THE HYMNS OF CHARLES WESLEY – Part 3 of 3

And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?  (Charles Wesley)

I think Charles Wesley would be somewhat baffled by our [present day] controversies over the nature of the scriptures… In a sense, he hardly thought it necessary to defend the scriptures; they were a given, a taken-for-granted, and there was no need to plead their case.

But on the other hand, scholar though he was, he would wonder at the kind of biblical study which is more concerned with sources and settings and evidences of authenticity than with nurture. He was a poet, not a critic. He came to the scriptures for food and for the language of redemption and adoration. I am not saying that he would be unsympathetic with the scholar’s research, but he would be concerned lest in the process of measuring the sun’s rays we should miss the glory of its rising or setting.

And he would probably be troubled by the style of the modern pulpit. He would see that our language is an amalgam of politics, sports, sociology, psychology, economics, and faddish jargon. He had only one language, the language of Zion. The scriptures were his native tongue. 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in “Our First Song: Evangelism in the Hymns of Charles Wesley”

#5636

THE HYMNS OF CHARLES WESLEY – Part 2 of 3

O that the world might know the all-atoning Lamb!
Spirit of faith, descend and show the virtue of His name;
The grace which all may find, the saving power, impart,
And testify to humankind, and speak in every heart.  (Charles Wesley)

The most impressive factor in Wesley’s hymns of salvation, and in his work in general, was the massive biblical content.  J. Ernest Rattenbury contends that a skillful person, if the Bible were lost, “might extract much of it from Wesley’s hymns…”

…Wesley wrote 5,100 hymns in Select Passages of Scripture, most of which are unread today, but which effectively retold the biblical story, in the form of a kind of devotional commentary.

Very few contemporary congregations can do full justice to the singing of Wesley’s hymns because they don’t have the biblical knowledge to appreciate what they are singing.  Rattenbury says that Holy Scripture was Wesley’s “sole literary inspiration,” because even when he took phrases from other authors, they were generally nothing other than a recasting of some biblical truth. But Wesley’s weaving of phrases, allusions, and biblical insights is so masterful that even the careful reader will find it hard to catch them all.

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in “Our First Song: Evangelism in the Hymns of Charles Wesley”

#5635

THE HYMNS OF CHARLES WESLEY – Part 1 of 3

 O Love divine, what hast Thou done!
Th’incarnate God hath died for me!
The Father’s co-eternal Son
Bore all my sins upon the tree!
The Son of God for me hath died:
My Lord, my Love, is crucified.  (Charles Wesley)

There was substantial content in Charles Wesley’s hymns, and this must have played a great role in the nurture of the first generation of people called Methodists. Whatever other books they had, or whatever other training, one could be sure that every time they sang one of Wesley’s hymns -- especially those dealing with salvation -- they would get some solid theology. The text encouraged analysis, thought, meditation, and growth.

And of course it was classical theology. There is nothing trendy in Wesley’s theology. His doctrine was ancient and catholic (universal). It was never incidental or peripheral. A modern publisher might feel Wesley’s theology wouldn’t sell, at least if it were in prose. One often has a feeling that much contemporary theology is aimed for the marketplace, either in the scholarly journals or perhaps, at the extreme, something popular enough to get a sensational book review. Wesley was always sensitive to his times, but his theology was classical and catholic. He worried not so much about what was currently popular in the universities as what was needed on the streets and in the mines. 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in “Our First Song: Evangelism in the Hymns of Charles Wesley”

#5634

THE MIRACLE OF GOD’S GRACE

“Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”  (Ephesians 2:4-7 NIV)

We are not meant to be seen as God’s perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary lives exhibiting the miracle of His grace. 

-- Oswald Chambers in “My Utmost for His Highest”

#5633

GOD WITH US

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:9 NIV)

God’s richness is such that He can totally give Himself to every person, can be there only for them – and likewise for a second and third, for millions and thousands of millions. That is the mystery of His infinity and inexhaustible richness. 

-- Ladislaus Boros in “Hidden God” 

#5632

A HEART OF COMPASSION

“The most important [commandment],” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”  (Mark 12:29-30 NIV)

It is a sad commentary and sadder irony that Christians are often viewed as heartless.  And I think it’s because we’ve engaged our culture mind-first instead of heart-first.  Let me explain.  I believe that Scripture is the inspired Word of God, right down to the jot and tittle.  That means that even word sequence is significant.  And when Jesus reveals the four primal elements of love, the heart comes first.  I’m afraid that the Western church has tried to engage our culture mind-first instead of heart-first.  But minds often remain closed to truth until hearts have been opened by compassion.  There is certainly a place for logical, left-brained explanations of faith.  But compassion is the ultimate apologetic.  There is no defense against it. 

-- Mark Batterson in “PRIMAL: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity”

#5631

DOING WHAT JESUS SAYS

It is easier to be smart than to be good. You don’t need to know more from the Bible; you just need to do what you already know. We don’t become doers on our own, of course. As we read the Scripture, we ask the Spirit to help us understand what to do in response, and the intersection of what the Scriptures teach and how our lives unfold will give us a never-ceasing stream to actually do what Jesus says. And when we forget, another chance will come along.

I was picking up a prescription one Saturday afternoon before a church service, and because I was in a hurry, I had called the night before to make sure it would be there. But when I got there, the man behind the counter told me it wouldn’t be ready until the next week. Apparently there was a mix-up between the medical people, the insurance people, and the pharmaceutical people.

“But I’ve got to have it,” I replied. I was scheduled to leave the United States the next day. “Well, it’s not ready,” the clerk said. “But the automated system told me last night it would be ready today,” I retorted. “There is a flaw in the automated system then,” he told me.

All of a sudden I felt unbelievable anger well inside me. A flaw in the system? I wanted to say, There’s a flaw in you! I didn’t say that, because people from my church might have been around. (That is an occupational hazard of being a pastor.) But with every gesture and tone that I could, I expressed contempt and irritation with the man behind the counter. I didn’t simply feel anger, I wanted to feel it. I indulged it. I wanted to make him feel small. I was amazed at my own ugliness.

When I returned to the church, I opened a Bible in my office and read a single phrase -- “love one another” -- and had to call a friend to tell him there was an inner jerk inside me that’s scary.

Then, after I got back from my trip, I went to the pharmacy to tell the man behind the counter I was sorry for being so irritated and how much I appreciated his help. And I was back in the flow.  

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want To Be” 

#5630

SHARING THE GOOD NEWS

“Now I want to remind you, my friends, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm. That is the Gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the Gospel if you hold firmly to it -- unless it was for nothing that you believed. I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; that He was buried and that He was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures; that He appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. Then He appeared to more than five hundred of His followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died. Then He appeared to James, and afterward to all the apostles. Last of all He appeared also to me…”  (1 Corinthians 15:1-8a GNT)

The word evangelism comes from the Greek word euangelizo, which means “to proclaim or share the good news.” Our modern word gospel comes from the Old English word godspel. In Old English, god with a long “o” meant “good,” and spell meant “word.” So sharing the gospel meant sharing the good word or good news of Christ.

Yet for those who don’t believe in Christ, gospel sharing, or evangelism, often arouses skepticism, resentment, fear, or anger. For many self-proclaimed Christians, these words often induce feelings of fear and guilt… [Many Christians] know they should share their faith, but largely because of the strong emotions associated with it, they usually don’t…

When we are open to go wherever the Holy Spirit leads us, He will use us to share the greatest gift of all – [the Good News of] eternal life through Christ. And when He does, we may never know on this side of eternity how much of a difference we made. But someday – on the other side – we’ll know in full. 

-- Craig Groeschel in “The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as If He Doesn’t Exist”

#5629

THE ABC'S OF FAITH

Accept Christ
Be kind
Count your blessings
Dive into God's Word
Express thanks
Forgive one another
Give freely
Harm no one
Imagine heaven
Jettison anger
Keep confidences
Love truly
Master sin
Nurture the faith of children
Open your heart
Pray constantly
Quell rumors
Rely on the Spirit
Seek God's will
Touch someone's grief
Understand differences
Value truth
Witness to what Christ has done
X-ray your motives
Yearn for peace
Zealously support your church and pastor 

-- Unknown

#5628

IN CHRIST

In worship recently our pastor reminded us of what is available to us “in Christ.” It brought to mind that over the years of my ministry whenever I would lead a small group study of Paul's letter to the Ephesians one of the exercises I would do with the group is to point out in Ephesians 1:3-14 all that is ours in Christ. First, I would have the group underline each time Paul uses the phrase "in Christ", or "through Christ", or something similar. I have done that for you in the text below. Then I invite them to circle what it is that we receive in or through Christ. I invite you to print out today's quote and do that for yourself, or underline and circle the text in your Bible. It is truly amazing what God has done for us IN CHRIST.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him in love. He destined us for adoption as His children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight He has made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of Him who accomplishes all things according to His counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of His glory. In Him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in Him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God's own people, to the praise of His glory."  (Ephesians 1:3-14)

 -- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#5627

ATTENDING TO THE SPIRIT

“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them." (Acts 16:6-10 NIV)

Attentiveness to God’s Spirit requires deeply receptive, prayerful listening. Practicing the art of attending to the Spirit involves us in contemplative listening. Such listening is quite distinct from the various ways in which we generally listen to another….

It is holy listening, rooted in silence. It seeks emptiness in order to be filled with the Spirit. It is permeated by humility. Such listening assumes the Spirit is active among us. So it makes space for that movement. It is primarily receptive, patient, watchful, and waiting. Yet, it does not fear action when action is called for. Such listening is generously flexible, hospitable, and warm. It embraces the widest possible spectrum of life’s beauty and pain. It acknowledges the creation of all people in the image and likeness of God…. While in one sense a gift, such listening is generally cultivated over the years as we prayerfully attend to the Spirit in our own lives and as others listen to us in the same grace-filled way. 

-- Wendy M. Wright in “Companions in Christ: Participant’s Book,” Part 5

#5626

TOTAL DEPENDENCE

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5 NIV)

When I was growing up, I thought the greatest Christian must be the person who walked around with shoulders thrown back because of tremendous inner strength and power, quoting Scripture and letting everyone know he has arrived. I have since learned that the most mature believer is the one who is bent over, leaning most heavily on the Lord, and admitting his total inability to do anything without Christ. The greatest Christian is not the one who has achieved the most but rather the one who has received the most. God’s grace, love, and mercy flow through him abundantly because he walks in total dependence. 

-- Jim Cymbala in “Fresh Faith”

#5625

DISCERNING GOD’S WILL

“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”  (Romans 12:2 CSB)

Discernment for the Christian community begins with the individual Christian. Do I want to know God’s will more than anything else? This question is the entry way into discernment. And it can be answered with affirmation only by those who love God and have learned to trust God. If we have any higher priority in our search for God’s guidance, we will not be able to trust our discernment. I must spend enough time in prayer and faithful listening to the voice of God to be brought to that moment of trust and surrender when I can give up my preconceived ideas and become open to God’s idea. My first concern is not my desired result. My first concern is always God and the fidelity of our relationship, and then the result of my discernment efforts will come quite naturally. We know that God is completely faithful, and we must be alert, prayerful, open, and ready to respond in obedience if we are to be led toward greater faithfulness on our part. 

-- Reuben P. Job in “A Guide to Spiritual Discernment”

#5624

HOW TO FINISH WELL – Part 6 of 6

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out 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 hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  (Hebrews 12:1-3)

How do we finish well?... Those who finish well have a Christ-centered life,… a focused life,… a disciplined life,… a teachable spirit,… a well-networked life, and…

Sixth, along with all the other traits, those who finish well have what I call a lifelong perspective. They try to take the long view of life – to look at things with the end in mind. This is not to say they don’t at times become disoriented or tempted to launch out on detours. All of us do. But when tempted, certain life disciplines help them stay on course… There are multiple ways to think about life with your end in view. The point is, do something to get this perspective. It will keep you from being sidetracked and give you an enlarged perspective.

Each of these characteristics play a part in helping us finish well – by God’s grace, a Christ-centered life, a focused life, a disciplined life, a teachable life, a networked life, and a lifelong perspective. All play a part in our staying on track so we can finish our race. So that in the end we hear our Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23a)

-- Adapted from Donald W. Sweeting and George Sweeting in “How to Finish the Christian Life: Following Jesus in the Second Half”

#5623

HOW TO FINISH WELL – Part 5 of 6

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:11-19 NIV)

How do we finish well?... Those who finish well have a Christ-centered life,… a focused life… a disciplined life,… a teachable spirit,…

A fifth characteristic of those who finish well is that they have a well-networked life… You can’t run this race alone. Success in the journey depends upon a network of key relationships. Those who finish well have had not just one but numerous mentors. There are people who pray for you. There is personal and group accountability. There is shepherding by pastors and encouragement by spiritual friends -- co-travelers on the path to help you get there.

-- Adapted from Donald W. Sweeting and George Sweeting in “How to Finish the Christian Life: Following Jesus in the Second Half”

#5622

HOW TO FINISH WELL – Part 4 of 6

How do we finish well?... First, those who finish well have a Christ-centered life… Second, those who finish well have a focused life… Third, those who end well have disciplined lives.

A fourth characteristic of those who finish well is that they have a teachable spirit through life. “Teachable” means that they maintain a humble posture and are open to receiving midcourse corrections. Those who finish well never stop doing this. They are life-long learners. They learn from reading, from watching and listening to others, and from life itself. This keeps them from plateauing. Paul was like this. At the very end of his life, in the closing request of his last letter, he says to Timothy, “When you come… also bring my books.” (2 Timothy 4:13 NLT). He was still learning and teachable, right to the very end.

-- Adapted from Donald W. Sweeting and George Sweeting in “How to Finish the Christian Life: Following Jesus in the Second Half”

#5621

HOW TO FINISH WELL – Part 3 of 6

How do we finish well?... First, those who finish well have a Christ-centered life… Second, those who finish well have a focused life…

Third, those who end well have disciplined lives. That’s the other side of being focused. To be focused, you have to eliminate the unnecessary.

To get this point across, the New Testament uses numerous athletic images. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul pictures a runner. He said run in such a way that you may win. But then he added, “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.” Therefore, he said, “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (vv. 25-27 ESV). The writer to the Hebrews said, “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). He too is talking about discipline.

A Christian who finishes well will practices spiritual disciplines. As Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, and others have enumerated, there will be the disciplines of abstinence such a fasting, silence, solitude, frugality, sacrifice, and chastity. But there will also be the disciplines of engagement such as prayer, fellowship, worship, study, service, confession, and submission.

These will help guard our inner lives. The disciplines will not become an end in themselves. For they are really disciplines in response to God’s grace. Grace and discipline are spiritual friends, when kept in the right order. Spiritual disciplines become a means of grace that help us get to the finish line.

-- Adapted from Donald W. Sweeting and George Sweeting in “How to Finish the Christian Life: Following Jesus in the Second Half”

#5620

HOW TO FINISH WELL – Part 2 of 6

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...”  (Hebrews 12:2 BSB)

How do we finish well?... First, those who finish well have a Christ-centered life…

Second, those who finish well have a focused life. They are focused first on Christ, but second on the task that He has given to us. Call this the “focus factor”! They not only know the purpose of life (to know, love, serve, and glorify the Lord), but they also know the purpose of their lives. They have an accurate understanding of the gifts He has given them, the call He has given them, and often even the specific assignments He has for them.

They have a focused life and not a scattered life. Most people live scattered lives. They do not know the purpose of life, or the purpose of their lives. By contrast, those who finish well have a clarity of purpose and a constancy of purpose…

The phrase from Paul “this one thing I do” (Philippians 3:13 KJV) is very important in my life. It became my motto. Paul said, ‘this one thing I do,” not “these fifty tings I dabble in.” That’s because he had a focused life rather than a scattered one. It’s characteristic of those who finish well.

-- Adapted from Donald W. Sweeting and George Sweeting in “How to Finish the Christian Life: Following Jesus in the Second Half”

#5619

HOW TO FINISH WELL – Part 1 of 6

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  (2 Timothy 4:7 NIV)

How then do we finish well?... What does it take? Let’s start with grace. We finish well by the grace of God. That is also how we start the race. That is what keeps us in the race. And that is what takes us to the end. As John Newton put it in his famous hymn, “Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”

When all is said and done, grace is the ultimate explanation for why any of us make it. We are kept by the grace of God. It is then very appropriate to pray, “Lord, give me the grace to finish well.”

From this foundation, there is more to be said. We have observed six characteristics of those who finish well.

First, those who finish well have a Christ-centered life. They know they are saved by Him, and they never get over it. He is their life source. He is the center of their affections. As Graham Kendrick put it in a more recent hymn, they know “there is no greater joy” than knowing Him. Consequently, they focus more on loving Christ than avoiding sins. They know that a vibrant personal relationship with Jesus and a daily walk with Him are essential to everything. He is the spring from which comes all spiritual fruit. He is the vine; we draw our life from Him. When we plateau in our spiritual lives, we must come back to Him and seek renewal. Why? Because Christ is “author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). 

-- Adapted from Donald W. Sweeting and George Sweeting in “How to Finish the Christian Life: Following Jesus in the Second Half”

#5618

TWO ROADS

“Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”  (Matthew 7:13b-14 NIV)

Our culture… is all about celebrating ourselves, finding more life for ourselves, [making more happiness for ourselves]. But no matter how hard we look, none of the maps lead there.

We spend years heading down the road of living for self instead of dying to it, and it’s difficult to admit we’ve made a wrong choice. We’ve gone too many miles. We’ve invested too much in the journey. So we double down and step on the gas, [rather than repent of our ways and turn around]... When we’ve chosen the wrong road, we don’t like to acknowledge it to ourselves or to anyone else…

There are two different paths. One path is narrow, difficult, and marked “death,” but leads to life. The other path is broad, crowded, and marked “life,” but it leads to death. In Matthew 16, Jesus tells us what we can expect when we follow Him down the narrower road:

“Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it.” 

-- Kyle Idelman in “The End of Me: Where Real Life in the Upside-Down Ways of Jesus Begins”

#5617

CAST YOUR NETS ON THE OTHER SIDE

“So the disciples went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered. He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.”  (John 21:3b-6  NIV))

Ted Koppel conducted an interview with a man who had been trapped on an oil rig during a fire. Koppel asked the man how he had the courage to jump from a platform fifteen stories high into water engulfed in flames. The man replied, “Because I was going to fry if I stayed on the platform!”

That’s what makes us jump. The platform we have been living on… is crumbling under our feet, and we are forced to cast our nets on the other side.

For whatever reason, whether they were too tired to protest, or they were totally desperate for things to be different – the disciples take the stranger’s advice. With what results? The outcome was beyond anyone’s imagination! Success came from the obedience of Peter and the other disciples to the words of Jesus. They found more fish than they ever had, and what’s more, the net held, even with such a large catch.

John Calvin in his commentary on this verse says that “Christ showed His power, first in their taking in so large a draught of fish, and secondly, when by His hidden power He preserved the net which must otherwise have been torn and burst.” Notice the disciples only recognized Christ when their nets were so full of fish they couldn’t haul them on board. Finally, one disciple said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Jesus was recognized, not by His words, not by His appearance, not even by His voice. Jesus was recognized by His impact on other people’s lives. Jesus is known by the [power] of His transforming touch. 

– Leonard Sweet in “A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Café”

#5616

LIVING IN COMMUNITY

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”  (Romans 12:10-16 NIV)

When I think of community, I think of a group of people who want to know me as well as I know myself -- people who challenge my thinking, help me grow, and love me unconditionally.  Community like that is incredibly freeing.

When Jesus encountered the woman at the well in John 4, He told her all about herself.  At first, she was caught off guard and uneasy.  But she soon went back to her town and told everyone to come and meet the man who knew all about her.

As believers, we have a great opportunity to use community to reach others with the gospel.  As we participate in community, people on the outside see that and want to be part of it.  I encourage you to find community and to share that community with others.

-- Toben and Joanne Heim in “Great Expectations”

#5615