25 Dec Joy to the World, the Lord is come!

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All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” which means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:22-23 (NIV)

From Isaiah’s prophesy of God’s promised Son 700 years earlier (Isaiah 9:6-7) to the angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary with news of great joy (Luke 1:26-38), we can all exclaim the words of English hymn writer Isaac Watts, “Joy to the World, the Lord is come!”

As you may know and according to Wikipedia, Watts penned these words of “Joy to the World” as a hymn glorifying Christ’s triumphant (second) return at the end of the age, rather than a song of His first coming.  God calls all nations to celebrate because His faithfulness to the house of Israel has brought salvation to the world!  How appropriate at this treasured time of year to celebrate not just His miraculous birth, but to eagerly anticipate His promised second coming (Matthew 24:30-31)!

Jesus Christ: God’s ultimate gift to men and women of all nations!  “Joy to the World! The Lord is come!  Let earth receive her King!”

As we celebrate our Savior’s birth, we also rejoice in His faithfulness to us through His ministry, A Faithful Dad, that He brought about in 2009.  Without a doubt, 2016 has been our most pivotal year as God guided us to equip fathers to become faithful dads.

Please join us in remembering God’s faithfulness as He allowed us to:

  • Refocus A Faithful Dad on Friday, May 13th, 2016, five years to the day that my own dad, Smoke Zimmerman, met Jesus face to face, and we received our IRS 501(c)3 non-profit designation.
  • Launch our “Legacy” theme with our new book, A Faithful Dad’s Guide to Legacy, and its companion, A Faithful Dad’s Guide to Legacy small group DVD. By God’s grace, our book has sold hundreds of copies, and both resources are available on com.  Read the gut-wrenching, climactic chapter “Legacy carried on in my life’s most vulnerable moment” by clicking HERE, and consider giving copies to your family and friends.
  • Minister at over 200 events this past calendar year including camps and conference centers, hospitals, diners, churches, and prisons. Through it all, nearly two dozen people made first-time decisions to follow Jesus!
  • Guide four different men’s groups:
    • The Bob Evans Boys (completing its 12th year);
    • The JOLT Boyz (completing its 3rd year);
    • GracePoint Guys (in its third year); and
    • A Faithful Dad’s Guide to Legacy Tuesday evening small group. Thank you to Pastor Bob Sproul, the elders, and our church for the privilege of providing leadership to the men’s groups from GracePoint Church through which I hold my EFCA pastoral license.
  • Remember Robert Buchter, a long-time brother in Christ and Bob Evans Boys member who lost his battle to colon cancer on December 3, 2016 but was healed completely in the presence of Christ. Please continue to keep his bride, Barbara, and their two beloved kids, Penelope and Benjamin, in your prayers to Jesus for healing, protection, and peace.
  • Kicked off a high school small group called Team LION Heart. Designed by A Faithful Dad, Team LION Heart is a new course designed to help young men stay pure through studying God’s Word, memorizing Scripture, and interacting through small group accountability.  It’s amazing to see God work through these young men who seek purity at such a pivotal age (Job 31:1)!

 

In summation: what a glorious blessing from God to minister in Christ’s name!

Want to join us in equipping more men to connect through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?  Please click HERE.

On behalf of our board and serving Jesus with you,

 

Travis and Suzanne Zimmerman

Pastor, Co-Founders

traviszim
travis@afaithfuldad.org