The Tongue is a Fire

“So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell…but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” ~ James 3:5-6, 8-10 ESV

The tongue is a fire!

If we desire to be more intimate with the Lord and surrender our hearts to him, then we have to surrender everything to Him. This includes our tongue and our words. I don’t usually think about surrendering my words and tongue to God.  But it’s so important!

“Three things come not back. The spent (shot) arrow, the spoken word and the lost opportunity.”

As soon as our (my) words are out there we (I) can’t get them back again.

There is an old Puritan story of a woman who went to her pastor and he confessed that she was guilty of slander and gossip. She told the pastor that she wanted to turn from all that and be done with it, and she wanted the pastor to help in doing so. So he said to her to take chicken feathers and lay them on the doorstep of all the houses in the community.

In which she had done that she was to come back and ask him what else she needed to do. He told her to go back the next morning and gather up all the feathers and bring them back to him. She explained to him that she could not do that because the wind had blown the feathers everywhere. The pastor said exactly you might be able to turn from their sin and be forgiven but the wind has blown your words everywhere.

In which she had done that she was to come back and ask him what else she needed to do. He told her to go back the next morning and gather up all the feathers and bring them back to him. She explained to him that she could not do that because the wind had blown the feathers everywhere. The pastor said exactly you might be able to turn from their sin and be forgiven but the wind has blown your words everywhere.

I’m asking the Lord to give me a heart that desires to speak words that will ultimately glorify Him and to do good and not do harm. Have my heart Lord and my tongue.

Guest Post by Kris Allison

~  Inspired by an Alistair Bigg sermon where Kris was challenged to think biblically about the power of the tongue.

True Repentance

“Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.  And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in sight of everyone.”  ~ Acts 19:18-19 NASB

In this story in the book of Acts, we find a picture of true repentance.  These new believers fully turned to the Lord and away from the practices that previously held them in bondage.  They burned them so that they could not return to them.  They also did it in the sight of other believers for accountability and because of the joy of experiencing the true God over counterfeit sin.  They did this to completely cut ties with their former self and its practices.

How often I treat repentance as a partial turning.  I don’t take the necessary steps to cut ties with that sin.  Yes, I confess and turn for a time, but I still leave wiggle room so that I can come back and dabble in it again.  And I don’t share about it with others, but choose to deal with it on my terms and in privacy.  I do this partially because I feel as if I will be judged by those who are even close to me and partially because I want to be able to return to the sin in times of stress and coping.

In this scripture I see some principles, that if followed, would bring about much freedom in my life and in the lives of those who trust in Jesus.  First and foremost, sin and the enemy operate most effectively in darkness and secrecy.  By confessing to those who you trust and who love Jesus, you disarm the enemy.  He can no longer stand as your accuser bringing doubt and condemnation.  He loses his power!

Secondly, burn the pathways that can lead you back to participating in that sin that has so easily entangled you.  For these new believers, they created boundaries for re-entering into their lifestyles of sin by burning the very books that they would use in the practice of magic.  Creating boundaries in your life by burning sin bridges is not legalism.  It’s a healthy step that allows the Lord’s Spirit to bring the refining work of sanctification over your life.  

What do you need to bring into the light?  Who’s a safe believer that you can confess with to disarm the enemy in this area of your life?  What are your magic books and what would it look like to burn them?  These are all questions that I’m asking myself this morning.  Maybe you could do the same? 

The Purpose of Grief

The world looks different these days. It has changed how we handle, process, and grieve so many life events. For me, the new slowness of life around me has brought more attention and space for me to process grief. I am not a feeler. I tend to run towards anything that is happy and avoid the sad. But the stillness around me has left me with not much to do outside of process. 

Yesterday, 2 dear humans that were a part of my life left this world. One a family member and the other a woman who played a large part in my first 10 years in South Carolina. I felt the sad, and instinctively thought of how to get out of it. But, due to the current circumstances, there isn't much to run to.

So I sat in it and I wept. and I asked the Lord why death has to hurt so deeply. Why a season already causing confusion and a loss of control now had a grief and heaviness as well.

And in the sitting and the weeping and the hurting, I felt the sweetness of a Savior. The assurance of a Jesus who sits in the nights weeping and rejoices in the glory of the morning with us.

And I realized, maybe, just maybe, this is what grief is for. To remind us it is okay to be a human. To cry. To feel deeply. And to bring us back to the Savior, who is always near, even in seasons of confusion and heartache.

Guest Post by: Kam Kelley

That They Would Seek God

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“Having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their self habitation, that they would seek God.” ~ Acts 17:26-27

As I read this scripture this past week, I was reminded about the poem of the dash on a person’s tombstone. In it, the author writes “for it matters not how much we own, the cars, the house, the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.”

Listen to what Paul says in Acts 17 when proclaiming Christ to those in Athens. The Lord has already appointed our time here on earth and it’s just a small blip in the history of mankind. He’s even determined the boundaries of our existence. He knew before the foundation of the world when we would physically exist. He knew where we would grow up. He knew that you would be born in America, or Africa or Asia, etc.

This has huge implications, because it speaks of purpose. He could have chosen not to create me. He could have had me grow up in Europe in 400 A.D. or in the middle of the bush in Africa in the 1500s. But he didn’t, because he had purpose for me here and now. And his purpose wasn’t that I would be great or that I would make a name for myself. It wasn’t so that I would make significant contributions to this world, though I may. It was much simpler than that. His sole purpose was that I would seek Him, that I would know him and encourage others to do the same.

I think we get caught up in pursuing our own little dash, that we miss out on the fact that it’s not our dash in the first place. It’s His. It’s all about Him. Would that perspective forever define my dash? Would my dash be sold out to completely seeking Him?

~ Brent Roberts
Africa Freedom Mission

A Toast to the Stoudemayer's

A year ago tomorrow, these two, Trey Stoudemayer and Jacey Voris met in my home. They came for the weekend to be a part of training for summer leadership in Africa. Trey, a gregarious storyteller who could captivate an audience anywhere, and Jacey, a quiet and discerning young woman who just leads by example, were sure to be a match made in heaven, I just didn’t know it yet.

That weekend, Jacey was already committed to serving with us, but Trey was trying to decide on whether or not to go to Africa for the summer. As the weekend progressed, the call intensified, but he still had some tough decisions to make and needed some doors to open if if it were going to happen. As we prepared to head our separate ways, someone offered up a suggestion. Jacey told Trey that she felt the Lord leading her to fast for him and pray that God would open those doors. Long story short, He did! After a week of prayer and some conversations with his employer, Trey was given the green light to spend the summer in Kenya.

When the summer hit, and teams started arriving, I remember receiving daily calls from Trey. He would call me for advice on how to handle certain situations, ask questions about their itinerary or finances and sometimes just call to talk and catch up. Well, about halfway through the summer, our daily conversations took a turn. Trey informed me of his affections for one of the other leaders (you guessed it, Jacey!). He told me that they had not pursued anything, because they didn’t want it to distract from teams. He also told me that the feelings were mutual.

As the summer ended, so did the restrictions for pursuing a relationship. All this time, they knew that they were interested in each other, but they intentionally waited to make it official until after teams had wrapped up their summer. In that time of separation though, they formed a relationship that would turn out to be lifelong. At the end of the summer, Trey told me that they were coming home with intentions of getting engaged and eventually married.

Their first date occurred in Africa. Not many American couples can make that claim. They waited for the teams to leave and during the final few days went on a date in Nairobi. I still remember the giddiness in Trey’s voice when he called and told me about it. And after they left Kenya, Trey followed through with his word. He came home, bought a ring and proposed to that girl (just not in America)!

In September, a small group of our leaders traveled to Zimbabwe to pray and plan for Africa Freedom Mission. Jacey wanted to get engaged in a place that she loved and her love for Africa started in Zimbabwe. So, during our trip, Trey pulled her aside and asked her to be his wife.

I cannot express to you just how happy I am for this couple. I truly believe that they have all they need to be successful in marriage. They have a genuine love for Jesus, each other and come from families that have modeled Christ-centered marriages their whole lives. They are committed and disciplined. They’re not perfect, but they have a genuine desire to follow the Lord in everything. I remember a call I received recently from Trey. He said, we’ve started giving each other side hugs now because we are afraid of what any more physical contact might lead too. This is not normal for young adults these days, but it is for these two and because of it, they’ve been able save themselves for marriage, a pretty rare feat these days.

Tomorrow marks exactly one year, to the day, since this young couple met in my living room. And tomorrow marks the beginning of their lives together as Mr and Mrs Stoudemayer. So, in honor of you guys, I would like to raise a toast! To Trey and Jacey, may your lives be filled with laughter, joy, hope and love as you pursue a life with Jesus and each other. May you make such an impact for eternity by your union together that it shakes the nations. I love you both and am proud of who the Lord is maturing you to be. Many many blessings in this new season.

Love,
Brent Roberts
President & CEO
Africa Freedom Mission

I Can't Run

I run. That’s my coping mechanism. Just ask any girl that I’ve ever lived with, they’ve definitely heard me say something along the lines of “after ___ happening I need to go run.” I run when I’m stressed. I run when I’m anxious. I run when things don’t go my way. I run not only in a physical and literal sense, but I also run from things that scare me. I see my friends being bold in talking to new people, in advancing the Kingdom, in fully surrendering. But I run from those things. I feel unworthy, not good enough, that I could never do those things. So I run.

You might already know this, but in July 2019 I spent two weeks in a refugee settlement in Uganda. I tried so hard to run from not going. I truly didn’t feel equipped. The enemy attacked me every single day while on that trip - telling me I wasn’t good enough to serve. That God couldn’t use Africa as part of my testimony. That I would never be redeemed from feeling unworthy of His love and of an earthly love from those around me.

But you know what, He did it. He used 500 students to braid my hair, call me beautiful despite the mess that I was, and cover me in hugs and hand holds to redeem my heart. To set me free of feeling unworthy. So I returned home feeling fresh. I felt loved. I felt that my life had purpose - to love no matter your story and no matter your past because in that settlement, I felt the greatest love I’ll ever feel this side of heaven. 

I came home and felt at peace. I felt peace with never going back to Africa. My work there was done. Oh but God, in all is power and might, sweetly reminded me that I was not finished. One night, I sat in a circle on the floor at my friend’s house. We were having a small group, but not just any small group. The Holy Spirit was so present. We were praying bold prayers, healings were taking place, darkness was coming to light. And God whispered to me, “I’m not done yet.” 

Ask any of my prayer warrior friends and they’ll tell you that I struggled with this. Deep in my heart I knew the Lord was calling me back to Africa. But like I’m so good at doing, I ran. I refused to apply. I refused to even think about going back. Again, the enemy was telling me I had no purpose, I was unable to go again because I wasn’t enough. 

But I can no longer run. I can’t run from the fact that God isn’t finished. That there are more people to love, more villages that need the gospel, and more grace to give. I can’t run from a calling to advance the gospel, no matter how hard I try.

So I’m going back. Back to the place that made me feel alive. That gave my life purpose. Back to Africa. Yet, I can’t run from the fact that the feeling of purpose I felt in Africa also can’t be felt here in Eastern North Carolina. Because freedom and redemption live here too. Because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Because my testimony is one of redemption. I can no longer run from my story, from the goodness of God, or from the places that he is calling me to. 

In July 2020, I will be spending two weeks in Zimbabwe with Africa Freedom Mission. I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord will do big things during those two weeks. If you feel led to partner with me to make this trip possible you can visit the link below. 

Donation link: https://fcsmnstry.io/mkr/bs7QfF

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If you would like to follow more of Allie’s story you can visit: https://www.allielinkphoto.com. She’s also an excellent photographer!

Does God Still Heal?

I’ve been studying through the book of Acts lately. It’s hard not to read that book of the Bible and see a church and body of believers who ministered in word and power. You see stories of God using guys like Peter, John, Paul, Stephen, Phillip, etc to bring physical healing. All were definitely leaders, but not all were apostles. If you then step back into the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), you see Jesus healing many and him sending out others to do the same.

I’m not here writing this blog to get into an online argument with those who believe these gifts have ceased. I’m not trying to teach and spread some form of theology of healing either, but I do want to testify to something that I believe is at the heart God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I want to tell a personal story that is very real and very true, where the Lord showed up and touched someone in a very intimate way, healed them and saved them.

In the summer of 2018, I went with a small team on a mission trip to Zimbabwe. Our team stayed on a houseboat for almost 2 weeks and visited remote fishing villages along the shorelines of the Zambezi river on Lake Kariba. During the day, we would spend time in worship, prayer, teaching and just having fun together. But in the evening, we would visit different villages to teach, share the gospel, love on people and pray for the sick and oppressed. On this particular evening, we were visiting a village that our ministry partner had been to many times before.

In order to get into the village, we had to use a smaller fishing boat. The villagers knew we were coming and would line up at the shore to greet us. It was a very humbling experience seeing these dear people who have nothing, stop everything just to make us feel welcome. As we walked in, it seemed like the crowds continued to grow. We were headed to the center of the village. As we were setting up and finding places for our team to sit, I had something out of the normal occur. I started to feel pain in my right ear. It was weird though, because I immediately sensed that the pain was not my own. Our host, asked me to share for about 10 minutes. So, as I prepared and was rehearsing in my mind what I was going to say, I just couldn’t get it out of my mind that the Lord was trying to tell me something.

As I stood up to speak, I felt the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit asking me to hold off on sharing with them until I addressed this word He had given me for someone. I stood there for a minute questioning Him and questioning myself. Was this pain a revelation of someone else’s pain or was it just a silly old ear ache? I’ve learned that God will sometimes give you words or impressions for others, but will not always show you their full meaning. He wants you first to step out in faith and respond before showing you the full context of the word. This pain was a word from the Lord for someone in that village. I didn’t know who, or the extent of his or her situation, but I did understand that there was someone present who needed to be touched by God.

Before I did anything else, I quieted the crowd and told them that I believed there was someone there with a problem with their ear. When I said this and began scanning the crowd, I noticed two drunk men sitting beside one another on a stump talking. They then looked across the crowd and pointed to one of the other men in the village. I believe he was a bit embarrassed at first because he just sat there for a minute before confirming he had a problem with his ear.

As he came forward, he mumbled something in Tonga to my interpreter. He told him that his ear had been hurting and draining for several weeks. He then proceeded to remove a small cotton swab from his ear and show us. Without much hesitation, I asked him if we could pray for him right there in front of his village, to which he agreed. My interpreter, Teech and I just said a short prayer. Nothing elaborate. We just asked Jesus to touch him by His Holy Spirit and bring complete healing to his ear.

After praying, we opened our eyes and looked at him. He was smiling. He said the pain had gone away while we were praying. He was excited. But then he did something peculiar. He took the cotton swab and stuffed it back into his ear. I then asked the interpreter to ask him something for me. I asked this man to take the cotton swab back out and leave it out while I spoke. If God had healed the pain, I believed that he would stop the draining as well. So, he took it back out and went back to where he had been previously sitting.

For the next 10 minutes, I shared about God’s love for us and how He sent Jesus to die in our place as a payment for our sin. I talked about how if we respond in faith and trust Christ with our lives that He would forgive us completely, give us new life that can never be taken and restore us to relationship with him. As I finished, I closed our time by praying for the crowd. After praying, I didn’t have to track the young gentleman down, because he immediately went and grabbed Teech and then cam back to speak with me. He told me that while I was speaking, the draining in his ear had completely stopped as well. Now, the pain and the draining were gone!

The Lord had this man on His heart that day. It was a divine appointment. I could see it, Teech could see it and now, the man was beginning to see it. After he told me that he had been healed, I immediately asked him if he knew Jesus. He responded that he did not. I explained to him that Jesus loved him so much that he gave someone else a word just for him that day that brought His physical healing. I then asked him if he wanted to know Jesus and receive spiritual healing as well. He didn’t hesitate. He said “Yes, I do!”

I don’t know why God chooses to heal some immediately and for others it’s a not yet and still for others it’s not this side of seeing Jesus face-to-face. I don’t know why He chooses to heal some people who we might would think are unworthy, but chooses not to heal some of those we esteem as saints. I don’t know. But that’s ok. Like I said at the beginning, my purpose isn’t to argue some theological point on healing. It’s just to share one specific story of how the Lord used an unworthy person like me to bring healing to someone he dearly loved in the middle of a village in the remote bush of Zimbabwe. It’s also to testify to the fact that God still LOVES to miraculously heal! He still uses healing to reveal himself and he uses ordinary believers like you and me to pray for the sick that they might be healed and turn to the one who Loves them completely!

Teach Me To Walk

This is a prayer I’ve been repeating ever since I became a believer. We all know that beautiful moment when a baby learns to walk for the first time. Everyone in that moment is transfixed on the baby, but the baby is focused on the parent who has their arms wide open waiting to catch the child when they fall. That’s exactly what the Lord does to us!! “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans‬ ‭6:4‬).

We are children learning to walk in the every day. Jesus died so we could walk in fullness with him!! The word “WALK” is used 212 times in the Bible. Walking in newness isn’t natural. It has to be taught by submission to the father. We’ve lost the beauty in asking these simple question: “Jesus how do I walk with you?” He listens to you!! “He inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:2). The Lord doesn’t give you a desire to walk in holiness just so you can fall. He’s a gracious teacher. But are we willing students?

In the Hebrew “Walk” means “to live” . We must listen to his word and live by it. Knowledge without practice is dead works. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the spirit” (Galatians 5:25). I want to encourage the generation of people learning to walk (whether you’ve been a believer for 1 year or 50 years, or anywhere in between) don’t be afraid to ask the people around you questions either. We’ve all walked and we’re all learning. That’s what testimonies are, they are our walks being lived out. This is also for the unbeliever. If you’re still reading this, ask the Lord how to walk into newness of life with him. Reach out!! I don’t want you to miss out on the fullness of life that Jesus brings!! You’re not inadequate. Come as you are!!

~ Austin Panter

Thankful

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Thanksgiving is so important in our walk with the Lord. It’s how we enter His courts (Ps 104). It’s referred to as an offering to the Lord (Lev 7:15). It’s how we glorify Him (Ps 69:30). It’s a sign of God’s restoration (Isiah 51:3). It’s a participation in the blood of Christ (For 10:16). It’s the heart of a converted believer (2 For 4:15. It’s a response to the generosity of God (2 For 9:11). It’s how we avoid obscenity, foolish talk and coarse joking (Eph 5:4). It’s how we stand against anxiety (Phil 4:6). And as you can see from 1 Thessalonians, it’s even to be practiced in the midst of extreme pain.

Thanksgiving is so important! Here, at AFM, we are so, so thankful! We are thankful for:

• Our ministry partners, Mary Kate Richardson and Michael Ngumbao Yaa who are serving underprivileged children in Mombasa, Kenya by providing education to those who cannot afford it. For Bruce and Sue Douglas who sacrafice their home and family to train and mobilize local church as well as AFM leaders for Kingdom work and who minister to the community of Lions Den, Zimbabwe. For Alex Mwilambwe and Laban Mwelwa, who serve the local church in Lusaka and are pursuing a vision to build an orphanage and training facility for youth in Chongwe. And for Noah Nkugwa, who serves the community of Mukono, Uganda by providing education to many different children.

• Our staff and volunteers who give of themselves for the sake of the ministry. For Kaylee Johnson, Hannah Rogers, Carly Orcutt, Trey Stoudemayer, Jacey Voris, Mary Rippetoe, Kam Kelley, Austin Panter, Caleb Roberts, Lucas Glover, and Taylor Suggs. You guys rock!

• Our Leadership Team, for Dave Crossland, Clay Hughey, Kris Allison and Stephanie Lerohl. We’re so thankful for the wisdom and experience that they bring to this ministry as we seek to follow the Lord’s leading in Africa.

• Our trials and tribulations, because they are testing our faith, and through testing and perseverance are pushing us towards maturity and a deeper love for one another.

• And last, but not least, our teams, to big of a list to give a specific shoutout, but thank you to all of you who have already signed up this summer to serve with us in Africa. You are our thanksgiving offering to the Lord for His faithfulness!

From the bottom of our hearts, Africa Freedom Mission wishes you the happiest of thanksgivings this year 2019. We pray that you would “be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Blessings,

The AFM Team!

People of Faith

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” ~ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:8‬

The Lord is always at work to make you and I, us, a people of faith. We fall short. We mess up. We sin. But God convicts and restores. We doubt and we hunger in our souls, but our loving Lord showers us with the bounty of His grace. It is an unending grace that is fuller, deeper, richer and far greater than our sin. It never ends despite our youth transgressions. God’s grace never diminishes when we doubt and is not idle when our soul hungers for truth.

This amazing grace of God is rich and extravagant. It is gentle and tender, but oh so powerful. It is unique and incomparable because it comes from the hand of Jesus. - @kris_allison58

The Lord of the Harvest

Its time to DIG!!

Galatians 6:7 says “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”
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Did you notice how Galatians 6:7 starts it says “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. This is where the root cause of sin lies. Sometimes we are deceived, we either don’t believe the truth or we think we will somehow be the exception to Gods law.”

We reap what we sow! We cannot sow crabgrass and expect to reap pineapples. We cannot sow disobedience to God and expect to reap His blessing. What we sow, we reap. Let us not deceive ourselves: We will reap the harvest of our lives. But this does not dismiss trials or testing!! (Read James 1 and 1 Peter)
Why do farmers plant their seed? Because they expect to harvest a great deal more than they sow. A single seed that sprouts can yield dozens, and even hundreds of seeds.

It is the same way with both sin and righteousness—a small decision before the Lord whether righteous or unrighteous reaps a much bigger crop. Jesus used the picture of a sprouting seed to show that when we allow God’s Word to produce good things in us, the results multiply: “The one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty” (Matt. 13:23). On the other side of that, the prophet Hosea describes what awaits those who choose to sow seeds of wickedness: “They sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind” (Hos. 8:7). Some are deceived because their present seed does not appear to be producing an immediate crop. So they continue down their course, mistakenly believing that there will never be a harvest.

But unlike the crops of the field, which get harvested at approximately the same time each year, there is no regular timetable for the harvest of life. Some crops we reap quickly; others take a long time. But do not be deceived—their season will come. We are not sowing good seed and doing good works to receive the blessing of the Lord. Our faith is not based on works, it’s to bring glory to his name alone!! — @austinpanter02

Fruit, Not Gifts

“Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.” ~ Acts 6:3

 There are requirements of those you select to lead.  Notice the verse didn’t say select seven men who are gifted in administration or helps, etc. The gifting is never the qualification of those who lead.  Their character, submission to the Lord’s spirit and resulting wisdom that they display are what qualified these men.  

True leaders should always be selected primarily by their fruit and then by their giftedness, not the other way around.  All too often, I think about my own ability to lead others and I think that I’m ill-equipped because I’m not a gifted speaker or boisterous leader.  This is not God’s way of thinking, because my ability to lead is not rooted in my gifting but in my consistent walk with the Holy Spirit where the fruit of the Spirit is actively present.

Look at Moses.  He argued with the Lord because he was trying to define his ability to lead others through his gifting instead of through his consistent pursuit of a loving God.  He said "Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." ~Exodus 4:10.

Gifting is important, but it’s not God’s criteria for choosing leaders.  It’s their heart, their character, their displayed wisdom over time, it’s by the fruit of the Spirit and not the gifts of the Spirit.  

Lord let my life be a consistent display of your fruit through a life surrendered to your leading!

~ Brent Roberts
President | Africa Freedom Mission