Episode 500

New Orleans Seminary Graduates, The Fearless Series & Music At Christmas Time

Dec 13, 2023

Many people are receiving degrees this Christmas as colleges, universities and seminaries will confer degrees for the students’ hard work. Texas pastor James Reeves knows the pain of neglect and abuse but he also knows the healing that Jesus brings and how the local church can be an expression of care. And, Christmas music is a gift. It’s one that is often overlooked. Jeff Iorg writes, “The music at Christmas is special for several reasons.

Transcript

Many people are receiving degrees this Christmas as colleges, universities and seminaries will confer degrees for the students’ hard work.

At the New Orleans Seminary, President Jamie Dew is encouraging graduates to remain faithful to God’s Word, walk with Christ, remain committed to following God’s call, live as examples of godliness and steward well the gifts God had given them.

Drawing from 1 Timothy 4:6-16, Dew reminded graduates that they are leaving to serve in a culture filled with deceptive teachings and heresies. The culture will mix truth with right doctrine, Dew warned, and urged graduates to remain “faithful to the Word of God and the teachings of Christianity.”

He said, “Graduates must live godly lives of love, purity and fidelity before a world “desperate” to see genuine Christianity on display, he said adding: “Be an example to a lost, broken, thirsty and hungry world.”
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Texas pastor James Reeves knows the pain of neglect and abuse but he also knows the healing that Jesus brings and how the local church can be an expression of care.

Reeves was abandoned and abused by his father when he was a child. Through a salvation encounter with Jesus, Reeves life was transformed and he became a pastor in Fort Worth.

That was in the early 1980s. Over the decades, God used the pain experienced to help others as they dealt with their own issues related to abuse, abandonment and addiction.

Reeves is the creator of a resource called The Fearless Series.

It’s a tool to help local churches connect with people who have faced trauma and to provide biblical support and care to help them cope and overcome.

Learn more about the resource at FearlessResources.org.
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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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Christmas music is a gift. It’s one that is often overlooked.

Jeff Iorg writes, “The music at Christmas is special for several reasons. First, the familiarity of frequently repeated hymns and songs means dozens of them can be sung from memory.

Second, the biblical content is strong – particularly focused on themes like faith, hope and love.

Finally, the songs lend themselves to all kinds of dramatic interpretations through skits, pantomimes, costumes, and other external effects. When you combine all this, the music during the Yule season is special.”

This Christmas don’t take those songs for granted. Allow them to help deepen your love for God and the gift He gave at Christmas.

You can read the full piece and learn more about our daily emails at Baptist Press.com.

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