That’s how Charles Wesley put it. When pondering the amazing love of God for sinners, it seems like a waste of such excellent love. Who can explain such love? Where does it come from? Wesley’s lines are these:

Whence to me this waste of love?
Ask my Advocate above!

How do I speak to my gay friend?

Matt Reagan, an elder at Bethlehem Baptist Church and a staff member with Campus Outreach, spoke on the title of this post after receiving the following email (the name of the woman has been changed):

For those using the 7^th edition of Operation World as a prayer guide for the nations, today marks the beginning of a two week stretch where thousands using this resource will be interceding on behalf of the country of China. As a church, we have global partners serving in China and in the surrounding countries of East Asia, so we would do well to remember these members of our faith family during these fourteen days. 

The term missionary is not typically granted to the Puritans, and there are some reasons for this. However, once English Puritans crossed the Atlantic in the 17^th century, there were some from among their ranks who went outside of the camp and preached the gospel to the Native Americans surrounding them. Those who reached out to these Native Americans did so compelled by the sense of urgency that apart from saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, these Native Americans would suffer an eternity in Hell. One such Puritan was Thomas Mayhew Jr. [1] 

Stuart Scott recently spoke at the Bethlehem Marriage Retreat, and here are 10 excerpts captured by Scott Jamison.

What you say can change a life. I recently read a book (same title as the title of this post) containing 40 stories compiled by Michelle Cox and John Perrodin emphasizing the influence for good of a word spoken in due season.

We tend to forget what we know—like words can destroy. And words can heal. Words can break a heart, or set to flight the imagination.

In the foreword, Jerry Jenkins observes, “So often, the highest praise is the simplest.”

One of our staff recently received this email:

I doubt that Sam will remember this, but when he served on the staff at Brookings Wesleyan Church, their staff team would come and have coffee and meetings at a restaurant I managed. I remember their time in our store primarily from the way they treated my employees. He, and the staff from BWC, had a great reputation with our servers.

We are always displaying our values. Only God knows what small gestures may leave a lingering impression.

I just finished reading Justin Buzzard’s book, Date Your Wife. Let me save you the time of reading it by summarizing it for you here: date your wife. To quote Buzzard, “It’s harder and easier than you think.”

Here are four excerpts:

“Jesus [is] the man who gives us men the grace and the power to be real men in a world of fake men. Jesus doesn’t make men better, he makes them new.”

“If you want to change a marriage, change the man.”

“Dating your wife means to cultivate and guard your wife and your marriage.”

The Twin Cities are a melting pot of diversity. Within our region we have thousands of immigrants from all across the world, and many of these have Middle-Eastern backgrounds. Having been displaced from their homelands, these men and women benefit greatly from Christians opening up their homes to them in order to build relationships and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Vicki Crabtree on her computer at home. The flowers are from someone who loves her.