a2f newsletter.

happy wednesday y’all.

hope the week has been treating you well. it’s gotten significantly warmer and it’s been nice to get outside.

can’t believe it - but we’re nearing the end of the semester. what a packed semester. from incredible winter storms to baptisms (aaron + phil) to all the different visitors who have come. even this past week - we got some special visitors as some high school boys (that i had the privilege of being their youth pastor a couple of years ago) came by to spend some time with us, study the bible, and tried putting on some outreach events.

thankful for all we’ve gotten to experience. but the semester is still not done and there’s still a handful of things to look forward to before we wrap up spring 2026. thrive week just ended for new eve. but now noblemen is about to enter into fort week.

we also have a couple of year end highlight events. end of the year bible study on 5/1, friday. it’s a time we get to look back on the semester to laugh + celebrate + remember. and then we’re going to end that time with a bang. we rented out an entire field next to the corec and we wanted to have a big sports night since the weather has been warming up.

and then our senior sunday on 5/3, sunday. a time to both celebrate + hear from our seniors. please come and join us as we’ll get a time to share gratitude for the ways the seniors impacted our lives and we’ll get a chance to hear from the senior themselves as they wrap up their time here at purdue. and, of course, all of it to celebrate all that god has done in their lives and in our church.

dj.

sunday. 4/19. 12p. walc 1018.

we’ll be going back to our regular time + regular location for a2f sunday. we’re kickstarting a new post-easter message series. alive (now what?) and talking through both the incredible implications of easter but also why it doesn’t always feel that way on a personal level.

we’ve just wrapped up the book of john in our devotions and have now moved on to the book of 1 samuel.

and this past week i was struck by hannah. a woman who had trouble conceiving. a woman who yearned + wept + was so distressed and anxious to have a child. and finally the lord provides. she gets her baby boy. her firstborn son. samuel.

and what does she do with what’s clearly her most precious? she dedicates him and his entire life to serve god. she releases him and samuel ends up serving in the temple.

it’s incredible. if i was in hannah’s shoes, i would’ve clutched. grasped. held onto samuel. it was so hard to conceive. this child was a miracle baby by all rights and yet here she is dedicating him to the lord and releasing him to serve the lord. practically. that meant he wouldn’t even be living with her and her husband. most of the year, he would be at the temple learning scripture + serving.

how was hannah able to release her most precious to god?

i think in her prayer to god we get a clue. 1 samuel 2:2. “there is none holy like the lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our god.”

god’s holiness. it’s a significant word. it’s the primary attribute of god in scripture. it’s also a word that people have a hard time comprehending, often associating it with moral purity. there’s much to be said but i want to hone in on one angle of god’s holiness.

if god is holy. he can never sin. if he can never sin, he can never sin against you. if he can never sin against you, then he can only do what do good for you. do what’s best for you. do what will bring you true joy.

and if that’s true. then isn’t he the most trustworthy being ever? someone who can never do you any wrong. you or people precious to you, including your only son.

and if that’s the case, the very best decision to make is to release. to entrust to a holy god who can only and always do good.

the year is ending for many of us. and with it - it’s transitions. transition into a new season of life. transition into a new context. new situations. new blessings. new challenges. new uncertainties.

and i want to encourage all of us. all of you. the very best thing you can do with your life and the most precious aspects of your life is this. release it to a holy god.

don’t grasp. don’t try to control. turn to god. turn to his word. turn to his people. see what god would say about that decision. about that job. about that situation. and then heed those words. obey it. that’s what it looks like to trust. to release.

and i know as you do so - it will always be for your good and that’s because god is holy.

until next time.

dj.