Gospel Today: Recent Episodes

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What leads a pastor’s son from a small church in Washington State to the war-torn city of Odesa, Ukraine?

In this interview, Caleb Suko shares how God shaped his calling, guided his family through decades of ministry, and taught him to trust Him — from seminary classrooms to air raid sirens.

The post From America To Ukraine first appeared on The Suko Family.

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Two murders have shaken us in recent days. Charlie Kirk was shot and killed in front of thousands as he debated university students in Utah. Iryna Zarutska, a young Ukrainian refugee woman on her way home from work, was murdered on the subway.

Two lives cut short. Two tragedies that remind us that no country, no system, and no human promise can guarantee safety.

The post The Murder of Charlie Kirk and the Idol of Safety first appeared on The Suko Family.

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What drives a Ukrainian pastor to trade his pulpit for the frontlines of war? In this interview, Chaplain Andriy Zalishuk shares his extraordinary journey from pastoring a small church to walking alongside Ukrainian soldiers in the trenches. Hear how missile strikes, destroyed cities, and the cries of refugees motivated him him into chaplain ministries —bringing the hope of Christ to men facing death every day.Learn more about The Gospel Today https://gospeltoday.onlineThe post He Used to Be a Regular Pastor first appeared on The Suko Family.

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In this episode, talk about our transition from ABWE to Gospel Today and do our best to answer your questions. Over the past 20 years, we’ve been blessed with a cohesive team and a ministry focused on evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. We cherish the memories and experiences with ABWE and are excited to continue our mission with The Gospel Today.

In this episode, we address some of the key questions you’ve asked: Why are we making this transition? How will it affect our ministry? What changes can you expect? We assure you that our core focus remains the same—effective evangelism and discipleship. We also discuss the new financial processing through Allegro, ensuring more resources directly support our ministry here in Ukraine.

We introduce our advisory council, a group of dedicated individuals providing guidance and accountability as we navigate this new chapter. We also share our plans for upcoming seminars and our travels to the United States and South America, where we hope to connect with many of you.

Your prayers and support mean the world to us as we embark on this journey. We invite you to listen, engage, and continue to pray for Ukraine and our mission. Together, we can spread the gospel and bring hope to many.

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The post Our Transition to Gospel Today: Answering Your Questions first appeared on The Suko Family.

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Forgiveness is one of the most powerful—and most difficult—acts we are called to as followers of Jesus. This episode explores the deep biblical roots of forgiveness, revealing how unforgiveness poisons relationships, breeds bitterness, and separates us from God. From the Old Testament sacrificial system to Jesus’ words on the cross, this episode walks through key Hebrew and Greek terms for forgiveness, theological insights, and real-life applications. You’ll learn what true forgiveness looks like, why we all desperately need it, and how to both receive and extend it in your daily relationships. Whether you’re holding a grudge or wondering if God could ever forgive you, this episode offers hope and healing.

What is forgiveness?Let’s first look at a few words that are often translated “forgiveness” in the Bible.

כָּפַרTo appease, make atonement, forgive, be merciful. Literally a covering: (reminds us of the covering God gave Adam and Eve in the garden after they sinned)

This is the most common word in the OT that refers to forgiveness. We see it most often in relation to the sacrifices in the Temple. These sacrifices made a “covering” for sin. That is, they didn’t really atone for sin on the heart level but rather were a sign of the need for God to atone for sin. This word shows us that whenever there is sin something must be sacrificed in order to atone for it. Without atonement sin will become something worse. In some contexts this word speaks more directly of God himself miraculously atoning for our sins and purifying our hearts.

Isaiah 6:7 NIV – 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

In this verse we see a beautiful picture of the prophet Isaiah. Here Isaiah is before the throne of God when he realizes his sin and guilt before God. As a picture of the forgiveness that only God can offer, the Seraphim comes to him with a burning coal and touches it to his lips. True atonement and forgiveness from God purifies us from the guilt of sin in our life.

Let me just say here that we all need this forgiveness from God. Isaiah wasn’t some sort of “evil criminal” yet when he was confronted with God’s holiness he was able to clearly see the defiling effects of sin in his life. He realized that he was guilty and had no right to stand before God. One of the reasons that people often don’t even think they need forgiveness is because they go on comparing themselves to other people who are, in their opinion, worse than themselves. When it comes to sin and righteousness there is only one with whom we should compare ourselves and that is the Almighty, All Holy, and All Righteous God. Look to Him and you will certainly feel your need for forgiveness and find a way to obtain that forgiveness.

סָלַחTo forgive, pardon, or spare (Strongs)

This word is the most specific in its meaning. Primarily, we see this as something that God does towards us.

Isaiah 55:7 NIV – 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Here we can see that for forgiveness to happen in our hearts we also must participate. Isaiah instructs us “Let them turn to the LORD.” Without a turning to God there is no real forgiveness. God’s forgiveness requires that we turn to Him. Another word we use for this turning to God is “repentance.” Repentance describes a deep change in mind and heart when we recognize our guilt before God and humbly turn to him and ask for his forgiveness, believing that he can and will forgive us.

How amazing it is to realize that God offers his forgiveness freely to those who seek it with a repentant heart. You don’t have to donate a certain amount of money to the church, you don’t have to repeat some prayer or complete some religious function. Forgiveness is offered free and without regard for race, class, or position.

נָשָׂאTo lift, to bear up (literally), to forgive (figuratively)

This word has the most figurative meaning. Most often it is simply used to describe the action of lifting up the head or the eyes, or something else. However, figuratively it can also describe the idea of our sins being lifted off of us.

Micah 7:18 NIV – 18 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.

What a beautiful thought this is! God’s forgiveness is greater than his judgement! God disapproves of your sin but he is waiting and wanting for you to repent. He loves to forgive and he will forgive. God’s forgiveness teaches us that we do not have to live in fear of an angry God. Yes, he is holy, and powerful, and he can destroy evil, but he is also kind, gentle, and forgiving when we come to him with a repentant heart.

Ἄφεσις/ἀφίημιTo let go, remission, forgiveness / to send away, to leave, to forgive

These two words are very similar in their meaning. The first literally means to release something or to remove it. The second word speaks literally of leaving or sending away. In the context of sin it describes the idea that in forgiveness we are released from the weight of our sin, that sin along with its punishment are released.

Matthew 26:28 KJV – 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

In the New Testament we see this word applied primarily to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. His death and his resurrection are what release us from the power and punishment of sin.

Matthew 6:12, 14-15 KJV – 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. … 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

We also see that this is used in our personal relationships. As people we love to hold on to the sins of others, especially when they have sinned against us. Sometimes it can be very hard to let go of a sin and to forgive someone. How appropriate it is that at the end of the Lord’s prayer we have these words from Jesus about forgiving one another. One thing we see clearly in the Bible is that if you and I have been released from our sins, we must also release those who have sinned against us. A willingness to let go of sins, to forgive those who have sinned against us is one of the greatest sins that God’s grace is working in our lives.

Forgiveness definedAfter looking at theses words in the Bible we can conclude that forgiveness is:

“The release from guilt and punishment from wrong done towards another.”

Biblical forgiveness includes both a relational aspect as well as a judicial aspect. Forgiveness can affect our relationships but can also have a legal aspect

In some cases forgiveness is purely relational. It means simply overlooking an offense in order to restore a relationship. This is most often the case in our personal relationships. If my brother or sister offends me, I don’t have the authority to legally punish them for that offense, but I can withhold my grace and mercy from them, I can give them the cold shoulder, I can treat them with disrespect, I can ignore their presence in my life. But when I forgive, then I chose to treat them with love and care as if they didn’t sin against me. I choose to give them grace, I choose to do what I can to restore my relationship with them.

In other cases forgiveness is judicial. That means a pardon is given and the punishment for the offense is removed. Only individuals with authority can forgive in this way. A judge can grant a pardon for a crime but he can’t restore the relationship between the victim and the criminal.

However, in some cases we see both relational and judicial forgiveness are offered. This can happen only when the person sinned against has the authority to punish. This usually doesn’t happen in the court system. Why? Imagine a criminal murders a child. He gets caught, put in jail and is waiting for trial. A few weeks go by and he’s brought before the judge. When he comes into the courtroom he realizes that the judge has the same last name as the child he murdered. He looks at the judge and the judge looks at him and the Judge says, “Sir, you are on trial for murdering my son!”

What do you think the outcome of that case would be? Most certainly that judge, that father, whose innocent child was murdered would do everything in his power to make sure this murderer received the maximum sentence.

This is the situation God is in. He is the Judge and the one who has been sinned against. If we were in his place we would certainly bring the law down. Yet, God in his great mercy says, “I will forgive!” Only God can say these words and have the legal and moral authority to do it. God wants to pardon us from the punishment from sin and restore our relationship with him!

Why do we need forgiveness?Simply put, we need forgiveness because we have sinned against God and against others. Our sin causes unspeakable damage. God’s forgiveness is the only remedy to the destruction that sin causes.

Sin destroys us

Have you ever met an angry and bitter person? That person lives in a swamp of unforgiveness. That person is more angry and more bitter within themselves than what you can see from the outside.

Hebrews 12:14-15 NIV – 14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

To fall short of God’s grace is to live in the shadow of unforgiveness and bitterness. It means you have somehow failed to understand and accept God’s grace for yourself and as a result you can not and will not give God’s grace to another. The author of Hebrews describes this as a “bitter root.” A bitter root is something that is deep within your heart. It defiles every other aspect of your life.

There are two types of bitter roots that can poison our hearts and distort our understanding of self.

1. Holding a grudge because someone sinned against you and not resolving it.
2. Sinning against others and not resolving it.

Leviticus 19:18 NIV – 18 ” ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

• Bearing a grudge
• Seeking revenge
• Trying to punish with a “cold shoulder”
• Being self-righteous
• All of the above are self-destructive behaviors.

I once heard someone say that unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. Unfortunately, that’s true. Unforgiveness primarily hurts me when I don’t seek it in my relationships.

Both of these distort our view of self. Here are a few signs unforgiveness has poisoned your heart.

1. I always view myself as a victim
2. I am constantly frustrated
3. I am angry and don’t know why
4. I lack peace

A bitter root is just that, it is a root, which means the source is deep down in our hearts. You can’t remove a root by just ripping off the visible part above ground and then shoveling a pile of dirt over the top of it. Eventually, it will sprout again and this time it will grow faster than before. A root must be taken care of below the surface.

The only solution to this kind of bitterness is to lay your pride aside and seek God’s grace once again. Seek it for yourself first. Don’t make your joy, your peace, your wholeness rely on another person’s forgiveness. If that person who sinned against you doesn’t seek forgiveness and restoration, know that you can personally find freedom from that unforgiveness in Christ. If that person whom you sinned against won’t accept your apology, know that Christ does accept you and will forgive you.

Sin destroys our relationships with othersUnfortunately, sin is part of every relationship. People often don’t recognize the destruction sin does in their relationships. One of the reasons they don’t recognize it is because we all tend to see the sin of another clearer than our own sin.

I once heard it said that sin is the garbage of a relationship. You must take it out often and regularly. If you don’t, your house will start to smell. Eventually, that garbage will attract all kinds of terrible critters into your home and your home will be ruined.

We must learn to take out the garbage in our relationships by learning to forgive quickly, and by having an attitude of forgiveness with each other.

Ephesians 4:32 NIV – 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

The main reason we often find it so hard to forgive others is because we fail to realize how much God has forgiven us. Self-righteousness is a barrier to forgiveness that can only be broken down through humility and admitting our own sin to God. Once I have done this, forgiving others becomes much easier.

Sadly, many people would rather stand firm and stand alone in their self-righteousness rather than forgive and allow others to have good close relationships with them. The simple act of forgiveness is one that can save marriages, heal families, and create harmony around us.

Sin destroyed our relationship with GodMost significantly our sin has separated us from God and does not allow us to have a life giving relationship with him. God is our Creator, our Heavenly Father, he gives us life and he alone gives us the moral standard for our lives. Thus, every sin you or I commit are first and foremost against God himself.

After King David sinned by having an affair with Uriah’s wife and then murdering Uriah. He came to God in repentance.

Psalm 51:4 NIV – 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

Because all our sin is first against God, all sin destroys our relationship with God. Thus the only way to have a relationship with God is by restoration through forgiveness.

How do we get forgiveness?We have all in one way or another sinned against others. We have disobeyed our parents, said unkind things to our siblings, stolen or cheated someone. We may have done worse, but the point is that we are all guilty of sinning against another person. In order to get forgiveness we must have a repentant heart, that is, we must change our heart attitude about what we did, and we must seek and ask for forgiveness.

This can be a very difficult thing to do and, frankly, it doesn’t always work. Sometimes the other party is willing to forgive, sometimes they’re not. Sometimes that person is no longer in our lives, or maybe they have passed away and it is impossible to seek forgiveness from them. While we can’t always be forgiven by those we have sinned against, we can always find God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

The power for all forgiveness comes through Jesus Christ. Peter explains is clearly at the end of his sermon to the Jews after Jesus ascended to heaven.

Acts 2:38 NIV – 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Repentance is the process of humbly turning in faith to Jesus Christ, believing he and only he can offer you true forgiveness and eternal life.

John also puts it this way:

1 John 1:9 NIV – 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Confession doesn’t mean going to some priest but, rather, honestly acknowledging your sin before God. When we come to God in faith and repentance, we can be sure that he will forgive us.

How do we give forgiveness?Receiving God’s forgiveness is wonderful and beautiful but what about giving it? This also an important part of our Christian faith. Remember we read from Jesus prayer, “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” If we have been forgiven then we have a responsibility to forgive others as well.

Peter asked Jesus a question about forgiveness. He wanted to know if there were some limits on how much or how often we should forgive others.

Matthew 18:21-35 NIV – 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

How glad and thankful we are that God’s forgiveness is limitless and free! Yet, it’s ironic how we often want to limit our forgiveness of others. Peter probably thought he was being generous by offering to forgive someone seven times. After all, if they have to ask that many times, then they probably aren’t really sincere, right? Unfortunately, Peter was looking at the wrong side of the equation. Instead of looking at it in comparison to the forgiveness he had received from God he was viewing himself as the righteous defender of justice who had been overly merciful.

We can save several things about our responsibility to forgive based upon Jesus’ teaching.

1. We must always be ready to forgive
2. We must forgive quickly
3. We must forgive repeatedly

If we put these three things together we see that we must live with a constant attitude of forgiveness.

According to Jesus’ teaching here we must always be ready to forgive others, even if we suspect that they are not sincere. You see, we don’t see the heart like God does and we are not called to judge the motivations of the heart. In the end it’s much simpler to forgive than it is to hold back your forgiveness. How freeing it will be to your own heart to let go of the offense and let God take care of it.

We should mention here that in this context Jesus is talking about offenses in personal relationships. He isn’t saying that the court system should just open up all the jails and let the criminals out into the streets just because they asked for forgiveness. Here Jesus is speaking about relational forgiveness. The State has a right and responsibility to punish crimes. Also in this we must use wisdom. We can and should forgive people who have harmed us. However, if that person presents a real danger and is still struggling with a certain sin, then we should take wise precautions. We might not put them in a place where they could easily commit the same sin again. We might not have the same close relationship with them as before. Yet, even then our hearts ought to be ready to forgive.

Questions to reflect on1. Have I received God’s forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ? 2. Am I bearing a grudge against anyone? 3. Have I offended anyone and not taken care of the matter? 4. Do I live with an attitude of forgiveness to those around me?

The post What Is Forgiveness? first appeared on The Suko Family.

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Our ministry has changed a lot since the start of the full scale invasion. Like it or now the conditions around you can have a powerful negative or positive affect on how you share the gospel. Here are a few ways that I see the conditions of war have changed how the gospel message goes out.

We must say, however, that the content of the gospel message never changes. Nevertheless, our methods, approaches, and attitudes about the gospel can change drastically.

1. War Tests the GospelVerse: 1 Peter 1:6–7 (NIV)

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Mat 13:20-21 (NIV)

20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. –

• • War strips away comforts — It reveals whether we truly trust in Christ or in our circumstances.
  • Faith becomes visible — In times of fear and loss, authentic faith stands out and shines as a testimony.
  • Heroes of the faith are born – Some of the most unlikely people are shown to have extraordinary faith.
  • Superficial belief is exposed — War reveals the difference between cultural Christianity and true discipleship.
• War Focuses the Gospel Message

Verse: Hebrews 12:18–28 (NIV)

18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken–that is, created things–so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

• Distractions fall away — In war, entertainment, politics, and possessions lose their grip. Eternity comes into focus.
• Urgency increases — People are more open to truth when death and judgment are near.
• The gospel’s core is clarified — Not “your best life now,” but “eternal life through Christ.”
• Secondary theological issues -Theological debates that can often separate Christian in peace time tend to become meaningless in war time.
• War Makes the Gospel Practical

Verse: James 2:15–17 (NIV)

15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

• The gospel is lived, not just preached — Acts of mercy, aid, and compassion validate our message.
• Christians become the hands and feet of Jesus — Showing God’s love through sacrifice and service.
• Discipleship happens in the rubble — Ministry to the suffering creates opportunities for deep, lasting transformation.
• War Makes the Gospel About God

New Verse: Ezekiel 36:22–23 (NIV)

22 “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

• War makes ministry empire building difficult – In war time you don’t have the stability to build large facilities and create huge ministry infrastructure.
• God saves for His name’s sake — The gospel is not about making us feel better, but about magnifying God’s holiness and mercy.
• War reveals that God is the hero, not us — When everything collapses, the gospel points to God’s power, not human ability.
• The nations will know — War spreads the gospel not to make our name great, but to display God’s glory among the nations.
• War advances the Gospel by destroying fear

Verse: Philippians 1:12-14 (NIV)

12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

• The fear of death – War time teaches us not to fear the destruction of bullets and bombs.
• New doors open — War displaces people, bringing unreached individuals into contact with believers.
• The gospel crosses barriers — Denominations, cultures, and nations are united under Christ in crisis.
• Testimonies multiply — Suffering believers become bold witnesses, and their stories carry deep credibility. The post How Wartime Changes The Gospel first appeared on The Suko Family.

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This video clip that recently went viral hit close to home—literally. I’ve been on this road multiple times. It wasn’t me in the footage, but I’ve lived through the very same kind of attack. The truth is, the Russians did try to kill me. They tried to kill everyone who was in the car with me. They failed, by the grace of God. But the experience taught me something significant, and I believe it’s important to share it—not for sympathy or praise—but to shine light on the truth of what’s happening in Ukraine.

This is not a political message or the opinion of a an armchair warrior. This is a firsthand account from some who lives in Ukraine.

A Human SafariIn the city of Kherson, there’s a chilling term locals have started to use: “Human Safari.” That’s literally what Russians are doing as they hunt down civilians with their drones. They don’t care if it’s men, women, children, the elderly. Anyone is fair game.

The videos are often proudly posted on Russian social media, set to heavy metal music, with gloating commentary. But for Ukrainians, it’s not a game—it’s terror.

You can easily see that the van in the clip I share is not military. It was evacuating civilians, mainly elderly people who have been left behind and find themselves now targets of twisted Russian game of human safari.

My ExperienceLast year, I was in that exact area—just a block from where the video was filmed—visiting a local pastor, Pastor Oleg. We knew he Russians were just on the other side of the river. Still, it was calm when we arrived.

When we arrived Pastor Oleg came out to greet me and asked, “Didn’t you get my message?”
“What message?” I asked.
“The Russians just bombed three cars, 150 yards from here.”

I hadn’t received his message because I had shut my phone down for security reasons in that area.

We quickly headed into the house for relative safety, sat down talked a bit and prayed. As we did, the explosions began and then grew louder and closer. We waited for a lull, then I told my those with me “Let’s go. Now. Straight to the car. No lingering outside”

We jumped into the car and started driving. Just 100 yards down a dirt road, we saw an elderly woman sitting beside the road, her hand bloodied from a drone attack just minutes ago. Smoke was still rising from the middle of the street. I hesitated. Turn right or go straight? I’d been both ways before. I don’t know why, but something prompted me to turn right.

Seconds later, the Russians dropped an explosive right where we would have been if I’d gone straight. Just 30 yards from us. I didn’t realize it but a drone had been following our van directly above us, they were targeting us.

We were not military. We didn’t look like military. We were just civilians trying to leave. But they had a drone on us, and they tried to kill us.

Evil on DisplayThis is evil—pure, deliberate evil. And it comes from a worldview that has no value for human life. Civilians as disposable, they are nothing more than soft targets. People sometimes say, “Oh, Russia and Ukraine are similar.” I beg to differ. I’ve seen the difference. I’ve felt the difference.

The Bible doesn’t shy away from describing this kind of evil. In Psalm 10, David writes:

“He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for his victims…
He catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.”

That’s exactly what we’re experiencing. Drones watch from above, ambush the helpless, and strike.

Later in the Psalm, David cries:

“Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.”

That’s our prayer. And that’s what we ask of you too.

The Church’s RoleOur role as Christians is not military. But it is spiritual. And spiritual battles are real in war. Evil doesn’t just destroy homes and bodies—it poisons hearts and minds.

If the Church remains silent, the darkness creeps deeper. But when we preach hope of Jesus, when we offer compassion, when we serve in Christ’s name, we fight back. Pastor Oleg, even after losing both of his vehicles and his home to drone strikes, continues to serve in a relatively safer part of the city. He’s giving hope, sharing the gospel, and shining light in the darkness.

Every war has deep spiritual implications and that is true for what is happening in Ukraine. People can easily grow bitter, angry, and hateful when they experience such evil against them. That is why Ukraine needs the Church and the redemptive hope of the gospel now more than ever. In the end Hope is more powerful than terror, and the love of Christ is greater than the hate of Russians towards the Ukrainian people.

Why Support Ukraine?Because it’s not just a political issue—it’s a gospel issue.

Despite what some say, the truth is Ukraine still has tremendous religious freedom. We can still share the gospel here without fear of government persecution. But if Russia fully occupies this land, that freedom will vanish. Churches will be closed. I would be forced to leave and the freedom to preach the gospel would dwindle away.

So yes—pray for Ukraine. Yes—stand with Ukraine. But also, support the spread of the gospel here. That’s how we win. That’s how light pushes back against the darkness.

From someone who has lived through it: please do not forget the helpless!

The post The Russians Tried to Kill Me | Firsthand Account from Kherson, Ukraine first appeared on The Suko Family.

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Recently, I’ve heard claims—mainly from conservative media in the West—suggesting that the Ukrainian government is persecuting churches. Is this true?In this video, I share firsthand insight into Ukraine’s religious freedoms, the constitutional protection of faith, and the real reason behind the 2023 law concerning churches tied to Moscow.

While Ukraine remains a country where religious freedom is protected, the situation in Russian-occupied territories is completely different. I share the story of my friend, Pastor Alexander Safetnikov, who was brutally beaten by Russian forces simply for his faith. His story is just one of many, as Russian occupation has led to the targeting, imprisonment, and even murder of evangelical believers.

If you have questions about what’s happening in Ukraine, let me know in the comments! I want to provide clear, unbiased answers from someone who is living here and experiencing it firsthand.

The post Persecution of Christians in Ukraine first appeared on The Suko Family.

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America is in an identity crisis. People are searching for their identity and going to all kinds of drastic measures to change their identity in the desperate hope that with a new identity they will finally overcome their feelings of depression, anger, frustration, and lack of self-worth. .

You can simply look at some of the best selling books to find evidence for this. Last year the book “Untamed” was published by Glennon Doyle and has remained in the top 5 on the New York Times best seller list for 68 weeks straight. The book is a memoir that describes how she, a discontent wife and mother of 3, in her late 30’s suddenly falls for a woman, realizes she’s lesbian, divorces her husband and starts a new life with a new identity. The tagline of the book says “This is how you find yourself.”

Unfortunately, her story represents millions of Americans.

But what do we see when we go back to the founding fathers of the United States? Where did they find an identity for a new nation. We discover that there was no question in their minds about the identity of the United States because they based that identity upon a strong and unwavering faith in God.

John Adams the 2nd president of the US speaks about this foundation of faith in a letter to Thomas Jefferson

“The general Principles, on which the Fathers Achieved Independence, were the only Principles in which, that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite, and these Principles only could be intended by them in their Address, or by me in my Answer. And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all those Sects were United: And the general Principles of English and American Liberty, in which all those young Men United, and which had United all Parties in America, in Majorities Sufficient to assert and maintain her Independence.

Now I will avow, that I then believed, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God: and that those Principles of Liberty, are as unalterable as human Nature and our terrestrial, mundane System.”

Sadly, those “immutable” principles of Christianity and the existence and attributes of God are quickly fading today in the USA. What many don’t realize is that when belief in the truth of God’s identity is lost, we also lose our own identity. Personal identity crises will always follow a public faith catastrophe. That is to say when the common population rejects God, the individual is left with no means to understand his existence and will resort to all new, strange, and extreme ways to obtain a meaningful identity apart from God.

Another way we could look at it is like this, all identity crises are really about losing the identity of God, not of self! Find God and you will find yourself! Loose God and you will lose yourself! This is why God begins his very first written words to his chosen people with:

Exodus 20:2-3 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

God was creating a new people and their identity would be the foundation for their nation. God knew that if their identity was not grounded in the nature of God himself then it would sooner or later veer off track. God’s very first words were words that clearly, uniquely, and undisputedly identified himself as God and God alone!

If you don’t get anything else out of this sermon I want you to understand and to do one thing. Stop searching for your identity, stop looking for that elusive change you think you need to make in order to fulfill your desires and longings. Stop going to extremes to change your body, your lifestyle, you dress, or your home, or something else in search of identity. None of these things will ever bring you fulfillment and lasting identity. Stop searching for your identity and start searching for God because when you find him you will find your true identity.

What happens when a nation or group of people lose the truth of who God is?

2Ki 17:15 They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the LORD had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

It is no surprise that those who are seeking an identity in themselves and for themselves struggle with self worth. Millions in the US struggle with feelings of worthlessness. Without the infinite value of God they are forced to dig within themselves to find value. They will find all kinds of things within themselves if they go looking for it but they will never find the infinite value of an everlasting, everloving, and everable God.

Paul describes what it looks like when people turn from the truth of God’s identity and instead pursue their own passions.

Romans 1:21-28

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator–who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

Always at the forefront of the loss of identity is sexual deviance and confusion. Why? Because your sex/gender is a core aspect of your unchangeable God given identity. Furthermore procreation, marriage and family are also divinely ordered elements of our society and a Biblical part of our God given identity. To live according to my god given gender, the nature that God gave me is to acknowledge that someone or something else has sovereignty in my life, because I didn’t choose the gender I was born with and I can’t change the gender I was born with.

The existence of family itself is a testimony to God’s order, God’s plan, and God’s control of our lives. Thus, it is no surprise that when a society rejects the identity of God, rejects the authority of God, and rejects the sovereignty of God they will simultaneously reject the natural gender God has given them and the order he has put within creation.

Man will go to all means and all methods to become his own creator and then worship himself!

So how did American culture in particular get to this point of identity crisis? It is vital for the Church to understand where the thinking of the country is today. This identity crisis has in a big way crept into the church. We must identify it’s mistaken claims of truth and counteract them with what the Bible says. This is vital for each of us lest we also are caught up in the futile search for identity. It is vital for parents, in order to give their children a foundation upon which they can build their lives. And finally, it is vital for the gospel. We must understand that any presentation of the gospel must confront these new realities of American popular thinking. Let’s look at three popular American lies that are at the root of this rejection of the truth of God’s identity and his sovereignty in our lives, and that have led to America’s identity crisis.

Lie #1 You are good! You are good Truth: only God is good. Luke 18:18-19We moved to Tacoma in 1999 where we found a little apartment across the street from Wright Park. The following summer a group of young people spent the summer months attacking unsuspecting victims after dark and beating them until they were unconscious. On August 19, 2000 they attacked Erik Toews as he walked through Wright Park after dark on his way home from work. They did it just for the fun of it, they beat him beyond recognition with their fists, knees and a croquet club. 8 youths were arrested, including an 11 year old, two 12 year olds and a 13 year old. After the youths were apprehended the news media interviewed one of the mothers and I remember her in tears saying, “My son really has a good heart.” I thought to myself, has she gone crazy? How does she define evil, bad? Do you have to murder two, three, four or more people before you become evil?

That’s an extreme example but the sentiment in our nation is prevailing. We are not bad people doing evil things, but rather we are good people who sometimes make mistakes. Let’s make no mistake, these are not mistakes, they are crimes, sins, and they are evil. They are evil because man is evil!

Luke 18:18-19

18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone.

When we tell someone he is good no matter how he thinks or behaves then one of two things will happen when he does something that is obviously wrong.

1. He will see himself as an exception to any rule or law that he has broken. What might not be acceptable for others is acceptable for him because he knows that he is a good person, so he would never willingly do something bad. Thus, if he did it, it is justified for him alone.
2. If the individual cannot deny the sinfulness or the badness of what he has done is so obvious that there is no way of justifying it, then he will simply point the finger at someone else. So stealing, rioting, looting, and disregard for law and order are not the individual’s fault, rather those who are engaging in such sinful and illegal activities are simply victims of society. Thus, a “good” person does bad things only because he or his group is victimized by others. This method of justification is as old as sin itself.

Gen 3:11-12

11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me–she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

Personal responsibility and admission of personal guilt when it comes to sin is rare these days but we need to return to this vital understanding. Without it we become an unmanageable society of “good” people who do bad things and blame other groups, other races, and other individuals for their personal sin.

The way out isn’t a comfortable one, it’s one of personal repentance before the cross of Christ. Yes, there is good news here and the good news is that God is good. You can stop relying on your own “goodness” God’s goodness is deeper, wider, higher, and greater than yours. And, yes, you are sinner, but God’s goodness can overcome that sin when you turn to the greatest good which is Jesus’ sacrificial death upon the cross for you and me.

Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We need to return in our thinking, and in our practice to the idea of the sinfulness of man.

Lie #2 You can do anything Motivational speaker Tony Robbins tells his eager success oriented listeners that they can get anything they want if they follow his simple 5 step formula. 4 out of his 5 steps are about asking others for what you want and the final step is “ASK UNTIL YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT!” Wow, that sounds like all my kids when they were 4-5 years old! He then exhorts them, “Belief in failure is a way of poisoning the mind.” says Robbins who divorced his wife of nearly 15 years so that he could pursue his own fulfillment.

The no limits mindset that many young people have today is like heroin for the soul. It convinces people that not only can they do anything but that they have a right to do anything. This destructive mindset leads people down a path of moral compromise justified by the belief that “I can do anything.” Ultimately, the conviction that I can do anything is the natural and logical conclusion when we put ourselves in the place of God.

Ultimately, you can’t do anything, and that’s a good thing!

Remember the young man who thought he was so good? He came to Jesus and ask what other good thing he might do to get into the Kingdom of Heaven?

Truth: only God can do anything Luke 18:26-27

Luk 18:26-27

26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

1. You are limited and in need of God’s power
   1. You have limited time to live
   2. You have limited strength
   3. You have limited knowledge
2. God knows your limitations and has compassion

[Psa 103:13-17 NIV] 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children–

How much better it is to humbly acknowledge the boundaries God has created for us and put our trust in a limitless God. You are finite but God is infinite!

Lie #3 Follow your heart / be true to yourself I don’t believe there is a popular philosophy out there today that has caused more pain and destruction in relationships than this one. Nearly every divorce has this theme in it.

It sounds like this:

“I have to do what’s right for me”

“I’m not going to put aside my happiness for the sake of another’s happiness”

“Listen to that little voice from within”

“Do what makes you happy”

These all have the same root, they find the driving, guiding life force from within. This is akin to getting in a car, sitting behind the wheel, stepping on the gas and then taking your hands off the wheel.

“Let the car guide us, it knows best where it should go.”

This is ludicrous. We all know that a car must have guidance or it will simply end up in a ditch. Yet, this is how many parents approach child raising, and this is how many adults approach their own lives. They have no guidance system beyond their personal whims and emotional swings. Today they want one thing but tomorrow the same thing no longer satisfies them so they discard it for the next thing. They are following a fluid point and thus they become fluid. They are fluid in their jobs, fluid in their relationship, and fluid in their gender. Isn’t fluid just another way to describe instability, unfaithfulness, and lack of direction?

Our lives demand a point of reference to follow that is unchanging. A point that can’t be moved by emotions, politics, finances, relationships, or sickness. We need a point to follow that is worth following because it offers us something that is far more valuable than our very lives. We need a point to follow that is outside of ourselves and that will bring ourselves inline with it’s goodness, and grace. We need a point to follow that will give us hope so great that we can confidently follow that point to the grave and beyond.

Truth: you are lost and need to follow Christ Mark 8:34

[Mar 8:34-37 NIV] 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Only God offers us true direction through Christ and his cross!

Conclusion:1. We need to check our own hearts. 1. Find your identity in Christ and not in self 2. Seek goodness in God and not in self 3. Trust in God’s ability to do all things and not in self 4. Follow the cross of Christ and not selfish desires 2. We need to help others deal with the real issues 1. We need to stop sidestepping these issues. Our silence is acceptance. 2. The real issue isn’t gender and sexuality but rather correctly identifying the one true God! 3. We need to focus their attention of the truth of God’s goodness, God’s greatness, and God’s grandeur 4. We need to allow them to see how understanding God’s identity will bring stability and clarity to their own identity problems. 5. We need to bring them back to the truth claims of God’s Word

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Unfortunately, as you look around our world it is not hard to find people who are rich, famous, in places of power, and over all who seem to be enjoying the “good life” yet they are also evil and have no fear of God. They say what they want and they do what they want. They seem to live on their own terms. Not only do their lives go against God and his Word but often they threaten the lives of those who are poor, who are in difficult circumstances and yet who honor God.

This type of injustice can be found in any nation at any time. Evil men who are well off who do evil things to good people who are in difficult circumstances. We have seen this scenario many times throughout history. Evil and powerful people doing terrible things to poor and God fearing people.

Many of us may have experienced such situations in our personal lives as well. Maybe it was a bully at your school growing up. Maybe it was someone one at your work who threatened you, who made your life tough, who was out to get you no matter what. These are the real life situations that who often find ourselves in and they can cause us to ask questions.

“God why does it seem like the wicked prosper while we suffer?”

The other questions that we can ask is, “How should I react when the wicked are threaten me and I have no means to stop them”

Today we are looking at Psalm 37 where we find that David often dealt with these same questions. This theme comes up often in the book of Psalms, we can also see it clearly in Psalm 10 and Psalm 73. I recommend that you read through those psalms later.

Introduction to Psalm 37We tend to think of Psalms as just being a hymn or a worship song. While this is true, many psalms also have the character of wisdom literature. Here we find a psalm that has a lot in common with the book of Proverbs. In fact it looks like Solomon quotes the first 2 verses of this psalm word for word in Proverbs 24:19-20. In this Psalm we find short and powerful statements of wisdom. We also see clear instructions for how we should view the world, how we should think about wicked people, and how we should react in these situations. The wisdom of the Proverbs can often be described as the skill of seeing the end at the beginning and in this Psalm this is exactly what we see.

If we were to sum up the message of this psalm we could say two things.

1. The success of the wicked is temporary but
2. The blessing of the righteous in permanent

It’s application is thus:

1. Don’t worry about wicked people
2. Trust in the Lord

This is a very simple way to look at it but sometimes that can be helpful for us as we take a step back and look at our own lives in contrast to the lives of the wicked.

As we go through this text today I want to focus on 10 ways in which the righteous should react to the success and the threat of the wicked.

What you shouldn’t do!The first two imperatives are negative, this is because generally as humans we react negatively to the success of the wicked. Before we can step in faith and walk the way God has planned for us we must first rid ourselves of these negative reactions.

Do not worry about wicked people (v1)Psalm 37:1-2 NIV – 1 Of David. Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

I want you to notice how clear, how strong, and how straightforward David is here. He leaves no room for doubt. We are stopped in our tracks and told to stop. Also note that this is an unusual beginning for a psalm. Most psalms begin by addressing God, “Praise the Lord.” Thus, from the first line of this Psalm we can see that it has a unique nature. This is a Psalm that is more addressed to the individual, to you and me. So we better pay attention. This first line is an imperative for you and for me!

What does it mean to fret? The Hebrew word here literally means “to burn” or “to glow” and it is often used to describe anger, especially God’s anger against the wicked. However, in the context of this psalm and also in the proverbs we see it being used more to describe someone who is getting worked up because of the evil deeds of another.

It may include an aspect of fear, anger, anxiety, and frustration. The idea is that this wicked person is getting us worked up and hot in mind and in our spirit. We have no peace because of what they are doing. We can not relax our mind and we can not calm ourselves down. Yet, at the same time there is really nothing in our power that we can do to stop that person.

I have to tell you that these feelings have crossed the surface of my heart as I thought about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. “Why Putin, are you causing us such stress?” Yet, there is nothing I can do to change the situation.

Do you have any situations in your life where you are preoccupied with frustrated thoughts, worries, anger, fear over something someone else is doing? If so then you need to take a step back and you need to put down your fretting and change your focus. A little later we will look at how we should change our focus.

Do not be envious of evil people (v1)There is a second common reaction when we see evil people living wickedly and that is that sometimes it looks enticing to us. They seem to be enjoying life to the fullest. They have the all the money, all the sex, all the entertainment, and all the power. Those can be very tempting. If we are not careful we can start to quietly envy their lives. We can start to think, “if only I had one tenth of what he or she has.” These are dangerous thoughts and powerful temptations that we must recognize and we must put a stop to!

Envy and jealousy are terrible poisons for our soul. Just a few verses later David tells us:

…do not fret—it leads only to evil. Psalm 37:8

Envy produces within us other terrible things like discontentment, frustration, anger, and can even lead to violence and murder. Envy led Cain to murder his brother, envy motivated Joseph’s brothers to throw him in a pit and then sell him. We must be careful not to allow envy’s poison to enter our hearts, it will slowly poison our minds and lead us to places we thought we would never go. Envy will rob us of our joy and exchange it for bitterness and discontentment.

What we need in order to avoid the fretting and especially the envy is a little of God’s perspective. This is what we get in verse two.

“For like grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.” Psalm 37:2

This is why eternal perspective is so vital for us. It puts the end and the beginning together. When we look at the wicked, we see only the pleasures they are enjoying now. We can not see their end yet. God’s Word helps us to foresee their future. Their wealth will end, their power will end, their entertainment will end. Every good thing that the wicked has is a temporary thing and it will sooner or later be taken from them.

Here are a few reasons why we should not envy the lifestyles of the wicked.

1. Luxury doesn’t equal happiness
2. They’re not as happy as they look
3. All their good things are temporary
4. Envy is destructive to your own soul
5. Goodness that comes from God is forever

Trust in the LORD (v3)Psalm 37:3 NIV – 3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

David doesn’t spend a lot of time on the negative imperatives. He quickly directs our attention to the positive things we need to be doing. We can find at least seven positive commands in the psalm. What that tells me is that for those who have faith in God, we are so busy looking to Him, trusting Him, serving Him, praising Him, enjoying His goodness, that we hardly have time to be worried about the wicked or to envy their lifestyle.

Truly, the righteous man will not envy the wicked because he has experienced and is experiencing God’s continual overflowing blessings of grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness in his life! This all starts at one simple point in our lives. TRUST. Yes, we say it a lot and maybe sometimes it sounds like we are overdoing it but we are not. Trust, is what God’s Word comes back to again and again.

When the wicked seem to succeed, when they threaten our lives, when they have all the power, all the money, and all the fun, God wants us to trust him fully, faithfully, and freely! Friends please don’t ignore this simple and vital truth. Trusting God isn’t simply a theoretical, theological idea that is thrown around to make us sound spiritual. Trusting God has real life application!

We can see three aspects to how our trust in God should be worked out in daily life there.

1. Do good: True trust in God always results in obedience to His commands
2. Dwell in the land: This is speaking of living within the god-given boundaries for your life. The Israelites were told to dwell in the land that God promised them. However, they didn’t get that land without a fight. For some of them this was too much, they would rather live outside of God’s promises than fight for them. God has given each of us boundaries for life. He has told us how we should and shouldn’t live, yet the life of obedience and righteousness doesn’t come without a fight. If you’re going to dwell within your god-given boundaries then you’d better be ready to fight for them. This also is an act of trust!
3. Enjoy safe pasture: This is the promise God gives us. When I trust God, when I choose obedience, when I fight to live within my god-given boundaries, then I can have all the confidence in the world, knowing God is with me, God is for me, and God will give me safety!

Take delight in the LORD (v4)Psalm 37:4 NIV – 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Now we come to a verse that it seems everyone loves to quote. Wow, we get delight and we get the desires of our heart all in one verse. Certainly, there is truth here, a very encouraging and hopeful truth. Yet, let us be careful not to look at this verse apart from its context. You see, our delights and our desires need to be seen within the context of trust and obedience (verse 3) and on the other side, commitment (verse 4).

So we can’t just take this verse and start clapping our hands in delight and tell God that the desire of our heart is to have a million dollars! No, it doesn’t work that way! We must first bring our hearts, our minds and our life in line with God’s Word! We must trust God in everything, we must not envy the wicked, we must learn to fight to live within God’s will. It is then that God begins to work within us to create new, godly desires and these desires he will always fulfill.

What does it mean to delight in the Lord? “To be soft or pliable… or luxurious” (Strongs)

It conveys the idea of putting on a soft garment that feels luxurious and pleasant to the skin. This is in fact a good illustration because when we delight in the LORD it is truly like putting on a garment that covers us wholly, makes us feel comfortable, and yet also provides protection from the elements.

Yet in our world there will always be false delights and true delights. We can easily be deceived to think that the lifestyle of the wicked is a delight. Yes, there are the temporary pleasures of sin, the temporary excitement from doing what makes us “feel good” but is this really delight? It is a false delight, it is like a sour candy with a sugary layer on the outside. That sugar will disappear fast and then you will just be left with sour!

So how do we change our delight? By changing our focus, our faith, and feet!

• Focus: We just choose to look to God, to learn about him, and to praise him
• Faith: We must trust that his way will lead us away from death and toward life
• Feet: We must begin to act upon God’s commands and do what is right no matter how difficult or what other people are doing or telling us to do.

Commit your way to the LORD (v5)This brings us naturally to David’s next imperative for us. He calls us to commit our way to the Lord. We briefly discussed a similar verse in Psalm 31 last Sunday.

Psalm 31:5 NIV – 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, LORD, my faithful God.

Of course the idea of commiting involves a lot of trust. Trusting God is an important prerequisite to committing your way to Him. Nevertheless, the kind of commitment that we see here goes above and beyond generally trusting the LORD.

To commit is to intentionally make a decision to bring all your life under His authority, His protection, and His will. This is very important for us to do. When we do this we give ourselves confidence in God Himself. We give ourselves a foundation upon which we can build our lives.

There are a lot of similarities to marriage here. Why do we have wedding vows, why do we have a marriage ceremony, why do we have witnesses and make a big deal out of all these things. Because commitment matters! All the things we do when someone gets married adds value to the commitment, it makes it real and tangible, it tells us that this is something that should never change.

What about our commitment to God? Have you committed your life to God? In a way this is what we do when we are baptized. We show the world that we believe and we are committed to living for God. In difficult times, in times when we have questions this kind of commitment gives us stability and assurance.

Be still before the LORD (v7)Psalm 37:7 NIV – 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Oh how we need stillness in today’s world of non-stop activity. We have learned to always have something turned on, some media, some audio, some video. Sometimes we gauge our life by the level of activity. We go here, we go there, we don’t have time to sit and be quiet any more. This is the curse of modern life, this is the curse of the city and of our habits.

One of the most common results of anxiety is constant movement of the body and the brain. Someone who is very anxious can’t stay still for long. They will pace the room. If they sit they will shake their leg or fiddle with their fingers? Why? Because there is a nagging feeling that they need to do something, they need to control the situation.

The practice of stillness puts us in a vulnerable position. It’s hard to be still when we feel there is a threat. To be still is to recognize God’s sovereignty and control in our lives. It is to realize that there are very few factors that we have any control or influence over and many many factors in our life that we have no control over. It is the calmness that comes when we put those uncontrollable factors in the hands of God!

Ultimately, the stillness that David is talking about here is primarily a stillness of mind and spirit. This is the peace of God that is uniquely available to all who have their faith securely resting in Jesus Christ.

John 14:27 NIV – 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Refrain from anger (v8)Psalm 37:8 NIV – 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret–it leads only to evil

Although there is such a thing as righteous anger, it seems that David is speaking of an anger that resembles personal revenge. We can also see this anger as part of the fretting that was mentioned in verse one, we see it here again in verse 8, “do not fret.” Remember that the word “fret” literally means “to glow.” Often it was a word used in combination with the word anger.

What David is saying is that we should not allow our emotions to carry us away in these situations. As Christians we must learn to recognize our emotions and to direct them properly. Last week I talked about David’s emotions and mentioned that emotions are not wrong in and of themselves. It’s what we do with them, how we react to them that makes the difference. We can do nothing and allow the emotions of anger, anxiety, frustration grow. They will eventually take hold of us, they will control us. Or we can recognize the emotion and began to direct our mind and our heart towards God.

To refrain is to put limitations on something. How do we put limitations on anger, wrath, and worry?

1. By refusing to act upon them
2. By bringing them to God
3. By directing our mind to truths of Scripture
4. By taking time for stillness before God
5. By remembering what God has done for us in the past

Turn from evil and do good (v27)Now here’s some simple advice that we can all use!

• Is it difficult? Do good!
• Is it stressful? Do good!
• Is it dangerous? Do good!
• Is it unclear? Do good!
• Is it painful? Do good!

Oh how we need the faith to do good in all circumstances. It may seem over simplified but this is really the key. Goodness, God’s goodness is what we really need. We need it not just as an idea but as an action in our lives. The Christian should always know what to do, he just needs to do the next good thing!

The word “good” is the Hebrew word “tov.” It is the same word used to describe God’s creation! “He said, ‘It is good’”

Here are a few other ways this word can be translated: pleasant, agreeable, excellent, rich, appropriate, becoming, glad, happy, prosperous, kind, right.

These adjectives should describe our actions and reactions in difficult times. So take some time to look around you. How can you begin to do good, to whom can you be pleasant, kind, glad…?

Hope in the LORD (v34)Psalm 37:34 NIV – 34 Hope in the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

As come towards the end of the psalm we see an exhortation to hope in the Lord. Where there is hope there is life, there is motivation, and there is progress. Without hope, all is lost. Our emotions can leave us hopeless at times and that is why it is so important to keep our hope in the LORD at the center of our souls.

Romans 8:23-25 NIV – 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

What does it mean to hope in the LORD?

1. I am confident in his abilities
2. I believe in his forgiveness
3. I trust in his salvation
4. I stand on his promises for this life and the future
5. I look with eagerness towards eternity

Consider the blameless (v37)Psalm 37:37 NIV – 37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace.

David started with calling us to change our focus, to no longer fret over the wicked or envy them. He then called us to turn our focus to God Himself and now he directs our focus back to a different group of people, “The blameless.” Who are the blameless? They are those who have put their trust in God and received forgiveness and now their lives are examples of His grace?

Why should we look at the blameless? Because their testimonies are powerful encouragements and reminders of God’s faithfulness.

How can we look at the blameless? We can read their stories in God’s Word. People like Joseph, Daniel, Ezekiel, Stefan, Paul and many others who blamelessly stood strong in their faith in difficult circumstances and God rewarded them. We can read their stories in history books. Those who were persecuted and martyred. And we can look to those who are living with us now.

Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV – 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

ConclusionNo matter who we are, we will all face the problem of wicked people who do wicked things. Let us neither be discouraged or dismayed. Instead, let us put our trust confidently in the LORD. Let us remember his goodness and let us go about doing good things!

Psalm 37:39-40 NIV – 39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. 40 The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

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What is true goodness and where does it come from?

When my family and I first moved to Ukraine many years ago, people on both sides of the ocean were shocked by our decision. In the U.S., I had a successful business, and it seemed like life was going well. “Why move to Ukraine when things are good for you here?” they asked. When we arrived in Ukraine, the reaction was similar: “Why did you come here? Isn’t it better in the U.S.?”

These questions reflect a broader issue: our decisions often depend on our definition of “good.” But how do we define good? It might seem simple, but most people don’t consciously think about it. We assume everyone instinctively knows what is good and what is bad. However, our definitions of good and bad often revolve around personal experiences and circumstances. We think if life is easier, if we have more money, if we avoid hardships, then we are experiencing goodness.

Defining GoodnessWe tend to define “good” in terms of personal benefit, pleasure, and happiness. Conversely, we view things that cause hardship, pain, or require sacrifice as “bad.” If we look at life this way, we might categorize:

Most of us would agree that the list on the left looks “good” or at least better than the list on the right. However, this definition of good is based solely on individual experiences, which can be misleading and problematic.

Rethinking GoodnessLet’s consider a different perspective. Is it good to be in a place where missiles are flying, bombs are landing, and lives are being lost? According to our initial paradigm, the answer would be “no.” But what if there’s another way to define good, a way that comes from something greater than ourselves?

It’s crucial to define goodness correctly because it determines our direction in life. Here, the Bible offers clarity on what true goodness is.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (NIV)

The prophet Micah provides a vital paradigm for understanding true goodness—one that is independent of our personal experiences and rooted in God’s perspective.

The Source of GoodnessBefore we understand true goodness, we must recognize its source. True goodness comes from God Himself. It can never exist outside of God’s moral design for our lives. Ultimately, true goodness is not a matter of circumstances but an issue of the heart. Without connecting to the only source of true goodness—God—we are on a never-ending, disappointing chase after an illusion of happiness and contentment.

False GoodnessWe often mistake false goodness for true goodness. False goodness is the belief that we can find true goodness within ourselves or in our circumstances. It promises quick, cheap pleasure and tells us we deserve it. It’s not necessarily about sinful things but about the misguided focus that this product, activity, or moment will bring goodness into our lives. False pleasure is fleeting and leaves us more unsatisfied than before.

True Goodness from God1. God is the source of goodnessThe Bible begins by highlighting God’s goodness. Genesis 1 repeatedly states that God’s creation was “good.” This goodness testifies to God’s wisdom, beauty, and power. All good things in life—good sleep, food, families—are gifts from God (James 1:17-18).

1. God’s rules are goodActing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God are central to experiencing true goodness. Obeying God’s commandments brings purity, holiness, and righteousness into our lives, making life pleasant and purposeful (Psalm 19:8-10).

2. Goodness is an issue of the heartTo love mercy is to embody one of God’s main characteristics. Mercy and justice might seem contradictory, but they coexist in God’s nature. Justice relates to how we live before God, while mercy relates to how we live with others. A merciful life is a good life, as it reflects the mercy we receive from God (Psalm 5:7-8).

3. True goodness is found in relationship with GodWalking humbly with God means seeing ourselves through His eyes—imperfect and in need of His strength. Without humility, we cannot walk with God. True humility acknowledges our need for God’s mercy and strength (Matthew 11:29-30).

ConclusionWhere are you looking for goodness? True goodness must be based on God Himself, not our experiences. Look to God and seek a genuine relationship with Him. Follow His law and live by it.

Questions for Discussion1. What are some “false goods” that are common today?
2. How can your definition of good affect your life?
3. What can we do to change our perspective on what is good and what is bad?
4. How is God’s goodness different from the world’s goodness?

Reflect on these questions and strive to align your definition of goodness with the one shown in Micah 6:8. This divine perspective will lead you to true and lasting goodness.

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There is something about the worth of the Gospel that is greater than any threat we can face, physically or otherwise.

For us personally, I believe that God called us to Ukraine, and the conditions where we live should not change God’s calling in our lives. This morning, I want to talk with you a little bit about the worth of the Gospel in our lives. We all make decisions based on what we think is worth it, what we value in our lives. The thing we value most, above all else, is the one thing we will always be willing to sacrifice for, compromise for, give our time, energy, efforts, money, resources, and strength to.

Today, I want to talk with you about living a life worthy of the Gospel. What does it mean to live a life worthy of the Gospel? How do the truths of the Gospel change the way I relate to others, make decisions, and react to problems?

The Apostle Paul helps us to understand:

Philippians 1:27-30

27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Introduction to the TextBefore we look at the details of this text, let’s talk about the context. Paul is writing to the church in Philippi, a church he knows well. They were worried about him because he had been arrested and put in prison. Paul tries to calm them by telling them:

Philippians 1:12 NIV: “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.”

Amazingly, Paul sees his imprisonment not as something that hinders him from preaching the gospel but as something that aids it. Paul experienced many difficulties in his life, but one thing always remained the same: his commitment to Christ and to the Gospel. Paul was so committed to Christ that even the threat of death could not keep him from serving Christ.

When Paul was in Philippi (Acts 16), he was attacked by a mob, beaten severely, and thrown into prison. But this didn’t stop Paul. The Philippians personally witnessed his commitment to live for Christ and to preach the Gospel. So when Paul wrote to them, they knew it was true!

Philippians 1:21: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Yet, Paul knew that he would go on living for a while to serve the people he loved. The truth is that Paul was more worried for the Philippians. He says:

Philippians 1:30 NIV: “since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.”

From what Paul says here, it seems like the same people who persecuted Paul were now persecuting the church in Philippi. Some of their church members may have been beaten or put into prison. It was a difficult time for the church, and Paul wanted to encourage their spirits and strengthen them in the faith so that they could endure the persecutions and remain faithful to Christ.

What is the Gospel?Before we move on, let me answer one question: What is the Gospel?

Answer: The Gospel is literally “good news.”

Mark 1:14 NIV: “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.”

The good news is that Jesus came as Savior and Lord. He died on the cross and rose again on the third day. The good news is that God will forgive and give eternal life to everyone who puts their faith in Christ!

The Gospel is good news of victory over sin, forgiveness, and new life in Christ. It is the best news. The Gospel is valuable; Jesus paid the ultimate price to save you and me from our sins and from eternal punishment. Thus, when we talk about living “worthy” of the Gospel, we are talking about living worthy of the price that Jesus paid for us when he died on the cross. This is no small thing! To live worthy of the Gospel is to live like Jesus and to live for Jesus. It is to love others like Jesus; it is a willingness to sacrifice as Jesus did! A life worthy of the Gospel isn’t a way to earn salvation but rather a means to show your gratitude for all God has done for you!

9 Ways to Live a Life Worthy of the GospelIn light of this difficult context, let’s take a deeper look at what Paul means when he tells the Philippians to live “worthy of the Gospel.” Paul gives us nine ways to help us ensure our life is worthy.

1. Make the Gospel an Unchanging Factor in Your Life**Notice how Paul begins this text. He doesn’t say: When the weather is nice, when you have a good sleep, when you have money to pay the bills, when you feel like it, when others are watching, or when you are at church.

No, Paul says “Whatever happens.” Before our life can become worthy of the Gospel, we must establish one thing. What place will we give the Gospel in our life? Will we add the Gospel to everything else in our life? Will we simply place the Gospel on top of everything else that we believe in?

“Whatever happens” is an all-inclusive statement. It doesn’t allow room for excuses. Oh, how we love excuses, especially when we don’t want to do something. We say, “I couldn’t do it because a friend called me,” or “I’m not feeling so well today, I’ll try tomorrow.” The Gospel is unique because there can never be any circumstances in this world that would make it impossible to live out the Gospel.

– Every time a loved one betrays you, it is an opportunity to show more grace.
– Every time you are tempted to sin, it is an opportunity to submit yourself to Christ.
– Every time you face danger, it is an opportunity to pray.
– Every time you face the unknown, it is an opportunity to trust God, who knows everything.
– Every time you are persecuted for your faith, it is an opportunity to share the reason for your faith.

The Gospel is unique because only the Gospel can grow stronger in our lives no matter the circumstances. To live worthy of the Gospel, we must first change our perspective on the circumstances of life. Difficult circumstances are no longer excuses for sinning but rather opportunities for greater Gospel power in our lives.

If you want to live a life worthy of the Gospel, make the Gospel the unchanging factor in your life. All other aspects of life change. Our emotions change, our finances change, our relationships change, our bodies change. The Gospel doesn’t change; the Gospel is eternal!

1. Allow the Gospel to Change Your Life**Now I want to focus your attention on just one important word here: “conduct.” The Greek word Paul uses here might be familiar to you: πολίτης (polites). This refers to someone who is a citizen of a country or city. The idea is someone who fulfills his duty as a citizen, who lives up to the requirements of the laws in his country, and who takes his responsibilities as a citizen seriously.

When you repent and put your faith in Christ, you become a citizen of God’s heavenly kingdom, and you have a responsibility to live up to that citizenship. Citizenship is more than just a document that proves which country you belong to. A true and good citizen will also serve his country in real ways.

So, too, our faith is not just some confession that we repeat. Our faith in the Gospel ought to change the way we live. Paul says that we are “ambassadors of Christ.” We have a great responsibility to live out the Gospel, to make it real in every aspect of our lives. Sometimes it’s hard for people to understand how the Gospel should change their behavior. However, it’s very simple if we just look at it in two ways:

– The Gospel Means Living Out the Example of Jesus**

Let us look at how Jesus lived, how he served, how he related to other people, how he loved, how he sacrificed. This is our primary example of Gospel living.

– The Gospel Means Living Out the Core Gospel Truths**

The core truths of the Gospel are simple: truth, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love.
– Do you tell the truth?
– Are you gracious to others?
– Do you forgive quickly?
– Do you love those who don’t love you back?

These are examples of how the Gospel changes our conduct.

– The Gospel Means Living Out the Teachings of Jesus**

Finally, we can simply look at the concrete teachings of Jesus and of the Bible. Our conduct should match these teachings.

Philippians 1:10-11 NLT: “10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”

1. Give the Gospel Great Worth**Not long ago, I read about an old woman in her 90s who lived in Northern France. She was preparing to sell her very ordinary home and get

something smaller and easier to maintain. When the appraiser came, he noticed an old religious painting above her kitchen stove. After examining the painting, he urged the woman to get the painting looked at by an art expert. This woman had owned this painting for a long time. It was given to her by a family member, and she never thought it had any value, yet it had been in her house for decades. She could have lost it forever.

When she finally had an art expert look at it, they discovered it was a very rare painting by a famous Italian Renaissance painter. It was valued at nearly $7,000,000!

Her life was changed because she recognized the worth of something she had had for many years. How sad would it have been if she never knew what that painting was worth!

I wonder, how many Christians don’t really know the worth of the Gospel in their lives?

1 Corinthians 6:20 NLT: “for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

I want to suggest to you that the Gospel has value, not just because of what it does for us, but because of what God did for us. God sacrificed his Son. It cost God everything to bring you the good news of salvation. It cost Jesus everything to pay for your sins and for your eternal life. This is the ultimate worth of the Gospel. We must give the Gospel great worth in our lives.

If we don’t really see the worth of the Gospel in our lives, how can we live worthy of it? We give the Gospel worth when we worship God, when we submit our will to him, and when we obey his commands. We give the Gospel worth when we love him, when we love others, and when we pray. We give the Gospel worth when we place the Gospel above all other things in our lives. The worth of the Gospel should be visible to others in the way we live.

1. Stand Firm for the Gospel**Philippians 1:27-28 NLT: “27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. 28 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.”

Paul uses several strong phrases here:
– “Stand firm”
– “Fighting together”
– “Don’t be intimidated”

Let’s focus on the first one, “stand firm.” When we see the phrase “stand firm,” we can visualize an army holding the line of defense against an enemy. The army is dug into their positions, they have a wall of defense, they have weapons and shields, and they are ready to stand firm against the enemy attack.

When Paul says to “stand firm” for the Gospel, he means to keep yourself strong in your faith and belief in the Gospel. When we are weak in our faith, we can be easily persuaded by others to believe different things or to sin. When we are strong in our faith, we will not be persuaded or tempted by the enemy. We can stand firm.

1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT: “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.”

1. Strive Together for the Faith of the Gospel**Philippians 1:27-28 NLT: “27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. 28 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.”

Paul uses a phrase here that really stands out: “Striving together.” When we strive together for the faith of the Gospel, we are working together as one. We are united in our faith, united in our purpose, and united in our efforts.

As Christians, we are not alone in this world. We are part of a larger community of believers. We need each other to strengthen our faith, to encourage us, and to help us stand firm. This is why it is so important to be involved in a local church, to have fellowship with other believers, and to serve together.

Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT: “24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

When we strive together, we are stronger. We can accomplish more for the Kingdom of God. We can stand firm against the enemy, and we can support each other in times of need.

1. Do Not Be Intimidated by Opponents of the Gospel**Philippians 1:28 NLT: “Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.”

In every generation, there are opponents of the Gospel. There are people who will try to intimidate Christians, to silence them, to make them doubt their faith, and to persecute them. Paul himself faced many opponents throughout his ministry. He was beaten, imprisoned, and ultimately executed for his faith.

Yet, Paul encourages us not to be intimidated by our enemies. When we stand firm in our faith and are not intimidated, it is a sign to our enemies that their efforts are futile. They cannot destroy our faith; they cannot take away our salvation. It is also a sign to them that we are confident in our salvation, that we trust in God’s promises, and that we are not afraid.

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

1. Recognize That Suffering for the Gospel is a Privilege**Philippians 1:29-30 NLT: “29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. 30 We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.”

Suffering is not something we naturally seek out. We tend to avoid pain and hardship. However, Paul tells us that suffering for the Gospel is a privilege. Why? Because it identifies us with Christ. Jesus himself suffered for the sake of the Gospel, and when we suffer for our faith, we share in his sufferings.

Romans 8:17 NLT: “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”

When we suffer for the Gospel, it strengthens our faith, it refines our character, and it gives us a deeper understanding of Christ’s love and sacrifice for us. It is an honor to suffer for the one who suffered for us.

1. Rejoice in the Gospel**Philippians 1:18-19 NLT: “18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.”

Paul found joy in the Gospel, no matter the circumstances. Even when he was in prison, even when others were preaching the Gospel with wrong motives, Paul rejoiced because the message of Christ was being proclaimed.

Joy is a powerful testimony to the worth of the Gospel. When we rejoice in the Gospel, we show others that our faith is genuine, that our hope is real, and that our joy is not dependent on our circumstances but on our relationship with Christ.

Philippians 4:4 NLT: “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!”

1. Share the Gospel with Others**Philippians 1:12 NLT: “And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.”

Paul’s imprisonment led to the spread of the Gospel. Even in difficult circumstances, Paul looked for opportunities to share the Gospel with others. He witnessed to the guards, to fellow prisoners, and to anyone who would listen.

Sharing the Gospel is one of the most important ways we can live worthy of the Gospel. We have been given the greatest news in the world, and it is our responsibility to share it with others. Whether it’s through our words, our actions, or our testimony, we can make a difference in the lives of those around us by sharing the Gospel.

Mark 16:15 NLT: “And then he told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.'”

ConclusionLiving a life worthy of the Gospel is a high calling. It requires commitment, sacrifice, and a deep understanding of the worth of the Gospel. It means making the Gospel the unchanging factor in our lives, allowing

it to guide our actions, our decisions, and our relationships. It means standing firm in our faith, striving together with other believers, and not being intimidated by our enemies. It means recognizing the privilege of suffering for the Gospel, rejoicing in the Gospel, and sharing it with others.

May we all strive to live lives worthy of the Gospel, bringing glory to God and making a difference in the world for His Kingdom.

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What is the relationship between risk, God’s glory and God’s calling in our lives. This sermon based upon Isaiah 42:8-9.

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We answer your questions about life in Ukraine and what’s going on now here on the ground exactly 2 years after Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022.

Below are some of the questions we answer in the video/podcast.

1. What is your plan if Russia wins the war and perhaps Odessa is threatened with being under Soviet control?
2. What is the perception of the Ukrainian people about America’s support or lack of support?
3. At the beginning of the war, when you were relatively safer in Moldova, what made you go back to the war in Odessa?
4. Two years in, is complacency towards the “war” starting to show in the people there?
5. Is it appropriate to pray imprecatory psalms over Russia? How do you not hate them?
6. How have you seen God continue to work and the church continue to minister or grow during the war? Admittedly, you have been answering this question regularly in the telegram group, but just in case people aren’t following along day-to-day…
7. Are our bombings and drones becoming like car accidents to us here on the other side of the world or are you fearful that each one could hit your apartment, church, or car?
8. Is Ukrainian going to take over as the main language in Odesa, and are you learning it or already fluent in it?
9. Can you tell us more about the churches that have been planted since the war began? How did God bring that about? How are they worshiping and discipling?
10. How is the ministry coping with the challenges so far?
11. How are the children adapting to living in a country at war? What is the new reality for them when their world has been turned upside down?
12. Can you recap what that day was like for you, your family, and your closest friends?
13. How is your marriage doing?
14. How are your kids doing?
15. What spiritual challenges are you and the churches facing here in the second year that you were not facing in the first year?
16. What are some of the faith-building lessons God has taught you that you would want us to grasp as well, even though most of us are not in a country at war?
17. How have these past two years changed the way you view life on earth, and how do you stay joyful and not give way to anxiety?
18. How do we best encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ in Ukraine?
19. How do you spend your romantic time with each other in such difficult times?
20. What is the sentiment on the ground? Is it divided? Are Ukrainians talking about wanting the war to end or being willing to keep going?
21. What are some of the challenges of facing the church in Ukraine?
22. What are some of the better ways to be helping from afar?

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The situation in Ukraine continues to draw concern. Winter brings heightened worries about power infrastructure and heating, especially in the face of potential advancements by Russia. The big question on everyone’s mind remains: Will the United States continue to stand by Ukraine? As we navigate this uncertain period, your prayers and support are invaluable.

Despite these challenges, we’re grateful for the provision of power and heating so far. We recognize the freedom we have in Ukraine—a freedom allowing us to share the gospel and support churches. It’s a reminder of the larger impact this conflict has on spiritual freedoms.

Our efforts to aid soldiers include providing essentials like hand warmers. A recent testimony from Pastor Lê in Hồn illustrates the power of prayer in protecting Ukrainian soldiers from intense bombardment.

The unwavering faith of the church in Hồn is remarkable. Even amid danger, they emphasize the importance of corporate worship, highlighting the essentiality of spiritual nourishment.

We’re actively involved in two projects. The first, “Teach Us to Pray,” focuses on elucidating the depth of the Lord’s Prayer and its gospel truths. The second is a Christmas outreach endeavor aimed at distributing gift packets with gospel material to children in need.

Your prayers and support mean the world to us and to Ukraine. If you’d like to be a part of these projects or contribute in any way, check the link in this newsletter for more information.

Thank you for standing with us and for Ukraine. Your prayers and support provide hope and strength during these challenging times.

If you have any questions or want further updates, feel free to reach out. Your engagement and care make a significant difference.

Let’s continue to pray, support, and believe for Ukraine’s protection, provision, and eventual peace.

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Unfortunately, we live in a world where it seems that terrors are multiplying. None of us want to be in a place of terror and yet we have all been there one way or another.

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The Orthodox Church teaches that praying for your dead loved ones helps their soul make the 40 day journey from earth to heaven where along the way they will encounter many devils and 20 testings that will purify their souls and prepare them for heaven.

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Today Christina joins me on the podcast to talk about her ministry of counseling both unbelieving and believing. Also we talk about the difference between parenting for the now and parenting for the long-term.

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As we think about sharing the gospel with LGBT people let us remember that they are people too. Every one of us is a sinner and every sinner needs Christ.

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As we look at the Bible it doesn’t take long to find out that the sexuality of mankind as a central part of creation.

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When you look at transgenderism you will quickly find many similarities between the terminology they use and gospel terminology. In this episode of The Gospel Today I give talk about transgender vocabulary and how much of their terminology echoes gospel terminology.

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In this episode of The Gospel Today I share with you some gospel perspectives on the US pullout from Afghanistan as well as on Coronavirus.

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Did you know that your body naturally follows the direction of your eyes? If you’re walking, running, riding a bike or driving a car,

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We just returned from two months in the US. Whenever we go back to the US I find that I have to adjust to the way of life there.

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A crossless Christianity

I’m thankful for the strength of many churches in the US but at the same time I realize that we live in a time of great challenge and opposition to the church.

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America is in an identity crisis. People are searching for their identity and going to all kinds of drastic measures to change their identity in the desperate hope that with a new identity they will finally overcome their feelings of depression,

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What is missing in churches today? Where is the unseen hole? Simply put, we are missing true gospel centered discipleship.

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As we celebrate Easter this year we also mark a full year of living during a pandemic. We have all encountered new difficulties because of COVID.

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Here’s a story I heard from Radio show host Chris Witts

Johnny arrives at school in the morning and his teacher asks him,

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Some time ago I took my wedding ring off at home because I wanted to do some exercises and I didn’t want to get my ring scratched up.

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Have you ever wondered why there are fewer faithful pastors now than there was 40-50 years ago? In this episode of the podcast I talk about 6 reasons why there is a lack of faithfulness in minsitry.

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Recently our oldest son Mishael left us and moved to the US. This is our second child to leave the home.

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As with any sin, worry is a perversion of something that was originally good. So how do you know when your planning has crossed the line into worry,

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In this episode of The Gospel Today I talk about the blessedness of persecution. I share with you some of the story of Richard Wurmbrand and I talk about how we can prepare ourselves for persecution. 

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Worry and anxiety are the weeds of the mind and spirit. Do nothing and they will grow! Leave them alone hoping that they will go away,

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Here’s a quick summer update, there will be more to come soon!

Here’s a brief overview:

1. Coronavirus situation in Ukraine is getting worse,

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“Every culture, every time period, and often every church has a few sins that are considered acceptable. For the patriarchs,

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Everyone is getting ready for the biggest Christian holiday of the year. The one Sunday when those who haven’t been to church for months climb out of their den’s to see what the church can offer them.

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Friends many people are struggling with worry, fear and anxiety during these unusual times. I decided to record a few chapters from by book “What if…

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Everyone seems to be rethinking how they can continue to minister and preach the gospel during these days of quarantine because of the Coronavirus.

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In this episode I talk about how Christians should respond to the Coronavirus and how we can use it for the Gospel.

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Christina and I decided to ask each other some tough questions about love and marriage. In the end marriage and the gospel are closely tied.

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John came with a baptism of repentance, yet Jesus wanted to be baptized by John. If Jesus didn’t need to repent,

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How are you planning to input and record gospel goals for your life in 2020?

If you have a some helpful suggestions,

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As we start 2020 I want to wish many blessings in this new year. In this short episode I talk about the new name for the podcast and a plans for this year.

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Looking out over the Evangelical churches today I’m concerned when I see that some of them tend to steer wide of clear gospel preaching in their churches.

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I decided to check up on my daughter after she met someone online, married him, and then moved to South America.

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“There are different periods in the life of every church and now is one of those times when we just need to focus on strengthening the people who remain in our church rather than trying to share the gospel with unbelievers.”

Believe it or not,

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If you ask a typical Christian what they need to do in order to grow in their faith the usual answer is,

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What is missions mobilization and how do mission agencies really help churches and missionaries do the work of missions?

In this episode of “Now Is the Time”

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In this episode of Now Is the Time, I answer a common question about the need for formal education for missionaries.

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Could it be that successful church planting is really nothing more than good marketing, knowing your demographic, and selling the faith to those you know will listen?

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On this episode of “Now Is the Time” Christina and I switch roles and Christina interviews me for my 41st birthday!

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In this episode of the podcast I share with you two stories that happened to me in the past week.

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What was it like for a child to grow up in the USSR? In this episode of “Now Is the Time”

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In this episode of Now Is the Time I share with you 3 ways ministry can endanger your family!

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Sermon notes

The Missionary Task A Confused Task If we are not careful we can confuse the task of missions and water it down with a thousand good things!

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Join us for our sending service on February 11th 6:00 pm at Discovery Baptist Church in Gig Harbor

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Sermon notes 7 Aspects of Missionary Passion It wasn’t the live coal that changed Isaiah but rather the forgiveness that he knew God had given him when that burning coal touched his lips.

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In this episode of “Now Is the Time” I interview Pastor and Author James Cecy. Jim wrote the book “

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Announcement: My book “Is God Calling Me to Missions? 10 Questions to Help Determine Your Calling”

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Thank you to all who prayed and supported our Ukrainian soldiers Christmas outreach. You can read more about it and view pictures here.

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In this episode of “Now Is the Time” Christina and I share with you six things that caught us by surprise in 2017.

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Learn how you can help with our Christmas soldier outreach  

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Note: This Christmas we are bringing the gospel to Ukrainian soldiers. Learn more about this project and how you can help here.

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When I found out my daughter was communicating with a guy from South American that she had met online I was concerned.