Today, we want to take a moment to honor the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. To every veteran in our Impact family, thank you for your service! We are grateful for the sacrifices you and your families have made, the time you’ve given, and the commitment you’ve shown in serving our country. We know that military service often comes with sacrifices that many people never see or fully understand. Today, we want you to know that your service is appreciated and that we are thankful for you. Galatians 6:2 reminds us to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” As we recognize Veterans Day, we’d like to encourage our Impact family to do something intentional. If you know a veteran, take a few minutes to reach out, thank them personally, and let them know you’re praying for them. Sometimes a simple expression of gratitude can mean more than we realize. We’re also praying today for our veterans and their families, asking the Lord to strengthen them, fill their homes with His peace, and bless them in every area of their lives. To all who have served, we honor you and thank God for you! ❤️ Aaron & Julie

We love those moments when the presence of God is so powerful that you can actually feel Him moving. But we’ve learned something over the years: you don’t have to feel God’s presence to experience what His presence produces in your life. In this week’s devotional, we’re talking about three things that should become increasingly evident as we spend time with the Lord: righteousness, peace, and joy. Romans 14:17 tells us that these are characteristics of life in the Holy Spirit. And they aren’t just for Sunday mornings! God’s peace should influence how we respond to difficult situations, His joy should strengthen us when life gets hard, and His righteousness should be reflected in how we live and treat others. We’re also sharing some personal experiences and testimonies of what happens when people begin making worship and fellowship with God a priority. THIS WEEK’S DEVOTIONAL and Esther’s accompanying video are both waiting for you in the classroom! Here’s something we’d encourage you to do this week. Read Romans 14:17 each morning, and ask the Lord to help you recognize where His peace, joy, and righteousness need to become more evident in your life. Then choose one of those areas and intentionally put the Word into practice throughout your day. We don’t want to simply have wonderful experiences in God’s presence. We want our everyday lives to reflect the time we’ve spent with Him! ❤️

Faith isn’t simply believing that God has power. Faith establishes a connection with what God has already made available. For us, one of the clearest examples of this came through Julie’s healing. God told Aaron that if he took Julie to the place He showed him, He would heal her of something major. We had to respond to what God said. We traveled to another country, went to a church we had never attended, and God did exactly what He said He would do. Julie was instantaneously healed. The connection wasn’t created by striving to make something happen. It was established when we heard what God said, believed Him, and acted accordingly. THIS TEACHING is a good opportunity to look back over your own life. Think of one time when obedience became the connection between something God said and something you experienced. If you have one, share that testimony with the Impact family. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes remembering the times we already followed God helps strengthen us for the next time He says, “Trust Me and move.”

There are some things Jesus said that we need to take seriously, and His warning about the second death is certainly one of them. But what we love about Revelation is that even in the midst of some very sobering warnings, we find incredible promises for those who belong to Jesus. In THIS VIDEO, we’re looking at Revelation 2:11 and what Jesus meant when He said, “The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.” We’re talking about the difference between physical death and the second death, why Jesus repeatedly told the churches to hear what the Spirit was saying, and the wonderful assurance we have through salvation in Christ. We know that Revelation can seem intimidating to some people, but our desire is to help you understand what Jesus actually said and why these truths matter for the way we live today. Here’s something we want to encourage you to do after watching: Read Revelation 2 and 3, and pay special attention to the promises Jesus makes to those who overcome. Write down those promises and spend some time thanking Him for what He has made available to us through His victory. The book of Revelation isn’t just about what is coming. It’s also about knowing Jesus, remaining faithful to Him, and understanding the eternal hope we have in Him. ❤️

Have you ever looked back on a season of your life and wished you could go back, even though you know it wasn’t always easy? It’s interesting how quickly we can forget the difficulties of the past when we’re facing uncertainty about the future. In THIS VIDEO, Esther shares a powerful lesson from the Israelites and their journey out of Egypt. God had miraculously delivered them from slavery, yet when they encountered difficulties, they began remembering Egypt as though it had been a wonderful place to live! Sometimes we can do the same thing. We become so comfortable with what we know that we’re hesitant to move forward into what God has for us. Isaiah 43:19 says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” We want to encourage you to take some time to watch Esther’s teaching in the classroom. It’s a wonderful reminder that we can be thankful for what God has done in the past without allowing yesterday to keep us from following Him into the future. And we’d love to hear from you! Has there ever been a time when God led you into something unfamiliar, and looking back, you can see how faithful He was through it all? Share your experience with our Impact family. Your testimony might be just what someone else needs to hear as they’re taking their next step of faith! ❤️