Thankful Thursdays - 7/4/13 - Reasons For Hope Ministry

This post contains an affiliate link, which helps support the blog! :)


It's Thursday again! I'm sure many of you are thankful today to live in the USA and be able to celebrate your freedoms. (I know, some of you live elsewhere and have other days that you celebrate!) If you haven't figured out yet just how thankful we are to live and worship here, read some of our other blog posts!


So today, for my thankful thing, I would like to introduce you to a Ministry that is near and dear to our hearts: Reasons for Hope (rforh*). You may have seen their logo before, it looks like this:

Carl Kerby, the founder of rforh* has been a family friend for more than a decade. We first met Carl when the girls were both still little and Carl was speaking with Answers in Genesis. Carl, and his sweet wife, Masami, became mainstays in our study of Apologetics, as we often saw Carl speak every year at different venues. Fast forward a decade, Carl's kids are married and have kids, and our girls are teenagers. (Wow, that was fast! I must have blinked!)

As much as we loved Carl's past work, we really appreciate what he is doing now. Sometimes, as Christians, we learn a lot about God, but we struggle with living out our faith, and sharing it with others. 

Look back up at the logo, yup, "Know it, Live it, Share it!" Carl's messages are to the point, and entertaining all at the same time. That could have something to do with his background. His Dad was a professional wrestler, and Carl spent many years as an air traffic controller. The two combine for some great life-application stories!

I often wear my rforh* t-shirt. It is a great reminder to me to be sharing the love of Jesus, and what He has done in my life with those around me.  It also lets strangers know that they can ask me if they have questions. One day, I had the sweetest little old janitor come up to me in a store while I was shopping, and tell me that he liked my shirt, the Bible verse on the back reminded him that he had HOPE!  It reminds me to be thankful that I have hope in Jesus! I also talk a lot about Carl's book: Reasons for Hope in the Mosaic of Your Life that we reviewed last year.

This October, rforh* is presenting the first ever "Hope Conference." There will be two locations over two separate weekends, the one we're helping with is in Cicero, IN on October 18th & 19th, 2013. I'll let you know now... you'll want to come, so write it on your calendar now! The conference is geared for your whole family, as there will be special programs for the kids, and great speakers for the teens and adults, including one of our other great friends, Diana Waring.

We are SO thankful to be able to help rforh* with this conference. If you'd like to find out more right now, click over here: http://www.thehope2013.com If you already know you want to attend, you can get your ticket here. (You'll see a spot to buy your ticket from Home Sweet Life Blog, any affiliate rewards from your purchase help support the blog- Thank you!)

We'll be sharing more about rforh* in the coming weeks, and hosting some great giveaways they are sponsoring! In the meantime, so you won't miss out on anything, sign up to receive our blog posts by email, and sign up for the rforh* newsletter here!

We are thankful today for Reasons for Hope Ministry, leave a comment below and let us know about one of your favorite ministries! We love finding out about your 'thankful things' too!

Unusual Circumstances

Just last week I picked (and ate) this strawberry from our garden. How did that happen??? Unusual circumstances. This summer we had a LONG drought. When the regular rainfall returned, many of our plants were confused. Several of our starwberry plants put out new blossoms and a few even had fruit, like the one in the picture. Now, granted, it wasn't as big as the usual strawberries are in June, but it was  a welcome surprise!

Do you find yourself in what you would call "unusual circumstances" often? As Christians, our lives should seem unusual to others, our words and actions should be different from the world around us. How can we give an answer to the question about the reason for our hope (1 Peter 3:15) if those around us never ask? Maybe they're not asking because we look, talk, & act just like everyone else. That is a sad commentary on our lives. We should be different. We are called to be different (Romans 12:2)!

It's not always easy to live in unusual circumstances, in fact, it's usually quite difficult, and maybe our fruit is not as big as we would like. But that is not an excuse to stop living a life that follows Christ. Imitating Christ requires us to live a life of sacrifice and selflessness. These are hard things to do, especially in this world of "more everything!" Are not your family, your friends, and your eternal destiny more important than "things?" When struggles arise, as Christians, we are called to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). I know, it's not easy. It can be a special challenge when the other person is also a Christian. We tend to think "why me, why do I always have to be the peacemaker, why can't they ever give in?" Guess what? Toughen up cupcake, because God calls YOU to do the right thing (forgive, offer grace, turn the other cheek) whether the other person ever matures or not.

Marriage is hard, parenting is hard, LIFE is hard! But take heart, Jesus has come to give you life, and that more abundantly!!! 

So stop. Pray. Forgive. 

An amazing thing will happen, your joy will return. Maybe the fruit will be small, that's ok, it's still a gift from God, your loving Heavenly Father, who wants to give you an abundant life, a life filled with Him.

Next week, tomorrow, today, choose that abundant life. Choose to walk away from your own selfishness, choose to follow Christ. One day, someone will ask, and you'll be ready to give an answer for your hope!

If you're still searching for that hope, Jesus offers it to everyone. You can find out more. Read your Bible (you can find a free version online here,) or visit our friend at Reasons for Hope here.

Praying you find God walking right beside you in all your unusual circumstances. He's there, you just have to look!

REASONS for HOPE

Inside the pages of “REASONS for HOPE: In the MOSAIC of Your Life” the reader is met with the embodiment of 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” (NIV) 

Carl Kerby has allowed the reader to join him in looking at the broken pieces of his past life, and how God has worked a beautiful mosaic out of the rubble. The inscription just past the title page reads “To those who don’t have hope and need to be given it & to those who do have hope and need to share it.” What a fitting introduction to a book written to give hope to all of us through what God can accomplish in our messed up lives. The book is divided into three parts which each have subtitles of their own, but which I think of as 1. Why 2. The Past and 3. Now, How?

“Offering REASONS FOR HOPE in a Hopeless World” is the actual subtitle of part one. For those who have heard Carl speak, some of this will be review. In this section Carl shares some of the Biblical examples of physical things the nation of Israel used as reminders pointing them back to what God had done for them. (Such as Joshua chapter 4.) We are also reminded that Jesus wanted His disciples to be world changers and that to do this effectively we need to be able to “give basic answers for your faith.” Carl plainly states his reason for writing: “I want to both challenge you and encourage you. I’m a fellow pilgrim on this journey of faith.” Besides these exhortations, Carl answers many other ‘Why’ questions with to-the-point answers. My favorite answer is probably this from page 51 “When your heart is filled with gratitude for the salvation you’ve been given, it will spill out in love and compassion for others, so they too can know the “hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8).

The second part of the book shares an intimate look back at the brokenness of Carl’s life before meeting Christ, and how God has reworked all of those pieces into a beautiful mosaic that points people to Christ. The chapters in this section entitled “From Wrestler’s Son to Professional Speaker” delve deep into Carl’s past. Even having known Carl for about a decade, I was surprised by some of what I read here. By not holding back, but truly sharing both his own mistakes, and the struggles he had dealing with the mistakes of others near him, Carl reminds us that no life it too messed up to be redeemed by Christ Jesus! It was truly humbling to see how Carl lays out his own life, the good, the bad, and the ugly, in hopes it will open the doors for others to see how great our God is. The Mosaic God has worked in Carl’s life is a beautiful thing that gives glory to God daily. 

In this section, the reader goes from despair to relief and finally joy as they travel with Carl down the road of his life in college, the Air Force, and finally working as an air-traffic controller at Chicago O’Hare and as a speaker for Answers in Genesis. There are stories that share how Carl met his wife, Masami,  Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis), and most importantly- Jesus! (Not in that order!) Using examples from his career as an air-traffic controller, Carl reminds us that “To have effective and accurate communication, I not only have to give instructions correctly, I also have to ensure that the receiver understands and complies with my instructions.” As someone who has flown through O’Hare, I’m glad to know they understand that communication is a two-way street! We are reminded in this section that our ‘bottom strip’- the most important things in our Spiritual life “is what we know from the Word of God.” Feelings can lead us astray, but God never changes. Some of the most memorable chapters  share how God’s plan for Carl’s life was very different from Carl’s earthly Father’s plan. Some made me cry, others made me laugh. Carl’s sense of humor shines through even the darker parts of his past as his honesty shows how God was at work long before Carl accepted Jesus as Savior.

In the third part of his book “Answering COMMON OBJECTIONS to the Christian Faith,” Carl shares some of the questions he is asked most often. He also shares answers! If you’ve ever heard Carl speak, or read any of his other books, you’ll know he never claims to have all the answers. Carl is honest in his faith and life. He does gently remind us that we don’t have to understand everything to be able to stand firm in our faith. Referencing Joshua chapter 24, Carl exhorts us to “Make a Choice, Christian. Choose this day whom you will follow, but as for me and my household, we’re standing on every word the Lord has given us, even if we don’t have full understanding.” If you’re honest with yourself, and God, chapter 14 will both challenge and encourage you.

Chapter 19 is a wonderful wrapping up, but not an ending, of the book. Here we encouraged to live out our own reasons for hope. In this chapter Carl uses his gift of encouragement to push Christians out of their comfort zone, and encourage non-believers to consider all that Christ has done for them. Real life can be hard, and Carl speaks words of encouragement to continue on. “Remember, you don’t have to be a brilliant thinker to minister to others and answer their questions about the Bible. The Lord is looking for obedience from us, not necessarily an advanced degree. Maybe you’ve heard this before: God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” Here we are reminded to be reflecting God’s priorities, to be investing in people’s lives and honoring the Lord. Carl’s final words will ring as true in years to come as they do today. “In the meantime, I hope you will be encouraged to use your own life stories and your own testimony, your mosaic, to share with others how God has taken the broken pieces of your life and made something beautiful and valuable. He continues to add to that mosaic each and every day. Watch for His hand in your life and always sanctify Him in your heart.”

This book is a clarion call to those with hope, and those who need hope- choose, and then life your life sharing your life’s hope with other people!

(All quotes from the original text-by permission from the author) [We purchased our own copy of the book- in support of Reasons for Hope ministry- find them online at: www.rforh.com ]

REASONS for HOPE - by Carl Kerby (book review)

Inside the pages of “REASONS for HOPE: In the MOSAIC of Your Life” the reader is met with the embodiment of 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” (NIV) 

Carl Kerby has allowed the reader to join him in looking at the broken pieces of his past life, and how God has worked a beautiful mosaic out of the rubble. The inscription just past the title page reads “To those who don’t have hope and need to be given it & to those who do have hope and need to share it.” What a fitting introduction to a book written to give hope to all of us through what God can accomplish in our messed up lives. The book is divided into three parts which each have subtitles of their own, but which I think of as 1. Why 2. The Past and 3. Now, How?

“Offering REASONS FOR HOPE in a Hopeless World” is the actual subtitle of part one. For those who have heard Carl speak, some of this will be review. In this section Carl shares some of the Biblical examples of physical things the nation of Israel used as reminders pointing them back to what God had done for them. (Such as Joshua chapter 4.) We are also reminded that Jesus wanted His disciples to be world changers and that to do this effectively we need to be able to “give basic answers for your faith.” Carl plainly states his reason for writing: “I want to both challenge you and encourage you. I’m a fellow pilgrim on this journey of faith.” Besides these exhortations, Carl answers many other ‘Why’ questions with to-the-point answers. My favorite answer is probably this from page 51 “When your heart is filled with gratitude for the salvation you’ve been given, it will spill out in love and compassion for others, so they too can know the “hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8).

The second part of the book shares an intimate look back at the brokenness of Carl’s life before meeting Christ, and how God has reworked all of those pieces into a beautiful mosaic that points people to Christ. The chapters in this section entitled “From Wrestler’s Son to Professional Speaker” delve deep into Carl’s past. Even having known Carl for about a decade, I was surprised by some of what I read here. By not holding back, but truly sharing both his own mistakes, and the struggles he had dealing with the mistakes of others near him, Carl reminds us that no life it too messed up to be redeemed by Christ Jesus! It was truly humbling to see how Carl lays out his own life, the good, the bad, and the ugly, in hopes it will open the doors for others to see how great our God is. The Mosaic God has worked in Carl’s life is a beautiful thing that gives glory to God daily. 

In this section, the reader goes from despair to relief and finally joy as they travel with Carl down the road of his life in college, the Air Force, and finally working as an air-traffic controller at Chicago O’Hare and as a speaker for Answers in Genesis. There are stories that share how Carl met his wife, Masami,  Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis), and most importantly- Jesus! (Not in that order!) Using examples from his career as an air-traffic controller, Carl reminds us that “To have effective and accurate communication, I not only have to give instructions correctly, I also have to ensure that the receiver understands and complies with my instructions.” As someone who has flown through O’Hare, I’m glad to know they understand that communication is a two-way street! We are reminded in this section that our ‘bottom strip’- the most important things in our Spiritual life “is what we know from the Word of God.” Feelings can lead us astray, but God never changes. Some of the most memorable chapters  share how God’s plan for Carl’s life was very different from Carl’s earthly Father’s plan. Some made me cry, others made me laugh. Carl’s sense of humor shines through even the darker parts of his past as his honesty shows how God was at work long before Carl accepted Jesus as Savior.

In the third part of his book “Answering COMMON OBJECTIONS to the Christian Faith,” Carl shares some of the questions he is asked most often. He also shares answers! If you’ve ever heard Carl speak, or read any of his other books, you’ll know he never claims to have all the answers. Carl is honest in his faith and life. He does gently remind us that we don’t have to understand everything to be able to stand firm in our faith. Referencing Joshua chapter 24, Carl exhorts us to “Make a Choice, Christian. Choose this day whom you will follow, but as for me and my household, we’re standing on every word the Lord has given us, even if we don’t have full understanding.” If you’re honest with yourself, and God, chapter 14 will both challenge and encourage you.

Chapter 19 is a wonderful wrapping up, but not an ending, of the book. Here we encouraged to live out our own reasons for hope. In this chapter Carl uses his gift of encouragement to push Christians out of their comfort zone, and encourage non-believers to consider all that Christ has done for them. Real life can be hard, and Carl speaks words of encouragement to continue on. “Remember, you don’t have to be a brilliant thinker to minister to others and answer their questions about the Bible. The Lord is looking for obedience from us, not necessarily an advanced degree. Maybe you’ve heard this before: God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” Here we are reminded to be reflecting God’s priorities, to be investing in people’s lives and honoring the Lord. Carl’s final words will ring as true in years to come as they do today. “In the meantime, I hope you will be encouraged to use your own life stories and your own testimony, your mosaic, to share with others how God has taken the broken pieces of your life and made something beautiful and valuable. He continues to add to that mosaic each and every day. Watch for His hand in your life and always sanctify Him in your heart.”

This book is a clarion call to those with hope, and those who need hope- choose, and then life your life sharing your life’s hope with other people!

(All quotes from the original text-by permission from the author) [We purchased our own copy of the book- in support of Reasons for Hope ministry- find them online at: www.rforh.com ]