Our Story With God, Episode 40: Gospel Encouragement

-
Who picks you up during rough times?  Are you the one who lifts up someone else?  I've noticed that even the superheroes in movies typically have a sidekick, or someone who helps drive them forward.  As great a missionary as Paul was, he also needed someone special to help find uses for the talents God had given, to train him in the work ahead, and to know how to turn over the reins of leadership.  Barnabas exhibited so much grace and encouragement that it became his calling card to the early Church, and his impact remains to this day. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Our Story With God, Episode 11: Kings (And One Queen)

-
Decisions, decisions.  We all have them in life.  Solomon ran across an interesting one when he became king: God gave him a chance to ask for something.  What would you want?  By asking for wisdom, Solomon pleaded God and also received wealth and success over his enemies.  But as promising as this beginning was, his end showed that his heart wasn't fully devoted to God.  Each successive ruler had to decide whether God's commands were important, and that single choice determined if his reign was successful or not.  Each king was measured, as we all are, not by the financial or political success they achieved, but by how faithful they were to their Lord. Our Story With God, Episode 11
Read more

Founding Fathers - Samuel Adams

-
Image
Samuel Adams Born: September 27, 1722 (Boston, Massachusetts) Died: October 2, 1803 (Cambridge, Massachusetts) When I considered who deserved to be the final entry in our study of America's Founding Fathers, it only seemed appropriate that this week's focus was the logical choice.  As perhaps the person more singularly identified with the movement for independence, Samuel Adams embodied the passion of the patriot cause.  As the eldest son of 12 children born to Samuel and Mary Adams, both of whom came from families involved in the shipping industry, the younger Samuel was raised with the ideals of Puritan virtue and self-government.  The elder Adams had become a successful brewer and served as deacon of the nearby Third Church (the congregation occupied what is now known as the Old South Meeting House , a building that was then the largest in Boston) who kept active in local politics as part of an informal group known as the Boston Caucus.  When young Samuel complete...
Read more

Founding Fathers - Thomas McKean

-
Image
Thomas McKean Born: March 19, 1734 (New London, Pennsylvania) Died: June 24, 1817 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Happy New Year!  As we bid adieu to 2023 and move ahead, we're also getting close to wrapping up our list of Founding Fathers.  This week we'll meet the sixth and final Thomas from the group, who also represents the last member of the Delaware delegation.  As the second son of an innkeeper, William McKean, and his wife, Letitia, young Thomas was educated at home until the age of nine, at which time he joined his 11-year-old brother at the New London Academy to study with Rev. Francis Alison.  Thomas was one of three signers to be taught by the esteemed Latin scholar, alongside George Read and James Smith.  After seven years he moved to New Castle, which was in one of the Lower Delaware counties that were still only semi-autonomous from Pennsylvania, and a cousin named David Finney taught him law for four years.  At the age of 20, Thomas was admitte...
Read more