I can almost hear the echo of the battering ram that is destroying America’s foundation of faith as I read the following statement by the president of Barna research…. “With each passing year, the percent of Americans who believe that the Bible is ‘just another book written by men’ increases. So too do the perceptions that the Bible is actually harmful and that people who live by its principles are religious extremists.”1 We see evidence of it in the soaring rate of violent crime; in the toxic public discourse; in truth that is spun as lies and lies that are spun as truth; in the sharp decline in church attendance; in the breakdown of trust in our national institutions and government leaders; in the homelessness and hopelessness of thousands living on the streets in our major cities; in the rising suicide rate among our young people until it’s the 2nd leading cause of death; in the plague of fentanyl and other illicit drugs…and the list goes on and on.
What can you and I do? We are in an epic spiritual battle! Therefore, our weapons are not worldly, they are spiritual …weapons of prayer and God’s Word.2 So first and foremost, we need to pray for the next generation. Pray against the unseen spirits that are trying to hijack the faith of those who come after us. Then we need to be intentional as we seek to pass on the Truth by our example and our words. To this end, my daughter, Rachel-Ruth, and I wrote Jesus Followers: Real Life Stories to Ignite Faith in the Next Generation. While the subject is extremely serious at this critical time in our national life, we have written this book as a combination of Biblical exposition and personal stories. You will find it very easy to read as it will make you laugh and cry while sharing practical wisdom that will also challenge and encourage you.
When the publisher approached me about producing a video-driven Bible Study based on the book, I was thrilled. As a result, the video crew assembled the week before Easter at my father’s house nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Spring had not yet come which seemed to emphasize the emptiness and lifelessness of the house. But I believe the message is powerful. What my father left behind was not a beautiful home filled with treasured possessions. What he left behind was a legacy of faith…specifically a legacy of the Gospel…a legacy that lasts.
Perhaps the video session that blessed me the most was the Bible Study workshop that I led with three generations of my family discussing the Scriptures together. It surely was a tribute to my mother and father’s legacy of faith that they successfully passed down to me, my children, and my grandchildren.
So as you view the videos and travel through my father’s house, I pray you will not only be thoroughly blessed by the context I give for each message Rachel-Ruth shares, but that you also will be recommitted to being a Jesus Follower yourself, then pass the Truth on to the next generation. This Christmas, strengthen the foundation on which you are building your life so that you leave a legacy that lasts.
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands. Deuteronomy 7:9
For His Glory,
When I was in elementary school, each Christmas my mom would come in to share the gospel through the Christmas story. I attended a public school that did not look favorably on the Bible or any type of Christian teaching. To share the Christmas story openly without using a Bible, my mom had to be creative. She had the clever idea of using the encyclopedia. As she sat surrounded by my classmates, teachers congregated in the doorway and the principal made a show of being present. But no one could argue with what the encyclopedia said about Bethlehem, the angels, baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
While writing this, I took a moment to look up the words Jesus, Mary, Joseph, angel, cross, forgiveness, resurrection, heaven, eternity, and peace in the dictionary. And do you know what? The same thing is true! The explanations are right there. You can share the gospel from the dictionary! Try it the next time you feel led to share the gospel and someone tells you not to read the Bible in a public setting. Just thinking about it makes me smile.
This Christmas give The King something I know He wants for His birthday. Share the Gospel with someone else.
For His Glory,
1 https://www.barna.com/research/the-bible-in-america-6-year-trends/
2 2 Corinthians 10:3-4; Ephesians 6:17-18
As we look to Thanksgiving and Christmas, many of us will be with extended family. But those times can also carry undercurrents, can’t they? Because families can have a down side. If there are those in your family who are not Jesus followers, or are deemed not “qualified” to be Jesus followers, consider those in His extended human family. Some of the most poignant examples of God’s love, mercy, and grace are stories highlighted by names of women that appear in the genealogy that begins Matthew’s Gospel—a list of names that make up His Family Tree.
I. HIS FAMILY INCLUDES THE LOVELESS Matthew 5:3
Click here for the Bible Study especially developed for this newsletter.
On August 20th I was given the privilege of speaking to a group of people who had gathered on our state’s capitol grounds in order to seek God’s blessing on our city, state, and nation. I then led them in prayer, by faith believing that our God is a prayer-hearing, prayer-answering, miracle-working God. The group was also led in prayer by Pastor John Amanchukwu who brought a sizeable contingent of his delightful and dedicated church members.
Tony Perkins is the President of the Family Research Council, as well as a dear friend, who is on the front lines in the battle for Truth. His recent summit was held in the beautiful sanctuary of the First Baptist Church in Atlanta. He gave me the privilege of challenging those gathered to look up and ask God to give us a fresh vision of Jesus. I am more convinced than ever that Jesus is The Answer to our national crisis.
I was privileged to speak to the Executive Directors and their spouses at the Adult and Teen Challenge Retreat held at the Cove, followed by a Q & A with questions from the audience. The President and CEO, Gary Blackard, invited those gathered to pray over me and my daughter, Morrow. We were thoroughly blessed!
Who has impressed you with his or her confidence in God?
What a blessing to have parents and grandparents with confident faith. What a blessing to be a parent or grandparent, an aunt or an uncle, a friend or a neighbor, who has confident faith!
What will people think of you when you’re gone? What will your grandchildren know about you? Perhaps you see shadows of this ancient generation in your own family tree as you consider those who chose faith and those who did not. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you are remembered throughout generations to come as one whose life bore unmistakable witness to your faith in God? The choice is yours.
The Jesus Followers Bible Study has been written to encourage and challenge you to think through the legacy you are building. We pray you will be blessed. Then share the Bible Study with someone else this Christmas.
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Since January 1st, our family has been caught up in a whirlpool of suffering on many levels. Our beloved pastor and dear friend, Ray Bentley, suddenly and unexpectedly went to be with Jesus on the 4th. The shock and suddenness seemed to make our grief more intense. Four days later Rachel-Ruth was admitted to the hospital with her first of two SCAD heart attacks. On Easter Sunday she was back in ICU where she was additionally diagnosed with pericarditis. My son has been told his lungs may never improve beyond the 64% capacity they now have. And while arthritis is progressing in my hips and back, I had a bad fall when walking the dog that resulted in a cracked rib and other injuries.
All of this makes me wonder two things: Is my family…and am I…under an assigned assault from our spiritual enemy? And are you also under attack? Disease, death, danger, disasters and the darkness of corruption and chaos, disruption and division, stress and suicide, wars and rumors of wars, are all markers, I believe, to indicate we are living at the end of human history as we know it. The enemy knows his time is running out, and he is waging all-out war on God’s people. The battles are intense, frequent, and to be honest, they can be discouraging. They seem to drain our reserves of strength and energy.
So…what would the Lord say to you and me at such a time as this? 2 Chronicles 20:15, 17 has come to mind. King Jehoshaphat faced a vast enemy army that was poised to attack. God instructed him: Do not be afraid or discouraged…for the battle is not yours, but God’s…Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you. Early the next morning Jehoshaphat challenged the people to stay focused in their faith on God. He then appointed a choir to sing and praise the Lord as they went out before the army to confront the enemy. The result? The enemy was defeated!
As I go out to battle against the unseen enemy, I am learning the power of praise. Because the name of Jesus is one of our most effective spiritual weapons,1 I have alphabetized a list of His names that I say out loud when I can’t fall asleep, when I awake during the night, or when I am aware again that I am under specific attack. I can testify that although my circumstances may not change, my attitude and perspective do. I am strengthened in my spirit and receive peace that quiets my heart. I would like to share my list with you.2 Keep in mind, of course, there can be more names for each letter than just the ones I have listed, but this should help you start your own list:
Next time you feel you can’t take one more sleepless night, one more disappointment, one more painful procedure, one more slanderous lie, one more hurtful rejection, one more_________ (you fill in the blank), lift high the banner of His name. There is power in praise!
For His Glory,
1 Psalm 60:4; Isaiah 11:10; Proverbs 18:10
2When I couldn’t think of a specific name for a certain letter, I have used an adjective. Which is another suggestion for you. Make an alphabetical list of adjectives for Jesus.
Read 2 Chronicles 19:1-2, 4 and 20:1-30
I. THE BLESSING
Click here for the Bible Study especially developed for this newsletter.
It was a privilege for me to share a message of encouragement to several hundred pastors and church leaders who gathered for a Refuel Conference, then engage in a Q & A with Jonathan Falwell. I continue to pray they will rely on the Holy Spirit as they present the truth of God’s Word with boldness.
I have been honored to be with North Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor, Mark Robinson, on two different occasions in the past few months. Each time, his remarks were riveting. He unashamedly identifies himself as a Jesus follower. His opening remarks each time were the same: I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In light of the recent SCOTUS decision overturning Roe vs. Wade, his personal testimony concerning abortion is powerful. Click here to watch.
Getting up early in the morning to fix your eyes on Jesus through prayer and reading His Word is like setting your spiritual compass. Because no matter what faces you during the day, or how “lost” and confused you can become…He invariably leads you on the right path. Our prayer is that the devotions in this updated deluxe edition will help you fix your eyes on Jesus every day, so that you, too, can set your spiritual compass. Click here to learn more about Fixing My Eyes of Jesus.
Each dated devotional in The Joy of My Heart includes a Scripture verse and reflections from Anne on topics such as eternity, grief, and faith. With a gift presentation page and a ribbon marker, The Joy of My Heart is a beautiful gift for anyone looking for a concise collection of daily devotions. You will enjoy this newest release, as will those looking for a way to add variety and consistency to their daily devotional time. Anne’s depth of thought makes this a welcomed gift for pastors and church leaders, while her accessible tone makes The Joy of My Heart appropriate for any layperson seeking scriptural truth. Click here to order The Joy of My Heart.
In this volume, Anne shares her heart and God’s teachings on the universal problem of suffering, using the familiar story of Lazarus. This small book presents a simple, powerful message that is sure to bring comfort and new meaning to all who are suffering themselves or know others who need a special touch from God. It will help you understand and deal with suffering by leading you to the One Who knows your needs, shares your grief, sheds your tears and promises glory to come! Based on John 11. Foreword by Joni Eareckson Tada. Click here to order Why? Trusting God When You Don’t Understand.
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Our beloved nation is melting down. The jettisoning of traditional Judeo-Christian values has seemed to erupt at warp speed. Lying, corruption, deception, betrayal, and greed are becoming the norm. Fear, rage, lawlessness, murder, suicides, drug and alcohol abuse seem out of control. The signs the Bible gives which characterize the last generation of human history are warning indicators. Could it be our world is coming under God’s final judgment? If so, then the time before Jesus returns for His followers is running out.
How, then, should we live? It’s critical that we be about His business.1 First and foremost, you and I, as followers of Jesus, need to know what we believe. Then we need to be willing to stand up for it and speak out about it. The apostle Paul wrote the Roman believers with deep conviction: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.2 What is the gospel? The following is a summary of the gospel from God’s Word…
Everyone born into the human race is born with a sin nature, so that all are sinners.3
The consequence of sin is not only physical death, but spiritual death—separation from God now and in eternity.4
But God so loved the entire world of humanity that He sent His own Son, Jesus, into the world to die as an atoning sacrifice for our sin, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish separated from God, but will have eternal life.5
When we confess that we are sinners, ask God to apply the death of Jesus to our sin and forgive us, He will.6
Following the crucifixion of Jesus, God raised Him from the dead to give us new life here and life in Heaven when we die.7
When we respond and receive Jesus by faith into our hearts, He comes into us in the person of His Spirit, so that we are born again as children of God, forgiven of our sins, and receive eternal life.8
When we claim Jesus Christ by faith as our Savior and Lord, we pass from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, from death to life.9
And the gospel is this…
Jesus said, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ 10
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Just the name of Jesus.11
If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.12
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all…13
Click here for printable PDF
So…do Jews need to be saved? Do Muslims also need to be saved? Do Russians, Iranians, Chinese and Hispanics need to be saved? Yes, they do. According to God’s Word, whatever their religion is, or is not, no one is exempt from being a sinner. Each one of us needs a Savior. Which is why God has given Jesus to be the Savior of the world.14
Yet how can they believe unless they hear? And how will they hear unless you and I tell them the Good News that God loves them?15 That regardless of what happens, they can have peace in their hearts at present and hope for the future?
That’s the gospel that Paul was talking about. And that’s the gospel we are to proclaim.
For His Glory,
1 Matthew 24:46
2 Romans 1:16
3 Romans 3:23
4 Romans 6:23
5 John 3:16
6 1 John 1:9; Ephesians 1:7
7 Romans 8:11
8 John 1:12; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Timothy 1:16; 1 John 5:11-13
9 Acts 26:18; 1 John 3:14; Romans 8:10
10 John 14:6
11 Acts 4:12
12 Romans 10:9-10
13 Romans 10:12-13
14 1 John 4:14
15 Romans 10:14
The five sessions for our new Bible study, Jesus Followers, were filmed in my father’s house in Montreat, NC. It is now empty, emphasizing that what he left behind was a legacy, not of possessions, but of the gospel. The above session is on worship and was filmed in the front yard that, even on a cloudy day, gives a spectacular view from the top!
My dear friends, JoAnn and Tom Doyle, flew to our AnGeL Ministries office to film two installments for JoAnn’s TV program, Flourish, that is viewed by tens of thousands of women in Iran. Rachel-Ruth, along with her youngest daughter and my granddaughter, Riggin, and I were blessed to engage in conversation that emphasized the legacy of faith through the generations.
What a blessing I was able to share with my youngest granddaughter, Riggin, as we enjoyed the Museum of the Bible together! Then I was given the privilege of speaking to several hundred people who gathered in the theater as part of the Museum’s Sunday Sermon Series. I praise God for the light of His unchanging Word that is displayed at the Museum with such excellence, as it shines in a world that is increasingly dark. John 1:5
Anne led thousands of women to study their Bibles and raise white flags of surrender to Jesus in Kyiv, Ukraine, 2005. Where are they now?
This Spring/Summer share Anne and Rachel-Ruth’s book with your family and friends as you prepare for the new study…
In the book, Anne and Rachel-Ruth offer a warm and inspiring glimpse into their family life, sharing stories that reveal spiritual wisdom and practical insight for raising the next generation of Jesus Followers.
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How do you explain death to a child? Death is a difficult subject for anyone at any age. But it is especially difficult to explain to little children, which is one reason well-meaning adults sometimes make up fanciful stories to ease the pain. But without realizing it, these adults may find that they are like the ones Jesus rebuked, because their fanciful stories actually hinder little children from coming to the truth…from coming to Jesus.
Jesus loves little children! He singled out children for attention and affection, seated them on His lap, wrapped His arms around them, placed His hands of blessing on them, and rebuked misguided adults who sought to keep children away from Him.
I wonder…could you and I be hindering little children from coming to Jesus simply because we do not intentionally invite them to draw near to Him? Because with our adult words and adult ways we make it hard for them to come to Him? Is it possible that we may think they are too young to come to Him? Is the next generation being lost simply because people like you and me are neglecting our responsibility to make coming to Jesus easy and desirable for little children?
This unsettling thought has been reawakened by the writing and promotion of Jesus Followers: Real Life Lessons for Igniting Faith in the Next Generation. As I have participated in promotional interviews, I have heard the desperation of parents seeking answers and solutions. Again and again I have used the illustration of the 4 X 100 relay race that is won by the team that runs the swiftest and passes the baton the smoothest. As we run our race of faith, while gripping the baton of truth for ourselves as authentic Jesus followers, it’s imperative that we pass it smoothly to the next generation by our words and our actions.
But the 2016 Summer Olympics underscored another aspect of the race with which I wasn’t familiar. Our American men’s team was celebrating what they thought was the bronze medal when the scoreboard announced they had been disqualified because they had not transferred the baton within the passing zone. As I applied this to passing the truth that leads to faith in Jesus to the next generation, I wondered if the passing zone could be when our children are small and living within our homes. Certainly older children can also come to faith, but it can be harder to pass the baton to them, as many of you know.
Several years ago I wrote my first and only children’s book, Heaven: God’s Promise for Me. While the source is the Bible, I use whimsical poetry to describe what Heaven is like…how a young child can know for sure that it‘s his or her home and therefore have real hope for the future.
God used my three granddaughters to motivate me to write Heaven: God’s Promise for Me. They had gone through the loss of my beloved mother and their great-grandmother, Ruth Bell Graham. Her death was devastating to them and prompted many questions, some of which have no answers. But their mother—my daughter, Rachel-Ruth,—and I found that focusing beyond the grave helped ease their pain, comfort their fears, and enlarge their faith. Little did I know that this would be preparation for the sudden homegoing of my husband and their grandfather six years ago. Three years after he moved to Heaven, my father…their great-grandfather…moved also. Today, as I write this, I have received the shocking news that our dear friend and pastor, Ray Bentley, has gone to be with Jesus.
Three days after Pastor Ray’s death my daughter Rachel-Ruth had two back-to-back heart attacks that, without divine intervention, would have taken her life. I am so eternally grateful that I had led her to place her faith in Jesus when she was a child, and that she, in turn, had led her three daughters to place their faith in Jesus. Without question, at a moment of crisis, our trust in Jesus made all the difference. And the hope of being with Him in our heavenly Home lifted the burden of fear and grief.
Many of you, too, have experienced the death—or near death—of family members and friends during this past year, for which I am sincerely sorry.1 I believe Heaven: God’s Promise for Me will help you not only cope with your own grief, but also handle the difficult subject of death with the little ones whom you love. It is a simple, but effective tool for you to use in presenting the hope of Heaven. Yet even more than that, I pray it will help you be intentional about passing genuine faith in Jesus to the children to whom you read it. And that as a result, the children’s population in our heavenly Home will be dramatically increased! Rather than hinder little children from coming to Jesus, let’s take them by the hand, and lead them to the One who longs to gather them into His loving embrace now…and forever.
For His Glory,
1I have also written a book for adult readers, Heaven: My Father’s House, that may be an encouragement to you.
*In Mark 10:14, how did Jesus react to those who kept children from Him? What was His command?
*What was His warning?
On Saturday, January 8, a dear friend gave my family prime seats at the UNC men’s basketball game. I took this picture of Rachel-Ruth and her middle daughter, Sophia, at halftime. Within moments of this picture being taken, Rachel-Ruth began to have severe chest pains which were warnings of her two imminent heart attacks. The Holy Spirit, who is our Helper, was standing by to carry us through this crisis. How thankful I am that not only my daughter and my granddaughter, but every member of my family have placed their trust in Jesus. He walked through this valley of the shadow with us. A crisis is a crisis because it’s unplanned and unexpected. Put your trust in Jesus now so you will be prepared for whatever comes.
Friday morning, January 14, my daughter, Morrow, took this picture of Rachel-Ruth lying in her hospital bed as the sun came up. It was a visual reminder to…Sing of Your strength. In the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 59:16 A song of praise was in all of our hearts as she was released from the hospital that afternoon.
My dear friend and pastor, Ray Bentley, suddenly went to be with Jesus on January 4. One moment he was talking to his daughter; the next moment he was in Heaven, talking with Jesus. When I asked God, Why?, the Spirit seemed to whisper from Isaiah 57:1…The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart…that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Ray’s life and ministry were wrapped up in Biblical prophecy. I wonder…were his death and deliverance from this evil world a prophetic sign that Jesus is coming…quickly…at any moment…to deliver all of His children from this present darkness? I think so. The time is now to wake up! Clean up! Share the Gospel with young and old! Get ready to meet Jesus in the air!
The first week in December it was my privilege to speak once again to those gathered for United in Purpose. Nick Vujicic, a friend whom I had first met years ago. Along with my two daughters, Morrow and Rachel-Ruth, it was my joy to greet him once again.
Heaven is a real place. It’s where Jesus lives…a place He is preparing for those who love and trust Him. It’s a place of joy and love and hope—a place where all of God’s children, young and old, will live forever.
Engaging questions and Scripture references in the back of this book will help the reader reinforce the message that Heaven is God’s promise for each of His children. It’s a Home filled with love and joy and happiness—a place where we will be safe forever.
Anne’s inspirational words tell of the joys and comforts of Heaven in a beautiful rhyming text. Using engaging, familiar images, children will understand that Heaven is real and Jesus is waiting to welcome them there. This insightful, comforting book can be ordered as a board book for toddlers and as a hardback book that elementary children will enjoy. A special, personal keepsake is included in the back of the hardback book for children who RSVP to the heavenly Father’s invitation to live with Him forever.
“I can’t tell you how much your book has helped my children. My stepfather died this summer, and my four-year-old son kept asking if his grandfather was still in “the box”. It was so helpful to pull out your book and read it to him. And the visuals were amazing too. My son is excited about Heaven…knowing his grandfather, who was a believer, is there and that he will see him again one day. My 10-year-old daughter has also taken great comfort from your book. There is no fear for them.” —JG
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As I look into the months and years ahead, I wonder…Will things get better? Will we get back to whatever normal is? What will the future hold for my granddaughters, one of whom dreams of being an architect, one who dreams of being an international lawyer, and one who wants to be a superb hairstylist, make-up artist, and mom? Because you and I have no idea what the future holds, the best thing we can do for our children and our grandchildren is to teach them about the One who holds the future!
Often I am asked how my parents taught me and influenced my faith. It’s difficult to single out one or two things because everything they did, and all that they were, impacted me. Looking back, I remember my mother gathering almost everyone who was in the house for morning devotions. She would read a portion of Scripture, pray, then we were sent out into our day. I never enjoyed these times because they seemed to add to the pressure of trying to collect my books and papers, while getting my hair to look just right before dashing out the door to school. I always seemed short of time. BUT she taught me by her example the importance of daily Bible reading and prayer, preferably in the morning.
My father, on the other hand, was almost never with us at our early breakfast or when we rushed out the door in the morning. He led devotions at night. I loved it when he did because he would read a portion of Scripture, then would stop and ask questions. We would discuss it. He taught me by his example to not only read my Bible, but to think about what I was reading.
The example of both my parents has stayed with me all my life. To this day, I read my Bible and pray every morning, making the time to meditate on and think about what I am reading.
I am forever grateful for parents and grandparents who taught me about anchoring my faith in God’s Word by their words and also by their example. As a result, when I was a young girl I placed my faith in God’s Word that told me I was a sinner– that God’s Son had come to be my Savior—that through faith in Him I could be forgiven–receive eternal life—be born again into His family. My faith remains firmly fixed today in a world that is spiraling down at warp speed. I know that I am eternally secure whatever unfolds, whether cancer, death, COVID, war, sky-rocketing inflation, cancel culture, racial tension…and the list goes on. It’s this blessed assurance I’m safe forever that I want my granddaughters to have for themselves.
Understanding that there are many of you who did not have parents or grandparents who were strong in faith, my daughter, Rachel-Ruth, and I want to share with you some of the lessons we learned within our home. I’m also aware that you yourself may be a parent who feels you have failed in this regard. Our sincere prayer is that Jesus Followers: Real Life Lessons to Ignite Faith in the Next Generation, will be a resource for you as well as a source of rich blessing.
If you and I do not pass truth that leads to faith to the next generation, who will? Will sincere, authentic, vibrant faith die out in our generation? The answer is up to you and me. So plant your faith in the Word of God, then pass it on.
For His Glory,
*How many times does it say that those listed were commended by God, and why were they? Give phrases with verse numbers.
*Why do you think Abel was singled out for commendation? Compare Hebrews 11:4 with
Genesis 4:1-8 and Hebrews 9:22.
To celebrate my son-in-law, Steven Wright’s, incredibly successful season as head football coach, we shared a great meal together before I caught my granddaughters in the parking garage for a quick picture. Even though being a teenager today includes many challenges, each one has chosen to be a Jesus Follower, for which I praise God. L. to R. Bell, Sophia, and Riggin.
From the time he was the quarterback for the University of North Carolina football team until today when he holds the position of quarterback coach for the Tampa Bay Bucs (which includes being Tom Brady’s coach), Clyde Christiensen has been in our home and a beloved part of our extended family. God has used him to be a Jesus Follower role model for my children and grandchildren. (L. to R. my granddaughter Sophia, Rachel-Ruth, Morrow, Clyde, and I at the FCA Coaches Conference in Black Mountain, NC that Clyde helps lead every summer)
Joel Rosenberg is a best-selling author, publisher of All Israel News, and beloved friend. He invited me to give the keynote address at the Joshua Fund Gathering at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. One aspect of Joel’s unique calling is to develop Jesus Followers of Jews first, and then Gentiles – Romans 1:16. I also had the joy of meeting with his wife, Lynn (top center), her mother (seated next to me), and the rest of her family who are all Jesus Followers.
Rachel-Ruth finished recording the audio version of our book, Jesus Followers, in three days! She praised God for His faithfulness….“I had bronchitis and didn’t even have a voice the day before I began reading. But the Lord miraculously gave me a voice strong enough to record the entire book! Rereading the book has me even more excited and thankful to God for how He led me to write each story! I had to stop reading several times because at times I got so teary! I pray that as you either read or listen to this book, God will use it in your life as a helpful resource that encourages you to pass on that legacy of faith to your kids and grandkids!!”
Dr. John Ankerberg’s television show is seen in all 50 states, plus 200 countries. It was my privilege to video tape multiple shows with him back in the Spring for Jesus in Me. He has invited me to return, this time with Rachel-Ruth, in order to tape shows for Jesus Followers. What a special privilege to do this together as mother and daughter. I am looking forward to the blessing I know it will be for us.
In order to instill truth that leads to genuine faith, parents and grandparents must be intentional. Using the metaphor of a relay race, Anne and Rachel-Ruth demonstrate how the baton of faith is passed from generation to generation through our witness, our worship, our walk, and our work. Within the framework of Anne’s exploration of biblical characters from Genesis 5, Rachel-Ruth tells family stories that will encourage, inspire, and motivate Christians to follow hard after Jesus and to develop their children and grandchildren into Jesus Followers.
In the midst of these Last Days, Anne and Rachel-Ruth share about impacting our world with our ongoing legacy. What will our children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors remember about us when we are gone, either because of death or the return of Jesus? Will they remember that in these troubling days we brought Him glory because we shared the Gospel, lived an authentic life of faith, and stayed focused on Heaven? We pray that these messages will encourage you to do all you can to live in this ungodly world as one who leaves a godly legacy of the gospel, of authenticity, of faith and of hope whenever the time comes for you to leave.
Message 1 – A Legacy of the Gospel (Romans 1:1-17) AGL
Message 2 – An Authentic Legacy (Joshua 23-24; Judges 2) RR
Message 3 – A Legacy of Faith (Hebrews 11) AGL
Message 4 – A Legacy of Hope (Various) AGL / RR
Every day since she was a young girl, Anne has been reading Daily Light, the life-changing devotional of Scripture compilations given to her by her mother, Ruth Bell Graham. Published originally in 1794 by Samuel Bagster, this revised leather-bound edition of the revered classic, complete with gold-edged pages in the New King James Version, includes an introduction by Anne as well as a selection of more than 50 topical Bible readings that she compiled exclusively for this edition.
Anne’s daughter, Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright, is leading an online women’s Bible study. You can join her live or review the recorded study on our website (click here to visit). Here is a personal note from Rachel-Ruth:
If there was ever a time to be in God’s Word it is now!! We are studying the second half of Genesis this year. I love the Old Testament! The Lord led me to go back to the beginning . . . where human history began. It’s been so encouraging to study the stories of His amazing grace, love, and faithfulness to not only Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but also to others on the periphery. We all need a word from the Lord. We are hungry to hear from Him.
Since we are online, God has given this Bible study wings to reach people all over our country and the world, including Russia, Lebanon, Germany, Belgium and Australia. Register in order to join us live on Tuesdays, at 12:15 ET, or in order to watch the recorded sessions on demand. God is speaking and we are learning to listen!
This study will meet through mid-November and then start up again in January 2022.
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