Most of the ministries we support and partner with touch orphan care in some way, and we want to bring awareness to this huge global issue today. Fatherlessness has been far more of a sustained world-wide pandemic than any disease we have ever seen –

in state of Texas, on any given day, around 30K kids in foster care system – that’s just in Texas – nationally, over 400K are or have been a part of foster care in US – according to UNICEF, the worldwide number is around 153 Million – that’s an overwhelming number – so, let that sink in – a big number like that can cause us to shrink back and think, “There’s no way we can make a dent in that number” – while we may not be able to completely change landscape of the world-wide orphan crisis, we can get involved to make a difference

One of the phrases in our benediction that we say every week at the end of the service is, “we will be the hands and feet of Jesus in a broken world” – Orphan Care represents brokenness in the world, and as followers of Jesus, we are called to be a part of repairing what has been broken – Through foster care and adoption, we both SHARE the gospel and LIVE the gospel -

I want us to look quickly at a passage that reminds us of God’s heart for people, and apply it specifically to those who are in desperate need to know that God sees them, is for them, will fight for them, and how you and I are a part of that mission – Isaiah 43:1-3

V1- This passage is full of IDENTITY statements – why is that pertinent to the subject – imagine being stripped from your family, feeling unwanted, insecure, not enough – It is not hard to imagine, because most of us feel at least one of those emotions regularly - this is the word of the LORD for ALL PEOPLE – “I CREATED YOU, I FORMED YOU” – This is your origin story – You were created by God – Psalm 139:13-14 -I also found it interesting that he used the names “Jacob” and “Israel” – in Hebrew culture, names meant everything – If you read the story of Jacob in Genesis, his name meant “deceiver”, a name he lived up to, but twice, in Genesis 32 and again in Genesis 35, God changes his name to Israel, which would basically be interpreted “overcomer” – So, think of the power of this statement: “I CREATED YOU, I FORMED YOU, I HAVE CHANGED YOUR NAME”

Then it goes on: “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you” – What is the implication of the word redeemed? It is the connotation of payment – “I have purchased you” – again, it’s a statement of ownership – So, right here in verse 1 of Isaiah 43, God says to his people, “You are twice mine – I created you and I redeemed you” – of course, this is GOSPEL LANGAUGE – God CREATED you, sin separated you, and God, through Jesus, REDEEMED you! That’s why Jesus is called REDEEMER

“I have summoned you by name” – God knows your name – You are not a number to God, you are his priceless possession – think about those who feel forgotten, overlooked, cast aside – Maybe you need to hear this morning: You were created, redeemed, called by name –

V2 – Whatever you go through, rivers, floods, fire, you will not drown, you will not be burned – notice he doesn’t say the flood and the fire aren’t coming, only that he will be with you - this is where foster care and adoption gets real – imagine living a life of neglect and abuse, never feeling a sense of home and security – never feeling fought for, seen, defended – they feel like they may drown or burn - as people of the way of Jesus, we actually adopt this heart for all people – We feel compelled to dive into the river or run into the fire to save and protect those who are defenseless, those who can’t fight for themselves because it is the heart of God for all people

Several weeks ago, Natul Middelbrook reached out and asked to help organize this special day for us – Natul has a powerful story of her call to foster care and adoption, so, I want to invite her up to share her story

NATUL SHARES

V3 – So, we see God’s heart, our creator, redeemer, the one who calls by name, the one who holds back the water, the one who runs in the burning building – WHY does he do it? “BECAUSE I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, YOUR SAVIOR”

God’s heart is to save those who are lost – guess what? THAT’S YOU – we are all lost, all broken, and in need of a SAVIOR – but here’s where this hits home with orphan care: You have been created, redeemed, called by name, rescued for the purpose of joining God in rescuing more – that is the essence of the gospel: It’s not about you, but about you joining God’s mission for the WORLD – John 3:16: FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD

Here is the simple call today: DO SOMETHING – You may not be called to foster or adopt, but you are definitely called to engage in fighting for the defenseless, being Love, Peace, Hope where there is none, being the hands and feet of Jesus in a broken world

Today, let’s overwhelm our ministry partners by joining them in what they are doing in the arena of foster care/adoption, and let’s take this powerful message of a CREATOR who REDEEMS and RESCUES, not just in word, but in ACTION

Most of the ministries we support and partner with touch orphan care in some way, and we want to bring awareness to this huge global issue today. Fatherlessness has been far more of a sustained world-wide pandemic than any disease we have ever seen –

in state of Texas, on any given day, around 30K kids in foster care system – that’s just in Texas – nationally, over 400K are or have been a part of foster care in US – according to UNICEF, the worldwide number is around 153 Million – that’s an overwhelming number – so, let that sink in – a big number like that can cause us to shrink back and think, “There’s no way we can make a dent in that number” – while we may not be able to completely change landscape of the world-wide orphan crisis, we can get involved to make a difference

One of the phrases in our benediction that we say every week at the end of the service is, “we will be the hands and feet of Jesus in a broken world” – Orphan Care represents brokenness in the world, and as followers of Jesus, we are called to be a part of repairing what has been broken – Through foster care and adoption, we both SHARE the gospel and LIVE the gospel -

I want us to look quickly at a passage that reminds us of God’s heart for people, and apply it specifically to those who are in desperate need to know that God sees them, is for them, will fight for them, and how you and I are a part of that mission – Isaiah 43:1-3

V1- This passage is full of IDENTITY statements – why is that pertinent to the subject – imagine being stripped from your family, feeling unwanted, insecure, not enough – It is not hard to imagine, because most of us feel at least one of those emotions regularly - this is the word of the LORD for ALL PEOPLE – “I CREATED YOU, I FORMED YOU” – This is your origin story – You were created by God – Psalm 139:13-14 -I also found it interesting that he used the names “Jacob” and “Israel” – in Hebrew culture, names meant everything – If you read the story of Jacob in Genesis, his name meant “deceiver”, a name he lived up to, but twice, in Genesis 32 and again in Genesis 35, God changes his name to Israel, which would basically be interpreted “overcomer” – So, think of the power of this statement: “I CREATED YOU, I FORMED YOU, I HAVE CHANGED YOUR NAME”

Then it goes on: “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you” – What is the implication of the word redeemed? It is the connotation of payment – “I have purchased you” – again, it’s a statement of ownership – So, right here in verse 1 of Isaiah 43, God says to his people, “You are twice mine – I created you and I redeemed you” – of course, this is GOSPEL LANGAUGE – God CREATED you, sin separated you, and God, through Jesus, REDEEMED you! That’s why Jesus is called REDEEMER

“I have summoned you by name” – God knows your name – You are not a number to God, you are his priceless possession – think about those who feel forgotten, overlooked, cast aside – Maybe you need to hear this morning: You were created, redeemed, called by name –

V2 – Whatever you go through, rivers, floods, fire, you will not drown, you will not be burned – notice he doesn’t say the flood and the fire aren’t coming, only that he will be with you - this is where foster care and adoption gets real – imagine living a life of neglect and abuse, never feeling a sense of home and security – never feeling fought for, seen, defended – they feel like they may drown or burn - as people of the way of Jesus, we actually adopt this heart for all people – We feel compelled to dive into the river or run into the fire to save and protect those who are defenseless, those who can’t fight for themselves because it is the heart of God for all people

Several weeks ago, Natul Middelbrook reached out and asked to help organize this special day for us – Natul has a powerful story of her call to foster care and adoption, so, I want to invite her up to share her story

NATUL SHARES HER STORY

V3 – So, we see God’s heart, our creator, redeemer, the one who calls by name, the one who holds back the water, the one who runs in the burning building – WHY does he do it? “BECAUSE I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, YOUR SAVIOR”

God’s heart is to save those who are lost – guess what? THAT’S YOU – we are all lost, all broken, and in need of a SAVIOR – but here’s where this hits home with orphan care: You have been created, redeemed, called by name, rescued for the purpose of joining God in rescuing more – that is the essence of the gospel: It’s not about you, but about you joining God’s mission for the WORLD – John 3:16: FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD

Here is the simple call today: DO SOMETHING – You may not be called to foster or adopt, but you are definitely called to engage in fighting for the defenseless, being Love, Peace, Hope where there is none, being the hands and feet of Jesus in a broken world

Today, let’s overwhelm our ministry partners by joining them in what they are doing in the arena of foster care/adoption, and let’s take this powerful message of a CREATOR who REDEEMS and RESCUES, not just in word, but in ACTION