Your Voice

Look for opportunities to share Christ

By Kim Andrews
BCM Campus Minister, University of Alabama

Zacchaeus was a wee little man

And a wee little man was he. …”

If you attended church as a small child, chances are the words (as well as the motions) of this song are very familiar to you.

If I’m not careful, I find myself speed-reading my way through well-known passages like the story of Zacchaeus.

Here we have a man who so desperately wanted to see Jesus that he found a way around the crowd by climbing a tree to catch a glimpse of Him. When Jesus called him, Zacchaeus quickly responded. Joyfully.

And yet, those with a front-row view of the unfolding story — distracted by their own expectations of who Jesus should spend time with or what should have actually happened — grumbled.

Later in that same chapter in the story of the triumphal entry, the Pharisees once again displayed their short-sighted understanding of His ministry when they requested that Jesus rebuke His disciples for crying out praises to Him upon arrival.

Instead of a rebuke, Jesus answered in verse 40,

“I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Enjoying Jesus’ presence

My initial reaction? How sad for them to completely miss the point. But I must confess, I can do the same thing. I can allow distractions and unmet expectations to overshadow the extraordinary of the day. I can allow doubts of my ability to silence boldness. I can allow thoughts of other insignificant things to distract me from enjoying the presence of Jesus.

Like Zacchaeus, there are people around us who are desperately longing to catch a glimpse of Jesus. They are searching for hope, for purpose, for identity and for answers.

In 2018, the BCM and First College partnered together for tables that would help us initiate intentional gospel conversations on campus. On the quad, students were invited to respond to the question on a large chalkboard, “What question would you ask God?”

Some students quickly replied and hurried to their next class. Others would linger momentarily to discuss possible answers to their questions with our volunteers.

Praise the Lord our volunteers were willing to engage them in conversation because one student literally asked how to go to heaven. This opened the door for the gospel to be shared and joyfully received that beautiful day!

As your days get busy, may you remember to take a deep breath and enjoy the presence of Jesus. And as you go, may you take advantage of the opportunities around you to introduce people to Him.

EDITOR’S NOTE — The original version of this blog post first appeared at OneMissionStudents.org.

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Thriving in liminality

My friend Sylvia has a self-professed penchant for words.

I still remember a word she taught in a conference decades ago. It’s now one of my favorites. The word is phrontistery.

Do you know what it means? Look it up.

The most recent word she taught me is liminality. She says it means on the brink of what was and what will be. All the rules are changing. There is almost a constant sense of inadequacy and rapidly changing vocabulary. It is a place of passage. It is somewhere between now and not yet.

We may feel unsettled by the terrain that constantly shifts beneath our feet. Yet we need not fear the unknown of the future. We can thrive in liminality in spite of the chaos. It is in this liminal space that we have the opportunity to “ponder anew what the Almighty can do.” Even in the midst of despair, we can see God’s hand at work.

Press on. Step through the doorway of the New Year, committed to walk by faith and not by sight. Go deeper in an unshakable pursuit of communion with our Creator. Sense the wonder and awe and majesty of our God at work in our world each and every day of 2019.

—Sandy Wisdom-Martin

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Letters to the Editor

Martha Simmons’ story about the success of mentors for troubled youth in Mobile County should be told all over America.

The article, “NEST of Mobile partners with court to mentor families,” ran in the Jan. 3 issue.

The program is called NEST, and it sprang from the heart of Juvenile Circuit Judge Edmond Naman. His NEST mentor teams have reduced repeat youthful offenders by nearly half.

All believers know the heart of Jesus for the poor. By using a team for one youth, NEST has made a way for busy and inexperienced Christians to visit and lift up “the least of these.”

Thank you, Martha Simmons. May your diligent reporting begin a movement in America able to help “free the downtrodden” and maybe bring the words “well done” from our Savior.

Erk Ashbee
Spring Hill Baptist Church
Mobile, Ala.

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From the Twitterverse

@JessalynHutto
If I didn’t believe in God, I would still believe in beauty, which means I would still believe in God. I can’t escape his mark on this world or explain the wonder that exists in my heart without him.

@BethMooreLPM
During a time of crisis, just choosing to shut your eyes & go to sleep at night can be an enormous act of trust in God. Rest is whispering “I can’t fix it. It’s on you” & letting Him stay awake all night with it instead & sometimes come morning, things don’t look nearly so bleak.

@GoBGR
Pray for the hungry, the cold, the outcast and for wisdom to know how you can help.

@lecrae
Yes I’m a Christian. Yes I make hypocritical decisions. Yes I fall. I stumble. I struggle. I am a mess. But I’m God’s mess. And he can turn a mess into a masterpiece.

@passion268
“God is not intimidated by your investigation … He wants you to come with whatever questions you have.” -@louiegiglio #Passion2019

@lmc2712
More joy, more hope, more comfort, more goodness, more JESUS. You were created to do something AWESOME in this world that will leave a legacy of hope for others. So lean into the Lord today; ask Him to reveal what your MORE is and how you can show the world who He is.

@JSwedenburg
Alabama Baptists, you not only met our 2018 budget, you exceeded it by nearly a million dollars! Thank you!

@Ligonier
Any vocation that meets the need of God’s world can be considered a divine calling. — @RCSproul

@deaninserra
A new heart, a new birth, a new creation. God is in the business of the new!

@bobgoff
God intended us to travel through life as a community. Think bus, not unicycle.

If you are on Twitter, be sure to follow @AlabamaBaptist.

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Football is important to me, obviously, but it is not my life. It is not like the biggest thing in my life. My faith is. That just comes from kind of knowing who I am outside of that. I just know, no matter how big the situation is, it is not really going to define me. … I put my identity in what Christ says, who He thinks I am and who I know that He says I am.
Trevor Lawrence, Quarterback
“The Clemson Insider”

God won’t amplify his voice, and the Scriptures won’t beg for our attention like breaking headlines. They don’t vie for our company like social media. But they will speak — if we quiet ourselves to listen. For us to hear God’s voice, we have to turn down the volume of the media noise. And this illustrates a crucial point about the nature of commitment and change. In order to do, we must leave undone.
Jen Pollock Michel, writer
“You’re Not Too Busy for the Bible”
ChristianityToday.com

Embrace your anointing from God: Pursue the passion in your heart, face the reasons stopping you, listen to God, and always stand for Him.
R.A. Mathews
Author and faith columnist

There are far fewer people avoiding things on the Sabbath, like paid work and chores, than those who say they keep the Sabbath by doing things, like attending church and spending time with friends.
Scott McConnell
LifeWay Research

Inviting teenagers into a lifetime of sexual holiness and purity, if consistent with Scripture, is a beautiful thing.
Richard Ross, Cofounder
True Love Waits (TLW) sexual purity movement

I’ve enjoyed my life. There have been good times and bad, but I count it a joy to have my family and my church family around me.
Madeline Sullivan, 101
Member of Enon Baptist Church, Danville, Ala.

From Moses to Paul, biblical examples abound of individuals who led and served God’s people while raising new leaders to continue the work.
Todd Adkins
Director of Leadership
LifeWay Christian Resources

It’s right to sing God’s praises. Even if it’s not our favorite song, it’s right to join the people of God in singing God’s praises (Psalm 96). He delights in the singing of His people.
Chuck Lawless
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

My resolution for the new year is to do a better job maintaining an eternal perspective on what really matters — getting the gospel to as many people as possible.
Jeff Iorg, President
Gateway Seminary

Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have.
Oswald Chambers
“My Utmost for His Highest”

Ask your heavenly Father what He
wants your parenting goals to be.

Doug Munton
Senior pastor, First Baptist Church, O’Fallon, Illinois