Now, I'm not in the business of advertising any particular ice cream spot, but let's face it, it's kind of fun to go to Baskin Robbins. You know, they have all those flavors they advertise. Now, you can write to me and tell me that maybe you like another place better, but listen, I know you like to go where there's a lot of flavors. And you know what? It seems like it takes me an hour to decide which one I want. Well, not really, but seems like an hour to the person who's waiting on me. But the variety is a lot of fun. Now, can you imagine an ice cream store that offered only vanilla? Yeah, boring! After a while you get tired of the same old flavor. Can you imagine a person who said, "I only eat vanilla. I never tried anything else." I'd say to them, "Man, look at the list! You're missing so many flavors. You can have ice cream so many different ways." How boring to think that all ice cream has to be the one flavor you like.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Many Flavors At God's Place."

Our word for today from the Word of God is found in 1 Corinthians 12. And we go, in a sense, to God's ice cream parlor if you want to put it that way. And it's called the church - the body of Christ. Listen to all the flavors. "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." Verse 12 of 1 Corinthians 12: "The body is a unit, though, that is made up of many parts, and though all of its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ."

Okay, now, if there's one message we could get from these wonderful verses it would be this. Variety is God's plan for His body. He's not interested in cookie cutter Christians. He wants many styles, many flavors of Christians. God likes variety. Guess what we like? Uniformity. We want everybody to be like us - like our group. So as a consequence, generally speaking, Baptist Christians only know Baptist Christians, and Assembly of God Christians only know Assembly of God Christians, and Methodist Christians only know Methodist Christians, and Presbyterian, Presbyterians, etc. The list is infinite.

But, you see, none of us has all of Him. But all of us together have all of Him. Don't cut yourself off from all the other flavors; don't just be a vanilla Christian. See, we disagree only about, say, 10% of it. Ninety percent is about Christ, and sin, and salvation, and Christ's return, and the Bible: we tend to agree on those. We need each other. Those different styles and different emphases in the body of Christ are not only God's will, but they make you rich.

One group of Christians may teach you how to pray and get a hold of God. Another group may really have a vision for missions, and they'll help you care about a lost world. Others will really get you into personal evangelism. There's another group of Christians who might really help you learn about God's sovereign control over things. And then there's a group over there that may be strong in loving and caring and accepting. And this group over here, they'll teach you a lot about worship. And this one, oh you'll learn a lot about careful Bible study. Hey, listen. We will be together forever. All the labels we have here on earth won't make it past the gate of heaven. Why don't we get together now?

You're on God's side when you're against whatever divides His body. It's not all vanilla. It's lots of flavors. It's all ice cream; but it's lots of flavors, and that's what counts. We're all the church.

So, celebrate the variety in God's family. And enjoy all those flavors.

Today on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, Pastor Mark explains what happened at the cross — your sin was stamped paid in full. The debt you could never cover was covered by the Lamb of God.

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A nuance question regarding how you regard God: do you see God as celebrating the destruction of evil? Is this an accurate view of God? We’ll explore this question in our study today.

Genesis 6:1-8

Read: Colossians 1:9-12

Hadley came running out of children’s church. “How was your class today?” Mom asked as they climbed into the van.

“Mrs. Burton’s lesson was on intercession. When we pray, we need to pray for others too. Mrs. Burton explained that intercede means to act or plead on someone’s behalf,” Hadley proudly stated as she buckled in.

“Praying for others is important,” Mom said. “It’s easy to pray for ourselves, but sometimes we forget to ask God to help others with their needs and let them feel His love and presence in their lives.”

“Mrs. Burton often walks around her neighborhood praying for her neighbors. She calls it prayer walking,” Hadley said. “We went on a prayer walk this morning while you were in big church. We prayed for Pastor Tom, the congregation, and all the children’s church teachers. Mae and I want to start prayer walking around our apartment complex each week.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Hadley!” Mom replied. “Why don’t we put together a list of specific prayer requests for our neighbors.”

Starting that week, Hadley, Mae, and their moms prayer walked every Tuesday. One evening, as they were walking past Mr. Swanson’s apartment, he came out to visit. “Getting your exercise each week, I see.”

“And we’re praying too,” Hadley explained. As she talked, she noticed a tear slide down Mr. Swanson’s cheek. “Is everything okay?”

Mr. Swanson shook his head. “May I share a prayer request with you?” Hadley, Mae, and their moms gathered around as he spoke. They took turns praying over Mr. Swanson, then he said, “Thanks for praying with me.”

“Anytime,” Mae answered.

As the weeks went by, many prayer requests were answered in their small apartment community. The most exciting news was when one of Hadley’s neighbor friends gave his life to Jesus!

“You know, Mom, prayer walking has really taught me how to pray for others, and it’s been so exciting to see prayers answered,” Hadley said one Tuesday night.

“It’s given us so many reasons to praise God,” Mom replied as she gave Hadley a hug. “And it’s been great exercise too!”

–Lisa Fuller

How about you? Did you know that God wants us as Christians to intercede for others in prayer? Prayer is powerful, and when we ask God to act in other people’s lives out of love for them, it can result in changed hearts and deeper relationships with Jesus. You can pray for anyone anytime and anywhere, but doing a prayer walk in your church, school, or neighborhood is a great way to practice praying for others.

Today's Key Verse: I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 1 Timothy 2:1 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Pray for others

Fulfillment comes not from what we gain or accomplish in life, but from knowing and serving God.

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Find comfort in knowing that grace is God's acceptance of you based on what Jesus did for you—not what you can do for Him.

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There is a particular kind of weariness that comes from feeling stuck — when you have tried every solution you can think of, waited longer than feels reasonable, and still find yourself in the same place, wondering if anything will ever change. In those moments, it is tempting to conclude that you have simply reached the end of what is possible. But what if the end of your possibilities is precisely where God's begin?

Jeremiah 32:17 is a declaration that refuses to be contained by our circumstances: the God who made the heavens and the earth by His great power and outstretched arm is the same God who is present in your stuck place right now. Nothing — not your complicated relationship, your unanswered question, your closed door, your exhausted imagination — is too hard for Him. The obstacles that loom so large in our vision are remarkably small compared to the power of the One who spoke galaxies into existence. He is not intimidated by what you are facing. And He is not finished. New possibilities do not always arrive as dramatic breakthroughs — sometimes they come as a quiet nudge, a fresh perspective, a creative idea that hadn't occurred to you before. But they come. Keep your eyes open, keep bringing your questions to God, and keep trusting the One who can do what you cannot. Something new may be closer than you think.

Today's Bible Verse

"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." — Jeremiah 32:17, NIV

Ponder Today

1. Feeling stuck is not the same as being without hope — the God who created the heavens and the earth is never limited by the circumstances that feel impossible to us.
2. When we focus first on God's greatness rather than our problems, our perspective shifts — the obstacles are still real, but they are suddenly much smaller than the power available to us.
3. New possibilities don't always arrive dramatically — sometimes God moves through a fresh idea, a subtle nudge, or a creative solution that opens a door we hadn't noticed before.
4. God doesn't expect us to figure everything out on our own — He invites us to bring every question and uncertainty to Him, and to ask for guidance at every step of the way.
5. God's timing may look different from ours, but He is always at work — even when we cannot yet see results, new possibilities are forming beneath the surface of what is visible to us.

Today's Prayer

Dear God, You are the Creator of heaven and earth, and Your love and power are unlimited. You see exactly where I feel stuck, and I confess that I sometimes focus more on the size of my problems than on the greatness of You. Help me trust You to bring new possibilities into my life. Open my eyes to solutions, ideas, and opportunities I might be missing. When I don't know what to do next, guide me step by step. Remind me that nothing is too hard for You, and give me patience when Your answers don't come right away. I trust that You are at work, creating something new. Thank You for walking with me. Amen.

Enjoy Today's Prayer?

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