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Paul's Teaching on Giving ; 2 Corinthians 8:6-13

The apostle Paul was not bashful to teach on Christian giving for the cause he was involved in. In the 2 Corinthian letter, he was specifically encouraging the Corinthians to participate in systematic giving to the offering that he was planning to take to the Jerusalem saints.  We can learn several principles from his teaching:

1.       All giving should be done cheerfully  and not  grudgingly, for God will bless the cheerful giver (v. 7)

2.       We want to sow bountifully that we might reap bountifully.  This nullifies the "Christian giver" argument some make of giving without expectation of a return on our giving from the Lord (v. 6)

3.       Consistent givers will come to have an abundance (more than enough) for every good work (v.8).  God wants them to expect this from Him in faith.

4.       God is the supplier of the seed to the sower, and He multiplies the seed you have sown (v. 10).  In other words, we sow/give in seed form, trusting the Lord to multiply our giving for both the cause in which we give, and the fruits of righteousness in the giver.

5.       The giver will become enriched...for all liberality (v. 11).  It is God's plan to enrich the giver to make them a liberal giver as a lifestyle.

6.       Liberal sharing  should be the definition of a liberal in our country.  This shows that the church of Jesus Christ has failed in it's giving in the U.S, for a liberal in our country has become known as a taker of involuntary taxes who is a conservative giver in the church.  A conservative has become known as someone who wants to lower involuntary taxes and give more in the church.  When the church of Jesus Christ in America is giving according to the apostle Paul's teaching, a person who increases taxes for government programs will become known as a conservative in Christian giving, and a person who campaigns to lower taxes for greater voluntary Christian giving will become known as a liberal, according to the apostles definitions.

by by Pastor Benjamin Davis, Senior Pastor

Resting in Promised Land Living

by Pastor Benjamin Davis

The book of Hebrews speaks of God's rest for His people.  It makes a comparison between the children of Israel entering the promised land of Canaan and God's children in Christ entering into the promised land of the finished work of the cross.

For if Joshua had given hem rest, then God would not afterward have spoken of another day.  There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.  For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His  (Hebrews 4:8-10).

Promised land living for the believer in Christ is successfully living above the power of sin.  Sin is the source of all poverty, disease, broken relationships, and despair.  It is the one thing that can prevent God's people from prospering in the way that He desires for them.

The good news is that through the cross of Jesus Christ, God's people can live above the power of sin.  To do so, we must learn to rest in the finished work of the cross rather than work from our own resources in overcoming the sin that besets us.

In the cross of Jesus Christ, God condemned sin, but gave grace to the sinner.  That grace empowers God's children to identify with Christ's death, and indeed become dead to sin.  Once we are dead to sin, it no longer has any power over us.

The law is useful for educating the conscience about what sin is, but it is powerless to help the believer in Christ overcome that sin.  Therefore, the Hebrew author encourages God's people to cease from their work and trust in the cross of Christ for the victory they need.

The amazing thing about experiencing God's rest in the cross of Jesus Christ is that it will produce a work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope (1 Thess 1:3) that is greater than any work, labor, or patience that we could produce on our own through law and our own attempts of serving the Lord.

Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest...for promised land living in Christ (Hebrews 4:9).

Resting in the Fear of God

by Pastor Benjamin Davis


God's desire is for His children to experience His rest. His rest comes from obedience to His Word, His Spirit, and His leading in His people.

In the days of Moses, they sent spies into the land promised to them by God, but the majority of the spies came back with a bad report, saying,

There we saw the giants ; and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight. (Num 13:33)

They spread their grasshopper mentality and fear to the rest of the congregation, and the result was disobedience to God's word through Moses.

Scripture's commentary on this event was that those people never entered God's rest that comes from obeying His Word. The good news is that we as believers can enter that rest today.

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. (Heb 4:1)

The key error they made in Numbers was fearing the giants in the land more than they feared the Lord. A healthy, reverential fear of God will make you unafraid of the giants that are out there because you believe in God's omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipresence (everywhere all the time). When you combine these attributes of God with His personal leading, it gives faith to obey, face the giants if necessary, and enter into His rest of obedience.

There is no rest in a grasshopper mentality, but there is the divine rest of God in hearing and obeying His voice to fulfill all His calling in our lives.

Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience (of the children of Israel in Moses' day). (Heb 4:11)


Pastor Davis is Senior Pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church

Secure in a Healthy Fear of God

By Pastor Benjamin Davis

The fear of God is not a very popular subject in American Christian circles anymore, but it should be.  Properly taught and applied, a healthy, reverential fear of God will not produce anxiety, but security in the life of the believer.

In Philippians 2:12-13, the apostle Paul wrote:

...work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Paul is encouraging the Philippians to work out their own salvation with a healthy, reverential fear of God because their faith is greater than a work of man.  It is a work of God in them.  It is not according to man's good pleasure, but God's good pleasure.

This truth is also found in Ephesians 1:5:

...having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.

A healthy, reverential fear of God is based in what I call the "omnis" of God.  God is Omniscient (all-knowing), Omnipotent (all-powerful), and Omnipresent (all-present and everywhere all the time).  This same "omni" God has initiated a work of grace and faith in the believer's life according to the good pleasure of His will.  Knowing that the grace and faith we are experiencing in Christ are a work of God for His good pleasure brings security in Him when we are yielding to His work. It only produces anxiety when we are resisting His good work in us.

We Americans have at times chosen to replace the security that comes from the work of His good pleasure in us with other systems of security.  We can find security in things such as  Social Security (security in retirement), family (security in relationships), healthcare (security in insurance), or even denominational structures of our churches.  None of these things are bad in and of themselves, but they can never replace the security that comes from experiencing the work of His good pleasure in us.

God's children who come to understand His "omnis" and the work of HIS good pleasure will have a healthy fear of God and become very secure in Him.

Pastor Benjamin Davis is the Senior Pastor for Abundant Life Covenant Church

Inch by Inch

By Garrett Pratt

As a senior in high school, I am at a seemingly bittersweet point in my life. Despite the excitement of the future and the fun rituals of senior year, reality also sets in as I determine what this future I have been dreaming about for so long is going to look like. Even at the beginning of the school year, I am making decisions that will affect my future, whether it be which colleges (if any) to apply to, what career I should pursue, and more immediately how I can have a successful senior year. BUT GOD has already been faithful in preparing me for these decisions so that there is no fear as I plan for the future and can experience his peace and his best for me right now.

Already, I have seen many of my classmates fret over their future. They believe that they stand outside a vast and dark abyss in which their future lays, and they have no idea how to walk assuredly. Thankfully, all believers in Christ have assurance for a safe and prosperous future. Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version) reads, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not harm you; to give you a hope and a future.’” The question then is how do we access this promise?
First, it is above all necessary to get into a habit of spending time with the Lord daily and meditating upon His Word. Joshua 1:8 (New King James Version) states, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” With every promise that God gives, there is always a reward. God calls us to spend time seeking Him daily, so that we gain a deeper revelation of who He is, who we are, and how we can partner together to live out life successfully. For me, a great change in my thinking had to come in order to realize this truth. I had always known God had a calling on my life and that He would show it to me, and this summer He began to reveal that calling. What I did not know, however, was what to do after He had revealed it. For so long I had waited for His confirmation that I was unsure what to do after I received it! Thankfully, the Lord put people in my life to keep me focused on the path I am on today. During a discipleship meeting with my youth pastor this summer, we discussed how God began to speak to me concerning a future career as an attorney, and I was excited! Pastor Clark admonished me, telling me that in order to live out this future calling, I have to be sensitive and listen to how the Lord moves each day. “Life’s hard, yard by yard; but inch by inch, life’s a cinch!” He spoke this wisdom to me and it has stayed with me ever since. Daily, I have to lay down all the things the Lord has called me to and I have to submit them to His leading, regardless of my opinion. As I get into this God-given mindset, I have learned that if I seek His guidance and then do it, my way is made prosperous, far more than if I had tried to do things my way.
Spending time with the Lord is critical for all success (spiritual, emotional, relational, financial, intellectual, etc.) but then in order to achieve the benefits of the things He speaks in the dark (in your quiet time with the Lord, Matthew 10:27) we must go out into the world each day and do the things He leads us to. Ecclesiastes 11:6, “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.” God calls us to sow the seed He has given us so that we may reap the benefits of His blessings. I have found this Scripture to be true in all areas of life. I need to sow good seed in my studies at school, in my relationships with friends and family, and in my attitude and thought life. As I go about diligently sowing my seed for the Lord, I receive the blessings I expect from His promises. In the time that I have entered into this sowing and reaping lifestyle, I not only am more successful with the things I do, but I also enjoying doing them. I have learned to take pleasure in reading assigned texts for school (even Russian literature!), for mowing the lawn and spending time with those that I have difficulty sometimes being around. Most outsiders who view my workload might think that I do not have time for fun with all that I do. They are sorely mistaken! God blesses every hour of my time and as I seek His ways, I enjoy every minute of it! That is not to say I have perfected this lifestyle, but as I release faith and believe all that is in my life is good and works for a greater good (Romans 8:28-29), I have nothing to fear and can enjoy the life God has given me today. It is by far the greatest philosophy of life and feeling anyone could experience!
As I have discovered this way of living fear-free and joy-FULL, it is my prayer that you too find this path of peace and prosperity He calls all of His children to. All you have to do is turn aside to seek Him (because He is speaking to you today; you just have to open up and listen!). Then, begin to spend time with Him daily and then diligently sow your seed in all that you do every day. Once you begin to realize these things, the fear of an uncertain future fades quickly away and God’s best is there to stay.

Garrett Pratt is a Senior at Central High School, Springfield, Missouri

 To read more articles from our Jeremiah Youth blog click here

Who God Is | JeremiahYouth.com

Who God Is

Most people know that God is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), and omnipresent (everywhere present at once). While this is a great place to start from, we need to come to a place where we know that God isn’t only HUGE, but is also very personal and involved in each of our individual lives. Who is God to each of us individually?

Jehovah-Tsidkenu: GOD IS our righteousness
…Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS ~Jeremiah 23:6
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. ~II Corinthians 5:21
Jehovah-M’Kaddesh: GOD IS our sanctifier
“…Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you…” ~Exodus 31:13
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless… ~I Thessalonians 5:23
Jehovah-Shalom: GOD IS our peace
So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace… ~Judges 6:24
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace… ~Ephesians 2:13-14
Jehovah-Shammah: GOD IS always there with us
“…and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.” ~Ezekiel 48:35
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ~Hebrews 13:5
Jehovah-Rophe: GOD IS our healer
“…I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.” ~Exodus 15:26
…”He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” ~Matthew 8:17
Jehovah-Jireh: GOD IS our provider
And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” ~Genesis 22:14
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:19
Jehovah-Nissi: GOD IS our banner/victory
And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner. ~Exodus 17:15
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb… ~Revelation 12:11
Jehovah-Rohi: GOD IS our shepherd
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. ~Psalm 23:1
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” ~John 10:11

posted from Jeremiahyouth.com

Stable Benefits

By Jonathan Clark

My wife and I became business owners overnight. When we decided to buy a medical practice instead of working for one of the hospitals, we became instant “owners.” Our education in business was about to begin!

We did not have any real training in how to run a business other than the catch-phrase that my pastor often used to say: “If your out-go exceeds your income, your overhead is your downfall.” Our business plan was clear—we would take over the highly successful business and keep the business practices “as is” unless/until we found something that needed changing. The business already had a retirement plan in place, so we kept the same plan and began contributing to it regularly.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits… (Ps. 103:2).

Our business was very successful—we were very busy! However, at the end of most years we found ourselves having to borrow a little money just to keep the business afloat. As I mentioned before, I didn’t have much business training, but something seemed wrong with a highly successful business not being able to pay all the bills easily. Apparently our out-go was exceeding our income.

One day, as I was pondering our dilemma and discussing it with my pastor, the Spirit of the Lord spoke the following in my spirit:

“Your yearly deficit is how much?”

 “Approximately X amount,” I mused.

“How much is the business contributing to the retirement account?”

“Approximately Y amount,” I reflected.

Then I realized what the Lord was getting at—X and Y were the same amount! Our business budget shortfall was due to the fact that we were contributing to the business retirement account. Now, I was aware that contributing to a retirement plan was not wrong (not a sin), but the Lord took this teachable moment to give us specific direction (faith) to dissolve our defined-benefit retirement plan and begin a deeper walk of faith concerning our financial future.

For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

Not only did the Lord lead us to dissolve our defined-benefit retirement plan, but He further led my wife and me to liquidate the money that we had accumulated in the plan (an action which incurs a tax penalty) to pay that year’s shortfall.

That was one of the first major lessons in business that the Lord gave us. As we obeyed, the regular shortfalls ceased! His message to us was clear: I AM your business manager, and I AM your retirement planner…I AM your financial future! More lessons were to come (and are still coming as we have successfully owned/operated the business now for 14 years). He has led our business in directions that often were opposite of most other companies. One thing has become clear to us over the years: in business, entrenched patterns are often focused in the wrong direction (asking the wrong questions, so to speak).

By the Lord’s leading, my wife and I have grown very secure in trusting Father God’s benefit plan for all our “benefits needs” (retirement, health insurance, vacations, time off, etc). He shows us how He wants us to plan and save for the future.

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths (Prov. 3:5-6).

Jonathan Clark is associate pastor of Abundant Life Covenant Church and a physician in Springfield, Missouri.

Thanks in the Middle

by Cassandra Walker

As I was thumbing through my Bible recently, I saw a Post-it note marking Luke 4:18-19:

     The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

     Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the capitves

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

Jesus is quoting this passage from Isaiah, illustrating that He is the fulfillment of it. On June 23, 2004, I felt in my spirit that the Lord wanted me to consider this passage my calling as well.  So, on my note I wrote, "This is why I woke up this morning.  This is why I draw my next breath. This is why I'm granted another heartbeat." I like to review the note from time to time because it helps keep me grounded.  I may have the daily circumstances of being human on this planet swirling around in my brain, but I can read this and be snapped back into the proper perspective. 

Recently, when I reviewed this passage again and its application to me personally, I thought about the time of testing through which I've been going, and I did something that I have never done before-- I thanked Father God for the test as I was experiencing it.  I rehearsed in my mind the past trials that the Lord has allowed me to experience and started thinking about how every time I leaned on him for guidance, there was always a reward on the other side.  I began to realize that the Lord desires to give me something, so He is moving me towards what He has for me.  For the first time I thanked the Lord out loud for the current test I was experiencing while i was still experiencing it. I believe that it was the grace of the Holy Spirit to lead me to do this.  This isn't something with which I could have come up!

After I did this, my trial did not instantly ease up. In fact, it pretty much stayed the same.  However, the trial was easier to face knowing that it was designed to equip me to fulfill my calling.  Thanking Father God while it was still going on helped me to maintain more of a thankful attitude even though the stress level remained the same.  

It seems the Lord tests me in three areas: money, relationships and health.  Father God has tested all of humanity in these same areas regardless of whether they are Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Universalist, atheistic, Christian, etc.  Knowing that I can't escape the trials of life, I desire to accept this and learn how to go through them well.  My pastor has said, "You can get there in a beat up Volkswagen Bug, or you can get there in a Cadillac." I would like to learn how to keep peace in my heart during all of life's experiences, whether it be tests or times of refreshing that come after the trials are resolved.  Only the Holy Spirit of the God of Abraham, poured out by Jesus Christ, can show me how to continue to experience joy in the middle of a trial.

Cassandra Walker and her husband Gavin own MedTech Medical Management Systems in Springfield, Missouri and Lead the Amazing Graceland Children's Ministry for Abundant Life Covenant Church.

GARDENING WITH GRACE

By Shari Tyson

A few mornings ago, I approached the subject of finances with my son. I knew before I started that I wasn’t picking the right moment to have the conversation, but I decided to go ahead and pose a question regarding something I thought he had purchased. It was just a question, but there were certainly implications behind it, and though he answered, I could tell I had put him on the defense.
I had blown it, and I knew it. There weren’t any harsh words spoken. It was a single, simple question, but he sensed the judgmental atmosphere I had set by the way in which I asked the question. I didn’t pursue it any further but waited for a few minutes and then spoke to him with words that were “good for necessary edification, that (they) may impart grace to the hearer” (Ephesians 4:29). The conversation was productive, and I was able to salvage the moment and encourage my son.
As my son kissed me goodbye, Holy Spirit gently whispered into my heart, “Your heart hurt because I have only asked you to plant and water; not pull weeds.” I immediately thought about something our pastor had said several months ago in one of his messages. It was basically this: if you focus upon making the grass healthy, you will crowd out the weeds. I actually googled controlling weeds and found this very statement, “Just keep your conditions right for grass, keep the blades on your mower set higher so the grass can be the dominate plant type, and you’ll watch weeds slowly get outnumbered.”
“Keep the blades on your mower set higher.” See with grace, speak with grace, and the “weeds” will be outnumbered.
I picked up my Bible and turned to the fourth chapter in Ephesians. Holy Spirit used verses 29 and 30 to re-emphasize the importance of letting “no corrupt word proceed out of (my) mouth,” no matter how subtle that word might be. Of course, there will be times I have to bring correction, but that can always be done with words that edify and impart grace…ALWAYS. Verse 30 explains why I must do that: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.”
If, in fact, my son had made an irresponsible decision with his money, that is not what was going to grieve Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is very confident in His ability to conform my son into the image of Christ. The words that I had first chosen to address the situation were what grieved Him because they were judgment disguised, and they shut the door of my son’s heart when they should have been words of grace which would have opened that door. “(Parents), do not provoke your children to wrath” (Eph. 6:4).
The woman caught in adultery would have not had the ability to “go and sin no more” if she hadn’t first heard the words, “Neither do I condemn you” (John 8:11). If my children or grandchildren hear even the slightest condemnation in my words, I have put them at great risk of further rebellion. They must always hear words that impart grace because only grace plants and waters in a way that crowds out all weeds.
Thankfully, it’s never too late to develop a “green thumb!”
Shari Tyson leads the nursery ministry at Abundant Life Covenant Church.

Coming Back Home

By Craig Sifferman

I’m the last of a dying breed. I have worked for the same company for over 30 years. In January 2008, I received the news that the executive director I directly reported to was moving from the core wire line division of AT&T to the mobility division and would not be replaced. My position was his chief of staff, which meant I didn’t have anyone to report to any longer. Within a few days, I found out I would report as part of the vice president’s staff (the vice president is two steps up from executive director). In the following months, our company began a major transformation, and I felt out of place.

An opportunity became available for me on the mobility side of the business, and having seen my former boss make the move, I felt this was probably a positive direction—and I also had deep concerns about my longevity in the position I was assuming on core wire line. As you know, many customers are “cutting the cord” and going strictly wireless, which means headcount reduction on the core wire line side.  

I prayed and asked the Lord what He would have me do. I was losing my peace regarding my employment and sensed the Lord was letting me know I needed to move to mobility. However, that meant I would be driving 70 miles each way to and from work each day (from Springfield to Joplin, Missouri, and back). I talked to my new vice president, who indicated it was probably a safe move and that things were very uncertain for me where I was.  

As these ideas were birthed, my wife was concerned I was making a decision based on fear rather than faith. I did not receive this from her and was receiving different counsel from another person who told me if I wanted to make the change, I should. I got the job with mobility quickly and started making the drive. 

At first, it was liberating to enter a facility of 600 people that was hiring left and right and had no regard for expense control or headcount reduction. Within about three weeks, however, something down in the pit of my stomach did not feel right. This was not an emotion; it was a shaking of my spirit. Within a few days God showed me the counsel I received did not point me to the Word and the Spirit of God; I didn’t follow the convictions in my spirit. Basically, I listened to the words of a man instead of seeking God on my own and sought that man’s approval rather than God’s. Even though I know God is sovereign and allowed me to go through all these things to deepen my relationship with Him, at the time, I felt I’d made a mistake. I began a downward spiral of emotional turmoil.

Over the next few months, I struggled in every aspect of my being: emotionally, psychologically, physically, socially, and spiritually. Finally, I began to realize God had allowed these events to flush out an error in my faith. God spoke to me deep in my spirit. It was not an audible voice, but it was very clear. I heard Him say, “This did not just happen.” The very next day, He said, “Just wait for it.” I shared this Word from the Lord with the rest of our church during one of our Sunday morning services. I didn’t know everything it meant, but God was beginning to expose my heart, faults and all, and allowing me to return to relying on His Word. 

God showed me this past fall that He was going to return my employment to Springfield, and I would no longer be driving 70 miles each way to work each day. I had no idea how this could possibly happen because the jobs with AT&T back in Springfield were shrinking. One morning during my quiet time with Him, God clearly directed me to check the job postings with AT&T that listed one opening with multiple cities. This typically means the job can be performed from anywhere (virtual location). Sure enough, I found several job postings—one of them was for the staff job reporting directly to the same vice president I had reported to when I left Springfield. There was a very strong witness in my spirit that God had shown me this opening, and I submitted my interest in the job, plus a personal note to the vice president. I had lunch with one of our pastors and discussed what I felt God was showing me. He confirmed in the Scripture that I was hearing from God. With the Scripture and godly counsel, I began to move from faith in God to the faith of God. This was brand new to me as I was encouraged to speak what God was showing me in Scripture, that He “calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Rom. 4:17b). 

             

Within a few weeks, after some work assignment tests and a couple of interviews, I was offered the vice president staff position, which included an extra bonus of not only being able to work from Springfield, but from my home when I want. As an extra surprise, I got a raise. It was such a humbling experience to realize God would actually go to all this trouble for me in order to honor who He is and stay true to His Word. 

The most recent passage of Scripture God showed me starts with something I’ve read and heard a thousand times, but I never read past the first verse. My jaw hit the floor when I read these verses and pretty much found in the Bible exactly what God had planned and done on my behalf (and to further His kingdom)!

             

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity (Joplin). I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you (Joplin),” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile (Springfield)” (Jer. 29:11-14, NIV).    

Craig Sifferman is the Sales Execution Manager-VP with AT&T in Springfield, Missouri.