“We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,” – 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
We are so thankful for your encouragement and prayers. Bill Hybel once stated, “When true believers are awed by the greatness of God and by the privilege of becoming His children, then they become sincerely motivated, effective evangelists.” We hope these weekly devotionals and our many ministry resources have helped inspire, equip, and encourage you in your spiritual journey. If you have been blessed by them then we encourage you to pass along the weekly devotionals to those you love.
Hopefully you have read our Year End Letter. We are very excited about the many opportunities before our ministry. Through the continued prayers, love, and encouragement of friends like you we believe God will sustain our work. This coming year will uniquely challenge our team in supplying the resources and messages to so many struggling churches.
We are reminded of a story about the father-in-law of Civil War author Mary Chestnut. He had the enduring habit of returning thanks after his meals. As he left the table he would invariably say, “I thank God for a good dinner.” When asked why he didn’t pray prior to eating, he replied, “My way is to be sure of a thing before I return thanks for it.”
My friends, never fear that giving thanks involves a gamble. Our experience and the testimony of many verifies that nothing will ever be more certain than God’s provisions for life. The feeding of the four and five thousand people offers parables of God’s provisions. After everyone had eaten to complete satisfaction, seven and twelve baskets remained full of food. Leftovers! Ready to serve others! That’s what Jesus accomplishes with those who commit themselves to Him.
For the use of Peter’s boat, Jesus filled the nets so full of fish the nets began to tear and the boats nearly sank. The divine bounty proved so lavish it threatened disaster! Our Savior so appreciated the use of a boat and Peter’s obedience to the call that He responded with a gigantic blessing. I wonder what God will give for the souls you helped Men’s Ministry Catalyst save, the families restored, the hearts that have been mended, and the joy restored to so many broken hearts.
This past year thousands of men and their families were impacted by the messages, programs, and resources God provided through the funds you committed. Please continue to pray for our work. We promise to stay connected with you so we may jointly praise God for His goodness.
Personal Application:
Let us in thankfulness tell our story to others. As the Psalmist said, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.” – Psalm 107:1-3