Office Visitors Summer 2018

We love visiting with our missions family! If you are ever in the area, please drop in to see us. Here are some recent pictures.

Danny Whetstone, Fred and Tim Daniel, Charles Surrett, Gene Krachenfels, Jeremy Lockhart, Jerry Shaw, Jr., and John O’Malley (photographer) took part in Bro. Sal Lara’s interview at the office. We’re grateful for these men and others on our executive board who serve in this capacity!
Darleen Whetstone, Beth Daniel, and Karen Daniel were in the office while their husbands participated in Bro. Sal Lara’s recent interview. We enjoyed spending time together!
John, Christa, and Khloe Boylston stopped in to pick up packages and go over some paperwork.
Adrian and Emma Hendricks and their family spent several days staying in our guest room. If you ever have a need of lodging in our area, contact us for availability.
The Taylor family came to the office to learn how to complete their financial reports.
The staff enjoyed spending time with the Taylor girls while their mom and dad were in training!

From the Memo Board: August 2018

Dates to Know

August 1 – June financial reports will be due.

August 13 – Please contact us by this date if you will need funds in your account before August 31st.

August 20-24 – Encouragement Conference in Germany.

August 31 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.

September 1 – July financial reports will be due.

September 3 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Labor Day.

New Missionary

Salvador “Sal” Lara is the newest missionary to join our World Wide family. He was raised in California but moved to Mexico to attend Bible college. He is sent out of Iglesia Bautista Centra Biblical de Gracia, with Pastor Jerrel Shaw, Jr., and is a graduate of Bro. Shaw’s David Bible Institute. His goal is to return to Mexico and assist in the ministries of both Jerrel Shaw, Sr, and Jerry Shaw, Jr. Pray for him as he begins deputation!

Form I-9

We have recently learned that Homeland Security requires WWNTBM to have a Form I-9 on file for all of our current missionaries (employees). Typically this form has to be completed in the presence of a staff member. However, because many of our missionaries are not present in the Kings Mountain, NC, location, we have established a process for those individuals who cannot come to the office to complete this form. You should have received an email detailing the steps needed to submit this. Please complete this as soon as possible so we can get our records up to date. If you have questions, please contact Naomi Torberson. Thank you for your help with this urgent matter!

Uplift Podcasts

The following recordings were recently published on Uplift.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. These recordings for our missions family contain the Uplift calls in their entirety, including prayer requests and challenges to our missionaries. We hope they will encourage your heart.

Recent Episodes:

Personal Growth During Deputation by Bro. Jeremy Lockhart
The Making of a Missionary by Bro. Allen Mercer
Raising Kids in Missions, Part One  by Pastor Jon Earnhart
Raising Kids in Missions, Part Two by Pastor Jon Earnhart

At Family Fellowship Week, we shared a testimonial video about the encouragement that the Uplift calls are to some of our missionaries. Click here to view this video.

Prayer & Dates: August 2018

August Prayer/Praises and Special Dates

Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for August. Note: You will need to login to SecureCloud in order to view this document. Once you have logged in, click on Files, Shared, then Headquarter Happenings, then scroll to the month you would like to view. This step protects people with WWNTBM in restricted access fields.

From Our President: August 2018

Danny Whetstone

Barnabas is such an interesting character in the Bible. He was appointed by the church in Jerusalem to go to Antioch of Syria to help the church that was developing there.
The church leaders obviously had a great deal of confidence in him to place the responsibility for this very important ministry in his care.

Watching him throughout his ministry, it would appear that he was a Spirit-filled servant of Christ that was humble in life and ministry. He recognized that God had done a great work in Paul when no one else saw God in him. As they ministered together in Antioch, they are referred to as Barnabas and Saul, but very soon after their departure on the first missionary journey the order of prominence changes and they are called Paul and Barnabas. It would seem that as the pastor, Barnabas was listed first, but when they became missionaries, Paul would be listed first. This did not seem to trouble Barnabas. He humbly continued to serve the Lord with all of his heart. Being first did not matter. He simply wanted the Lord’s work to move forward and God to be honored.

Many other commendable attributes could be given to Barnabas, but the one that stood out above others to the church at Jerusalem was his ability to encourage others. His parents named him Joses, but the church called him Barnabas—son of consolation. It was as though his presence changed the atmosphere in a room. Where clouds of fear or doubt had gathered, they were dispersed by his presence and the sunlight of hope moved in to encourage troubled hearts. What kind of difference are we making in our world?

We are looking forward to meeting in Germany this month with the prayer that we will all leave more encouraged to serve the Lord in an atmosphere of hope. Hope, not in our abilities and talents, but hope in the goodness of God. Please pray with us that this will be a profitable time for everyone who attends. This is only the third time we have held one of these conferences. The first two were a blessing, and we have every reason to believe that this one will be the same.

Encourage those around you today in the great battle for world evangelization.

In His Service,
Danny A. Whetstone

If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. Whetstone here to let him know.

From the Desk of a Friend: Isaiah Saw God


If Bro. Hurst’s article is an encouragement to you, please email him to let him know. You may also visit ebarnabas.org to make an appointment with him for encouragement.

 

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

Isaiah 6:1-12

In chapters one through five of Isaiah, he reveals that the people of God were living some very ungodly lives. As a man of good standing, if not already called as a prophet, Isaiah points out the severe offenses to God’s holiness. Many of the practices mentioned here are prevalent in today’s society. In chapter one verse four, he states, “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.” These conditions would be like us in our society bemoaning the wickedness of our nation. Indeed, the atmosphere would not entice a man to seek out a ministry of preaching or prophecying. However, God does not always send us to places where the people are seeking someone to tell them about God and His Word.

In chapter 6, we find Isaiah in the temple. The house of God is a good place to escape the world’s oppression of sin and corruption. Isaiah saw a view of God like no one else mentioned in the Bible. God manifested Himself at other times, but none like this one. God was on His throne high and lifted up. “His “train filled the temple.” Seraphim attended Him and cried, “Holy, holy, holy.” They worshipped the triune God Who is thrice holy. “God’s glory filled the whole earth.” God’s voice was so powerful that the doorposts moved as an earthquake would move them. “The house filled with smoke.” Smoke represented the God of heaven Who has all power in heaven and earth. He is absolutely holy. He is above and attended by the heavenly hosts. His voice resounds above all others. Consider that we serve the same God that Isaiah did. He still has that immense power and holiness. He remains concerned for those outside the “temple” in sin.

The manifestation brought Isaiah to conviction. He was keenly aware of his sins and the sins of his people. This same God provided cleansing for those sinful lips. How blessed we are that our sins are not cleansed by coal but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. God made clear that He wanted someone to go for Himself. Isaiah responded, “Here am I; send me.” Is it possible that we are so short of laborers because we have not truly experienced the Holy God as Isaiah did? The prophet did not ask where he should go. He simply said, “Send me,” and then asked, “How long?” God does not mention furlough time but to stay until there is no one else to hear.

Isaiah got a big view of God and realized his sinful condition. He received cleansing. Then, He heard a clear call of God and surrendered before knowing where he was to go or how long he was to stay. His need was not to build a large congregation but to sound the Word as long as there was mankind to hear. God help us to follow the example of this old prophet.

Daily Sessions

Each message below contains links to the audio via our Uplift podcast site. In order for the direct links to work, you must be logged in with the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel.

The Influence of the Cross on Peter’s Life, Ministry, and Writing
Dwight Williams

When Peter first met Christ, Jesus changed his name. God knew where he came from, where he was, and by grace and the power of the cross, what Peter would one day be. Peter learned to believe God and step out on the promises of God. None of the disciples had greater events transpire in their lives around the crucifixion than Peter. Imagine the impact on Peter as Christ turned to look at him following his betrayal. Peter turned away from the light into the darkness to weep, but the Lord was not finished with him. Upon His resurrection, the Lord specifically sent a message to Peter that there was still a ministry for him. Thank God that He will work in us to comfort, correct, cleanse, and change us, then send us out to continue His work. Peter never got over the cross. He wrote some of the most tender passages of the Bible, as he challenged us to desire the milk of the Word to grow and to cast our cares on Christ. Peter knew that as the devil desired to have him, Christ was interceding for him. We too can take comfort in this truth.

The Influence of the Cross on Christ’s Ministry
Mike Renfrow

We see the love of God not in the roses, flowers, and trees, but in the cross of Christ. The cross was not an accident, but a fulfillment of Scripture. Christ knew as He went to the cross that He was in the will of the Father. The cross was the mission of his ministry. It was His purpose to fulfill the Father’s mission. The cross was the message of his ministry, and throughout his time with his disciples, He preached the cross. The cross was also the memorial of His ministry. It speaks of God’s love, faithfulness, mercy, and forgiveness. The cross speaks of God’s wrath on sin, and of God’s holiness. Because of the cross, we must praise God, proclaim his power, put Christ first, and have a greater hatred for the sin that placed Christ on the cross.

The Influence of the Cross on Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea
Daniel Fetter

Immediately after the crucifixion, many things continued as usual. The Romans were still in charge. Preparations for the Passover went on. But because of the cross, we see a change in these two men. They were religious men. They were also rich men. Their method of discipleship before the cross was in secret. Both held prominent positions and did not want to identify with Christ in the open. The cross gave them a mission and changed their perspective. They became bold to take a stand and openly beg for the body of Jesus, thus identifying themselves with him. By so doing, they fulfilled the prophecy that Christ would be buried with the rich in his death. I Corinthians 2:5 holds a key for all disciples. Our faith must stand in the power of God so that in our weakness His power can be revealed in us.

The Influence of the Cross on Mary and the Women
Allen Mercer

As we think of the power of the gospel, we must not stop at the cross, but remember that the whole message includes the resurrection. Remember that the full story of Christ’s love and sacrifice gives us our motivation for ministry. When we think of Mary Magdalene and the other ladies who approached the empty tomb, we must remember their past. These were ladies who had been helped by the Lord in some way, and in return for his ministry they loved Him, followed Him, and ministered to His earthly needs. They watched His death from afar, fearful perhaps of associating too closely. But, their relationship with Christ did not end at the cross! Christ had a future for them as well. As He met them in the garden, His message was for them to “come and see; then go and tell.” The resurrection changed them and the other disciples from worriers into warriors, from fearful to fighters, from doubtful to daring, and from weak to bold witnesses.

The Influence of the Cross on Christ While on the Cross
Jeremy Lockhart

As Christ hung on the cross he spoke seven sayings that give us a glimpse into the heart of God. The place from which Christ said these words is important. It was not a place of comfort, but crushing anguish; not a place of royalty but wretchedness; not from a palace but a cross. These words were spoken not to a multitude who magnified him but to enemies who mocked him. The words Christ spoke on the cross include the power to provide pardon, and because of Christ’s forgiveness, we too can forgive others. His words promised eternal life to the vilest of sinners, thereby giving us assurance. He spoke peace in the midst of Mary’s pain as she watched the sword pierce His side. We too can leave our burdens at the cross and accept His peace. Christ was our sinless yet selfless substitute, who was forsaken of His father that we need never be forsaken. His words of thirst prove that He can sympathize in our suffering. His victory cry of “It is finished!” settled our sin debt.

The Influence of the Cross in the Epistle to the Galatians
Michael West

Paul’s fierce devotion to Calvary is evident throughout the book of Galatians. To him, the cross represented not object or symbol of worship but a doctrine to change His life. We too must be consumed with understanding Christ’s love for us, for when we take our eyes off of the cross we will back away from our commitment to Christ. The book of Galatians shows us that the cross

Cancels our sin,
Reveals his love,
Offers divine blessings,
Satisfies our souls, and
Separates us from the world through sanctification.

To enjoy the benefits of this doctrine we must participate, first by believing and accepting salvation, and then by counting ourselves dead to sin and choosing to follow Christ in the process of sanctification. We must come to the place where we know that God Himself is enough for us. When we have a right view of the cross we can rest in the providence, security, and love of our eternal God.

The Influence of the Cross on Our Preaching
Tim Daniel

We must realize the awesome responsibility we have to preach on the cross. We have a responsibility to preach with Holy Spirit preparation, purpose, and power. The cross will influence us to have a powerful Commitment to preaching the gospel. There are many distractions in ministry, but preaching is still vital. The cross provides a powerful Redemptive theme for our preaching. It is the central doctrine of the Bible. The cross gives us powerful and bold Oratory in our preaching, as we reveal Christ to sinners, reveal His power to the saints, and remind us of His sacrifice. The cross gives us powerful Sermon content. We must focus not on the act of preaching, but on the content. A message that is not Christ-centered will inevitably be human-centered. The cross gives us powerful Scriptural truth. The measuring stick to evaluate the power of your preaching and ministry is the blood-stained cross of Christ. We must preach with purpose on the power of the cross of Christ.

The Influence of the Cross in the Epistle to the Colossians
Josh Town

The book of Colossians only uses the word “cross” twice, yet the shadow of the cross covers the entire book and the entire Bible. The cross is our path to peace. The road to reconciliation begins with a problem: there is a broken relationship that has caused enmity and war. The plan for the problem is the cross. The purpose of the cross is to bring peace. The cross is also the foundation of forgiveness for all past and future sin. Christ nailed to the cross the law which condemned us, and, in dying, he fulfilled the law. When Christ arose, the law did not; it remains nailed to the cross, never to condemn us again. We must tell others of the peace and forgiveness found only in the cross.

The Influence of the Cross in the Epistle to the Ephesians
Matthew Brown

Paul in writing to the Ephesians mentions their past. Their world was divided between Jew and Gentile, and as Gentiles, they were far off, at enmity physically, ceremonially, and spiritually with the Jew and with God. Yet now all of this was in their past. The cross provided peace and bridged the gap between God and man and between man and man. We must remember that we too were sinners, reflect on our attitudes towards others, and rejoice that Christ has brought all together in peace.

The Influence of the Cross in the Epistles to the Corinthians
Fred Daniel, Jr.

The cross gives the power for effective ministry in the local church. As we think of Corinth, we are reminded who Paul was. He witnessed Stephen’s death and was used by God for missions even before his own salvation. We also think of who Paul became. The cross made a difference in his life, and he was a chosen vessel to bear its message to the Gentiles. We also see how Paul served the Corinthians. He went to them and ministered to them for a year and a half as he nurtured and grounded them. Making converts is only part of the commission; it also includes making disciples. The cross provides power for preventive and corrective discipline. We must be willing to confront the problems in the church. In application, we should remember who we were before the cross, what we became at the cross, and that God has us here to serve Him because of the cross.

The Influence of the Cross on the Acts of the Apostles
Danny Whetstone

Without the cross, there would have been no resurrection, no ascension, and no coming of the Holy Spirit, so everything we see recorded in the book of Acts is a direct result of the cross. The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples, but never spoke of himself, only of Christ. This message is effective when it is propagated. Peter’s message at Pentecost mentioned almost every doctrine of Christ. Three thousand were converted, and all of them were baptized and all continued steadfastly. Stephen had no way of knowing how his message would work in the heart of Saul. We must preach Christ and allow the power of the cross to work in the lives of those who hear. When people are drawn to Christ they find redemption and then can go on their way rejoicing.

The Influence of the Cross in a Post-Christian World
Chad Estep

The cross is about our salvation and our sanctification. Therefore, its message is about transformation. The book of Romans was written in what could be considered a pre-Christian world and our post-Christian world today is no different. Chapters 12-16 give us several transformational truths. We must not think highly of ourselves, but soberly as Christ does. We must recognize our place in the body of Christ and realize that we are individual members whose actions can have a ripple effect on others. We must realize that God has given us a gift not for ourselves or others, but for him. Don’t worry what others think of your gift–just please God with it. We must serve others. We must remember that vengeance is coming and God is just. We must be transformed by renewing, refreshing, and reviving our minds daily.

The Influence of the Cross in the Epistle to the Hebrews
Gene Krachenfels

The book of Hebrews reminds us that we are in a race. God designed the course as a marathon. Christ’s course began in heaven, brought him to earth, and eventually took him to the cross, but there is joy in knowing it did not end at the cross. He crossed over the finish line to complete his race on streets of gold! God determines the conditions of the course. We must endure, press on, and continue. We must not resent, avoid, bypass, or become bitter at obstacles placed in our path. Remember that God dispenses the rewards at the end of the race. Great joy comes in the face of trials if we endure.

The Influence of the Cross on the Disciples – Us
John O’Malley

The cross must influence who we are as disciples of Christ today. In Luke 14 Christ tells the story of a supper that was offered. As a great multitude began to follow Him, Christ made three negative statements to thin the crowd and determine who would be true followers. The cross must influence who we are as servants. He stated that one cannot be his disciple without leaving family, bearing a cross, and forsaking all. Each of these statements requires a status with the Lord. How do we make a deliberate decision? How do we prevent a divided devotion? How do we avoid dereliction of our duty? To be followers of Christ we must realize that Christ has a cross for us that is individualized and personalized. He wants us to carry his cross, not as an object of ornamentation, but as an invitation to die with Him. He wants us to follow him with our cross. We must bear the cross He has given with honor, and remember that His cross was far more difficult than ours.

Practical Sessions

Family Fellowship Week is about more than just preaching! Our desire is for it to be a place of fellowship where we can feed your soul, familiarize you with our staff, and allow you to focus on our commitments to each other. Two of our board members’ wives spoke to the ladies, and our Director of Deputation spoke on ministry families. Below are notes and links for these practical sessions. We have also included links for Principles and Practices, as well as the Q&A time.

Each message below contains links to the audio via our Uplift podcast site. In order for the direct links to work, you must be logged in with the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel.

Bloom Where You Are Planted – A Lesson of Fruitfulness
Karen Daniel

Sometimes we think we are being buried when we are really being planted. God must plant us so we can grow, bloom, and bear fruit. Plants start as seeds that are dormant; we too are dead without Christ, but salvation brings new life. Just as a plant needs roots we need a foundation. Seedlings are tender and need to be watched carefully, so new Christians need us to be sensitive to their needs as they are being transformed. When the plant reaches the blooming stage it begins to bear fruit. We as Christians must bloom with grace. Our fruit comes from Him, not us, and we must not take pride in what Christ does through us. Remember that God made a variety of plants and has made a variety of people as well. Variety gives beauty. Do not try to be someone else. Fake flowers may appear beautiful but they never change, and they never bear fruit. Plants need nourishment to flourish. The Bible is our spiritual ‘miracle-grow.’ Without it, we may think we are ok, but we will never flourish. The flourishing plant draws the attention of passers-by, and the fruit of the spirit blooming in our lives draws others to Christ. Plants may have good or bad aromas, and our attitudes should radiate a sweetness to others. Crushed plants provide ointments. Trials in our life bring the balm of Christ to our souls. Plants can be re-potted, and sometimes in our lives, Christ moves us to a new location. We must bloom where He plants us, so the beauty and fragrance of our lives will draw others to Christ.

Sticking To It – A Lesson of Faithfulness
Becky Estep

God’s faithfulness is foundational to all of His promises. Since He is always faithful, we too must be faithful to stick with it as a testimony to others. We should pray to be faithful, realizing the devil fights against our faithfulness. Look at the big picture. God already sees the end. To be faithful over decades, you must start early. Write down your decisions so you don’t forget them! Expect change, not in doctrine or beliefs, but in life circumstances. It requires adaptability and a realistic outlook on life to be faithful through changes. Don’t make major decisions in low times. Low seasons bring a change in perspective. Allow Christ to patiently work in you the change he desires in the low times, before making a decision to move from this place. Hold fast to his promises and trust for his outcome. Realize that trials come to everyone and in all locations. Seek counsel. Talk with others and read a variety of perspectives. In a multitude of counselors, there is safety and security. Give thanks in everything. Gratitude affects your attitude. When you realize all God has done for you, you can’t help but desire to be faithful to him. God has a specific job for you and you are the only one who can fill it. Every person is faithful to something. The problem is the object of our faithfulness. Faithfulness doesn’t happen by accident. Faithfulness results in encouragement and security.

Ministry Families
Jeremy Lockhart

This session covered lessons the Lockharts have learned during their deputation, field, and furlough ministries, as well as during changes in ministry.

1 – Be yourself. What you do to gain support is what you will have to do to keep it. Be genuine.

2 – Teach your kids to obey, but don’t be too harsh. Don’t provoke them to anger by expecting them to act like adults. Don’t make bad scheduling decisions and sacrifice your family to meet your goals, then discipline them for something that was your fault when you should have given them time to be rested.

3 – Deputation is a time of ministry. It is an opportunity to speak in churches where the pastor has often never met you! Don’t squander the time thinking only of raising funds. Deputation is a time to expose the church to missions and to burden the hearts of the next generation of missionaries.

4 – Let no man despise your youth. You don’t have the same perspective but you do have influence. Often young folks look to the generation immediately above them for inspiration, not to generations several years older. Your youth will energize and encourage the church.

5 – Don’t be lifted up in pride. You don’t know it all.

6 – Deputation is a time to develop relationships. Learn to humble yourselves to receive gifts from others. Be a friend to those you meet along the way.

7 – Relationships are important. Spend time with people. Love them. Learn from them. Ask questions. Learn to dialogue and find out what people understand from what you tell them. Study the list of questions Christ asked of individuals; He was always seeking to find their understanding and perspective of the situation.

Principles and Practices
Bill Wingard and Danny Whetstone

Each year at Family Week, we review the principles and practices that define our missions agency. We do this to remind ourselves of where we came from and what we stand for and to ensure that we will not change our principles as we move into the future.

Click here to listen to Part 1 with Bill Wingard.

Click here to listen to Part 2 with Danny Whetstone.

Questions and Answers
John O’Malley and Danny Whetstone

Missionaries in attendance were asked to submit questions to our staff. Topics ranged from ministries to families, and from theological to practical matters. Click here to listen to this informative session.

Evening Sessions

Each year at Family Week, the daily sessions focus on our missions family, while the evening messages include the host church family. Four speakers are selected to challenge and encourage hearts for the cause of missions.

Each message below contains links to the audio via our Uplift podcast site. In order for the direct links to work, you must be logged in with the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD
John O’Malley

Isaiah 61 is the only passage that uses the phrase, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD.” Christ referred to this passage at the beginning of his own ministry. There are great parallels here for us. We learn that we have a manager – one who manages. We do not need to wonder about our future or tasks, because the manager is in charge – we can simply ask Him. A manager brings a mess into order, gives marching orders, and is responsible for the strength, stability, success, safety, supply, and sustenance of the workers. Christ our manager reassures us that He bought us, loves us, wants us, and we are His! We also have a multitude. We have people to whom we are to bring good tidings. We have a message. We must proclaim the year of the Lord and the day of His victory and vengeance. We have a mandate to produce an exchange of beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and praise for heaviness. The supply for this exchange is limitless and comes from our manager. We also have a mandate to plant trees of righteousness. The purpose for it all is so that Christ will get the credit and glory.

Pure Hearts and Fervent Love
Bill Wingard

Our purpose is to make Christ known, that men may know Him, and that the world will know that we know Him. We have evidence they may not like, but cannot dispute, when we show our changed life and our love for others. The love of God flows through a life that has been genuinely changed. The world knows we are disciples when we love. Love is an international blessing from God. It is a defense in our lives against sin. The blood cleanses our sin, and love covers our sin. (I Peter 4:8) I Corinthians 13 compares faith, without which we cannot please God; hope, without which we have no confidence; and love, without which our service is worthless. Love is the greatest of these three!

Missions and the Modern Generation
Caleb Rollins

What does the future hold for the next generation? When facing Goliath, David had a vision of what had to be done. He was able to do one simple thing by stepping out in faith and being willing to attempt what nobody else would do. As a young boy, Samuel kept listening to the call of God. His circumstances were not good. He was in the place of the ark yet did not know the Lord. His mentor was failing spiritually and could not help him. He slept while the flame went out. Yet in spite of circumstances, he listened and answered the call of God. When being held captive by Naaman, the little maid saw a need and answered her master’s cry for help. She was willing to realize that God had her in that place for a reason. Each of these young people had a vision, heard the call, and acted on the call of God for their lives. We must keep the vision, keep listening, and act upon the call of God in our lives as well.

Beyond Our Fondest Dreams
Danny Whetstone

Paul begins Ephesians 3 by calling himself a prisoner, not of Rome, but of Christ. He knew God had him in that place for a reason and believed he was right in the center of God’s will. He was willing to face great persecution for a cause he knew to be right because he had a cause – the ministry and mystery of sharing the Gospel with the Gentiles. He desired that God would strengthen these believers with the Spirit, that Christ would dwell in them, and that grounded in love they would be able to comprehend Christ’s love which passes knowledge. With this cause in mind, he closed the chapter with a challenge to dream big in ministry. This God who fills our lives is able. We can live this life beyond our wildest dreams. No dream is too big until it exceeds the ability of God. Nothing is impossible for the One who can hear the dreams of our heart. We fear that men will laugh at our dreams, but just because they don’t know how to dream doesn’t mean we should not do so. What dream do you have for your life that will honor God and bring glory to Christ? Rise up in humility and in the knowledge of the love of God, ask Him to grant you your wishes, and watch Him fulfill your fondest dreams.

Family Fellowship Week 2018 Quotes

Too many Christians are in a place where the door of their prison is open, and their chains of sin are broken, but they are still sitting in prison because they have not chosen to follow Christ by getting up and walking out of the door away from their past! Michael West

The cross had long been a fundamentally divisive symbol, yet when Christ was crucified it became a symbol of unity. Matthew Brown

Cross-focused missionaries can experience the power of the cross in their ministries. Fred Daniel, Jr.

A casual approach or lack of preparation for a sermon is a horrible disrespect to the Savior who died for us. You will never preach effectively if you do not study effectively. Tim Daniel

My sin sent Christ to Calvary, but his love took him there. John O’Malley

The profundity of Scripture lies in its simplicity. Bill Wingard

When the older generation loses their vision the younger generation loses their hope. We must not fail to share our vision with the next generation. Caleb Rollins