Largest Christian Newspaper in America • goodnewsfl.org • May 2025 • Volume 27, Issue 2
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PUBLISHER 6 may 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition My earliest recollection of my fascination with “statistics” - things like baseball batting averages, home runs, stolen bases, strikeouts - is when I was about five or six. Baseball was the dominant sport in my life at six years old. The Detroit Tigers were my team, partially growing up in Detroit, because Florida didn’t have a baseball team, football team, basketball team or a hockey team back when I was six. I credit sports as my pathway to learning things because that’s when I took an interest in reading. In Florida my parents had the Miami Herald delivered to our home each morning, and I would dig out the sports section, which was untouched; my parents and sister had no interest in sports, so that section was pristine and unfolded, and I, of course, would anxiously turn to the baseball statistics. In fact, without that morning ritual reading about Rocky Colavito and Mickey Mantle, comparing how many home runs? or Whitey Ford and how many strikeouts and how many wins in comparison to all the other pitchers, I don’t think I would’ve had any interest in reading anything. “Statistics” for curiosity comparisons is a constant in my life for conversation, fulfilling my insatiable curiosity that many people also have as adults: what’s the best movie? What’s the best restaurant? What’s the favorite television program? What’s the favorite vacation spot? Lists, endless lists. Those are the beginnings of millions of conversations people have. We may think we are living in a more dynamic time and place than years past; after all we are living in the age of “social media.” We have tools like “Facebook.” The main difference about Facebook is a two-way engagement. Let me dig a little deeper here. We’ve had radio and television for over 70 years and for the most part it’s been free to the consumer - just like Facebook - because a radio and television set, just like a computer screen now, is all you needed. The radio that came in your car or the television in your living room was free once you plugged it into the electrical socket. Facebook similarly gives away their content for free, but just like radio and TV, advertisers provide the revenue to do so. Certainly, the new dynamic with Facebook is more unique. We can engage and express our opinions, we can “like” or “share” for a multitude of new viewers, as well as our current “friends.” More later on the “share” feature. The Good News currently maintains a running list that we ‘Facebook follow’ of over 514 that we track; however, some are national or even regional and thus are excluded from this analytic. Approximately 400 are local ministries, churches, universities, hospitals, and such to monitor content and engagement in our southern Florida community. We want to stay in touch and engaged. We also want to “share” our content - stories, articles and thoughtful columns by renowned leaders - to engage with the Evangelical community because we believe we are mandated to help grow disciples for the betterment of our kingdom. Facebook is but one important way to reach an audience for free. The audience consists of your friends and your followers, but the dynamic of Facebook is the ability to “share” your content with new interested ‘disciples’ If you will. Let me explain further. Just like someone anxious and eager to tell you about a new restaurant or a must-see movie, Facebook articles are commonly shared by friends among their own contact list on their ‘friends list’ …for the same reasons; they want their friends to know about new fun, engaging, important things, and the ancillary benefits are you pick up new views to your activities and events AND followers of your own to grow your own village. Content and activities are key. The old premise: if you tell 2 people and they each tell 2 new people, and those 4 tell 8 new people, you understand the drill. With diligent detail, you can grow and grow and grow your disciple list, and the benefit for foster care, homeless, feeding the poor; all the things God commands us to do, is well within the reach of everyone, as long as you are faithful to the discipline of engagement. It’s simple; the more you grow your contact list, the more you create a greater opportunity for more engagement, more volunteers, more event attendance, and a larger donor base. Here is a list of just the top 100 within our list, and, as I said, of the more than 400 in southern Florida we currently track. You are all doing a wonderfully incredible job with your content, so I hope this serves as some additional encouragement to get more active and even more engaged. Grow. The. Kingdom. Statistics are a wonderful marketing tool to see how we’re trending. I am grateful, Les Statistics for Engagement - Leslie J. Feldman - Publisher Acurate as of 4/14/2025. FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS 1 Church by the Glades 354,000 2 Florida International University 176,000 3 Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital 149,000 4 Florida Atlantic University 96,000 5 Christ Fellowship Church, PBG 70,000 6 Nova Southeastern University 65,000 7 Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale 57,000 8 Ocean’s Edge School 55,000 9 The Children’s Trust 55,000 10 Broward College 54,000 11 One Hope 53,000 12 Vous Church 41,000 13 Palm Beach Atlantic University 28,000 14 Calvary House 25,000 15 Good News Media Group 22,000 16 Harvest Bible Chapel 18,858 17 Potential Church 18,587 18 Cleveland Clinic Florida 17,521 19 Dan Marino Foundation 17,233 20 Feeding South Florida 16,253 21 Bonnet House Museum & Gardens 13,588 22 Greater Ft. Lauderdale COC 13,276 23 Place Of Hope 13,000 24 Journey Church 12,000 25 South Florida Bible College 11,000 26 Memorial Healthcare 10,581 27 4 Kids of South Florida 10,042 28 Honor Flight of South Florida 10,000 29 Kids in Distress 10,000 30 Wondherful 10,000 31 Holy Cross Health, Ft. Lauderdale 9,508 32 St. Thomas Aquinas H.S. 8,702 33 Christian Life Center 8,542 34 Miami Rescue Mission 8,530 35 Cross International 8,425 36 Habitat For Humanity, Broward 8,378 37 His House Children’s Home 8,330 38 Abundant Living Ministries 7,857 39 The Kings Academy 7,830 40 Urban League of Broward County 7,233 41 The Local Church 6,753 42 Urban Youth Impact 6,675 43 JM Family Enterprises 6,660 44 First Baptist Fort Lauderdale 6,544 45 Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church 6,508 46 Arc Broward 6,374 47 Generation Church 6,365 48 Speak UpFor Kids 5,603 49 Calvary Christian Academy, Ft. Lauderdale 5,573 50 Women in Distress, Broward 5,414 51 Junior Achievement of South Florida 5,391 52 Friends of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park 5,323 53 Moody Radio South Florida 5,205 54 Covenant House Florida 5,030 55 Leadership Broward Foundation 4,956 56 Coastal Community Church 4,786 57 Boys & Girls Club of Broward County 4,685 58 St. Andrew Catholic Church 4,022 59 The Shelter Naples 3,877 60 Potential Church, Cooper City 3,772 61 Plantation Baptist Church 3,740 62 Sheridan House Family Ministries 3,689 63 Hope South Florida 3,637 64 Mount Bethel Baptist 3,566 65 Broward Partnership For The Homeless 3,451 66 Center for Effective Philanthropy 3,399 67 Riverside Church 3,361 68 Broward Partnership for the Homeless 3,451 69 Restoration Bridge International 3,340 70 Community Foundation of Broward 3,149 71 4 KIDS Treasure Coast 3,098 72 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward 3,078 73 Temple Aron HaKodesh 3,031 74 Calvary Chapel North Miami 2,966 75 Calvary House For Women 2,939 76 The Crockett Foundation 2,902 77 Boca Raton Community Church 2,865 78 Rebuilding Together Broward County 2,855 79 Gateway Church of Fort Lauderdale 2,707 80 Children’s Harbor, Inc 2,702 81 Westminster Academy 2,694 82 Barbour South Florida 2,608 83 Highlands Christian Academy 2,568 84 Downtown Harbor Church 2,485 85 The Pantry of Broward 2,463 86 City Rev Church 2,424 87 Salvation Army of Broward 2,403 88 SAINTS 2,283 89 Miami & Broward Youth For Christ 2,243 90 Crossway Church 2,217 91 The Avenue Church 2,208 92 Cruciform Church 2,150 93 Parkridge Church 2,068 94 Church United 1,977 95 Vertical Church 1,970 96 Calvary Chapel Boynton Beach 1,952 97 Rio Vista Church 1,830 98 First Presbyterian Church Fort Lauderdale 1,821 99 Grace Community Church 1,803 100 15th Street Church of Christ 1,753
LETTERS 8 may 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition This organization was founded, anointed by God and through works and much love for His people, and has brought so much to so many in times of need. A glimmer of Hope, comforting words and prayers when you are at your lowest. - Patty Stanley Maynard I am so happy that he is following in his Great Dad’s Footsteps! - Darlene Schwab The 21 Day Fast Slow by Stephan Tchividjian, CEO and Co-founder, National Christian Foundation South Florida People of faith worry about the defiant, who shake their fist against God and the teachings of Scripture and say, ‘Look, I will not be told what to do. I’m going to celebrate my lifestyle, celebrate my abortion, celebrate a lifestyle that God calls an abomination,’ whatever, or celebrate greed or violence. ‘And I don’t think there’s anything wrong. I don’t need forgiveness.’ - Anthony Dimaggio This is really very good!!! - Lavona Simmons Franklin Graham: Blessed Is the Nation Whose God Is the Lord by Franklin Graham, President and CEO, Samaritan’s Purse and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Amen. Thank you, Mr. Graham, for your prayers for our world. GOD BLESS and keep you healthy and strong. Amen. - Georgia Huckins Amen, Amen! God Bless all of your family and all that your organization does to LoveGOD, Love People and Share JESUS until He comes. - Dorothy Freeman Samaritan’s Purse is always at a disaster, know first-hand, great organization. - Melba Hawkins The Promise of Victory in Death by Dr. O.S. Hawkins, Chancellor, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary JESUS WARNED US ALL: “Many of you will say to Me on Judgment Day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly: ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers’!” Matthews 7:21-23. - Jan Rossman What happens when you die? They give your hospital bed to someone else. - Floyd Brown Death denial won’t change a thing. Best to face life (and death) honestly. Superstition is nothing but a crutch. - Robert Girouard We Get Letters South Florida Edition • Good News • May 2025 • Volume 27, Issue 2 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 In-BEtweens – by Stephan N. Tchividjian IN THE WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Franklin Graham: Preaching the Timeless Message of the Gospel – by Franklin Graham FOSTER CARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 A Month to See – by Andrew Holmes THE CODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 The Trinity and Prayer – by Dr. O.S. Hawkins PARENTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 How to Make a Technology Plan for Summer – by Dr. Bob and Torrey Roberts CHURCH UNITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 From Lifeboats to Yacht Clubs: What Rescue Societies Teach Us About the Church Today– by Edwin Copeland HEART AND SOUL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 PBA’s God-Sized Dreams Move from Vision to Reality – by Dr. Debra A. Schwinn COVER ARTICLE . . . . . . . . . . . .24 – 26 Good News Applauds Women of Distinction 2025– by Shelly Pond GOODNEWSWANTSTOKNOW28–30 If you could plant one idea in your community this May and watch it grow, what would it be? ENCOURAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Once Upon a Time – by Omar Aleman STEWARDSHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Life at the Beach – by Patrick J. Kelly LEGAL Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 How Do I Navigate Florida’s Land-Use Labyrinth? – by William “Bill” C. Davell and Ryan Horland COMMUNITY NEWS . . . . . . . . .38 - 41 CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 - 47 On The Cover Good News celebrates the 2025 Women of Distinction with a front cover photo captured at the elegant Coral Ridge Country Club, beautifully situated along Bayview Drive in Fort Lauderdale. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the gracious staff of Coral Ridge Country Club for their exceptional hospitality and impeccable service. We are especially appreciative to Managing Partner JJ Sehlke and his distinguished team for so warmly welcoming our ladies, and for a delightful luncheon. Pictured from Top Left to Right: Anita Fain Taylor, Candace Rogers, Tewannah Aman, Heather Moraitis; Front Left to Right: Laurie Farquhar and Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson. Read the cover article on pages 24 – 26. Photo Credit: Justus Martin, www.justusmartinphoto.com C O N T E N T S Good News • May • Volume 27 Issue 2
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PERSPECTIVE 10 may 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition We are fresh from celebrating Lent, Good Friday and Easter. I must say, each year I experience something a little different. One moment of reflection for me was the day in between Friday and Sunday, Saturday. I imagined what was going on in the earthly world of the disciples and followers of Jesus but also what was going on in the Heavenly world with Jesus and His angels. These thoughts drew me to consider how the In-betweens of life make an impact. Sunsets make you think it’s the end of one thing and the beginning of another: it’s an inbetween. I’ve been thinking of late about the in-betweens in our lives. The more I think about it the more I realize that our lives are littered with inbetweens. I also realize that there are different types of in-betweens, some more significant than others. Perhaps you have found yourself in an in-between. Have you ever been in between a job, a career or a relationship? Perhaps you have found yourself traveling and were in between cities or even continents. In-betweens bring with them a whole set of emotions. I have experienced great excitement, other times paralyzed by great fear. I have sometimes not even realized I was in an in-between. The week between Christmas and New Year’s is an inbetween… sometimes filled with great contentment cuddled in the arms of deep reflection and other times great dreams cheered on by the quiet voices of regret. Sometimes we use in-betweens to move to bigger and better, and other times we use in-betweens to live in the past. However, it’s important to look at an in-between, and there are many of them, and observe how God uses them much the same way a fine surgeon uses a scalpel. Mixed emotions I remember when Lisa and I were engaged to be married. We had been friends for about six months before we started dating. We were both young and eager to start our lives and had dated for about six months before we decided to get married. The engagement itself lasted about six months. We were married on December 28, 1986, and we now have celebrated 38 years of marriage. I remember the engagement season as a significant in-between. We were committed to each other as husband and wife; however, we were not yet husband and wife. We spent much time talking about our wedding and subsequent marriage. We dreamed dreams, we talked a lot, did some arguing and tried to imagine the life that we were eager to get to. The in-between was not sustainable because its very existence was hinged on the outcome. There would be no in-between if we had not decided to move from friends to fiancé. I remember experiencing some frustration knowing we had not yet arrived but were well on our way… the in-between. We were free to change, abandon or accelerate the course at any time, however, at what cost? Thank God wisdom prevailed. God uses these in-betweens as teaching opportunities. Preparation God uses in-betweens to prepare us. The Bible is filled with stories of men and women living life in the in-betweens. In fact, the more I look the more I see. Moses spent forty years in an in-between. Joseph spent at least 13 years in one. Ruth, Daniel, Hannah, David and many others had them too. Jesus had several in-betweens. I think of the time from His birth and the beginning of His career. The thirtyyear period was a season of preparation. He grew up as a man, respected for His skill and wisdom. He also grew up with a growing awareness of His calling, His purpose and who He really was. I think my in-betweens often do the same. What has God revealed to me as to the true nature of my character? How has my character, my identity and my purpose been revealed during my in-between? What work is left to do? Fresh perspective I have also found that I gain new perspectives during an in-between. I have found that in-betweens have a unique way of giving me a perspective of myself from angles that I typically don’t see. For example, when I’m settled, I tend to begin to take things for granted. Other times I lose my sense of wonder because it is what it is. I have found that I can get sloppy, flippant or entitled. Have you ever lost something only to realize just how precious it was when you didn’t have it anymore? Perhaps you never realized you had it in you until you were in the in-between. Have you ever said, I would never speak in public or write a book or start a family until you were thrust into the in-between? I remember thinking that the one job I had was the job for life only to realize a month later I no longer had it. I was in one of my many in-betweens. Today, I look back and realize that God allows the inbetweens to happen to better reveal His will and create a win win. I often don’t see God’s perspective until after… and that’s a faith builder. God has taught me patience during my in-betweens. There is something about an in-between that slows you down. I see things I normally miss during my in-betweens. Perhaps God is trying to help me see something different. Perhaps He’s protecting me from something. Perhaps I’ve gotten out of step with Him. The in-between allows me to let go of the certainty of the past and the fear and hope of the future and settle in the present. I’m reading a lot about being more present. A few nights ago, I had retired to bed with a house full of family members playing a game. The noise level got quite loud as cheers, jeers and the occasional smack talk took place. Trying to fall asleep was somewhat challenging due to the noise level. However, God suggested I stop trying to sleep and savor the sounds, which I eventually fell asleep to. My in-between caused me to savor something precious. What is it that I’m missing because I’m moving so fast and trying to avoid the in-between or perhaps finding the proverbial short cut? Hope Finally, I find that the in-betweens are fertile places for hope. Hope acts as a compass for my in-betweens, and without it the in-betweens become more of a maze than a pathway. Without my faith I am left to my own perspectives and inability to generate true sustainable hope. Therefore, I am eternally grateful for hope and recognize that the source of my hope is indeed found in my Savior and Lord. Stephan N. Tchividjian is the CEO and co-founder of the National Christian Foundation South Florida. Visit southflorida.ncfgiving.com to learn more. In-BEtweens - Stephan Tchividjian - CEO and Co-Founder, National Christian Foundation South Florida
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12 may 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition IN THE WORD As I write this, I have just finished preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to more than 430,000 people gathered in Meskel Square in the city center of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. I praise God for the thousands who repented of their sins and professed their faith in Jesus Christ during the twoday Encountering God outreach. Sixty-five years ago, my father preached the same Gospel message of faith and repentance in Christ in this same Ethiopian capital. Since then, the world has changed, politics have changed, but the Gospel does not change. It’s the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. In the book of Acts, we read how Philip shared the same Gospel message with an Ethiopian man he encountered while traveling from Jerusalem to Gaza. The Ethiopian, who had been reading from the Prophet Isaiah, asked Philip to explain the Scriptures to him. “The place in the Scripture which he read was this: ‘He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth’” (Acts 8:32-33). After Philip explained the Gospel, the Ethiopian put his faith in Jesus Christ. God saved him, and he asked to be baptized in a nearby pool of water. The hope the Ethiopian received is the same hope we celebrate at Easter. Through Christ’s resurrection, He conquered sin and the grave. He paid our sin debt by dying in our place, thus fulfilling the Biblical requirement — “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Thankfully, Christ defeated death! And because He’s alive, those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ can rejoice that “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). At Easter, we celebrate that God raised His Son from death to life to rescue us from an eternity separated from Him in a place the Bible calls hell. The Bible says: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved”(John 3:17). I’m truly grateful that the FOX News Channel and Trinity Broadcasting Network televised on Easter Sunday a sermon that we taped several weeks earlier from the Palisades Fire District in Southern California. While standing in the wasteland of charred rubble and gray ash, I preached a message titled “Easter from the Ashes.” On Jan. 7, the Eaton and Palisades fires started in California, fueled by hurricaneforce Santa Ana winds that propelled the flames for miles and miles. They burned nearly 38,000 acres and destroyed or damaged more than 18,000 structures. Sadly, 29 people perished in the flames. Local residents who survived the inferno reported that their vehicles melted while the flames climbed hundreds of feet in the air as one house after another exploded into sheets of flying debris. “Hell on Earth” is how the heroic firefighters and first responders described what it was like to try to hold their ground against the overpowering flames. Preaching among the ruins left by the Southern California wildfires made me think about how hopeless it must have seemed when the ground shook and the sky went dark in the middle of the day that Jesus Christ hung on the cross and declared, “It is finished,” and then breathed His last. The fiery hell that people were describing in California pales in comparison to the real hell created for the devil and his angels. Hell is a place of eternal torment where the flames are never quenched and the stench of death is inextinguishable. God’s Word describes hell as eternal flames. A lake of fire. “A furnace of fire” with “wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:42). Hell is God’s judgment for people who reject His offer of redemption and salvation found only in Jesus Christ’s atoning death on the cross and victorious resurrection from the grave. The only way we can be spared God’s righteous and just punishment is through trusting in the sinless blood of Christ that was shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. The Bible says: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Some 2,000 years ago in Israel, the religious leaders of that day — the scribes and the Pharisees — were jealous of Jesus. They arrested Him and had a mock trial where they conspired to find him guilty of blasphemy — even though He was innocent — so they could have Him crucified like a criminal. Jesus was beaten beyond recognition, flogged with whips embedded with glass and metal that shredded His back. After being crucified on Calvary’s cross, Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb, and a stone was rolled over the opening to seal it shut. Roman soldiers guarded the tomb so that no one could steal Jesus’ body, and the Pharisees went away rejoicing that their plan to execute the Son of God had been accomplished. But on the third day — Easter morning — there was a mighty earthquake, and an angel descended from Heaven, and rolled away the stone, and Jesus stepped out of that tomb of death, alive! The grave couldn’t hold Him. The religious leaders who couldn’t stand Him soon found out they couldn’t stop Him. Death couldn’t defeat Him. The Son of God arose triumphant, and today He is at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven. And the Bible promises that Jesus is coming back soon for the Bride of Christ, His Church. Let’s celebrate with grateful hearts the new life and eternal redemption that our Lord Jesus Christ alone makes possible. The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). ©2025 BGEA Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Decision magazine, April 2025; ©2025 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; used by permission, all rights reserved. Franklin Graham: Preaching the Timeless Message of the Gospel - Franklin Graham - President and CEO Samaritan’s Purse and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association The world has changed, politics have changed, but the Gospel does not change. It’s the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. “ ”
FOSTER CARE 14 may 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition It’s National Foster Care Month, and since you’re a Good News reader, I’d be willing to bet you’ve heard about the longstanding ministry of 4KIDS. But even with some familiarity, there are some things within the child welfare system that too many of us in the Christian community here in South Florida haven’t really seen. Run after the unseen The reality is that every day, 4KIDS is running after the unseen. These kids and families are hurting and often isolated – but you won’t see their pain in your everyday life. 4KIDS doesn’t only serve kids once they are in the foster care system, we’re also preventing families from breaking down with intervention and care. For many of these families, their struggle for stability and financial security is an uphill battle we so often don’t bear witness to. But for those kids who do come into foster care, the stories and the trauma they bring with them deserve to be seen. At the beginning of my career, I served as a Child Protective Investigator (CPI), so I’ve seen firsthand the unimaginable pain these kids are bringing with them when they enter foster care. I’ve seen them up close, as I help buckle them into the back of my CPI vehicle and as their tired heads rest on my shoulders as we enter the intake facility. I’ve seen them cry with confusion, with disbelief, and most moving of all, from the relief of being rescued. Because of the very nature of Child Welfare we can’t share all of the details of each child’s story; I can’t tell you their names, or show you their picture, but I can invite you to see their faces. The face of foster care is the helpless child you pass in the grocery store but have no idea what’s happening at home. The child who is acting out in class, the one who comes to school every day with no access to clean clothes. They are all around us and yet invisible to us. So how can you see them? You start by learning about their stories, joining a movement of neighbors, friends and community members who are invested in understanding their lives. From there, I’d invite you to start praying. Really praying. I’m talking about thousands of us daily interceding on their behalf and lifting up their needs. Then, we need to take action. Step into the gap For those kids who enter foster care in our community there are still not enough homes for them. It’s a staggering reality and one we can’t turn away from. These kids deserve not just a home but the very best family. Our 4KIDS Foster Families step into this gap in beautiful and powerful ways. Like Danny and Julie Bautista in Southwest Florida. They were foster and later adoptive parents here in Broward County years ago, and they just reopened their home to foster in their new city on the West coast. They just got their very first placement – a little four-year-old girl who needed a place for just a few days. She came in with an ear infection but never once complained of the pain. Julie wondered, “How many times has this little girl been in pain and been ignored, so much so that she wouldn’t ever tell me that her ear hurt?” She’s been in six different placements already at just four years old. At the end of her first day, she was scared to be alone in the dark at bedtime, so Julie laid on the floor next to her bed. In the dark the little girl said to Julie, “I forgot your name.” Julie thought, “Here she was all day not sure what my name was; she’s so little and has had to be around so many different people and learn so many different names.” There are thousands of other kids just like this little girl and they need people like Julie and Danny who are willing to step into their lives to bring comfort, stability and real tools for healing. It takes community members like you to create families like the Bautistas. Through prayer, through financial support, through serving foster families, or through opening your own home to kids in crisis. We all have a part to play in bringing these kids home. See their faces There’s a tension that exists in our community right now for the kids who are suffering, but we don’t see. Leaning into the pain of children and families in crisis looks like a more engaged, more connected, and even more unstoppable movement made up of people like you. For a lot of families out there May marks one of the busiest months of the year, and as a dad of three, I feel the pace of this month right along with you. But even in the midst of that, it is my prayer that our daily lives would include slowing down to really see their faces. Get curious about what that can look like for you, and be open to the ways God would use you to impact thousands of kids and families who are out there waiting. "She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.'” - Genesis 16:13 Scan this QR Code to learn more about what you can do this National Foster Care Month. Scan this QR Code to meet the Baustista Family and hear their story. A Month to See - Andrew Holmes - 4KIDS President Danny and Julie Bautista with their children
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THE CODE 16 may 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition “Through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18 NKJV). The holy Trinity is one of the imponderables of almighty God. God is One, manifesting Himself in three persons as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I am not bothered by the fact that it is a great mystery and difficult to grasp. In fact, if I could understand it all, there would not be much to it. This is why the Christian life is a life of faith. Philosophy might attempt to explain it, but it cannot change. Christianity changes lives even though some of the Bible's explanations of God's grandeur and grace are unexplainable. We often hear skeptics exclaim that the word Trinity cannot be found in the Bible. But we do not have to see the word to discover the truth throughout the Scripture. The Trinity — the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit — is present at the baptism of Jesus. The Son is standing there, the Father speaks from heaven and the Spirit descends on the Lord like a dove from heaven (Luke 3:22). When we come to Ephesians 2:18, we have reached one of the mountain peaks of Scripture, and the secret is found in three prepositions - to, through and by. In this short verse is found in the mystery of the Trinity in relationship to our prayer life. Prayers are to be offered "to the Father." He is the Author and Initiator of our salvation. Our prayers are to be offered "through Him [the Son]." He is the One who came to execute God's plan of redemption through His vicarious and voluntary death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. Finally, our prayers are offered "by one Spirit.” He is the One who convicts of sin, empowers us for service, and helps us in our prayer life. The Father, the Son and the Spirit all work together in order for you and me to have access to God. The source of prayer Prayer is “to the Father." All true prayer begins when I claim my personal relationship with Him and begin to know and love Him in the intimacy of Father and child. For me, this relationship began when I was seventeen and trusted in Christ as my personal Savior. Since that day, I have grown to know Him as my heavenly Father. He is the source of our prayer life. The only way God can be called "Father" is if we have been born again spiritually into His family through what Jesus called, in John, being born again (John 3:7). It might surprise some of us to know that we are not all God's children. We are all God's creation, but the Bible states clearly that "as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). And Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, makes it crystal clear, saying that we become children of God “through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). The gospel writers record that over seventy times Jesus began in prayer using the word Father. What a privilege for you and me to acknowledge that He is the source of prayer by addressing Him as Father. When we pray, we are not trying to appease a demanding parent, but we are children who, because of our relationship with Him, can come boldly before our Father’s throne (Hebrews 4:16). The course of prayer If the Father is the source of prayer, the Son is the course through which we go to make our petitions known. Prayer is "through the Son." In fact, there is no access to the Father unless we go through the Son. The apostle Paul makes this plain: “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Apart from Christ, we have no access to God. Jesus Christ is our High Priest. In the old dispensation on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would take the blood of a sacrificial lamb, enter beyond the veil of the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat of the ark. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, made the final sacrifice for sin. He shed His blood on the cross, died and rose the third day, passed through the heavens and presented His own blood at the throne of God. No wonder Paul said, "Through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." It is through Christ - not through the church, not through a priest, not through the Virgin Mary, but through Him and Him alone. Jesus is the course of true prayer. The force of prayer Effective, powerful prayer is "by one Spirit." If the Father is the source and the Son is the course, then the Spirit is the force behind it all. It is the Holy Spirit praying in us and through us that empowers us to pray with results. Jude reminds us that we are built up in our most holy faith when we are "praying in the Holy Spirit" (Jude v. 20). It is the Holy Spirit who "helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought" (Romans 8:26). We can read the great prayers of saints down through the ages. We can recite prayers by rote from memory. But without the Holy Spirit we will never be effective in our prayer journey. It is only through Christ and "by one Spirit" that we can touch the Father in prayer. Access to the Father is the goal of all prayer. He is the source. We must go through His Son and be empowered by His Spirit. Yes, "For through Him [Jesus] we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." Taken from The Prayer Code by O.S. Hawkins. Copyright © 20XX 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 Trinity and Prayer Song Vinh Church. Stained glass. Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Holy Trinity. Vietnam.
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18 may 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition PARENTING As we head towards summertime, one of the things that we as parents need to prioritize is creating a plan for technology. Our children, no matter their age, seem to gravitate towards technology when they are bored. I read somewhere that boredom isn’t always a bad thing in childhood. It is where creativity grows and imaginations flourish. Opening the door When we think about boundaries with technology, picture this: A parent needs a babysitter for the evening and asks a stranger to watch their child. “No way,” you scream! Okay, a stranger knocks on your front door and says, “I’m here to sit in your teen’s bedroom and talk to them… alone.” Not a chance! But this is happening in the form of phones, computers and social media. These communication tools are not the problem but rather the doorway. The problem comes from a misunderstanding of a child’s rights. Parents are confused about the difference between a child’s right to privacy versus the right to protection. It’s not even a right as much as it is the parent’s responsibility to protect the family from predators. Technology is great; but it has also caught parents off guard. It’s one of the only advances to society that was better utilized by children than their parents. When the car was invented as a form of transportation, it was the parents who taught the teen how to use this advancement in transportation. Not so today, many parents seem to know less about the world of social media, TikTok and YouTube than their children. If the parent does utilize these, it may be because their teen taught them. My bedroom Begin this thought process with your “child’s” bedroom. How many tragic stories have we read about teens who had dangerous things in their bedroom and parents didn’t know a thing about them? Somehow that teen convinces his/her parents that his bedroom is off limits, simply because it is indeed “his bedroom.” I would venture to say that there are few if any teens or children helping to make the mortgage payments or carrying their weight with any other household expense? But that’s not the point. That just takes on the issue of “my room.” It is not their room! The bigger issue is parental responsibility. We have the responsibility to protect our children and teens and they have the right to be protected by us. That’s the balance of those two issues. A matter of trust “I can’t believe you don’t trust me, Mom!” will certainly be the protest. Mom’s response: “It’s not about trusting you, it’s all about trusting the world out there. Technology has made it so we can no longer lock the door from the invasion of the world and mean people.” We have already discovered that anyone can have access to our teens via various forms of social media. And the identity of the person contacting our teens can be hidden. How many more tragic stories do we need to hear about cyber-bullying, where mean spirited girls are allowed to anonymously gang up on and destroy the reputation of another girl at school? There was a time when children could return to their homes and go to their bedroom to escape social pressure. Technology has made it so that there’s no safe place. No safe place unless parents decide to enter into the child’s cyber-world. Checking your child’s text messages lets you as a parent know about the caliber of your child’s friends. Continually monitoring your child’s socials helps you know who your child’s friends are versus who is a potential predator or bully. For some reason even reading about doing this feels invasive to some parents. Some parents won’t even know where to begin setting up boundaries to help the child or teen. Summer is a great time to talk with your kids about technology boundaries and implement a plan! Household boundaries, such as keeping phones and computers out of bedrooms and setting time limits for gaming and screens, are an easy way to start. Just be sure to be armed and ready with some fun family activities to take their place and build relationships! Visit parentingonpurpose.org for more advice from Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts. - Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts - Sheridan House Family Ministries How to Make a Technology Plan for Summer
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20 may 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition CHURCH UNITED In the early days of seaside life and commerce along the coasts of the United Kingdom, danger was a daily reality. With unpredictable storms, rugged shorelines and limited navigation tools, shipwrecks were frequent, and lives were lost. In response, ordinary people — fisherman, teachers, blacksmiths and clergy — banded together to form rescue societies. These groups were fueled by urgency, compassion and a singular mission: save lives at sea. They built lifeboats. They trained volunteers. They braved the worst weather imaginable, rowing into violent storms pulling strangers from certain death. These rescue societies were gritty, sacrificial and profoundly purpose driven. This past Easter I received dozens of texts from pastors across South Florida sharing incredible stories of faith, spontaneous baptisms, packed services and an overall sense of a growing spiritual hunger and curiosity in the region. In fact, the latest State of the Church research from Barna shows a growing trend of spiritual engagement across the nation. The testimonies of Easter should serve to remind us of the fruit of what staying on mission as the people of God looks like: “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10 NLT). But back to these old rescue societies for a minute. Over time, something shifted. These life-saving stations became more sophisticated. Wealthy patrons funded better boats, equipment and facilities. Once barebones shelters turned into well-kept stations with warm lounges and polished brass. As fewer shipwrecks occurred — thanks to improved technology — some rescue societies began focusing less on rescue and more on maintenance. Their meetings became social gatherings. Fundraising dinners replaced rescue drills. Eventually, many transformed entirely, evolving into yacht clubs. The mission of saving lives at sea faded into the background, replaced by the comfort and community of like-minded members who enjoyed the water — but didn’t venture into the waves. The transformation is telling; what started as a rescue mission turned into a retreat for the already safe. The Church as a rescue society The Church, at its inception, was a movement. It was a rescue mission launched by Jesus Himself — a people empowered by the Holy Spirit, called to seek and save the lost, to heal the broken and to carry faith, hope and love into every corner of the world. It was raw, risky and rooted in the reality that people need to hear about the person of Jesus and what he had done. The early Christians didn’t build institutions; they built relationships. They didn’t wait for people to come to them; they went to the people. Their faith was dangerous, subversive and utterly compelling. It cost them everything — but it changed the world. Yet somewhere along the way, the Church, too, began to shift. Buildings got bigger. Programs got flashier. Theology became professionalized. Worship services became productions. Church became more about the experience inside the walls than the mission beyond them. The lifeboats stayed in the boathouse while the members met for fellowship and coffee. We’ve become comfortable. But the Gospel was never meant to make us comfortable — it was meant to make us courageous. As Christians — ambassadors of Christ’s rescue society — let us never forget to our calling of jumping into our lifeboats, daring over the waves of the lostness, brokenness and pain around us. May it never be said that the Church — once a spiritual rescue society — is today in danger of becoming a yacht club. Recovering the mission The good news is that Jesus never called us to form clubs. He called us to form communities on mission — spiritual rescue societies filled with people willing to get wet, cold and uncomfortable to pull others from the sea. To recover this calling, the people of God must embrace several shifts: 1) From comfort to calling: We must resist the lure of self-preservation and re-center our lives around the radical call of Jesus: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him into the storm. 2) From inward to outward: Our gatherings should fuel our going. The Church is the only organization that exists primarily for those who are not yet part of it. We must measure success not by seating capacity but sending capacity. 3) From programs to people: Rescue doesn’t happen through perfect programs but through faithful people. Every believer is a rescuer-in-training. Evangelism, discipleship and service should be the heartbeat of every church. 4) From yacht club to lifeboat: It’s time to launch back into the deep. That means going to hard places, serving messy people and embracing the reality that mission is costly — but worth it. The sea still calls Shipwrecks still happen. The waves still rage. People are still drowning in despair, addiction, loneliness, sin and shame. And the local Church is still God’s “plan A” to bring redemption and restoration to the world — and she still has the only hope that saves. We cannot afford to drift into comfort while the world is lost at sea — desperately waiting for a rescue boat to arrive. Let the legacy of the rescue societies remind us of who we were called to be. The ocean is vast. The need is great. But our Captain is greater. As we stand at one of the greatest evangelistic opportunities of a generation, let’s leave the dock and return to the waves. Learn more about Church United by visiting churchuntiedfl.com. From Lifeboats to Yacht Clubs: What Rescue Societies Teach Us About the Church Today - Edwin Copeland - Executive Director, Church United
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