Little Late But a Little Help

-

 


 

It’s been a month, but because I’m the only editor, when life sends bends in the road, you take them and get back to the journey when you can.  Since the last mailout, I had multiple funerals and IT difficulties to take care of.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I pray that you discover something helpful in the Faith or the Tech part of this mailout. 

Don’t forget, if you have tech that you use in ministry that might assist someone, let me know and I’ll do my best to include it.  Godspeed.

 


“The Road Home”

Luke 15:11–24

Finding the  road home is only needful if we have left home to begin with. Jesus tells a story of a young man who did exactly this. He demands his inheritance early—a bold insult in that culture. He leaves home, wastes everything, and ends up feeding pigs, starving, and alone.

Perhaps this boy is not the only one. Consider how this story unfolds.

 1.  Rejection

The story begins with a son who didn’t just leave home—he rejected it.

He rejected the Father’s authority.

He rejected the Father’s provision.

He rejected the Father’s love.

He said, in essence, “I want your stuff, but I don’t want you.” And with pockets full of inheritance and a heart full of pride, he walked away.

We’ve all done that. Maybe not with words, but with choices. We’ve said, “I’ll do life my way.” And like the prodigal, we’ve found that freedom without the Father isn’t freedom at all—it’s famine.

 2.  Remember

Then came the pigpen.

The prodigal didn’t just lose money—he lost himself. But Scripture says, “He came to his senses.” (v.17)

He remembered the Father’s kindness.

He remembered the Father’s house.

He remembered who he was.

Sometimes God lets us hit bottom so we’ll look up. The pigpen isn’t the end—it’s the place where memory meets mercy.

 3. Repentance

The son didn’t just feel bad—he turned back.

He didn’t blame the famine. He didn’t blame his friends. He said, “I have sinned against heaven and against you.” (v.18)

That’s repentance. Not just regret, but return. Not just sorrow, but surrender.

He didn’t come back demanding rights—he came back hoping for crumbs. And that’s when grace exploded.

 4. Return

The boy started walking home. But before he could reach the gate, the Father ran.

He didn’t wait for the full apology.

He didn’t demand repayment.

He ran, embraced, and restored.

Because returning home wasn’t just about geography—it was about the heart. The Father wasn’t just welcoming a son back to the house. He was welcoming him back to relationship.

 

This story isn’t just about a prodigal—it’s about all of us.

We’ve rejected, remembered, and we’ve repented.

Now it’s time to return. And when we do, the Father doesn’t walk—He runs. Because grace doesn’t wait at the door. It meets us on the road.

So wherever you are today, whatever pigpen you’ve wandered into, hear this:

The road home is open. The Father is watching. And He still runs.

 

The journey back to the Father begins with the heart.

 

 

TECH: Tools for the Text

When it comes to presentations (see previous newsletters), I’m still a PowerPoint Person, mainly because I, personally, have found more difficulty with the IOS than with Windows or Linux. (Candidly, if you see how IOS and Windows function, they handle very similarly from the user side, it really a matter of personal preference.) As you likely know, PowerPoint is a part of the Windows Office Suite and it gives a plethora of options for animations that are helpful in a powerful presentation.

I’ve used “Keynote” on the Mac sparingly – and it seems a good IOS tool, but perhaps not as good as Prezi. Let me offer bullet points for a few other IOS tools:

·         Pitch: A modern, collaborative presentation tool designed for teams. It offers sleek templates and real-time editing, making it ideal for startups and remote work environments.

·         FlowVella: Built specifically for Mac and iOS, FlowVella allows for interactive presentations with embedded videos, PDFs, and galleries. Great for kiosks, museums, and education.

·         Prezi: Known for its dynamic, zooming presentation style, Prezi breaks away from traditional slide formats. It’s web-based but works well on Mac browsers.

·         Google Slides: A cloud-based alternative that’s free and integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace. It’s accessible via Safari or Chrome on Mac.

·         TouchCast: Offers interactive video presentations, blending live video with slides and web content. It’s more niche but powerful for media-rich storytelling.

Here are three links to assist you in getting a helpful app or software to assist you in your spiritual growth.

 

Logos Bible Software

Accordance Bible Software

Olive Tree Bible App

 

Final Word

I pray that some of these suggestion assist you. If you have suggestions for me, please feel free to send them my way. 

Until next time, keep the lamp lit and the heart open.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MAKES LITTLE SENSE

-
Image
National Christian Leader after National Christian Leader in article after article, shame those who profess faith in Christ for voting for and supporting former President Donald Trump. From videos to articles to Tweets (what are they now called "Xs"?) to Facebook posts, if you vote for the former president, you are a member of a hideous cult with a malformed brain, a questionable character who doesn't love God or neighbor, and who has been reprogrammed to believe - well - whatever. The vitriol continues to grow as we get closer to the election. (It used to be 'election day' but that term seems to be a thing of the past. Now, it's more like 'election season.') Today, I read that "Trump is the leader of a giant cult" and that "Harris is encouraging voters to choose joy and a more normal politics". Both of these would be laughable if they weren't so sad and serious. There are so many shortcuts through the truth that it boggles on...
Read more

What of the Night?

-
Image
The Urgency of Revival and the Call to Shine For the past month, our focus has been on the need for revival. But some may wonder, why all the emphasis on revival? What's the big deal? Well, the truth is, as believers, we are on a journey. From the moment we accepted Christ until the day we step foot on Heaven's shore, we are constantly in need of renewal, restoration, and refreshment. In a sermon by Vance Havner, a 20th-century revivalist, he shared a message that resonated with me. It was based on Ezekiel 21:11-12, which speaks about the Watchman and the night. This message has great relevance for us today, as we find ourselves living in a time of darkness. The Watchman In the Bible, the concept of the Watchman is mentioned over 20 times. Watchmen were assigned to stand guard and protect the community from enemies. They were like sentinels or guards, alerting the people to danger. Today, we too are called to be Watchmen, guarding against the darkness that surrounds...
Read more

Are You Ready for God?

-
Image
Introduction In this blog post, we will explore the concept of being ready for God. We will dive deep into the transcript of a powerful message and examine the importance of looking upward, inward, and outward in our spiritual journey. Join us as we discover how to prepare ourselves for a personal and intimate connection with God. Looking Upward The message begins with the speaker encouraging the audience to look upward. They talk about how we often look up to people who inspire, correct, and teach us. However, the speaker emphasizes that there is one whom we should all look up to - God. They describe God as being high and lifted up, someone who deserves our allegiance and devotion. When we turn our focus to God and empty our lives of worldly things, we have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of His power, majesty, and glory. Looking Inward Once we have looked upward and encountered God, it naturally leads us to look inward. The speaker reminds us that when we look at ourselve...
Read more