Billy Graham, in the preface of his book The Journey, said you can’t change the past. Whatever has happened in your life so far — both good and bad — cannot be altered, and all the decisions and events that have made you what you are today are indelibly inscribed in the story of your life.
While it is true that the past is just that, we can be encouraged that with God’s help, we can change the future at least to some degree. The future does not have to be a carbon copy of the past because no matter what your life has been like so far, with God’s help, you can put your feet on a new and better path. In God’s great love and mercy, He is far more concerned with what we are going to do than with what we have done in the past. A better life is ours for the taking, but it doesn’t just happen on its own. God has given us a blueprint for living. We have God’s promise that He will never leave or forsake us, even when we do not measure up to what we ought to be. God loves us and wants the best for us. The greatest feeling on earth is not winning an Olympic gold medal but knowing without a doubt our sins have been forgiven and our relationship with God has been restored. Now that’s something to shout about!
From Our Missionaries
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “We had a beautiful Celebration Service, where we participated in the Lord’s Supper. It was a valuable time of worship and remembering the sacrifice, the new covenant and the return of Christ for His church. It is important to mention that not everyone at Ebenezer can participate in the Lord’s Supper, as only those who meet the biblical requirements can do so. This gives us an excellent opportunity to talk to them about the gospel and the importance of obedience to God through baptism.
“After our Celebration Service, we shared a special meal as we celebrated our annual mission members’ meeting. At Ebenezer, we have found it very effective to choose a Sunday for our annual meeting — first, we eat, and then we hold our meeting.
This year, we had the additional blessing of sharing with missionary Cristian Martinez, who serves in Romania. It was an excellent opportunity for our brethren in Ebenezer to have direct contact with a global missionary. They asked him very interesting questions, such as, ‘What is a missionary?’ ‘What are you doing there?’ and ‘Is it necessary to plant a work in Romania?’ While these questions may seem simple to those of us who have been in the gospel for years, to many at Ebenezer, who never imagined attending a Christian church, everything is new and amazing.
After lunch, we held our membership meeting. During the meeting, we presented reports, approved the budget, ratified our leadership and shared a clear vision of where we are headed as a church. The atmosphere at our meeting was excellent.
“Once again, we want to express our sincere gratitude for your prayers and continued support of missionaries in the state of Arkansas, to God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, “We had a great week at Faith Chapel with a really good number and a great time of worship! Even though we had several out sick and a few traveling, we also had 12 first-time visitors that came because Mylz was being baptized today, and the service was wonderful! Praise God! Thank you all for your prayers for him.
“Saturday, seven of us took three gooseneck trailers and an excavator to Joplin and dismantled and brought home our new (to us) playground set. It was a long, hot day, and we worked hard, but it is a really nice set, and it will be so nice for our kids, so it was worth the effort. And it cost less than we had saved up from donations and our yard sale benefit, so we have not had to take from our general or building funds. All that’s left now is to reassemble, finish, and fence the playground area. Thank You, Lord!
“We thank you for your prayers and support, and we thank God for you all!
Faith Journey, Benton: Bryan Clay writes, “As the school year began, Faith Journey had the opportunity to provide food for the Saline County Career and Technical College by stocking their student food pantry. This small act of service will help provide lunches and support for students to start the year off right, hopefully helping them know they are valued.
“Later in the week, I had an opportunity to share the gospel with a woman who is relying on being ‘good enough’ to get into Heaven. As we visited and I was able to share God’s Word with her, I could see a change in her face as she heard about Christ’s love for her and about salvation through Christ. Please pray that this seed of faith will grow in her life in the weeks to come.
“Sunday was a day to remember. Even before the doors opened, there was a strong feeling that God was preparing a great day. Our morning service reached record attendance. The congregation joined together in an amazing time of worship, prayer and praise. Our children’s ministry added to the atmosphere when they sang, ‘He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,’ reminding us of all of God’s love and care. One of our men came to me after the service saying, ‘The Holy Spirit’s presence was strong here today.’
“At our evening service, we gathered again for a study in the book of Judges. We split into small groups and discussed the Scripture, exploring what it meant to each of us. We then came back together and shared our observations with everyone. It is a good way to learn more about our own experiences and how they relate to each other.
“No one seemed ready for the night to end, so many continued conversations over dinner, deepening bonds within the Faith Journey family. Both inside and outside the walls of the church, relationships are growing stronger as God brings us closer together.”
Misión Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace), NWA:Roberto Marcelletti writes, “The week began with the Grace Women’s Ministry meeting. They are studying the book of James, and Patty, my wife, leads the group.
“We had regular attendance at the Springdale connection group at Sister Iris’s home. The theme was how the church helps me in my evangelistic work. We learned that through the union and love we express to one another, we make the gospel visible, which is attractive to those who do not have Christ.
“On Sunday, we had a good group in our Sunday school, and it is a tradition to have breakfast together before starting. Sister Linda began to take care of the children of the brothers who arrived at Sunday school.
We are continuing our pre-membership class, where 12 brothers are learning about what our church is all about, including our mission, vision, values and doctrines. They are also discovering what it means to be a member, and during the class, we engage in questions to help in the process. The brothers are truly a gift from God. It is so beautiful to share these special moments that the Lord, by His grace, gives us.
“Also, the sisters — Angela, Angeles, Iris and Patty — met to see the options to rent an Airbnb because they plan to accompany me to the graduation ceremony in Louisville, Ky., in December.”
Epic Life, Pea Ridge: Jake McCandless writes, “Another strong week of Connection Groups. Even with the busy first week of school, I was proud of how many families with children made it a priority to gather when it would’ve been easy to sit it out.
“Here are four key wins:
• Leadership Growth at Woodbridge — Our Woodbridge co-leaders stepped up to begin facilitating. This had been a long process in the making, and it finally clicked into motion.
• Redemption After a Flop — We tried something the week before that utterly flopped. But after hours of follow-up, visiting and reworking the plan, it turned into a success. Even better — this gave us a repeatable framework — try, fail, regroup, move forward.
• A Little Miracle — In our previous worship service, someone who had never spoken up asked for prayer about finding a job. The next day, she got one. Her parents reached out to everyone who had prayed to thank them. It was a small miracle that deeply impacted the group.
• A Nudge Toward Starting a Group — That same family (who experienced the answered prayer) had been on the fence about launching a Connection Group. This moment may have been the final push they needed.
“We continue to see strong interest from potential participants. What we need now are leaders to help meet that demand. Pray for the right people to be called up.”
