Paths v2n3 2013 summer

News & Views from Walk Thru the Bible

Building Bridges in the Philippines Everyday Advocates for the Everyday Word Weekly Devotionals for Summer

Summer 2013

Walk Thru the Bible 4201 North Peachtree Road Atlanta, GA 30341 www.walkthru.org Volume 2, Number 3 Summer 2013 Published quarterly President Phil Tuttle Vice President for Advancement/International John Houchens Editor Chris Tiegreen Designer Michael Koiner Contributors Chris Tiegreen Dave Ball Laurin Makohon

Walk Thru the Bible ignites passion for God’s Word through innovative live events, inspirational biblical resources, and lasting global impact.

© 2013 by Walk Thru the Bible® Ministries, Inc. Contents may not be reproduced in any form unless authorized in writing by the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

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t a pastors conference in Ukraine recently, I separated the attendees by generation, put them on opposite sides of the room, and gave them some instructions. They were to pair up—one member of the younger generation with one member of the older generation. The younger leaders were to thank their elders for

their years of service and for keeping the faith during hard times. The older leaders were to

pray for the young ones, bless them, and entrust

the future of the church to their leadership.

In the grand scheme of things, this was a small step. But it was a big gesture for a church culture that has a significant generation gap. And the issue is greater than unity within the church . The legacy of a generation is important. It creates ripple effects throug hout the years. Gratitude for what has gone before and hope for the future are powerful vehicles for the Spirit.

In this issue of Pathways, you’ll see other examples of legacies being built and entrusted to those who will carry them forward. Dr. Howar d Hendricks made a huge impact on me and many others. We’ll never know the extent of his legacy this side of heaven. Our partners in the Philipp ines are sowing seeds that will bear fruit in their nation now and for years to come. A couple in Colorado is not content simply for their own lives to be changed by God’s Word; they are actively promoting a Bible movem ent in churches throughout their region of the country so other lives can be changed too. Our national leaders, our donors, our entire Walk Thru the Bible family—all are making a significant difference.

What do all these people have in common? They know they are part of a story that is bigger than their own lives. And that’s true for all of us. So the devotionals in this issue will encourage you to think about the difference you are making and how you are investing in the future.

We have the privilege of living in a kingdom where our lives matter and our efforts last. And if we steward our time and talents well, we can celebrate the fruit of them forever.

Phil Tuttle President

If you are not currently receiving Pathways and would like to, email pathways@walkthru.org or use the attached envelope to let us know.

SUMMER 2013

VOL. 2

NO. 3

FEATURES

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Open Hearts, Open Doors

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Advocates for the Word

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The Teacher of Teachers

Making Disciples in the Diverse Philippines The nation of many islands is also home to many belief systems. Walk Thru the Bible partners are passionate about drawing people deeper into God’s truth.

One Couple’s Efforts to Spark a Movement Brad and Sheri Miller were changed when they found a Bible-reading plan that worked. Now they want as many people as possible to share the experience.

Remembering Howard Hendricks A favorite “Prof” and a longtime board member of Walk Thru the Bible influenced an entire generation—and probably many to come.

22 Devotionals

Leaving a Lasting Legacy Weekly readings excerpted from indeed magazine

DEPARTMENTS

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New at Walk Thru the Bible

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Regional News

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Country Profile

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Step into the Story

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Leader Profile

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Donor Profile

A look at world religions

Highlights from around the world

Philippines

Excerpt: The Great Rescue Bible

A Heart for Families Grace Awori, national director for Uganda

Zealous for Changed Lives Wally and Lynnette David

What’s New @ Walk Thru

What Others Believe > How do you talk about God with a Mormon? What do you say to a Buddhist? How can you help bridge the gap between Muslims and Jesus?

Only a few decades ago, most people were familiar with the one or two dominant religions in their own country and only rarely encountered others. In nearly every corner of the world today, however, religious pluralism is an everyday experience—and a challenge for those exploring the similarities and differences of what they and others believe.

Walk Thru the Bible’s new World Religions from a Christian Perspective helps navigate the basics of five of the most common faiths a North American Christian will encounter: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism,

and popular spirituality. This book is not intended as a comprehensive or in-depth resource, but rather as an introductory guide from a Christian perspective.

The guide is designed for individual use or small-group discussion. Each religion is covered in five daily readings, which are followed by questions for personal reflection. Group questions are provided at the end of each section, and a leader’s guide is provided at the end of the book. It is written and edited by Laurin Makohon, editor and author of YW magazine and The Great Rescue Bible, with contributions from Chris Tiegreen, editor of indeed magazine.

The study guide is available at www.walkthru.org/worldreligions.

Character Series Continues with Detour > What do you do when your dreams appear to be dead? How do you respond to God and to those around you when you seem to have taken a detour from His plan for your life? Why do God’s purposes almost always look different and take longer to develop than you expect?

Nearly everyone who has sought and waited for God’s will in their life has asked these questions? Why? Because God’s ways don’t always make sense at first. Because the tension between human choices and the divine will stirs up a lot of anxiety in us.

Because we rarely understand our story until we’re looking back on it—just like Joseph in Genesis.

Last year Walk Thru the Bible released Crucible: the Choices that Change Your Life Forever, a 6-session study on the life of David and the first installment 4

in our Biblical Character Series. Now the follow-up is currently in production.

Detour: Finding Purpose When Life Doesn’t Make Sense is a 6-session study on the life of Joseph.

As with Crucible, the Detour resources will include a live event with PowerPoint visuals, a DVD and workbook for small groups, and a full-length book with two additional chapters. The six sessions of the event and small-group curriculum will explore the issues and dynamics of Joseph and his family, his work, his choices, his nation, his heart, and

his legacy. The book will also look at his perspective and his success.

The series offers insights into how God accomplishes His purposes in each of us and helps us read between the lines of our lives to see the story He is creating. .

Regional News South America > Antonio Lara Cristancho, director of Colombia Bible Society, recently presented President Phil Tuttle with a gift of appreciation in honor of the common mission and cooperative relationship between the two ministries.

Walk Thru the Bible is continuing to develop closer connections and partnerships with Bible societies around the world.

Central America > More than 120 youth—most coming from backgrounds filled with drugs, alcohol, gangs, and violence, and all looking for a fresh start— attended The Power of Decisions event (the Latin American version of Crucible) in Honduras recently. Pastor Kurt Parker, his wife, Danita, and Jonathan Adrian, all from Harborside Christian Church in Safety Harbor, Fla., participated in the event, which was led by local leaders from Caminata Biblica.

Middle East > Mark Sosmena, former national director of the Philippines, taught Crucible at Filipino Language Christian Congregation in Kuwait in April.

He also preached at Filipino churches in Dubai.

Christians with any level of training or any background to effectively lead group discussions on 52 stories from the Bible.

Africa >

them catch a vision for how to rebuild their country spiritually.

The Miracle of Life Change has been taught often in Serbia, filling churches with people whose lives are genuinely transformed by the teaching. When two women from North Carolina heard about the ongoing training, and how many of the attendees are women who have few profitable skills, they donated sewing machines for use in conjunction with the event. Now attendees are being fed spiritually and learning quilting skills that can help them earn a living.

Story Thru the Bible has been translated into Russian and was released in Ukraine in April. The book equips

Walk Thru the Bible instructor Mallory Burkett Boyd taught Walk Thru the New Testament at a predominantly Muslim school in western Kenya every week for one term. Many of the students prayed to receive Christ during the course.

After the end of the term, the principal wrote to say that the school had changed for the better; academics were up and discipline problems were down. He has encouraged her to return anytime.

Asia > Walk Thru the Bible and OneHope International recently completed the first step in a pilot program to teach the Bible to Buddhist children and teenagers in Thailand. OneHope put together a series of eight Bible stories from the book of Genesis and incorporated Old Testament hand signs into the teaching.

OneHope’s test results of storying with hand signs was more than three times higher than their earlier traditional teaching on Christmas and the life of Jesus. .

Eastern Europe > Through recent trainings in Moldova, at least 150 pastors and 130 government-sponsored public school teachers have been coached in biblical principles of teaching. These pastors and teachers are positioned to influence thousands of lives inside and outside the church. Some accepted Christ during the events, and many said the training helped 5

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Open Hearts, Open Doors Helping Churches Grow Believers in the Philippines

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rganizers had hoped at least 900 people would attend the daylong Saturday event. They would have hoped for more, but one of Manila’s churches had a scheduling conflict, and the funeral for a widely respected Christian leader had just been planned for Saturday afternoon. So perhaps the numbers would be a little low.

But they weren’t. In spite of the scheduling conflicts, more than 1,200 came that Saturday in January for six sessions of Crucible. The host church was filled with representatives from many of Manila’s numerous churches—old and young, leaders and new Christians, members of a variety of denominations. “Out of the 40 most influential Christian leaders in the Philippines, 30 of them are here,” said Federico Tancongco (better known as Fetan), national director for Walk Thru the Bible in the Philippines. The event reflected a distinct passion in the country for discipleship.

Much of the fruit from Crucible would be seen in the weeks

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and months to follow. Leaders who had been trained to teach the course were scheduled to lead events for Promise Keepers, staffers at Campus Crusade, and numerous churches. In all, events reaching about 14,000 people were already on the calendar at the time of the launch, and many more were in various stages of planning. This discipleship resource, like others, would spread throughout the country.

Sometimes the spread is more spontaneous and organic than a scheduled ministry event. Ellen Cortez, who works for a condominium development business in Manila, began a Bible study at work five years ago. It grew from 20 attendees to 75 at the main office, and she has begun other groups at the three branch offices. Within a month of the Crucible launch, Ellen had added it to the mix of other studies and Walk Thru the Bible resources she uses at work.

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The Bible studies have made a noticeable impact on the business. “One supervisor told me his staff is different now,” Ellen says. “A couple of members were good salespeople before, but now they are better—number one and two in the company. One of his people was known as a complainer, but recently she has been quieter. I told him it is God’s Word. It’s changing lives, and people notice.”

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he Philippines is a spiritually diverse country, but with a vibrant Christian majority.

Catholics and Protestants account for more than 90 percent of the population, and the evangelical movement has grown dramatically over the last few decades. But so have marginal splinter groups and cults. It might be easier to count the

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Below and next page: Spanish colonialism brought Catholicism to the Philippines in the 1500s and it’s still the country’s dominant religion.

country’s islands on a map than to track the doctrinal diversity among its churches.

That’s why discipleship is such a profound need in the Philippines—and why Walk Thru the Bible’s partners there are so diligently at work in assisting the efforts of local churches to teach and train. In 2013, they will hold at least 150 teaching events across the country, about double the amount from the previous year; and they have 20 training events to equip pastors and leaders, up from 14 in 2012.

These events—with topics ranging from marriage/family to leadership to “thru the Bible” overviews—are providing reliable biblical resources to churches and their members, as well as helping leaders to be more effective communicators and shepherds of their congregations. Christians are becoming more grounded in God’s Word and, more importantly, living its truths.

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resident Phil Tuttle, still recuperating from an appendectomy a month earlier, was about to fly to the Philippines five years ago to launch the Raise Up a Child course in that region. A huge teaching and training event had been planned, and big numbers were expected. The night before the trip, he had to be rehospitalized for an infection related to his recent surgery. He had to cancel.

But the event went on as planned. Phil had sent DVDs ahead so the regional office leaders could prepare for the training. Pastor Gil Balignasay, country training director, had studied them.

So at the last minute, Gil stepped in and effectively led the training himself as though he had known the material for years, demonstrating a core Walk Thru the Bible value: Resources must be transferable and not dependent on the gifts of one communicator.

And it worked. His presentation provided ample momentum for the course to succeed and spread.

IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO COUNT THE COUNTRY’S ISLANDS ON A MAP THAN TO TRACK THE DOCTRINAL DIVERSITY AMONG ITS CHURCHES.

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That’s one of the strengths of the Filipino affiliates of Walk Thru the Bible; they are highly effective communicators. Another is that they have developed strategic partnerships and bridged denominations in reaching this spiritually diverse culture. Several years ago they began a citywide campaign—Bless the City events—in several cities across the nation. They cultivated unity and offered themselves as servants to pastors to help reach and teach people. They don’t bypass the pastor’s authority or denomination structure. They simply ask, “How can we help you?”

The effectiveness of this approach has become clear over the years, particularly when a major denomination invited the Walk Thru the Bible staff to “train all our pastors.” They have been embraced by multiple denominations and parachurch ministries. The resulting network has given them significant influence and impact across the country.

Walk Thru the Bible has had three national directors in the Philippines since work began there in the mid-1990s: Philip Tarroja, a gifted pastor, teacher, and trainer; Mark Sosmena, a publisher

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who now leads the Global Diaspora Network, a movement that mobilizes Christians scattered around the world for missions; and now Fetan, one of the leading banking attorneys in the country. He has a diverse background in criminal law, constitutional law, legislative advocacy, and more, as well as board service in the automotive and real estate industries and nonprofits. Each of these leaders has brought unique gifts to the organization, and each is still connected with the ministry.

Both the organizational history and the ministry strategy of Walk Thru the Bible–Philippines has resulted in a well-positioned, broadly influential, and highly active support service for the country’s churches. In a spiritually receptive culture—open to both Christian teaching as well as many others—it’s playing an essential role.

Story—the ministry’s new comprehensive campaign for churches to help them engage in daily Bible reading and prayer for six weeks and longer. In each church, the initiative kicks off with a Walk Thru the Old Testament event and then involves every ministry of the church— small groups, Sunday school classes, worship services—to cultivate passion for God’s Word throughout the congregation. The pilot phase focuses on churches in and around Manila. Next year, it will expand to other regions.

This takes discipleship beyond events and training resources. The vision is for a discipleship movement that will grow exponentially over the coming years. Is that possible? Of course— we’ve seen examples in Acts and Paul’s letters.

But will it happen in the Philippines? It very well could. As the team there crosses denominations, serves local churches, and builds partnerships, it’s very reasonable to hope for something huge.

Especially when prayer, passion, and persistence are already part of the process. .

THEY SIMPLY ASK, “HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?”

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s with Walk Thru the Bible in the U.S., the Philippines leaders are implementing a pilot project for God’s Grand

HOW TO PRAY FOR WALK THRU THE BIBLE– PHILIPPINES Our partners in Manila ask for prayer for: • The God’s Grand Story pilot project from June through October.

• Unity among churches in proclaiming the gospel and reaching unreached people groups, especially Muslims in the southern region. Pray for churches to see their strategic roles in helping fulfill the Great Commission.

• That Walk Thru the Bible–Philippines may forge stronger partnerships with denominations in providing quality materials and training among their member churches.

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Country Profile

Philippines est in the world)

Population: 105 million (12th larg

ino 98%, Chinese 1.7%

Ethnicity: Malay-Indonesian Filip

alog) and English

Language: Filipino (based on Tag

ic Political system: Federal Republ ntry in the world, a little larger than

Geography: the 73rd largest cou Arizona Religion: Roman Catholic 77%,

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Protestant 14%, Muslim 6%

China

Luzon

Philippines Cambodia

Vietnam

Visayas

Mindanao

Malaysia

Indonesia

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he Republic of the Philippines is a group of about 7,100 Pacific islands in Southeast Asia. (There are 7,107 at low tide, some Filipinos point out, and only about 25 percent are inhabited). The islands are grouped in three distinct regions: the northern region of Luzon, where the capital city of Manila is; the central region of Visayas; and the southern region of Mindanao, which is home to a significant Muslim population. The country was a colony of Spain for more than 300 years and was ruled by the U.S. from 1898 until independence in 1946. It is a democratic country with religious freedom—historically strongly Catholic but with growing Protestant churches and a strong Muslim minority in the south.

Prayer needs: The numerous branches and denominations in the Christian landscape create both positive and negative potential. On the positive side, many churches are growing and impacting the culture.

But with such diversity within the larger body of believers, disunity is an ever-present possibility. Even so, many churches have come together and developed cooperative networks in ministry. Pray for this type of unity to continue and increase. In addition: • On the social and political front, pray for effective government, an end to corruption, efficient use of natural resources, and peace in the south where Muslim factions seek Islamic government; • Pray for the discernment of Filipino Christians to embrace whatever the Spirit is doing in the country while rejecting the many false teachings that are appearing in cults and splinter groups; • Ask God for effective discipleship of new believers and development of leaders—and specifically for opportunities for Walk Thru the Bible to contribute significantly to both. .

Sources: U.S. Department of State (www.state.gov), CIA World Factbook (www.cia.gov), and Operation World by Jason Mandryk, 7th edition, ©2010.

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The

Bible that Worked

One Couple’s Mission to Spread the Word

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t took Brad Miller at least six months to get his wife to read the Daily Walk Bible. Finally she picked it up and started reading—and hasn’t stopped since. That was 10 years ago, and Brad laughs now about the results. “I only got one more person to read the Bible. She got about a thousand more at our church to read it.”

Brad and his wife, Sheri Carmon Miller, became vocal advocates of daily Bible reading because of how it changed their lives. “We feel very strongly about it because neither of us were Bible

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readers,” says Sheri. “Believers, but not Bible readers. And that’s difficult because you’re not feeding yourself spiritually if you’re not reading the Bible.”

The format of the Daily Walk Bible clicked with both of them. “It moved the Bible from black and white to Technicolor for me,” Sheri says. They appreciate the daily overviews that keep the reader oriented to what is going on, and they love how the notes tie the Old and New Testaments together and help the reader make connections between them.

So eventually the couple approached their

pastor about reading through the Bible as a congregation. Sheri and her daughter gathered up all the Bibles in the house—various translations, red and black letters, children’s Bibles, women’s Bibles, devotional Bibles, and more—and counted more than 40. They took them to their Colorado church and put them on the pastor’s desk. “This is how hard we’ve tried,” Sheri told him. Then she pulled out a Daily Walk Bible. “And this is the format I’ve finally been able to read.”

The church spent the next year reading through the Bible as a congregation. Members would see each other in town and ask, “Did you do your reading today?” They even turned it into a playful contest in which each participant had to take a picture with the Bible wherever they went.

One member went mountain climbing and had someone snap a picture of him at the top holding the cover of the Bible—just to say he hadn’t missed a day.

But the experience went deeper than simply having fun as a congregation. The Millers noticed a heightened enthusiasm for Scripture; an increased level of accountability, as members encouraged and spurred each other to keep going; and a rising level of commitment to evangelism and missions. Toward the end of the year of Bible-reading, the church was taking up a collection to fund the printing of a Bible for a tribe in Africa so the people could have a translation in their own language. Most people expected the donations to equal previous offerings for special projects, but people with a

renewed passion for the Word dug deep into their pockets. The church exceeded their usual giving by thousands of dollars, enough not only to provide that tribe with Bibles but also to distribute Bibles in another nearby country.

As the challenge gathered momentum, so did the Millers. They decided that if this process had changed their lives and energized their congregation, they would spread the joy. “We took it upon ourselves with some friends to put together some materials and really try to encourage other congregations to read through the Bible,” says Brad. They developed slide presentations and a package of materials with testimonials, posters, a Daily Walk Bible, and more, and began contacting churches in the area and making presentations.

When Sheri told their story to a friend with whom she had reconnected after 20 years, the friend’s church took up the challenge and went through the Bible two years in a row. A church in Nebraska walked through the Bible together, and several more in neighboring towns then caught the vision too. Through a connection with friends, a church in eastern South Dakota invited the Millers to come and give a presentation, so the Millers drove all the way and found that the church had gone all out to prepare a busy weekend of events to celebrate and start things off.

God has continued to open doors, and the Millers take advantage of as many of them as they can. They compare daily Bible reading to the meals you eat (“one big meal on Sunday isn’t enough for the entire week”), and to the breaths you take (“you can’t choose not to breathe one day because you don’t have time”). They invest their time and resources into helping individual Christians and congregations read through the Bible.

And their vision is big. “It has meant so much to me personally,” says Sheri, “that my desire is that the whole world becomes Bible readers.” .

“IT MOVED THE BIBLE FROM BLACK AND WHITE TO TECHNICOLOR FOR ME.”

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Remembering “Prof” A Tribute to a Board Member, Mentor, and Friend

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by Phil Tuttle

f it wasn’t for Dr. Howard Hendricks, there’s no That all changed my junior year at Wheaton way I’d be doing what I’m doing today. That’s College when a friend handed me three cassette true because the ministry I lead would probably tapes (yes, I’m that old) of some guy named Howhave never been birthed without his influence on ard Hendricks. I listened to those tapes over and our founder, Bruce Wilkinson. Add Dr. Hendricks’ over. I even shared them with this amazing girl impact on our second president, Chip Ingram, and named Ellen who was way out of my league as a the case is conclusive that you wouldn’t be reading potential girlfriend but was quickly becoming the this nonexistent story in this nonexistent magazine best friend I had ever had. from this nonexistent ministry. And speaking for This Hendricks guy was hilarious. His myself, I would never have chosen to invest my life humor wasn’t mean and sarcastic like mine. He in ministry if “Prof” Hendricks hadn’t interrupted gave us permission to laugh at him, and in the my carefully crafted life plan. process, he subtly broke down I grew up in a church our defenses and planted where many of my friends God’s truth in our hearts. I during high school believed knew I would never be good God was leading them into at the battering-ram style ministry. Lots of adults told of teaching that beats down me I had leadership and compeople’s walls until they wave munication gifts that made the white flag. But I saw great me a great candidate for “the potential in this Trojan Horse call,” but despite their prayers style where people I never sensed God’s leading. enthusiastically welcome I’m still not sure if God never God’s truth into their called or I just refused to lives because the speaker answer the phone. is authentic, transparent, Nearly all the pastors and just plain funny.

Howard Hendricks created Walk Thru the I knew were negative and If I could just learn Bible’s 7 Laws of the spent a lot of time yelling to communicate like that, Teacher curriculum. about what they were against. then I would have an outlet I’ve always been wired much more positively, for the passion to communicate God’s Word that loved life, and cherished the bizarre sense of had been growing in my heart for the past couple humor I inherited from my father and both his par- years. Add to that my boredom with the preents. I knew if I ever became a pastor I would have med courses I was taking—and the fact that the to have a humor lobotomy at some point early in aforementioned gorgeous brunette with the hazel my seminary training, and that was definitely not eyes and the killer southern accent told me she something on my adolescent bucket list. had always known she would marry someone in

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ministry—and God’s plan for my life began to look a whole lot more exciting.

So when I found out Howard Hendricks taught at Dallas Seminary, that’s where I decided to spend the next four years after college. I took every class he taught and was privileged to develop a close friendship with him. We didn’t call it mentoring back then, but that’s exactly what he did.

Prof was the one who kindled my love for the Bible and taught me how to hear God’s voice from its pages—even though he made us find 25 new observations from Acts 1:8 three days in a row!

Prof was the one who invited us to study through the Gospel of Mark at 6:30 every Tuesday morning so we could discover how Jesus built into the lives of His team. Prof’s wife Jeanne took our wives (yes, my plan eventually worked) through a parallel process in their home in the evenings.

Prof was the one who forced me to stand up and teach God’s Word in public for the first time.

After a nervous, trembling performance, he lied through his teeth and said, “That was fantastic!”

Then he spoke truth, “I’m an introvert too, and God keeps choosing us because we’re the only ones who never forget how much we need His help.”

Prof was the one who called me in and demanded to know why I was coasting. When I told him I had a solid B+ or maybe even an A- in his class, he retorted, “Grades are meaningless for the gifted.” And went on to say, “God put a V-8 engine in your head, and you’re running on four cylinders. It’s breaking God’s heart and making me

puke!” That was a fun conversation.

Prof was the one who took me on several ministry trips and answered my unending questions as I drove his car to and from places like Pine Cove Conference Center.

Prof was the one who gave me some of the best advice I ever received when he grabbed my graduation robe, pulled me close, and said, “Don’t let Christians rob you of your joy in Christ.”

Prof was the one who stayed in touch when Ellen and I moved to a town of 850 in Illinois to pastor our first church. And he’s the one who convinced me to become a Walk Thru the Bible instructor 25 years ago this summer.

Prof was the one who urged me to join the staff of Walk Thru the Bible as dean of faculty in 1992. And he’s the one who talked me out of quitting on multiple occasions when our ministry struggled for one reason or another.

Prof was the one who ignored severe health challenges and flew to Florida in 2007 to preach at my installation as president of this ministry we both love so much (see photo).

And even though he has left us and is now enjoying his Savior face to face, Prof is the one who reminds me every day that the miracle of multiplication still works, and every one of us needs a Paul to mentor us, a Timothy to pour into, and a Barnabas to encourage us.

Without Prof, there’s no way I’d be doing what I’m doing today. But because of Prof, there’s no way I could choose to do anything else. .

Dr. Hendricks, pictured with board chair John Isch and Phil and Ellen Tuttle, speaks at Phil’s installation as president in 2007.

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Into the Word w e e k l y

d e v o t i o n a l s

o n

LEAVING A LASTING LEGACY W

alk Thru the Bible exists to ignite passion for God’s Word wherever we go and to provide the opportunities and resources for eternal truth to work its way into people’s hearts. One of the best ways for the truth of scripture to sink in is to meditate on it daily. The following devotionals, adapted from indeed magazine, are a valuable tool to aid that process.

One devotional is provided for each of the next 13 weeks.

You can read the weekly reading any day during your week, but you may also want to revisit it every day of the week to make it a regular part of your time with God. If so, many have found this approach helpful: On Monday, read the devotional. Become generally familiar with the Bible verse, its original context, and the insights in the devotional reading. On Tuesday, look upward. How does this verse or passage apply to your relationship with God? What does it teach you about His will and His heart? What aspect of His character is He inviting you to experience and enjoy? On Wednesday, look inward. How does this truth apply to your heart

WEEK 1 July 1-7

Isaiah 66:15-24

ENDURING CHOICES “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.” (Isaiah 66:22) IN WORD We know what will last. The prophecy of Isaiah—and of many others—makes it clear. The Kingdom of God, permanently anchored in eternity and brilliantly lit by His radiance, will never fade away. Anyone who wants to leave a legacy in this world must know that.

Anyone who leaves a legacy not based

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and your own spiritual growth? What does it teach you about yourself, your needs, or your goals in life? In what aspects of your personal life is God inviting you to grow and mature? On Thursday, look around. How does this truth apply to your relationship with others? What does it teach you about how to relate to them? What is God inviting you to do differently in your relationships? On Friday, look outward. How does this verse or passage apply to your ministry and mission in life—to your role in God’s kingdom, in society, and in the world? What does it teach you about God’s purposes? What part of His mission is He inviting you to participate in? On Saturday, look forward. How does this verse or passage apply to your future, both in this age and in eternity? What does it teach you about God’s plan for your life, now and forever? What aspect of eternity is God inviting you to participate in?

This approach can help you look at God’s Word from every angle and incorporate its implications into your life.

As you saturate yourself in scripture, God will shape your heart to align with His own.

on that truth is passing down a worthless inheritance.

Imagine being in a position to make only one large investment but having two options. The first option is to invest in real estate on a small, sandy island that changes shape every few years from the effects of the wind and the waves. The other is to invest in a massive tract of fruitful land in a fertile valley.

Which would yield real dividends?

Which would you choose?

That’s the choice Scripture sets before us. Nothing will be able to endure the fire and the whirlwind God sends on this earth at the end of the age. Nothing, that is, except the plans and purposes His Spirit breathes into His people. The new heavens and new earth, created incorruptible, will have no unworthy elements left after the refining process. It will be pure and permanent, and no fire can

destroy or reshape it. This new earth will bear luscious, life-giving fruit for eternity.

And the old one will melt in the searing heat of judgment. When you think today about where to invest your time, energy, and resources—both material and spiritual—you will have to make choices between the transient and the eternal.

And if you have any sanity at all, you will choose to leave a legacy that lasts.

IN DEED As you give thanks, let your heart be filled and overflowing with thoughts of the Kingdom that lasts.

Anchor your soul in eternity, and let the investments brokered by your choices flow from the treasury of God’s Kingdom. Make sure you leave a legacy that endures.

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

Mark 8:31-38

John 6:26-27

John 6:26-27

July 8-14

CONSIDER YOUR INVESTMENTS “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36) IN WORD If someone has a sum of money to invest, he or she will have to make some choices. The money can be put in full into one investment, or it can be divided among more than one. Many people choose this latter option in order to hedge their bets.

But when one option is considered far superior to all the others, diversification takes a backseat to opportunism. Attractive investment opportunities draw all of our attention and all of our money for the possibilities they entail. We want to capitalize.

In the economy of God, one investment is clearly superior to all others. It’s a sure thing. And Jesus calls us to place all of our resources, time, and talents there— exclusively. Why? Because He knows the return it will yield, and He knows we will not be disappointed. But there is often a part of us that wants to diversify. We want to invest some in God’s kingdom, certainly, but also some in this world. We’re afraid to put our resources only in one place.

Whether we put a lot or a little into the temporal, Jesus says, it’s a bad deal. The world will end in bankruptcy, and the kingdom of God will inherit all wealth.

And its wealth will be everlasting.

IN DEED Human beings pursue comfort and pleasure with an alarming passion. It isn’t that comfort and pleasure are wrong; God created both for us to enjoy. But He never called us to pursue them. He never asked us to focus our attention on our earthly life span in order to make it as easy or profitable as possible. To the contrary, He constantly calls His disciples to take everything they have now and invest it in everything they know about God’s eternal kingdom. “Whoever wants to save his life [i.e., live for the “now”] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel [i.e., lives for the kingdom] will save it” (v. 35). Consider your investments well, and avoid the pursuits of this world. Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.

July 15-21

July 22-28

FOOD THAT ENDURES

ETERNAL FOOD

“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life.” (John 6:27)

“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” (John 6:27)

IN WORD One of the saddest moments in a person’s life may be in facing later years and knowing deep inside that his or her life has been invested in passing things.

Facing eternity, what will last? What has been invested in the real world, the kingdom of God? We work hard, spend much money and time, and agonize over decisions that may only help us for a few decades, at best.

And while we may have legitimate responsibilities in this life that keep us occupied, we too easily become absorbed in the here and now. All the while, we squander opportunities to invest in eternal treasures.

Other than God Himself, only two things are mentioned in Scripture as lasting forever: the Word of God and the souls of human beings. These two areas are where Jesus calls us to involve ourselves. No genuine investment in them will spoil; they are the “food that endures.”

IN DEED Once every few weeks, Christians should take inventory of their lives.

How do we spend our time? How do we spend our money? Where is our energy going? What do we think about when we lie down at night and when we wake up in the morning? When we face our later years, what will we see that is lasting?

When the world itself passes away, what of our work will remain? Answering these questions regularly will keep our lives on track and give us focus. They will direct us well.

Jesus gives us very clear instructions in approaching these questions. “Do not work for food that spoils,” He tells us. Our lives should be entirely eternity-focused.

We were created to bear fruit that lasts (John 15:16). When we invest ourselves in anything else, we are falling short of our purpose, missing the abiding joy of kingdom fruitfulness. Work for food that endures.

IN WORD We are grateful for times of abundance—when the table is set with a feast, when we are finally able to make a long-awaited purchase, when we are given extravagant gifts. Sometimes we are so overcome by pleasant surprises that we spontaneously thank God for providing them.

We should always be so grateful.

But we should also realize the greater blessing. Knowing God Himself is an infinitely worthwhile treasure. Men and women throughout history have sought to fill their aching hearts with something lasting and truly satisfying—some have found it in the favor of God in Christ, but many have not found it at all. One of the saddest scenes in all humanity is the person who has tried to fill his internal void with all sorts of false pleasures—riches, relationships, beauty, power, and prestige. These things can give pleasure, but they cannot satisfy, and in the end they are gone. None of them lasts forever.

The food that Jesus provides lasts forever. Though scorned by many, it is of infinite worth. It is unimpressive to the material mind, but in the end it will be seen by all for what it is—priceless beauty and awesome privilege. Everyone—believer and unbeliever—will gaze at the gift of salvation and say, “That’s what my heart really desired all along.”

IN DEED The best feasts satisfy for a day, at most—or a week, if leftovers are included—but they don’t endure. It’s the gratitude that lasts, not the material gifts.

And it’s the eternal gift that prompts eternal gratitude. If we really saw the value of each—food that spoils and food that endures—we’d never get the two confused.

Remind yourself of this daily to really see the difference.

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WEEK 5

WEEK 6

WEEK 7

1 Peter 2:9-10

Luke 12:13-21

Proverbs 4:1-9

July 29–August 4

August 5-11

August 12-18

CHOSEN FOR A REASON

RICH TOWARD GOD

SUPREME WISDOM

You are a chosen people . . . that you may declare the praises of him who called you.

(1 Peter 2:9)

I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” (Luke 12:19)

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.

Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

(Proverbs 4:7)

IN WORD This is a remarkably encouraging passage of Scripture. It tells us of our chosenness, our royal role in this world, and our inheritance as children of the most high God. We read verses like this and are amazed at the high and holy nature of our calling. We realize that mercy has been lavished upon us and we’re in a privileged place. We are the ultimate rags-to-riches story.

But the amazing story doesn’t end there. God hasn’t just saved us and then written “the end.” There’s more to the plot than that. We are chosen so that we might declare His praises. As verse 9 continues, we have been transferred from a kingdom of darkness to a kingdom of light. We were blind, but now we see. We were hidden and then revealed. We were lost in a dark, murky wilderness, then plucked out of it and placed on streets of gold glimmering under the perpetual radiance of the Son. And according to this verse, there’s a more ultimate purpose to our salvation than ourselves. We are bestowed with the honor of chosenness with the specific purpose of declaring His praises.

If you’ve never seen your worship as the ultimate purpose of your salvation, you’re missing the best part of salvation.

The place of glad worship is the place of greatest blessing, of richest fellowship, and of true fulfillment. Salvation isn’t complete until we praise Him for His mercy—daily, passionately, honestly. We were bought with a price for a reason.

IN WORD When we sit in God’s presence and seek His mind, His Spirit will convince us of the treasure we have in His name.

Ephesians 1, one of the great chapters on what it means to be “in Christ,” tells us that we have “every spiritual blessing in Christ” (v. 3)—redemption, forgiveness, knowledge, hope, the Holy Spirit, security, and an incorruptible inheritance. God has lavished such imperishable gifts on us. They cannot be taken away, they are immediately accessible, and they could not possibly be any greater. We are indeed highly favored.

Yet the problem from our present perspective is this: We don’t know how to access these precious gifts. We see our physical needs as much more urgent and our heavenly riches as much more distant. We’re happy about the salvation we’ve been given, but it won’t help us take that much-needed vacation today. We’re excited about the prospect of heaven, but it won’t pay the mortgage this month. We’re thrilled to be seated with Jesus by God’s throne, but that doesn’t secure the position we need to advance our career. Or does it?

It all depends on how we see our mortgages and careers. Are they tools for godly living? Or are they a means to secure our heaven now? Do we leverage the goods of this world for eternal purposes?

Or do we spend them on our momentary satisfaction? Where are we really investing? Does our full portfolio major on spiritual realities? Have we learned that current investments can have everlasting returns?

If so, our income and expenses are really very spiritual. They build God’s Kingdom.

IN WORD Wisdom is a rare commodity in our world. We have plenty of smart people—geniuses, in fact—but few who are wise. And our culture hardly knows the difference. We value status, fame, wealth, a good reputation, companionship, and achievement—not all bad in themselves.

But none of them satisfy unless handled with wisdom. We should seek true understanding first and foremost, or all of the rest become mere idols.

Wisdom is a right understanding of the world and our role in it. It knows who God is, it knows who we are, and it sees the relative importance of all things. It is a correct ordering of priorities, majoring on truth and character before superficial pleasures. It is the only way, in the long run, to be truly satisfied.

History is littered with kings and celebrities who seemingly had it all. But in the end they had nothing. They did not know God and built their lives on superficialities. Abundant are the stories of people on their deathbeds, wishing they could do it all over again. They are often envied by everyone but themselves, because they know the emptiness and lies of worldly fulfillment. They learn that everything they thought would satisfy eventually did not.

IN DEED Many believers get caught up in getting the most out of their salvation. Few move on to giving the most out of their salvation. But those who do will realize one of the many paradoxes of the kingdom: Giving it all results in getting it all. A heart poured out in praise results in a heart filled with purpose. The way of sacrifice leads to great gain. Losing your life in worship ends with fulfilling your life in God. And that’s exactly the reason for which you were redeemed.

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IN DEED Materialism is deceptive. We are encouraged at every turn to live the high life, go for the gusto, grab life by the horns, and hang on to what we’ve got. We are obsessive about our upward mobility. Our problem is that we’ve forgotten how to define “upward.”

Know your citizenship in heaven and invest in it. Take care of your physical needs and the needs of others, and then live in the Kingdom of God. It will forever pay dividends.

IN DEED Are you satisfied with life? Do you think that the next achievement, the next salary range, the next job, the next relationship, the next “whatever” will finally make you content? Stop where you are and seek wisdom above all else. Make it your overarching priority to learn who God is, what He is like, how He relates to us, and what He is doing in this world.

Then invest your entire life in what you’ve learned. Even if it costs you all you have, it is well worth it. Only a life based on this kind of understanding will satisfy. Only godly wisdom can make everything else meaningful.

WEEK 8

WEEK 9

WEEK 10

1 Corinthians 15:32

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Matthew 16:24-27

August 19-25

August 26-September 1

September 2-8

SEIZE THE KINGDOM

GOD OF ALL SEASONS

LIVING MARTYRS

If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (1 Corinthians 15:32)

A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak. (Ecclesiastes 3:7)

IN WORD The carpe diem philosophy— “seize the day”—is as old as humanity. It is written of in Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, and a parable of Jesus, but its practitioners have an older history than that. They assume that human life is short and that our capacity for enjoyment is limited to our physical life span. Pleasure is a god in itself—a god with a very short reign.

This may be the prevailing Western philosophy of our day. We hear it whenever someone remarks, “Well, as long as he’s happy and not hurting anyone, what does it matter what he does?” We see it in our arts and entertainment. And, like it or not, we in the faith often act as if it’s our philosophy too. Ours is not a culture that often denies short-term pleasure for longterm gain. The question for us is how much of our culture we’ll absorb.

Paul’s indictment against this philosophy, whether it’s full-fledged hedonism or simple shortsightedness, is based on the Resurrection. Because we now know that life is eternal, seizing the day for immediate gain is folly. It exchanges eternal blessings for temporal satisfaction. It forfeits the truly meaningful for the truly mundane. It’s like trading away a Rembrandt for a drawing in the sand, or forsaking life in a mansion for a weekend trip. It’s dumb.

IN WORD If we really want to understand how this passage is to play out in our lives, we need only to look to Jesus. We could make a case that every time under heaven was fulfilled appropriately by Him. A time to be born? Yes, in the fullness of time, in fact. A time to die? Yes, at God’s appointed moment. A time to kill or to tear down? Yes, an evil climate of false beliefs had to be assaulted. A time to heal or to build? Yes, and He is still healing and building today. Moreover, He scattered and gathered, embraced and refrained, tore and mended, was both silent and outspoken.

He loved people and hated sin—He still does both. He declared war on the kingdoms of this world and proclaimed eternal peace, the “shalom” of God. Jesus did not make His seasons either/or propositions.

He understood God’s timing better than any other.

We need to be similarly discerning about God’s timing. We need to know the circumstances that call for war against evil and those that call for peace instead of conflict. We need to understand when to violently plow unbroken soil and when to gently plant seeds. We need to remember how God confronted us with our own sinfulness and yet patiently led us to repentance. We need to consider the God who has a time for everything from bold opposition to humble encouragement. Most of all, we need to dispense with the idea that Jesus came to affirm everyone and take hold of the idea that He came to radically reorient people, cultures, and kingdoms.

And we must remember: The new creation will not coexist with the old one forever.

“Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”

(Matthew 16:25)

IN DEED As Christians, we must frequently take an inventory of our life. Are we living in light of eternity? Or are we offering up our most valuable resources for a momentary benefit? To know the difference, we must be sensitive to the motivations behind our actions. Are our morals based on eternal considerations? Why do we spend our money the way we do? Is it for today alone or for the kingdom of God? What about our time? Our energy? Our talents? Know yourself well, and rearrange your life, if you must. Seize the kingdom.

It lasts.

IN DEED By observing God’s own activity, we can know that there is, in fact, a time for everything. The God who stepped into His once-perfect, now-rebel world has a plan for uprooting and planting, killing and birthing, warring and making peace.

Blessed are those who understand what He is doing and get in on it.

IN WORD Most people in this world have an approach to life that is all about them. It isn’t necessarily selfish, it’s just self-oriented. Those without very much in terms of material wealth live in survival mode, just trying to get by for now. Those a little better off live in prosperity mode, just trying to get ahead for a while. In each case, we tend to look for “the next thing.”

The next job, the next paycheck, the next big event, the next relationship, the next purchase—we are on an endless track toward improving our lives.

What’s wrong with that? It isn’t how Jesus defines discipleship. No, Jesus calls His followers to “lose” their lives. Those who are wise will not focus on “the next thing,” they will focus on “the last thing”— God’s kingdom and the reign of His Son as Lord over all. Jesus isn’t speaking to His disciples about martyrdom in this passage.

He is speaking of lifestyle. Those who know about eternity will live for it. That has powerful implications.

We’d prefer to think that we can do both, living for now and eternity at the same time. But we can’t. Many of our decisions will compel us to choose one or the other. Yes, we can have a fancy sports car or a dream vacation and still go to heaven.

But we can’t have those things and still invest the cost of them toward something eternal. Likewise, we can waste time recklessly and still go to heaven. But we can’t waste time and invest that same time in an eternal work. We frequently make choices between the now and the eternal.

IN DEED Jesus never tells us to live spartan lives, as though we were ascetic monks isolated in a desert of self-denial. But He does tell us to be wise. We can enjoy His bounty, but we will be much happier if we realize what makes for a bountiful eternity.

How do we do that? We stop trying to “save” our lives and we lose them. Take your focus off “the next thing” and invest in “the first and last thing”—the Kingdom of God.

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WEEK 11

WEEK 12

WEEK 13

Psalm 90

Matthew 24:36-51

Hebrews 11:8-10

September 9-15

September 16-22

NUMBERED DAYS

END-TIME PRIORITIES

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. (Matthew 24:46)

IN WORD Against all evidence to the contrary, we grow up thinking we are invincible. There is something deep in the human soul—something placed there by the God who created us for eternity—that tells us life is endless. It is, but there is a substantial difference between the life we live now and the life we live in eternity.

They overlap, but in only one can we bear fruit for the other. What we do today can have everlasting consequences. We can invest in the treasures of the Kingdom of God. So many lives end in regret over this revelation. Many of us let our days pass by in survival mode or in entertainment mode, never balancing such concerns with the eternal fruits that matter more. We are to plant so that our God may reap and reward. And in order to sow effectively, we must sow with a clear awareness that the time to plant is extremely short. The window of opportunity for fruit bearing is narrow indeed.

James tells us our life is a vapor.

David agrees: “Each man’s life is but a breath” (Psalm 39:5). In the grand, eternal scheme of things, we are a small point on the timeline. By the time we learn what we need to know and are equipped to serve, we have but a moment left. But God has given us an awesome privilege. We can accomplish in that moment works of such significance that they will last forever. God can change people’s lives through us. He can shape our children and our spouses and our friends through us. He can feed the hungry, encourage the outcast, redeem the lost, heal the sick, cultivate worshipers, and build His kingdom through us. But only if we’re wise and have numbered our days.

IN DEED Paul tells us to redeem the time because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16). They are fleeting days, slipping by us before we’ve hardly noticed. We must number them. We must live with an eye on the limitations of time and the certainty of an end. Wisdom fills the hearts of those who can live with such perspective.

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IN WORD There is much speculation these days about whether we are nearing the end. Many people have an opinion, even a strong one. And while the Bible has given us many clues and tells us to live with a sense of expectation, let’s face it: We don’t know the day or the hour.

Jesus assured us of that. In fact, when it comes down to it, we really don’t know the century or even the millennium. We are to be watchful and wise, not cocksure and dogmatic. We have to confess a certain ignorance on the issue. Even Jesus did.

One thing we can know for certain, however, is that Jesus expected His followers to be ready. And as much as we look for His coming, many of us are clearly guilty of spending too much time trying to decipher biblical codes and headlines, and then gazing into the clouds for signs of His return. A little gazing is okay; Jesus urged our awareness of the signs. But He used stronger imperatives to urge something more: We are to be about His business!

Are you aware that as we stare upward, many millions of people—even billions—remain shrouded in darkness these two thousand years after the Cross, never having heard the gospel of grace, remaining under sin, and headed unforgiven into eternity? Are you aware that as we hold costly prophecy seminars, many emaciated children are waiting for someone to hand them a cup of cold water in His name? Wouldn’t we be a little embarrassed if Jesus returned right now?

IN DEED Jesus told us to expect His return, but expectation is folly if it does not lead to a dramatic sense of urgency and readiness.

There is work to be done! Jesus knows you love Him, but don’t show your love by standing in the doorway passively awaiting His arrival. His house must be put in order. The other servants must be fed. Your Master isn’t just dropping in to say hello.

He’s coming for an accounting. Are you ready?

September 23-29

THE CITY WITH FOUNDATIONS He was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:10) IN WORD Those who sit in God’s fellowship often, meditating on His mind and accepting His love, will begin to view time in terms of eternity rather than the brief life we live on this broken planet. Rather than trying to build heaven in our few decades here, we will be freed to make sacrifices now, knowing that an everlasting heaven awaits. We will make decisions not with present security and future retirement in mind, but with “forever” in full view. The Spirit of the eternal God will fill us with eternal thoughts.

What stands in the way of this perspective? Fear. We are often afraid that we will not have enough to take care of our families and ourselves if we live “all out” for God. We wonder if God will lead us to hard fields and violent crosses as He did our Savior and His disciples. We fear the consequences of a completely Godward life. And so we build houses for now and hope for the eternal mansion down the road.

God’s promises allow us to go ahead and consider the mansion down the road as ours. We don’t have to obsess about our security now when we are assured of an everlasting home that cannot be taken away. We can put up with a few years of sacrifice, toil, pain, and service with the calm confidence that our citizenship is elsewhere. We are free to serve God at whatever cost, because nothing can cost us our inheritance. We know where this life will lead us and that it will never end.

IN DEED Forsake fear. Every Christian has in the back of his or her mind, from time to time, a little voice that cautions against a completely sacrificial life. That’s not God’s voice! His mind, which He shares with us, will overcome such thoughts. His Spirit, if we trust Him, will assure us that His promises are certain and that this present abode is a place of joyful sacrifice. How do we receive such assurance? With an eternal perspective. We know what counts, and we can live with our gaze on the city with eternal foundations.

Step into the Story

Following the DREAMS of God An Excerpt from The Great Rescue Bible Walk Thru the Bible recently partnered with Zondervan to publish The Great Rescue Bible, a student/young adult Bible that includes devotionals taken from YW magazine and book introductions written by YW editor Laurin Makohon. Following are two excerpts—the intro to the book of Ephesians and one of the daily devotional readings: EPHESIANS

S

ometimes believers need reminders about what’s true and real. Knowing this, Paul wrote a letter to the Christians in the city of Ephesus that was likely intended to be read in other nearby churches also.

Ephesus was steeped in a culture of magic. The city was known for magic arts, incantations, and goddess worship. Tourists came to Ephesus to visit the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The sorcery and paganism in Ephesus were just a shadow of the realities of the spiritual realm—Jesus, His kingship, His kingdom, our royal position, and spiritual warfare. The culture rubbed off on the believers in Ephesus, and they needed a reminder about what was true in the world.

In his letter, Paul used the language of the Ephesian culture to communicate spiritual truths about God and His kingdom that are deep and mysterious—and true. He reminded the Ephesians that they had been given every spiritual blessing in Christ and had been adopted as God’s children. Paul explained that the Holy Spirit mysteriously lived in them, empowering them with the very power of God. He reminded the believers that Jesus was high above all of the powers of their culture, and that they were seated with Jesus in the heavenly realms. After a lengthy declaration of who God had called them to be, Paul challenged them to live out those realities because they were in the middle of a spiritual war against the forces of darkness and evil.

As a result of the fall, we became captives of the kingdom of darkness. As part of the Great Rescue, God has brought us into His kingdom of light, opened our eyes to the reality around us, armed us for battle, and asked us to fight with Him until He wins the victory completely. God has called us to be a part of the Great Rescue.

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Step into the Story

(Contd.)

UNLIMITED

S

ometimes we think our desires are too big and we need to rein them in. But a lot of times, God might actually be saying, “No, I want you to dream bigger.”

[READ] The amazing thing about being in a relationship with God is that as we hold our lives and dreams with open hands, He has free rein to do incredible things with them. While we have limited vision and imagination about how our lives can play out, God is in no way limited.

God, in His infiniteness, sees what’s coming in our lives. And because He has unlimited resources, He can make anything happen. As we walk with the Lord, giving Him permission to shape our dreams and trusting Him with them over time, He can blow the top off of our expectations. He “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).

failure unless He’s in them. The famous missionary Hudson Taylor said, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” Trust in God’s abilities. Since we’re finite and limited, we spend a lot of time sweating over details. But God knows how everything will turn out. How our desires will turn out is already known—God had us in mind before the creation of the world (see Ephesians 1:4). The desires that are churning in our hearts are not a surprise to Him, and He already knows what He’s going to do with them.

DON’T ABANDON WHAT GOD HAS PUT IN YOUR HEART.

[THINK] If God gives us a big desire, we don’t need to give in to fear. Sometimes we need to attempt things for God that are so great that they’re destined for

[LIVE]

Don’t abandon what God has put in your heart. If He has truly put something there, there’s a reason. Don’t give up. Don’t get discouraged.

Just keep walking with the Lord, doing the next right thing that comes in front of you and talking to Him about everything. Your future is secure. Your God is for you. He has big plans and a big ability to accomplish them. Live in that awareness and enjoy the amazing journey of being in a relationship with an infinitely awesome, infinitely powerful God.

[NXT LVL] Memorize Ehesians 3:20-21. .

EPHESIANS 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

—Ephesians 3:20-21, niv

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Excerpted from The Great Rescue Bible, © 2012 by Walk Thru the Bible. Ephesians intro from p. 1444; “Unlimited” devotional from p. 1252. For more information, go to www.walkthu.org/greatrescue.

Leader Profile

A Heart for Families GRACE AWORI, NATIONAL DIRECTOR FOR UGANDA

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hen Grace Awori talks about spiritual issues in Uganda, you can’t help but notice how different they seem from the issues most American Christians face. There are some similarities too, like meeting the needs of a generation hungry for true fatherhood, or dealing with prosperity preachers who are concerned mainly with their own prosperity. But most of us have not had to confront witchcraft as directly as East Africans have, nor have we had to combat the spread and consequences of HIV as intensely.

These are enormous challenges for African Christians to address.

But at the core of these challenges, as Grace describes them, there is one common theme: discipleship. No matter what continent you live on, following Jesus resolves a lot of issues.

That’s why Grace, national director for Uganda, does what she does. She has taught at the seminary of one of our partner organizations, International Christian Ministries, and, with her husband, runs a school for orphans. In her work with Walk Thru the Bible, she helps pastors and leaders minister more effectively in their churches.

The ultimate goal, whether she is working with

children or adults, is to see people in a long-term, life-changing relationship with God. “People are very open to the gospel,” Grace says. “Even if you are not completely theologically correct, they will just hear the Word and be touched. But discipleship? No. So that is what we are working on now. With Walk Thru the Bible, people are learning step by step. It takes a long time, but this is what is lacking in many churches.”

Grace’s biggest dreams for Africa involve the children, but she realizes that the problems of adults and children are interrelated. The entire family system needs ministry. “There are so many who have fathers but are not really being taken care of by their fathers. Many fathers are not there for their families. But there are also so many orphans in Uganda.”

Every family faces unique challenges, and sometimes addressing those challenges can seem overwhelming. Some pastors are reluctant to speak out because of fear of social backlash or spiritual attack, which Grace has intensely experienced. But the bottom line is bringing people into a transforming relationship with Jesus. “We want to see faithfulness, openness, and discipleship of people.” .

“PEOPLE ARE VERY OPEN TO THE GOSPEL . . . BUT DISCIPLESHIP? NO. SO THAT IS WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON.”

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Donor Profile

Zealous for Changed Lives WALLY AND LYNNETTE DAVID

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ally David envisions having a conversation in which God asks him, “How did you do with all the resources I gave

you?”

“I did really well, I think,” he answers.

“I gave a lot to ministries that were doing Your work.”

“And what did they do with it?” God asks.

And that’s where Wally has a different answer depending on which ministry he’s talking about. Some aren’t quite sure how to measure their effectiveness. But Wally is confident in giving an account about Walk Thru the Bible. He knows God would approve of the investment.

Wally and Lynnette David of Orlando, Fla., have a passion for discipleship. They believe evangelism is critically important, but they realize that most evangelistic ministries aren’t set up to stay in a community and develop people who have come to Christ. Their personal mission is to help people grow in applying God’s Word to their lives daily.

“We really believe Walk Thru the Bible is in a position to step in and provide local people with the next steps,” Lynnette says. “It meets a need that we don’t really see other ministries meeting.”

Years ago, when Lynnette heard that Walk Thru the Bible’s purpose is to “help people everywhere live God’s Word,” her response was

immediate. “Yes!” she thought, “that’s exactly where our heart is.” The couple has seen numerous people come into a relationship with God without then being discipled. There’s a decision for Christ but no long-term transformation, no changed life.

And that, they believe, is tragic.

Wally and Lynnette’s particular focus is North America; they are very involved in teaching biblical courses on marriage and parenting in their church. They have seen the importance of strong marriages and family relationships, as well as the ripple effects that hurting marriages have on the lives around them.

“Our passion is for our own country,” Wally says. “There are great opportunities in other parts of the world, but we see some of the greatest challenges at home as our culture moves away from the foundation of the Bible.”

So they continue to invest their time, their energy, and their finances into discipling people in the U.S. while also supporting Walk Thru the Bible’s work in North America and around the world. “The return on investment is really high,” says Wally with the conviction of a businessman who loves leveraging investments for greater returns. And Lynnette agrees: “We’re confident that whatever we give to Walk Thru the Bible is going to be well used.” .

“IT MEETS A NEED THAT WE DON’T REALLY SEE OTHER MINISTRIES MEETING.”

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The Last Word

L

ast September I went to my 35th high school reunion. It was a great time reliving memories, catching up with old friends, looking at pictures of grandbabies . . . and even a few great-grandbabies too.

We voted on “superlatives,” just like we did when I was in school. Well, almost just like it. My senior year the superlatives were the typical “best looking,” “most athletic,” and “most likely to succeed.” I didn’t get nominated for any of those. At the reunion, we voted on things like “most changed,” “least changed,” and “person with the most hair.” I’m happy to report I won the last one.

The first reunion for my class was our 10th. Most of us hadn’t seen each other since graduation, and a lot can happen in 10 years.

People go to college, join the military, get married, get divorced, change jobs, start a family. By our 10th year, we had already lost five of our classmates: a motorcycle wreck, a car accident, an industrial catastro-

phe, cancer, and a murder.

One of the most distinctive memories from that reunion was a conversation I had with a good friend in high school. As we were catching up on the last 10 years, he asked, “John, what are you doing now?”

“I’m a preacher.”

I still remember what he said and how he said it: “Well . . . I guess it takes all kinds.” I hadn’t exactly been a model citizen in high school or college. Hence my friend’s response.

Those experiences from two reunions 25 years apart caused me to think about “legacy.” How will I be remembered? For the first 25 years of my life, the legacy I was leaving was of little account.

But legacies aren’t set in stone, are they? They can change over the years.

In his upcoming teaching series on the life of Joseph, Phil Tuttle tells the story of Alfred Nobel. A French newspaper ran his obituary under the headline, Le marchand de la mort est mort—“the merchant of death is dead.” But Alfred wasn’t dead yet; it was his brother, and the newspaper made a mistake.

A pacifist, Alfred had invented dynamite and hoped it would prove useful in things like mining and building roads. Unfortunately, it also became a favorite tool of war. Shocked to see how he would be remembered, Alfred established his Nobel Prizes as way to redeem his reputation. Even late in his life, he was able to change his legacy.

God’s Word is full of stories of changed legacies. Jacob went from a liar and a cheat to a follower of God. When we first read about Paul in Scripture, he was chasing down Christians, having them thrown in jail or condoning their execution. But then he became a missionary to the Gentiles. Eventually he would change his life enough to say, rather boldly, “Imitate me.”

Those stories from God’s Word encourage and challenge me. They make me want to read more.

They inspire me to follow the legacies of people of faith. But they also remind me that I can do more than follow a legacy. I can make one too.

John Houchens Senior VP for Advancement/International

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IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF PATHWAYS:

For many in Ukraine, Christianity is ancient tradition.

But for some, it’s a new adventure. And shaping the faith of this generation is a crucial effort.

Discover more about Walk Thru the Bible at

WWW.WALKTHRU.ORG