Making Today Count

THIS WEEK’S BOLD STEP DEVOTION

“After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3)

How would you live your life differently if you only had one week to live or just 24 hours? This question may be sobering but it does reveal a lot about the things that are important to you. When you have a limited number of days, you do things you really care about such as spending time with family, righting wrongs, or creating lasting memories. It’s amazing how priorities shift when faced with limited time.

In the book of Acts, we learn that from the time that Jesus rose again from the grave to the time that He ascended back into heaven was a period of 40 days. While we don’t have a play by play of everything Jesus did during that time, we do know that His time was significant. Over the course of those 40 days, Jesus appeared to many people in various ways, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that He had been raised from the dead by the power of God. The people He would share a meal with, minister to, and teach about the Kingdom of God ranged from a crowd of 500 to two men walking to Emmaus.

He also spent time with His disciples which must have been a powerful experience for them before Jesus ascended into heaven. These last moments with His disciples were also spent preparing them for the monumental task of telling the world about God’s redemption for humanity through His death and resurrection. This ‘good news’ must have been important for Jesus to have talked about it for 40 days!

In the same way, I believe that those last 40 days were also a time where Jesus was teaching and instructing you and me about this life, Himself, and the coming kingdom of God. And His offer of grace, mercy, forgiveness and restoration can be yours today if you choose to put your faith in Jesus and humbly accept what He has done for you on the cross.

None of us know the day or the hour we will depart this earth, but we can know for certain that if we’ve been redeemed by Jesus’ death on the cross, we will immediately go to live with Him in heaven. Friend, the Good News can be your Good News today. Don’t delay!

How to know Christ

Listen to the sermon: Purpose in Community

Part 1Part 2

Ministry Update from Mark

Dee and I celebrated 30 years of marriage this summer! At our 30th vow renewal, I shared these words with her:

• Thank you for believing in a young man with little to offer you but untested love and a heart full of dreams.
• Thank you for seeing in my gifting and capacities that I had not yet even seen in myself.
• Thank you for living in virtual poverty the first few years of our marriage and never complaining once about our circumstances.
• Thank you for not only standing beside me in the midst of starting a ministry but for pushing ahead with as much or more fire than me.
• Thank you for laboring long and hard hours to give birth to each of our three beautiful children. (especially the 28 hours you labored for Marissa)
• Thank you for being a nurturing, protective, dedicated and caring Mother to our children as they grew up.
• Thank you for being a woman of integrity that has never given me a reason not to trust you with my love and confidence.
• Thank you for following Jesus faithfully and consistently in a way that has touched the lives of so many others.
• Thank you for loving me in such a way that has made me want to be a better husband and man.

After 3 decades, I choose to say “I STILL DO!!”