We’re sending a group of Americans to the Philippines this December — from the 12th to the 19th — to visit our orphans. Details are at Orphans.PH.

If you’re getting this newsletter, it’s because you’re part of our church family — whether you’ve been here a long time or just tuned in recently. And that means you’re invited.

We have 14 orphanages in the Philippines, home to over 600 children, and our American friends are going for three reasons:

1. Matthew 25 in action.
2. To encourage our local volunteers.
3. To see what locals can’t always see.

First 20 people to sign up get a spot. We may open more. Go to Orphans.PH  to register.

There are prayers you say out of habit. And then there are the ones that leave you changed.

Jacob knew that kind.

Because sometimes, real prayer costs you something. Not because God wants to hurt you, but because He’s working something deeper—something that changes the way you walk, the way you trust, the way you hold on.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

— James 5:16

It’s easy to think faith is about getting everything right. But God’s work doesn’t begin with our perfection—it begins with our surrender.

“Above all else, guard your heart,” Proverbs says, “for everything you do flows from it.” That’s where life begins—not in your record, your résumé, or your body’s strength, but in the quiet soil of your heart.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

— Proverbs 4:23

When Peter stood up to preach on Pentecost, he didn’t reach for clever words of his own. He reached back to a promise. Quoting the prophet Joel, he declared:

“I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams.”

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

— Acts 2:17

Unforgiveness is a strange kind of prison. The bars are invisible, the locks self-made, and yet it can keep a person bound for years.

You tell yourself you’re in control—I’ll wait for them to make it right, I’ll hold out until they apologize. But what really happens is that the anger doesn’t leave you. It eats away at your peace. It steals your joy.

"i the Son sets you free, you will bd.— John 8:36

From the very beginning, humanity has always faced a choice. In the garden, Adam and Eve were given life in abundance. But when they reached for the fruit that looked good to the eyes, they found only regret. That moment set a pattern that hasn’t changed much since.

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

— John 14:6