DEVOTIONAL BOOKLET

This devotional guide is being provided as part of the stewardship of life campaign that is currently going on in the church. Although one aspect of this campaign deals with the physical expansion of the church facilities, a far more crucial dimension concerns the building and expansion of our own personal relationships with God. This booklet is intended to help foster that spiritual growth by encouraging us to study God’s word and to pray for ourselves and each other. As we follow this daily guide, we will have the opportunity to grow as a church family through the mutual sharing of insights and experiences relevant to the passages being studied. The testimonies and associated passages focus on God working and moving in the lives of your fellow brothers and sisters. Included with the testimonies are questions and thoughts that are meant to provoke you to consider how God has and will move in your life. As you prayerfully consider the scriptures, jot down your own thoughts and insights. This can be a source of encouragement for you now and in the future. Included with this guide is a prayer calendar related to the more specific prayer times. Although we have clearly sensed that it is God’s will to proceed with the project, it is also important that we continue to seek his guidance and enabling power on a day to day basis. For this reason we suggest that the calendar be displayed in a prominent place as a reminder to pray. ����������������� ��������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������ ������������ �������������������������������������������������������������� ��� �������������������������������������������� �������� �����! ���� ������������������� �� ��������"�

The Spiritual Emphasis Committee

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� ��������&���� �I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was eight years old. I knew that this was the only way I could ever see Heaven. When You’re a child and listen to stories about the devil it frightens you. I was scared and wanted to know that I would go to Heaven. The only way to do that was to come to the end of myself and accept Jesus and what He had done for me. When I was about twenty years old, one of my cousins invited me to visit his church with him. One Sunday morning I went as his guest. When I arrived he proceeded to enlist me to help in leading the children’s worship. I helped lead them in songs and prayer and after he shared with me that he believed God could be calling me into helping with this ministry. I had known that I had a spiritual gift of teaching and I especially enjoyed working with kids. Now I teach a children’s BSF calls in the church and I continue to find ways to serve God in ways he has gifted me.

Bardo Franco [Jesus said,] “There is a large harvest, but few workers to gather it in.” Luke

10:2. Has God blessed you with a gift or talent that you have yet to put to use? It may be something that you feel passionately about such as feeding the hungry or ministering to the needs of the elderly. He has equipped us

with tools to serve Him in many different ways. Even if you don’t feel that it is a strong point in your list of capabilities, trust that if God has put the

tug in your Heart He will place the tools at your ready. More often than not it is the actual willingness to serve that is the best blessing. Henry Van

Dyke once said, “Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang .”

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' ����+���,� A few years ago I became ill and fainted while working at my office in Chicago. My supervisor called for an ambulance to take me to the hospital. While on route to the hospital, a co-worker phoned the insurance company to alert them to the situation. Several hours and tests later, I was released with a parting gift of a bill in the amount $3,800.00. I gave all my insurance information to the hospital and was expecting that the majority would be paid through the insurance. Unfortunately, the insurance company declined the request for payment because I had not had pre-approval for the visit to the hospital. Following several forms and phone calls, the insurance company was still refusing to cover the claims. I felt led to write one last detailed letter explaining the circumstances. After all, if I had fainted and was in pain, in the back of an ambulance, how was I suppose to seek pre-approval. I brought the letter and the bills to church and placed them on the altar. I bowed down and prayed to God that He would get the letter into the hands of the person who would see to it that the bills would be . I was prepared, however, that if God intended for the bills to fall back on me that I would pay them trusting that He would supply the means for them to be paid. I felt peace after that prayer. I mailed the letter and trusted Him. Within three weeks the bills were paid by the insurance company. Prayer changes things!!

Anita Barrios

Have you ever prayed for a specific need to be met and felt as if the prayers must not be reaching God? Consider that perhaps the prayers were answered, just not the way you had hoped. There is a Russian proverb that states “Pray to God, but row to shore.” Whatever we ask, we should ask that His will be done. This may leave us in the uncomfortable situation of dealing with something we asked to be taken away. Remember that Christ prayed God might lift the cup from Him, but HE ended with, “..not My will but Thy will be .” Just as it was necessary for Christ work on the cross to come to pass, there may be things in our own lives that we must deal with in order that God can deal with us. It may be hard, but it might be one of God’s teachable moments He is using in our life.

Train up a child in the way that he should go. Even when he is old he will not depart from .

Proverbs22:6 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be

delivered. Proverbs 28:26

This year will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of my accepting Christ as my Savior. Though I have been a Christian for all these years I have not always served God. There was a time when I took my eyes off the prize. When my first son was born I was doing right in the eyes of God. I dedicated my first born to God and was teaching him about God. I always thought that he would grow into a young man and serve God with his gifts. As my second son was born, I decided that he would be my son. I planned on showing him how to build things with his own hands. He was going to be at my side learning how to fix cars and we were going to go racing. I believed I had it under control as I planned this out in my head. I gave the first one to God; this one was mine. I felt prepared to deal with God on the matter. Deuteronomy 32:6 talks about making deals with God and at the back end of that verse it talks about being a fool. “Do you thus repay the Lord, O foolish and unwise people? Is not He your Father who has bought you? He has made you and established you.” This really hit home. The verse fit my poor attitude. Unfortunately my oldest son had a father that , during his teen years, was not serving God or seeking His will. Both he and I are still suffering the consequences of that. The younger son I had tried to claim for myself is currently a student down at Boyce University where he is studying in answer to a vocational call into ministry. Please pray for both of my sons as they both need prayer, equally.

Johnny Best Jeremiah 1:4-5 reads, “The Lord said to me , ‘I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you.’” Yes, even our own children

are on loan from God. He has a design on their lives as well. Parents, remember that the very best we can give our children is an understanding of God’s plan of salvation. Give them to God and see what beauty He can use

them for.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed , for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

Our landlords informed us that they were selling the house we had been renting from them and we could either buy it or be out of it in four months time. We set up a meeting with a financial advisor to check into a mortgage loan and buy the house. The advisor came back in the middle of the meeting and informed us that our credit was so terrible that not only was he unable to help us, but he wondered why we had bothered to waste his time. I was shocked. I had no idea that our financial circumstances were that bad. I immediately became concerned about our ability to even find another rental property. If our credit was as bad as he said, how were we to find another place to live? In my mind things had gone from bad to worse. Unsure of where we would live next, I grew afraid for me and my children. I freaked out! My husband and I started to pray constantly. We also began the physical task of looking for another place to live. Nothing seemed to be working. Then, God gave me great comfort in the midst of the crisis. He gave me Joshua 1:9. With that promise from God, I took comfort in knowing that He wouldn’t let me live out of a car. I knew He would be with me and take care of me. Not long after He gave me that verse, God opened up an opportunity for us to Rent-To-Own a house. This happened very close to the end of the four month deadline. Now we own our own home and God has given me more than I thought I could have.

Celina O’Brien

Do you let circumstances bring you down? Is there something in your life right now that you are not trusting God to deliver you through? Remember Psalm 143:8 “ I put my trust in You. My prayers go up to You; show me the

way I should go.”

“For all have sinned and fall short o the glory of God” Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Romans 10:13 I’ll start by saying that I recognized that I was born a sinner. The Bible makes that very clear in Romans3:23. The Bible is also clear on the consequences of sin. I believed that apart from Jesus, I would burn in Hell when I died and spend eternity doing so. When I was seven years old, riding back home from church with the rest of my family, those facts hit me. I began to worry that if we were to die in a car crash that night, my mother, father , and brother would all be going to heaven and I would be going to Hell. I couldn’t bear the thought of that. It was then that I began to ask questions and talk to my parents about the plan of salvation. I was very fortunate to have parents who were grounded in the Word of God. It was then that I gave my life to Christ and began a personal relationship with Him. My life was changed forever! I must say, it helped that I was being raised in a Christian home and in a Christian lifestyle. Inside of me, personally, things changed and I was very different now. I felt as if I had gained a personal support system. Jesus has always been there for me since I invited Him into my life. Even though I’m sure there are times that I have let Him down; He has never let me down. He continues to love me anyhow. I’ve been through some hard and trying times in recent years. But in ALL things God is good. He continues to see me through even the worst situations. As an adult I’ve made some good decisions as well as some that were not so good. The best decision I have ever made was at the age of seven when I decided to accept Christ as my Savior. That was a life or death decision that cannot be second guessed by anyone.

Danny Groendyke Do you feel the presence of God as Danny does? Is your support system as close as your own heart? God desires to be very intimate and personal with us. Isaiah 41:13 reads, “I am the Lord your God;...’Do not be afraid; I will

help you.’” If you do not have a relationship with God, please seek out someone to talk with. It truly is the most important decision of your entire

life.

And again, “I will put my trust in Him.” And again, “Behold, I and the

children whom God has given me.” Hebrews 2:13

But He gives a greater grace, Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

James 4:6

$-424.00 Read the balance in my checkbook that particular Thursday afternoon. I had just written another check out for my car payment so that it would not have a late fee added. I was hoping that it would not clear my bank until Friday afternoon. My gamble backfired and not only did that check not clear, but there were three others that were refused at the same time. The NSF fees alone amounted to $120.00. I couldn’t understand why this kept happening to me. Every time I made a little progress toward getting my finances in order, things blew up in my face and I was back where I had started...negative balances, tons of fees, and having to go to my wife and explain why I had messed everything up, again. That was the hardest part for me. On several occasions, during our marriage, she had offered to help me in handling the finances. I had refused to let her really get involved. On occasion, I would toss her a bone and let her know how much we were paying on something, or how much money we had for this or that. Yet, I never actually let her help with any of the decisions. I felt that if I couldn’t take care of the family finances, it would make me a failure. After all, I successfully managed a half million dollar budget at my work and our family budget was no where near the same ball park I was broken. I was at my end. I went into the small conference room in my office, got down on my knees, and earnestly sought after God. Almost immediately, He lifted the burden from me. I literally inhaled and slowly exhaled as if I had just set down a heavy weight I had been carrying. I phoned my wife and told her the situation our finances were in and shared with her what God had just shown me. I was handing over the monthly finances to her. I had not done so yet, because of pride. Even though we were faithful in giving our 10% I was not allowing Him to take control of all our finances. By stubbornly insisting that I should handle them regardless of what God wanted, I was being disobedient.

Now, my wife takes care of the monthly bills and is involved in every financial decision. Although we struggle at times, we strive to use 100% of our finances as God wills us to. He has proven Himself by blessing us more than ever in the area of financial stability.

Kevin O’Brien

Is there an area in your life that you have not given fully over to God? Have you let go of all you have and trusted Him with everything? He wants us to. Search your heart and see if there is an area you are withholding from

God for some reason. Take time to pray on this.

I have strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. Philippians 4:13

I am now giving you the choice between life and death. . . and I call Heaven and Earth to witness the choice you make.

Deuteronomy 30:19

I had been raised Catholic and had even attended a Catholic grade school and high school. I knew all about God and Jesus and believed what I knew in my head was true. But, I had never followed Christ. After my graduation in 1987, I joined the U.S. Air Force and became a cop. I served my country but did not serve God. I was of the belief then, that as long as a person tried to live a good life they would enter Heaven when they died. While I was away in the service, my parents went through some really difficult times. Some neighbors of their’s invited them to attend a Bible study for men and women at a local church. That church helped see my parents through some of their darkest hours. My parents had become what I called Bible Thumpers. I would have no part of their new found religion. Yet I felt obliged to pay a visit to the church that was able to step in during my absence and see them through hard times. I also wanted to thank the members for the wonderful gifts they had sent me during Desert Shield/Storm. After service I began meeting and thanking my parents new friends. I was introduced to two pastors. One of them was a Viet Nam veteran and we talked easily together . We began to hang out. I had never followed Jesus because I had questions that no one in the past could or would answer for me. My new pastor friends were able to answer my questions and within an hour’s time I had every question answered. I decided to join the weekly Bible study group. On January 2, 1994 I accepted Christ into my heart and was re- baptized according to Acts 2:38. Two months later I met my wife who had also recently given her life to Christ. Things were great but never perfect. We really struggled in some areas, including finances. God was not down here handing us money to pay the bills with, right? One day, after hearing a message on stewardship and tithing, we sat our kitchen table and prayed together. We asked His forgiveness for our not trusting Him with our money to pay our bills. We had given everything over to Him except our money. As we ended the prayer, we symbolically slid our checkbook across the table and away from ourselves.

That was the second greatest decision I have made. The best, of course, was accepting Christ as Lord and Savior of my life. Since that day our lives have been so blessed . We were able to come off of welfare and bought a home in Highland. More recently , we were able to build a handicap accessible home in Crown Point. This is because we now go to God before we do anything. This includes paying bills, purchasing a different vehicle, or any other purchases. Whenever money comes into the home, we give to God before anybody else gets any!! This practice has brought us many blessings. We are not wealthy, however, we live within the means that God has set for us. I would like to offer this prayer for the reader. Oh Holy father , You are the Most High God, Provider, Lover and the One who will never leave us. If this reader does not know You, place the person in their pathway who can guide them to You. Open our hearts and minds and let us hear Your Word as You intend it. As we go before You on bended knee dry our tears, hear our prayers, strengthen, protect and comfort us. Let our only desire be to serve You. We pray this in your Son’s name by whose blood on the cross we are saved. Amen James M. Beilfuss II

Do you go to God with your everything? Not just with the concerns, but also with your joys, praises and questions. I Peter 4:10 charges us to be

good stewards and use what we have been given in service, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good

stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

My Soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. Psalm 62:5

My faith was truly tried when I was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. This came from a blood transfusion. I was told that it was incurable and treatments may or may not work. Still, it was all medical science had to offer. I knew the treatments would be grueling and that I would probably have to take a leave of absence from work. I accepted the fact that my quality of life would most likely change. I went through the “why me?” stage. I prayed a lot and knew that I had the prayers of Cline Avenue Fellowship going out to God as well. I was told that the twelve week mark of my treatment would be an indicator point. At that time they could determine if the treatments were effective or not. My doctors were expecting to see a 50% reduction in the viral count. Well, a miraculous thing happened! My viral count had dropped from 4 million to 657. Which means that the virus was almost at zero. I attribute this to God’s mercy and healing. I had been holding tight to the scripture in Isaiah 53 , “ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.”. I look to the Lord everyday. The “fact” that I am weak from my treatments does not take away from the “truth” that I am healed.

Anna Wright

What has your response been to bad news in the past? The Bible gives us the following instructions, For dealing with the uncertainties of life.

Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”

O God of hosts, restore us, and cause Thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.

Psalm 79:7

The day I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior was the beginning of a brand new chapter in my life. I was seventeen years old and had previously been involved with different churches in an attempt to find my way. But I had not truly accepted the glorious gift of salvation into my heart. Christ is my Savior in every meaning of the word. When I was fifteen, my life reached a vital turning point. I was violated beyond my own recognition. I was raped. The rape went beyond my physical body and tore at my mind and soul as well. I was left feeling so alone. It felt like I was in a dark abyss with no helping hand to pull me up and through it. Although my family and friends were there, my self was just too far gone to be helped by them. I did not want to go on living. I felt that my life had already been taken from me and all that was left to do was to put and end to the suffering. I felt that I was just an empty shell walking the Earth and it was better to just disappear completely. I struggled with these feelings for two years during which I made three attempts on my own life. Each time I tried to take my life I felt something stronger than my own will lifting me out. After the third attempt, I realized God was showing unbelievable mercy on me. My Almighty Father had different plans for my life. I couldn’t understand how He could love me that much. I surely didn’t feel deserving of His love and mercy. Yet, I could not help feeling the sense of security and hope that I found in accepting Christ as my Savior. He saved my life on Earth and gave me an everlasting life with the Father. I am living proof of God’s love for us. I can only pray that my testimony will help someone understand the awesome power of God.

Maritza Schafbuch Have you ever felt undeserving of God’s love and mercy? We all are. The

Bible makes it clear that we are all sinners and unworthy of His perfect love. But through the work of Jesus on the cross we can have a restored

relationship with our Father. Isaiah 12:2 “ See, God has come to save me. I will trust in Him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.” Share your story with someone you care about that may not know the awesome power of God and His tender

mercy.

I am the Lord , the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for Me?

Jeremiah 32:27 Keep on asking, and you will be given what you have asked for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be

opened. Matthew 7:7

Michael and I have been so tremendously blessed, both personally and with ministry opportunities throughout our marriage. There was one particular instance that we saw the Lord work in an incredible way. A few years ago , we were living outside of Chicago and attending a church that did not have a youth program. As Michael and I would drive around the neighborhood, we noticed the huge number of teens we saw. There was a particular park, just a few minutes away from the church that we felt an overwhelming burden for. Morning through night time, the park remained packed with teens. It was also a gang meeting ground. We both felt that a youth ministry to reach out to those teens was a necessity. We began to pray that the Lord would show us how to reach out to these teens and begin to make some contacts among them. Soon after we began praying for this, the Lord opened a door. A close friend of ours who was a youth pastor in Michigan phoned. He wanted to know if our church could host his youth group for a mission trip. He asked if he could scout out some of our local parks that might be good spots for a Bible club to meet!! That summer, his teens and he went to that park and held a Bible club there for a week. Michael and the boys from the mission team played basketball with the boys who hung out in the park. They got to meet and get to know them through their time on the court. The girls and I kept busy running the clubs. Michael told the boys from the neighborhood that he would begin running by the park on Friday nights to pick up anyone interested in coming to youth group. The first night he picked up the church van, and when we got to the park there were 30 teens waiting on the corner for a ride!

That ministry was able to reach teens dealing with gang violence, drugs, mother’s in prostitution, and teen pregnancies. The Lord answered our prayers in such an amazing and creative way. He chose a group of teens from rural Michigan to give us an open door to an urban ministry!

Amy Fessendon

An inscription on a gravestone reads, “Here lies a person who exited the world without knowing why he entered it.” How very sad! God has a

purpose for each of us. Has God put an overwhelming burden on your heart for a particular ministry? If so have you answered it?

I John 3:18 says, “Our love should not just be words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.”

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord , the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power.

Isaiah 40:28-29 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Psalm 119:105 Trust - Webster’s defines “trust” as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength and truth of someone.” I trusted Jesus as my Savior when I was nine years old. But the degree or quality of my trust as an adult is much different than that of a child. Trust grows through our experiences and out of our time spent with Jesus(reading His Word). I believe faith and trust go hand in hand. Our faith in Christ increases as we trust in the power of His will in our lives. Looking back, I see many times when God closed a door in order to lead me in a different direction. Often, when I’m in the middle of a turmoil I have a hard time seeing God working. Usually it’s because I’m too busy trying to handle things on my own. I need to claim the promises in the Bible like the one in I Peter 5:7 which reads, “ Casting all your cares upon Him for He careth for you.” I remember specific times in my life( when my father passed away, when my children were hospitalized, when my husband was very ill, when my friend’s husband was killed in a car accident, or the time we lost a bid on a house we wanted and even the times when I just felt things were spinning out of control) that I sought God’s face and He answered my prayers. Sometimes the answer is NO or just not the answer I was wanting. But, His will becomes clear if we stay still and realize that He is in control. Psalm 34:4 “ I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.”

Now, as a growing Christian, whenever I find myself in a new or difficult situation I try to seek God’s will thru prayer. Then I leave the worry and anxiety with Him , trusting that He will show me the way. My life verse is Proverbs 3:5-6 “ Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” It’s liberating to have faith and to trust God with all the details of life!

Linda Jones

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.” Have worries or anxieties ever taken your focus away from God’s will? Everything is in the hands of our Creator. In

John 14:27 Jesus says, “ Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled nor let it be fearful.” If you are anxious or worried, you needn’t be. If we place our trust in Him we receive the “spirit of power , and of trust , and of sound

mind.” II Timothy 1:7.

...constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of God

our Father, knowing , brethren beloved by God, His choice of you. I Thessalonians 1:3-4

One of the greatest eye openers for me was several years ago when I was part of a women’s Bible study in Birmingham, Alabama. I was new to the area and felt like a stranger in a strange land. I was single, in a new church, a new state and had a new job. Most days I felt alone and pretty sorry for myself. One night, a woman in her mid-forties began to open up and share with us about her recent divorce and her abusive past. She had married the kind of man she swore she never would. As she shared her experience, God brought to mind a book I had read about this very thing during one of my seminary classes. I knew it would help her immensely. After the study I went and spoke to her and offered to bring her the book the following week. I didn’t see her for several weeks after I had given her the book. But, when she returned to the study we talked at length about how God had used the book to help her heal herself and her relationship with God. I felt blessed to have been used by God to minister to someone who had never really felt the love of God or had a real understanding of who she was in Christ. On the way home I was thinking about the conversation we had and about my own life. I was overwhelmed by how much God had protected me and how blessed I truly was. I could have been her. I could have lived my life without really knowing the love of God or the joy one has as His child. I also had an abusive background, but by the grace of God when I left home at the age of sixteen, I was placed in a Christian foster home. I was encouraged, in that foster home, to become active in a local Christian Youth Ministry and at the age of seventeen I gave my life to Christ. I went on to college and was active in a wonderful collegiate youth ministry where my faith grew and was strengthened. I felt a call to ministry and went on to seminary and was used in ministry in many different ways. God had used me on mission trips where I met the most wonderful people and had such amazing experiences.

As I compared what my life could have been to what it was and how much God had given me in just 27 short years, I began to cry and worship God for His many blessings. I also began to wonder what else was in store for me and what ways would God choose to use me next? I felt His love more strongly in that moment than I had in a long time. It brought to mind I John 3:1 “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God!” And that is what we are. May we never forget that we are His children, how great His love is for us and how we need to share that love with the world!

Shelly Gregory

“Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing.” Psalm 100:2 Do you feel the joy that comes from being a child of God? Are

you answering whatever call He has put on your heart?

Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God’s requirements.

Romans 13:10

The Spiritual Checklist Sometimes the religious expectations can seem overwhelming to a person. “ Do this, don’t do that, be at church, don’t forget your offering.” It can be a real hassle trying to check everything off of that list. We cry out, “God, what do you want from me?” For a long time, I struggled trying to please God with my religious “to do” list. Then, I came across this verse in Hosea 6:6 “ I want you to be merciful; I don’t want your sacrifices. I want you to know God; that’s more important than burnt offerings.” The problem for Israel became that they cared more about doing religious things than they did about living out God’s principles in their lives. God did not want their burnt offerings and sacrifices if they were not willing to live for Him. God hates that kind of hypocrisy. This passage was very freeing for me. I was busy trying to make sure I did all that was expected of a good Christian. Yet, when I was away from church I did not live out God’s principles in my life. God doesn’t care how often we come to church or what the amount of our offering is if we are just doing these things so we can check items off of a list. These acts become no more than empty offerings to God ; and we become hypocrites. Rather than all the offerings and empty words, God wanted two things from Israel: be merciful and know God. The most important things we find here are echoed by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-38. ( Love your neighbor = be merciful and Love God = know God) This is the theme of Christianity throughout the Bible. If we do these two things then everything else will fall into line. The Christian life is not about some checklist, but rather living a life that shows mercy to others and knowing God.

Today, if you are living by a Christianity checklist mentally tear it up and throw it away. God’s desire is that you know Him and show mercy to others. You will be surprised how free you feel in your daily Christian walk. Pray for strength to do these two things , as they can be difficult to live out.

Bryan R. Gotcher

Romans 12:1 “ I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which

is your spiritual service of worship.” Have you caught yourself running through a checklist? The actions will be empty if the motives are

misguided. If we love God and our neighbor, our lives will bear good fruit . We will follow the example Christ gave us out of desire not because of

obligation or to avoid feeling guilty. Consider, today, how acceptable the gifts you bring to the Most High are. Read Hebrews 13:15-16 and see how

the theme is repeated.

“ I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

Many times in my life I have felt inadequate for the tasks that were set before me to accomplish. And so often I have felt this way because I focused on myself instead of on God. But I have learned that no matter what God is asking of me, I simply need to trust in Him and press forward. But the key is “trust”. Think about the possibility of being used by God. “ I can” Respond in faith to whatever it is He asks you to do. “ do everything” Understand that God is the key. “ through Him” Seek His provision. “ who gives” Thrive in His power. “ me strength.” I am praying that God will help both our church and me, personally, to “T.R.U.S.T.” in the weeks, months, and years to come. I invite you to pray with me. “Lord help me to recognize that you want to personally use me. Help me to

understand that you will call me to ministry opportunities larger than myself, but you will provide everything I need through your mighty power.”

Amen.

Pastor Alan Scott

Think of Daniel and the lion’s den or David and Goliath. Had there trust not been in the Lord, do you think they would have had the boldness to

press on? Hebrews 13: 21 “[Jesus our Lord] ..equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through

Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen” Trust that He will not call you to do something without equipping you to accomplish the

task.

[Jesus said] “I am the vine , you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in Him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do

nothing.” John 15:5

My father had become a Christian later in his life. Even though I had become a Christian as young boy, my father was a great role model for me and prayed for me all the time after he accepted Christ. As I started to branch out and start a family of my own, my relationship with my father changed into more of a friendship. My father had become one of my best friends. He gave me advice to help me in my new roles as husband and father. His prayers for me helped me grow as a Christian. Then my father was tragically taken from me. As he went to be with our Heavenly Father I felt a deep void in my life. I was unsure what to do, and where to turn. I was searching for God’s face to help me.....but, I wasn’t finding it. Then God answered my search through a friend of my father’s. He suggested that I spend time fasting along with devoted prayer time. I had never fasted before but felt that this was what I needed to do. I fasted for a period of three days and during that time, God comforted me in a way I can’t describe. I went from searching in frustration to knowing in confidence that God would see me through this difficult time and every other valley I would come to. I still miss my father, but I’m comforted knowing that I will see him again in heaven.

Frank Encinas

Have you ever felt incomplete or lost? Are you searching for something? Read the verse in John 15:5 again and listen to what God has to say. He

promises that we will live a fruitful, fulfilling life when we rely on him in everything. Do you rely on God for everything and in all times, even the

hard ones?

Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer. Romans 12:12

My life is much like the story of the Titanic. Although I had been a Christian since 1993 I never really understood what it was all about. Even as I accepted Christ ,I was still operating in the “search” or “seek” mode. I wasn’t happy with the fruits I was producing in my Christian walk. After being relocated to a new military base, I began searching for a church to worship in. Unfortunately, the church I landed in turned out to be very legalistic and the rigidity of it was killing me spiritually as well as mentally. Following a disastrous return to the first base I was released from the military with a medical discharge. I returned to my father’s home after six unsuccessful months on my own. Shortly after arriving home, I found a job but was not yet successful in finding a church home. Eager to be placed where God wanted me to be, I became frustrated with God’s timing. I felt very lonely as I moved into my own home. I filled the house with a family but did so out of accordance with God’s will for me. After my son Elijah was born, I married his mother in an attempt to set things straight. Needless to say that acting on my own strength and in my own will did not render good results. Not loving my wife or myself very much, the relationship was doomed. Without looking back, I walked out and have deeply regretted the day my son left for Orlando, Florida with his mother. I haven’t seen Elijah in four years. I filed bankruptcy and lost my house and was unable to finish the divorce proceedings Because my money was tied up in the bankruptcy. Eventually the bankruptcy turned into one of Non-Repayment and my attorney was no longer willing to offer his services. Needles to say, I needed God desperately. I began my search for a church again, this time accompanied by fervent prayer for direction. My prayer time was well spent and God revealed His direction. After meeting Scott O’Connor through a Monday night men’s group, I shared my desire to find a church home. He recommended I pay a visit to Cline Avenue. I attended a Wednesday night Bible study and have rarely missed a service or class since that first night. Through discipleship classes and personal time spent in His Word I have decided to try things God’s way instead of my own.

God laid it on my heart that I should go back to college. Since I followed in obedience He has and does continue to bless me greatly. When I turn my personal trials over to Him, He uses them for His glory. When I take a stand for Jesus and am obedient to His will He rewards my obedience. Although there is much work to be done on the personal level, I now think my life is Great! I consider myself a “work in progress.” God has provided a better footing in all areas of my life through His Word. I praise Him for every new day and every direction He leads. I can’t wait to see the end of this race! All glory, and Honor and Praise to Jesus Christ alone!!

Terrence A. Pierce Do you have trouble persevering in tribulations? Who is at the helm of your

ship? Remember Romans 14:12 , we will each be held accountable.

Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear [no] danger, for You are with me;

You rod and your staff- they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

Being a mother was never harder than the day my oldest son told me he was moving out. Speed told me he was moving to Indianapolis for school and would be leaving in two weeks time. I had Speed when I was very young and he was my “baby”. I hadn’t realized that the day would come when he would grow up and become a man. He was moving out and I was struggling with the thought of my “baby “ out there in the world, on his own, without me to help him. Although our family was actively involved with church; Speed was not. It seemed as if he was searching for independence, not only from the family but, from God as well. Two weeks later, I helped him pack up his car at 6:30 in the morning and watched him drive off to start his own life. That was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Emotionally, I hit bottom. I cried and prayed in the days that followed. I wasn’t confident that he would be able to take care of himself without my help. I worried that he would get into trouble. Although I was praying, I wasn’t listening. After two days on an emotional roller coaster, I found myself on my knees again. This time God spoke clearly and I listened. He comforted me by reminding me that Speed was His child and that I only had him temporarily. God had His own plan for Speed and He would take care of him. Speed has lived on his own for more than five years now. Our youngest son is also not at home but away at college. They both left with different paths ahead of them, but I am confident that God will protect and guide them, each, as He sees fit. Of course that doesn’t mean that I can’t call them everyday!

Nora Best Mark 8:35 “ If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life.” Have you ever found it hard to “let go and let God” ?

God wants what’s best for each of us. This means we love our children by letting them know we love them, growing them in the ways of God, and

eventually letting them go. Our confidence comes from Him, our assurance lies in Him, and the comfort and peace will follow as we trust God with our

all.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Before I accepted Jesus as my savior, I was living on my own. I was living by myself in my own strength. I had just had a home built without seeking God’s will in the matter. Easy enough to understand since I did not know Him as my savior yet. As a result, I was drowning in debt. I was very materialistic and spent money I did not have to spare. I was living a life of sin and going out to clubs a lot. The material things did nothing to fill the emptiness inside. I recognized that my life needed fixing and a longing to seek god out and bring some purpose and guidance to my life developed. I met my husband who had been raised in a Christian home. He shared his faith with me and I resisted the message I was hearing. He then asked his mother to share the gospel with me, which she did. August 11th, 2001 his mother showed me passages in the bible that let me know that I was a sinner and the only way I could enter Heaven was by accepting the gift God had offered through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Maria Franco

You probably can remember when it was that your life was forever changed. But if you happen to be reading this and have not yet given your life to God and asked Him to forgive you of your sins, I pray that He calls

you to do so now. We are each born with a sin problem. The kindest person you can think of is a sinner. We all are. But God loved us so much that He

sent His only Son to die on the cross for us and pay our sin debt. By acknowledging that we are sinners, confessing so to God with our mouths and asking Him to come dwell in us as Lord and Savior of our life we can

be saved and are promised eternal life. The Bible tells us that we are “born again”, new creatures. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new

things have come.” If you have questions, please seek out someone who can walk you along the path to salvation. God desires a relationship with you.

No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:18

About eight years ago, I was subcontracting for the cable company when I fell 25 feet from a ladder and broke both of my heels. As I fell backwards I knew that unless I got myself into an upright position, I would fall on my neck and die. My life (good and bad moments) passed before my eyes. I flapped my arms to get myself upright. I knew as I hit the ground that both of my heels were broken in the fall. The first thought that came to mind as I lay there was , “How am I going to support my family?”. Although I was in pain, I felt the Lord beside me easing the pain. My next thought was, “God, I don’t know why this happened but I can not handle this situation by myself , so I give the whole thing to You”. By the whole thing, I meant the support of my family, my finances , and my pain and healing. I spent the next six months in a wheelchair. I underwent surgery and two sets of casts. I was faced with having to learn to walk all over again. During this time Lisa was not working outside of our home and she was able to take care of me. My employer was refusing to pay workman’s compensation which, needless to say, compounded our problems. I remained unemployed for the next three years. Not one of our bills was left unpaid. God was faithful to supply all of our needs while I was healing. He used our church, friends, state run programs, charities, our landlord, and many other avenues to meet each physical and financial need. Even my $55,000.00 medical bill was paid! Physically, God has healed me completely from the injuries I sustained in that fall.

From that time on, I have never worried about money, health, or my family’s welfare. Everything I have was given to me by God. He will and has supplied for our every need. I thank Him every day for my many blessings. You can trust Him also for He is always faithful.

Jeff Shockey

Proverbs 28:20 , “ A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.” This temporal world can catch us up in the activities and desires all around us. To some, financial

security looms as a large concern. But our loving Father has promised over and over that He will supply our needs. Do you believe Him? James 1:2-3 reads, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” Has your faith

been tested and if so , how did you do on the test?

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God , to those called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28 I had been raised in the Southern Baptist church and had taken Christ as my Savior and followed in baptism at the age of nine. I am in my second marriage and both my first husband, and my husband Douglas were cradle Catholics. I believed that to be obedient as a wife ; I should practice the same faith as my husband. My first marriage was short and frightening, yet I worshiped with my in-laws at their parish. I have been married to Doug for seventeen years and until three years ago I attended our local Catholic church with my children. The same church they had all been dutifully baptized in as infants. I comforted myself by believing that I could successfully expose them to two doctrines and they would have a deep faith and come to know Christ as their personal Savior. The kids and I kept very busy with the workings of that parish. We served in various capacities and seemed to be content keeping busy with the “religious” activities that filled our time and our hands. I shared with them my belief that without accepting Christ into ones heart and asking for His forgiveness an individual was not saved from eternal damnation. I hoped they got the message. Our priest of 14 years left for another parish. His replacement was very different and I no longer felt welcome. I was reminded more than once that the marriage my husband and I had was not blessed by the church and that I was not a “real” Catholic and could not receive certain sacraments. With shed tears, and bruised feelings I discussed with my husband a desire to seek a new place of worship. Since the churching of our children was a duty I had seen to throughout our marriage, he voiced no objection. If his parents had been with us still, he may or may not have been so compliant. Following the Easter holy days that year, I began my quest. My cousin Ruth had been a member of Cline for some time and, again, she invited us to visit. After stopping by the block party that year and enjoying the Praise Team singing under the tent, we came for a visit. I felt God’s presence as I found a seat. God was in this place and the effect was awesome. My children went through a brief period of culture shock as they adjusted from a 45 minute mass (with me nudging them awake) to B.S.F. classes, uplifting praise through song and Bible based sermons from the

heart that engaged them. My four oldest children have accepted Christ as their Savior. Three of them have chosen to follow in baptism and my youngest (Rachel) is five and recites verses and sings praise songs whenever she feels moved to do so. If I miss a service for some reason, my girls are on the phone figuring out a way to get to church. They weren’t getting the message! My hoping they would was not enough, nor was my sharing it with them in a casual way. Seeing it lived out by a body of believers brought it home. Praise God! I felt dejected and God used that to bring my children to His feet.

Yvonne Brandner

When your life takes an unexpected turn, do you approach it with a grateful,

trusting attitude? Do those closest to you know Christ? It is time to make sure. Share the

Good News of Christ!

“And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in thee.” Psalm 38:7

In September of 2003, my husband Rudy became very ill. He was unable to keep food down and was suffering with extreme abdominal pain. After I rushed him to the E.R. he was admitted into the hospital where they determined that he had a twisted stomach and a hernia located higher, near the heart. Rudy ended up spending two weeks in the hospital while they treated him. This occurred just four months after we had used our savings as a down payment on our first home. I was attending school at the time and not employed. I felt I was under a lot of stress. There were major medical decisions to be made concerning Rudy, our daughters Kristian and Nytalia(Boo Boo) were falling behind in school with all the hospital trips, and I was worried we might end up losing the home we had just moved in to. I spent a lot of time crying as I wondered how I was going to handle this all alone. I remember I cried all Monday and Tuesday one week and went with very little sleep. That Tuesday night, it hit me. I realized that I was being selfish and no matter what happens in life it is not about me, it is all about God. I told God how sorry I was that I had not come to Him sooner and had wasted so much time in tears and worrying. I said, “Lord, whatever is your will, so be it.” The next morning I woke up and went to church to pray in the sanctuary. Later that night during Wednesday night Bible study, the entire class joined me in praying for Rudy’s health and our needs. Thursday morning I received a phone call from the School City of Hammond asking if I could fill a position as a bi-lingual kindergarten teacher while the teacher was away on maternity leave. The position would pay $14.80 an hour and I could start immediately. I had just put an application in for part time work three months prior.

The Lord answered my prayers and saw to it that we not only kept our home but kept up with all our financial obligations. This was truly a miracle. If you are faithful and seek God always He will bless you. He has blessed us many times in miraculous ways. Knowing Him is truly living.

Tina Cantu

What are you afraid of losing? We worry over our health, educational opportunities, finances, finding the right mate in life. But the Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 13:4 that the only one we need to fear is the Lord. “Serve only the Lord your God and fear Him alone. Obey His commands, listen to His voice, and cling to Him.” It is all in His hands and our worry is wasted

time and energy. Pray that His will be done and stand ready to follow in obedience.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good

foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. I Timothy 6:18-19

May 20th. of 2005 will mark two years since the termination of the position I had held for eighteen years. It really came as no surprise as our pastor B.S.F. class and close friends had been praying with me on this matter for eighteen months prior. We had been asking for God’s guidance as the company was on the verge of filing bankruptcy protection, and announcing the sale of 1,100 funeral homes in it’s ownership. Include on the list of properties to be sold was the funeral home I had been managing. I looked into buying the location myself. That appeared to be a possibility for a little while until things fell through. I considered staying with the company and moving to a different facility. This option didn’t work out either. Then I had a discussion with the new owners and we tried , to no avail, to reach a suitable agreement. Thus I became unemployed. Through prayer and past experiences I had become reluctant to take employment with another corporate or privately owned funeral home. I had lost trust in employers because of their failure to follow through on certain things or make needed changes. Believing that God supplies our every need I stepped out in faith on the road of self-employment. I had made many friends and acquaintances in the community over my eighteen years in the business. Through these acquaintances I was able to solicit a certain funeral service in Chicago and make arrangements to rent the use of funeral home facilities to conduct services. I now had a home business of subcontracting preparation and other professional services within local funeral homes.

Knowing that God will supply our needs doesn’t mean that we get to sit back and do nothing. It requires effort on our part to seek the opportunities and ask for His direction. God has faithfully provided for my families every need and I know it was not by accident. It is because we have faithfully trusted Him to do so while we remained faithful in our service to Him. We have been faithful stewards of our time, talents, and tithes as we look for ways to serve and be a blessing to others. I know that the challenge He gives us in Malachi 3:10 is met with the blessings He promises to those who are obedient on the subject of tithes.

Jose Corona How ready are you to share of your time , talent , and treasure in service to the Lord? When we consider that everything is His and He has given it or

loaned it to us for a determined amount of time, how can we withhold what was never really ours? Even the next breath we draw is in God’s hands. I

Timothy 6:7 reminds us that we have brought nothing into this world and so it follows that we cannot take anything out of it either. Examine yourself as the Bible instructs in 2 Corinthians 13:5 and “ knowing that the testing of

your faith produces endurance” James 1:3.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own

understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

I love these two scripture verses! Trusting in what God wants for my life will keep me on a straight path. There has been many times I have tried to do things my way rather than wait on God and His perfect timing. Each time , I found myself completely off the path. There are times when it becomes easy to let the things of the world get in the way of God’s plans for me. But, the reality is that my way gets in His way ! When I trust in God and wait for His answer, He blesses me. He has given me a wonderful husband. I prayed many years for that to be answered! He has shown His perfect timing in other areas as well. Our son Andrew’s education and the home we now live in are examples of God answering prayers. Trusting Him with our finances has brought us peace. He has always come through for us in this area to the point that there is no way we could consider not tithing. I believe every word in His word. I know that God has a plan or path laid out for me. Trusting in Him and His word in my daily life will help me to stay on that path.

Debbie Elam Have there been times when moving in your own strength has led you from the path God has laid out for you? Take a moment to recall the outcome of acting apart from God’s will for us. Trust is something we seek from our

fellow man , yet at times we are so reluctant to trust our Father with areas of our life. Surely He is far better equipped to direct our path!

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord. “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” Psalms 91:1-2

The first few years of my marriage I felt I was alone with our three small children. My husband used to stay out all night with his friends. I grew fearful as I considered how our lives would change if I were to leave my marriage and truly be in the position of raising our children on my own. I did not want my children to grow up in a broken home with an absent parent. I turned to God, knowing that He loved us and wanted what was best for our family. While I knew that I could not change my husband’s heart , I knew that God could! I began to pray continuously that God would soften my husband’s heart and effectively make my marriage and home life easier to bear. God did more than that!! Through the years, God has been working on my husband’s heart while , at the same time, He has helped me to raise the children up in church. My husband has now come to church and is a believer in Jesus Christ! While The Lord continues to work on my husband, I am excited to see what more God has in store for my family. The experience has taught me that I need to have faith and trust in the Lord daily.

Lisa Mosley

Have you ever been in a situation that seemed impossible? Have you ever felt desperate and just wanted to flee from something that seemed too hard to deal with any more? God is waiting for us to allow Him to be our refuge ..,our fortress when the giant sorrows of this world bear down on us. Lean

on Him and He will be your strength.

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. Colossians 2:6

It was Memorial Day 1979 when the world as I knew it was turned upside down. I was home with my mother and siblings when our father walked into the house and told us that he had shot the lady he had been having an affair with. As my father said good bye to us one at a time, I remember dropping to my knees and asking God to not let anything worse happen to my dad. He left the house and we were left wondering what would happen next. After a few horrible hours of waiting we learned that he had turned himself in. Then came a long period of trying to adjust to a life without a father at home. I can remember trying to talk to him through the small square window during our first visit with him at the jail. To an eleven year old boy this made no sense. About one year later, my dad was visited by a Christian lady who told him about Jesus Christ and how He had shed His blood to pay for my dad’s sins and the sins of us all. For the first time I could remember, my dad put aside his pride and went on his knees to accept God’s free gift of forgiveness. He was born again. My mother , brothers, sisters and I could not understand this yet. We had always been Catholic and this was unfamiliar to us. But by God’s awesome grace, we eventually all came to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. For the next six years I continued to serve God. Then my heart turned hard and I left the church to live life according to my own sinful desires. In 1989 I joined the Air Force, got married and was then sent overseas to Belgium.

It was there in Belgium that God really started to deal with my heart. I looked in my heart and saw all the anger and resentment I was harboring toward my father for what he had done. I too would have to set aside my pride. I rededicated my life to Christ and an incredible burden was lifted from me. I was able to forgive my father and move forward in my walk with God. I have experienced some failures since 1989, but, by God”s mercy and grace I am still walking with the lord.

Jorge D. Almedina

Sometimes we say we have forgiven another and we harbor bad feelings toward that person. As humans it is very difficult to forget a wrong that has

been done to us by another. Yet God calls on us to be tender-hearted and forgiving just as He is with each of us. We certainly have done nothing to deserve His forgiveness yet He is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins.”

Carrying this type of “baggage” in our hearts can be destructive to our walk with God. He can not abide side by side with bitterness. So we allow one or the other to take a deep root in our heart. Examine your relationships with others. Is there mending to be done so that healing and growth can occur?

As an example , brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we count those blessed who have endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion

and is merciful. James 5:10-11

As far back as I can remember into my childhood, I had attended church. My parents made certain that we all went as a family each Sunday. It was an obligation that carried no further than attendance. I felt it was a boring waste of time and the services left me cold and empty. My spin on God was that He was cold and distant , waiting to punish me whenever I messed up. As I matured and was old enough to make my own decisions I chose to stop attending services. I was a young adult embarking on a journey into manhood and “religion” was the last thing on my mind. I married young and a few years into the marriage my wife and I decided to have a child. When our daughter was four we enrolled her in a pre-school. It just happened to be a Christian pre-school. We had not intentionally sought one out. She began to return from school with spiritual and Biblical questions we were not equipped to answer. In all of my years of faithful Sunday attendance I had never been encouraged to actually read God’s word. Together , we decided we needed to seek out a church and start attending somewhere. We tried a few churches before choosing to become members of Cline Avenue Fellowship. The pastor at that time was Pastor Jim Miller who paid a visit to my home and shared with me the beautiful plan of salvation. I was twenty-six years old and I had finally “got it”. I gave my heart and life to Christ and with great excitement entered a discipleship program offered at church. That first year I matured as a believer by leaps and bounds. I was anxious to begin serving my loving, living God whom I now had an intimate relationship with. I knew He had a divine purpose for my life and was in control. I acknowledged that it was by design not accident that the events of my life had brought me into a relationship with Him. Since then I have witnessed friends and loved ones enjoy full recoveries following car accidents and heart attacks, despite the doctor’s warnings that such a thing was not very probable. I and the other believers

in His body witnessed the power of prayer as we lifted them up for God’s healing touch. God has done so much for me as I continue to grow in the Lord. Presently I find myself in a situation that is beyond my control. Over the last year the circumstances have spilled over to affect my job, my family, my finances, and my church life. Feeling helpless and bewildered , I cry out to God in confusion and emotional pain. Although I feel anxious and stressed waiting on Him to answer my prayers and those of my brothers and sisters on my behalf, I continue to wait knowing that He will answer in His time and in His way. As I remain confused during this difficult time in my life , I claim and hold tight to His promises. In Hebrews 13:5 we are reminded of His promise made to Joshua and all followers, “ I will never leave you nor Forsake you.” I believe in Him and will continue to trust Him in this hard matter. Though I am not yet the man I want to be for Him, I praise God I am not the man I was before I knew Him.

Jose Burgos

Patience does not come easily or quickly. Job was tested beyond anything most of us can imagine. And while those around him drew uninformed

,wrong conclusions as to the source of his demise, he continued to put his trust in the Lord. As a result he was blessed in every area of his life, beyond

anything he could have hoped for. Have you ever had something occur in your life that you simply could not make sense of. Have you ever felt like

crying out, “why is this happening to me?” We all are at His mercy, we are all under His grace, we are all works in progress. Trusting Him in the most difficult times can ultimately put us in the position of receiving His greatest

blessings.

“ Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing so

that there is no more need.” Malachi 3:10

It took me quite a while in my walk with the Lord to learn that He

does not show me what He will do next . Instead, He shows me WHO HE IS !! That is such an awesome concept. He continually wants to show me more and so often I am too busy to let Him. I am glad that He does not have the same disposition towards me that I sometimes have toward others. I can honestly say that He has never failed me. I can share several instances in my life where He has shown up in some pretty special ways. As we go forward with the financial campaign to “Expand the Connection” (and I am expanding everyday , by the way) I am reminded of a time when God worked in a very cool way in the area of finances. I have been fortunate throughout the majority of my career to be off on Sundays. Several years ago however, I was told that I was going to be required to work Sundays. I let my boss know that this arrangement would not be something I would agree to for a long term. He did not seem to care. I felt compelled to quit although ,at the time, I had no other job prospects lined up. I stepped out on faith believing that He would supply my needs. I had a car payment due each month in the amount of $253.57. I could substitute teach and make due, but the car payments were another issue. I put my trust in Him and quit. Within a few weeks I was asked back to help handle the crazy Friday and Saturday night business. The position would be temporary ,till they found a replacement, and I would be paid a consultants fee for my time those two days. I agreed to the terms without knowing the amount I would be paid.When I received my first bi-weekly paycheck I pulled out the amount of my tithe and was astonished to see the amount remaining. After tithing, I was left with exactly $253.57. God had provided me with two car payments a month by working only two days a week.

Soon after, a new manager was hired and I took my old job back. During the interview with her I was asked if I would mind having Sundays and Mondays as my days off. She needed different days off for personal reasons. Some may not believe that God works in areas of our lives that we think of as insignificant. But I am here to tell you that He Does and He Will!

Charles Elam Have you ever felt as if there was something that was too petty or trivial to bother God with? God desires to be the guiding force in every aspect of our life. While God challenges us in Malachi 3:10 Jesus assures us in Matthew 6:8 ..”your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Perhaps you

can recall a time when things fell together in a way that was so perfect it must have been His divine orchestration of events.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

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The years during and just after high school can be some of the most challenging for a Christian. As a young adult you have to take on a host of new responsibilities and you have to decide if God is going to a part of you life. Sometimes we never really ever commit fully to God after this kind of

a “prodigal” term. Pray to honestly commit to the Lord everything you have. Give him you all and live a life that is Kingdom focused.

Give your worries to the Lord and He will take care of you. He will never let good people down.

Psalm33:22 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6

This is the confidence that we have in approaching God; that if we ask according to His will He hears us. 1 John 5:14

In October 1995 I became very ill. My diabetes had caused renal (kidney) failure. Within a couple of months my health worsened and I developed high blood pressure and lost my eye sight. These, along with the fact that I was now facing dialysis, forced me to quit working. My insurance, of course, lapsed and we found ourselves without insurance or income. We began to pray and soon we were receiving help with food. Shortly after that I started receiving disability pay. With prayer we were able to survive on what God was providing us with. I continued to pray that my medical conditions would improve and witnessed God answering those prayers. Doctors were able to restore my eye sight through surgeries and in January of 1998 I began dialysis while being placed on the transplant list. Statistics were not in my favor, as I waited for a transplant. But our God, who was listening to my prayers, was. On March 29,1999, after 15 months of dialysis, I was blessed with a kidney/pancreas transplant. This was an awesome thing. Having had diabetes for 27 years, lost my eye sight and been a dialysis patient I was renewed physically . I could now eat foods that were not allowed in the past, I could see again, and I was living a healthier life than I had in the past. I know that it was because of God hearing and answering my prayers. I continue to thank and praise God everyday because I know that with God ALL things are possible.

Scott Elkins

Each of us probably knows a story where God has proven Himself in a magnificent way despite the odds and the experts opinions. Reflect on those

stories that defy reason and circumstances and truly shine with divine intervention. God wants us to marvel at the awesome ways He has worked

in our lives. It pleases Him when we give Him thanks and praise.

“Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely…” Psalm

112:5.

“ He will never leave you, nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:5

This became very apparent in my life a few years ago, which was a difficult time in my life.

I went through a period where I was not working at a regular job. I had been a substitute teacher for about four years and found that I needed to do something else with my life. I went about eight months without any regular income and was very discouraged. I interviewed for some jobs, but got turned down. During the entire time of looking for work, I still continued to tithe from a refund from the IRS that kept me going for a long time. I had decided early on when I was looking for work that God would come first, no matter what it cost me.

In December of 1999, I saw an ad in the Times that was about 2 lines long that was looking for people to grade exams for a private school. I called and got some information and an application. I arrived for my appointment for the interview, but they were so busy that they did not have time to see me. So, after an hour I just went home and decided to forget about it. I got a call a couple of days later, saying that they were still interested in seeing me and asked if I would come back for an interview. I did go back and started working there part time. That was in January 2000. I continued looking for work and in July 2000, I started working there as a full time employee. I will be celebrating five years with them this July.

I didn’t go to Paris or anything like that, but I did have a car that kept running and my pay kept me going until I received an offer of full time work from them. I actually found time to do more Bible reading and found a Bible verse that was very comforting to me. Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (NKJV).

The Lord Jesus Christ made it clear to me that I did not have to worry. He would take care of my needs. So, when you are facing difficult financial struggles in your life, remember that the Lord cares for you

I have never seen an ad from my company in the newspaper since that time. My employer does their hiring by word of mouth. It is not doubt to me that this job was a gift from God.

Jason Marsh

God is always with us. He helps through every situation if we just rely on Him. Trust in God to meet your needs. Don’t give in to the temptation to

believe that God isn’t real and involved. He is not a Laissez Faire Lord. He is Alive and active in our lives. Halleluiah!