Happy Friday! You’ll probably notice the sweetness of God’s grace bursting through some difficult times in our midst. We hope you’re encouraged as Christ’s promises prove true, and we pray for grace to trust him more!

In today’s edition:

• David looks back on the profound impact of his ministry mentor

• Mali’s persecution of Christians rises

• Enduring suffering so that others may know the Christ

🤲🏼 Faithful to the End… or the Beginning.

I am writing this as I travel to North Carolina for a funeral. Jim Shaddix, my father in ministry and one of the most faithful followers of Jesus and preachers of God’s Word I’ve ever known or heard, went to be with the Lord on February 1, 2025, after a yearlong battle with brain cancer.

Nearly 25 years ago, I was considering where to go to seminary. I’d read Jim’s book on preaching, and dreamed about studying under him. My wife says that when I met Jim and he invited me to work for him, I was drooling. 

Years later, when my dad died unexpectedly from a heart attack, my wife immediately called Jim. He was the first person to walk through the doors of my house that night. He held me, hugged me, and cried with me. Then he drove Heather and me through the night from New Orleans to Atlanta so I could sleep before being with my family.

As you can imagine, these days have been filled with many tears and sorrowful rejoicing. I could share a lot about Jim (and you can read more here if you’d like), but the reason I wanted to write this is simply to encourage you. 

This road of life in this fallen world is not easy. It can be a grind in so many ways and on so many levels. But as I stood beside Jim's hospice bed, not long before he would go to be with the Lord, and when he could barely speak, I asked him what was on his heart. He responded with two words.

He said, “Fullness.” Then he said, “Completion.”

These were the words of a man who knew where the life of Jesus leads. 

And in that moment, I was reminded that it’s all worth it. All the labor, all the toil, and all the perseverance through valleys and mountaintops, through sorrows and joys—to pursue Jesus in the middle of it all and to point others to him every step of the way is totally worth it.

Because he is worth it. 

Because Jesus is the one who is actually pursuing us through it all, including the valleys and the mountaintops and the sorrows and the joys. He is ultimately bringing us to himself, to the eternal reward that is found in and with him, and is far beyond anything we can fathom in this world.

So brothers and sisters, let’s follow him faithfully all the way to the end. 

Let’s encourage each other to hold onto the faith and fight the good fight. Let’s run this race with purpose, all the way to the end, until we each see his face, and join together with all those who’ve gone before us to enjoy and exalt the one who is worth it forever.

🇲🇱 Persecution rises. And we pray God’s people will too.

The Details: In 2012, an Islamic extremist insurgency devastated northern Mali. The result: Churches were burned, Christians fled and lost their homes, believers endured violence, and jihadists abducted missionaries. Today, Mali is still a majority Islamic nation, and persecution remains, with a continuing rise of Islamic militancy in Mali.

The Takeaways: In a country where Christians face religious persecution, pray that God would send, sustain, and strengthen believers and missionaries in Mali. Pray believers may have opportunities to share the gospel with Muslims, and that God would open the hearts of many Muslims to follow Christ.

✝️ What would you endure for the gospel?

I live in Alabama—also known as “the Bible Belt.” There are countless roads with more than just a handful of churches. Chances are you’re going to run into a Christian while you’re out and about, and, most of the time, it’s acceptable to talk about your faith. But that’s not the case in a lot of places around the world. 

Recently, I read Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where It’s Not Safe to Believe by Tom Doyle. The book tells true stories of Christians in the Middle East who stayed firm in the faith, boldly declaring Jesus Christ as their Savior despite the persecution that would follow. Persecution like torture, being exiled, and death—even at the hands of their family members and friends. Oftentimes, faith in Jesus is equivalent to a death sentence.

The New Testament is filled with reminders that we will suffer for the faith and that this suffering is worth it.

Yet how often are we willing to step into the uncomfortable, the suffering, and the pain, all for the sake of the gospel?

Many reading this right now may not live in places where there is religious persecution, but I bet a lot of us don’t want to step on any toes when it comes to sharing the gospel with non-believers. But our brothers and sisters in persecuted areas of the world remind us that Jesus is worth it. And enduring suffering so that others may know the salvation found in Christ alone is worth it.

As we seek to live this out, consider missionary Elisabeth Elliot’s words: “I’ve come to see that it’s through the deepest suffering that God has taught me the deepest lessons. And if we’ll trust Him for it, we can come through to the unshakable assurance that he’s in charge. He has a loving purpose. And he can transform something terrible into something wonderful. Suffering is never for nothing.”

—Selah Lipsey

🇨🇦 Peaceful and beautiful—and in desperate need too.

Canada often doesn’t make a lot of international headlines, though lately, you may have noticed it popping up in the news more frequently. 

And while many people may think of Canada as a peaceful and beautiful land, it’s also a country that desperately needs Jesus. In a hyper-progressive, secular nation, many Canadians are atheists or agnostics and often look at Christianity as dangerous, oppressive, judgmental, and irrelevant. As Canada becomes more and more secular, the government is even pursuing plans to allow assisted suicide for those with mental illness. 

How to Pray: With such little gospel and church presence, we can pray for missionaries to be sent, for disciples to be made and for churches to be planted. We can also pray that Canadians would come to know and place their faith in the truth and hope of the gospel. In a country where religion is looked down upon, we can pray that Canadian believers may have boldness and opportunities for gospel conversation as they share Christ with their neighbors.

📍 Attention Worthy

• Calling All Christians: You don’t have to wait for a “missionary call” to participate in the church’s mission of making disciples of all nations. Every member has a part to play, even in the everyday responsibilities and routines of life.

• Pastors are not sinless super-Christians who never get discouraged. They are mere mortals with demanding responsibilities who, like you, need encouragement. Here are 5 ways to encourage your pastor. 

• Join us for Secret Church 25 on April 11th! David Platt will take us on a step-by-step journey through the life of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, and we’ll support the church in hard-to-reach places for 6 hours straight. Get the best available rates through February 25.

THIS WEEK’S COLLABORATORS:

Selah Lipsey, Steven Morales, Jairo Namnún, David Platt, Camille Suazo

MAKE YOUR LIFE COUNT!