Author: Scott Chafee

Scott serves on staff at King’s Grant Baptist Church in Virginia Beach.

Leadership is About Modeling

Posted on by

I suppose that when someone mentions modeling, the image of a too-skinny woman swaggering down a runway might come to mind, but I submit to you that modeling is what we do as Christians. We are to live out what we say we believe.

As a minister of the gospel, and an employee of a local congregation, leadership is a defining quality of whether one is doing a good job or not. I have always believed that if I am to do a good job, I should work myself out of a job; and that involves building up other people.

If you want to be a people builder, you have to start by giving people an example to follow. Paul and Peter wrote about this (Acts 20:35, Philippians 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:7, 1 Timothy 4:12, Titus 2:7, 1 Peter 5:3). Leadership begins with you and with how you live. At its most basic level, leadership is about being a model for others.

Why? I believe that you can only take a person as far as you have gone yourself. People can go beyond where you are, but you are not going to be the one leading them there. You can’t teach what has not already impacted you, and has already changed your life.

One problem is that we don’t always know the difference between being a leader and a boss. Dictators demand. Leaders model. You don’t lead by telling people what to do; you lead by example. The Bible says, “Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care but lead them by your good example.” (1 Peter 5:3 NLT)

Jesus never asked anybody to do anything he hadn’t already done, wasn’t already doing, or wasn’t willing to do. The Bible says in John 13:15, “I’ve given you an example to follow. Now do as I have done to you.” Jesus said he did it, now you do it. In this particular case, he had just washed the feet of the disciples and modeled servanthood. Now he expected his followers to do it. He modeled it first.

Application: Men, in what ways are you modeling for others? How are you serving others? How can people follow your lead in different areas of life? Paul gives us five particular characteristics of leadership in 1 Timothy 4:12:

  1. Speech – How do you talk to people?
  2. Life – How do you live your life?
  3. Love – How do you really show love to other people?
  4. Faith – How do you really trust God?
  5. Purity – How do you live a life of integrity?

Are you modeling those behaviors for your family? Are you modeling them for our congregation?

Leadership is a choice. The role of the leader doesn’t come automatically when we’re given a title. There are plenty of people in leadership positions who aren’t leaders. But you can be a leader. It starts by making choices that other people choose not to make, and providing an example to others.

Anyone can be a leader; John Maxwell says that leadership is influence. Think of all the people over whom you have influence. Now go lead them.

More Than an Easter Message

Posted on by

Today is Easter, Resurrection Sunday. For many people across the country, it is one of the two days people gather at church, I suspect “to pay our respects to God.” This is done often with no real consideration for what God has done for us. Just believe the right stuff, come to church a couple of times a year, but God can’t expect me to get all fanatical about this stuff. Jesus said it best, this generation “honors Me with their lips but their hearts are far from Me” (Matthew 15:8, Isaiah 29:13). Don’t let Jesus say that about you.

According to The Message version, Jesus also said, “I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 MSG)

Easter is a celebration of Jesus conquering even death in order to give us freedom. After walking this life with you, Jesus wants you to join him in heaven.

Are You In?

How do you do that? You accept the gift that he’s given you, the gift of forgiveness and life. You can do that right now. You can talk to him and tell him, “I accept your gift of forgiveness and I accept your gift of life. I want to live the life that you made me to live. Thank you, Jesus, for loving me.”

This is a very simple prayer, but it changes everything. When you say I accept the fact that Jesus’ blood was given so I could be forgiven, it changes everything about your life, everything about who you are and everything about your eternity. It becomes more than a twice a year ritual.

Do You Think You’re In?

For those who are already believers, Jesus also said that we need to receive him (or accept him – John 1:12). Have you done that? Have you gone beyond simple belief to actually receiving him? This is a life-changing action, worthy of full consideration. It makes all the difference.

Jesus also said that on that day (judgment day, the end of time), many will find themselves face to face with Jesus and he tells them I never knew you.

Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws (Matthew 7:21-23).

The scary part? He said MANY people who felt they were “in” will discover that they are actually on the outside. Let’s get serious about God and involvement in what God is doing through his church. He loved the church (the followers of Christ) enough to die for it. Should it not be an important part of our lives? A tree is known by it’s fruit (Matthew 7:19-20). Don’t forsake the gathering of yourselves together (like going to church – Hebrews 10:25).

Faith Like Potatoes

Posted on by

Over a year ago I watched a film called Faith Like Potatoes. Weird title but a great film, based on a true story of a farmer turned preacher in South Africa.

Angus Buchan, a Zambian farmer of Scottish heritage, leaves his farm in the midst of political unrest and racially charged land travels south with his family to start a better life in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. With nothing more than a trailer on a patch of land, and help from his foreman, Simeon, the Buchan family struggles to settle in a new country. Faced with ever mounting challenges, hardships and personal turmoil, Angus quickly spirals down into a life consumed by anger, fear and destruction. This is a story that tells the moving life journey of a man who, like his potatoes, grows his faith, unseen until the harvest.

The Bible often brings up farming, for instance…

And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor (2 Timothy 2:6).

In this section, Paul brings up a farmer as one of three illustrations of a faithful minister of the gospel. The other two (soldier and athlete) probably sound more exciting. Although it’s not Paul’s intent, the truth is that a farmer leads quite an exciting life. He works one of the most dangerous careers a person can choose. Soldiers may face greater dangers from time to time, but a farmer lives and works between sky and earth every day. I recently discovered that in our time, farming outranks any other career in producing work-related injuries and death. Farming is not for dabblers, cowards, or the lazy. And farmers can teach us a lot about faith.

In comparison with athletics and soldiering, farming helps us understand the persistent and patient parts of faith. Action and results come fairly quickly for athletes and soldiers. Not for farmers. They place a seed in the ground and return to harvest the results, but it can be a long time between those two actions. Successful farmers know how to wait. They may not enjoy waiting; but they learn to do it. Waiting doesn’t usually mean doing nothing, but the hardest part of waiting is the waiting.

Farming comes up various times in scripture (sometimes the farmer represents God or the ministry of the gospel).

  1. Jesus used many farming situations in his parables (like Matthew 13:1-23).
  2. Paul discussed the parallels between farming and the development of believers (as in 1 Corinthians 3:1-9).

In 2 Timothy 2:6 we get to see ourselves as farmers. With that privilege comes responsibility. If we’re going to “enjoy the fruit” of our labors, then we better be “hardworking.” The farmer who is not hardworking will reap what he sows–little or nothing.

A wise farmer knows what he can’t do.

  1. He can’t put life in a seed.
  2. He can’t make it rain.
  3. He can’t force the seed to grow.

There’s much that’s out of his hands. But he does his part.

  1. He plants
  2. He waters
  3. He cultivates
  4. He waits

As believers, we plant seeds (acts of obedience to God) in one another’s lives. We deposit seeds (the gospel) in the lives of those who don’t know Christ. The actual results of these actions are in God’s hands. But we often get to be the first to enjoy those results because we’re there. If we recognize the way that we are farmers, we remember we’re in the field every day. Every moment becomes a new opportunity to persistently plant seeds and then patiently wait to see what God will do.

Application:

  1. Have you seen the film? It is well worth renting for your family movie night, and then discuss lessons seen in the film.
  2. How is your faith growing? Abundantly? Wonderful harvest? Bearing much fruit? Or is there a drought? Weeds springing up?
  3. What changes will you make to help cultivate your faith?
  4. How are you getting to know God better?
  5. What fruit do you see beginning to bud? Which fruit are ripe for harvest?
  6. What hired help do you need to farm better? To whom can you become accountable for your Christian growth and maturity?
  7. Can the Men of Steel help you to become a more productive farmer? (Next time we get together is April 30 at 7:30 am).

Jesus on God as Father

Posted on by

Being a father, my goal is to be the best I can be, at least, be the kind of father that God wants me to be. I often fail like all of us, but I thought it might be interesting to think about Jesus’ thoughts about the Father.

Jesus said, “This is how you should pray: Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon” (Luke 11:2).

For those of us who have grown up praying the Lord’s Prayer, we find it familiar and comfortable to address God as Father. But it’s hard for us to relate to the extraordinary invitation of Jesus as he teaches us how to address God. We can simply turn our hearts to God and say, “Father.”

Why is This So Amazing?

Well, before Jesus, people didn’t speak to God in such a personal way. Though the Old Testament sometimes pictures God as a father to Israel (for example, Psalm 103:13), and though Jews could address God as “our Father in heaven,” the simplicity and intimacy of Jesus’ “Father” is unprecedented.

The fact that Jesus referred to God as “my Father” or, more simply, “Father,” was a potentially scandalous presumption. Yet, given his unique relationship with his heavenly Father, we might allow Jesus this extraordinarily familiar communication. But the fact that Jesus invites us to address God as Father boggles the mind, or at least it should.

A Word Study:

The Aramaic word that Jesus used in this prayer was Abba (see Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). Abba was a word used by children in the time of Jesus, something like “Papa” or “Daddy” in contemporary English. But Abba could also be used by adult children as a term of respect, much like “Father” for us. So, this word encourages us to come before God as free, open-hearted children, while it does not surrender the respect we offer to God as we approach the King of kings and Lord of lords.

A Word Picture:

Jesus himself offered a fascinating picture of God as Father in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). In this story, a father runs to embrace his wayward son, even as he reaches out to his obedient son as well. God as father extends himself in unimaginable love and forgiveness, always seeking reconciliation with us, his children.

Application:

  1. Do you address God as “Father” when you pray? Why or why not?
  2. What does it mean to you to speak to God as your father?
  3. If your father is lacking in honorable qualities, it may be difficult to address God as your Father, but we must understand the “ideal father” that Jesus set before us. How can you overcome any negative images of “father” in your heart?
  4. If you are a father, how are you embracing the characteristics of God as Father to your own children: love, acceptance, care, protection, familiarity, discipline, guidance, encouragement, comfort, support?

It is so amazing to speak to the God of the universe with such directness and intimacy. Sometime today, thank him for the invitation offered by Jesus to speak to God as he did. Thank him for his sacrifice that makes it possible for us to know God as our Father in heaven. Thank him for the mind-blowing, heart-filling privilege of being one of his children.

Are All Sins Equally Bad?

Posted on by

The question comes from skeptics and believers alike, “Are all sins really equal in God’s eyes?” It is common within evangelical circles to say that they are. The smallest white lie and the most brutal murder both nailed Jesus to the cross; he died for all sins. Most people may find this theological concept very appealing and accept it without doing much homework. I think this is true for two reasons:

  1. A reaction by Protestants against the Roman Catholic distinction between mortal sins (sins that are grievous) and venial sin (sins of a lesser nature).
  2. A tendency within our church culture to find a way to say that we are all equally in need of God’s grace and that all sin is extremely serious in God’s eyes (which is true).

After a little research, I don’t believe that all sin is equal in God’s sight. I also believe that telling people all sins are equal does damage to the character of God and the seriousness of certain sins. There are several reasons for this:

Think about it:

What if people lived according to this theology?

  1. If all sin is equal in the sight of God, then His anger will be equal for whatever sin we commit.
  2. How would it affect our relational disposition before God?
    1. If we suffer from the conviction of the Holy Spirit for all sins equally, our conscious getting weighed down by unrepentant sin will become confusing.
    2. This weighing down normally only comes from those sins that we perceive to be more severe. But if all sin is equal in the sight of God and one lived according to that theology, we would be just as troubled and just as repentant each time we exceeded the speed limit as when we commit adultery, steal the last loaf of bread from a starving family, or abuse children.
  3. But no one does this. We all see speeding down the road as a minor infraction because our conscious bears witness that it is not as bad as other things.

What Does the Bible Say?

I think that it is biblical and necessary to say that some sins are more grievous in the sight of God than others. This also translates into the assumption that some people are sinners to a greater degree than others. There are many instances in the Scriptures where degrees of sin are distinguished.

  1. Jesus tells Pilate that the Jewish leaders have committed a worse sin than him, saying “he who has handed me over to you has committed the greater sin” (John 19:11).
  2. Certain sins in the law are distinguished in a particular context as an abomination to God, implying that others are not as severe (as in Leviticus 18:22, Deuteronomy 7:25, 23:18, Isaiah 41:24).
  3. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is set apart as a more severe sin than blasphemy of the Son (Matthew 12:31).
  4. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists particular sins in such a way as to single them out because of their depraved nature, separating them from others.
  5. There are degrees of punishment in hell depending on the severity of the offense (Luke 12:47-48).
  6. Jesus says of the Pharisees, “You strain out a gnat while you swallow a camel” (Matthew 23:24). If all sins are equal, Christ’s rebuke does not make any sense.
  7. Jesus also talked about the “weightier things of the law” (Matthew 23:23). If all sins are equal, there is no law (or violation of that law) that is weightier than others. They are all the same weight.

Where Do We Get Our Theology?

So where does this faulty theology come from? Many people might refer to Christ’s comments in the Sermon on the Mount as justification for this way of thinking, or perhaps that verse in James.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall not commit adultery;” but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28).

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. (James 2:10)

Is there a difference in the eyes of God between thinking about adultery and actually doing it? Absolutely. If we say anything other than this, we do damage to God’s character and encourage the act based upon the thought of it. The point Jesus makes in Matthew 5:28 is not that lust and the actual act are equal, but that they both violate the same commandment. He was telling all people (particularly the religious leaders of the day) who thought they were safe because they had fulfilled the letter of the law that the law runs much deeper. The spirit of the law is what matters.

  1. If you have ever lusted, you have broken the sixth commandment (Matthew 5:28).
  2. If you have ever hated your brother, you have broken the fifth commandment (Matthew 5:22).

James is telling us that whatever the sin, no matter how small a sinner you believe yourself to be, that tiny sin still put Jesus on the cross to pay the debt.

The breaking of the principles of the commandment is the issue, not the degree to which it is broken.

Absurdity in Action:

If we believe that adultery and lust are equal in the sight of God, then here are the logical results:

  1. Any man or woman can justify divorce based upon the fact that Christ condemns divorce except for marital infidelity (Matthew 5:32). All they need to do is make the assumption that their spouse has lusted to some degree during their marriage.
  2. If a man were to lust after a woman on the Internet, he might as well commit the actual act, since in God’s eyes he already has.
  3. If you have ever lusted after a girl, then you should marry her since in God’s eyes you are one with her (1 Corinthians 6:16).

I think that this way of thinking is not only wrong biblically, but it also has repercussions that lead to a distorted worldview and it discredits the integrity of God.

It is true that all people are sinners; all the way since birth. But not all sin is equal. I think that it is safe to say that while not all people sin to the same degree, we all share in an equally depraved nature.

The Purpose of Small Groups

Posted on by

The mission of King’s Grant Baptist is to know Christ and make him known, so any program of the church must fit under that mission statement. For small groups to be successful and avoid stagnation, our focus has to be bigger than ourselves. Consider this as the purpose of small groups:

Our Purpose – to Fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20)

  1. The Task – Make Disciples (Matthew 28:19). If we are not developing people into fully devoted followers of Christ, we are definitely not making disciples.
  2. The Process – To Go in Obedience (Matthew 28:19-20). The word process brings with it steps and stages leading to an end. If our task is to make disciples, we need a plan (and Jesus offered one).
    1. Go = we are to Win – (Mark 16:15-16). We are not to huddle together but move out with the marching orders he has given us. Let’s get out there with the people and win them to Christ. We don’t do it alone, but allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in this mission.
    2. Baptize = we are to Build. We cannot birth new believers and leave them to fend care for themselves. The next stage in the process is to build them up so they can feed themselves, learn from the Bible, grow in their faith and imitate Christ.
    3. Teach = we are to Equip. The mission is to be passed on like a baton to the generation behind us. Christianity is only one generation from extinction, so how are we helping believers to carry on the mission; the reason we need to equip the body for the work of service.
  3. The Scope – All Nations (Matthew 28:19). We are to multiply or reproduce. Contrary to the sports arena in Norfolk, the scope is actually our field of vision; who is the target of the Great Commission? To whom shall we go? It’s not just to the ends of the earth, but sometimes to the next cubical, or across the street.
  4. The Recipients – the Disciples, and over 500 Brethren (Matthew 28:16 & 1 Corinthians 15:6). Sometimes we feel like the Great Commission was given to the church at large or maybe to the disciples in particular, but actually Jesus has given it to each of us. It is an insult to our faith if we fail to ask ourselves, “What do you want me to do?” We have the marching orders, we must be obedient to the Lord.
  5. The Fuel – Worship (Matthew 28:17). Balancing worship and missions… which is more important? John Piper has said that missions exists because worship doesn’t. People are giving the glory that God deserves to something else. He is the one to be worshiped. I believe that this verse points out that people will have one of two responses when they see Jesus:
    1. They worshiped him.
    2. Some were doubtful.
  6. The Duration – Until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). No one can say that they have done enough, then sit back and relax. We cannot wait for a new generation to run with the baton, we run together, training and equipping, supporting and encouraging those who will come behind us. Jesus must not find us idol and sitting on the sidelines while the game is on. The song goes, “we will work, til Jesus comes.” Does that describe your passion for the Great Commission?

The purpose of the church found in the Great Commission has been personalized for King’s Grant Baptist Church in the following way.

We exist… “to know Christ and make him known.”
“His Last Command is Our First Concern!”

Taste and See

Posted on by

This is a great psalm of trust and hope. The historical occasion to which this heading alludes is found in 1 Samuel 21:10–15; however, there is nothing obvious in the context of Psalm 34 to make such a specific connection. Abimelech, like Pharaoh, was likely a dynastic designation, not a proper name.

Psalm 34 – The LORD, a Provider and Deliverer. A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.

1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Here is a little outline of what we find in this psalm:

  1. David’s Praise of the Lord (Psalm 34:1–3)
  2. David’s Prayer to the Lord (Psalm 34:4–6)
  3. David’s Prosperity in the Lord (Psalm 34:7–10)
  4. David’s Proclamation of the Lord (Psalm 34:11–14)
  5. David’s Preservation in the Lord (Psalm 34:15–22)

This is an individual song of thanksgiving, and according to the title, it originated in the days when David was “on the run” from Saul. A slight problem is apparent in the title in that David actually faked insanity and madness before the Philistine ruler Achish, not Abimelech (1 Samuel 21:10–15). On the other hand, Abimelech may be a title for any Philistine ruler. That seems to be the case in the dealings of the patriarchs with the Philistines (Genesis 20:1–18; 21:22–34; 26:1–17).

David began by urging others to join him in praising the Lord, and then he recounted how God had heard his prayers and delivered him (Psalm 34:6). Those who depend on the Lord will lack nothing (Psalm 34:10). Those who expect His blessings must keep away from from evil. When they do, they will see how faithful the Lord is. Evil will surely meet judgment, but the saints of the Lord will never be held guilty in His eyes (Psalm 34:22).

Today I want to focus on Psalm 34:8. I recently read a story about a woman who gave her young daughter four jellybeans and let her know that was all the candy she was going to receive.

After practically inhaling the first three candies, the daughter lingered over the last one. She sucked on it, took it out of her mouth, bit into it, sucked on it some more, then gnawed at the outer shell. Knowing that this was her last jellybean, she took a full 45 minutes to ingest the treat completely.

The mom observed her little girl with amusement. It occurred to her that she was watching a lesson of the value of savoring—enjoying taste and texture and learning to draw out every possible bit of flavor from the pleasurable experience.

When we read, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8), we can be sure that God wants us to “savor” His presence. He allows us to gain intimate and satisfying knowledge of Him. When we meditate on His Word, we will draw out a deeper understanding of who He is (Ezekiel 3:1-3).

Ezekiel 3

1 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”
2 So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.
3 And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.

As we taste of His goodness and love, God will reveal the distinctive flavor of His creativity, sovereignty, holiness, and faithfulness.

Soul Surfer Opens This Weekend

Posted on by

Based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, a 13 year old competitive surfer with big dreams and a courageous spirit. Coming from a family of surfers, riding the waves is all Bethany can dream about. But her dreams turn into a nightmare after a sudden shark attack takes her left arm and her hopes of ever surfing again.

Soul Surfer is an inspirational film for the entire family about overcoming obstacles and turning tragedy into triumph. The movie emphasizes Bethany, her family and their Christian faith; being faithful to church and being positive role models.

There are people who go through tribulations that most of us cannot even imagine even in our worst nightmares. You might expect them to be crushed under the weight of the calamity that has befallen them, but many times they emerge with a victory greater also than we could imagine as well.

One such person that fits in this category is Bethany Hamilton. By now you’ve probably heard about, read, or are about to see her story in the film Soul Surfer. At only 13 years old, she was attacked by a shark and sustained the loss of her arm. And if that weren’t enough, she also lost the love and passion of her life – riding the big waves. A blow like that would be enough to discourage any young teenager from moving forward as she saw her future dreams burn up in the flames of catastrophe.

Or so you might have thought – but Bethany Hamilton gathered up the ashes of her dreams and offered them to the God who “causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28).

And if you asked her today about her perspective on what happened, here is her answer:

“I try not to make a big soap opera out of the shark attack. I would rather focus on what God has allowed me to do in picking up the pieces of my old life and adjusting to parts that are new and different for me. Most of all, I want to use my story as a way to tell people about God’s story. It seems like he has given me the attention of the world for a moment, and I had better take advantage of it while I can.” (Soul Surfer, 2004).

How does someone who has undergone such trauma find the strength not only to move on, but allow herself to be used by God in amazing ways?

I would say it has a lot to do with her earthly father and her heavenly Father. In the film there is a scene that chronicles a conversation that took place less than two days after the attack. Bethany is still in her hospital room, and her father, Tom, is keeping a quiet and prayerful vigil at her bedside. When Bethany awakens, she looks to her father for assurance that she can overcome her tragic loss and get back to the sport that she passionately loves. Her dad encourages her with a reminder of a promise from her Heavenly Father:

Bethany: “When can I surf?”

Tom: “Soon.”

Bethany: “How do you know?”

Tom: “Because you ‘Can do all things …’”

Bethany: “… through Him who gives me strength.”

Bethany claimed that biblical promise and God has given her the strength to do more than she probably ever imagined as she was lying in that hospital bed.

When God causes all things to work together for your good, the biggest question is: Are you willing to use your story as a way to tell people about God’s story?

  • His story is about a God who loves His creation so deeply that He was willing to suffer more than any of us could ever imagine to open the way for heaven.
  • His story is about a Father who was willing to endure the loss of His Son Jesus so we could spend eternity with Him.
  • His story is written by the moments of our lives and the conversations we choose to have with our friends who don’t know about the amazing news of the gospel. They are the people whose souls need to be saved from a pointless and meaningless future.

Are you willing to be a soul saver?