So, as we prepare for Pentecost, let’s not settle for a half-measure faith. Let’s go all in.
Full-strength Christianity
Don’t Settle for a Watered-down Version of God’s Way
When explorers first came to the South American jungle, they were amazed to see native hunters bring down large animals with a single shot from a primitive bow and arrow. The secret? The arrows were tipped with curare—a powerful poison derived from jungle plants.
If curare was injected into the bloodstream, it was deadly—paralyzing the body within moments and causing death. But here’s the twist: when taken in other forms, it was used by the same people as a fever reducer and a soothing muscle relaxant.
How could both be possible? The key lies in how it enters the body. Injected—it kills. Taken another way—it soothes.
How you take it matters: the spiritual parallel
There’s a powerful spiritual lesson here. How do you approach God’s way of life? Like curare, the impact depends on how deeply and directly you allow it into your heart and mind—allowing it to shape your actions.
Some take “spiritual curare” only in diluted doses—just enough to ease guilt or provide temporary peace of mind, but not enough to truly change who they are. This shallow approach leaves them spiritually relaxed...yet unmoved, unchanged, stagnant (Hebrews 6:11-12).
But that is not our calling. Our purpose is transformation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
To become that new creation, something must die—our old self. That takes total surrender. It means choosing the full strength of God’s way and submitting completely to be led by the Spirit of God (Romans 6:6).
The power moment
We are approaching Pentecost, a dynamic reminder of the day when God poured out His Holy Spirit on His people—not in small doses, but in power and fullness. This is a time not to coast or remain comfortable, but to go forward in faith—infused with the power of God’s Holy Spirit to live, serve, do the Work of God, and overcome as true disciples of Christ.
True Christianity is not a sedative—it’s a radical call to surrender self and fully put on Christ. It cost God His beloved Son, and in return, we offer our whole life. As Romans 13:14 says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
The apostle Paul understood this deeply: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Full strength, moving forward
So, as we prepare for Pentecost, let’s not settle for a half-measure faith. Let’s go all in. Let’s be infused, filled and saturated—stirring up the full strength of God’s Spirit and His way of life.
Let’s walk forward in faith with His power—not paralyzed by comfort, but moved by the Spirit to change, grow, preach the gospel, do His work and become more like Christ.
—Steve Myers, Operation Manager, Ministerial and Member Services
Anchorage BBQ & Picnic
The Anchorage, Alaska congregation is sponsoring a BBQ/picnic like no other on Sunday, June 8 at the Abbott Loop Community Park on Elmore Road and east end of Coventry Drive in Anchorage from 11 a.m. to 3+ p.m. We long to see you all from the scattered corners of the world. Plan early and don’t miss out!
To celebrate the precious friends we have made over the past five and a half decades (55 years) you are invited to get together again and experience the joy of catching up!
Northern California Young Adults Weekend
Young adults mark your calendars! The UCG Northern California Young Adults Weekend will be held in the beautiful Point Reyes National Seashore from Aug. 22 to 24, 2025.
At a scenic lodge located an hour and a half north of San Francisco, we will enjoy fellowship, spiritually enriching activities and the ocean just down the road!
For details and registration: https://forms.gle/8sRLJvnejfm66DkB6.
Please contact us at norcalYAweekend@gmail.com with further questions! We look forward to seeing you!
Good Works Proposal Deadline Approaching
There’s still time to submit your proposal for Good Works projects for the second half of the 2025 calendar year!
If you have a great idea for a project (local or abroad), please run it by your local pastor, and with his approval, please contact Lena VanAusdle at GoodWorks@ucg.org or visit ucg.org/members/outreach/good-works for more information.
The deadline for proposals is May 31, 2025.
