Mission Work for Ukrainian Refugees, NOBTS Serve Day & Romans 12

Donn and Joni Schaefer, a couple from O’Fallon, Illnois, have organized 10 mission trips to Russia since 2008. They taught English in Siberia as a way to open discussions about the Gospel. But when the invasion of Ukraine shut down trips into Russia for Americans, the Schaefers looked for other avenues to use their unique skills.

The Illinois couple turned their focus a little west, to Ukrainian refugees flooding into Poland.

In addition to the mission team’s work, Joni credited Send Relief for life-sustaining work among refugees. “Send Relief has been doing amazing things for Ukraine,” she said. The joint venture of the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board has become a rapid response agent in times of crisis, even abroad.
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Three professions of faith resulted as more than 160 New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College students, staff and faculty went into New Orleans neighborhoods to serve and share the Gospel on Serve Day, Sept. 22.

The seminary teams prayer walked, fed the homeless, cared for nursing home residents, and shared the Gospel.

At a grocery center next to the seminary, a prayer walking team led one person to faith in Christ and prayed with others who shared prayer needs. Two came to faith as a result of door-to-door evangelism.

In chapel that morning, Jamie Dew reminded listeners of the importance of living out the faith through service to others. Dew said, “We have an opportunity today ‘to put our money where our mouth is.’”
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Good News for Today is sponsored by The Voice of the Martyrs

Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.
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In a Bible study from Lifeway, the author takes a deep dive into Romans 12.

Beginning with verse 9 it might sound like Paul was giving us a random list of commands, but each one tells us how to love our neighbors as ourselves. And each one is important. When Paul said “let love be without hypocrisy,” he was calling for us to have pure hearts. We are not to do what seems loving for the sake of appearances or with an ulterior motive like gaining something advantageous or avoiding something unpleasant.

This is different from acting with love even when we don’t feel loving. This passage refers to our motives. Are we doing what is right for the right reasons or for our own advantage, what Philippians 2:3 calls “selfish ambition”? With a pure heart, we can love what God loves and shun what is wrong. With pure hearts we can love others, being devoted to their good.

Loving one another requires us to show honor by giving of ourselves even at personal cost. We may not have a name as well-known as Paul the apostle, but we can all know and display the joy of loving and honoring. Let’s grow in the skill of loving others well by giving them honor.