Largest Christian Newspaper in America • goodnewsfl.org • April 2025 • Volume 27, Issue 1
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PUBLISHER 6 april 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition April 2021, we featured the front cover of the GOOD NEWS with a cover caption “Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Fought to Open Florida Churches & Synagogues And Won!” Of course, the reference was the reopening of Florida during Covid. We believed in people having the choice to attend worship services of their choice. The visual of a Republican governor disappointed some pastors. One pastor even suggesting there was only one appropriate cover for the Good News, and that was the visual of Jesus Christ. I appreciated the input but tried to reason we had 12 issues a year, “Are you suggesting Jesus be the front cover every month?” He answered, “Yes.” We are delighted to have the work of artist Peter Olsen grace our front cover with his very descriptive painting of Jesus Christ, for this, our Easter issue, Shelly Pond interviews Peter Olsen in his studio, the feature starts on page 42. I am often reminded of the cultural differences in the diversity we enjoy in a multicultural region like South Florida. My personal observations and experiences, although subtle, remain profound to me. The Good News has been in need and in search of another qualified sales and marketing team member for an extended period now, and we have interviewed many applicants. Not until recently have I noticed a cultural pattern that has emerged. First, the absolute prerequisite is: they must love Jesus, and they also must have a strong belief system that what we do is important for the Kingdom. Next, they must possess a certain skill set to express to potential clients the benefits and virtues of being in a Christian publication, serving the needs of the dozens of nonprofit ministries that labor, mostly in darkness, and benefit from the light that we shine on their heroic efforts. Interview after interview in ensuing discussions the very normalized responses center around requirements necessary for the job description, but more directly, “How much will you pay me?” Nothing new there; that indeed is normal. For reasons of my own, I began to find that odd, and not knowing why? I started reflecting on my many decades in business, and in publishing, always in niche endeavors, music and live Broadway entertainment. The latter, skewing closer to my Jewish heritage, attracted personnel that was more ethnically aligned: I was blessed with long-term associates with very low turnover and, therefore, was less engaged in the need for endless associate interviews. It took me a good while to realize where the rub was. What seemed to be uncomfortable in this process? Then it subtly hit me; I have extreme cultural differences in the process, and until the GN, I was dealing primarily with Jewish people that gravitated to the entertainment industry. In the area of sales, everyone is aware that you earn your rewards based on your level of successful performance. I had also taken for granted that in the past when interviewing people for sales positions, I was not sensitive to the phrase “how much will you pay me?” I was more in tune with the question “how much can I make?” Analyzing the excitement of the potential as opposed to the task. The subtleties haven’t seemed so subtle lately. In the Christian Kingdom the strong reinforcement always centers around He will provide. To some that may lessen the need to perform/achieve. Is that judged as greed or performing at your potential level? Happy Easter, He is risen. South Florida Edition • Good News • April 2025 • Volume 27, 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 in more 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 2025. All rights reserved. Good News Media Group, LLC. 600 S.W. 3rd St., Suite 4000, Pompano Beach, FL 33060 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] WE GET LETTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 PERSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 The 12-Day Fast Slow – by Stephan N. Tchividjian IN THE WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Franklin Graham: Blessed Is the Nation Whose God Is the Lord – by Franklin Graham CHURCH UNITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 For Such a Time as This: Church United Miami – by Carter Brown THE CODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 The Promise of Victory in Death – by Dr. O.S. Hawkins HEART AND SOUL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Easter’s Impact on Your Calling – by Dr. Debra A. Schwinn and Dr. Jonathan Grenz FOSTER CARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 The In-Between – by Andrew Holmes YOU ASK WHY? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Jesus Came to Reverse the Curse! – by Dr. Tommy Boland ENCOURAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Happy Meal – by Omar Aleman PARENTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Is It a Problem When Parents Do Not Agree? – by Dr. Bob and Torrey Roberts SUMMER CAMP GUIDE 2025 . . . .29 - 36 GOOD NEWS WANTS TO KNOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 – 40 What is a unique Easter activity you've experienced or a tradition your family has had? COVER STORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 – 43 Sacred Visions: Peter Olsen’s Art Brings Scripture to Life – by Shelly Pond LEGAL Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Navigating Florida’s Judicial System – by William “Bill” C. Davell and Robert Meacham OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Blinded To Our Blessedness – by Chris Simpson MOVIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Faith-Based Movies That Touch and Change Lives – by Stanley Goldenberg INSIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 4 Leadership Lessons for Any Generation – by Rob Hoskins COMMUNITY NEWS . . . . . . . . .52 - 56 CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 - 59 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 - 63 Cultural Differences On The Cover Our April 2025 Easter cover image features “Salvation,” a piece of art created by award-winning South Florida Artist Peter Olsen, utilizing wood pyrography, a combination of wood burning, etching, carving and pigment. This selection from Olsen’s collection depicting “The Miracles and Healings of Jesus” is laid atop his oil painting of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Olsen has spent decades transforming Scripture into breathtaking visual narratives. Read the cover article on page 42. - Leslie J. Feldman - Publisher C O N T E N T S Good News • April • Volume 27 Issue 1
LETTERS 8 april 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition So excited for the recent press towards your ministry! Thank you, Heather. We ladies need this! - Laurie Jeselsohn Your work is great! - Ilka Vainu Wow this is amazing! Congratulations. Keep going, what God is doing through you is wonderful. Pun intended. - Jeronimo Terife That was a powerful article, thank you for sharing, and I am especially grateful as a recipient of a LifeBox in January. Never stop fighting for those in distress. - David Lefland Congratulations! This ministry is so personal to me and my family. Thanks for all you do! - Pamela Sue Henckel Hunter Life, love ad light of God are in those LifeBoxes. Praying for your team always. - Lor Vilao Ziegler Franklin Graham: When Good Is Evil and Evil Is Good by Franklin Graham, President and CEO, Samaritan’s Purse and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association We have to teach the parents and the young ones at the same time! There are so many parents that were not raised where you attend church, say Grace before meals and taught about God or our Savior Jesus Christ! 40/50 years of this you have been witnessing what happens when children are not exposed to or taught about the Lord. I Think there are a lot of young adults searching for “something”! f true Christian focus on them we may turn the tide. - Kathy George-Spears Thank you for sharing this information and message with us! - Dottie Delgado Thank you for telling it like it is, Franklin Graham! - Barbara Bair Watson Thank you, Rev. Graham. Praying for that “spiritual awakening.” - Marilyn Ferguson This is such a sickening though! We need a revival in this country. God is the only one who can heal this country. - Ruth Smith Brindley One more Suicide Is One Too Many: Inside Heather Palacios’ Life-Saving Mission by Shelly Pond, Good News Editor Thank you, Good News Media Group, for picking Wondherful for your March front cover. Because I believe with my mind, heart and soul that one more suicide is one too many. - Heather M Palacios I received one for my daughter and also one for myself during COVID. I just received one to keep on me so when I come across someone in crisis, I am ready to give it. People are suffering all the time, so I am ready to help the next person. I know how it feels to feel hopeless, and I know how the box helped me. - Kayte Lehr In my mid-twenties I was sinking in the stormy waves of depression. And I even seriously contemplated suicide. But the Lord saved me from drowning in the depths of despair. - Karen Pansler Lam Heck yeah Heather! Your mission and goal for Wondherful should be front and center. - Jenn Garcia This organization is very near and dear to my heart. - Becky Lynn Warren Love her and her mission!! - Joanne Harrison Wallace God bless you, Heather! - Marcel Bermudez Heather M. Palacios is the best! Amazing picture!! - Jan Thoman Thank you for all you do! - Joan Czukor Love this!! - Marion Brown Adair Praise God Heather M. Palacios. You brother is so proud of you. Living legacy for the Kingdom. - Luis Angel Arroyo An incredible woman making such a difference one life at a time. Love you and am so proud of you, Heather M Palacios. - Donna Churchill Prayers for a revival in this country. Keep reminding myself about 2Timothy 3. - Rose Watkin Embarrassed (Are you talking to me?) by Stephan Tchividjian, CEO and Co-Founder, National Christian Foundation South Florida I have been seeing bad in me, just like you are talking about. Why do I feel justified to be angry is what I ask myself, then I ask God are you trying to teach me something? - Debra Bellamy I love the legacy that Billy Graham left behind… and how God is still using his ministry to reach others for Christ. - Wss Ing We need to recognize that a change is needed personally. God help us to shine your light every day. - Glenda Marquez Christ Is Our Plumb Line by Dr. O.S. Hawkins, Chancellor, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary The Plumb Line The underlying cause of “darkness the earth Jesus came to save is described throughout the book of Ecclesastes. The cycle “knowledge creates Power, Power destroys knowledge” of that age had completed itself. - Davd Green But really how plumb can t be when the Bible has stoning gay people nonvirgin women and keeping slaves as being godly. - Paul Bannon We Get Letters
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PERSPECTIVE 10 april 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition I typically don’t like to fast. I understand that people will fast sometimes for health reasons; this is not the fast that I am talking about. The fasting I am talking about is the biblical kind. I know fasting to be important as it’s encouraged throughout the Bible and modeled by many. I know that there are many benefits to this type of fasting. The clarity and focus that occurs as one intently focuses on Jesus is something supernatural. I have dear friends who fast regularly for extended periods and speak of its benefits. I still don’t like to fast. I have fasted many times and frankly, will fast again. However, did I say I don’t like to fast (which in and of itself is a good reason to fast)? Many churches and Christians have a tradition of fasting during certain times of the year. Our church has, over the past few years, encouraged its community to fast for the twenty-one days that lead to Easter. The opportunity is completely voluntary, and the options of what to fast are left up to each participant. I know of many people who declare a Daniel Fast, meaning that the participant will eat only fruits and vegetables for the duration of the fast (among a few other edits of one’s normal diet). I also know others who simply do water for 21 days, no food whatsoever (this fast is intense and a doctor’s approval may be wise). I also know of others who may fast social media, television, alcohol, a hobby, etc. Therefore, the idea of fasting is simply to take something you may have allowed to become too important (an idol perhaps) and eliminate it from your life, for the purpose of drawing closer to Jesus. What should I fast from? I have been invited, many times, to participate in a community fast, sometimes for a few days and sometimes for longer. Recently I was invited to join a 21-day fast that our church was doing. I found myself struggling to think about what I was going to fast from. I had several options, but nothing was settling with me. I spoke to the Lord many times about it. What was He suggesting I ought to fast from? I had to check my attitude because it’s not something I’m typically excited about (I think I already explained that). I thought about anything in my life that perhaps had become an idol. I realized that I have a lot of idols, more than I thought. These idols don’t always look like idols. I’ve heard one way to identify an idol is to consider what in my life I find takes no effort to spend time or money on? I know that is not a full proof test, but it does cause me to think. Sometimes, the littlest things or best things become idols. For example, can my marriage become an idol? Are my children an idol? Perhaps my reputation, my health, my work, my choices, etc. My conundrum continued. Does God want me to fast, and if so, what do I fast? My God suggested something to me in one of our conversations. He began by challenging my attitude about my fast. He asked me what the point of the fast was. I simply suggested it was to get closer to Him, hear His voice and remove idols that get in the way of our relationship; bottom line, spend more time with Him. He seemed perplexed (not that God gets perplexed) as to why I was dreading this. He challenged my paradigm. God does that from time to time. He asked if my attitude would change if He were to invite me to an all-expense paid luxury vacation in Switzerland? Would I want to go? I said, “Heaven yes” (the alternative is not appropriate here). I said I would clear my schedule, pack immediately and leave on the next flight. God then simply said, “That’s the point. I’m not concerned about what you are going to temporarily remove from your life to draw close to me if your attitude is not right. I actually am more interested in spending more time with you and you with me.” It’s about time The birth of the 21-Day Slow emerged. God simply said, “Now (this year), I would rather you take the next 21 days and slow down, spend more time with me and draw close to me. I thought the solution to my dilemma was brilliant. God’s focus was on the objective not the mechanics. Sometimes I get caught up in the how and not the why. Therefore, I found myself intently looking at my schedule and finding ways to carve out some extra time to spend with Him. Is there a prayer habit He wants me to engage with, perhaps a portion of scripture to marinate deeply on, extra time in worship, be inspired by a biography of a fellow Christian that I can learn from, be comfortable with quiet in order to hear His voice… and the list goes on as we contemplate what it means to do a “slow.” I recently read that Steve Jobs (Apple founder) commonly asked three questions. First, “What’s not working?” Second, “Why is it not working?” Lastly, “Is that the best you can do?” Perhaps when I slow down, I see what God wants me to see. Perhaps He gently shows me the areas of my life that could improve (those idols that get in the way) and how to improve on them. I find that God is my confidant. He honestly addresses what’s not working, why it’s not working, and He then equips me to do my best work. The opportunity to be the best husband, wife, father, mother, business partner, friend, etc. is available to us with Him. God provides me a gentle reminder that He’s always with me, and He’s never going to give up on me, and that to delight in Him, indulge in Him, hang with Him is always more important than wondering what I’ve got to sacrifice to show Him I love Him. Simply put, He wants me and perhaps what He wants from me is to fast from a busy life, a distracted life and an overstimulated life. I think it may be harder to not be busy than to give up a favorite food or habit. Either way, the message is clear. God deeply desires an intimate relationship with Him, and the things that get in the way of that are idols, and that is what we fast (slow) from. Stephan N. Tchividjian is the CEO and co-founder of the National Christian Foundation South Florida. Visit southflorida.ncfgiving.com to learn more. The 21 Day Fast Slow - Stephan Tchividjian - CEO and Co-Founder, National Christian Foundation South Florida
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12 april 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition IN THE WORD The horrific images are seared in my mind from my visit several weeks ago to Southern California following the devastating wildfires that killed more than two dozen residents and destroyed $250 billion worth of property. Street after street, mile after mile, nothing remains among the ashes except a few chimneys and some other charred remnants where houses, schools and businesses once stood in the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fire disaster areas. Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains have been there ministering to displaced residents, firefighters and the entire community. Pray for these families as they try to determine whether or not to rebuild while electricity and water are largely nonexistent in much of the area laid to waste by the fires. It’s hard to imagine how quickly the flames — combined with 90-mile-per-hour winds — engulfed these communities. Pictures just can’t adequately communicate the magnitude of the destruction. This month, I will preach a televised Easter message amid the scorched landscape in Southern California to remind people that our God brings life out of death. Just as the grave could not hold the Son of God who was raised to life on the third day following His crucifixion, so those who surrender their lives in repentance and faith to Jesus Christ will be raised to new life with their resurrected Savior and Lord. As California residents grapple with the aftermath of the fires, thousands in the Southeast are still struggling to recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. President Donald Trump recently joined me as we offered help and hope to people in Western North Carolina, where Samaritan’s Purse is rebuilding homes and providing other vital aid to storm victims. It’s my prayer that many families will rebuild their lives on the rock of God’s Word by heeding Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:26-27: “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” In the midst of great loss and suffering like our nation has experienced in recent months — from floods, wildfires and the deadly aircraft collision over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. — promises from the Word of God comfort His people like nothing else can. Consider Lamentations 3:22-23: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness.” God’s mercy is revealed when He doesn’t give us what we deserve. Romans 6:23 reminds us of just how merciful God is toward us. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” When I gave the invocation Jan. 20 at our nation’s 60th Presidential Inauguration ceremony for President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, I urged those in attendance to remember the great things that God has done for this country. I believe with all my heart, just like I prayed in the Capitol Rotunda, that if we keep our eyes fixed on God and our hearts inclined to His voice, God will answer our prayers of repentance and heal our land. The Bible is full of accounts of God honoring and blessing the obedience of His people and also judging them when they turned their backs on Him. In 2 Kings, we read about how King Josiah led the nation of Judah to turn back to God in repentance and worship after generations of idolatry and apostasy. “Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him” (2 Kings 23:25). In my inaugural prayer, I claimed the promise of God’s Word that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12). I also quoted the Prophet Daniel, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:20-21). I praise God for a new administration that seeks to protect the sanctity of human life by executive orders that eliminate any and all federal funding of abortions both domestically and internationally. Another executive order clearly states that there are only two genders, male and female, just as God’s Word teaches. Likewise, I couldn’t agree more with President Trump’s executive order titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which cuts off federal funding for the transgender industry and allows families harmed to sue for damages. The order rightly states: “Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children under the radical and false claim that adults can change a child’s sex through a series of irreversible medical interventions. This dangerous trend will be a stain on our nation’s history, and it must end.” The Bible teaches us that God doesn’t make mistakes when He creates human beings. Psalm 139:13-15 says, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” I continue to covet your prayers. I preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ in early March in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to thousands of souls created in God’s image. May many profess their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for their eternal salvation and the glory of God. ©2025 BGEA Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Decision magazine, March 2025; ©2025 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; used by permission, all rights reserved. Franklin Graham: Blessed Is the Nation Whose God Is the Lord - Franklin Graham - President and CEO Samaritan’s Purse and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association A charred car sits among the ruins of homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
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14 april 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition CHURCH UNITED Miami has long been known for its beauty, vibrancy and global influence. But for decades, it has also been hard soil for cultivating deep unity among the Church — a place where connection and collaboration among pastors and Christian leaders has often been fragmented, siloed and marked by competition. Yet, something is changing. Last month we formally launched the Church United expression in Miami — a moment years in the making — and one we believe is ordained for such a time as this. “God is doing something new in South Florida by bringing churches and leaders together to foster unity and collaboration for the sake of the gospel. We feel a fresh wind from the Spirit of God leading us together that is greater than the forces that might otherwise divide us. Thanks to God’s goodness, we find ourselves in a new moment,” said Pastor Worth Carson, of Granada Church in Coral Gables. An ecosystem of churches The last few years have witnessed God doing what once felt impossible: forging deep relational trust, shared vision and uncommon collaboration across denominational, ethnic and geographic lines. A core leadership team has emerged, driven not by ego or personal brand, but by a shared heart posture: we, not me. Their driving vision? Joining hands with the National Christian Foundation of South Florida to transform a fragmented Miami church environment known more for building brands into a thriving ecosystem of churches, ministries, patrons and marketplace leaders, working together to see gospel transformation take root across the city and birth revival. This is not just another network. Church United is a network of networks, committed to helping connect, convene and catalyze the greater Christian ecosystem in South Florida. Our rallying cry is clear: unity for the sake of mission. Rooted in Jesus’ prayer in John 17 — “that they may be one…so that the world may believe.” Church United is living proof that a unified Church is a powerful witness to a watching world. For Bill White, lead Pastor of Christ Journey Church, “Jesus doesn’t unify his body simply for unity’s sake. He does it for kingdom advance, to address the task at hand and fulfill his mission. Like the wall around Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day being rebuilt by many different work teams, diverse but unified, God’s mission of protecting and providing for his people was accomplished. Together they all did more than any of them could’ve done in disunity. Their shared connection in shared mission provided divine opportunity for deep community. This is what we pray and long for in Miami.” A strategic city And there may be no more strategic city in the United States for Kingdom advancement and collaboration than Miami. As the gateway to Latin America and a microcosm of global diversity, Miami reflects the future of the Church in America. With more than 70% of its population identifying as Hispanic or Latino, and a complex tapestry of cultures, languages and worldviews converging in a single urban hub, Miami is uniquely positioned to become a template for city gospel movement. What happens here — how unity is forged, how leaders are equipped, how collaboration is sustained — will shape how ministry is done across the country in the years to come. Collective impact What I love about the Church United model is that it draws deeply from the principles of collective impact. This is not about one church, one personality, or one organization leading the charge. It’s about a common agenda — missional unity — built on a shared understanding of the spiritual challenges and opportunities facing the city. Church United is laser-focused on forging healthy leaders, thriving churches and flourishing cities. This vision is not theoretical. It’s rooted in reality. Barna, Pew, and other national research organizations confirm a sobering truth: Christianity is on the decline across America, and regions like South Florida are outpacing national trends. In the next three decades, more than 35 million young people raised in Christian homes will likely disaffiliate. Only 3% of South Florida’s population today would identify as an evangelical or committed Christian. The Church in the region faces not just a crisis of faith — but a crisis of credibility, unity, and innovation. But in the face of such challenges, the leaders of the Church in the region sees a kairos moment — a Spirit-led opportunity for renewal. Pastor Carlos Cardenas of Christ Fellowship Miami put it like this, “In Miami, unity is not a luxury; it’s essential! Seeing several churches come together in our city is something we've been longing for a while. It’s truly a work of God’s grace. Exciting times ahead!” And it’s not just pastors who are part of this movement. Through our strategic alignment with the National Christian Foundation of South Florida and their three pillars of Invest, Equip, Unite — Church United is part of a larger story of activating marketplace leaders, generous patrons and everyday believers to see their city differently. Whether it's soul care initiatives for pastors, regional gatherings for collaboration, or strategic Kingdom giving solutions through the National Christian Foundation, the entire body of Christ is part of the story. As Robey Barnes of City Rev Church which recently launched a campus in Miami Springs put it, “This is not about building our own empires. This is about seeing the Kingdom come — together.” The launch of Church United in Miami signals a new chapter. It’s an invitation to reimagine what the Church can be — a unified movement pursuing God’s glory and Miami’s good. The road ahead won’t be easy. Unity is costly and takes humility, forgiveness and intentional effort. But the fruit — a gospel-saturated, transformed South Florida — is worth it. Revival is like an iceberg; the foundation is forged under the water. We are beginning to see the foundation of revival form below the surface. This is our moment. This is our mission. And this is our city. For such a time as this — Miami. To learn more, visit churchunitedfl.com Carter Brown is the Lead Pastor of Crossbridge Church and part of the Church United Miami Lead Team. For Such a Time as This: Church United Miami - Carter Brown - Lead Pastor, Crossbridge Church Representatives from nine Miami-Dade churches worship, pray and discuss ministry together during a Soul Care Gathering at Christ Fellowship Downtown.
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THE CODE 16 april 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4 NKJV). There are a lot of voices and volumes around today telling us how to live. Self-help books and motivational videos are a dime a dozen in our world. But there is only one book that tells us how to die. And there is no one verse in this Book of all books that is more poignant and pertinent to the subject than the fourth verse of the most famous of all the chapters of the Bible, Psalm 23, the Shepherd’s Psalm. Tradition holds that King David penned these words about “the valley of the shadow” while sitting in the Judean wilderness between Jerusalem and Jericho. This spot is known today as Wadi Qelt. It is a long valley, four and a half miles in length, and its canyons are as much as fifteen hundred feet deep in some spots. As David sat atop this vast expanse, he saw a spectacular site as he took pen in hand and wrote the twenty-third Psalm. To this day you can sit at this spot as the sun casts a shadow over the canyon on the sheep trails winding their way up and down and across the rugged terrain. It was there David wrote, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me.” This one sentence speaks volumes of God’s promise to us of our sure victory in death. Making it personal An amazing thing happens as we journey verse by verse through Psalm 23. The first part of the psalm is packed with third-person pronouns: He makes me to lie down in green pastures. . . . He leads me beside still waters. . . . He restores my soul. . . . He leads me in paths of righteousness. But then something very up close and personal happens when he begins speaking about death. The pronouns in the psalm change to second person, indicating God’s closeness to us in the “valley of the shadow.” David now says, “You are with me. . . . Your rod. . . . Your staff. . . . You prepare a table for me . . . You anoint my head with oil.” As a pastor, I have witnessed this on many occasions at the deathbed of believers. The Lord draws very near to them as they cling to His promise, “You are with me.” Death has its own way of making Christ more personal and near. People deal with their own mortality in many different ways. Some flee it. They go to the extreme of cryonics, freezing their bodies in hopes that future medical breakthroughs can bring them back to life at some later date. Others forget it. They simply reject the idea altogether, assuming it will somehow go away if they simply never think about it. Then there are those who fear it. They live lives paralyzed with no hope or security in Christ. But there are others, like David, who face it. Realizing their days are already numbered in eternity, they have no fear of death because they know the Lord is “with them.” David said, “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” He didn’t rush toward it. Nor did he crawl, seeking to postpone it as long as possible. He was not dragged toward it kicking and screaming. He simply walked, comforted by the fact that God was with him, and he was not alone. A temporary passage Death is just a sojourn. David indicated that he walked “through” the valley. Death was not his final destination. It was only a brief sojourn, a temporary passage. He knew this path was not a dead end with no way out. It was not a cul-desac that got him nowhere. The believer does not walk “in” the valley and stay there. We who have placed our trust in Christ walk “through” the valley. It is just a short and temporary passage from this life into eternal life. Through a shadow There is tremendous comfort in this passage knowing that death is simply a shadow. In Proverbs 30:5, David’s son, King Solomon, reminded us that “every word of God is pure.” Note carefully that David said this is the valley of the “shadow” of death. No believer ever walks through the valley of death, simply the “valley of the shadow of death.” The Lord Jesus is the One who walked through the valley of death for us — for three days and three nights. Then He emerged alive again from the empty tomb exclaiming, “Behold... I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Revelation 1:18). Thus, the believer only walks through the valley of the “shadow” of death. A shadow might frighten you, but it cannot harm you. As you approach the front door of your home at night and are about to place the key in the door, the porch light might cast a shadow that causes you to step back a moment in fear, but nothing about it can harm you. And the only way a shadow can be cast is if there is a great light shining. David said he walked “through” the valley of the shadow. That is just what we do with a shadow — we walk right through it. It is no wonder in the very next verse David said, “I will fear no evil.” He knew death was defeated; it was only a temporary passage “through” a shadow into the light. He could “fear no evil” because of the knowledge that the Lord was with him. Jesus has conquered death, hell and the grave (Revelation 1:18). It is no wonder we, too, fear no evil. We have a precious promise when we arrive at our own appointment with death. We can join David in the confident assurance that “You are with me!” Because Jesus said, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore” (Revelation 1:18), those of us who are believers need not fear death. We are only headed “through” the valley of the shadow of death, and Jesus is with us every single step of the way. There is victory not just over death but in death as well. A promise and a prayer “For this is God, our God forever and ever, He will be our guide even to death” (Psalm 48:14). Lord, what comfort to know that I do not have to fear death. It has “lost its sting.” And thank You for the promise that when that time comes for me, You will never leave me. In Jesus’ name, amen. Taken from The Promise Code by O.S. Hawkins. Copyright © 2022 by Dr. O.S. Hawkins. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. O.S. Hawkins is the Legacy Pastor of First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale and chancellor of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He 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. from Southwestern 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 nationwide. All of the author’s royalties and proceeds from the Code series support Mission:Dignity. You can learn more about Mission:Dignity by visiting MissionDignity.org. - Dr. O.S. Hawkins - Chancellor, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary The Promise of Victory in Death A woman sits against the background of Wadi Qelt in Judean desert, Israel
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HEART AND SOUL 18 april 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition As we approach Easter, there are numerous opportunities to remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made: defeating sin through his death and resurrection. The powerful truth of Christ’s love for humanity compels us to shine His love throughout every aspect of our lives. In this article by Dr. Jonathan Grenz, PBA Dean of the School of Ministry, he observes the power of the cross, God’s provisions, and what it means for each of us to shine the light of Christ in our relationships, contributions and vocation. Year after year, Easter inspires deep reflection as well as celebration for Christians around the world. The resurrection offers us hope because there is victory over sin and death. But beyond personal salvation, Easter transforms how we understand our calling or vocation in life (vocation comes from a Latin word which means “to call”). An important Christian belief is that each of us has a purpose or calling. In fact, we have three callings that were part of God’s original design. However, they were marred by the fall of humanity through sin. The good news is through the work of Christ’s death and resurrection, they are redeemed and restored, offering us a new beginning and a renewed sense of purpose. Calling to relationship with God We were designed for an intimate relationship with God right from the beginning. In Genesis, God created humans in His image (1:26-27) and walked with them in the Garden (3:8). This calling is to a dynamic and ongoing communion between our Creator and us. In the Fall, sin brought alienation from our Creator and distorted this relationship. But Jesus’ sacrificial death broke the bondage of sin, and His resurrection opens the door to restored intimacy with God. Easter offers us the opportunity to embrace our calling to relationship with God. Calling to stewardship In Genesis, God calls humanity “to rule” or “have dominion” over His creation (1:26-27). Dominion is not domineering but stewarding. All of creation, including our very selves, relationships and communities, belongs to God; therefore, we rule as ones who do not own but are stewards. The Fall distorted this calling. Instead of caring for God’s creation, our selfishness and sin lead us to misuse, abuse, inequality and brokenness. Yet, the power of Christ’s resurrection redeems and renews our call to stewardship. Calling to contribution Humanity was created to contribute to God’s on-going creation and its flourishing. Gensis tells us that God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden to cultivate the land (2:15). Their role was to bring out the potential beauty, fruitfulness and flourishing. God has given us spiritual gifts, talents and acquired skills to use in our contribution. The Fall enslaved us to sin, distorting our inclinations and use of our gifts, leading to pride and greed. Rather than contributing to the common good, sin leads us to turn inward and to selfish ambition. However, Easter reorients us toward our calling to contribute. Jesus’ resurrection restores our ability to contribute. Amy Sherman, in Kingdom Calling, highlights six types of work or contribution: redemptive work, creative work, providential work, justice work, compassionate work and revelatory work. With over 30 years of ministry experience, Dr. Jonathan Grenz is dean of PBA’s School of Ministry and the Catherine T. MacArthur School of Leadership. Before that, he was director of PBA’s Master of Divinity program and assistant director of the Center for Experiential Learning. Grenz has served as lead pastor, associate pastor in youth ministry and Christian education, and parachurch ministry director. He was a full-time faculty member at Sioux Falls Seminary and an adjunct professor at Taylor University, College and Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He has led numerous short-term missions and recently has taught pastors in Colombia, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Ukraine. He also served as president of the We Are Life board of directors and co-authored Synergistic Collaborations: Pastoral Care and Church Social Work. Grenz is passionate about mentoring and equipping young Christian leaders for the church and the world. www.pba.edu - Dr. Debra A. Schwinn - Palm Beach Atlantic University President Dr. Jonathan Grenz Easter’s Impact on Your Calling
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FOSTER CARE 20 april 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition As I am writing this, we’re inching closer and closer to Easter, and with that I’ve been thinking a lot about the “in-between.” Like a lot of you, I have spent my entire life in church, so the Easter message is one I know well and can count on year after year. We know the darkness of Good Friday, and the sting of death – we’ve likely reckoned with our own sin and the brokenness of this world that led Jesus to that cross. And, of course, we know Sunday, we know Sunday so well! The power and salvation that comes from that empty tomb is what has changed each of our individual lives and eternity forever. Because of how momentous Friday and Sunday can be, we can so easily skip over the in-between. That in-between feels a lot like the work I see and am a part of every day here at 4KIDS. It’s that relentless pursuit of resurrection that I see our staff and families running toward each day. The relentless pursuit of resurrection The in-between days and the in-between seasons we’ve all experienced in life require unrelenting hope and tireless faith. It’s hard to go to those places of despair; to hold faith that the darkness can be transformed to joy. In the Easter story there were women who did just that, when Mary and others went to care for Jesus’ body. At the time they likely could have never imagined an empty tomb; they were imagining death, hopelessness and loneliness to be waiting for them that day – but they went anyway. They went to care for the body of Jesus in relentless obedience and in deep devotion, even though they didn’t see how things could change. It was in the in-between that Jesus himself was relentlessly pursuing the hope of our future – this was simultaneously happening on the other side of heaven even while many were losing faith here on earth, wondering how Jesus could possibly return. These are the moments where it feels like the story is over, but it’s not. Because we know what happens next! In Mark 16:4-7 we read, “But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” “Just as he told you,” all of our hope hangs on his goodness. The in-between is carried by his promises to us, and even when we don’t see how the story could possibly end, we can count on him time and time again. Standing with kids in the in-between We’re closing in on May, which is National Foster Care Month for 4KIDS, and it’s a big season that I hope you’ll begin to prepare your heart for. There are kids right now who just endured the pain and despair of Friday, and they’re stuck in the in-between. When a vulnerable child is in crisis, I can tell you from first-hand experience, this is one of the darkest places you could ever witness. This is an often invisible and isolating place; it is covered in darkness and despair just like the tomb where Jesus laid. It takes relentless pursuit on our part to meet them in that fearful uncertainty and to step out in faith that their story isn’t finished. If you’re facing your own in-between right now, know that I am standing with you in relentless faith and unmoving belief that God is relentlessly pursuing you right now. I pray that you meet him in a personal and powerful way. For more information on 4KIDS of South Florida, visit 4kids.us The In-Between - Andrew Holmes - 4KIDS President
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22 april 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition YOU ASK WHY Jesus Came to Reverse the Curse! “No longer will there be any curse . . . ‘for the old order of things has passed away’” (Revelation 22:3, 21:4). This month we celebrate Easter, and let me make something perfectly clear – EASTER IS FOR EVERYONE but not EVERYONE IS FOR EASTER! Easter is for everyone who, by grace through faith, will acknowledge Jesus as the crucified and risen Savior of the world, confess and repent of their sin, and receive the forgiveness of God the Father and Jesus as Lord over their lives. If this is you, oh what a word of encouragement I have for you this month. There is a time coming when there will no longer be any curse in the universe, for the old order of things has passed away. But before that day when Jesus returns and consummates His Kingdom completely, Jesus is reversing the curse inside of each one of us. And it all started on the day that God raised us from death to life and we surrendered control of our lives to Him. The curse The curse was a result of the rebellion of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God gave paradise to our first parents with only one prohibition and sure enough, they did what they were told not to do and plunged all of creation into a cosmic curse. God first pronounced His curse upon Satan for deceiving and tempting the woman to turn away from God. Next, God cursed the woman, increasing her suffering in childbirth, followed by the man, who would live a life of toil amongst the thorns and thistles. It was, in a phrase, paradise lost. Together, they made filthy what was clean, bad what was good, and dead what was alive. But God did not leave them in their sin, sorrow and separation. He promised to send One who would be able to reverse the curse in Genesis 3:15. Our redeemer Jesus, the Son of God, who left the throne room of heaven, came into this world to reverse the curse by taking upon Himself the punishment that we deserved. His sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection satisfied the wrath and judgment of God and destroyed the works of the devil, ultimately becoming the death of death. Paul writes in Galatians 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” Jesus has made a way for us to get back into a right relationship with God. When we transfer our trust to Christ, we are given the first fruit of the reversed curse . . . our justification – peace with God. This was the first thing lost by Adam and Eve when they sinned. They were in fear of God and on the run away from Him, hiding in the bushes. But Jesus has reversed this curse for every child of God. Yet, it will not be complete until we get to the other side of the grave or until the day Jesus returns on the clouds of heaven. Our experience So how should this truth instruct our lives? We need to remember that inasmuch as the curse has been reversed when Jesus conquered the grave, we will continue to experience the curse on our way into glory. As my friend Steve Brown likes to say, “The dragon has been slain, but his tail still swishes.” And every time we encounter one of those “swishes” we feel the sting of sin. No matter how long we have been walking with the Lord, we are still broken people living in a broken world and things don’t always go the way we hope or expect them to go. When we find ourselves experiencing a bit of the curse in some area of our life experience, we need to be reminded that the day is coming when no longer will there be any curse. In the new heavens and the new earth, the filthy will have been made clean, the bad will have been made good, and the dead will have been made alive in Christ! The curse came upon Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they refused to believe God about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent got them to question what God had said. But what started in unbelief, is reversed by belief in Jesus as the One who came to reverse the curse. You can rise above May that promise empower you to rise above the challenges of daily living and the storm winds of life, personally, professionally, and relationally, knowing that He who began a good work in you will one day bring it to completion. Oh, by the way, as I come to the end of this word of encouragement to you know this: the ending of the Easter story is found in the fact that there is no ending. It goes on forever and ever, because the One who is life, has given all who are His, eternal life, having reversed the curse by conquering, once and for all, sin, Satan, and our last enemy death itself. Happy Easter. This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN! Dr. Tommy Boland is senior pastor of Cross Community Church in Deerfield Beach (www.thecrosscc.org). He blogs regularly at tommyboland.com. - Dr. Tommy Boland - Pastor, Cross Community Church Image of Adam and Eve, taken in a church in the city of Kropyvnytskyi in 2019. Ukraine
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