
The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-08/09/2017

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Warner's Hall of Fame career defined by faith
by Tim Ellsworth
Date: August 09, 2017 - Wednesday

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Kurt Warner's faith in Jesus Christ is more than a personal, off-the-field commitment that had little impact on his success as an NFL quarterback.
 
That's the conclusion reached by Dan Bickley, a sports columnist for azcentral.com, as he wrote about the former Arizona Cardinal who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Aug. 5 in Canton, Ohio. 

Warner played 12 seasons in the NFL for the St. Louis Rams, New York Giants and Cardinals, appearing in three Super Bowls and winning one.
 
"He was one of the best clutch performers in history partly because he wasn't suffocated by external pressure, the need for individual achievement or the fear of criticism," Bickley wrote of Warner. "He always believed he was serving a higher purpose, where success and failure were equal tests of his character. He was liberated from performance anxiety on the football field because he never believed he was serving himself."

Warner would undoubtedly agree with that analysis. In his half-hour speech at the induction ceremony, wearing the traditional gold jacket given to Hall of Fame inductees, Warner recounted his unlikely and unorthodox journey to NFL stardom after a collegiate career at Northern Iowa University. He went undrafted in 1994, and the Green Bay Packers cut him after a brief tryout. His rise from stocking shelves at a grocery store in Iowa to starring for the St. Louis Rams in 1999 has been well documented. 

In the Rams' Super Bowl win in 2000, Warner connected with wide receiver Isaac Bruce for a game-winning touchdown with less than two minutes remaining. Warner won the game's MVP award after throwing for a Super Bowl-record 414 yards and made a strong statement about his faith in a post-game interview with Mike Tirico.

"Kurt, first things first, tell me about the final touchdown pass to Isaac," Tirico asked Warner.

"Well, first things first, I've got to thank my Lord and Savior up above," Warner replied. "Thank you, Jesus!"

That exchange proved to be a defining one for Warner, who referenced it at the conclusion of his induction speech.

"Many felt I was thanking Him for orchestrating a Super Bowl win, or making my passes fly straighter, or causing my opponents to make more mistakes," Warner said. "But those people had it all wrong."

Instead, Warner said, that gesture was his way of expressing gratitude for all that Jesus had done for him.

"Now, love it or hate it, that opening scene captured the imagination of the sports world, and the words became the heart of my story," Warner said. "The rest, as they say, is history, bringing us to this: The famous last words, and the only place this extraordinary journey can end.

"His final moment was for me," Warner told the crowd. "Mine is for Him. Thank you, Jesus!"

Ted Kluck, author, sports columnist and assistant professor of communication arts at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., said he appreciated Warner's strong and outspoken reference to his faith. 

"That's definitely to be expected from Kurt Warner, and I'm glad he did it," Kluck said. "I'm glad he didn't shy away from it. That's been part of his approach for a long time, and I'm glad it was still a part of his approach."

As with most Hall of Fame speeches, Warner expressed gratitude to those who had been instrumental in his development as a player and as a person. 

He lauded his father, Gene Warner, for his selflessness and willingness to give of his time to spend time with his son. He praised his mother Sue for her guidance and wisdom. During college, when Warner was sitting on the bench instead of playing, he told his mom he was thinking about transferring schools or quitting football altogether. 

"She told me to be grateful for my opportunity, even if it didn't look like I wanted it to look," Warner said. "To never stop working or preparing, because God had a plan and I needed to be ready when he showed it to me. And lastly, that I wasn't a quitter, and we would get through this together."

Warner thanked his kids and his wife Brenda for their support and love for him throughout his career. He also expressed his gratitude to Trent Green, whose injury as the St. Louis Rams quarterback opened the door for Warner. He played so well when given the opportunity that Green, a fine quarterback in his own right, never got his starting job back.

Warner won the MVP award that year, throwing a league-high 41 touchdowns (at the time the third most in NFL history), passing for 4,353 yards and leading the Rams to the Super Bowl win over the Tennessee Titans.

Though football is a team game and Warner said he wasn't one for singling guys out, he recognized Green specifically for the impact he had on Warner's career. 

"Our paths crossed in the most incredible of ways, and I acknowledge, you could easily be the one standing up here tonight," Warner said. "But the class that you showed while dealing with the toughest of situations is etched in my mind. Your willingness to share your football secrets so I could succeed was incredibly valuable.
 
"But the character displayed and the way you modeled the definition of teammate was priceless. Those lessons followed me the rest of my career. Thanks for sharpening my character with your own."

In his column about Warner, Bickley wrote that Warner was not a gift from the football gods but a great player who made his own magic and proved his worth when given the opportunity.

"He just happened to be a better person," Bickley wrote. "That's the fairy tale, the glass slipper, the pot at the end of the rainbow. And why few athletes will ever look better wearing a gold jacket."


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iPad apps used to 'round out' worship team
by Gary D. Myers
Date: August 09, 2017 - Wednesday

NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- For churches with worship bands, finding and keeping enough trained musicians to play all the instruments can be a struggle, said Darryl Ferrington, a music professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. But he's found the use of iPads and apps to be a way to fill in the gaps.

Ferrington spent the past year studying the use of iPads as instruments for his sabbatical project. What he found should serve as an encouragement to churches that struggle to find musicians to lead corporate worship. Ferrington published his research findings at www.appsinworship.com, along with keyboard, guitar, bass, and drum app evaluations, and a detailed guide for implementing the concept in a local church. 

Often presented as a novelty, numerous iPad performances have gone viral on social media in recent years. After seeing several novelty performances, Ferrington wondered if app-based instruments could help churches improve their Sunday morning corporate worship.

"Mainly, the idea is geared toward small churches who perhaps have a good guitar player and a good keyboard player, but don't have a bass player or a drummer," Ferrington said. "They can pull up an iPad and use one of the recommended bass or drum apps until they develop a musician or pray one into the church."

As a professor teaching in a church music program, Ferrington remains deeply connected to the local church worship ministries. He is convinced that having someone play an iPad app is more desirable than using soundtracks -- especially in a church trying to do contemporary worship. 

The app-based instruments also provide individuals with an opportunity to serve the local church. Ferrington is convinced that better music and worship leadership encourages greater worship participation by the rest of the congregation.

"The goal &#91;of the worship team&#93; is to get the congregation wholeheartedly singing their praises to God," Ferrington said. "Worship is a command from God. The better quality of musicians who are playing, the better the congregation will sing."

Ferrington tested his idea at Greta Covenant Church, a small congregation just across the river from the music-oriented city of New Orleans. While Ferrington is a skilled musician, he had no experience playing the bass guitar. The church already had a guitarist, drummer and a keyboard player, but Ferrington wanted to see how the addition of a bass guitar would improve the sound and ultimately, the worship experience. After finding and purchasing a quality bass guitar app, he began playing bass on the iPad during worship. According to Ferrington, the concept worked in improving music quality and congregational worship participation.

"Our church is singing better because of the addition of the bass," Ferrington said.

When identifying people to play an iPad as an instrument in worship, Ferrington is not looking for a highly-skilled musician. However, some basic music experience is helpful.

"I am not looking for someone who has an undergraduate degree in music or took piano for 12 years," Ferrington said. "I am looking for someone who took choir or band a few years in high school or someone who has a basic, rudimentary understanding of music." 

Since the goal is ultimately about edifying the church, willingness goes a long way, Ferrington said. He also noted a good ear and some basic music training will help things go a lot further, a lot faster, with less effort.

While Ferrington conceived the idea to "round out" the contemporary worship band at his small church, he believes it can help larger churches with traditional choral programs. Choir pieces often call for instruments that are not available in a particular church, Ferrington said. Through iPad apps, a flute or trumpet part can be added to the piece even if a flutist or trumpet player is not available.

Ferrington acknowledges that many people will view iPads in worship as a novelty at first. 

"It is so radically different from what they have done before, people have the tendency to sit back and watch, wondering what is going on instead of being encouraged to participate more," Ferrington said. "The first time I played the bass on the iPad, it took a moment of explanation." 

However, if the iPads are added gradually and with proper explanation, Ferrington believes that the technology will eventual foster greater worship participation by the congregation.

Something unexpected happened as Ferrington tested his theory by playing the bass on his iPad at Gretna Covenant. Over time he developed enough skill and confidence to desire to transition to a physical bass guitar. 

Ferrington credits the use of iPads apps for not only encouraging greater worship participation at his church, it also encouraged him to want to pick up a bass guitar and learn to play it.


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David Daleiden takes pro-life case to Supreme Court
by Samantha Gobba
Date: August 09, 2017 - Wednesday

WASHINGTON (BP) -- Lawyers for David Daleiden appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court last week over the ongoing litigation suppressing his undercover videos.

During the 2014 and 2015 National Abortion Federation (NAF) annual conventions, the 28-year-old pro-life activist filmed undercover videos of Planned Parenthood workers allegedly discussing the illegal fetal tissue trade and late-term abortion procedures. In 2015, NAF filed suit, and Judge William Orrick issued a gag order to prevent the videos' release.

Orrick ruled that if Daleiden released the videos to the public, Planned Parenthood and its affiliates could face "harassment, intimidation, violence, invasion of privacy, and injury to reputation." But Thomas More Society attorney Tom Brejcha, who helped craft the latest appeal, said journalists' free speech rights are more important.

"The notion that government needs to filter the truth and wield the censor's scissors is anathema here in our United States, and we trust that the Supreme Court will not abide this unprecedented suppression of truth and will soon let it be shared openly with all of our fellow citizens," Brejcha said. "&#91;The&#93; First Amendment does not permit anybody to be insulated against the scrutiny of law enforcement or freed from political embarrassment."

The NAF lawsuit is just one of several legal battles the Center for Medical Progress has faced. Last year, a Houston jury indicted Daleiden and fellow pro-life activist Sandra Merritt for their undercover videos. 

Later, a judge dismissed all the charges.

In March, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra charged Daleiden and Merritt with 15 felony counts each, but a court dismissed all but two of those charges in June.

The videos currently under injunction include hundreds of hours of footage. Daleiden previously said that amounts to about half the total footage the Center for Medical Progress gathered, including some of the most "incriminating footage that I ever recorded."

In May, Orrick ordered YouTube to remove a video depicting abortionists admitting to performing illegal partial-birth abortions and calling abortion "killing." The video was one of the many under injunction, but Daleiden's lawyers released it on their website, saying they had the right to post it.

Later, Daleiden's lawyers requested Orrick recuse himself from presiding over the case because of his ties to Planned Parenthood. They noted he still served on the board of a hospital that donates space to a Planned Parenthood abortion center, and that his wife Caroline Orrick recently supported the abortion giant on Facebook. Orrick denied the bias claims, and another judge sided with Orrick.

Last month, a federal judge found Daleiden and two of his lawyers in contempt of court for the unauthorized video release.

Brejcha said a Supreme Court review of the ongoing case will be pivotal to maintaining our nation's free speech laws.

"What is ultimately at stake here is whether those who 'blow the whistle' on illegal or inhumane misbehavior in any industry may be silenced and even punished for telling the truth to the public at large and to those charged with enforcing criminal and regulatory bans on nefarious practices," Brejcha said. "Whether America will remain an open or closed society hangs in the balance."


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Bible Study: Aug. 13, 2017
by Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources
Date: August 09, 2017 - Wednesday

NASHVILLE (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.

This week's Bible study is adapted from the Bible Studies For Life curriculum.

Bible Passage: 2 Corinthians 1:2-7

Discussion Question: What's your favorite comfort food?

Food for thought by Daniel Im:

After a hard day, we know certain things will help us relax, like:

-- a hot bath,
-- soft music,
-- ice cream.

Some things just bring us comfort.

I was never a good source of comfort. When someone faced sickness or death, I'd offer sympathy because that's what you're supposed to do. I might even offer a prayer, but seldom would I visit them or attend the funeral. What good would it do for me to be there with nothing to offer? I'd be more of a nuisance than a help.

Then my niece died. After my niece passed away without warning, something changed inside of me. Now, when someone is sick, instead of just praying for them, I pray with them. I try to help in any way I can, even if that means just sitting with them in the hospital or funeral home. I have learned just what a comfort my presence can be to others.

The apostle Paul showed us the comforting role we can play in the lives of others. Paul followed the Greco-Roman practice of beginning his letter with a greeting, but he used two words that made this greeting unique -- grace and peace.

-- Grace: The common Jewish prayer combined mercy and peace, but Paul used grace instead of mercy. Mercy is certainly encompassed by God's grace, and grace is the foundation for all we have in Christ. Grace expresses what Christ did for us in giving us salvation.

-- Peace: Paul wrote to the Corinthians in Greek, but as a Jew he was surely familiar with the Hebrew word for peace, shalom. Shalom was the common greeting, expressing a wish for health, completeness and wholeness in a person's life, both physically and spiritually. Paul intended an even deeper meaning for the word -- the effect of God's work in Christ. We have completeness and wholeness in Christ.

Paul used this new greeting to remind the church that:

-- God's grace will redeem their hurt and pain, and

-- God's peace will fill them with His comfort.

That's a prayer we could all use.

How does God bring His comfort to us? God comforts us in many ways, including through His Word. He also comforts us through others. And as He comforts us, we have the wonderful opportunity to offer comfort to others. This is one of the great blessings of Christian community, for the church as well as those outside it. We bless others as God has blessed us. We become broken vessels bringing comfort to other broken vessels.

<b>Bible Studies for Life</b>
Bible Studies for Life connects the Bible to life for adults, students, and kids. Bible Studies for Life helps individuals and groups know God's Word through trustworthy content, creates biblical community through engaging and conversational group studies, and helps people engage the culture missionally by unpacking what the Bible says about real-life issues. More information can be found on the Internet at 
LifeWay.com/BibleStudiesforLife.

Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool or ordered at LifeWay Christian Stores.


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North Korea nuclear escalation spurs call to prayer
by David Roach
Date: August 09, 2017 - Wednesday

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Amid escalating tension with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, evangelicals are calling for prayer and advocating wise use of America's diplomatic and military capabilities.

"It appears that the time for a diplomatic solution to curb North Korea's increasing acts of aggression is quickly running out," said former U.S. Army chief of chaplains Douglas Carver. "Now is the time for Southern Baptists to pray for the commander in chief and his cabinet members, our congressional leaders and members of the armed services who may be required to make grave and costly decisions in the near future."

The Washington Post reported Tuesday (Aug. 8) that North Korea has produced a miniaturized nuclear warhead which can fit inside a missile and potentially strike the United States. The Associated Press reported, however, that North Korea may still lack technology to ensure a missile fired at the U.S. could reenter earth's atmosphere without incinerating the attached nuclear warhead.

President Trump said at an Aug. 8 news conference, "North Korea had best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen." Hours later, North Korea's state news agency said the communist nation was "carefully examining" a plan to strike the U.S. territory of Guam -- some 2,100 miles southeast of the Korean Peninsula -- with missiles.

Though North Korea has threatened Guam repeatedly and seems unlikely to carry out the latest threat, according to media reports, the flurry of rhetoric and military intelligence appeared to escalate longstanding tensions over North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

Followers of Christ "cannot ignore the seriousness of this current crisis on the Korean Peninsula," Carver, the North American Mission Board's executive director of chaplaincy, told Baptist Press in written comments.

"Pray that the U.S., China and the nations of the world will work together in doing their part to prevent a war in Northeast Asia," he said. "Pray for America and the world community to seriously consider the social, political, military and humanitarian cost of a potential armed conflict in Korea. Pray the current war of words between the U.S. and North Korea doesn't provoke an all-out war between the nations.

"Pray for the Lord to end the brutal regime in North Korea and bring justice, hope and a peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula. Pray fervently, cry out to God for help, knowing that the best diplomatic action, military strategy and operational planning apart from Almighty God's favor and blessing can only lead to failure," Carver said, citing Proverbs 21:31.

Former Southern Baptist Convention President Jack Graham echoed the call for intercession, tweeting "it's time to pray" in light of Wednesday's North Korea developments.

"Like every president before him &#91;Trump&#93; prays for peace but prepares to protect our nation," added Graham, pastor of Dallas-area Prestonwood Baptist Church and an informal advisor to the Trump administration. "This is not rhetoric -- it is real."

Phillip Bethancourt, executive vice president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told BP "global unrest should drive Christians to prayer."

"As the crisis with North Korea escalates," Bethancourt said in written comments, "believers should pray that our government leaders would have wisdom, that our persecuted brothers and sisters in North Korea would have protection and that our own hearts would have faith in the power of God in the midst of uncertainty."

Bethancourt tweeted Aug. 8 that an article in The Atlantic on "how to deal with North Korea" should "be on the top of your reading list" in light of "today's troubling North Korea news."

The nearly 8,000-word article, written by Mark Bowden and published in The Atlantic's July/August issue, reviewed a range of difficult options for the U.S. government and ultimately advocated "acquiescing" to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's "developing the weapons he wants, while continuing efforts to contain his ambition."

"What's needed," Bowden wrote, "is the proper framework for disarmament -- the right collection of incentives and disincentives to render the building of such a &#91;nuclear&#93; weapon a detriment and a waste -- so the country decides that abandoning its pursuit of nukes is in its best interest."

Paul Kim, Asian-American relations consultant for the SBC Executive Committee, said Korea historically has been "a peaceful nation that has not invaded other countries." The region that is now North Korea even experienced a revival in the early 20th century, he said, asking believers to pray for a return to peace and godliness.

The early 20th-century revival "started from Pyongyang in North Korea before the Korean War in 1950-53," Kim, a native of South Korea, said in written comments. "As God revived Korea over a century ago, let Him revisit North Korea in repentance from the sins of the political leaders to fear of God. In all these years, many Korean churches have not ceased to pray for reunification for peace of the land as one nation under the Almighty God."

The SBC, in a 2015 resolution "on religious persecution and human rights violations in North Korea," issued a call "to Southern Baptists and all our brothers and sisters in Christ to pray that God will turn the heart of Kim Jong Un to Himself and that President Kim might grant to all the people of North Korea the respect they deserve as God's creation."


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Chromecast, Apple TV safest viewing for kids, PTC says
by Diana Chandler
Date: August 09, 2017 - Wednesday

LOS ANGELES (BP) -- Among popular video entertainment services, Google Chromecast and Apple TV provide the safest viewing options for children and their parents, the Parents Television Council said in its latest research.

Popular streaming video on demand (SVOD) and over-the-top (OTT) entertainment viewing options expose children to disturbing and edgy programs rated only for mature audiences, the PTC said in the study released Tuesday (Aug. 8).

"We are in a period of revolutionary change in the way people consume entertainment, and the media environment is changing at a rapid pace," PTC President Tim Winter said in a teleconference. "As technology continues to evolve, it is incumbent on the companies leading the charge to also consider how children and families will be impacted. It is our hope that this report will help move that dialogue forward."

The report studied and ranked the top SVOD and OTT internet viewing services and devices based on the strength of parental controls and the availability of content appropriate for families and children.

"Given so much adult programming, its concerning that the various services have not provided better control of the content that children have access to," Winter said. "We hope that this is a good call for parents to be more aware and we certainly hope that those providers of these services will join us next year at a symposium where we can identify and find good workable solutions to help make a more safe and sound media environment for parents and families."

Creating and following a uniform ratings system, increasing parental control options, blocking explicit titles when parental controls are activated, and increasing the availability of original family-friendly content are needed to protect children from inappropriate content, the PTC said. At the same time, parents should comparison shop and be aware of parental controls available, the group recommended.

In addition to Google Chromecast and Apple TV, the PTC studied OTT streaming devices Amazon Fire TV and Roku, and the SVOD Amazon Prime, Hulu and Netflix services.

Only Google Chromecast received an "A" rating of any service studied, whether SVOD or OTT, but only because its "limited functionality" gives parents greater control over the content streamed over devices for children's viewing, said the study's author, PTC Program Director Melissa Henson. Apple TV was the only OTT device among those studies that allowed parents to set restrictions on music, podcasts and streamed video, Henson said.

Amazon Fire TV and Roku trailed third and fourth, respectively, with C and D ratings among OTT services.

SVOD providers in particular suffer from a lack of consistency in age-based content ratings, Henson said.

"A stand-up comedy special that uses a lot of foul language is rated the same as a travel or cooking show that might have 1 or 2 'F' words," Henson said, "or the same as '13 Reasons Why,' which deals with teen suicide, or the same as Marco Polo, which contains graphic sexual content and nudity."

Among SVOD provides, the PTC ranked Hulu best for the use of ratings (B), followed by Amazon Prime Video (C) and Netflix (C minus). For the strength of parental controls, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix scored highest (B plus), with Hulu garnering a C minus. While Hulu far outpaced competitors in the visibility of adult titles and content, receiving a B plus, it fell last in the availability of original content for families, ranking a D. The competitors were only slightly better in original content, both receiving Cs.

None of the SVOD services offer family plans that would allow parents to block "all explicit titles at all times across all devices," Henson wrote in the report's major findings. "A portion of your subscription fee is going to underwrite explicit content."

The full study, "Over-the-Top or a Race to the Bottom: A Parent's Guide to Streaming Video," is available at parentstv.org.


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FIRST-PERSON: An infinite power source
by David Jeremiah
Date: August 09, 2017 - Wednesday

EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) -- The subterranean world beneath northern California is boiling hot -- hot enough to produce vast caverns of superheated steam. This area, known as The Geysers, is one of the most active geothermal spots on earth.

Sitting directly atop The Geysers are buildings that house some of the world's most innovative power generators. Workers have drilled wells two miles deep into the scalding earthen chambers beneath the generators, and as the steam escapes through the wells it turns huge turbines and produces electricity. The Geysers supply nearly 60 percent of the electrical demands from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.

Welcome to the world of renewable energy.

I'm not a scientist or a politician, but I'm interested in being an outspoken advocate for the best source of renewable energy, and that's spiritual energy. Paul the apostle told the Colossians, "He is the one we proclaim.... I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me" (Colossians 1:28-29, NIV 1984).

The apostle Peter wrote, "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue" (2 Peter 1:3).

Left to ourselves, we face frequent power outages juggling the demands of work and home and even ministry. We need renewable energy on the inside. If you want to pursue what the Bible has to say about this, open a concordance to the word "power," which occurs nearly 300 times in the Bible. There's something about reading Bible verses about spiritual power that imparts strength to us.

Psalm 62:11 says, "Power belongs to God." According to Psalm 65:6, God is "clothed with power." Jeremiah 10:12 says that God "made the earth by His power." Psalm 66:7 says that He "rules by His power forever."

We can only live for Him effectively when we tap into the infinite source of His power. We're to be strong in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10).

<b>Feeling weak?</b>

On earth, we grow tired in body, mind and soul. While our outward self is perishing, our inward self can be renewed daily with God's renewable energy. Psalm 68:35 says, "The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people."

In studying the word "power" in the Bible, you'll find secrets to tapping into God's renewable energy. The first is through praise. We often praise God for His love and grace but fail to rejoice in His power and worship Him for His omnipotence. When King David was surrounded by his enemies, he wrote, "I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning" (Psalm 59:16).

Second, we renew our strength by reading Scripture. The Bible is God's powerful Word to us; as Psalm 29:4 says, "The voice of the Lord is powerful."

Third, we renew our strength by waiting on the Lord. The prophet Isaiah said, "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:31). It refreshes us when we let go and let God, trusting Him to work according to His own timetable.

Fourth, be filled with the Spirit. One of the greatest benedictions of the Bible says, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13). 

Fifth, we need a daily walk with Christ. When we are walking closely with Christ, we are near the power center for the entire cosmos. He radiates "the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24).

Sixth, we encounter raw power in our lives as we share the Gospel; as the apostle Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God...." (Romans 1:16).

Finally, cling to the cross. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing," Paul noted, "but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Remembering those generators at The Geysers, think of God's power as vast, endless reserves of geothermal energy. Claim His power to do greater things in your life than ever before!



