Focused, Fearless, Faithful
Dr. Pegi Flynt, Superintendent of Education
Our theme for 2023-2024 year is Focused, Fearless, Faithful. As Mr. Pacer and I talked about the intended meaning of the theme we saw focused as keeping our eyes on our Rock and our Salvation, Jesus Christ. He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). I grew up singing the lyrics to the song “Jesus is the answer (For the world today)” which reminds me that “Above Him, there's no other Jesus is the way” and it is through His blood that I am are cleansed.
Hebrews 2:1 tells us that “we must pay more careful attention, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” What an important verse for those of us who live inside this digital-media age, age of mass media and endless social media, the age of addictive video games, blockbuster movies, and viral television shows, all trying to grab our attention. God created us to rivet our focus, our attention, on Him. Rivet your gaze on the glory of Jesus Christ. Fix your eyes on Jesus. He is our hope.
There’s another beautiful image later in Hebrews 6:19 which states, “We have an anchor in heaven.” What beautiful imagery. An anchor literally keeps us from going adrift. The book of Acts chapter 27 tells the account of Apostle Paul as a prisoner, under the supervision of a centurion named Julius, who chartered a ship and captain to take the prisoners to Italy. There were many delays on the journey. The winds were against them and sailing was treacherous because winter was approaching. Paul warned them that to continue the voyage would “bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” But instead of listening Julius took the advice of the captain and they ventured on hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. Verse 14 tells us that the ship was soon caught in hurricane force winds that shook the very timbers the ship was made of, so much so that the crew lashed ropes under the ship in an attempt to hold it together.
They took such a violent battering from the storm that they began to throw the cargo overboard. The storm raged for days and the 276 men on board gave up all hope of being saved. After two weeks of the ship being battered, Paul stood before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”
As they approached land the men feared they would be dashed against the rocks, so they dropped four anchors and prayed for daylight. Some of the men wanted to jump ship thinking the lifeboat would be safer, but Paul admonished, “Unless you stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.
The next morning the ship hit rocks and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. It was time to swim for shore. The centurion ordered those who could swim well to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there by floating on pieces of the ship and everyone reached land safely.
Just as God had promised, not a single life was lost.
In life too, we can find ourselves in despair–confronted with threatening, grave situations. Those on Paul’s battered ship put out four anchors to help survive the storm. Think of those four anchors as guidelines for living in our own troubled time.
The first anchor is God’s Word, the Bible, a chart, or nautical map, for navigating the sea of life. The second anchor is faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says that faith in Christ is an anchor of the soul that is sure and steadfast (Hebrews 6:18-19). When we turn the helm over to Christ and let Him give us guidance and direction we can rest peacefully–knowing that He will see us through the dark night. The third powerful anchor is prayer. God wants us to abide in Him through our prayer life. Praying and listening to the answers God gives us can help us better understand our purpose in life and the daily directions we should follow. Finally, there is the anchor of providence. Sometimes God allows the winds to blow so we realize our need of Him.
In closing, I am reminded of another song from my youth: “In Times Like These”. In times like these you need a Savior, In times like these you need an anchor; Be very sure, be very sure, Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! This Rock is Jesus, Yes He's the One, This Rock is Jesus, the only One; Be very sure, be very sure, Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life? When the clouds unfold their wings of strife? When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain, will your anchor drift or firm remain? We have an anchor that keeps the soul, steadfast and sure while the billows roll, fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.
Be very sure, be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!