It may only be May 8th, but summer (what?) is here at WNZR.
The MVNU academic year finished last week for students, while professors are finishing their grading this week. We are so grateful for your prayers and support as we make another transition this summer!
I will be hosting the Monday shows solo this month, while Zoe Bricker joins me on Tuesdays-Fridays.
Personally, I am grateful for Jonathon, Emma and Dylan, who all helped us finish last week strong, balancing finals and graduation with the Crossroads League Softball Tournament. Our entire WNZR team was in overdrive last week to wrap up the 22-23 year.
Even though we might be yelling at Old Man Winter’s return today, we’ll try to offer some light!
We were reminded by Karen Huang that scripture gives us a beautiful transition from John 3:16 to Romans 5. Karen shares “Will You Still Love Me?” Read it by clicking here.
Dylan shared Tim Gustafson’s devotional, “Stolen Gods,” which speaks to the awesome power and uniqueness of our God. Read it by clicking here.
Today’s ticket winner: Denise of Mount Vernon! She wins tickets to Friday night’s show at the Knox Memorial Theatre.
Fear is universal. All of us deal with things that scare us. So how should we respond to God’s Word, ‘Fear not for I am with you?’ Can we honestly take to heart Isaiah 41:10 today and experience freedom because of God’s presence? What does this Bible verse really mean?
Here’s what author Anne Peterson says:
First of all, we can’t deal with anything we don’t acknowledge. We need to be honest with ourselves and face those fears.
You may be worrying about your children (young or grown), or worrying about a loved one who is sick. Maybe you’re wondering how you’re going to live when a family member has died. All of us can be fearful about our health, or our finances. We can worry about all sorts of things, big and small. And yet, our God knew we would struggle with fear.
So he made sure he wrote about it often in his love letter to us, with over 300 references to fear in the Word.
God doesn’t want us to be consumed by fear. And yet, our fears do not surprise him in the least.
So, we need to realize God is not disappointed in us when we have fears. No more than you are disappointed when one of your children is afraid.
God encourages us to not fear, so that we will trust in His presence; and know He is listening and working on our behalf.
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Dylan shared Alison Kyeda’s message that ‘God is Listening,’ inspired by James 5. Read it by clicking here!
Today’s winner of the Action Bible ‘Easter’ book is Diane from Howard. Congratulations!
Today we share a literal story of ‘beauty from ashes.’ Sheridan Voysey leads us through the amazing events of Cateura in the city of Asuncion, Paraguay, called ‘Slum Songs.’
Today I shared an inspiring reminder from Cindy Hess Kasper, called ‘Love of Learning,’ driven by Proverbs 1:5, which says, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning.” Read the full devotional from Our Daily Bread by clicking here.
Today’s trivia question: What is the color of the hat in ‘The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins?’ Answer: Red
Congratulations to Abby from Mount Vernon, who wins 2 tickets to the show this weekend at the Knox Memorial Theater.
Today I’m (Joe) sharing a wise word from worship pastor Ashley Lassetter. She’s a good friend of our daughter and recently shared this on her Facebook page. It was inspired by this phrase, “The Caller is the Keeper.”
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Following Christ requires a backbone, a strong one. Following Christ is hard. It’s sacrificial. The life you plan and want to live will die. You will make sacrifices that cost more than it feels it’s worth some days.
Your calling won’t be what you imagined it would be. It will be one that requires more than you are willing to give some days, but when it is that costly, do not forget the lives you will impact for the Lord’s glory.
So often we get weak and in our own flesh, we don’t want the life and situations we are dealt. We want a different hand. We get mad because it isn’t what we think it should be.
We get into a victim mindset. We want someone else to do the leg work for that ministry you yourself are pregnant with. We want someone else to do the heavy lifting.
But God has called YOU.
YOU have it in YOU because the LORD placed it there. What will you do with what the Lord has given you?
What will you do with your call? What will you do with the broken place that He wants to use for ministry to others? What will you do?
We must walk this life out in God and through God. We must bring it to him. He never intended for us to carry the heavy weight and cost alone. It will cost you for the anointing, yes. It will cost you to pursue the call of Christ for your life.
It will hurt. It will be hard. It is expensive.
But don’t forget that the result is such a great Glory of God that we can’t even begin to fathom. Earth cannot contain the surface of His glory.
I plead with you to live your life worthy of the calling you have. I call on you, fellow friends, to pursue the life Christ has intended for us, even when we must endure bitter and costly things.
Where can we go from His presence? He is everywhere. Walk in your call. Count the cost and pay for it.
Where will the generation be that stands and pays the cost with a backbone?
The Lord is worth it. He is worth the cost. Pursue Christ. Pursue the calling you have.
If he has called you and placed it in you, He will keep you. It is worth it. Pursue the Caller.
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I don’t know about you, but that MOTIVATES me to keep going because I know I’m never doing this on my own.
Today we honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by sharing a devotional from Pastor Victoria Curtiss, written as a tribute to him.
Matthew 5:43–48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (NRSV)
Jesus said that anyone can love those who love them in return. What distinguishes people of God is the way we treat those who oppose us—our enemies. Just as God shows love to everyone, so are we to show love to everyone. This inclusivity is the meaning of “be perfect” as God is perfect.
What a fitting scripture for the day we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The key to the life of Dr. King is found in his Christian faith. He responded to violence with nonviolence, to hate with love. Dr. King was always looking toward reconciliation after the battle, because his approach was grounded in the gospel. He wrote, “It was the Sermon on the Mount, not a doctrine of passive resistance, that inspired the Negroes of Montgomery to social action. It was Jesus of Nazareth that stirred [them] with the creative weapon of love.”
Martin Luther King recognized that the heart of the gospel proclaims that love can really change a situation of conflict and enmity: love reaching out toward the oppressor, love pushing negotiation, love offering forgiveness and newness. It wasn’t that he lacked an appreciation for the persistence and power of evil. It was rather his evangelist’s faith. He really believed that the intolerant and prejudiced sheriffs and politicians were sheep who had strayed from the fold, who had the potential to be converted. However powerful evil is, love is more powerful still. “Remember him,” said Coretta Scott King, “as a man who refused to lose faith in the ultimate redemption of [humanity].”
Prayer
Thank you, God, for the witness of Martin Luther King Jr. Guide me as Christ’s follower to love as you love—everyone without exception. I lift up my enemies to you and pray for their well-being. Amen.
Driving Notes 