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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 September 7
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.
God's Plan for the Gentiles - Acts 10
Acts 10 is the first account of the gospel being preached to the Gentiles, a major turning point in the early church’s understanding of its mission. The emphasis of this chapter is God’s sovereign design to bring all nations into His salvation. Acts 10 teaches us that God wants to save everyone. The gospel message is for everyone.
Click here for this week's study.
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.
God's Plan for the Gentiles - Acts 10
Acts 10 is the first account of the gospel being preached to the Gentiles, a major turning point in the early church’s understanding of its mission. The emphasis of this chapter is God’s sovereign design to bring all nations into His salvation. Acts 10 teaches us that God wants to save everyone. The gospel message is for everyone.
Click here for this week's study.
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September's Encouraging Word
Come on, you can do this . .Every Word is a Seed
by Mark Wash 
"A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase [product] of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." ~Proverbs 18:20-21 Clara stood at the edge of the playground, her fingers gripping the chain-link fence as she watched the swirl of children darting beneath the late afternoon sun. Every voice—shrill, soft, teasing, kind—layered itself into the air, each sentence a seed cast into the wind. She’d always believed words vanished as quickly as they were spoken, lost to the breeze. But today, a tight ache in her chest reminded her otherwise. That morning, her teacher, Mrs. Mulberry, had paused during reading time and said, “Remember, everyone, what you say grows into something. You reap what you sow.” The class had shrugged, but Clara’s mind snagged on the phrase, curiosity blooming. She’d been thinking about it ever since, carrying the idea like a pebble in her pocket, turning it over every so often to see what she made of it. Now, as the bell echoed across the playground and children sprinted toward the buses, Clara’s best friend, Ana, jogged over. “Are you coming or what?” Ana grinned, swinging her backpack over one shoulder. Clara nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere, trailing back to yesterday’s lunch break—when she’d told Jamie his drawing looked weird, and he’d crumpled it up before anyone else could see. The guilt sat heavy. She hadn’t meant much by it, but Jamie hadn’t spoken to her since. Words don’t disappear, Mrs. Mulberry had said. Clara wondered if Jamie’s silence was the fruit of her own careless seed. On the bus ride home, children’s chatter ebbed and flowed around her. Clara stared out the window, the world blurring in the golden light. She remembered Ana’s encouragement last week when Clara had fumbled over her science presentation. “You’ve got this,” Ana had whispered. The warmth of those words had steadied her, just as surely as a gentle hand on her shoulder. Clara realized some words stayed. They echoed, fed, and haunted. She wanted to plant something better. That evening, after dinner, Clara sat at her desk and wrote a short note: Jamie, I’m sorry for what I said about your drawing. I didn’t mean it. Your art is really great. She folded the paper carefully and slipped it into her backpack, her heart a little lighter. The next morning, Clara approached Jamie at his cubby. He glanced up, wary. She handed him the note, her hands trembling. For a moment, Jamie just stared at it, then opened the paper. His lips pressed together, and he nodded, not quite meeting her eyes. But when recess came, Jamie wandered over and said quietly, “Thanks.” The day felt warmer, brighter. Clara noticed how words could heal as much as they could hurt. She found herself speaking more gently, pausing to think before teasing, offering encouragement instead of criticism. It wasn’t always easy; the old habits tugged at her, but she remembered Mrs. Mulberry’s words: "We harvest what we plant," and she wanted her harvest to be fruitful. One afternoon, Ana seemed distant, her face clouded. “What’s wrong?” Clara asked, kneeling beside her on the soccer field. Ana hesitated, scuffing her shoe in the dirt. “My brother’s sick again. Mom’s been so worried. I don’t know what to say to her.” Clara took a breath. “Sometimes when I’m scared, I talk about it. Or I just let someone hug me for a while. You’re not alone.” She squeezed Ana’s hand. Ana managed a faint smile, and the tension in her shoulders loosened. Later, Ana whispered, “Thanks for saying that. I needed it.” The weeks passed, and Clara began to notice the ripples of her words—the little shifts in her friendships, the way her classmates responded, and the comfort that grew in her heart. She realized she was feeding on the fruit of what she’d planted: peace instead of bitterness and hope instead of regret. On the last day of school, Mrs. Mulberry handed out slips of paper for each student to write one hope for the coming year. Without hesitation, Clara wrote, "I want my words to help people grow." She folded the paper, her heart full. As the classroom emptied and sunlight spilled across the desks, Clara understood: every word was a seed, every sentence a start. Every day, she could choose what kind of garden she grew, both in the world and within herself. Come on, you can do this . . . |
Side notes
to September's Encouraging Word Have you ever found yourself replaying a conversation in your mind, wishing you’d said something kinder—or perhaps, held your tongue? This month's story serves as a gentle reminder that what we say can linger far longer than we realize.
Be careful because we often create ripples with words that we speak:
******************************** This story is a reminder: every sentence we speak is a seed. Some wither and disappear, but others take root—nourishing, supporting, or sometimes wounding those around us. Over time, the “garden” we grow with our words becomes the landscape of our relationships and our own inner world. |
