Some shots from our last Lord’s Gym Ministries Panther Soccer after school program in Price Hill. Thank you Chris McNutt and Olivia Perkins for creating an awesome experience for the youth. Help support our Summer Youth Activities at www.LordsGymMinistries.org. Stay tuned for further developments as our Family Activity Center nears an 8 month renovation process. We will need more volunteers for sure.

When I read the gospels I see over and over that Jesus would see a need then be moved with compassion and do something about it. Jesus saw the sick and being moved with compassion, He healed them. Jesus saw the blind and being moved with compassion, He gave sight to the blind. Jesus saw the hungry and being moved with compassion, He fed them.

Jesus is still at work in the body of Christ and when we set our differences/denominations aside to come together we can see the “signs and wonders” that follow those who believe. I appreciate the partnership with churches like Parkside Christian Church, All Church, Madison Place Community Church just to name a few who understand faith without works is DEAD so they put their faith into action by serving the Price Hill community.

We believe that as we’re moved with compassion Jesus will continue to show up through us and we’ll see His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We’ll see the lost being found, hearts being healed, hope being restored, souls being saved and delivered. “JESUS will SHOW UP and SHOW OUT” as we remain steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord!

As Kelly mentions, there will be challenges on the Resiliency Ride, but that’s what resiliency is all about. And challenges build character…

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12

It’s often said a person’s true character is revealed in the face of adversity. Their attitude toward the trial and their response, or how they handle it, reveals who they truly are. Strong character and resilience are closely intertwined. Those who possess both know how to deal with adversity and maintain a positive disposition. They don’t complain. They don’t give up. They push. They succeed.

As we learned in our first devotion, Resiliency is defined as the ability to cope with whatever life throws at you. When knocked down and out by challenges, those resilient return stronger and more steadfast than ever. Their character – the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual – is the key to their strength.

Paul’s approach to preaching the gospel is one of many examples of resiliency in the Bible. After his life-altering encounter with Jesus in Acts 9, the popular Jewish religious leader became a radical Christian to the disenchantment of many. Unhappy with his message, his enemies beat, stoned, criticized, jailed and nearly killed him several times.

One great example of his resiliency is when he was in Lystra, in Asia Minor, he was stoned, dragged out of the city, and left for dead. Once his enemies disbanded, Paul simply got up and returned to the city. His work to tell others about Jesus continued unabated. Godly resilience produces character that enables us to be undeterred, regardless of the opposition. Paul wrote in Romans 5:4: “endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” 

Another who demonstrated great character in his resiliency is Job. Job lost everything – his wealth, health and even his family. Job experienced great agony deep within in his body and soul. Yet, he refused to turn His back on God or give up. Despite his relentless suffering, he knew that God was in control. This allowed Job to endure. His endurance produced character and his character hope. He held tight to his faith. In the end, his faith was met with great reward.

Our character will influence our resilience and our resilience will influence our character. Work your character and resilience to your advantage. Be positive. Approach adversity head on. Don’t complain. Don’t give up. Push.

To learn more about the Resiliency Ride and how you can take part in the journey, visit www.YRAdventure.com.

For more information, please email mreinert@lordsgymministries.org. 

Last week marked 21 years with the Foundation of Compassionate American Samaritans (FOCAS) that operates the Lord’s Gym Ministries in the Greater Cincinnati Tri-State Area.

At age 44, (one week before the Cincinnati riots) I did not realize at the time that God was calling me out of the corporate world to spend the rest of my life serving in a full-time ministerial role with FOCAS. At the time we were blessed to serve in Haiti and Over-the-Rhine with incredible people.

After 2016, FOCAS has been 100 percent focused (no pun intended) on serving the Greater Cincinnati Area through Lord’s Gym Ministries (www.LordsGymMinistries.org). God has dropped our board, staff, and volunteers right out of heaven to serve alongside a wonderful community of people throughout the tri-state. Our staff serve with years of seasoning that God is collectively using to do a good work. We as the body of Christ must work together for His glory. It’s pretty humbling.

I am including some images from over the years. God has still called me stay right where I am. Betsy and I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about partnering together in some capacity as we continue in our current role. Please pray about it and message me accordingly at sbowers@lordsgymministries.org or call me at 513-621-5300. I am also happy to come speak at your church. Blessings and stand firm.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

Resiliency is defined as the ability to cope with whatever life throws at you. When knocked down and out by challenges, those resilient return stronger and more steadfast than ever.

So how exactly do you do that?

One key is the ability to hope when life throws the hard punches.

When circumstances are difficult and beyond our control, it’s easy to lose hope and optimism. That’s why it’s so important that we prep ourselves. So how exactly do we prepare? We cultivate hope.

We do this by growing our faith. Hebrews 11:1, says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This famed portion of Hebrews is often referred to as the faith chapter, as the apostle Paul goes on to share stories about the life and faith of several Old Testament greats.

One of those is Moses. Moses’ life started off quite complicated. He was born in a time when his people, the Hebrews were enslaved by the Egyptians. They were poor, they had no possessions of their own, no rights and endured hard labor and cruel treatment. To make matters worse, the pharaoh at the time of Moses’ birth ruled that all Hebrew children under the age 2 be killed. Moses’ mother took a step of faith, saving his life by hiding him. Eventually she placed him in a basket and sent him down the river as his sister secretly kept a watchful eye. He floated to safety – the arms of Pharaoh’s daughter.

Complications continued for Moses despite a life of luxury in the pharaoh’s palace. He was always torn between two worlds. Moses would eventually choose the narrow path and follow God’s calling.

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” Hebrews 11:24-26.

Moses answered God’s call to lead the Hebrews out of slavery. He had to face a hard-hearted ruthless pharaoh. Moses had many challenges leading God’s often stubborn and ungrateful people. The punches thrown at Moses were gut-pounding to say the least.

Through all this Moses remained steadfast. He kept His faith in God. He regularly communed with the Lord and built a strong relationship with Him. This increased His faith. This increased his hope. Moses saw a brighter future for his people and himself. He saw a future of freedom, productivity, and a deep closeness to God. He had hope for a better life. He cultivated that hope with faith in God.

As we face challenges and desire to be resilient, we can look to Moses’ example. Let us abound in hope!

“I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.” Genesis 12:2 NLT

This promise of God to Abraham gets at the heart of God and how He wants His people to live in this fallen world. As Christians, we are blessed by the grace and mercy of God in Jesus Christ to be a blessing to others. The blessing of others manifests itself in so many ways. One example is financial generosity. We are blessed at the Lord’s Gym tremendously by the generosity of our donors. Our donors make it possible for these kids to make friendships, learn how to be a good teammate, accomplish goals, learn the Lord’s Prayer and discover the love of Jesus.

Sometimes we as believers are unaware of the extent of the impact our blessing has on the lives of others. When we walk by faith in sacrificial giving, trusting God with the results, He does amazing things that we may not see or consider. The special opportunity to write thank you letters with the kids in our youth program gave me new insight into this. With Tauren Wells music playing in the background, these kids reached into their hearts and loaded the cards with sweet words and thanksgivings.

The kids started by writing the first names of the donors. We made changes to use titles of respect before the donors’ names. The kids also learned how to begin and end a letter with proper punctuation. The same financial blessing that enabled many kids to participate in our programming led to an opportunity for our children to learn how to write a thank you letter, filled with love, to an adult whom they have never met before. God is so creative with how He can multiply blessings. May we all re-commit ourselves to walk with this perspective, eager to bless others with anticipation that the multiplication is coming- all to the glory King Jesus!