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Teaching God's People God's Word |
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Welcome to Church Focus Ministries
Equipping, Encouraging, and Educating
God’s People by Providing Resources that are Uncompromisingly True to God’s Word
Church Focus Ministries is your trusted source for biblically sound materials
Explore The Book - Week of August 10
It’s the goal of Church Focus Ministries that you’ll walk away each week with a greater understanding of what scripture says and how to apply it to your everyday life. Each Bible study contains a chapter of the Bible to read, a short commentary written by Dr. Mark Wash, application questions, and other fun facts and insights, all ultimately pointing to God’s plan of redeeming and rescuing the world.
The Ordination of the First Deacons - Acts 6
In Acts chapter 6, we read about the appointment of the first deacons in the early Christian church, emphasizing the significance of servant leadership and the apostles’ role in the church. This chapter also tells the story of Stephen, one of the first deacons, who was full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. This chapter emphasizes the necessity for the church to prioritize the ministry of the word and to train Spirit-filled leaders to minister to the body of Christ.
It’s the goal of Church Focus Ministries that you’ll walk away each week with a greater understanding of what scripture says and how to apply it to your everyday life. Each Bible study contains a chapter of the Bible to read, a short commentary written by Dr. Mark Wash, application questions, and other fun facts and insights, all ultimately pointing to God’s plan of redeeming and rescuing the world.
The Ordination of the First Deacons - Acts 6
In Acts chapter 6, we read about the appointment of the first deacons in the early Christian church, emphasizing the significance of servant leadership and the apostles’ role in the church. This chapter also tells the story of Stephen, one of the first deacons, who was full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. This chapter emphasizes the necessity for the church to prioritize the ministry of the word and to train Spirit-filled leaders to minister to the body of Christ.
August's Encouraging Word
Come on, you can do this . .
Letting Go to Live Well by Mark Wash "The preparations [plans] of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits [motives]. Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil [disaster]." ~Proverbs 16:1-4 On a humid July morning, Caleb stepped out onto the porch of his family’s old farmhouse, coffee in hand and a spiral notebook tucked under his arm. The fields glistened with dew, stretching to the horizon in orderly green rows, and the air smelled like rain was coming. He exhaled, feeling the familiar weight of decisions pressing on his chest—crops, finances, his daughter’s college fund, his mother’s health. Every season, it seemed, brought some new storm to forecast. He sat on the steps, letting the notebook fall open across his knees. It was filled with plans: budgets, crop rotations, even a sketch of a new barn he hoped to build. But the numbers never quite added up. Somewhere in the house, his mother’s CD radio was playing the audio narration of the Old Testament book of Proverbs—Solomon’s proverbs read in a slow, even voice. Caleb smiled, remembering how she always said, “We plan, honey, but God decides.” “You up already?” his wife, Julia, called from inside, her voice muffled by the screen door. “Couldn’t sleep,” he replied, tracing his finger over a line in his notebook. “Figured I’d get ahead.” Julia stepped outside, barefoot and wrapped in a faded robe, her hair pulled up. She looked at him, then at the notebook. “Maybe you should rest a little, too.” He forced a smile, but anxiety prickled under his skin. “I just keep thinking—if I plan a little better, maybe we’ll get through this year without scraping by.” She sat beside him, their knees bumping together. “You know, sometimes I think all the planning in the world won’t stop life from surprising us.” Caleb stared at his list of goals. He felt responsible for it all—the land, the people he loved, the future. But lately, that responsibility felt less like purpose and more like panic. He wanted to believe he could control the outcome if he just worked hard enough. That afternoon, as thunder rolled in from the west, Caleb drove into town to meet with Mr. Vaughn, the bank manager. The meeting was tense. Vaughn’s lips thinned as he reviewed the numbers. “You’re working hard, Caleb. But sometimes, the market just isn’t on our side.” Caleb felt heat rise in his face. “There must be something I’m missing, something else I can try—” Vaughn closed the folder gently. “I know you want to do right by your family. But you can’t control the weather any more than you can control prices. You can plan, but some things you just have to live through. Driving home, windshield wipers beating, Caleb replayed the conversation. His plans, so carefully laid, seemed to unravel in the face of things he couldn’t predict. The ache of uncertainty gnawed at him. Was he failing by not having the answers? That night, as rain drummed the roof, Caleb wandered into the kitchen. His mother was there, humming softly and chopping carrots for soup. She looked up, her eyes warm but sharp. “You look troubled, son.” He hesitated, then said, “I just keep thinking—if I work harder and plan smarter, maybe I can fix the situation. Maybe I have to.” She set down her knife and wiped her hands. “You know, I used to think like that. When your daddy got sick, I planned and prayed and did everything I could. But there comes a point when you have to let go, Caleb. We do what we can, but God sees the whole picture.” He sat down, shoulders slumping. “But what if I let go and everything falls apart?” She reached across the table, resting her hand on his. “Sometimes letting go is the bravest thing you can do. It doesn’t mean you stop caring. It means you trust that you’re not alone in this.” Caleb stayed up late, notebook in hand, but for once, he didn’t write any new plans. Instead, he flipped to a blank page and wrote a single line: “Relinquish control.” He sat with those words, feeling the tightness in his chest begin to loosen. The next morning, Caleb walked the fields as the sun broke through after the storm. The soybeans glistened, battered but upright. He thought about Solomon’s wisdom: plans belong to us, but the answer belongs to God. He realized he’d been gripping his future so tightly that he’d forgotten to breathe, to trust, and to hope. That afternoon, as he tended the garden, his daughter Ella joined him, dirt smudging her cheek. “Daddy, can I help?” she asked, a shy smile on her lips. “Of course,” he replied, handing her a trowel. They worked in silence, the gentle rhythm of digging and planting soothing his mind. Watching her, he remembered that some things—like love, like faith—couldn’t be measured in plans or numbers. Later, as dusk settled over the land, Caleb called his family together on the porch. He cleared his throat, his voice steady but soft. “I’ve been trying to carry more than I should. I want to do right by all of you, but I can’t pretend to know what’s coming. All I can promise is to do my best and trust the rest to God.” Julia squeezed his hand, eyes shining. His mother nodded, a small, proud smile on her lips. Ella leaned against him, safe and sure. As the fireflies blinked in the darkening yard, Caleb felt something shift inside him—a peace he hadn’t known in years. The future was still uncertain, the challenges real. But as he looked at his family, he knew they were in the best hands—not just his, but hands much greater. He would keep planning and keep working, but now he would do so with open palms and a surrendered heart. Occasionally, he realized, wisdom looks less like a brilliant strategy and more like the quiet courage to trust. And in that trust, he found not only purpose but also peace. The plans he surrendered didn’t just survive—they soared, carried by a Strength beyond his own. Come on, you can do this . . . |
Side notes
to this month's encouraging word When we try to control every outcome, exhaustion sets in. But when we surrender our plans, motives, and dreams to God, something shifts. Our plans don’t just succeed—they soar. As Elisabeth Elliot said, "God never withholds from His child that which His love and wisdom call good. God’s refusals are always merciful—'severe mercies' at times, but mercies all the same.”
This month, maybe it’s time to:
******************************** We’re wired to plan. We brainstorm, strategize, and hustle. But Solomon gently reminds us that while we’re busy mapping out our lives, there’s a bigger story unfolding—one governed by God, not just by our best-laid plans. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is slow down, look up, and release control. True wisdom, it turns out, isn’t just about clever strategies. It’s about surrendered trust. |
