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Be the one whose beat goes on. When Doug began having chest pains, he listened to his body and drove himself to the emergency department at (oly Cross Health, where he was quickly treated by their expert heart care team. Doug was surprised to learn that at only 72 he had major blockages in three of his arteries, which led to triple bypass surgery. “I noticed a difference immediately after surgery. I was feeling a lot better and that feeling continued as I participated in cardiac rehab,” Doug said. “I didn’t realize how bad ) was feeling until my heart was fixed.” Today, Doug is active and enjoying life. He quit smoking, watches his sodium and he and his wife work out regularly at the Holy Cross Zachariah Family Wellness Pavilion, where one of Doug’s favorite activities is cycling. The Jim Moran Heart and Vascular Center provides coordinated care for preventing, diagnosing and treating heart and vascular disease. Learn more at Holy-Cross.com/BeRemarkable A Member of Trinity Health Be always seeking, bravely fighting, forever hoping...
PUBLISHER 6 APRIL 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition Acouple of years ago we started to hear rumblings. It was not that long after we published our Good News, October 2019 issue when we featured the First Baptist Fort Lauderdale “The Fort Lauderdale CHRISTMAS PAGEANT” as our front cover feature along with my companion column when I mentioned attending my first, First Baptist pageant in 2005, the first of many years of hosting my friends. You can read about that here. digital.goodnewsfl.org/2019/October/4/ At that point the Christmas Pageant was returning for the 36th consecutive year. A colossal extravaganza. First Baptist Fort Lauderdale had a new Lead Pastor, James Welch, and rumblings were then soon heard First Baptist was calling an end to that annual tradition and refocusing to other priorities… Canceling Christmas? Nah, couldn’t be… just a rumor, we thought at the time. It’s an institution. It’s a Fort Lauderdale way of life. People made ticket reservation’s a year in advance. Families built gatherings around the annual three week sold-out “cast of thousands.” And there was more. The congregation was restless. The stories leaking out were not good, and they kept coming. Change is inevitable, but long time congregation members were leaving (or asked to leave) and some were heartbroken. We heard them; everyone heard them. We made some confidential calls, had conversations, but in the end we stepped back, accepting this is one of those God things we’ve come to appreciate; He has a better plan. Many years ago, I was privileged to sit on the Board of the Greater Miami and the Beaches Tourism Board. For the better part of a decade, I was volunteer Chairman of the Marketing committee. We had annual reviews of our marketing, and every two years we reviewed our advertising agency to assess how they were positioning our South Florida tourismmarket nationally and globally; tourism was our regions number one industry. The process included Agency rebids for the mega multimillion dollar account, and ad agencies beat a path to our door from all over the nation with hopes of landing our prized account. The review process was intense; each agency had only about an hour to impress and make the cut to move on to the next round. With nary an exception each and every high powered nationally renowned agency lead with “rebranding” our logo. Why? Simple fact was they could not stand looking at or working with someone else’s brand creation; they just couldn’t or wouldn’t. They needed to put their own “brand” stamp on us as they politely suggested they could do better. It was a pride thing. We understood it, and usually just winked at each other; it’s just a parochial fact of life. Even before, very early on, as I write from time to time about my former life, I had an eclectic group of business associate friends. One such friend was “Russ” a 6’8” graduate of Marquette University (yes, basketball). Russ was station manager of a very successful FM radio station, and I loved talking rock radio, rock music and college BB with Russ every time we crossed paths along his ascending radio career in Florida. One day at the end of lunch he says, “Buddy, this may be it for a while. I’m leaving Florida.” On no! what, why? “Well, I have this great opportunity(?) I’ve been offered the station manager’s job at our network’s FM flagship station in San Diego.” That sounded great for a career path: top job at the top station. So, what are you going to do? “I’ll go out to San Diego and lock myself in a room at the radio station for about a week and first try to learn and figure out what they’ve been doing to make them sooo successful and try not to screw it up!” with a roar of laughter from a huge man. Wisdom. I encourageyou to read thecompanionstorybyGNEditorShelly Pondonpage36.Youmayalsobe interested to read the featurearticle we published in 2019? digital.goodnewsfl.org/2019/October/a Happy Easter. He has Risen! Les On The Cover Aspiritual awakening at Asbury University inWilmore, Kentucky, drew tens of thousands to the campus to experience an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It began on February 8, 2023, when, after a regularly scheduled chapel service, students remained in worship and prayer day and night for 15 days. The movement has spread across the country. Pictured are throngs of worshipers in Hughes MemorialAuditoriumand the overflow on the green outside. Read the cover article by Editor Shelly Pond on pages 28 and 29. Photos courtesy: Asbury University South Florida Edition • Good News • March 2023 • Volume 25, Issue 1 Advertising: We reach over 110,000 readers each month. 80,000 in print and 30,000 via our online digital edition. Placing an ad in our publication is affordable and effective to help grow your business. Call us today! Distribution:Available inmore than 800 locations throughout South Florida. To become a free distribution point for the newspaper, please contact Shelly. The Good News is published by Good News Media Group, LLC, Reproduction in whole or part strictly forbidden without the consent of the publisher. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Good News Media Group, LLC. PO Box 670368, Coral Springs, FL 33067 954-564-5378 • www.goodnewsfl.org Publisher: Leslie J. Feldman [email protected] Editor: Shelly Pond [email protected] Advertising & Marketing: Robert “Buddy” Helland Jr. V.P. Sr. Marketing Manager [email protected] Art Director: Milton McPherson [email protected] Associate Art Director: Joseph Sammaritano [email protected] Social Media Manager: Ariel Feldman [email protected] Editorial Assistant: Eric Solomon [email protected] Cover Photography: Justus Martin [email protected] They’re Canceling Christmas! What? Leslie J. Feldman PERSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . .8 Put Me in Coach – by Stephan N. Tchividjian IN THE WORD . . . . . . . . .10 Franklin Graham: Turning Back to God is the Only Hope – y Franklin Graham YOU ASKWHY? . . . . . . . 12 All-Access to the Almighty – by Dr. Tommy Boland PARENTING . . . . . . . . . . .14 Motivating Your Child to Try – by Dr. Bob Barnes & Torrey Roberts FROM THE PULPIT . . . .16 Waging a Valiant War and Destroying Strongholds – by Bernard King Sr. HEART AND SOUL . . . . .18 Students Learn a Financial Goal Without an Action Plan ‘Is Just a Wish’ – by Dr. Debra A. Schwinn THE CODE . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 On a Search for Significance – by Dr. O.S. Hawkins FOSTER CARE . . . . . . . . .22 Supporting Families Helps Prevent Child Abuse – by Kevin Enders GOOD NEWS WANTSTOKNOW . . .24-26 What is the most surprising thing you've ever found while spring cleaning or packing to move? COVER ARTICLE . . . .28-29 Spontaneous Revival – by Shelly Pond FAITH AND VOCATION30 Excellence Together Skyrockets Career Performance – by Steve Davis ENGAGE . . . . . . . . . . .32-33 A Christian Manifesto: The Challenge to the Church in Times of Upheaval – by Dr. Warren A. Gage ENCOURAGEMENT . . . .34 Walk the Walk; Talk the Talk – by Omar Aleman HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 The Significance of Passover – by Stan Goldenberg NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Lead Pastor Resigns at First Baptist Fort Lauderdale – by Shelly Pond CALENDAR . . . . . . .42 - 43 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . .44 – 47 C O N T E N T S Good News • March • Volume 25 Issue 1
PERSPECTIVE 8 APRIL 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition Have you ever coached a sport? Do you want to coach a sport? Has anyone ever coached you? Have you coached the coached the coach (ouch)? Coaching is an interesting responsibility and carries with it some unique risks and rewards. Today you can find all kinds of coaches, such as business coaches, health coaches, life coaches, sports coaches, etc. A coach usually has the role of helping the one being coached to see or do things they may not be able to do on their own. We have all witnessed the local neighborhood sporting league. Imagine for a moment that you are coaching a team of young children playing soccer for the very first time in their lives. The team is made up of little boys and girls around five years old. The coaches’ goal is to introduce them to the game they have chosen (or their parents have chosen for them) and learn to play it. The coaches’ intentions are clear, to teach them the sport and develop them into the ruling champions of the neighborhood’s soccer league, usually sponsored by a local business such as Rob’s Rib Shack. The rules are clear, the objectives are defined, the goals are obvious and the reward can be epic. Inspiring words I have noticed that coaches sometimes have the very best lines, so quotable and so thought provoking. The lines are often quoted in speeches and memorialized in hallway posters. We all remember John F. Kennedy inspiring us with the, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country” speech, or William Wallace’s half painted face inspiring his little army by saying, “Aye, fight and you may die. Run and you'll live, at least a while…. but they'll never take our freedom!” We hear the coach come up with wisdom that is almost spiritual as he/she inspires a downtrodden team, individual or nation on the brink of great defeat, to overcome their circumstances (or at least try). We all remember quotes from coaches like Vince Lombardi, Tony Robbins, Billy Jean King, Peter Drucker, Mother Teresa, and even Adrian telling Rocky to “win” followed by Mickey saying, “what are we waiting fer?” Perhaps it’s the sheer clarity of the moment that captures their imagination and inspires ours. The boundaries are set, the goal is identified, the time is limited and the crowds are watching. What is it about inspiring words that make us stand, walk and run? Perhaps we are all in a search for a greater purpose than just our own happiness, comfort and desires. God has deeply ingrained in us a deep desire to be meaningful, to matter, to create… It’s part of the whole, “created in His image” truth. The notion that we are created by God ought to create in us a deep desire to possess His purpose for us. If you want possession… Recently, I heard a quote from a sporting coach. The quote, from the nameless coach went something like, “If you want possession, you must be in position.” The quote caught my attention as I personalized it. What is it that I want to possess? What position must I be in to possess it? What position am I in now? I don’t have fully defined answers, but I can say that I do deeply want to possess what God has for me. I have been taught all my life that God has created me for a purpose. I am no accident and yet, I often feel that. The times I have been the most hopeless, despondent, agitated and frankly, discouraged, is when I felt as though I did not matter. Perhaps you have been in such a place as an employee, husband, mother, Christ-follower and family member. We have all been there. I remember asking a man that is one of my “heroes of the faith,” George Verwer (founder of Operation Mobilization), if he ever got discouraged as a Christian and questioned his purpose. He said he did, even to the point of wondering if God even existed. I was amazed at that answer. George’s entire life has been focused on mobilizing people to serve God and yet, Satan, would tempt him in a way to make him believe that if God did not exist then his entire life was a waste of time… mobilizing people for something that did not exist. WOW! However, George went on to explain that he would climb out of the pit of despair by remembering the promises of God and admiring His creation, and step by step he would climb out of the pit. God is so, so faithful that even when we find ourselves in the wrong position, He is always in the right one, even rescuing us out of a pit. So, what is it that I want to possess? Simply put, I want the purpose and peace of God ingrained in my heart. I want to possess and experience the knowledge that my purpose and peace comes fromHim and only Him. However, am I in the position to possess it? You must be in position The position to possess is an interesting thought. For example, in sports an athlete that is part of a team and has the specific role of catching a well-thrown pass must be in the right place at the right time to actually catch the ball. A tennis player must be on the right part of the court in order to return the well-placed serve, an executive must be in the right frame of mind to hear what his/her coach may suggest, a well-prepared student must be ready and willing to understand a new concept. What is the right position for me to be in to possess what God is giving me? I am learning (never learned) that the best position for me to be in as a follower of Jesus is a responsive one. I would suggest that a responsive position carries with it a few simple principals. First, I must be humble and teachable, acknowledging that I am in need. Second, I must devoid myself of distractions, those things that point me back to me instead of Him. Lastly, I ought to be expectant, looking for the handoff, the new idea, concept etc.? I recently visited a vocational school in Jamaica called PAVE. The school, founded by friends of mine, was birthed with the desire to help at-risk young people gain an employable skill in order to make better lives for themselves. I was blessed as I saw the expressions of these young men and women. The level of commitment and sacrifice to dream a bigger dream. Many apply to this school, few get in. I recognized their humility, their commitment to be devoid of distractions and the great expectation that they could have a career in hospitability, security, the trades, etc. I can hear those students saying to their teacher and coach that often-overheard phrase, “Put me in coach!” Or Isaiah saying to the Lord, “Here am I send me.” I wonder if the same can be said of you and me. I must be in the position to be in possession. Stephan N. Tchividjian is the president and founder of the National Christian Foundation South Florida. Visit southflorida.ncfgiving.com to learn more. - Stephan N. Tchividjian - National Christian Foundation President Put Me in Coach
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10 APRIL 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition IN THE WORD A reporter from a national news network recently asked me: “Where do you see America today?” I told him that our nation has turned its back on God. Politicians are looking for what people want and what culture wants instead of what God wants. We need to stand on the absolute authority of God’s Word, and I believe the Bible to be the Word of God. By turning our back on God, our nation is sliding farther and farther away from Him. Instead of becoming a better country, we are becoming more violent, lawless and godless. Our policies are failing, our economy is struggling, and our country is in trouble. We need to take a hard look at God’s laws and His standards. That’s not what most Americans want to hear. Violence is rampant in our streets. Gangs and thugs roam and kill, not only at night but in broad daylight. Leftist radicals riot, burn police stations and loot city blocks. Drug abuse has soared, with fentanyl finding its way into virtually every sector of society, infiltrating rural and metropolitan areas alike. Primary, secondary and so-called higher education continue their assault on religious liberties, constantly seeking to remove any vestige of faith, and imposing their progressive values on even the youngest of children. Need I say more? A nation that was founded and grounded on the Christian faith and virtues has rejected God and His laws, much like the Israelites turned from their devotion to God and embraced the worthless idols of other cultures. Speaking for the Lord, the Prophet Jeremiah called out the leaders and citizens of his day for their abominations: “‘Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be very desolate,’ says the Lord. ‘For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water’” (Jeremiah 2:12-13). All the tumult and chaos we see in our nation and world today is a direct result of abandoning God’s holy standards. His truth is eternal and relevant for every person in every generation, in every culture, in every age. Since His Word is truth (John 17:17), the more we devalue the authority and power of Scripture, the further we slip — ever more quickly now — into a godless culture that has no moorings to the stabilizing, transforming truth of God’s Word. Let’s take a brief look at the Ten Commandments, God’s law that is unchanging and the cornerstone of civilization. From Exodus 20 (KJV): • “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” God brooks no competitors or substitutes. We are to let no one nor anything take His place as the only True God. It’s sin if we do. • “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, … thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.” Only God deserves our worship and allegiance. Don’t enthrone environmentalism, social justice, wealth, prestige or any other self-made idol. It’s sin if you do. • “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” Never curse God. Revere His Name. • “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” God created the heavens and the earth in six days, and then on the seventh day rested from His labor. Our modern-day Sabbath (Sunday) should be a special time to worship, honor and revere the “Lord of the Sabbath.” • “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Children are to respect their parents throughout their entire life and give them the honor that is properly due them, just as we should honor our Heavenly Father. America’s youth- oriented culture often fails here. It’s sin not to honor our parents. • “Thou shalt not kill.” The violence that plagues us is a direct result of disobedience to the God who gives life. Taking life in any form — murder or abortion — is abhorrent to God. It’s sin. • “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” There is no such thing as an “affair.” Sex outside the bounds of marriage is adultery, plain and simple. The same applies for those who pervert God’s definition of male and female. It’s sin. • “Thou shalt not steal.” When entire city blocks are plundered by looters, they are stealing. When we cheat on our taxes, that is stealing. It’s sin. • “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Lying and gossiping are sin. So is spreading falsehoods. • “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife … nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.” Being jealous and envious over what others have, instead of being content with what the Lord has given you, is sin. When a people cast aside God’s laws and devise their own “norms,” their nation is in serious trouble. God’s law is holy, never changing, and given in divine wisdom and nonnegotiable truth. Any attempt by a culture to dictate ungodly standards will never work. But herein is a dilemma. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Only one Person has ever kept the law perfectly, and that Person is the Lord Jesus Christ. His work on the cross fully satisfied the justice of God and His wrath against sin, so that all who come to Him in repentance and faith receive the gift of salvation. But notice a key word here — repent. When Jesus began His public ministry, he said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The only alternative for those who have turned their backs on God is to turn to Him in repentance and faith so their sins are forgiven. God’s law is then written on their hearts, so the commandments of God are no longer burdensome to keep (Hebrews 8:10, 1 John 5:3). And when people live in obedience to the commands and precepts of Scripture, God’s blessings follow. When disobedience and disdain dominate a culture, the consequences are bitter. In her Bible study on pages 36-37, my sister Anne Graham Lotz has a great article on what repentance really means. Check it out, and you will see just how crucial real repentance is. As Jesus warned when He told of the Galileans who died at the hands of Pontius Pilate and the 18 who were killed when a tower fell on them in Siloam, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). It’s a matter of life and death. Unless otherwise specified, Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version. The Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version. Decision magazine, March 2023; ©2023 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; used by permission, all rights reserved. - Franklin Graham - President and CEO Samaritan’s Purse and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association FranklinGraham: Turning Back toGod is theOnlyHope For aNationThat’s Turned its Back onGod
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12 APRIL 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition YOU ASK WHY All-Access to the Almighty In the animated movie Shrek, the dragon blocks access to Princess Fiona, who is being held captive in the tallest tower of the Dragon’s Keep castle. In “The Lord of the Rings,” the Doors of Durin bar entrance into Moria. In “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” Sir Richard the Grail Knight guards the biblical artifact, which is said to have supernatural powers, and he must be defeated in single combat to gain access to the Holy Grail. In “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” a magical wardrobe either opens or prohibits entry into Narnia. These are just a few examples of stories that contain distinctive barriers blocking the way to a desired location. In both the Old and New Testaments, we find another barrier that blocks the way leading into the most important location in the universe: the earthly presence of Almighty God. In the Tabernacle — and later in the Temple — there was a special, finely woven veil, fashioned from blue, purple, scarlet and white twisted linen, approximately four inches think, that separated the Holy Place (where the priests would perform their daily functions), from the Most Holy Place (the earthly dwelling place of God’s presence, which was evidenced by His Shekinah-glory above the Mercy Seat). Only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, could that veil be passed through — and then only by the High Priest — allowing immediate access into the presence of God in order to make atonement for the sins of God’s people. In Solomon’s temple, the veil was 30 cubits (or 45 feet) high; that height was increased to 40 cubits by Herod in the first century, making it 60 feet high. The height and thickness of this veil makes what happened on Good Friday as profound as it is personal: “When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split” (Matthew 27:50-51). Profound Make no mistake, if the earthquake that shook the ground had anything to do with the tearing of the veil, it would have been torn from the ground up. But that’s not what happened! It’s as if the mighty hand of God reached down from heaven and tore this 60-foot high, four-inch-thick veil, ripping open the barrier that had stood between God and sinners like you and me. Only God could remove our separation from God! God made it abundantly clear that the expiration date of the Temple had arrived. Jesus was the true Temple (John 2:19), the superior High Priest (Hebrews 4:14), and the perfect veil (Hebrews 10:20). The veil in the temple was a constant reminder that our sin separates us from a Holy God. When the veil was torn, God the Father accepted the sacrifice of God the Son on behalf of all sinners who will trust, by grace through faith, in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life. All-Access to the Almighty has been granted. Personal When Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6), He meant what He said! Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life. You and I can enter into the presence of Almighty God, thanks to Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice, which made it possible for all of us, people from every tribe and language and people and nation, to enter into the presence of God twenty-four hours a day, three-hundred-sixty-five days a year. All-Access to the Almighty has been granted. And please hear this! It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done; Jesus receives all those who seek Him by grace through faith. Confess your sins and receive your salvation. Your background is not a barrier keeping you from standing on Holy Ground. You do not need a priest or a pastor to enter into the presence of God on your behalf to beg for His forgiveness or ask for His favor. Because of the blood Jesus shed on the cross, the wages for our sins has been paid in full. When Jesus said, “It is finished!” He meant what He said. His saving work on your behalf was complete. All you need do now is trust in the One who did it all for you. This was the truth that came crashing home to me in 1995 and transformed my life: the truth that a dead Man got up and walked out of the grave. He walked out of that grave and into my heart. Has He walked into yours? Dear one, do you remember Jesus’ very first words to His disciples when He appeared to them after His resurrection? “Peace be with you” (Luke 24:36, John 20:19). He rose from the grave to give them — and you — peace with God. “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation . . .” (Colossians 1:21-22). Jesus Christ lived and died and rose from the grave to “destroy the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14) that once existed between you and God. But now, today, in Christ Jesus, you are free . . . you are welcome . . . you are invited to approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that you may receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Happy Easter! This is theGospel. This is grace for your race. NEVERFORGETTHAT…AMEN! Dr. Tommy Boland is senior pastor of Cross Community Church in Deerfield Beach (www.thecrosscc.org). He blogs regularly at tommyboland.com. - Tommy Boland - Cross Community Church Pastor Stow-on-Wold, Gloucestershire / England: The ancient yew-tree-flanked doors of St. Edward’s Church that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s Doors of Dunn in “The Lord of the Rings.”
14 APRIL 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition PARENTING As we head toward the fourth quarter of the school year, more times than I can count I have heard a frustrated parent say, “I knowmy child can do better, but he just doesn’t seem to try!” Parents want to know the answer to the same question: How do you motivate a child to do their best? There are a few questions parents need to answer before they work on motivating the child. As a parent, what is my motivation for motivating my child? Do I want my child to do his best for me (the parent’s self-esteem) or for his self-esteem? Am I interested in seeing great effort or a report card with all A’s? To get to the point, “Who is this really for?” Some children are already doing their best. There are times in a child’s life when effort has gone out the door and the child doesn’t know where to begin as far as “trying” is concerned. He knows he is disappointing his parents, but he just can’t jumpstart the will to try. Circumstances Start by taking a look at the circumstances surrounding the child. Has anything recently changed in the child or family’s life? Look for any change in the child’s life that might cause them to express their pain by shutting down. Other times the child just doesn’t understand thematerial he is supposed tomaster. It’s not that he can’t. He’s just behind. He feels he is in such a hole that it’s a waste of time trying. This could be the response for a child at this point of the school year who feels so far behind that he can never climb out of the hole. Motivators If you want to properly motivate your child, you must start with the proper motivator. First, let’s look at poor motivational tools. Yelling and screaming is never a good long-term motivator. Cheering from the sidelines is different from yelling at a child because of mistakes. Nothing motivates like encouragement. Nothing puts a child in a hole to avoid further pain than ridicule or guilt. Everyone needs a fan who believes in them. If you believe in me, I will risk trying. If I sense you are going to ridicule my failure, it’s not worth trying. Monetary rewards for reaching a desired goal may work short-term. A person who learns to perform only for tangible rewards will quickly want more. Giving your child dollars for A’s can’t be the long-termmotivator. Achild is motivated by questing for a different reward. The parent-child relationship The child has to learn to do their best in whatever they attempt. First, the child should be motivated by the parent/child relationship. Taking that first step as a toddler, the child learns that making the effort is exciting because Mom and Dad cheer them on. The child learns that he or she doesn’t have to make an “A” on their first attempts to walk … he just has to try. Perfection is not the goal. Self-motivation The second step in motivation is when the child gets to the point of motivating themselves. They are confident in their parents’ love that they begin to motivate themselves to try harder or try new things. Hence you see the toddler trying to walk even when they don’t know you are watching. They are self-motivating and as you learn about it you are still cheering their effort. To please God The final step is for the child to link his effort to try his best at everything because of his faith inGod. InGenesisChapter 39, when the boss’swife repeatedly said to Joseph “come to bedwithme,” Josephmade the incredible effort to do the right thing by running from her. His motive was a relationship. His answer her, “How could I do such a thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39) Motivating a child takes time to build a relationship with the child. Let them know they are more than grades on a report card or performance on a soccer field. Let them know there is nothing they can do to lose your love and then train them that God loves them and has a plan for them. Then go crazy cheering for EFFORT not performance. Visit parentingonpurpose.org for more advice from Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts. - Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts - Sheridan House Family Ministries Motivating Your Child to Try
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FROM THE PULPIT 16 APRIL 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). “All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. Agirl child ain't safe in a family of men. But I never thought I'd have to fight in my own house. She let out her breath. I loves Harpo, she say. God knows I do. But I'll kill him dead before I let him beat me.” - Alice Walker, “The Color Purple” Mrs. Walker’s passage is a powerful appraisal of a women’s personal assault, abuse and adversity as well as a dynamic and determined declaration in opposition to spousal abuse in the life of Sophia a character in the movie “The Color Purple” (1985). I respectfully suggest that we consider and examine her excerpt with the flaming eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because with his eyes we can arrive at an accurate assessment of application. And that assessment is that we are recipients of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, and subsequently, we will be in a fight all our lives on this side of eternity with the enemy of God and man, Satan, the anointed Cherub that changed into an abominable adversary. In the book of Revelation 1:14, we find that His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire. When John saw the Lord, he described our Lord’s eyes as flames of fire. That is eyes that are purging, piercing and penetrating. Eyes that can powerfully probe the very heads and hearts of men. Therefore, with the Spirit of God and the word of God we should see things fromHis flaming eyes, which in turn will give us the capacity to judge the spiritual influences inciting and perpetrating the pattern of abuse. We will also discern that all maltreatment and manipulation and maladies of sin are inseparable from a spiritual source. And I propose to you that it is a salacious and satanical source that sets up and solidify strong holds. Spiritual strongholds The term strongholds are found once in the New Testament and are used figuratively by the Apostle Paul in his comprehensive characterization of the Christian’s warfare: 2 Corinthians 10:4. Often these strong holds are spiritual and fleshly. The conquering Christian must move into the clash of cinders and confines of spiritual conflict, knowing that every false assumption and every human philosophy always arrogantly asserts its autonomy against God. Beloved our battle is not targeted according to the way this world fights. In addition, our weapons are not physical, for our warfare is spiritual in nature. And our power comes from God alone. And God’s grand and glorious goal is to demolish spiritual strongholds. So, what are these “strongholds” that we consistently confront. In the very next verse, Paul places it on a shelf of comprehension so we can grab it. 2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God…” So, we biblically bulldoze the bamboozlement of all arguments and dispositions that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, as well as enslaved every thought to make it compliant to Christ” The “arguments” are the philosophies, interpretations and ideas of the world. Therefore, here is what it looks like. the Christian, dressed in his divine spiritual armor and carrying his spiritual weapons, heads out to wage and win the war with the world, the flesh, and Satan for Christ. It’s part in parcel for the soldier of Christ to instantly find himself facing robust resistance due to the dynamic that the enemy is not docile but determined to defeat and dethrone the Lord’s authority in your life. Human reasoning The enemy has also established strong holds to defy the Truth and obstruct God’s plan of redemption. One such strong hold is the strong hold of human reasoning, which is basically leaning to one’s own understanding- and an establishment of emotions that are unscrutinized and unsupervised by the Spirit of God. God calls us to interpret and come to conclusions related to our life experiences with the Spirit of God and the word of God. In addition, strong holds are reinforced with rebellion, passions, lust, fear, and hardened by a will poisoned and powered by pride. When we wage our war against Satan, the flesh and the world with the weapons from Heaven, we will wage a valiant war and deconstruct and destroy every stronghold. Pastor Bernard King Sr. The Lords Under shepherd at Cornerstone Bible Fellowship. For more information, please visit our website at Cbfdelray.org. FROMTHE PULPIT is a newmonthly column that will feature the writings of a different pastor serving in South Florida each month. Waging a Valiant War and Destroying Strongholds Bernard King Sr. Pastor, Cornerstone Bible Fellowship
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HEART AND SOUL 18 APRIL 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition These are exciting times at Palm Beach Atlantic University, as we review architects’ plans for the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Building. Our excitement rises even higher when we consider how the new building will allow us to expand impactful business programs and courses taught by engaging professors such as Barbara VanderWerf. “Professor VanderWerf is one of my favorites,” said finance major Emily Kintz. “I just really love her teaching style. She’s very focused on making connections with each student individually.” Emily, a senior, had enjoyed several courses under Barbara, who is assistant professor of management. Now, in her final PBA semester, Emily is taking Barbara’s very popular business elective Financial Literacy. “Obviously, in my major, we’ve learned a lot about finance on the business level,” said Emily. “But I was eager to learn more about my personal finances and what to do with those after graduation.” It’s not an exaggeration to imagine this Financial Literacy course will prove lifechanging for some of the 200 students who have taken it since Barbara developed the course in 2021. “I know you can do a balance sheet,” she tells students, “but can you be the CFO of your life, not just your business?” At the heart of becoming “CFO of your life” is developing what Barbara calls a PFP, a personal financial plan. And this truly gets personal, beginning in the first module of the course. “Students create goals the first day,” she said, “identifying some dreams for their life and writing a few paragraphs about why and how they’re going to commit to this.” Professor learned some lessons the hard way The concept is a personal passion for Barbara, who recalls a point in her life “where I had to just really get a grip on my finances.” She learned a lot, including lessons learned the hard way. “It’s my hope for students that they will learn from personalizing the information I give them and not from hindsight.” In each of the 10 modules of the course, Barbara has students add details to their personal financial plans, based on specific topics covered in that module. Consider the following samples of her approach. ï Financial goals, said Barbara, must be specific and measurable, and linked to processes and a prioritized action plan. “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” ï Debt payments: “Some people have the mindset ‘What’s the payment I can afford?’ But it’s not about the payment,” she said. “It’s really about whether you can afford that car or that other particular item.” ï Credit cards: Barbara encourages students to avoid credit cards, but she acknowledges that in today’s environment building good credit history may be necessary in order to rent a car or an apartment. The secret, she said, is to pay off the entire monthly balance of the credit card either before or when it is due, “not paying one dime of interest.” The day you can’t pay off the card “is the day you put that card away.” That’s a critical discipline, she said, because financial management is “80 percent behavior and only 20 percent knowledge.” ï The biblical perspective: “There are more than 2,000 verses in the Bible about money and finances,” said Barbara. “That tells us that how you handle money is pretty important to God.” Barbara’s final module in the course explains generous giving and philanthropy. On track toward freedom from financial stress Other topics in the course include market and investment fundamentals, mortgage fundamentals, decision-making regarding insurance and the essentials of retirement planning. I’m convinced that students who diligently learn and use the tools provided in this course will leave PBAon the right track toward debt-free living, freedom from financial stress and honoring God with their resources. Senior Emily Kintz soon will be heading for the University of Florida to earn her Master’s in HealthAdministration. (Instead of an MBA, she’s going for an MHA, learning the business side of healthcare.) I wouldn’t be surprised to hear one day that Emily is managing or owning a medical practice of some sort. Other veterans of Barbara’s course will be a step ahead toward becoming dependable financial leaders in their fields and in their homes. And in the years to come, many others can learn much from the course, even if they don’t earn a PBA degree. We plan to open the Financial Literacy course to the local community and more broadly across Florida. We’ll also make available financial coaching, seminars and workshops. In an era when so many in our society are overburdened with debt and financial worries, it will be our privilege for PBA to serve the community in this way. Dr. Debra A. Schwinn, a physician, researcher and innovator, is president of Palm Beach Atlantic University. (www.pba.edu) - Dr. Debra A. Schwinn - Palm Beach Atlantic University President - Barbara VanderWerf - Assistant Professor of Management Students Learn a Financial Goal Without an Action Plan ‘Is Just aWish’ Architect's rendering of the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Building.
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THE CODE 20 APRIL 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition There is an amazing transition taking place in a segment of the American population. The past years have seen a significant number of adults on a quest to move from success to significance. This particular generation has acquiredmore possessions, position and power than any in history. It set its sights on achieving success and, for the most part, hit the bull’s-eye. But that success has done little to fill the emptiness of the human heart. Sadly, this successful generation also leads all others in such things as divorce, suicide, addictions and loneliness. This unsatisfying success has brought about a search… a search for meaning in life, a search for some semblance of significance. By nomeans is this search something new. Look at Daniel 4; we find one of the most successful men in all of recorded history. King Nebuchadnezzar is on center stage. He had achieved more power and wealth, accompanied by all that goes along with those things, thanmost people dreamabout in their wildest imaginations. We are about to observe his own personal journey from success to significance when he came to the ultimate conclusion that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (v. 17). The way up One of the problems for our Western culture today is that too many people still believe significance exists in direct proportion to one’s perceived successes in life. Many still look for significance in all the wrong places. We think, perhaps subconsciously, that if we just work harder and do better than anyone else, we will find significance in life. So, we focus on selling more policies or products, getting a bigger home in a better neighborhood, driving a fancier car, getting our kids into the best schools, doing anything that builds bigger kingdoms for ourselves. Our culture has been permeated by this success syndrome for decades now. Look in the bookstores. Those books on the top shelf teach you to become the greatest. They tell you, “The way up… is up! Promote yourself. Think positive. You are the best!” But we are about to see that Nebuchadnezzar is exhibit Aof the fallacy of this philosophy. In fact, his story is recorded in Daniel for all posterity to see that, in reality, the way up is actually down! Athousand voices in our culture have been telling us in a thousand ways to build up our self-confidence, but the Bible is telling us to “have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3). Our culture says, “Don’t be afraid to promote yourself,” but the Bible says quite the opposite. It instructs us to crucify ourselves, to die to self (Galatians 2:20). The culture shouts at us, “You must increase!” but John the Baptist’s words still echo through the centuries: “Hemust increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). The culture also proclaims: “Never be satisfied with what you have or where you are.” These words are heard in a multitude of motivational meetings. But the Bible still instructs us through the words of Paul to learn, in “whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11). Our culture is cheering, “You’re number one! You’re number one!” while our Bible calls us to humble ourselves “under the mighty hand of God” (1 Peter 5:6). Success or significance? What about you?Are you on a search for success…or a search for significance? As the verses of Daniel 4 unfold before us, we see an amazing transformation in King Nebuchadnezzar. Listen to him as he pounds his chest and boasts, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). Those are the words of a man standing in the spotlight, consumed with his own self-importance and success. But a few verses later, listen to the proof of his startling transformation from success to significance: “Now, I Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down” (v. 37). Those are actually the last words of one of the most ingenious and innovative, powerful and productivemen who ever lived. He left us a lasting legacy. He not only passed form success to significance in this one chapter, but he left us his own story to show us the way to this invaluable discovery in life — that the way down is up and the up is down. Like Nebuchadnezzar, we have that same choice. We can base our self-worth on our success and our ability to achieve goals and acquire stuff in life so that others take notice. Or we can base our sense of worth on significance that is only found in the place this king found his: in our identity in the Lord Himself, who set us apart since we were in our mother’s womb for a purpose that no one can fulfill quite like we can. Now, that’s significance! Taken from The Daniel Code by O.S. Hawkins. Copyright © 2016 by Dr. O.S. Hawkins. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. O. S. Hawkins has served pastorates, including the First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, for more than 25 years. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, he has a BBA from Texas Christian University and his MDiv and Ph.D. fromSouthwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For almost a quarter of a century, he served as president of GuideStone Financial Resources, with assets under management of $20 billion, serving 250,000 pastors, church staff members, missionaries, doctors, university professors, and other workers in various Christian organizations with their investment, retirement and benefit service needs. He is the author of more than 40 books, and regularly speaks to business groups and churches all across the nation. All of the author’s royalties and proceeds from the entire Code series go to support Mission:Dignity. You can learn more about Mission:Dignity by visiting MissionDignity.org. - Dr. O.S. Hawkins - President, Guidestone Financial Resources On a Search for Significance Nebuchadnezzar II is known as the greatest king of the Chaldean dynasty of Babylonia. He conquered Syria and Palestine and made Babylon a splendid city. Illustration by German Vizulis
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FOSTER CARE 22 APRIL 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition You know those stories you look back on and can so clearly see the hand of God moving? In the midst of these kinds of stories, we typically have no idea the kind of impact divine timing and simple obedience can have. As we enter Child Abuse PreventionMonth thisApril, I can’t help but think of the lives that have been touched through the heart of prevention. Divine meetings I am sure you’ve had one of these “unplanned” meetings that you look back on so clearly as God’s orchestrating something divine. That’s what happened when I first met Adrien Lewis from the CarePortal team at a ChristianAlliance for Orphans (CAFO) conference several years ago. That unplanned meeting led to us visiting CarePortal in Kansas City at the end of 2019.After an incredible visit and fervent prayer, we knewGod was calling 4KIDS to bring CarePortal to our community, but we couldn’t have imagined what would happen next. God’s timing At the beginning of 2020, we were getting ready to roll out CarePortal and before we knew it, COVID began. Launching a new program in the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic was not something we planned for, and it was easy to question if the timing was right. Simultaneously we started seeing removal numbers plummet. Kids weren’t entering foster care at a typical rate. There was as much as a 40 percent decrease during the pandemic compared to the prior year. I can so clearly remember being on a state-wide call with leaders in the child welfare space, hearing everyone’s relief over these numbers and pausing to wonder if this sudden, sharp decline could mean kids were in trouble. Soon after, we started reading and hearing stories fromacross the country begin to pop up; kids were ending up in emergency rooms with some of the most severe trauma doctors had ever seen. Abuse didn’t just stop during the lockdown; it was actually getting worse. Reports of kids with multiple fractures, head trauma, sexual abuse and even death were the truer reality for too many children. Healing through prevention It became more evident than ever that countless families were at their breaking points, not just with abuse rising, but with poverty and joblessness plaguing somany of our local families. So, with God leading our way, 4KIDS launched CarePortal in Southeast Florida in the thick of it all. Because of CarePortal’s ability to bring people together, and most importantly because of the tremendous hearts of our church community, families were given support and care. As the rest of the world focused inward, what I saw was our church community focus outward and start giving generously to kids and families in crisis through CarePortal. CarePortal is a digital platform that connects real-time community needs to the body of Christ. So government agencies and organizations that work on the frontlines with at-risk families get to submit specific needs to CarePortal, and people in partnering churches get to see those needs and respond. Oftentimes it is tangible items like a toddler bed or baby essentials. Sometimes it’s needs like a single mom who needs help paying her electric bill. For people to see the church meeting their physical needs in a time of crisis provides the most incredible beacon of hope. And it’s not just shining the light of Jesus to these families, but often to the staff who enter the needs into CarePortal. One woman shared at a CarePortal event, with seven different agencies represented, that entering needs and seeing people from the church meet them time and time again has, “restored her hope in humanity.” We know James 1:27 calls us to care for widows and orphans, but it also tells us in a way that is actionable – it says to GO to visit widows and orphans in their distress. CarePortal is putting action to the church in a unique and powerful way. The impact Scott Platter, CarePortal executive director, shared, “We believe collaborations are most successful when partners bring complementary capabilities to a shared goal. This is precisely what we’ve experienced in our partnership with 4KIDS, where their expert work to bring hope, homes and healing to Florida families is undergirded by our connective technology, all to bring glory to God while engaging His Church in the work. We can’t wait to see what the next five years holds!” In partnership with CarePortal, 4KIDS has recruited 848 response teammembers locally at 78 local Church partners. Over 2,700 children have been served to date. And within the next months, we will eclipse a $1 million collective community impact made since we launched CarePortal here in November of 2020. I will leave you with this recent story fromCarePortal that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. There was a single mom here in Broward County who had a lot of different needs. A support worker from a local agency entered all of her needs into CarePortal, thinking it was probably too many needs for all of them to be met. Every single need was met by a local church. The 8-year-old son of this mom was overcome by the generosity and said, “I saw all the stress that my momwas in, and I thought I might take my own life. But the fact that this community met all these needs for my mom, I want to know the God that they worship that they’d do all of this for her and I.” As I praise the Lord for bringing His Kingdom work to our community through our strategic partnership with CarePortal, I invite you to learn more and to get into His story. Visit 4KIDS.us/CarePortal to learn more and get involved. Supporting Families Helps Prevent Abuse - Kevin Enders - 4KIDS President & CEO
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