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August 4, 2021: Speak Life

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“In the beginning, God” (Gen. 1:1, ESV).

It was a rainy Monday morning. I stood in front of my seventh-grade class ready to teach Bible. My head cloudy, my heart in pieces from trials in my personal life, I struggled to hold back the tears.

“Good morning, class! Let’s pray! There will be no singing today for Bible class,” I said as quickly as I could. “We will go right into our lesson. It will be a review because you all know the creation story!” I allowed a student to pray because I knew the darkness I felt would cause me to cry.

Ministry Does Not Stop

Photo from rupixen.com via Unsplash

Editorial by Oswaldo Magaña

As we look back at March 2020, our hearts rejoice for how God has continued to bless ministry throughout the Ohio Conference territory.

It was clear that we did not know what the COVID-19 pandemic meant for our future, but we knew it could be devastating for our members, churches and conference. We are convinced today that it was God who took control of our steps and the lives of our department heads as we began responding to the challenging times under our rallying cry: “Though our churches may close, #MinistryDoesNotStop.”

August 3, 2021: Lost in Chicago

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“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isa. 41:10, NIV).

When I was 5-years-old, I took a trip with my family to Taste of Chicago— the world’s largest food festival. There were innumerable amounts of food to try: Mexican, Indian, Italian, you name it. While there, something interesting caught my dad’s attention, and he crossed the street to check it out. Seconds later, my 5-year-old brain decided it was a good idea to follow him. I ventured across the street to find my dad. I got in the line where I thought he was, tapped his back and said, “Dad?”

Year of the Bible: Joy

Have you ever noticed how elusive joy can be? ... Joy comes and goes for no apparent reason, but the joy God wants to give us can't be taken away.

August 2, 2021: His Plan and Purpose

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5–6, NIV).

When my daughter was 3-years-old, she offered to help me “mow the lawn.” In other words, it was a hint to ride on my shoulders. As I mowed, I was in deep turmoil about the seemingly insurmountable challenges and obstacles that life had sent my way. I was so buried in my angst that it took me nearly an hour to actually hear and truly listen to the words my daughter had been singing over and over in her little angelic voice.

“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way. To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

July 31, 2021: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

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“For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:24, NIV).

Demanding and receiving his inheritance while his dad is still alive, Jack packs his convertible and leaves home for the West Coast. There, he quickly makes friends, rents a great apartment and parties hard until he runs out of money. Deserted by his friends, he is evicted from his apartment and is forced to sell his car to buy food and lodging. In desperation, he takes the only job he can—a pig slaughtering factory.

Reflecting on his situation, he realizes that even the housekeepers at home live better than he does, so he decides to return home, practicing his speech on the long walk back.

July 30, 2021: From Pieces to Peace

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“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10, NKJV).

It seems I was born to suffer. The physical and emotional abuse at the hands of my father began when I was 4-years-old. I was always sick, to the point that the doctors diagnosed that I could be either mute or deaf for the rest of my life. I was bullied during my school years and always struggled to “fit in.” I got into a toxic relationship that destroyed my heart, my identity and self-esteem. I felt sick, lonely, rejected and purposeless.

Tired of fighting hard for belonging, love and health, it crossed my mind to take my own life. I was missing something; rather Someone.

July 29, 2021: God’s Got It

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“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7, NIV).

To be honest, when I was first asked to write a devotional, I desperately wanted to decline. I felt my heart beat a little faster and my breath become shorter—symptoms associated with anxiety. The fear of not being good enough was so overwhelming, and I was just about to say no until I remembered 1 Peter 5:7. I’ve heard this verse multiple times, and right at that moment, it stuck with me.

Kettering Health Brings Food to Neighborhood in Need

Story by Christina Keresoma

It has been a long time since the west Dayton neighborhood in Ohio has had a grocery store, making the community travel great distances to buy food for their families. Local partnerships, including Kettering Health, has allowed Gem City Market to open its doors to a community in need. Shelves will be stocked with perishable and nonperishable items. Health screenings, afterschool programs and exercise programs will be offered, along with cooking classes in a community kitchen area.

Beyond the Walls: We’ve Only Just Begun

Editorial by Charles A. Tapp

For nearly a year-and-a-half, our world, and, yes, our church, has been on a journey that even the wildest of imaginations could not have imagined. The onslaught of this global pandemic has wreaked such havoc in our lives that it has almost removed the word “normal” from our vocabularies. But despite the great sense of unimaginable loss that the COVID-19 virus has brought upon us, in many ways it has allowed the church to recapture its mission of becoming “salt and light” to a world that is in desperate need of both.