Sharing the Gospel with a Lost and Dying World

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What is the Gospel? Have you ever wondered what it means to "be saved?" Maybe you have heard Christians talking about this subject, and you might have thought, what do I need to be saved FROM? Or perhaps you are already saved, but are not sure how to share the gospel with your unsaved friends, family, and coworkers. Well, this post answers all these questions. Evangelist Dr. John Van Gelderen (Revival Focus Ministries) gives a very thorough presentation of the gospel in THESE VIDEOS. It will be well worth your time! If you have questions, feel free to post them in the comments, and I will try to answer them in the best way that I can.

Famous Quotes by Corrie Ten Boom

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I first heard the story of Corrie Ten Boom when I was a child. My mother read The Watchmaker's Daughter to me, and I will never forget the story of this courageous woman. Corrie survived a Nazi concentration camp, although sadly, her sister did not. Corrie's story of trusting God inspite of the most horrific conditions she had to endure has inspired me throughout my life. She emerged from such a tragedy, not with a broken, bitter spirit, but with a forgiving heart and a deeper faith and trust in the God who had sustained her the entire time.

I find many of Corrie's quotes to be so insightful of what it means to forgive even when great harm has been done, to truly trust in the Lord's goodness, and to live a Spirit-filled life. The following are some of her quotes that are my personal favorites:

* “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

* “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

* “This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.”

* “If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest.”

* “Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.”

* “Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.”

* “Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.”

* “Dear Jesus...how foolish of me to have called for human help when You are here.”

* “When we are powerless to do a thing, it is a great joy that we can come and step inside the ability of Jesus.”

* “When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds.”

* “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.”

* “There are no 'ifs' in God's Kingdom. His timing is perfect. His will is our hiding place. Lord Jesus, keep me in Your will! Don't let me go mad by poking about outside it.”

* “Today I know that such memories are the key not to the past, but to the future. I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do. ”

* “.....joy runs deeper than despair.”

* “Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.”

What's so wrong about Contemporary Christian Music?

Contemporary Christian music is a huge issue in today's churches. Many churches are leaving the old traditional hymns behind, and embracing Contemporary Christian music. David Cloud (Way of Life Ministries) has put together an excellent DVD entitled "Foreign Spirit of Contemporary Worship Music." It is a current video (March 2012) and is well-documented. This is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to know WHY Contemporary worship music has no place in a Christian's life.

HERE is the link for this DVD.

Discipleship Training

Have you heard of Bright Lights? "Bright" stands for Being Radiant In Godliness, Holiness, and Testimony. Their website gives the purpose of this ministry - "to give practical training in godliness, to encourage young woman to live the years of their youth fully for Christ, to provide edifying fellowship and accountability, and to be a group which will minister to others." Our church is in the process of starting a Bright Lights group in about three weeks. This is a discipleship training program for young girls, although they have also started a new group for young boys called The Light Shop. You can check out their website for more details on this program, as well as how you could start a Bright Lights ministry in your own church. Our church purchased the training manual and dvds so that all of our workers could learn the philosophy behind this ministry. The training dvds have been excellent! The Bright Lights lessons teach concepts such as children giving their heart to their parents, learning how to get along with brothers and sisters, having a clear conscience before God, and many others. The recommended ages for a Bright Lights group is for girls age 10-13. Our church has decided that we are going to also adapt the lessons for girls as young as second grade. While we whole-heartedly believe in reaching teen girls for Christ and discipling them, we are finding that many girls are already "set in their ways" by the time they reach their teen years, and often have a hardened heart towards the things of the Lord. We are hoping to reach younger girls and teach them Biblical concepts before they even reach those extremely critical years.

Character Qualities

Dr. S. M. Davis, along with Park Meadows Baptist Church, has a wonderful ministry of helping Christian families. His website is SolveFamilyProblems. Dr. Davis has preached in our church, and the truths he preached have deeply impacted our church, Christian school, and my own family. He talks a lot about anger, rebellion, marriage, character, parenting, friendships, and much more. He has put his sermons on DVD, using a unique technique of hundreds of picture illustrations that really drive home the points, while making every sermon very interesting and easy to listen to. He even has some free downloads on his website. Our school's theme this year is developing Christian character. Dr. Davis has a free downloadable chart of the 49 Character Qualities on his chart. These are so good, I have listed this chart below. I think teaching good, godly character is something that is desperately missing from many of our Christian homes these days. As I read through the list, all I can say is "Oh me. I have some work to do in my own life!" Through watching Dr. Davis' video sermon on instilling godly character in children, my husband and I have renewed our determination to teach our children these Biblical concepts, as well as work on them in our own lives.

1. Truthfulness vs. Deception - Earning future trust by accurately reporting past facts (Ephesians 4:25)
2. Obedience vs. Willfulness - Freedom to be creative under the protection of divinely appointed authority (II Corinthians 10:5)
3. Sincerity vs. Hypocrisy - Eagerness to do what is right with transparent motives (I Peter 1:22)
4. Virtue vs. Impurity - The moral excellence and purity of spirit that radiate from my life as I obey God's Word (II Peter 1:5)
5. Boldness vs. Fearfulness - Confidence that what I have to say or do is true, right, and just in the sight of God (Acts 4:29)
6. Forgiveness vs. Rejection - Clearing the record of those who have wronged me and allowing God to love them through me (Ephesians 4:32)
7. Persuasiveness vs. Contentiousness - Guiding vital truths around another's mental roadblocks (II Timothy 2:24)
8. Alertness vs. Unawareness - Being aware of that which is taking place around me so I can have the right responses (Mark 14:35)
9. Hospitality vs. Loneliness - Cheerfully sharing food, shelter, and spiritual refreshment with those whom God brings into my life (Hebrews 13:2)
10. Generosity vs. Stinginess - Realizing that all I have belongs to God and using it for His purpose (II Corinthians 9:6)
11. Joyfulness vs. Self-pity - The spontaneous enthusiasm of my spirit when my soul is in fellowship with God (Proverbs 15:13)
12. Flexability vs. Resistance - Not settling my affections on ideas or plans which could be changed by God or others (Colossians 3:2)
13. Availability vs. Self-centeredness - Making my own schedule and priorities secondary to the wishes of those I am serving (Philippians 2:20-21)
14. Endurance vs. Giving Up - The inward strength to withstand stress to accomplish God's best (Galatians 6:9)
15. Self-Control vs. Self-Indulgence - Instant obedience to the initial promptings of God's Spirit (Galatians 5:24-25)
16. Reverence vs. Disrespect - Awareness of how God is working through people and events in my life to produce character in me (Proverbs 23:17-18)
17. Diligence vs. Slothfulness - Picturing each task as a special assignment from the Lord and using all my energies to accomplish it (Colossians 3:23)
18. Thoroughness vs. Incompleteness - Knowing what factors will diminish the effectiveness of my work or words if neglected (Colossians 3:23)
19. Dependability vs. Inconsistency - Fulfilling what I consented to do, even if it means unexpected sacrifice (Psalm 15:4)
20. Security vs. Anxiety - Structuring my life around that which is eternal and cannot be destroyed or taken away (John 6:27)
21. Patience vs. Restlessness - Accepting a difficult situation from God without giving Him a deadline to remove it (Romans 5:3-4)
22. Wisdom vs. Natural Inclinations - Seeing and responding to life situations from God's frame or reference (Proverbs 9:10)
23. Discernment vs. Judgment - The God-given ability to understand why things happen (I Samuel 16:7)
24. Faith vs. Presumption - Picturing what God intends to do in a given situation and acting in harmony with it (Hebrews 11:1)
25. Discretion vs. Simple-mindedness - The ability to avoid words, actions, and attitudes which could result in undesirable consequences (Proverbs 22:3)
26. Love vs. Selfishness - Giving to others' basic needs without having as my motive personal reward (I Corinthians 13:3)
27. Creativity vs. Underachievement - Approaching a need, a task, or an idea from a new perspective (Romans 12:2)
28. Enthusiasm vs. Apathy - Expressing with my spirit the joy of my soul (I Thessalonians 5:15, 19)
29. Resourcefulness vs. Wastefulness - Wise use of that which others would normally overlook or discard (Luke 15:10)
30. Thriftiness vs. Extravagance - Not letting myself or others spend that which is not necessary (Luke 15:11)
31. Contentment vs. Coveteousness - Realizing that God has provided everything I need for my present happiness (I Timothy 6:8)
32. Punctuality vs. Tardiness - Showing high esteem for other people and their time (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
33. Tolerance vs. Prejudice - Acceptance of others as unique expressions of specific character qualities in varying degrees of maturity (Philippians 2:2)
34. Cautiousness vs. Rashness - Knowing how important right timing is in accomplishing right actions (Proverbs 19:2)
35. Gratefulness vs. Unthankfulness - Making known to God and others in what ways they have benefitted my life (Ephesians 4:25)
36. Orderliness vs. Disorganization - Preparing myself and my surroundings so I will achieve the greatest efficiency (I Corinthians 14:40)
37. Initiative vs. Unresponsiveness - Recognizing and doing what needs to be done before I am asked to do it (Romans 12:21)
38. Responsibility vs. Unreliability - Knowing and doing what both God and others are expecting of me (Romans 14:2)
39. Humitiy vs. Pride - Recognizing that God and others are actually responsible for the achievements in my life (James 4:5)
40. Decisiveness vs. Doublemindedness - The ability to finalize difficult decisions based on the will and ways of God (James 1:5)
41. Determination vs. Faintheartedness - Purposing to accomplish God's goals in God's time regardless of the opposition (II Timothy 4:7-8)
42. Loyalty vs. Unfaithfulness - Using difficult times to demonstrate my commitment to God and to those whom He has called me to serve (John 15:13)
43. Attentiveness vs. Unconcern - Showing the worth of a person by giving undivided attention to his words and emotions (Hebrews 2:1)
44. Sensitivity vs. Callousness - Exercising my senses so I can perceive the true spirit and emotions of those around me (Romans 12:15)
45. Justice vs. Fairness - Personal responsibility to God's unchanging laws (Micah 6:8)
46. Compassion vs. Indifference - Investing whatever is necessary to heal the hurts of others (I John 3:17)
47. Gentleness vs. Harshness - Showing personal care and concern in meeting the needs of others (I Thessalonians 2:7)
48. Deference vs. Rudeness - Limiting my freedom in order not to offend the tastes of those whom God has called me to serve (Romans 14:21)
49. Meekness vs. Anger - Yielding my personal rights and expectations to God (Psalm 62:5)

Why I am an Independent Fundamental Baptist

*The purpose of this post is simply to inform. My intent is NOT to offend in any way. Some of the people closest to me genuinely do not understand why I believe what I believe and this post is an attempt to clarify those beliefs, at least a little bit. If you disagree with me, we can still be friends. It does not offend me if you do not believe the exact same way as I do, and I most certainly do not think I am better than anyone else if they do not see eye-to-eye with me. Our Christian walk is a journey, and we are ultimately accountable to the Lord, not to an individual.

My family and I attend an independent fundamental Baptist church. But what exactly IS an independent fundamental Baptist church? The thoughts I have written here are taken from a study our church did awhile back called Christian Mentoring A to Z. (The study covered all kinds of areas such as assurance of salvation, obedience to God, baptism, reaching the world, victorious Christian living, and many other areas.) We used Scripture passages to learn about what God says in the Bible about different issues. One section was on the history of the Baptist church, and the fundamental principles (Baptist discinctives) that our church teaches, and most of the thoughts in this post come from that section.

Before I begin, I want to stress the fact that I do not believe I am saved because I attend a Baptist church. I do not even believe that God loves me more because I attend a Baptist church. I have no extra merit with God because I attend a Baptist church. I am saved by God's grace, because I have placed my full dependence and faith on Jesus Christ, and He alone has saved me. Not Jesus plus good works. Not Jesus plus church membership. My faith is in Jesus Christ's shed blood for my sins, and I am trusting Him for eternal life in heaven because He paid the full penalty for my sins. I cannot save myself in any way. The only merit I have with God is that when He looks at me, He sees Jesus' blood covering my sins, and so He accepts me as one of His own, on the basis of His Son's finished work on the cross.

A Baptist church is Baptist if it holds to and carries out the basic teachings of the New Testament.

B - Bible is our only rule of faith and practice

A - Autonomy of the local church

P - Priesthood of the believer

T - Two ordinances of the church (baptism and the Lord's Supper)

I - Individual soul responsibility

S - Separation (personal, ecclesiastical, and political)

T - Two officers of the church (pastor and deacons)

Distinctive #1 - The Bible is our only rule of faith and practice

A mutual and common adherence to the whole Bible and its authority is the cohesive force among Baptists. Other churches often follow a leader or founder, and have to adhere to confessions or articles put forth by their founder. The soul of man bows to the authority of the Bible, making reason, the church, and personal experience all subordinate to it. The Bible is the written revelation of God and is complete.

Distinctive #2 - Autonomy of each local church

Each local church is sovereign and cannot be controlled by any board, hierarchical system, or other church. Autonomy means: independent, self-governing, self-supporting, an self - propagating. A Scriptural independent New Testament church is an organized band of baptized believers practicing the New Testament ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper and actively engaged in carrying out the Great Commission. The foundation for independence is based on New Testament principles - 1.) the competence of the individual to know God's will, and 2.) the responsibility of the church to carry out God's will is based on the foundation that its members know God's will. The final governing authority in the autonomous Baptist church is the church itself directed by its Head, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Distinctive #3 - Priesthood of all believers

Every born-again believer may pray directly to God through Jesus Christ, the High Priest, without a human intercessor. Jesus is the ONLY mediator between man and God the Father (I Timothy 2:5). Jesus is not only the believer's Savior and Lord, but also his High Priest. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Distinctive #4 - Two ordinances of the local church

There are two ordinances o fhte local church - baptism and the Lord's supper. An ordinance is "An outward rite appointed by Christ to be administered in the church as a visible sign of the saving truth of the Christian faith." The Baptist church does NOT teach that baptism or the Lord's supper have ANY saving power. Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward reality - the individual who has already placed his faith and trust in Christ alone shows that he is identifying himself with the Lord by being baptized. He is showing that he has died with Christ, been buried with Christ, and has been raised to walk a new life. Saving faith ALWAYS PRECEDES baptism. Baptists believe that baptism by immersion is the only correct way to be baptized. Why? The word "baptize" means immerse. Only immersion correctly pictures that which baptism symbolizes -death, burial, and resurrection. Sprinkling and pouring cannot symbolize this.

*Let me deviate from the study to put in a thought of my own. I have had someone tell me that they heard that if you join a Baptist church, you will have to be re-baptized in that church. For instance, if you were baptized in a Bible church after you were saved, you will have to be re-baptized when you join a Baptist church. Our church does not teach that, and I have never heard that taught from other independent fundamental Baptist churches that I have gone to before. After I trusted Christ for salvation, I was baptized by immersion in the Bible church that my family attended when I was a little girl. When I joined the Baptist church I go to now, I did not have to be re-baptized, because I had already been Scripturally baptized after I was saved.

Back to the study. The second ordinance is the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is a memorial table, picturing the body and blood of Christ and serving ONLY as a reminder of His sacrifice. The ordinances were instituted by Christ on the eve of His death (Matthew 26:26-30). The purpose is given in I Corinthians 11:25-26 - for a memorial. We reject the doctrine of infant baptism, since individuals must decide for themselves. We also do not practice infant church membership, since members must be saved, scripturally baptized, and request church membership. These two ordinances are not sacraments. They neither give salvation, help salvation, nore keep salvation. We observe the ordinances due to commandment (Matthew 28:19-20; I Corinthians 11:24).

Distinctive #5 - Individual soul liberty

Each individual has the right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. He can worship God as he believes the Bible teaches. People have individual wills, and God directly instructs individuals. God deals with people as individuals and judges people as individuals. Each person has individual soul liberty to choose his own church, determine his own spiritual fate, and decide what the Bible teaches (or deny the Bible altogether). We must never force our beliefs on others. Share the gospel and biblical truths, yes, but not coerce.

Distinctive #6 - Separation

Separation is to be in three realms - political, ecclesiastical, and personal. Political separation - God established civil government, and He instructs the Christian in their duty to government - pray for it, submit to it, support it, and honor it. Ecclesiastical separation - as a church, we must separate from apostasy - II Corinthians 6:14-17, Romans 16:16-17; II John 10-11; II Thessalonians 3:6,14. Personal separation - a Christian is to be personally separated FROM the world (Romans 12:1-2) UNTO Christ (I Thessalonians 1:9). In order to take the question out of questionable activities, there are three things to consider. First LOOK UP (Colossians 3:2) - does it violate a direct command from God, and will God be glorified through my participation? Second, LOOK IN (I Corinthians 6:19-20) - what effect will it have on me, on my mind, on my body? How would I feel if Christ returned while I was invovled in this activity? Third, LOOK OUT (I Corinthians 8:12) - what effect will it have on the unsaved, or on the saved (it is a sin to cause a brother to stumble). The Christian has the privilege of living a holy life for Christ. This is also our duty. It is far from boring; and it is not restrictive. It is a joy to please our great God and Savior.

Distinctive #7 - Two officers of the local church

The offices of pastors and deacons are the only Bible-recognized offices in the local church. The congregation chooses both. The Bible clearly teaches the qualifications and responsibilities of both the pastor and the deacons.

An independent fundamental Baptist church is the church that I choose to attend because it is the kind of church that I believe best follows the guidelines of the New Testament church. I'm not saying my church is a perfect, flawless church. No church is, because it is made up of imperfect people. I do believe God has led my husband and I and our children to the church that we attend. Our pastor teaches and preaches Biblical truth. It is not that we blindly swallow everything he says, hook, line and sinker without even thinking or searching the Scriptures. No, we do listen carefully and turn to the passages he is preaching from and we confirm whether the things he is saying do indeed line up with the Bible. Our pastor does not just preach "feel good" sermons; on the contrary, he preaches straight from the Word of God and does not skip over topics just because they might offend. Does he intentionally try to offend people? Absolutely not, but he does not just skip over things that might be offensive.

We use the King James Version of the Bible because we believe that is the most accurate translation available. We sing congregationl songs from hymnals, the great hymns of the faith. We do not have a band that plays rocky "Christian" music, nor do we sing any "Christian Contemporary" music. We believe that most "CCM" music sounds worldly - because of the beat and "watered-down" lyrics- and that it often seeks to glorify the performer through intricate vocal techniques, rather than the Lord. However, don't think that if you were to walk into our church during the singing that it would sound like a monastery. We use instruments, and our music director picks out arrangements that have meaningful words and beautiful music. We hope to soon have a full orchestra as we add more musical people to our church. I wear a dress or skirt to church, as do many of our ladies. However, some of our women do wear pants to church. While I have a personal conviction to not wear pants myself, I do not look down on those that do not share the same conviction. God does not love me more because I came in a skirt. Wearing a skirt, in and of itself, is not an indication that I am right with God.  For all of these things I have mentioned in this paragraph, our church does not teach that God loves us more because we do these things. Our church does NOT teach that any of these things give salvation. Our church does not look down on those who do not believe as we do. I have always heard our pastor give Bible verses to back up what he is preaching. IF something is his opinion, he is careful to distinguish between his opinion, and a clear directive in Scripture.

I am not saying that no other church teaches the Truth. I have been members in three different Bible churches (non-denominational) and all three taught truth from God's Word. I have even visited a few Community churches and Southern Baptist churches, and found them to also teach truth from the Bible. Now SOME of those same churches had some issues on which I strongly disagreed with. However, it is my personal belief that an independent fundamental Baptist church is the type of church that best follows the guidelines of a New Testament church. This post is simply meant to give information, and not condemn or point fingers in any way.

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Streams in the Desert

I recently started a devotional book entitled, Streams in the Desert, by L. B. Cowman. It is intended to be a devotional for every day of the year. The following is part of the description of the book written in the publisher's foreword: "In 1925 the first edition of Streams in the Desert was released. In it were thoughts, quotations, and spiritual inspiration which had helped to sustain Mrs. Charles E. Cowman during her years of missionary work in Japan and China - particularly the six years she nursed her husband while he was dying." This book is recommended especially for those going through difficult times. My husband and I often feel so overwhelmed spiritually, physically, and emotionally from dealing with conflicts and problems in the ministry we are serving in, and so we are planning to go through this devotional book together. In just the few days' devotionals in this book that I have read, I can tell already that this book will be a treasure. It looks like Amazon has this book for a very reasonable price.

Climbing

A couple of years ago, I read the short book, Climbing: Memories of a Missionary's Wife, by Rosalind Goforth. Rosalind and her husband, Jonathan Goforth, were missionaries to China in the early 19th century. The introduction was written by Ruth Bell Graham, and I think she summarizes the book so well when she writes, "'[This book] gave me fresh insights into that intrepid band of missionaries who, braving long separations from home, interminable sea voyages, difficult languages, bandits, and hostility and suspicion on all sides, still went.'"

Rosalind is extremely transparent in relating personal details of her own struggle with an impatient spirit and a sharp temper. She even shares the story of when she overheard, quite by accident, two Chinese women talking about her. She heard them criticize her for those very things, and then add,"'If only she would live more as she preaches.'" That insight into how the people she came to serve thought of her at first angered and hurt her, but as she realized it was all too true, she was able to seek God's help in overcoming these un-Christlike traits.

Five of their eleven children died before reaching adulthood, and yet there is no evidence that Rosalind ever became bitter against God for allowing this. Instead she seemed to simply believe that God was still in control and able to work even these tragedies for her good. What a testimony! Rosalind surely must have learned what it is to trust God completely.

This book changed my life in so many ways, but primarily in how I look at the ministry I am in. It seems like all to often I have an attitude of, I'll serve God, as long as the cost is not too great. Rosalind learned to count the cost and still be willing to surrender to whatever the Lord wanted her to do. I highly recommend this book to any Christian lady, but especially those in ministry. It is a short book and very easy reading - you won't want to put it down!

Ready Or Not

Ready Or Not - Preparing Today for a Young Woman's Tomorrow, by Sara Carlson, is an excellent book especially for pre-teen and teenage girls. It talks about seeking God's will for your life, and explains key principles from God's Word in order to be able to better understand and obey God's Word. Sara writes, "Have you...set an agenda; or are you acknowledging God's hand in your future? Are you seeking what you want in life, or are you determined to follow God's plan?" This book is extremely beneficial for adult women as well, because the principles of complete surrender of our lives to God is needful at any age. It would also be helpful for mothers of girls, regardless of their daughter's age, to read this book. For me, my daughter is only three, but the truths in this book have already challenged me to think about how I can raise her to be prepared to serve God in the future.

Sara is the wife of evangelist Troy Carlson, who is also the Director of West Branch of the Bill Rice Ranch in Arizona. For more information about the Bill Rice Ranch or to order the book Ready Or Not, you can visit their website here.

photo by Bill Rice Ranch

Bible in Living Sound

One of the gifts we bought our children this year for Christmas was the first volume of the Bible in Living Sound CDs. It is a set of 10 CDs with 60 dramatized stories from the Bible, from Creation up to the Exodus of the Israelites. It's a great way for the children to learn the stories in the Bible! They offer stories from the Old and New Testament, and their prices are pretty reasonable (MP3 format is also available). They even have a great warranty for replacing the CDs after alot of use. Visit their website here.

photo from www.bibleinlivingsound.org

Grace for the Pace

Our Sunday School class is studying our way through the book Grace for the Pace - Finding God's Strength For Your Daily Race, by Paul Chappell. It is put out by Striving Together Publications, a ministry of Lancaster Baptist Church in Lancaster, CA. It is an excellent devotional book, and I look forward to Sunday School every week because the lessons are just so practical. The book helps Christians to understand exactly what God's grace is, and what it can do in the life of a believer. There is so much misinformation out there in some churches today about what grace is, and sadly, believers are buying into these wrong teachings. Like I said, this book is filled with very practical lessons that really stick with you throughout the week.

Check out the website: Striving Together Publications

The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry

Our family just recently heard about and watched the movie, The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry. We LOVED this movie! It stars Gavin McLeod - remember the captain on "The Love Boat" or Murray from the "Mary Tyler Moore Show"? I won't spoil the movie here by giving away the plot, but it is a very powerful movie about being a soul-winner. Gavin has a very interesting story. He was a Hollywood actor who divorced his wife Patti. His wife basically fell apart after the divorce, seeking psychiatric help for three years. Then Patti was invited to a Christian prayer group by comedian Jerry Lewis's first wife. Patti trusted Christ as her Savior, and before long, Gavin noticed that she was very different. He eventually trusted Christ, too, and before long, they got re-married! How many times has that ACTUALLY happened to Hollywood actors? Gavin wrote a book, "Back on Course: The Remarkable Story of a Divorce that Ended in Remarriage." He also plays in Rich Christiano's "Time Changer" movie. Both "The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry" and "Time Changer" are excellent Christian videos that have a pretty clear gospel presentation given throughout the movie, and I highly recommend both!