The exciting thing for us today is that we can all live better lives. Yes, things can get better if we follow our creator’s advice. And this week we have a world-class speaker to give us the advice we need.
The seventh chapter of 1 Samuel gives us a look at an old war-scarred prophet named Samuel. A man who’d walked with God since boyhood and bore the weathered voice of someone who’d seen his share of broken covenants and bitter mornings.
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’” —1 Samuel 7:12
Ebenezer means “stone of help.” Samuel raised it like a battle flag—half gratitude, half testimony. Life with God doesn’t mean fewer battles. It means you’re not swinging alone. And when you’ve got a mile of scars and a few victories behind you, sometimes you stop, stack a stone, and say, “Look here. We made it this far. By His help.”
God’s way doesn’t promise ease. It promises better. Families built on love, honesty, and sacrifice—better. Businesses run with integrity—better. Churches that love the least and walk humbly—better. And even when the storm hits—and it will—you’ll find you’re lashed to something unshakable.
There are always shortcuts. Dishonesty, betrayal, manipulation. The world hands out shovels and says, “Dig here, it’s faster.” But fast isn’t always wise. Or lasting. Or right.
God provides—when we work with Him.
This Sunday, we’re going to hear from someone who has stacked more than a few Ebenezers of her own. A woman whose boots have walked the back roads of children’s ministry in 40 countries. A pastor. A missionary. A leader with fire in her bones.
Rev. Alma Thompson, the ICCM Global Director of the Free Methodist Church, will be preaching with us. Since 2019, she’s led International Child Care Ministries—an organization that now supports over 50,000 children around the world through sponsorships, scholarships, and gospel-rooted community work. She doesn’t just believe in the next generation—she builds bridges for them with grit, grace, and a deep trust in God’s provision.
She and her husband, Rev. Brent Thompson (Ohio Conference Superintendent), serve together, lifting up the church both in the U.S. and abroad. From the dirt roads of mission fields to the boardrooms of strategy, she’s been a voice for the voiceless and a guide for those of us who still believe in God’s better way.
Come ready. Come open. And maybe bring a stone in your pocket—just in case you need to raise your own Ebenezer.
See you Sunday!
Your friend always,
Pastor Tim White