Remember the first day of school when you were little? New crayons, new pencils with sharp points, a new notebook with nothing written in it, maybe even some clothes you'd never worn before. Then as you get older, that first day of school means there are no grades in the teacher's book yet, no absences, no tardies - it's a nice feeling. Actually, you can have, in a sense, a lifetime of those first days!
The average Major League Baseball season consists of 162 games spread out from the beginning of April to the end of September. And then the post-season games begin, that go through the month of October. There is no one on earth who enjoys the longevity of such a season than the teams who are winning on a consistent basis. And there is no one on earth who looks forward to a new season beginning than the teams who can't even win enough games to make it to the playoffs.
"The Game Changers: Deciding Factors for Your New Year" by Ron Hutchcraft
In this chapel message, Ron discusses Jesus' two amazing game changers - His commanding authority in every situation and His compelling compassion for people. A free download of "The Game Changers: Deciding Factors for Your New Year" is being offered to you in appreciation for your partnership in 2009 through prayer and financial support. Download "The Game Changers: Deciding Factors for Your New Year."
I just want to start this new year with a strong thank you for your part in rescuing many lost lives in the past year. We appreciate you - more than you know.
The dreaded day comes every April - income tax day - our day of reckoning with Uncle Sam. Many Americans burn the midnight oil, and accountants of course, are at the peak of their crazy season. You know, it is best to get this right, because you never know who is going to be audited, right?
Whether it's a personal audit or a company audit like our ministry has every year, it's nice to know you have nothing to hide. It's the same when the time comes for the Ultimate Auditor to review, not just your finances, but your life.
"Christmas Moments" and "Born to Rescue" Help You Share Christ
"To reach the lost in their language, and to motivate and equip believers to communicate Christ to the lost in their world." As the first part of our mission statement clearly states, we are passionate about taking the Gospel to hard-to-reach hearts and reach as many people as we can with the Good News. As the second part of our mission statement says, we carry the responsibility of making sure we are providing ministry tools that God's people can easily use to reach people in their world of influence with the Gospel of Jesus.
Nate Saint, better than anyone else I know, may have captured Christmas from heaven's perspective. I've stood on that beach where Nate Saint, Jim Elliott, and the others died at the hands of the Aucas. But today, the men who murdered them are leaders of the Auca Church, and many, including me, were inspired by their example to serve Christ. On the eve of his last Christmas on earth, Nate Saint wrote his perspective on Christmas, and I can't get it out of my mind. I hope you won't either. I believe this is the heart of God about Christmas.
Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot,
but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville - did not.
The Grinch hated Christmas - the whole Christmas season.
Now, please don't ask why; no one quite knows the reason.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
Or it could be that his head wasn't screwed on just right.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
may have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
(from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," 1966)
Much to the dismay of the Grinch, there is definitely something about Christmas that transcends the giving and receiving of gifts and meal times spent with family.
We are quickly approaching the end of the year. Your gifts and prayers have helped to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with adults and young people in many parts of the world and across the United States.
Years ago, God laid the desperate need of Native American young people on our hearts, and ever since we have been involved with some very special summers on reservations with our On Eagles' Wings teams. We have had moments of unforgettable joy - and some moments of pain and sorrow, too. One of the toughest of those moments was the summer when we heard about Johnny's sudden and tragic death. Johnny was a Lakota young man who we had worked with and had really come to love. In the providence of God, our team was headed for Johnny's reservation in South Dakota when we heard about his death. His parents actually delayed the funeral a couple of days so the On Eagles' Wings team could be there. His Mom said that some of the best days of his life had been with our team.
It's that time of year again - apples are getting picked, the days are getting cooler, the leaves will start changing color soon...and the fall TV season is ramping up. Yes, it's that time of year when people get their TiVos ready to see what is happening with their favorite characters. Almost every show will air something that recaps what had previously happened before diving into what's new.
So, before I get into some of the exciting "On Eagles' Wings" news that's on the horizon, here's a brief recap.
