February 2023

Nestled in the rolling foothills of Northwest Georgia. Conveniently located between Chattanooga and Atlanta, our family farm offers unrivaled beauty and serenity with just the right touch of rustic charm and modern amenities. Our lush grounds frame tranquil ponds. Cascading willow trees sway majestically in the mountain breezes. Cattle and llamas graze in nearby verdant fields as ducks and swans paddle peacefully atop shimmering waters. Aside from the pristine countryside, we offer a barn, a pavilion, two gazebos, an open, flat grassy area, and a fire pit for your special occasion. Whether you need indoor or outdoor settings for your next event, look no further than Willow Tree Farms.

About Us

WRITERS

Dr. Alan Hix

Arietta Grimmett

Brenda Dedmon

Brent Goodge

Dr. Bobby Sneed

Chad Hess

Donna Swann

Donald Cantrell

Dorothy Teague

Greg Grotewold

Kristen West

Rick Hughes

Samuel Burger

Sandra Gilmore

SALES

Matthew Ruckman 423-503-1410 Email: goodnewstn@gmail.com

DESIGN

Caleb Prytherch Email: art.goodnews@gmail.com PHOTOGRAPHER

Matthew and Bethany Ruckman Cell: 423-503-1410 E-mail: goodnewstn@gmail.com OFFICE 423-790-5378 WEBSITE goodnewscm.com issuu.com/catoosaga

Hello Friends,

We want to take a moment to tell you who we are and what we are about. Our names are Matt and Bethany Ruckman and we have six beautiful children, Brendon, Kailey, Andrew, Leah Jean, Emma, and Cooper. We live in Cleveland, Tennessee, and love what this town has to offer! We have started GoodNews Christian Magazine because we feel that when God, family, and community are combined, lives will be changed.

GoodNews Christian Magazine is a complimentary, Christian lifestyle publication. You can find us throughout the community in retail establishments, churches, restaurants, and more. Our magazine opens the door for Christians to work together to grow and strengthen our community through relevant editorial and effective advertising.

GoodNews Christian Magazine is written by men and women in the community who love and serve the Lord. Our hearts are open and willing to be used by God to reach out to the community to spread the GoodNews!

Disclaimer

All of the content in the GoodNews Christian Magazine is for general information and/or use. Such contents does not constitute advice and should not be relied upon in making (or refraining from making) a decision. Any specific advice or replies to queries in any part of the magazine is the personal opinion of such experts/consultants/persons and is not subscribed to by GoodNews Christian Magazine. The information in GoodNews Christian Magazine is provided on an “AS IS” basis, and all warranties, expressed or implied of any kind, regarding any matter pertaining to any information, advice or replies are disclaimed and excluded. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement or article we deem inappropriate.

GoodNews from the Pastor’s Desk

6 The Theology of Marriage by Samuel Burger

GoodNews for Kids

8 Who Needs a Friend? by Brenda Dedmon

GoodNews Money Matters 10 Understanding Fixed Index Annuities by Rick Hughes

GoodNews for Men 12 Friendship for Men by Chad Hess

GoodNews for Women 14 Hope in Motion by Sandra Gilmore

GoodNews for Everyone 18 A Broken Heart by Dorothy Teague

GoodNews Cover Story 20 White’s Cycle and Marine GoodNews for Everyone 22 How Well Do You Understand Love? by Dr. Alan Hix

GoodNews for Family 24 What Influences Your Family? by Brent Goodge

GoodNews for Everyone 26 Choosing to Love by Kristen West

GoodNews Poetry 28 Not Yet by Arietta Grimmett

GoodNews for Grandparents 30 Iron Sharpens Iron by Donald Cantrell

GoodNews for Everyone 32 Trust: Even When God Seems Silent by Donna Swann

GoodNews for your Taste Buds 34 Valentine’s Day Red Velvet Cake Pops

GoodNews for Everyone 36 Sovereign Goodness by Greg Grotewold

GoodNews for Everyone 38 I Love You Most by Dr. Bobby Sneed

The Theology of Marriage

by Samuel Burger

Marriage is theological. God is the reason for marriage. God gives the design and origin of marriage to tell us something about Himself. Although marriage is for our benefit, the loftier view is that marriage exists solely for the glory and grandeur of God.

If marriage is by God and for God, His design is the formula for successful longevity. Marriage is always theological and covenantal (not contractual) in nature. If we think marriage exists for us, we will inevitably find disappointment in the long term. Although marriage is God-centered, it is a sanctifying tool to purify us and to demonstrate the visibility of God’s relational and redemptive nature to the church.

Marriage Exposes You

Throughout the tenure of marriage, accountability is automatic. Whatever issues that haven’t been resolved while you were single will be carried into the marriage; you will need to commit to the sanctifying process to love your spouse more. Although you may have entered the marriage from a theological perspective, you still have selfish ways that must be crucified. So, expect some purification in the life-long tenure of your marriage. In other words, you’ll be wrong a lot. You must own it.

Marriage Changes You

As you submit to one another, you begin to realize the purpose. The point of the change is to glorify God. You realize actions of love lead to feelings of love, not vice-versa. Marriage, committed to God’s way, will painfully crush your pride leading to greater intimacy with God and your spouse. Keller writes in his book, The Meaning of Marriage, about the impact of self-centeredness: “It is hard enough in relationships with friends and associates to put their interests ahead of our own and live to please them rather than ourselves. But to practice these principles inside marriage is to practice them in the most

intense way. If two spouses are spending the day together, the question of who gets each’s pleasure and who gives in can present itself every few minutes. And when it does, there are three possibilities: You can offer to serve the other with joy, you can make the offer with coldness or resentment, or you can selfishly insist on your own way. Only when both partners are regularly responding to one another in the first way can the marriage thrive. But how hard that is!”

Marriage Reflects God

Correction is evident in your relationship with God, but divine abandonment doesn’t exist. As you commit to each other and God, you visibly demonstrate the eternal and God’s eternal and abiding presence. There is suffering and joy. Although marriage is a tool of sanctification, it is a demonstration of the redemptive nature of God. Marriage is a picture of how God deals with us, His church.

Understanding the purpose and mission of marriage provides the foundation for a meaningful marriage. It’ll be incredibly self-centered if you don’t come into the marital relationship with a noble view of God. Remember, marriage is theological.

Samuel Burger is pastor of Chestuee Worship Center in Calhoun, Tennessee, and holds a Master of Arts in Ministry from Piedmont Divinity School.

About The Author

Who Needs a Friend?

by Brenda Dedmon

Ibelieve having friends and being a friend is an important part of our lives. I have friends today that I made when I was a child, and we still enjoy doing things together. It is important to remember the friends we have made, but it is also important that we continue to make new friends.

We find examples in the Bible of people who were friends. We find in 1 Samuel 1:18 the friendship of David and Jonathan. David said his friendship with Jonathan was as if he was his brother. In the New Testament, in John 15:15, Jesus said to His followers, “You are my friends.” In the book of Acts, we read about Paul, Silas, and Timothy as friends. Paul was also friends with Lydia and the women she had church with by the river. When Paul wrote letters to the churches in the New Testament, he always called them his friends.

We also read in the Bible reminders of things we need to do to be a friend and what we should do for our friends: “Be kind and compassionate” (Eph. 4:32 ) and “Pray one for another” (James 5:16). What do you think you have to do to make friends and be a friend? It may be hard to make new friends when you move to a new neighborhood or move to a new school. So where do you start?

You will discover on this page four suggestions that could help you with making friends. Ask your parents to help you develop a plan using these ideas.

• Learning how to meet friends by asking questions. Start with asking simple questions such as their name, their favorite food, game, movie, and how old they are. Explore other ideas you might want to ask.

• Make a storyboard of action steps. Using the questions you decided on, make a storyboard of “how” to put those steps into action. You may want

to explore what to do if someone answers no to answering questions.

• Play a game of “What If?” Think about the best or worse thing that could happen if you are fearful about making new friends. For example, “What if you ask others to play and they do not respond like you think they would? Sometimes talking about what could happen and sharing ideas of how to deal with it in a variety of ways could give you confidence in making friends. You will also realize that it is not a big deal if things do not go perfectly every time.

• Read books. Using books is a fantastic way to help you realize how to make friends, be a friend, and that making friends is a natural part of life. The following books are part of my favorite books about making friends: How to be a Friend by Laurie Krasay Brown, Will you be friends with Me? by Kathleen Long Bostrom, and The Kids Book of Friends by Catherine Stephens.

About The Author

Written by Rev. Brenda Dedmon, retired director of Children’s Learning Center, First Baptist of Dalton and an avid Roll Tide fan.

Understanding Fixed Index Annuities

Money Matters Rick Hughes

with

Fixed Index Annuities can be confusing. For one thing, they are not fixed annuities, which have been around for a long time. FIAS, which came about in 1995, guarantees a set interest rate. Usually, the rate is fairly low, such as 2.5%, but guaranteed no matter what the economic conditions. The major question is whether FIAS are good for your portfolio.

An FIA is an insurance contract between you and the issuing insurance company. The insurance company is guaranteeing your principal and backing your principal payments with their assets. They make these guarantees based upon the claims-paying ability and financial strength of the issuing insurance company.

In an FIA, during the accumulation phase, your contact growth potential is linked to an index, such as the S&P 500, but not directly invested in the index. The insurance company has guaranteed that if the linked index is positive, you will receive interest credits to your account, but if the linked index is negative, your contract value will not be negatively impacted. Remember, you are not directly buying a stock—instead, your contact value is only linked to the index you have chosen.

Many insurance companies offer a bonus for your principal purchase. Let’s say you make a principal payment of $100,000 and receive a 10% bonus, which would increase your contract value to a theoretical value of $110,000. Why would an insurance company be willing to do that? It’s very simple, they have plans to make money from your money, in the same way, banks loan out your money for profit.

Driven by a passion to educate, inform and prepare future retirees, Mr. Hughes founded Hughes Retirement Group in 2007. His main interest is helping his clients in reducing their taxes.

Most FIAS have two phases, the first phase being your accumulation phase. This includes your principal payment(s) and bonus that you may have received, plus any credited interest rates you received as well. Most insurance companies will allow you to withdraw up to 10% a year without a surrender penalty. Be sure to review your specific insurance contract for certain conditions, exceptions, and limitations that may apply. The insurance company only allows you to take up to a 10% surrender penalty-free withdrawal. If you take more than 10%, a surrender penalty is assessed and you may lose any potential credited interest rate that could have occurred.

The second phase would be the distribution phase. Purchasers receive a percentage of income depending on their age, and if a spouse is involved, it will be a percentage based on the youngest spouse. Again, be sure to review your specific insurance contract for certain conditions, exceptions, and limitations that may apply. The owner can choose to receive a monthly check. If the policy owner dies, the spouse can continue to receive the monthly check until they die. If there is still money in the account when the policyholder dies, their beneficiaries can typically receive the remaining funds in a lump sum.

One of the biggest fears most seniors have is outliving their money. Including an FIA as part of your retirement strategy can help prevent that from happening.

Friendship for Men

by Chad Hess

Godly friendships between men based on a shared love of Jesus Christ are a true blessing. Proverbs 17:17 tells us that “A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity.” There are numerous examples of friendship in the Bible, but perhaps my favorite is the bond that existed between David and Jonathan. It is perhaps the best example of friendship ever recorded.

Jonathan was the son of Israel’s first king Saul and a warrior of great renown. When David was the only one willing to stand against Goliath (and, with the power of God, defeat the giant), Jonathan made a covenant with David, stripped himself of his armor and robe “because he loved him as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1-4). We read further in 1 and 2 Samuel how their relationship becomes one of love, admiration, respect and character as they protect and defend one another through the many perils faced, mainly arising from King Saul himself. They endured much together and were only separated by death.

This biblical story from over one thousand years prior to Christ, remains for men today a perfect example of how men in the 21st century should strive to be friends and brothers. We should love, stand by, and stand up for our friends: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). We should spend time together as friends in work, play, conversation and prayer: “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man

speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). We should choose our friends wisely, and then as Jonathan and David, remain steadfast in our friendship: “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

Friendship, true friendship, is a rare and beautiful thing. It is something to be sought and closely guarded. In the modern world, we are often isolated from others because of technology and the norms (not necessarily good ones) that surround us. Time spent with a friend should be something that we make an honest effort to achieve. A true Christian friendship is one that aids both members of the friendship to live a life of discipleship, love, giving, responsibility and commitment. Of course, we have no greater friend than our Lord Jesus, but a friend in times of joy and trouble is a gift from God.

About The Author

Chad Hess is a husband, father and Army Veteran. He is a parishioner at Saint Andrews Anglican Church, where he is involved in lay ministries.

Hope in Motion

by Sandra Gilmore

Are you busy making New Year’s resolutions? Let me guess: one of them has to do with getting organized. Besides losing weight, getting organized is a top goal early in a new year. Americans are fascinated with clutter and organizing. Have you noticed all the shows dedicated to this one topic? Have you noticed all the gadgets and even rising careers associated with household and office organization? The Proverbs 31 Woman had it covered long before plastic was even mentioned! Proverbs 31:27 says, “She watches how things go in her house” (The Complete Jewish Bible translation). Do you know how things go in your house? Or even how they come? Research through the years finds a deep connection between clutter and hopelessness. Let’s start this new year off right!

Through the years of being a mom with a career outside the home, then years of being a stay-at-home mom, I collected and developed a list that helped keep me organized and focused. Listed here are just a few. Pick one that resonates with you. Put it into motion soon. Where confusion and clutter once grew, you’ll see hope take root!

*Make several sets of keys. Place them strategically at home, at work, or at the neighbors if need be.

*Keep multiple hair dryers in the house. The Bible says a woman’s hair is her glory. It is terrible to have the hair dryer die when you are not quite “glorified!”

*Make copies of important papers, including digital copies. Secure a safe box at your financial institution. Put anything you deem important in your box with an inventory list of its contents. Keep an extra inventory list at home too.

*Keep a calendar with big boxes for each day visually handy to record family events. You could quickly jot down milestones, whether it’s the last time you had your oil changed or your baby’s first sentence. When you

have time, you can easily scrapbook or journal these milestones. Encourage your children to log items. It will be even more special in years to come to see their own handwriting.

*When possible, put the kids to bed in their clothes. Summer short sets or winter stockings and turtlenecks are often as soft and flexible as pajamas. Come morning, you and your children will be glad for the extra winks!

*Keep a 3x5 card with important information secured to the visor of your car. Cell phones lose their charge or hit dead zones. A simple card can save the day.

*When you are working on an important document or want to archive important information, email it to yourself. If your computer is inaccessible or you lose a flash drive, you can usually access accounts in libraries or other public places. Your information is now available to you 24/7, anywhere in the world.

*Pray Proverbs 8:12, “I wisdom dwell with prudence and find out knowledge of witty inventions.” When we are in a tight spot, Holy Spirit will send wisdom when we ask. Wisdom can reveal “witty inventions,” meaning new ways of doing things, effective time management methods or ways to multiply effectiveness.

*Keep prayer a priority. Redeem time to spend with the Father. He loves you. He created you. He is especially proud of you. Spend time with Him as your source of strength and growth. His unconditional love will sustain hope for you like nothing else!

You’ve probably got some of your own tips for watching how things go in your house. Share those in a conversation, on a blog, or even a post. Pass on hope!

Sandra Gilmore serves the Lord as wife, mom, and encourager, mostly through writing and speaking, occasionally through cooking, rarely through anything athletic and only because of the mercy and grace of Jesus. You can reach her by email: tandsgilmore@yahoo.com or her website: www.sandragilmore.org

About The Author

Ringgold Church Directory

Baptist

Boynton Baptist Church 4093 Boynton Drive Ringgold, GA 30736 706-952-1551

Briarwood Baptist Church 26 Ellis Springs Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-965-9177

Burning Bush Baptist Church 2195 Burning Bush Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-866-1989

Calvary Memorial Baptist Church 518 Highway #41 Ringgold, GA 30736 706-891-9340

Catoosa Baptist Tabernacle 4994 Highway 41 Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-4323

Cherokee Valley Baptist Church 1495 Cherokee Valley Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-6220

Christ First Church 1008 N. Beaumont Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-375-1008

Clearview Baptist Church 2183 Dietz Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-866-0164

Ebenezer Baptist Church 77 Hackett Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-965-7970

Faith Baptist Church 308 Boynton Drive Ringgold, GA 30736 423-509-5334

First Baptist Church of Ringgold 7611 Nashville Street Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-2358

Friendship Primitive Baptist Church 851 Ooltewah Ringgold Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-2382

Gospel Way Baptist Church 31 Bowling Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-891-9866

Grace Baptist Church

7638 Nashville Street Ringgold, GA 30736 706-965-7969

Harvest Baptist Church of the Deaf 1314 Old Three Notch Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-375-7107 Video Call: 706-956-0445

Heritage Pointe Baptist Church 60 Dyer Bridge Place Ringgold, GA 30736 706-858-0976

Hickory Grove Baptist Church 5010 Houston Valley Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-673-6999

Keith Baptist Church 1573 Keith Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-450-0963

Living Faith Baptist Church Highway 41 Ringgold, GA 30736 706-891-1817

Midway Baptist Church Highway 41 North Ringgold, GA 30736 706-937-2317

Mount Peria Baptist Church 341 Sparks Street Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-4887

Mount Pisgah Baptist Church 66 Westbrook Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-3031

Mount Vernon Baptist Church 1006 Mount Vernon Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-3872

New Bethel Baptist Church 1635 Salem Valley Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-965-3500

New Friendship Baptist Church 3833 Salem Valley Road Ringgold, GA 30736

New Heights Baptist Church 158 Ooltewah Ringgold Rd Ringgold, GA 30736 706-965-9838

New Liberty Baptist Church 923 Graysville Road

Ringgold, GA 30736 706-937-4754

Peavine Baptist Church 1089 Peavine Road Rock Spring, GA 30739 706-375-4721

Philadelphia Baptist Church 1065 Pine Grove Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-891-5683

Pine Grove Baptist Church 46 Pine Grove Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-891-2427

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church 7769 Alabama Highway Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-3348

Pleasant Valley Baptist Church 1995 Ooltewah Ringgold Rd Ringgold, GA 30736 706-537-3633

Poplar Springs Baptist Church 422 Poplar Springs Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-965-4461

Salem Baptist Church 1947 Keith Salem Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-965-3907

Welcome Hill Baptist Church 223 Inman Street Ringgold, GA 30736 706-965-4814

Church of Christ

Cohutta Road Church of Christ 2233 Mount Vernon Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-3884

Ringgold Church of Christ 4099 Nashville Street Ringgold, GA 30736 706-965-2820

Church of God

Boynton Church of God

1956 Three Notch Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-937-6300

Indian Springs Church of God 2256 Highway 41 North Ringgold, GA 30736 706-937-3599

Noble Church of God 75 Glass Rd

Lafayette, GA 30728

Ringgold Church of God 117 Emberson Drive Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-2056

Wallaceville Church of God 236 Harp Switch Road Chickamauga, GA 30707 706-375-2736

Community

Green Pasture Community Church 1008 North Beaumont Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-375-7333

Lee’s Chapel Community Church 3253 Catoosa Parkway Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-9928

Rock Bridge Community Church 102 Remco Shops Lane Ringgold, GA 30736 706-279-3175

Full Gospel

Yates Spring Full Gospel Church 1300 Yates Springs Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-638-2305

Methodist Boynton UMC 4246 Boynton Drive Ringgold, GA 30736 706-866-2626

Graysville UMC 2331 Graysville Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-891-9253

Ringgold UMC 7484 Nashville Street Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-4777

Woodstation UMC 13198 Alabama Highway Ringgold, GA 30736 706-965-3360

Non-Denominational

Battlefield Church of Faith Highway 41 South Ringgold, GA 30736 706-937-7729

Calvary Chapel Ringgold 548 Boynton Drive Ringgold, GA 30736 706-952-1502

Church of Living Faith

7623 Alabama Highway

Ringgold, GA 30736 706-937-5673

Crossroads Church 7638 Nashville Street Ringgold, GA 30736 crossroadsringgold.com

Faith Builders International 8309 Highway 41 Ringgold, GA 30736 256-338-5031

Grace Memorial Church 118 East Nashville Street Ringgold, GA 30736

706-965-7969

The Gathering 2501 Pine Grove Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-841 0161

Light House Church 1201 Lafayette Road Rossville, GA 30741 706-861-2715

Messianic Ministry To Israel P.O. Box 22654 Chattanooga, TN 37422 New Life Church PO Box 1973 Ringgold, GA 30736

706-866-7799

Venue Church

3969 Cloud Springs Road Ringgold, GA 30736 423-637-7100

Presbyterian Chickamauga Presbyterian 700 7th Street Chickamauga, GA 30707 706-375-3432

Christ Fellowship 1176 North Three Notch Rd. Ringgold, GA 30736 706-937-4115

Morton Memorial

560 Red Belt Rd.

Chickamauga, GA 30707 706-338-7176

Seventh-Day Adventist Ringgold Seventh-Day Adventist Church 124 Kittle Street Ringgold, GA 30736 706-935-3741

Battlefield Community Seventh-Day Adventist Church 96 Hillman Lane Ringgold, GA 30736 706-861-5999

Fort Oglethorpe Church Directory

Baptist Anchor of Hope Baptist Church 2613 Lakeview Drive

Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-866-8318

Battlefield Baptist Church 178 South Cedar Lane Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-866-1316

Burning Bush Baptist Church 2195 Burning Bush Road Ringgold, GA 30736 706-866-1989

Calvary Memorial Baptist Church 2 E Gate Drive

Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-866-6183

Cloud Springs Baptist Church 207 Cloud Springs Road Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-866-0164

First Baptist Church Ft. Oglethorpe 2645 LaFayette Road Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-866-0232

Moriah Baptist Church 2864 Battlefield Parkway Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-866-8843

Nellie Head Memorial Baptist 2379 Catoosa Parkway

Tunnell Hill, GA 30755 706-935-5236

Old Fort Baptist Church 18 Van Cleve Street Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-861-2807

Parkway Baptist Temple 65 Stuart Road

Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-866-0325

Victory Baptist Church 1013 Layfayette Road Rossville, GA 30741 706-866-0371

Catholic

Saint Gerard Catholic Church 3049 Lafayette Road Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-861-9410

Church of Christ Fort Oglethorpe Church of Christ 6 Harker Road Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-866-4124

Community Battlefield Ministries Church 64 3rd Street Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-866-9090

Episcopal Church of the Nativity 1520 Cross Street Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-866-9773

Methodist Fairview UMC 2112 McFarland Avenue Rossville, GA 30741 423-653-1043

Fort Oglethorpe UMC 1733 Battlefield Parkway Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-820-6314

Newnan Springs UMC

78 Monanaw Avenue Rossville GA 30741 706-866-6724

Nazarene Battlefield Parkway Church of the Nazarene 3220 Battlefield Parkway Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-866-9838

Non-Denominational

Battlefield Praise & Worship 1337 Battlefield Pkwy, Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-913-0531

Chosen Generation Ministries 92 W Patterson Avenue Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 423-779-6777

Living Waters Ministries 1337 Battlefield Pkwy Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 423-255-8655

Ridgeland Point Church 1417 Happy Valley Rd. Rossville, GA 30741

RockPointe Church 1278 Cross Street Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-820-6523

Untethered Church 2473 Lafayette Road Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 423-991-6067

Presbyterian

First Presbyterian Church 1 Harker Road Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742 706-866-0232

A Broken Heart

by Dorothy Teague

Just mention February, and people automatically think of Valentine’s Day. For most people, images of flowers, chocolates, cards, and the whole romantic Hallmark scene is what we think of and aspire to. Being in love is a wonderful feeling, but as we surrender our hearts and open ourselves up to love someone, we become vulnerable and risk being hurt. As a matter of fact, chances are one hundred percent that we will have a broken heart several times in our lives. People will hurt us, and we will hurt others because we are human. The only one who will not fail us is Christ. In Jeremiah 31:3, He says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love…” Jesus, Himself, knows quite a lot about having a broken heart.

Jesus died of a broken heart when He hung on the cross and died for all mankind. As He hung there, with all the sin of the world upon Him, He was in such physical, mental and emotional distress that His heart burst open and spilled out for us. There is a condition known as Broken Heart Syndrome, also known as stress cardiomyopathy, which occurs when a person experiences sudden acute stress that can rapidly weaken the heart muscle. Two kinds of stressors, emotional or physical, often cause this. Emotional stressors include grief, while physical stressors such as significant bleeding, difficulty breathing, and chest pain can result in this (www.hopkinsmedicine.org).

Jesus had been beaten and wounded repeatedly before He ever got to the cross and endured the physical trauma that hanging there put on His heart. But, more than this, He was experiencing grief from being separated from His Father. God could not look upon sin, so He had to turn away. Even though Jesus knew He must finish the work on the cross for our redemption, the agony He felt being apart from His Father must have been unbearable! Yes, Jesus knows all about a broken heart in every sense of the word. He knows us and understands us better than we know ourselves. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet without sin.” He “knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14). We were designed to love and be loved. But, when we get hurt along the way, we can find solace in the Word of God. He reminds us that He is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18), and that He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). Your Valentine’s Day may not be like a Hallmark movie where everything turns out perfectly in the end, but there is One you can depend on to always love you perfectly; His name is Jesus!

Dorothy Teague is a Tennessee native, who resides in McMinn County with her husband, Lewis, on their farm. After completing 31.5 years as a teacher in the Bradley County School System, she is active in her church at Eastanallee Baptist Church where she is a member of the choir and praise team.

About The Author

White’s Cycle and Marine

White’s Cycle and Marine has grown from its humble start in 1956 as the Western Auto Store in East Chattanooga into the award-winning business that it is today. In 1956, Charles White, father of Gerald and Barry White, started the Western Auto Store. In 1963, he started selling Honda scooters at the Western Auto Store. It was in 1966 that Gerald joined his father by working in the Honda Sales and Service, which was a fullline motorcycle dealership located across the street from the Western Auto Store. When Gerald’s older brother went into the army in 1968, Charles White gave Gerald the keys to Honda Sales and Service and said, “Good luck.”

Honda Sales and Service changed its name to Honda of Chattanooga and grew into a large motorcycle store that spanned several buildings in East Chattanooga. Throughout the 1970s, Gerald was running the Honda Shop and Tennessee Cycle Supply while being on the road two to three days a week selling motorcycle parts and accessories to other powersports dealers. Gerald also began to manufacture Tie Downs to hold motorcycles on trailers and he sold them nationwide. At the end of the 70s, in 1979, he added the Suzuki brand of powersports to his inventory.

One year later, Gerald said, “Enough is enough” and sold off the manufacturing business and closed the Tennessee Cycle Supply and took Suzuki out of Honda of Chattanooga and opened a store on Highway 58. He named his new store Suzuki of Chattanooga. At that time, his younger brother, Barry, took over Honda of Chattanooga. In 1981, Gerald became a Kawasaki dealer and changed his business's name, appropriately, to Suzuki, Kawasaki of Chattanooga and started selling Jet Skis and Pontoon Boats. In 1989, he also started selling SeaDoos, which now have become the number one seller of personal watercrafts.

After 1989, Gerald changed the name once more to White’s Cycle and Marine and in 1994 he moved the company to its current location at 4917 Highway 58 with the intention of putting the Honda and Suzuki stores back together. They needed to wait and find a building large enough to hold everything, but by then, Honda of Chattanooga and White’s Cycle and Marine had both grown so large that it didn’t make sense to combine them. Now, Gerald works next door to his brother, Barry who settled his Honda of Chattanooga next to White’s Cycle and Marine on Highway 58.

Business continued to grow and Gerald began to sell Bryant Boats and other brands. In 2008, when the recession hit, it was very hard for the powersports and marines dealers to hold on to their businesses. A huge portion of the industry went out of business and this gave Gerald a rare opportunity to obtain the Bennington Pontoon Line, which is the number one seller of Pontoons in the country. During this time period, Gerald was also able to pick up the Yamaha wave runner and Yamaha boats. The Yamaha boats are the number one seller of 19’, 21’, and 24’ fiberglass boats.

Powersports enthusiasts often have several different types of powersports. These could include boats, motorcycles, ATVs, or PWC. Being in the powersports and marine business and having a successful company depends heavily on repeat customers. The goal of White’s Cycle and Marine is to take care of the thousands of powersports and marine customers and make sure that they are happy with their product. Gerald knows it takes a good team of employees to ensure the happiness of the powersports and marine customers. Gerald finds great employees and makes sure that he keeps them in his business. Some of his employees have been working with him for decades. These quality workers help the customers feel excited and secure with the powersports and marine equipment they provide. White’s Cycle and Marine not only provide vehicles for powersports and marine activities, but they also service, repair, and carry the parts for those vehicles. Their relationship with the customers does not end with their purchase of a powersport vehicle. White’s Cycle and Marine is ready and available throughout the entire life of the vehicle.

Customers can feel the difference at White’s Cycle and Marine and they feel at home when they walk into the building. One customer said, “I am very pleased with my purchase and the service and parts departments. Everyone was pleasant and seemed to know the products well. I would recommend them to anyone in search of a new bike.

Great staff, service, and parts. I’ve found a home.” Another customer lives in Knoxville, TN, and said, “Our buying experience of a SeaDoo Spark was overall made to be a very pleasant experience and we feel it was due to the dealership itself. We would definitely drive the distance again to deal with them again.” Each customer has a unique need and story and the White’s Cycle and Marine employees recognize that and cater their service to the individual customer or family.

White’s Cycle and Marine has been fortunate enough to win many awards over the years. They have won multiple awards for Suzuki and Kawasaki products. They have also been awarded District Dealer of the Year for Southeast USA for Sales of SeaDoos. White’s Cycle and Marine has also been ranked in the Top Five for Bryant Boat Sales. They have been very fortunate to have been nominated year after year as Best Motorcycle Dealer and Best Marine Dealer in the Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of the Best.

How Well Do You Understand Love?

by Dr. Alan Hix

When people think of February, many immediately think of Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is often viewed as a time to express one’s love for another. However, what we mean when we say we love someone is conditioned by our definition of love. How would you define “love?”

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary lists three aspects of its primary definition of love.

a. Strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties

b. Attraction based on sexual desire: affection and tenderness felt by lovers

c. Affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests However, for human beings, “love” is an emotional word that cries for expression beyond a simple definition. Let’s return to the question above: How would you define love? My suspicion is that your definition would come from your own emotional connection to the concept of love.

Poetry is a common place to find expressions of love. In Hartley Coleridge’s Sonnet VII, he begins his poem with, “Is love a fancy, or a feeling? No. It is immortal as immaculate Truth.” In his Sonnet 116, William Shakespeare echoes a similar expression of the lasting nature of love: “Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks but bears it out even to the edge of doom.”

From these lofty expressions by classic poets, the definition of “love” finds it poorest expression in the 1970 movie Love Story. After a lovers’ quarrel, Jenny reveals to Oliver that she is dying of leukemia. Heartbroken, he begs her forgiveness. Her response has found a continuing life in popular culture: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” This definition is a far cry from the one expressed by Coleridge and Shakespeare.

Country music fans may be familiar with Clint Black’s “Something That We Do.” He closes his song with:

I remember well the day we wed I can see that picture in my head Love isn't just those words we said It's somethin' that we do

This description of love as not just a feeling but as an action goes far beyond Jenny’s definition above. However, is this definition sufficient? Defining love only within the context of human relationships will always fall short, because a complete definition of love must include the source of love—which is God.

The Apostle John approaches the subject of love in this way: 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. . .. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another (1 John 4:7–8, 10-11).

John helps us to see that true love is not simply a feeling or an action. True love is a person God. Genesis 1:26 declares that we are made in the image of God. Part of that image is loving as God loves. This rich understanding of love is the basis for the Apostle Paul’s description of love in 1 Corinthians 13. Here we see that love is feeling, doing, giving, sacrificing, enduring, and much more. In this moving passage, Paul gives us a picture of what it looks like to love as God loves.

On this Valentine’s Day, let us as believers in Christ commit to reflecting his image by loving as he loves.

About The Author

Dr. Alan Hix is an Associate Professor of Christian Studies at Shorter University. In addition to being and educator, he has served churches as a pastor, been involved in mission trips to Africa, Canada, and Alaska, and participated in archaeological excavations in Israel for several years.

Church Activities & Events

Concord Baptist Church

Ladies Valentine’s Tea

Sunday, February 12 | 3PM - 4PM 7025 E Brainerd Rd, Chattanooga, TN

Brainerd Baptist Church Winter Concert

Monday, February 13 | 7:30PM 300 Brookfield Ave, Chattanooga, TN

ChristWay

Sunday, February 19 | 7PM 6201 Mountain View Rd, Ooltewah, TN

Heritage Baptist Church

Lauren Talley

Wednesday, February 22 | 6:30PM 345 Curtis Pkwy SE, Calhoun, GA

What Influences Your Family?

by Brent Goodge

Society today is driven by information overload. The never-ending scroll feed on social networks often turns a simple message check into an hour-long hiatus. There will always be one more post to scan or one more video to view.

Ignoring the obvious waste of time, consider the harmful images and sounds we subject ourselves to through social media. Ads suggestive of immoral thoughts and behaviors, violent videos, and the enormity of information we absorb posted by influencers who don’t know God.

Social media may be the most obvious issue today, but the concept is not new. Television programs and advertising have been guilty of the same for decades. For those who have no screen time, billboards along the road are designed to tie a product to sell to immoral pleasures. What is all this doing to our walk with Jesus? Think of what it does to our kids.

When Abram offered Lot the choice of where to go to find pasture, Lot should have deferred the choice to the one God had promised Canaan to in the first place. But Lot saw the fertile river valley and the cities it cradled and decided that was the ideal place to live the easy life with his family. Lot knew the practices in the valley’s cities were abominable in the sight of God. But he felt quite secure in the knowledge that his connection with God was strong enough to overcome the evil. Genesis 13 says he “pitched his tents near Sodom.”

Living in tents near Sodom was apparently not very cool. The rich inside Sodom in their luxurious houses probably thought the rift raft was camping outside of town. Maybe Mrs. Lot was embarrassed. Maybe it was just for protection. But by Genesis 14, Lot’s family had moved inside the wicked city of Sodom.

War came to Sodom. In His mercy, God used Abraham to rescue Lot and the rest of the captives from the

invaders. This should have been a warning to Lot that it was time to get out of the wicked city. But he remained.

God’s mercy is so amazing! When it was determined by God that Sodom must be destroyed, God sent angels to rescue Lot and his family. But the influences of Sodom had become so ingrained in the hearts of his family that not one

of his children who lived around town would believe him and choose to escape.

When the angels grabbed Lot, his wife and the two daughters still living at home, dragging them to safety, Lot’s wife looked back with longing at Sodom, and she died with the city. The two daughters eventually ended up incestuously pregnant.

The influences we choose to allow our families to be subject to makes a difference, often an eternal difference. May we each make the commitment to make Christ and His sacrifice for us the center of our home. May we never in our own families have to regret the results of Lot’s poor choice.

Brent Goodge lives in Whitfield County. He doesn’t understand how prayer works, but he trusts the God who gave us the gift of prayer. Brent is praying that this message was a blessing.

About The Author

Choosing to Love

by Kristen West

Storefronts and florists are awash with red and pink décor this month as they promote Valentine’s Day. And many people are looking for a feeling that is as ooey-gooey as the centers of those gourmet chocolates they hope to get.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-Valentine’s Day, and I certainly love getting flowers and chocolates as much as the next person, but how often do we stop there—at the superficial level—and never really learn to love.

I can attest that after 19 years of marriage now, on MOST days, there are no “butterflies in my stomach” feelings or tingly puppy love rush of emotions. There are choices…intentional, deliberate, thoughtful choices.

While that may sound boring to some, those of us who buckled up for life understand that this is where the rubber meets the road. When Anthony and I married, I vowed to love him, “for better or worse; in sickness and in health; for richer or poorer…”

Choosing to love each other—in all of our broken, imperfect “humanness”—is what love is all about. It’s what God modeled for us in hopes that we would follow His example. “We love because He first loved us…” (1 John 4:19). God’s love is always anchored in choices. According to John 3:16, God “so loved” the world that He gave His only Son. That choice wasn’t founded on a good feeling. Jesus knew He was being sent down a path that would end in brutality, public humiliation, and a tortured criminal’s death. There was nothing “lovey-dovey” about it. It was love in its rawest form—a choice to do good to another human being; to put their interests first; to consider and honor them as the valuable individual that God created them to be.

Every day I wake up, I choose to love my husband— even on those days when our brokenness bubbles to the surface and we’d like to have “time-out” chairs for each other. The choice to ask God to continually make me a better wife is love. The choice to stay “till death do us part” is love. The choice to work hard on my marriage so that those around us have a picture of what God’s heart looks like for His Bride is love.

Hmmm, I think I’ll be on the lookout this week for a conversational heart that says, “Choosing to Love!”

Kristen West recently published a book of 40 devotions called He’s an Everyday God. About The Author

Not Yet

by Arietta Grimmett

Do I know Yeshuaq (Jesus) as He knows me, Have I seen the nail prints in His hands and His feet, The scars on His brow from the crown of thorns, The wounds on His back from the blows of a whip? Not Yet

Have I seen the One who died for me, The One who saved me to the uttermost, The One who healed my body too numerous to mention, The One who truly gives life after death? Not Yet

But one of these days I will see Him. I will see Him as He sees me now. I will know Him as He knows me now. No, not yet. Still waiting! But by His grace, I Shall.

Arietta Grimmett, D. Min. is a Retired Minister and Sunday School Teacher and attends Peerless Road Church of God of Prophecy.

About The Author

Iron Sharpens Iron

by Donald Cantrell

Those of you that follow my articles know that I often write about life events that occur between my granddaughter and myself. Kinsley will be ten years old in a few weeks, and I have been her primary babysitter since she was four weeks old. It has been lifechanging for me to watch her grow up from a baby to a “tween” as she calls it.

Throughout the years, we have had some awesome excursions as we went on our weekly trips to the Chattanooga Zoo, the Tennessee Aquarium, various jump parks, petting zoos, or eating maple flavored ice cream with chunks of bacon in it at a working farm over in Ellijay. I have watched her learn to eat everything from sardines, mayo and honey sandwiches to chomping down on gator tail or Alaskan crab legs.

Our journey has been much tighter than merely being her “poppy” or her “babysitter” because I have had the joy of also

being her pastor, literally since birth. During the past ten years, I have watched her grow up singing “Jesus Loves” to singing “Christian Songs” during karaoke on a cruise ship and bringing the house down as everyone applauded and hugged her for singing songs about her faith and her relationship with Jesus Christ.

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Pro 27:17, KJV).

You might think that I am always the teacher, but as I have watched her grow up, Kinsley has taught me some wonderful things about life. In watching her, I have learned that it is okay to make yourself vulnerable and put yourself out there in the forefront. It has been a joy to see her grow up and grow into a young girl that not only listens to my sermons, but tries to live by them and then calls me out when I don’t.

One day, I preached on never taking “tomorrow” for granted and that we ought to never put stuff off for tomorrow if we can do it today. The next week, I heard some people in our family saying they would get to some things “tomorrow” and Kinsley told them they should never say “tomorrow.” I find great joy in knowing that she is listening to my messages, but on the other hand, I find it very gripping to know that I better live what I preach.

I have developed a relationship with this girl that is sincere, it is brutally honest, and I can honestly say that she has made me a better preacher, because I see that the words I say are literally taken to heart and that I need to be very careful in how I present the “word of God.” I have enjoyed the last ten years of this relationship and look forward to the coming years. God has blessed me mightily by placing this “fireball” into my life, and I will not take any day for granted.

Donald Cantrell is a lifelong native of Murray county and has been pastoring and preaching since 1980. He has had the honor of publishing over thirty books and his sermon material is sold all over the world by various online companies. If you visit his house any weekend in the fall you will find them watching the “Florida Gators or the New England Patriots… Chomp Chomp.”

Trust: Even When God Seems Silent

by Donna Swann

On the morning of New Year’s Eve, I sat drinking my coffee and reflecting on the past year. So many changes have occurred in my life. Many changes were small, like getting a cat, while others were huge, liking getting a husband. As always, some were wanted, like a new house, and some less desirable, like my best friend moving further away. Many blessings were a surprise, while others were answered prayers. God answers all prayers. He may

possibilities. Then I began viewing houses with the agent. It was so exciting to see all the potential homes. However, each time I found one and put in a bid, poof! It was gone. Someone got it before me. House after house, after house. Then the loan officer I was working with left the company she worked with, and I was told I was no longer eligible for a loan. This went on for two years. I could not understand why God was not answering my prayer. Well, here I sit in my new home. My prayer wasn’t answered because it wasn’t to be my new home, but our new home. God had the man, the gold band, and the home already planned.

not give the answer we wanted, or He might take a while. Of all the prayers that were answered in 2022, two really stood out to me. One being my quest for a house.

About five years ago, after unfortunate circumstances, my credit score was bottomed out, and I was barely surviving financially. I rented a small house in which, at times, four of us lived. My goal was to become a homeowner again. I worked diligently to raise my credit score and save for a down payment. About three years ago I reached the desired goal, and the search began.

I prayed that God would help me find the perfect house. First, I located a real estate agent and found a loan officer that would give me the benefit of the doubt. Spending hours on the internet, I looked at houses and made lists of

Also, this year God answered another prayer. This particular prayer had been going up for four years. At one point, I remember sitting in my car, literally crying out to God with tears streaming down my face, begging for Him to help my loved one. Watching this person struggle was heart-wrenching at times. I think God was working out the pieces slowly, and finally my prayer was answered this year. Sometimes God’s plan and timing don’t make sense to us. Imagine being an Israelite at the Battle of Jericho. I might have said, “He wants us to do what? Walk around Jericho for six days? We can easily circle the city in one day! And we will be sitting ducks walking around and around out here in the open! God said he would make it collapse. Why doesn’t he just do it the first time we circle?”

Even though the Israelites did not understand the process, they trusted God. They endured six days of silence and circling, just as God instructed. We must pray with endurance and faith. Believe in God’s promises, even when it seems like nothing is happening. In the silence, God is at work.

Donna Swann is a second-grade teacher in Rome, Georgia. She attends Grace Faith Bible Study where her husband Jack is the pastor. She coauthors a Christian blog, Smorgasbord of Sisterhood, with her cousin. About The Author

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We believe when people are equipped, motivated, and passionately engaged in living out their faith in Jesus Christ they have the potential to be world changers.

Our mission is to bring people into a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ—a relationship that empowers them to see how God can work through individual personalities, situations, and talents. Christ was an activist, he did not neglect the needs of the people as He brought His message. We strive to encourage everyone to look more like Christ by reaching outside of themselves to serve the needs of others—at home, at school, in communities, and across the world.

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Valentine’s Day Red Velvet Cake Pops

Sometimes, nothing says I love you more than a freshly baked cake—or in this case, a no-bake cake pop! This twist on the classic red velvet cake is the perfect sweet treat to make this Valentine’s Day. With only eight ingredients, and a quick, no-bake preparation, you can spoil your loved ones without spending too much time in the kitchen. If you try this recipe at home, tag us on Facebook at GoodNews CM and let us know your thoughts!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of medjool dates • ¼ cup of almond flour • 1 tablespoon of coconut flour • ¼ cup of cacao powder • 2 tablespoons of beetroot powder • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup • 1 tablespoon of coconut cream

Instructions

1. Remove the pits from the medjool dates. Then, add the pitted dates to a food processor and blend until a ball forms.

2. Add almond flour, coconut flour, cacao powder, beetroot powder, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Blend until a dough is formed. Add coconut cream and blend again.

3. Scoop out a tablespoon amount of dough at a time and roll into balls.

4. Roll balls in cacao powder and add a cake-pop stick to one end.

5. Store cake pops in the refrigerator for up to two weeks!

Sovereign Goodness

by Greg Grotewold

Life is full of sad stories. Like this one. A medical examiner’s office in upstate New York recently concluded its investigation of a two-year-old boy’s death earlier in the year. It was determined that the toddler had died of starvation after his father (the only other person living in the house) had died of a heart ailment. By the time a welfare check was performed, it was too late. The two bodies were found in the father’s bedroom.

This is not the way things are supposed to be. It’s becoming clear that the world is categorically broken, perhaps irreversibly so. And for those like me who lack a certain intestinal fortitude, the prevalence of such suffering can cause deep sadness.

But feeling sad, as a blood-bought believer, is okay, I’ve learned. Sadness need not be the antithesis of hope. The two emotions can coexist, for the former clings to that which can be seen and the latter to that which can’t. “Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for which he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8:24-25, ESV). One is today’s reality, and the other tomorrow’s. Someday my faith will become sight, and I will be in the glorious presence of Jesus. Until then, Paul tells me to wait patiently. Easier said than done, though. What do I do with my growing angst over disease and death, a culture hellbent on its own moral destruction, my own sinful contributions? Paul provides that guidance, too:

May [the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory] give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:17-21, ESV, bracketed language rearranged).

I grow my ability to endure the sickness when I grow my understanding of the One who will eventually deliver me

from it. In other words, I need to enlighten my heart with a clearer view of Jesus’s sovereign goodness. He makes colossal promises throughout Scripture, but none more seemingly outlandish than the gift of a glorious inheritance for all who trust and obey Him. In any other sphere of life, it would be lunacy to hope in such things. Not Jesus. Not Heaven. Glorious promises are only fulfilled by glorious sources of power. And His prowess is both immeasurable and unparalleled. Nothing— no rule, authority, power, or dominion—will preclude Jesus from delivering His children into Glory. Nothing. Colossians 1 provides even greater illumination as to His power.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (15-18, ESV)

These four verses are very dear to me. I go to them when the world gets me down, which means I frequent this passage often. Jesus Christ creates all things, holds all things together, and is before all things. These facts tell me He is able to keep His promises. Such assurance regarding the future is what allows me to face the present. May His sovereign goodness do the same for you.

Greg Grotewold lives with his wife, Sandi, and their two sons, Luke and Eli. He is a deacon in his local church and greatly enjoys serving in this capacity.

About The Author

I Love You Most

by Dr. Bobby Sneed

Aparent’s love for their child is a uniquely powerful thing. I am fortunate to have a daughter who is now in her 30’s, but some of my fondest memories of her growing up are the “I Love You” exchanges we had. I have no idea where or when it started but one of us would say to the other, “I love you,” to which the reply was “I love you more,” followed by the one who initiated, “I love you most.” It sounds simple and perhaps to some “silly,” but it was a sweet exchange of affection that defined our commitment to one another as father and child. As the years have gone by and my walk with the Lord has grown nearer and sweeter, I have come to the realization that this exchange epitomizes God’s affection for us.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The gift of the Son to a lost and dying world was, and still is, God saying, I love you! There is no other way to describe this singular act of grace and mercy than to say it was born out of love and devotion to His creation (us), which we know based on scripture is truth because God doesn’t just love; God is love (1 John 4:16).

In response to God telling us, “I love you,” if we receive this love and understand that God is love, then our response is to love Him back. The entirety of the verse listed above (1 John 4:16) states, “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” We didn’t initiate the “love,” God did! Nevertheless, having known and believed the love that God has for us, we learn to love Him more and more, thus “I love you more.”

The love that God has for us will never be outdone! Coming to the earth in human form is an “I love you” from Heaven. Giving us the gift of grace by faith in Jesus to understand and accept this love is “I love you more” as we grow in our relationship with Him; but God finishes the exchange with “I love you most” by dying on the cross for our sins. He became sin that we might live forever with Him. He overcame death so we would have life. Jesus says to us all today, “I love you,” “I love you more,” and “I love you most.” His love will never be outdone!

As we celebrate love, be reminded of this, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). The people in our lives may come to know God’s love by how we love them. Take the time today to say, “I love you!”

About The Author

Dr. Bobby Sneed is the pastor of Deep Springs Baptist Church. His greatest desire is that all will experience the peace, hope and love of the Father made possible by faith in the Son, Jesus Christ.