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Living through Christ

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

At its core, the Christian life is the life of Jesus expressed through a person who has entered into a genuine relationship with God the Father through faith in the Son. Once that relationship begins, Christ himself takes up residence within the believer, and the Christian life becomes the outward flow of his life through that person.

As believers allow this to happen with genuine joy, God continues building up rewards for them, even though living for those rewards is never meant to be the primary motivation; it is simply what God has promised will happen. Through ongoing obedience and lifelong faithfulness to him, believers are assured that they will one day experience the fullness of God’s rich rewards for eternity as a result of their faithful service.

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21

The difference between wise trust and blind trust

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Trust is often assumed to be something that should be given freely and without condition, but a closer look at Scripture reveals a more nuanced picture. Trust, properly understood, is not meant to be unconditional. Instead, it should be shaped by the actions and choices of the person receiving it. In some situations, choosing not to trust someone is actually the wiser and healthier path.

Mistakes are a normal part of any relationship, and grace exists precisely to cover those moments. Everyone falls short in one way or another. However, there is an important distinction to draw between a single mistake, one that is acknowledged, repented of, and followed by a genuine commitment to change and repair, and a repeated pattern of harmful behaviour. The first calls for grace and a path toward rebuilding trust. The second is a different situation entirely, one where continuing to extend full trust may not be wise.

Recognizing this difference protects people from being taken advantage of while still leaving room for genuine forgiveness and restoration when it is warranted. Trust rebuilt after real repentance and a commitment to change looks very different from trust extended toward an unchanging pattern of harm.

“Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be confirmed. 17 And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Matthew 18:15-17

What it means to pray without ceasing

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

The command to pray without ceasing can sound like an impossible burden at first glance. How can anyone maintain constant, uninterrupted prayer? The instruction may be better understood as describing a pattern of life rather than a literal, nonstop recitation of words. I believe it calls believers to a lifestyle in which prayer is never entirely absent, without long stretches of days, weeks or months passing without any communication with God.

This mirrors how believers relate to other spiritual disciplines. No one thinks about Christ or reads scripture in every waking moment, yet for a healthy believer these things remain frequent and central throughout the day. Prayer functions the same way: a heart and mind kept open to God, with all of life viewed through the lens of ongoing communion with him. Rather than treating prayer as a scheduled task performed at set times, this command envisions prayer as a steady undercurrent running through daily experience, one that should never fade from a believer’s life regardless of circumstance.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 4:6

The Mark Dubbeld Family Releases New Single, “Joy In Serving Jesus”

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JEFF TURNER

The Mark Dubbeld Family of Moneta, Virginia, has released a new single, “Joy In Serving Jesus,” a song born from a moment songwriter Janene Dubbeld describes as a gift from God.

Janene says the words came to her before she was fully convinced of them herself. Her husband, Mark, felt no such hesitation. He fell in love with the song immediately, and the couple’s children, Elena and Britton, who both play active roles in the family’s ministry, embraced it just as quickly.

“Took me a little bit,” Janene admits. “But do you know what? I am so thankful that God helped me to pen those words.”

The song draws a distinction Janene says shapes the family’s ministry: happiness rises and falls with circumstance, but joy does not.

“Joy is based on the one we know who lives within us, Jesus Christ,” she explains. “And the joy of serving him comes from knowing that we are obeying and doing God’s will.”

For the Dubbelds, a family act built on shared conviction and stage time, “Joy In Serving Jesus” plays like both testimony and mission statement, a reminder that the deepest joy is found not in comfort, but in obedience.

The single is available now.

Right Road Quartet’s Jason Pope recovering after emergency gallbladder surgery

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DAVID INGRAM

Jason Pope, baritone singer for Right Road Quartet, is on the mend this week after emergency gallbladder surgery.

Pope was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday with what he called the worst pain he had ever experienced. Doctors performed surgery the following day, and by Saturday, Pope was back home and well enough to share an update with fans through a video message.

Speaking from his living room, Pope kept the mood light while expressing real gratitude for the outpouring of support he received. “I just wanted to also say thank you to everyone who took the time to say a prayer for me,” he said. “It means a whole whole lot.”

Pope joked with Right Road Quartet member Matt about not getting a ride home from the hospital in his new Tesla, a lighthearted moment that longtime fans of the group have come to expect from him even in tougher times.

As for his recovery, Pope sounded upbeat. “I’m healing great, just a little sore,” he said, “but other than that, it’s really not that bad of a surgery to have if you got to have one.”

He closed the video with well wishes for fans heading into the weekend and a hopeful note about his return to the road, saying he expects to be back with the group as soon as next weekend.

We join everyone in the gospel music community in wishing Jason Pope a smooth and speedy recovery, and we look forward to seeing him back on stage with Right Road Quartet soon.