Today I’d like to highlight evidence for the existence of God that we all experience every day: the argument by design.  

We live and work in buildings that were designed (and built) for a purpose, and we use machines every day as well that were designed (and built) for a purpose.  

Houses, computers and cars didn’t just randomly form out of naturally occurring materials. We immediately know that architects and factories are responsible for designing and building these things we use every day. Design points to a designer. 

Such is the case with nature. The more we learn about the world in which we live, the more amazed we should be about how intricately it is made.

The Teleological Argument for the existence of God argues that the intricacies of our world point to the existence of a God who created it. 

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. -Psalm 19:1

Below is a short, 6-minute YouTube video from William Lane Craig’s ministry on The Fine Tuning Argument (which is a modern variant of the teleological argument) if you want to take a look.

Because Jesus satisfies the mind and the heart.
-Pastor Steve York

Compassion. Hope. Help. This has been our theme for the last 12 months as we launched our medical clinic in June 2021.

COMPASSION: The Latin word compati means to suffer with. That is what we do. We feel what our clients are feeling and ‘suffer’ along with them.

​HOPE: “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” “For I know
the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil,
to give you a future and a hope. These words ring true every time we help encourage a
young woman that she can do this. We offer hope and help in Christ. The best hope
anyone can receive.

This is who we are, and how we serve the women, men and families that come to PCS. We have had the blessing of being able to show ‘life in the womb’ to so many since attaining our medical license. Many have chosen life due to seeing the little heart beating, the hands, fingers, and toes of their little one, alive and well growing in God’s grace, mercy, and love.
We had a young woman come in, afraid of the unknown that comes along with an unplanned pregnancy. I met with her, caringly showing her how we could support her if she chooses to keep her child. Then during the ultrasound appointment, Peggy was able to show her the little heart beating inside...at only 6 weeks. The “window to the womb.” There was a silence in the room. No words needed to be spoken...just the little flicker of the heart beating 158 beats per minute. Growing. Thriving. Being divinely knit within her womb.

After discussing her options, speaking with her about her options. With a heavy heart, she and her support person left. Weeks went by. Then prompted by the Holy spirit, I knew I had to reach out to her. She answered and when I told her who was calling, I knew the moment she started to speak...she was choosing life for her baby. She said she had decided to keep the baby and was so grateful for what we were able to show her. Her journey will not be easy, but she knows we are here to help her along, giving a lifeline when needed most.
How can you help:

• Become a financial partner by logging onto pregnancycounselingservices.org/supporters
• Join our Walk for Life and start fundraising for a great cause – information can be found on the link above.
• Become a liaison at your church promoting PCS, our events and needs.

The Cosmological Argument (The Philosophical Version)
One of my favorite arguments for the existence of God is the Cosmological Argument:

1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause.
2. The universe began to exist.
3. Therefore the universe has a cause.

Awhile back I posted about the scientific version of this argument; this is the philosophical version. The philosophical version of this argument gives evidence for premise #2 by arguing philosophically that the universe began to exist.

The argument is summed up well in William Lane Craig’s video (see below if you’d like to watch it - it is only just over 6 minutes long):

“If the universe did not have a beginning, then the number of past events in the history of the universe is infinite... But that’s a problem because the existence of an actually infinite number of past events leads to absurdity - it is a metaphysical impossibility.” -William Lane Craig

The philosophical evidence is that the universe (space, time, and matter) is not eternal in the past; it has a beginning.  The cause of the universe must therefore be outside of the material universe; it must be spaceless, timeless, immaterial, and extremely powerful. Again, sounds like the God of the Bible?

Believing in the existence of the God of the Bible is therefore a reasonable belief. In fact, I am convinced that the evidence is overwhelming such that to disbelieve in God is intellectually unreasonable. Both the scientific and the philosophical evidence are in agreement.

"Modern science is based on the principle: Give us one free miracle and we'll explain the rest... And the one free miracle is the appearance of all the matter and energy in the universe and the laws that govern it for nothing in an instant." - Terence Mckenna

Lastly, below is a short, 6-minute YouTube video from William Lane Craig’s ministry on The Cosmological Argument (the Philosophical version) if you want to take a look.

Because Jesus satisfies the mind and the heart.
-Pastor Steve York

​When I was asked to write a Wisdom Spotlight for the blog I decided to take it literally and write about wisdom. 

Wisdom is not something we naturally have. We’re not born with it and we can’t acquire it from the world. True wisdom comes from God. The Bible says,
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 9:10
 
That’s where wisdom starts- with God.

There’s a lot of knowledge in the world; endless information, facts, figures, and statistics, but that’s different than God’s wisdom. 

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.” 1 Corinthians 3:19

Knowing information does not produce wisdom, knowing God does. It begins there, and there is where it grows, in time spent with Him, in His word and in prayer.

If we lack this kind of wisdom, we can ask God for it.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, 
who gives generously to all without finding fault, 
and it will be given to you.” James 1:5

God desires for those who know Him to have wisdom and He is eager for us to ask for it and believe we will receive it.

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, 
because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, 
blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6

How can you tell the difference between God’s wisdom and the world’s? James 3:17 tells us,

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; 
then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, 
full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

I don’t know about you, but I need all the wisdom I can get. Wisdom helps us maneuver through a turbulent world and whatever may be going on in our lives each day. Isn’t it comforting to know all we have to do is ask God for it and then take Him at His word?

In His Grace and Truth- Charlotte

Fellowship sounds like a “churchy” word, doesn’t it? But it’s biblical and essential to living as Jesus followers— with God and “fellow” believers. From the beginning God intended humans to commune with him and each other (Genesis 1-3). 

Last month I had the opportunity to celebrate fellowship with our association of churches, Transformation Ministries (tmchurches.org). The event was an annual 2-day celebration. This year was extra sweet because though I serve on TM’s Board of Directors, I connected with people I hadn’t seen since prior to Covid.

A personal blessing came the final hour of the event. During a time of worship, there was opportunity for people to receive individual prayer. I was one of the pastors praying for those who came forward. This is the thing about praying together—  the one who prays is often just as blessed, if not more so, than the one who is prayed for. 

There is a 3-way connection in those moments… a unity in fellowship formed: between God, the pray-er and the pray-ee. And guess who shows up in his all powerful glory? Yep! God’s Spirit flows over the moment. 

And blessings linger. Because his presence does (Acts 1:8). Through tears and smiles, we experience the unity of the Spirit through God’s amazing love (John 17:23, Ephesians 4:3)! 

Prayer brings us closer to each other and Heaven’s door because it’s where our spirits come alive with his. It’s why many get emotional during prayer. We encounter Jesus… and he changes us.

So when you have the opportunity to be prayed for, or perhaps you’re moved to pray for another… remember, prayer unites people. The Holy Spirit is ready to rain down blessings upon you and through you. 
​
Will you take that step? Heaven will celebrate with us!

To talk/pray: [email protected] 

I cannot believe that God would use my life to reach the lives of people an ocean away, but I should know by now that God loves to surprise me! My brother Jesse and I have been asked to go with a team of four others to Senegal, Africa to reach the souls of college students for Jesus Christ. We will be overseas for six weeks this summer, taking language classes at a college campus and working to build lasting relationships with the students we encounter.Our goal is to share the gospel with students and connect them with full time workers that live in Senegal so that they can continue to grow after we leave in July. I cannot help but praise God that Jesse and I are able to work together for the sake of the gospel; I also cannot help but praise God for the church that has loved us since we were little! When you pray, God works. I trust that God will be with us, working through us to reach these students and share the good news of Jesus Christ. Please be praying for us and the rest of our team for safe travels, boldness in building relationships, and for God to be working in the hearts of the students we encounter. I am excited to see God continue to grow the faith of my team!
With much love, Amy Blair

​I was looking through my book of quotes and this one got my attention.  I believe The Bible would refer to “sacred idleness” as the Sabbath. But what exactly is Sabbath?
My husband John and I were debating this one night.  Are picking up a few things at the grocery store or Home Depot while we’re in town after church considered Sabbath?  I was perturbed so I prayed about it.  What should our rest look like?  The next morning in my devotional, I read this from Rabbi Abraham Heschel:

I don’t know if God is concerned about groceries and household project shopping, just like Jesus told the man he healed to “carry his mat”, but I have a feeling that He wants my Sabbaths to include “sacred idleness” that “cares for the seeds of eternity planted in my soul”.
Your Fellow Sojourner,
Christina

May this day bring sabbath rest to my heart and my home.
May God’s image in me be restored, and my imagination in God be re-storied.
May the gravity of material things be lightened, and the relativity of time slow down.
May I know grace to embrace my own finite smallness in the arms of God’s infinite greatness. 
May God’s Word feed me and His Spirit lead me into the week and into the life to come.
Peter Greig, A Sabbath Prayer

In my years of walking with people and hearing about their journey with Jesus I have heard some incredible stories. Two in particular stand out. Kenton told the story of being abducted and attacked. He was being held by two men and a third was beating him with a tire iron and then stabbed him in the neck. He cried out "Jesus of Nazareth, save me!" The men released him and fled. Though bleeding profusely and he should have been knocked unconscious he was able to make it to a nearby home where help was called and he was saved.

Jennifer told me the story of when she was a younger woman being assaulted by a man in his car. She cried out to Jesus and suddenly the man was flung to the other side of the car. She was saved from the assault.

They are extraordinarily dramatic stories where the name of Jesus was called upon and his presence was undeniable. There are many others I have heard as well from the mission fields around the world of people in dire straits experiencing the presence and power of God, even if they were not yet followers of Jesus. It always leaves me amazed.

I try to remember to end my prayers with the name of Jesus. I don't think it is a magic formula that is a requirement for God to hear and act. I don't believe if someone forgets to pray, "...in the name of Jesus. Amen." that God will neglect the prayer. God is bigger than us getting our formulas right so we can manipulate the Almighty to get what we want in the way we want.

When we know someone's name, we begin to understand the essence of their being. Some parents don't choose their child's name until after they are born and they have a chance to experience who they are and what they are like so they can choose a name that reflects their personality. When it comes to God, his name is hugely important. When Moses asked God who should he say is sending him to the Egyptians, God revealed his name as YAHWEH. His name in essence means "I am who I am." There are numerous other names for God that show his actions, like Jehovah Jireh - the God who provides.

Here's an exercise for you the next time you pray. Pray in the name of God using the character quality of God you most need. If you are stressed out and overwhelmed, pray for that and then say this: "I pray this in the name of the God of Peace." If you are up against a challenge where you are being treated unfairly, end your prayer by saying, "I pray this in the name of the God of Justice." What do you need in your life? What is the character of God he has revealed to meet that need? That is God's name to pray.

When we pray in the name of the character of God, we invoke the whole essence of God. It is not a reminder to God of who he is, it is a reminder to us of who he is.

Peace and Grace,
David

​I grew up in a Christian family, attending church regularly and involved in the youth group. After finishing high school, one of the college students in the church invited me to work at a camp for the summer.  It was at that camp that I realized that happiness was possible. As I was reading the book of Mark for my morning devotions (this was my first experience of reading the Bible on my own regularly), I came across Mark 8:35.

It took me awhile to figure out what Jesus was saying. But finally I got it. Jesus was telling me that if I put my trust in him, surrendering my life to his Lordship, then, and only then, could I experience true happiness. 

Now I’ve been a Christian for 32 years, and I am more convinced than ever that real, abundant life is only found in surrendering my life to Jesus and his agenda.  The challenge, of course, is to live this out day after day.  

Lord, I want my life to be one long prayer of putting your agenda first.
-Pastor Steve York 

Celebrate Growth!
growth
noun
the act or process, or a manner of growing; development; gradual increase.
size or stage of development
completed development.
development from a simpler to a more complex stage:
development from another but related form or stage
something that has grown or developed by or as if by a natural or Spiritual process: 
origin; source; production: 
​
adjective
of or denoting a business, industry, or equity security that grows or is expected to grow in value over a long period of time: adjective.
of or denoting a business, industry, or equity security that grows or is expected to grow in value over a long period of time:

If you are growing, your organization, your ministry, your circle of influence is growing because each one of you contributes to the whole organization, the whole ministry, the community.

The “Big Mo,” momentum, is an individual’s and organization’s best friend. Depending on which way it’s heading, it either puts the wind at your back…or in your face. And it follows that age-old-rule that an object in motion tends to stay in motion, unless specific actions are taken to change its direction.  If your organization or you have momentum, then you need to intentionally put “the pedal to the metal” and continue to ride on that momentum.  If an organization or you as an individual are not moving forward, the organization or individual is most likely going backwards.

​verb (used with object), cel·e·brat·ed, cel·e·brat·ing.
to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities:
to make known publicly; proclaim
to praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice, as through newspapers or novels
to perform with appropriate rites and ceremonies 

verb (used without object), cel·e·brat·ed, cel·e·brat·ing.
to observe a day or commemorate an event with ceremonies or festivities.

My six-year-old daughter is small in stature but makes up for it in confidence and competitive juices.  There is no greater time of celebration around the Cole household than when we stand Maci next to the door jam and measure how much she has grown in the last three months .  She loves to grow, she loves the results of growth, but mostly she loves the childlike excitement Dad and Mom express about how much she has grown.  There is a little kid in each of our leadership development journeys that loves the significance of progress.  If you don’t celebrate your growth or drive excitement around your team’s growth, you are missing a key element to its sustainability.