In 2 Samuel 11, David’s rise to power and ascendancy to the throne of Israel are both marked and marred by a devastating moral failure. The chapter opens with a popular and victorious king resting in his palace, but it closes with that same king stained by sin after committing adultery with the wife of one of his loyal soldiers. In 2 Samuel 12, however, the sad saga begins to shift as God adds footnotes to a father’s failure, reminding us that failure is not final. Dr. T. D. Stubblefield believes this truth is encouraging and vital for every father who can acknowledge, “I have not been perfect. I have not always made the right decisions or choices.” Yet God has remained faithful, footnoting every failure with His grace and mercy".

In Matthew 9:35–38, Jesus is not celebrating the labor movement. Rather, He is making a sobering declaration about the scarcity and inadequacy of qualified workers in the Kingdom His presence had ushered in. The rule and reign of God were not merely imminent; they were immediate, because the Son of God was present among us. The eternal Word of God had become flesh and was dwelling with His people. Yet His mission to the downcast, the downtrodden, and the disinherited appeared imperiled by a shortage of laborers. This message examines that shortage and explores its implications for the church today.

In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 3, verses 17-18 and Chapter 4, verse 1, the Apostle Paul identifies the basis of his motivation and confidence in ministry. What was it that fanned the flames of his confidence and gave him the courage to continue even when he faced daunting and almost unsurmountable odds? He shares the secret with us in a letter to a church he founded but that was full of naysayers who criticized and condemned his ministry and questioned his credentials as an apostle of the Gospel. His explanation encourages us when we are tempted to surrender, walk away or quit.