The James Family
New Year's Greeting from Kep & Debbie
Staying on Track with Jesus’ Purpose
As we bid farewell to 2024 and step into 2025, our prayer for you—and for ourselves—is that the Lord will renew in us the urgency to fulfill His call: “Go and make disciples.”
Being Disciples
Before we can make disciples, we must first be disciples. That’s why committing ourselves to the study of God’s Word is so vital as we move forward. To “rightly handle the Word of Truth” means to correctly understand and live by it. Walking in Christ is a life full of the Bible, where the Holy Spirit shapes us by God’s Word to be more like Jesus (John 8:31–32). May 2025 be a year where we delight to draw closer to Him! Making Disciples In a world that often pressures us to conform, sharing the good news of Jesus can be daunting. Yet, understanding the distinction between our role and God’s role brings clarity. Evangelism isn’t about coercion or results—it’s about faithfully declaring the truth of Christ. The results are God’s alone. Our calling is to share His message with love and truth, trusting Him to convict hearts and draw people to Himself. This reliance on God reminds us not to depend on human strategies but on His power alone (1 Cor 2:5).
God’s Part; Our Part
Evangelist Rico Tice captures this beautifully in Honest Evangelism:
“The problem with our evangelism is that we cannot produce results! No one can bring another person to Christ—that is not our calling. Our task is to proclaim the truth about Jesus and His gospel. God takes His Word and uses it to convict, convince, and draw people to Himself. When we grasp this, it is incredibly freeing. It reminds us to rely on the Creator of life—who spoke the world into existence and continues to create spiritual life today.” (paraphrase)
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Our responsibility is to share the gospel and pray fervently for God to work the miracle of salvation.
A Story of God's Faithfulness
We experienced this truth firsthand during our first year in Bolivia in 1988. Shortly after arriving, we were tasked with organizing an evangelism ministry. One participant, Admiral Waldo of the Bolivian Navy, nervously shared the gospel for the first time. He completely forgot his prepared words and could only remember the heart of the message: “Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins.”
Though unpolished, his willingness to go was what God used! The man he spoke to—a hospital patient—listened intently and, with tears in his eyes, declared, “I need Jesus!” Seeing this reminded us that it’s not human eloquence but the Spirit of God that transforms hearts.
Sticking to the Task in 2025
As we enter 2025, let’s commit to loving God with all our hearts, trusting Him more fully, growing as faithful disciples, and making disciples as we help unbelieving people become committed followers of Jesus Christ. Our labor in the Lord is never in vain (1 Cor 15:58). In His strength, we can face this unfinished task with confidence and joy.
With gratitude and hope,
Kep and Debbie