So many wars and battles in our world. So many battles in our schools and our homes. Is there such a thing as peace? Yes! Jesus brings us peace in the midst of our turmoil. How can this be?

Each person longs for hope in a world that can seem hopeless. Jesus came to earth in a time of hopelessness for those who were waiting for Him. He is ready to bring hope into our lives as well. That hope is an absolute certainty of His salvation.

The love of God is evident in the coming of Christ to earth. We must see His birth in light of His sacrifice in order to begin to understand the cost required to set us free and the willingness of Jesus to come and show His love by paying the price.

Salvation comes from the LORD. From the belly of the fish, Jonah calls to God with thanksgiving, ready to offer sacrifices of thanks. How can a proper understanding of God’s salvation bring to us an attitude of thanks — even in the midst of troubles?

Today we look at the question many have posed: If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Trials of life are a reality... they are part of life. What we do with trials will develop us into what we are capable of being, with the help of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can be mature followers of Christ, living lives that honor Him, and we can realize the benefits of living such a life.

Once the truth of the gospel becomes the focus of our hearts and our lives, our contentment here is possible. It also moves in our hearts to be generous with all that we have been given as we work together for the glory of God our Father.

The truth of the presence of God in our lives can bring peace, even in the midst of painful and trying circumstances. It allows for us to have great contentment with however God chooses to meet our needs.

God loves the nations. He loves the people without nations also. The difficulty in the Middle East does not mean we can ignore these nations and people; in fact, in their needs, they have a growing receptivity to Jesus and His message of love, forgiveness, and hope. Our objective is to hear what God is doing in the Middle East now and how He is bringing people to himself. One of the significant modern methods for people to hear His truth is satellite television. Today we will learn about Sat-7, as a way that God is reaching people in a region we often see as hopeless and resistant to Jesus. But God is working.

We are directed by Jesus to make disciples. Our missionary partners are working with this goal in mind. But what issues will they have to address, face and challenge in this process? Is there an effective program to use to make the transformational changes for all peoples? NO. Transformation is a demanding, ongoing, not too steady process for the discipling missionary partner and the disciple.