VBS Top 10

Vacation Bible School! Mark it down – VBS next week at Petersburg First Baptist Church! We kick it off Sunday, July 9, and go through Thursday, July 13, 6:00 – 8:30 each evening. All children from those who will be entering Kindergarten this Fall through those who just completed 6^th grade are welcome to come. 

So here’s a top 10 list of reasons why your children should be in Vacation Bible School next week at First Baptist Church.

10. Recreation. Not the super-competitive dodge ball style you played in 3^rd grade on the playground, but fun-for-everyone games. And water games are always a hit. 

9. Crafts. I can remember some of the crafts I did as a kid in VBS, and that was a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away! Make sure you ask your children about the crafts they’re doing each night, and I’m sure they’d love to tell you about the things they’re making. 

8. Missions. Integral to who we are as a church is a focus on world missions. So we’ll incorporate ways to help your children learn about the ways God is using ordinary people with a passion for Christ to take the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. 

7. Not as late this year. We’ve modified our schedule to conclude each evening at 8:30 rather than 9:00, which means everyone gets home sooner and hopefully gets a better night’s rest, which is good for a long week of VBS. 

6. “Galactic Starveyors: Discovering the God of the Universe.” That’s this year’s theme, where your children will search the skies and God’s Word to uncover God’s truth. They’ll discover that the God who created everything there is – the knowable and the unknowable, the visible and the invisible – wants a relationship with them! 

5. Church van. If your children need a ride, please call the church office at 632-2488, and we’ll be happy to add them to the van route. 

4. Family Night. Parents, grandparents – plan to come at 7:00 Thursday night for family night, where the children will present some of the songs they’ve learned throughout the week, Bible verses, as well as highlights you’ll not want to miss. Children love to have their parents come for things like this.  

3. Snacks. Essential VBS fuel. Enough said. 

2. Music. We’re going to miss Sarah Holliday not being here this week, but Rachel Warren is eager to teach the children some great new songs, and kids love to sing. They may even drive their parents crazy singing these catchy tunes for weeks to come, but it’s all good. Just smile, parents, and be glad they’re not singing Miley Cyrus or Katy Perry, or Drake or Rihanna, or well, the list could go on and on. So just smile. 

1. Jesus. The number one reason your children should be here is Jesus, because He’s the reason any of us are here in the first place. Go look up Colossians 1:15-16 (you can even Google it!) and you’ll discover the supremacy of Christ in all things. That’s our theme verse, and the week’s Bible story teachings will center around the good news that Jesus came to be our Savior. 

Parents, our church has been praying for your children as we’re preparing for VBS. Your family will know that we care deeply for you with the love of Christ and that we design all that we do to lead you to faith in Jesus. Feel free to call the church office at 632-2488 for more information. Hope to see you then!

Solutions for America's Good

With the 4^th of July coming up next week, yes, I am thankful to live in America, thankful for our freedoms and opportunities, and thankful for all who have served and sacrificed for the good of the cause. I am especially grateful to our great and glorious God who has shed His grace upon this land in extraordinary ways.

Yet I am convinced that things could be much better in this country. So rather than complain about what’s wrong, let me offer three quick solutions that will change us for the good and steer our nation onto the right course. 

1. We need a holy reverence for God. Seriously, a renewed respect for and admiration of Almighty God would resolve most of the problems we have in this country. As we thumb our national nose at the notion that there is an omnipotent, omniscient Creator, we might well expect that He would be justified in giving us up to our own impurities, dishonorable passions, and debased minds to do what ought not to be done. And we will surely suffer the consequences thereof. 

We still sing “God Bless America,” and we still hear politicians tag their speeches with a nod to God for His blessing, but words ring hollow when we turn around and deny Him with our immoral actions, rebellious attitudes, irreverent talk, and godless political decisions. Let us acknowledge God as the almighty Maker of heaven and earth, and humble ourselves under His mighty hand. 

2. We need to recognize that society benefits from biblical values. I know that doesn’t sit well with progressive culture, but it’s true. The principles we see in God’s Word give any society the structure in which to thrive. Looking no further than the 10 Commandments, it is evident that a community living by these laws benefits tremendously by their keeping. 

Even non-Christians ought to be able to clearly conclude that a nation where children honor their parents, where there is no murder, no adultery, no theft, no lying, and no coveting of your neighbor’s stuff would make for a great place to live. 

American Statesman Daniel Webster nailed it: “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.” 

3. We need to reaffirm the home as the foundational component for building healthy community. Studies consistently and overwhelmingly show that children’s well-being is tied significantly to being raised in a loving home with their mother and father. Yet it seems that most social solutions being proposed today are at best like trying to cure skin cancer with a band-aid. 

Fathers, let me especially encourage you to be actively engaged in your children’s lives. The results of our collective failure in this regard are staggering. One Princeton study found that boys raised apart from their fathers were two to three times more likely to end up in jail before age 30. Another study found that girls whose fathers disappeared before they turned 6 were about five times more likely to end up as pregnant teenagers than were girls who were raised with their fathers in the homes. 

The evidence is clear. God’s design for the family, as it turns out unsurprisingly, is best for families, communities and nations. We would do well to make it a national priority to strengthen marriages, homes and families. 

Let’s celebrate this July 4th by turning our hearts in reverence to God, to the truths of His Word, and to our raising our families in the ways of the Lord. 

Leading Well - Lessons from Coach Wooden

Man, I’ve been slack in writing! Got a hundred excuses, if you care to hear them, but mainly just haven’t prioritized it. So for both of my faithful readers who have been missing this column recently, thanks for coming back!

I love reading about and watching great coaches. I’m thinking of some of the most well-known and successful coaches like Bear Bryant, Vince Lombardi, Coach K, Tom Landry, Tony Dungy, Bobby Bowden, and a host of others. And one John Wooden. 

These guys are masters in their field. 

For me, a great coach not only knows the X’s and O’s well, but also lives his or her life with integrity, passion, and wisdom. He pours his heart into the development of his players, both on and off the field. He sets the bar high, challenging them to achieve more than they think they can, and provides all the resources, training, correction, help, and encouragement they need to succeed. 

Coach Wooden was the best of the best. The “Wizard of Westwood” led the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team to an unprecedented 88 consecutives wins and 10 NCAA championships, including seven in a row. But his tremendous influence upon the lives of those he led far surpasses his achievements on the hardwood. 

One of Wooden’s star players, Bill Walton, said this in 2007 interview: “When I left UCLA in 1974 and became the highest-paid player in the history of team sports at that time, the quality of my life went down. That’s how special it was to have played for John Wooden and UCLA.” 

Wooden invested in the lives of his players and knew that life was more than basketball. More than caring about their potential as basketball players, he truly loved them as people. He sought to instill within them values such as humility, gratitude, hard-work, teamwork, responsibility, honesty, consideration of others, serving others, and the importance of family and love. 

He often taught: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what people think you are.” How true, and how relevant! 

We need leaders like this in our world today. Fathers, we need to lead our families like this. Teachers, coaches, business leaders, government authorities, bosses, fellow pastors, big brothers and sisters, and all who have influence in another’s life – let’s lead those whom God has entrusted to our care with integrity, passion, and wisdom. Let’s be the best we that we can so that we can help others become the best that they can be – and that life is always and only found in Christ Jesus. 

Coach Wooden was also a strong Christian man who read his Bible daily and once wrote: “I have always tried to make it clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior.” 

And I say “Amen” to that! Friend, let me urge you put your trust in Jesus who alone can save from sin and death, who alone can grant abundant and eternal life to all who believe, and who alone can lead you to live in a way far beyond your own expectations, for your good and for His greater and glory. Now that’s some great coaching!

The Simple Message of Christmas

The message is quite simple, really. Profound, mysterious, glorious, earth-shattering, life-transforming, awe-inspiring, and simple:

The baby born in Bethlehem was God the Son.

He was God, and He became flesh. The Maker of the heavens and the earth, the One who made the stars in the sky and holds all things together, the One who marks the boundaries of the ocean and owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the One who breathed the breath of life into mankind and knows the number of our days, He who is the everlasting God stepped into our shoes and walked among us.

     

Jesus, the Son of God who existed in perfect unity with God the Father and the God the Holy Spirit from the beginning, took on humanity’s flesh and blood by entering this world as a baby boy through the womb of the virgin Mary. He “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…born in human likeness” (Philippians 2:7). The King of all kings “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). He is rightfully called “Immanuel, which means, God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

     

Truth. Unbelievable, yet believable truth. Simple. Truth.

And in His life He accomplished for us His mission – to seek and to save the lost by His death and resurrection. It is indeed “good news of great joy…for all the people” (Luke 2:10); for true to His name, this baby they called Jesus came to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

What does that mean for us? Nothing less than everlasting life for those who receive Him. Forgiveness of our sins. Peace with God. Hope that never disappoints. Love that never goes away. Adoption into the family of God. Abundant life. Purpose in living. Victory over sin. God’s power working in us. God’s presence alive in us. And so, so much more!

The Bible says, “He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11-12). And those who believe and belong to Him will know the unspeakable joy and unending treasure of dwelling in His presence for all eternity. 

How can you be sure of this great hope? It is sure because God is faithful. 

Let me ask you, friend: Do you believe in Jesus? Don’t make the fatal mistake of those who received Him not. Instead, make this Christmas more memorable than ever by simply believing in Christ as Savior and Lord. 

“Come to Bethlehem, and see 

Him whose birth the angels sing; 

Come, adore on bended knee 

Christ the Lord, the newborn King.” 

And join us this Sunday – Christmas morning – at a special 10:00 worship celebration at Petersburg First Baptist Church, where we’ll come joyful and triumphant to adore Him, Christ the Lord! 

Jesus and Judgment

I’ve discovered a good way to turn off a conversation. You know that person who always seems to call or show up right as you’re about to make an important phone call, are headed out the door, or having dinner? The one who doesn’t know how to take a hint, who would consume your entire day if you let him, and whose favorite topic in the world is himself?

Here it is: bring up the subject of hell. It’s a proven non-starter, and almost always guaranteed to keep your untimely guest moving right along. And if you’re really needing to keep things short, introduce the name of Jesus into the conversation and watch how quickly you find yourself freed. Works like a charm.

Of course, I would hope that such weighty and sobering subjects might actually lead to a much more serious discussion, especially given that eternal stakes are hanging in the balance. But most people would simply rather not even think about it.

Can I say something, if you’re still reading, that is? I want to say this in love and compassion toward you, but with gravity of heart because of the magnitude of the truth: The day of God’s judgment will come soon enough, where the righteous will receive their heavenly reward, while the wicked will be condemned to the fiery furnace of hell.

If you’ll stay with me for a moment, allow me to unpack this briefly.

In no uncertain terms the Scriptures tell us that at the close of this age the Lord will judge the world. We read in Acts 17:30-32, for example: “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

The fact is that we will all be held accountable to God. Christ Jesus will come in all His glory and will sit on His glorious throne. The nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another. His judgments will be righteous and just, for He knows the hearts of all men, all their thoughts and intentions, their deeds and their words, and everything hidden will be exposed by the light of His presence.

The result of His judgment will be eternal life for the righteous and eternal punishment for the unrighteous.

The righteous are those who have been saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus. They have humbled themselves in repentance, confessed their sins before the Lord, received His forgiveness, have been born again, and endure through faith and obedience to Jesus their Lord and Savior. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Those who will be condemned are those who do not believe in the name of Jesus (John 3:18). They have refused God’s merciful and gracious offer of forgiveness in Christ, and will suffer the wages for their sins, which is death and hell (Romans 6:23). Jesus speaking of hell describes it as an eternal, fiery furnace: “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:42).

I cannot sugarcoat this truth for you. All I can do is pray for you and plead for you to repent and flee the wrath to come when Jesus returns as Judge. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Maybe you didn’t want to hear that today, but if you’ve hung around long enough, maybe it’s exactly what you need. 

Letting the Word of Christ Take Root

Quick recap for you from this past Sunday’s message at FBC.

In Matthew 13 we find Jesus speaking to the crowds in parables. Parables are real life stories used to illustrate spiritual truth. Here He’s unveiling some remarkable mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven to those who are receptive to His word, while confirming the dull hearts of those who reject His message.

In what’s called the Parable of the Sower (which I’d rename the Parable of the Soil, but nobody asked!), Jesus shows four types of responses to the message of the Kingdom. Let me suggest, for maximum value, that you read Matthew 13:1-9 and 18-23 first. And it would be helpful for you to consider what kind of response you’ve personally made to Jesus as you read.

The first kind of response Jesus identifies for us is the hard heart. This is the person who hears the Word but has zero interest. His heart has become cold and calloused to spiritual things. He’s the one described in Romans 1 who has suppressed the truth about God because of his own unrighteousness. He claims to be wise, and he often exhibits a proud, self-sufficient, self-righteous attitude, but he’s become a fool, and his foolish heart has been darkened. He despises wisdom and instruction, and lives as if there is no God. He loves to sin, falls deeper and deeper in love with all kinds of sinful deeds, and even rises to applaud others who likewise do what ought not to be done.

The second kind of response Jesus tells us is the shallow heart. This is the person who hears the message of the Kingdom and seems to embrace it wholeheartedly. Like new growth in rocky soil, this person appears to be flourishing in her newfound faith. She’s zealous in church attendance, Bible study, and wants to serve immediately. She may have even walked an aisle or signed a card or gotten baptized. But sooner or later, when troubles or persecutions arise on account of the Word, her supposed faith withers. There was never any genuine repentance or brokenness over her sin, and no real transformation. She certainly is not willing to endure suffering for the sake of Christ. Her feelings were stirred for a while, but there’s no root, and her soul remained unchanged.

Another kind of response Jesus points out is the divided heart. This is the person who hears the message of Christ and appears to grow like a true disciple, but ultimately proves himself to be another pretender when his affection for riches and allegiance to worldly cares take precedence over his professed loyalty to Jesus. His first love is not for Christ. He loves the things of the world, but the love of the Father is not in him. The Word is soon choked out by his pursuit of wealth and pleasure, and his life bears no fruit.

The fourth kind of response is the one Jesus highlights as the only true, saving response to the message of the Kingdom. This is the person who hears the gospel message, understands it, learns to trust and obey it, and keeps persevering in it. She is the one who puts away all filthiness and wickedness and humbly receives the word planted, which is able to save her soul. She is convicted of her sin, genuinely repents, and turns in faith to the Lord Jesus. And her life yields much spiritual fruit for the Kingdom of God.

What kind of personal response have you made to the message of Christ and His Kingdom? Why not humble your heart today to receive His Word? Then let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly and keep on abiding in Christ, and your life will bear fruit in abundance. 

Back-to-School Prayer

Here’s my back-to-school prayer as we gear up for another year.

“Our Father in heaven, in a world filled with dangers, toils and snares, we look to You because You reign on Your heavenly throne with infinite wisdom, matchless power, and unfailing love. You are the great King above all kings, and there is none like You. You are majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, and the God of wonders. Your name is great and greatly to be praised. We rejoice in knowing that You are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

In light of Your goodness, we lift up our children as they begin this new school year. Lord, we boldly ask in the name of Jesus that You will invade our schools with the light of the gospel. We pray for a spiritual awakening, that many hearts will turn away from sin and turn in faith to Christ Jesus for salvation. We ask, O God, for Your Holy Spirit to fill every heart and every hallway with the glory of Your presence.

We pray that in view of the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ Jesus, You will lead Your followers in our schools to be beacons of righteousness. By Your transforming power, may a spirit of kindness, goodness, and encouragement toward others rule in their words, their attitudes and their actions. May love and peace and joy flow like rivers of grace bringing refreshing life to all they encounter.

We pray that there will be an environment of patience, meekness, honor and respect in every classroom, on every school bus, and in every extra-curricular activity. Give our children a humble submission to the authority of those who lead them, and may those in authority govern with wisdom, compassion, justice and humility of service.

Holy Father, we ask that You will guide our children to live with self-control, that they would embrace what’s right and reject all wrong. Lead them not into temptation, but deliver them from evil. Shape their own will to desire nothing less than to know and to seek and to do Your will.

We further pray that You will continue to watch over their ways and protect them from all harm – physically, emotionally, spiritually. Provide for their needs. Guide them in the way of truth. Make learning a delight for them. Surround them with godly influences. Help them build strong friendships, to learn loyalty, gratitude, teamwork, diligence, perseverance and initiative. Teach them wise time-management skills, how to express their uniqueness and creativity in Christ-honoring ways, and how to become leaders who can impact the world today and future generations for good.

And Father, for every teacher, administrator, secretary, aide, coach, cook, bus driver and school board member, we pray likewise for Your hand and Your wisdom to guide them in every decision, in every action, and in every way. We thank you for their willingness to invest positively in this generation of students.

Finally, Lord Jesus, we pray for each home to be a safe haven of rest and joy. Bless our homes and families with the light of Your presence. Make Your face to shine upon us, be gracious to us, and give us peace. In Jesus name we pray, amen.”

Warning Signs

Here’s a real warning sign at the Newcastle (South Wales) Tramway Authority: “Touching Wires Causes Instant Death. $200 Fine”. I’m thinking, that’s a pretty steep fine, especially for someone who has just been killed in a tragic accident.

Here’s another one: “Do Not Pee on the Electric Fence.” Self-explanatory. Just a bad, bad idea on several levels.

One more: “Caution – Water on Road During Rain.” You don’t say.

There’s a reason warning signs exist. I suppose there are plenty of chumps who give good reason for posting the most obvious of signs, but on the whole I’m grateful for someone who cares enough about me to warn me of possible dangers.

You know, the Bible comes complete with warnings for us, as well. And it’s because God cares enough about us to tell us of potential pitfalls and to keep us spiritually safe. The truth is that we can all act pretty foolishly and recklessly at times, as well as being ignorant to dangers all around, so we would be wise to heed the warnings.

What are some of those warnings to which we need to pay attention? Good question! Here are just three, for starters.

WARNING against forgetting God. “And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish” (Deuteronomy 8:19). The Lord God was so zealous for his people, had blessed them so abundantly, and had promised so much more good to them if they would keep His commandments, that it would have been ridiculously foolish of them to turn their back on Him. But you know how people are, and even his chosen and beloved Israel ultimately failed to heed the warning.

WARNING against the adulteress. “And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim she has laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death” (Proverbs 7:24-27). We could multiply the biblical warnings against sexual immorality, but this passage makes it plain. To be sure, God created the act of intimacy to be a wonderful thing in the context of the husband and wife relationship. But to ignore the warning is to go for a swim when the sign clearly says that alligators are in the water.

WARNING against false teachers. “And Jesus answered them, ‘See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray’” (Matthew 24:4-5). Again, there are numerous warnings in Scripture urging believers to be on guard against false teachers and false prophets, but here Jesus specifically cautions His disciples to make sure they are not led astray. How tragic that though the path to abundant and eternal life in heaven is clearly marked in Christ Jesus, many will wander away in disbelief and find themselves lost without a trace.

Friend, let us not be foolish or reckless, but wise enough to pay close attention to the biblical warnings and experience the great reward of faithfully following the ways of the Lord.

God's Glory on Display

How big is the universe? Have you ever wondered about that? When you gaze up at the stars in the night sky, do you ever think about the vastness of the world we live in?

Consider for a moment some of the following astronomical facts. Disclaimer: If you’re not into “mind-blowing” experiences, you may not want to read any further, but if you’re up for some deep contemplation I believe you’ll find this as fascinating as I do.

Let’s start with the sun, at the center of our solar system. When we see the sun, we’re viewing an object 93 million miles away. If you were able to book a flight to the sun, it would take a commercial jet flying at 550 mph about 19 years to get you there. I think that’s a non-stop flight. If you’d prefer to drive the interstellar highway, at 60 mph you’d need 177 years to do it – not counting stops for restrooms or fill-ups.

The sun is amazingly huge. You thought Earth was large, with a diameter of 7,917.5 miles. Compare that to the nearly 865,000 miles of the sun! You could line up 109 Earths across the face of the sun. Another way of thinking about it is that if the sun were the size of a beach ball, Earth would be the size of a pea, and you could put a million of them inside.

But the sun is just an average-sized star among the hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy. One of those stars is named Betelguese (yes, pronounced “Beetlejuice”), a red supergiant some 700 times bigger than the sun and about 14,000 times brighter – or much more. That star, by the way, is like the 9th brightest in our galaxy and is part of the Orion constellation. If you see it while star-gazing, you’re peering 640 light years into space.

That’s beyond my capacity to understand, but one astronomer has noted that if the sun were the size of a BB, the star Betelguese would be the size of a Toyota Camry and located about 12,500 miles away.

Now, if you’re still tracking and your mind’s not blown yet, let’s take another step. We haven’t even begun to explore the reaches of our Milky Way galaxy, which stretches about 100,000 light years in diameter and bulges about 1,000 light years thick, looking like a disc. The Milky Way contains some 100-400 billion stars, maybe more. And most experts believe each star has at least one planet, which would mean hundreds of billions of planets in our galaxy, beyond the 8 or 9 (poor Pluto!) in our solar system.

And here’s more just to keep the wheels turning – our galaxy is only one of an estimated 100 billion galaxies in our universe! Think about that for a while. I say, “Wow!”

I’m sharing all this not to help you answer a couple of questions on Jeopardy!, but to join together in singing the praises of the One who masterminded, purposed, and created all things. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19.1). What an amazingly mighty, glorious God we serve!

God's grace no matter how life turns out

“So, no one told you life was gonna be this way?”

It’s a rare case, indeed, where everything you’ve ever dreamed of has fallen perfectly into place. The job you love. The beauty queen wife, or millionaire husband. The immaculate two-story home in the best neighborhood in town. The exotic vacations all over the world. Or whatever else your heart desires.

How’s life turning out for you so far? Yeah, I thought so. I’m guessing the “Friends” theme song opening line probably applies to most of us.

Who could have anticipated how that accident or health issue would take life in a completely different direction? Who would have known the company would downsize like that? Who would have thought your “till death do us part” spouse would have left you with “four hungry children and a crop in the field” (to borrow another lyric, from the legendary Kenny Rogers)?

Friend, maybe you’ve had some bad times, lived through some sad times, but this time the hurtin’s for real. If that’s you, let me lovingly point you to the One who knows your pain, who feels your hurt and is able to heal like nothing or nobody else. His name is Jesus. And He’s able to turn your mourning into dancing, your despair into gladness, your suffering into praise, and your ashes into beauty.

How? In a word: grace. The grace of God truly is amazing. It can save a wretch like me. It can find the lost. It can open the eyes of the blind. It is, as Puritan Pastor Matthew Henry put it, the “free, undeserved goodness and favor of God to mankind,” ultimately and beautifully displayed all that Christ accomplished for us on the cross and in His resurrection victory over the grave.

Do you want healing for your hurting heart? God’s grace is sufficient in your time of weakness, for our God pours out His favor on those who trust in the work of Christ.

Author Jerry Bridges said it this way, “Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.”

Friend, today is the day of God’s favor. In Christ Jesus there is grace upon grace. And it’s available to you now, even in the midst of your hurt.

So, maybe life hasn’t turned out the way you wanted – or maybe it has. Either way, we are all in need of the grace of God. And when we turn in faith to the Lord Jesus, we find life abundant and eternal, and far better than anything we’ve ever dreamed.