Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending a preaching workshop, where we had the opportunity to learn different ways in which to progress as faithful stewards of God's Word.

One speaker shared with us a sermon over just one verse:

"The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God" -Mark 1:1

During his teaching, he encouraged us to ask "what's the good news?"

He was speaking specifically about the good news mentioned in the first verse of Mark. But this is a good question to ask of any text we are reading and studying. Whether we are reading one of the Gospels, the Epistles or Old Testament Scripture, it can be tremendously helpful to ask, "what's the good news?"

How does this text that I am reading point to the Gospel of Christ? If it doesn't point directly to the Gospel, does it help establish the need for good news? In other words, is it helping me to understand why I need the Gospel? If the text is about God's character, how does it help me be confident in His power to deliver good news that is truly good.

As you read your Bible, I encourage you to continue looking for ways in which it relates to Mark 1:1, "The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God." Not only can this be rewarding in seeing all the connections of scripture, but in reminding ourselves of the enduring nature of God's word and the faithfulness with which He fulfills His promises to His people.

While I never had the opportunity to do that, how they lived out the Great Commission had sparked a desire in me at a young age to do missions work.

As I write this, I'm sitting in a room with five little ones chattering away as they finish their schoolwork for the day. While I'm not trekking up a mountain so that I can help bring the Gospel to a people group who have never heard it before, I am teaching the Gospel to a different set of ears. It is a different type of mission that I suspect my past self would've never imagined I would be doing.

In Matthew 28:18-20, a passage I'm sure we are all quite familiar with, Jesus tells his disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations"... "teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

The call is clear - we are to go!
But for each person, that call will look different.

For you, the call may very well be to go to a different country!
However, your calling, like mine, might be right here in your hometown - with the people living in your house, the people you work with, or the people you meet at the grocery store.

No matter where you are at, do not forsake God's calling on your life to carry out the Great Commission - be a light for His kingdom wherever He has planted you!

- Autumn

Psalm 119:35, "Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found."

What does your day look like? Do you have it planned down to the minute? Do you have it full of everything that needs to be done? Do you have a checklist?? Laundry – clean the kitchen – go to work – get groceries – cook dinner – spend time with God – pray – clean the basement – spend time with the kids – get gas for the car – get Jr. to baseball – get little missy to gymnastics – go swimming - who knows what other task could be on your list today…. These are not bad or sinful things to do…..

But where is our focus during all this busy-ness – are we leaving time for God? Is our focus too much on getting stuff done and checking it off our lists or do we have time to take with a friend in need – time to take a phone call – the time or guts to pray with someone? Do you leave flexibility in your schedule to do the God ordained tasks that He places in your path?

As it says in the “Jesus Calling” devotional – “Vast quantities of time and energy are wasted in obsessive planning. When you let Me direct your steps, you are set free to enjoy Me and to find what I have prepared for you this day.”

Remember to leave time to follow God's leading – it may not always fit into our schedule but it does fit into God's Divine plan!!!

Psalm 143:8, "Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you."

-Glenda

1. Anxious Alice – She (or he) is constantly insecure and her sin nags at her. She’s convinced that God is often disappointed with her. She tries to impress God but knows she is a hypocrite and therefore full of guilt.
2. Smug Sarah – She (or he) is ungrateful and even if she confesses her sin, underneath she thinks her sin is “not that bad”. In order to keep up a good image, she will lie, get defensive when corrected, tear others down, or get good at doing “churchy things”.
3. Complacent Kyle – He (or she) will try to use his Christianity to become a better person but is not interested in going “all in” because he doesn’t see how it’s worth it. He tries to stir up desire by going to fun events and exciting worship, but he’s bored with Jesus.

So how do we help these children? The solution is NOT to tell them to simply sin less and obey more. This can push them to follow God with their own strength, which leads to self-righteousness. The solution is to keep teaching them the good news of the gospel. Yes, even as Christians, we need to hear over and over and over what Jesus has done for us. In doing so we stay humble, grow in our appreciation of Him and desire to know Him more. We keep growing in our love for God as we rest in his love for us.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart – Heb. 12:2-3

--Chad

Delight – means that we are pleased greatly – or take great pleasure in.

Desire – is a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something.

After working at Love Packages a couple weeks ago this was on my heart. Then Nate shared this in Sunday’s sermon also.

We live in such a blessed world that we tend to take for granted that we have such easy access to God’s Word…we have it in print, on our phones, and so many other places. But do we truly value and use the Word like we should?

Why am I not as anxious to get my hands on God's word like the Pastor that was willing to hand copy the word just to have his own?

My prayer is that we would not let life get into the way – that we would “Turn my heart to your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things” (Psalm 119:36-37a)

If you’re not sure what this looks like in your life – ASK God! (James 1:5) God gives generously without finding fault. It’s true because that’s what the Bible says!!

Then when you truly delight in the Lord – from your mouth God’s goodness will come out! (Luke 6:45 ; Proverbs 4:23)

Then we can truly Follow Jesus, Love Others, Make Disciples OR Know the Word – Grow in the Word – Go Spread the Word.

What are YOU doing about it today?

Glenda

Our hard work isn’t always immediately recognized. We aren’t always shown appreciation for all we do for others. Especially in the daily discipleship of those closest to us, we rarely see instant change or immediate gratification. When those things start getting under my skin, I have to check my heart. Am I investing in the lives of others for appreciation and a pat on the back, or am I doing it because it’s the work the Lord has set before me? By God’s grace, we can each continue on in the work He has given each of us! So if you’re volunteering at VBS this week, bolster yourself with the promises in God’s word and remember that you are working for Him, not man. If you’re not volunteering, pray for those of us who are…that we will not grow weary in sharing Christ and that the seeds planted will continue to grow long after this week is over!

Jenn

All of us have said or thought this at one time or another. There are two different ways we can use this question. The first is when we look at a situation and wonder if we could have done something more or something different for a better outcome. Maybe you’ve had a falling out with a friend and you wonder if you could have done something differently to save the relationship. The second way we might use this question is to make it clear we have done all we could even if the outcome was not what we wanted. Maybe you completed a job exactly like the customer wanted and they were still unsatisfied. You did what they asked and did it well, what more could you have done?

We read in Isaiah 5 that God asked this question about the nation of Judah. He looked at their sin and rebellion and said, “What more could have been done for [you] than I have done…? When I looked for good grapes, why did [you] yield only bad (5:3-4)? In these verses God is not wondering if He could/should have done something different to achieve a better outcome. He is saying it as a declaration, “There is nothing more I could have done. I have done everything I could and you still rejected me!”

So, we must guard against thinking God could or should have done more for us. So many things in life, like the weather, our health, our jobs, or our relationships can tempt us to think that God could be doing more for us. In those moments we can trust that God will never leave us or fail us (Deut. 31:6). We can be confident that God’s timing is perfect (Eccl. 3:11). We can know that God gives us everything we need (2 Pt. 1:3). And ultimately, we can have assurance of his love because Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Let’s remind ourselves today of all He has done.

- Chad

"This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Life is just SO busy and there are lots of things that need to be done. There is never enough time in a day. It’s during these times that our eyes can shift and we take our focus off God. It is so easy to do without even realizing that is really what is happening!!

Don’t let your joy and peace slip away – you don’t need to get discouraged or be afraid!! The Bible states “God is with you wherever you go.” “WITH GOD EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE.”

"Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God EVERYTHING is possible."" Matthew 19:26

Don’t get distracted with life and take your eyes off Jesus. When you do this, you open the door to believing Satan’s lies – to getting overwhelmed with everything you need to do – to getting an attitude that is not from God – to taking things personally – to caring more about what people think instead of what God thinks….. STAY FOCUSED on God and he will carry you through the busy and crazy times of life!!

Depend on God – take time to search for him above all else!!

"The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So, it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord." Lamentations 3:25-26

-Glenda

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬

God is strong when we are weak. He doesn’t get tired or weary. He doesn’t get confused by the burdens of the world. He also doesn’t expect us to get it perfectly every time we become weary and exhausted. Isaiah 40:31 days, “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint.” God provides with strength when we are weary. Enduring with faith is not usually easy, but Isaiah tells us that He has promised to be our strength.

There are many, many nights (why are nights always the hardest?!) when I do not think I can take another step in faith, trusting God’s plan for my family. I tell God, “I can’t do this anymore. I’m so weary.” That’s when the Holy Spirit reminds me of verses like Matthew 11:28-40 and Isaiah 40:31…I don’t have to take another step on my own. I just have to surrender my will and allow the Lord to renew my strength, day after day and night after night-no matter what those days and nights bring.

The memory verse for this week in my Bible study is 2 Corinthians 9:8. “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” All grace. In all things. At all times. What a beautiful promise! No matter what your days and nights bring you, never forget all that the Lord has promised. His yoke is light. He will renew your strength. He will give you sufficient grace to make it through, enduring in faith that God is good & He is sovereign.

Jenn

We know that He is without sin or blemish. He is not corrupt, broken or impure and how He orchestrates our lives is consistent with His goodness.

Grasping that God is good can be easier when the road we are walking on is paved. However, it can be harder to understand the goodness of God when we encounter rough terrain. What was once "God is good because life is good" suddenly becomes the question: "If God is truly who He says He is, then why is everything happening so painful and hard and not good?".

That very question is why it is so important that we are in His Word and striving to learn the character of God.

In Psalm 119:68 it says: "You are good and what you do is good; teach me your decrees."
The Psalmist first recognizes the goodness of God and then he asks to be taught God's decrees. When we take the time to learn the laws of God and obediently put them into practice, we can experience the blessing of knowing that God is good in all of life's circumstances.

Then in Psalm 119:71 it says: "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." Again we see the Psalmist's desire to learn God's decrees, this time through his affliction. In the same way, we can be reminded to rejoice in our hardships because it is often in those times that we gain a deeper understanding of who God is.

Life is hard, but rejoice with me friends, for our God is good!

- Autumn