By CBF Personnel/Partner on 3/18/2010 10:07 PM

I remember the first time I clearly realized that the face of America was truly changing. I was returning to the States for a meeting and a short leave. The plane was making its descent to the airport. I saw 3 red brick churches with white steeples just outside the airport grounds. It was a bit of a shock after Europe where the Protestant church is so small. While having something to eat in the airport, I watched the people passing by. I saw several Oriental families, which was not surprising. I had become accustomed to seeing families from the East in the states. But then I saw families in full Muslim dress. “Oh my,” I thought, “do the churches just outside know what is here on the inside? And if they do, are they able and prepared to deal with it?”

 

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By CBF Personnel/Partner on 3/9/2010 12:31 AM

Well there it is. The Sunday school answer. Do you see it? It is in verses 17 and 18. The rich young man comes to Jesus and asks that deep probing theological question. You know the kind we ask when we aren’t really searching for an honest response. We just want the answer that is comfortable and we have heard all of our lives.

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By CBF Personnel/Partner on 2/22/2010 11:27 PM

All of us understand the risky business of financial investments. With each dollar invested, we run the chance of gaining nothing or even losing our investment, even though we hope for a greater return on our money in the end. As uncomfortable as it is, we know that no investment is guaranteed to yield a profit, no matter how “sure” we may believe it to be. In today’s economy, we know this lesson all too well.

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By CBF Personnel/Partner on 2/15/2010 10:39 PM

“As a little girl in Nicaragua, I always knew that someone in our family was living in United States, earning money to help support us. Now, it’s my turn. We don’t work for luxuries, we work for food.”

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By CBF Personnel/Partner on 1/15/2010 5:47 PM

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:1-2

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By CBF Personnel/Partner on 12/9/2009 5:40 PM

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. — 2 Peter 3:18

When I was in college, I remember going on retreats and sitting around the campfire in the evenings. A couple of guys would usually pull out their guitars and we would all sing choruses. One that I have been thinking about a lot lately goes something like this…

“One day Jesus will call my name

As the days go by I hope I don’t stay the same

I want to get so close to him that it’s no big change

On the day that Jesus calls my name.”

As Christians we strive to grow closer to God each day so that when we reach the end of our days and go home to be with Him, hopefully we will know Him well and it won’t be a big change.

We can grow to know Him better each day, by spending time with him in prayer and reading our Bibles.

 

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By CBF Personnel/Partner on 12/6/2009 12:08 AM

This year’s Thanksgiving holiday was an especially good one for the Green family. In fact it may have been one of our absolute best. Of course we say that every year. Well, every year EXCEPT last year. It was the year we lost “the heritage angel.”

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By CBF Personnel/Partner on 11/29/2009 1:58 AM

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:14a

NIV

You are the light of the world.

The Message

Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.

 

Something to Think About:

Jesus told his companions that they were the light of the world. That was a pretty big thing to say wasn’t it? Each one was unique. Each had their good and bad qualities. And yet he said, “You are the light of the world’. I’m sure that caught the disciples a little off guard because they knew who they were; their true secret self that no one could see.

Light of the World was a figure of speech that Jesus would later use to describe himself (John 9:5). That makes more sense doesn’t it? We would all agree that he has what it takes to light the world’s way. The disciples would learn over time through their relationship with Christ...

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By CBF Personnel/Partner on 11/17/2009 5:51 AM

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. ― I Chronicles 16:8

Often when I wake up in the morning, I find myself thanking God for the many blessings in my life. I am thankful for the home that God has provided for my family – our terrace apartment in southern Spain. I am thankful for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. I am thankful that God has used CBF to send us here to minister to people from West Africa. We have had the opportunities to become friends with people from the places in Africa where we previously lived and learned the languages. It is so much fun to greet these precious people in their language from home. We have had the opportunities to meet people from Senegal, the Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Cameroon, Mauritania, Morocco, and Algeria, as well as...

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By CBF Personnel/Partner on 10/11/2009 2:35 AM

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:14b-15

NIV

A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

The Message

God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand.

Something to Think About:

A city on a hill and a lamp on a stand – these two illustrations were used by Jesus as he was teaching his disciples about shining. Think about it – you don’t build a city on a mountain top if you’re trying to keep it a secret and you’d be missing a few marbles if you unscrewed all the light bulbs in your house at night. He was either being funny or sarcastic.

Have you ever...

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