๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐’๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ, ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ’๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ณ๐๐น๐ป๐ฒ๐๐!
Whether you live here in the U.S. or on the other side of the world, God’s grace is sufficient for you and those in your care this week, no matter what. Psalm 119 promises, “Your word, Lord, is eternal. It stands firm in the heavens, and your faithfulness endures through all generations.” Also, Hebrews 10:23 reminds us to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. For He who promised is faithful.” We serve a compassionate God who has proven faithful to millions throughout history and around the world. This week, let’s bear one another’s burdens in prayer. And let’s use the challenges we face as an opportunity to walk a little closer to Jesus!
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ
We often present you with opportunities to pray for and to help those served by LSM. But did you know that our staff and families in Haiti and Ethiopia frequently pray for you all as well? After all, the reality is that we need their prayers just as much as they need ours. Living in the U.S., we are often bombarded with noise, distractions, and spiritual challenges not present in developing countries, so it can be helpful to be reminded of those who have little more than God to cling to. Let’s pray for the kids whose lives you’ve touched, whose stories touch our hearts in return.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ข๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ช๐ฒ๐น๐น
Success isn’t a zero-sum game. If our neighbor achieves success, it doesn’t mean they’ve taken something from us. We know that’s true here in the U.S., where the standards of living have risen for nearly everyone in the last two centuries. Even more importantly, it’s true in the economy of the Kingdom of God. Developing nations like Haiti and Ethiopia haven’t enjoyed a history of seeing everyone improve their circumstances at once, and as a result, jealousy often runs rampant in those cultures. This week, pray for God to reveal that we, who seek Him, don’t need to think of blessings as table scraps to be fought over, but as infinite and overflowing. Pray for Him to bless the hearts in our care with the radical, countercultural ability to wish others well, even when it’s hard.
๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ณ๐๐น ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ณ
As a ministry for orphans and vulnerable children, LSM knows the value of a faithful father figure better than most. Godly parents model the love of our heavenly Father for impressionable young hearts. It’s the kind of investment that God can multiply, blessing communities for generations to come! 1 Thess. 2:11-12 reminds us that “a father deals with his children by encouraging, comforting, and urging (them) to live lives worthy of God, who calls (them) into his kingdom and glory.” This week, let’s reach out to a father figure, biological or otherwise, and thank him for his vital service to his family, to the community, and to God!
๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐น๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐
Difficulties in our lives will knock us down. But God can use these experiences to soften our hearts and fill us with a courage and a tenacity that is found in Him alone. This confidence can increase our capacity to be of service to God and to our fellow man. LSM believes the best place to recover and grow personal confidence, especially for a child who has endured trauma, is within the safety and healthy influence of a loving Christian home. Today we’re changing individual lives; tomorrow they’ll shape the world!
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ
Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, โWho is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?โ Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. He said, โI tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And anyone who welcomes a child in my name welcomes me.โ Matthew 18:1-4
๐๐น๐น ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐: ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ-๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐
“We received Godโs Spirit when he adopted us as his own children. And now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are Godโs children!” Romans 8:14-16
๐๐ป ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐จ๐น๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด-๐ง๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ
In the world’s most hopeless places, LSM brings shelter to the homeless and food to the hungry. Beyond aid, we empower the vulnerable to take care of themselves in the future โ and even to become leaders and teach others. But our ultimate aim isn’t just making sure people have food today or even next week. Above all, John 6:27 reminds us to desire the “food that endures to eternal life.” By raising up young leaders who love Jesus, we’re affecting a scope of change that is not merely generational โ but eternal!
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐
Colossians 3:13 says, “As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” For those who have been abused, forgiveness is unimaginably difficult, possible only by the grace of God. Part of what makes trauma and abuse such terrible burdens is that they cause bitterness. Not only does this create obstacles to success and joy in life, but it can also create barriers to God. Regardless of how deep our pain goes, we know He can meet us there if we let Him. Do you know someone who needs a breakthrough today?
๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ: ๐ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐น๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ผ๐ณ ๐จ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ง๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐๐
Passing the torch: This emotional moment was captured on move-in day at LSM Tech, as one of our Home of Hope mothers, Mereville (left), entrusted five sons she’d raised as her own into the care of Jean Wesly, Director of our LSM Tech residential campus. May this tender moment remind all of us to be vigilant in seeking opportunities to be gracious and generous with those around us as we reflect God’s love to the world, especially those who may be hurting or in need. Here’s a series of quick, Bible-based reminders about what love ought to look like within the Body of Christ: Love is how Jesus says the world will identify us (John 13:35). Love is patient and kind. It isn’t proud or easily angered. It doesn’t envy, boast, dishonor others, seek its own or keep a record of wrongs (1 Cor. 13:4-5). Love is more important than knowledge (1 Cor. 13:2). Love displays humility, gentleness and patience in pursuit of unity and peace (Eph. 4:2-3). And if you ever need a reminder of what our greatest example of love looks like in practice, just think of the cross (John 15:13). We’re ALL called to live out that kind of sacrificial love. Let’s be attentive to the needs around us so we can be sure to let our light shine when and where it’s needed!
๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒโ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฑ:
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