Posts by Jason Lombard
Hurricane Florence: Addressing an Immediate Need
I received an email several days ago with an immediate and significant need in which we can all participate. You may or may not know that our Adventist Community Services (ACS) agency is serving thousands of families who were evacuated due to Hurricane Florence in North Carolina. ACS has…
A Glimpse of the Divine
By all accounts, Ned Brooks is a fairly average guy. He has awife and three kids, a house in Norwalk, Connecticut, and considers himself semi-retired at age 65. I became acquainted with Ned’s story as he shared it with journalist Stephen Dubner, who hosts the popular podcast, Freakanomics. Several months ago, Ned was listening to an earlier episode of the show where Nobel…
The Divine Multiplier
There was once a boy, around sixteen years of age. After a prolonged illness, he was informed by his family doctor that he likely had only six weeks to live. Understandably troubled by the news of his impending death, the boy went for a walk around the town where he lived. As he walked by a coffee shop, he saw a sign announcing a weeklong series of meetings presented by…
Why Do You Serve?
The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men [Note: this means all people, not just males. —JL]. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world.” —The Acts of the Apostles, p. 9 In this space over past weeks, I’ve lauded your efforts as a church body with regard to service, and let me be clear, I have…
Never Stop Learning
As I write this, I’m sitting in the airport at Love Field in Dallas, Texas, on my way back from the North American Division’s (NAD) CALLED meetings in Austin. What a blessing it’s been to attend the first divisional meeting for pastors! I want to affirm the efforts made by our denominational leadership and mention how spiritually refreshed I’ve…
Responding in Service
Over the past few months I’ve seen our membership step up and commit to serving this church at an impressive rate. Not only do we have almost 300 people signed up for H.I.S. Teams, but our estimates show that almost 50% of our average weekly attendees are…
The Most Important Gift
James Harrison has a gift. At first glance, he’s an average 78 year-old Australian grandfather, but he’s credited with saving the lives of countless babies. In 1951, at the age of 14, Mr. Harrison had an operation to remove a lung. During the procedure, he received 13 units of blood. When he awoke and was told of the gift that he’d been given, he decided to become a blood…
In Need of Encouragement
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus showed His need for encouragement. “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death….O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:38) Jesus turned to His Father for encouragement even though His divine nature had full knowledge of God’s salvific plan. Encouragement is…
A Week of Loss, A Week of Hope
This week has been rough. Many of you know this firsthand because you’ve been working right alongside our staff as we pick up the pieces following the loss of Don Mauller. The pastoral staff expresses our sincerest appreciation and thanks for your help. More will be needed as little by little we recognize all that Don contributed to our church family. The loss of…
Are You Sleeping?
When Jesus found the disciples asleep in Gethsemane, his words express exasperation; “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40) Mrs. White expounds upon this in The Desire of Ages (p. 713): “All the disciples, by sleeping in that critical hour, sustained a great loss. Christ knew the fiery ordeal through which they were to pass…Had those hours in…
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