As we close out the year of 2023, we look back with gratitude and joy for all that the Lord has done in and through Shores of Grace in Recife, Brazil, Philadelphia, and in many other parts of the world. What an amazing and loving Father we have, and what a powerful God He is! Thank you, also, to those of you who gave towards our year-end giving campaign. We are so grateful for your generosity! As we begin 2024, our hearts are full of expectation and a willingness to follow close after the footsteps of Jesus in all that we do. The word that the Lord gave us for this new year is, “Anchored in hope, rooted in love.”
Hope is more a noun than it is a verb. In Christ, we do not merely “hope that things work out.” We possess hope because it is He who poured His hope into our hearts (Rom. 5:5). We have hope and this hope is anchored in the very presence of God because Jesus is both the perfect sacrifice and our high priest who went beyond the veil (Heb. 6:19-20). The hope that we have is His hope because He is the author of hope! His hope does not disappoint; it will never let you down. He will give you hope and strengthen you in moments of peace and in moments of tribulation. He does this because He loves you and he will use all things for your good if you love Him (Rom. 8:28). It is not merely that he can be loving or that he loves on occasion. He is love! He is the very source, essence, and movement of love. For those who are in Christ, we are rooted and grounded in His love (Eph. 3:16-17). His love is our firm foundation and the ultimate depth of our being and living.
We pray that this year, in sunshine days or stormy seas, you would cling to the hope of Christ, which is our anchor. That you would dig your roots even deeper into His love and that through you, many would come to know the hope and love that we possess through Jesus! This is our prayer for our ministry this year and it is our prayer for you. Happy New Year!
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