in hands-on mission work. Our church is active in reaching our community and beyond with the message of salvation in Christ, and you can be a part of it. Our classes and church have been involved recently in such projects as: serving at the Baptist Children’s Home in Carmi, Ronald McDonald House, Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree ministry, Streator Baptist Camp, Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp, Mary Bryant Home for the Blind, supporting Compassion International, ministering at the Children’s Activity Center in East St. Louis, Sunny Acres Nursing Home, Countryside Estates, Menard County Food Pantry, and more!

Some people mistakenly think they can live a good Christian life apart from being connected with the church. It’s not possible. I’m appealing to you who profess to know Jesus but are disconnected from church. A soldier who tries to take on the enemy apart from his battalion will soon find out how foolish and dangerous that is. But a strong army doing battle together can accomplish great victories.

If you’ve been disconnected and think you can do okay spiritually without the church, let me urge you to reconsider and come join us this coming Sunday at Petersburg First Baptist Church. Sunday School for all ages starts at 9:30. We’d love to see you there!

Come, Lord Jesus!

On some days, especially those in which the evils of sin in our world hit closer to home, my heart cries out, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). 

Do you ever feel that way? Do you long for the day when God’s justice against the wicked will be carried out swiftly and speedily? The psalmist in crying out for justice exclaims, “Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked” (Psalm 3:7). 

Do you yearn for the day when the sorrows of this life will be no more, when there will be no more tears, no more death, no more mourning, no more pain? When God Himself will dwell with us His people as their God? 

That Day is coming, dear friend, and it will be soon. So hold on. 

Do you wait for the day when violence will be replaced with peace? When deception disappears in light of truth? When immorality surrenders to purity? When evil is overcome by goodness? When wrongs are made right? When God avenges the blood of His people? When the very presence of sin will be banished forever? 

That Day is on the way, even though we’ll endure days when it seems it can’t come quick enough. 

The Lord is the supreme Judge of all the earth, and all are held accountable to His righteous judgment. He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness through His Son, Jesus (Acts 17:3), where the righteous will be rewarded with everlasting life, while the wicked will be brought to everlasting destruction. The Bible could not be clearer on this point. 

Jesus speaks of this coming Day: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats…

“And he will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’…Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’…And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-32, 34, 41, 46). 

Talk about a sobering word. Are you ready for that Day? Jesus came and suffered and died on the cross so that your sins could be forgiven, so that you could be made righteous in Him, and so that you could have assurance of everlasting life. He took the wrath of God’s judgment upon Himself so that by believing in Him you would be saved.

Why not turn in repentance and faith to Christ right now and receive the free gift of everlasting life? And you’ll also discover that the Lord blesses His people with the goodness and mercy of His presence, even as we wait and pray, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

What are you thinking, Boss?

Bruce Springsteen, you’ve had some great songs, man. You rocked my generation back in the 80s. “Glory Days,” “Born to Run,” “Brilliant Disguise,” and, of course, “Born in the U.S.A.” to name a few. And I guess you’re still at it. That’s pretty impressive, a 66-year-old still rocking the house, still living the dream, still making the girls swoon.

And like many other entertainers, you have a voice and a platform. You have opinions and convictions, and I like the fact that you’re willing to stand up for what you believe. I hear you when you say, “Some things are more important than a rock show.”

So you cancelled your show in North Carolina last Sunday because you felt that the “bathroom law” recently signed there by Gov. McCrory pushes our country backwards instead of forwards. This is the law that protects our women and children from intrusion in public restrooms by men who claim they think they’re women. 

You believe this bill discriminates against the rights of transgender people to use whichever restroom they choose based on their personal gender identity, rather than on their biological, God-given chromosomes. 

But, man, I have to disagree with you on this one. Maybe it’s the cool and politically correct thing to do, supporting issues like this, and I don’t have any reason to think you’d be concerned about being biblically correct, but even from a common sense view of what’s right and wrong, what’s good for society and what’s bad, this is a no-brainer. Respectfully, I say to you and PayPal and Disney and the NFL and all the other corporate PC’ers who love to throw their weight around threatening to pull business from states that seek to protect the welfare of its citizens and refuse to encourage perverted behavior: Have your lost your blessed mind? 

You’re not only opening the doors for people who are seriously confused about their sexual identity, you’re also giving free access to sexual predators who just might fake a transgender look in order to get a peek into a women’s bathroom or locker room. Or worse. I sure wouldn’t want my wife, my young nieces, or any girl or woman to have to worry when they go to the bathroom at the mall or change clothes at the gym or swimming pool that some dude in a dress and a wig might follow them in with no questions asked. In what world is that right? 

Before you call me a hater, let me say that I’m with you on this part – that I, too, am concerned about people who consider themselves transgender. But the way to address our concerns is not to celebrate their “courage” for expressing their depravity nor to accommodate their deviant desires, but to get them the help they desperately need. And I believe the best help we can lovingly and compassionately give them is the life-saving and life-transforming gospel of Jesus Christ, who can take all of our messed up minds and make us into a masterpiece of His mercy and grace – for His glory and for our good. There’s hope for anyone who comes to Jesus, and that’s a song worth rockin’ to! 

Donkey basketball, home improvement, taxes, eroding first amendment rights and gospel hope for sinners

Random thoughts for your amusement and/or contemplation, and/or disposal. 

Donkey basketball. I have to admit that even though I was skeptical, it did provide some entertainment. For the first five minutes anyway. After that I was ready to go. I wonder what Coach Rathgeb thought about allowing a bunch of donkeys to tromp around on the basketball court? Not sure how this ever got started or became a thing, but I can now say that I am cultured enough to have experienced donkey basketball. 

Installing a new light fixture and ceiling tiles in our laundry room is really stretching my handyman skills. I seem to have a knack for turning an afternoon project into a multi-day crusade. It’s all trial and error – mostly error.

This year I did my own taxes, for the first time in about 15 years. Not feeling tons of love for Caesar right now. Can understand why the tax collectors in Jesus’ time were so despised. I’ll give Caesar what belongs to him, but he seems to be taking more all the time. What’s that bumper sticker say? “I love my country. It’s my government I fear.” 

Have you read about the state’s intrusion on the rights of the Timber Creek Bed & Breakfast in Paxton, IL? The owner refused to rent his facilities for a homosexual couple’s celebration of their same-sex union because of his Christian beliefs, and a judge has ordered a fine of $80,000 and is attempting to force the owner to offer his facility to this couple. 

In a statement, owner Jim Walder said in part: “To be absolutely clear, we cannot host a same-sex wedding even though fines and penalties have been imposed by the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Our policy will not be changing. We are not looking for a fight, but when immoral laws are purposely passed (or deemed constitutional) that blatantly conflict with God’s Word and when the heavy hand of government tries to force us as Christians to embrace sinful behavior, we have a moral obligation to resist and stand for biblical truth. “It is better to obey God than men” (Acts 5:29). 

America is still a great nation, but “the times they are a-changin.” Just wait until they try to force pastors to perform same-sex “marriages” in whatever Christian church they choose. Just wait until calling homosexuality a sin is deemed “hate speech” and you are fined or imprisoned for your crime. 

Mark it down – the more that we stubbornly continue to forsake the ways of the Lord and embrace our own sinful desires, the more wrath we’re storing up for ourselves on the day when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 

Let me assure you that hope for better things to come is not in the government, but in the God who rules in righteousness and is still in the business of saving sinners. Homosexuals, adulterers, tax evaders, drunkards, thieves, liars, murderers, and all. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). That’s still good news today, even for those who have been acting like donkeys. 

Jesus still lives!

I know we’re past Easter now, but I want to remind you that Jesus is still risen! It’s not like He just crawls out of the tomb once a year and then goes back into hiding until Easter rolls around again. I’m sure you know that, but the question is this: What impact does Jesus’ resurrection make on my life every day?

I’m glad you asked, and if you don’t mind I’ll answer with a couple of thoughts from the message I preached Easter Sunday morning at Petersburg First Baptist Church.

For one, Jesus’ resurrection victory means that you can have new life. Because He died on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins, and because He conquered sin and death by rising on the third day, you truly can be born again to new life. 

The Bible tells us that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Maybe you’re living in spiritual darkness or feeling weighed down with the load of your guilt and shame, but the good news is that you can experience new life by repenting of your sins and believing in the name of Jesus today. 

If you reject Jesus, you’ll keep living in the same old ways with the same old results while headed in the same old direction that leads to death. But, friend, even now Jesus is calling you to trust in Him to know that your sins are forgiven by His blood and start living the new life of righteousness that’s yours in Christ. 

A second truth of Jesus’ resurrection is that you can have a transformed life. Not only has the penalty of sin been removed in Christ, but the power of sin has also been broken. Satan has been utterly defeated, and sin no longer has power to enslave those who have been set free in Jesus. 

The Bible says, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (Romans 6:6). Perhaps you’re a Christian, but you’re living a defeated life. It seems you can’t break free from the old patterns of sin. You just can’t resist the temptations that come your way, and you’re struggling to live the holy life you’re called to in Christ. 

If you refuse to truly die to your sins or to offer your life as a living sacrifice to the Lord, then you’ll remain enslaved to sin and never gain the spiritual victory and freedom that could be yours. But, friend, even now Jesus is praying that your faith may not fail, and that you will be continually transformed into His own likeness as you deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Him. 

We ought to celebrate the resurrection victory of Jesus every single day. For only in Him will we truly find life abundant and everlasting. Come and join us at the First Baptist Church and we’ll help you discover the impact of Jesus’ resurrection in your life.

            

Healing and Hope for Your Brokenness and Despair

Do you need healing today, friend? Have you been wounded, battered, rejected, abandoned, hurt? Have the disappointments and broken promises of others left you feeling used and abused? Have your own bad decisions driven you to the place where you feel like giving up because you really just don’t care anymore?

I know that you can’t undo the past, but I also know that you can find healing and hope for the future. 

This week we remember the tragic and glorious events of some 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem that give hope to the hopeless and healing for the brokenhearted. 

It’s available in Jesus who became the curse for our sin on the cross, that we might be redeemed and made righteous in Him. It’s offered to you in Christ who defeated sin and death by rising in triumphant victory over the grave on the third day. 

From a song I’ve recently heard on the radio: “No matter the bumps / No matter the bruises / No matter the scars / Still the truth is / The cross has made / The cross has made you flawless // No matter the hurt / Or how deep the wound is / No matter the pain / Still the truth is / The cross has made / The cross has made you flawless.” 

And from a book I’ve recently read: “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6). 

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25). 

I’m not saying that following Jesus as Lord and Savior will exempt you from life’s struggles. In fact, you’ll find that this narrow road is hard; but it’s the road that leads to abundant and eternal life, where true healing and hope are found. 

Why not come and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection victory with us at Petersburg First Baptist Church this Sunday at 10:45? We don’t have everything figured out either, and we’re not perfect. We’re still learning day by day what it means to live by faith in Christ and for His glory. But we’re convinced that He’s alive and that better things are yet to come, and that apart from His grace we’d be still be living in brokenness and despair. 

If you need healing and hope, come discover it in Christ. He is risen indeed! 

Taking back the yard

The mole in my yard is winning. I mean, absolutely kicking my butt. He’s creating havoc, tearing up the yard and leaving his mark. I’m not happy. 

And he’s gloating about it, the little vermin. I saw him doing what appeared to be something like a touchdown dance. There should have been a flag for taunting. 

I think he’s got friends, too. Maybe a whole team. The kind of team that plays dirty (pun intended). Like the Oakland Raiders of the 1970’s, whom Steelers coach Chuck Noll called “the criminal element of the NFL.” If that reference is too old for some of my younger readers, think an entire roster of players like Ndamukong Suh. 

But he doesn’t belong here. He’s not welcome. We don’t put up with that type of behavior in this league. I’m the commissioner of my yard and it’s past time to do something about it. We’ll see if I have any more authority over the situation than Roger Goodell had over Tom Brady in the “Deflategate” debacle. 

It’s not like I haven’t tried. Really, I have. But apparently my efforts have been too futile for such a conniving, scheming rodent. A friend gave me two of those sonar traps that are supposed to drive away moles and gophers. They’ve become nothing more than “base” for a friendly mole game of tunnel tag. 

Another friend loaned me a spring-loaded trap. I set it where I knew the critter was digging, but no luck. I think the pesky creature is using it as a work out gym, doing some push-ups with the spikes, getting stronger to impress his lady friends. 

I even bought some poison peanuts and dropped the pellets into the tunnels around the yard. Eats it like popcorn while watching the game and left me a thank you note for hooking him up with the snacks. Nothing fazes this guy. 

Well, I have had enough. I’ve been too tolerant. I’ve given up too easily. But no more. This is one enemy that’s going down. Whatever it takes. I’m taking back my yard! 

You know, there’s a greater enemy than moles invading our territory. Our chief adversary is the devil, and he is a cruel foe. He’s caused enough damage to our families and homes already. He’s wreaked havoc in our communities and cities. He’s torn up plenty of patches of this nation’s landscape and has an appetite for even greater destruction. He’s tunneled into the fabric of many churches and left mounds of dirt in his wake. He’s burrowed his way into the soul of America’s culture with wicked schemes, evil intention and detestable lying. And he’s kicking our collective butts. 

My fellow Christians, we have been too complacent. We’ve given in too easily. We’ve allowed Satan a foothold, and now he’s gloating over dead babies killed in the womb, a growing cultural acceptance of homosexuality and all things sexually immoral, the confusion over gender identity and increasing suppression of religious freedom, along with his many other sinful victories over the collective conscience of this nation. 

Well, I’ve had enough. Satan doesn’t belong here. Not in my yard. Not in my life. Not in my home. Not in my church. And unlike the NFL commissioner, I have authority in Christ to do something about it. James 4:7 says: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” I also have the power of the Holy Spirit within me and the sword of God’s Word in my arsenal, and the truth is that He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world. 

Satan is a defeated foe. Jesus took care of that battle on the cross and by rising from the dead in resounding victory. That victory belongs to all who belong to Christ. 

It’s time to live in victory over Satan and his schemes. Let’s take back our yard in the name of Jesus!

Prayer for the Umpqua Community College family

Lord God in heaven, we’ve witnessed this scene way too many times already. The school shooting last week in Oregon leaves another community devastated by grief and sorrow. And though we’re separated by 2,000 miles we feel the heartache of mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors who are staggering in sadness from such a senseless act of murder.

But God, it’s almost beginning to numb our conscience. The news hardly surprises us anymore. We’re not losing any sleep over this. There are other stories to cover. The Umpqua community will deal with their loss and move on. And soon we’ll hear of another deranged madman killing children in some other school somewhere else. 

I’m asking you, Father, to please keep our hearts compassionate for those who are suffering. It’s been reported that these victims were targeted for their Christian faith. They are brothers and sisters in Christ who were not ashamed to declare their trust in Jesus, even when it meant they would die. Thank you for giving them the courage to honor You with their dying breath. May You reward them richly for their sacrifice. 

Let us, as a church, not fail to weep with those who weep and suffer together with those who suffer. As one body in Christ may we encourage them and care for them in their time of need. Father, I pray that Your grace will be sufficient in their weakness. I pray that Your strength will help them and that You will uphold them with Your righteous right hand. I pray, O God, that You, the Great Shepherd, will lead them by Your goodness and mercy, that You will comfort them with Your protection and provision, and as they walk through this valley of the shadow of death, may they know that You are with them to comfort them every step of the way. 

O Lord, our Rock of Refuge, our Shelter in the Storm, our Strong Tower and Mighty Deliverer, we pray further believing that You will somehow work this evil out for good. May salvation arise from the desolation. May beauty rise from the ashes. May joy come in the morning and dancing replace the sorrow. Lord God, for what You are doing and will keep doing to bring healing and hope and peace to those who seek Your face, we praise You and give You thanks. It just may be, Father, that multitudes turn away from sin and come to faith in Jesus through this tragedy. May it be so. Amen. 

Abba, our Father, we live in a broken, sinful world, full of anger, hatred, confusion, chaos, and despair. We confess that we have brought judgment on ourselves because we have rejected Your commands. We have gone away, like sheep, and turned to our own ways. We have stubbornly rebelled and chased after the desires of our evil hearts, and all the while refused to listen to Your voice calling us back to the paths of righteousness. And our nation lies in ruins. 

Jesus, You are our only hope! We don’t need new laws. We don’t need band-aid solutions that mask the underlying problems. We need major surgery. We need a heart transplant. We need to recognize our sin, confess it and repent, and return to You before it’s too late. O God Almighty, I am pleading with You to drive us to our knees, seeking Your face and turning from our wicked ways. O Lord, make us desperate as we pray, desperate for Your help, desperate for Your presence, desperate for Your salvation. 

Apart from You, Lord Jesus, we are sunk. We’re seeing the ship sinking deeper and deeper as we take our eyes off of You. But Your Word gives me hope, and my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus, our Savior and King. For our nation, for our communities, for our children and their families, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.