Jenna Lucado Bishop is serving God at an orphanage in Haiti. How are you serving God in your own community?

Know any people who think they’re too far gone for Jesus? Maybe they think their sins are too big or their lives too ugly. They think God couldn’t possibly save them. They think God’s probably mad or that he’s given up on them by now or that he’s too holy to want them around.

Well, this passage is for the hopeless. God delights in saving the unlovable and the lost and the ones who think they could never be saved. To think that God couldn’t save you because you’re too far gone is to say, “I’m bigger than God. I can do something so evil that he can’t forgive me. I have more power than God.” The truth is that everyone is hopelessly lost without him and every sin is repulsive to him. But Jesus died for everybody—no exceptions. Anyone who calls out to him will be saved.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we declare with our mouths that we believe, and so we are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.”That Scripture says “anyone” because there is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is the Lord of all and gives many blessings to all who trust in him, as the Scripture says, “Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13 NCV

Excerpted from Revolve: The Complete New Testament. © 2003 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Holy Bible, New Century Version. © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Do you use your speech to build people up or tear them down?

In Ephesians 4:29, Paul says to use “words that help others become stronger.” Words are so important—nothing kills attractiveness like rudeness. Not only does smart, helpful talk make the guys and girls around you feel better, but it puts you at ease, too. Encouragement is also refreshing—like a cool drink on a hot day.

So the next time you feel yourself losing it, take a time out, and ask God to give you the right words to say. Use your lips to lift up the listener!

When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you. Ephesians 4:29 NCV

Excerpted from Revolve™ 2009: The Complete New Testament. © 2008 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Holy Bible, New Century Version. © 2005 Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Hopefully you are finding some time to relax and enjoy a snowball here and there. In the meantime I thought I’d share a little bit about my summer and tackle one of the questions we get often.

THE QUESTION: “Why does God allow bad things to happen?”

You know, something light and easy.

It’s a tough question and let me say right here and right now, I’m not saying I can answer it, but I was hoping that through sharing a few encounters I’ve had this summer, maybe you’d find some encouragement.

STORY #1

I went to Zambia in June with Hoops of Hope to deliver some backpacks that many of you helped us raise money for by shooting hoops. (Thank you so much btw!!!)

One of the moments that impacted me was meeting a volunteer caregiver named Pavis and her baby girl Joy.

Pavis volunteers her time once a week to visit Monica, who is HIV positive, and provide her care. It is such a long walk for Monica to get to the clinic. It’s a very long walk for Pavis, as well.

Pavis is a mom and a farmer. It’s not like she can hop in her car and run a few quick errands. And it’s not like Pavis has a ton of resources herself. But once a week she straps baby Joy onto her back and heads to Monica’s village to love her.

I asked her why she volunteered so much of her time each week to care for Monica.

She told me, “I lost both of my parents to HIV. This is just my way of giving back.”

Oh.

So let me get this straight.

That’s a really bad thing that happened to you. Losing both of your parents.

And you are choosing to love others and serve out of this tragedy that happened to you.

Hmm . . .

(More stories coming soon!)

Speaker. Musician. Actress.

Multi-talented performer sings, writes, plays drums & guitar, acts . . .

About Jamie-Grace

At age 11 she was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. During the tough times (and drastic life changes) that followed, Jamie-Grace learned to be resilient and confident in who God created her to be.

Jamie-Grace Says . . .

“I don’t really like roller coasters―so not my thing. However, sometimes life has a way of feeling like a roller coaster with its ups and downs. But I’ve decided that whether I’m going up or down…I’m so staying on this ride.”

The truth is this: Dating is actually pretty easy. Ask any married couple if it gets more complicated or less complicated when you go from dating to marriage. I promise you they will laugh and then answer you quickly. People shouldn’t be walking away from marriages, but dating is not marriage. Dating is supposed to be the time when you get to know someone and you just enjoy them. And if you really match up with each other you should be able to step back and say “This is a positive experience. It makes me more kind, loving, diverse, happy, closer to God, balanced, and generally a healthier person who is growing in life.” If this is not your experience, perhaps you shouldn’t be in that relationship.

Relationships are not designed so that you have to manage heart break. That is not what God wants for you. He wants us to thrive in them, not just deal with them. And when you think about dating keep this simple thought in mind. Dating should be positive. If it’s not then rethink how you are doing it or who you are doing it with.

— Chad Eastham (Guys are Waffles, Girls are Spaghetti)

Excerpted from Guys are Waffles, Girls are Spaghetti by Chad Eastham. Copyright © 2008 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Published in Nashville, TN, by Thomas Nelson. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

This is when you ask God to be your partner. When the situation is way too big to handle yourself, and you can’t see a way out, it’s definitely a two-man (okay, a God-and-woman) job. It’s human nature to try to handle it yourself, but some situations are impossible without supernatural help. God will intervene in human business as far as someone invites him to, so start asking.

So when you feel like you’re dangling over the relationship cliff and you’ve made yourself hoarse from screaming in frustration, the story isn’t over yet. Tell God where you hurt. He knows the hurt that this person caused you. Ask him what to do about this painful relationship. He will help you make progress or move on.

Excerpted from Revolve™ 2009, The Complete New Testament. Copyright © 2008 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Published in Nashville, TN, by Thomas Nelson. Used with permission. All rights reserved.