“…To Him Who ever loves us and has once [for all] loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood….”
(Rev. 1:5 AMP)
The bottom line on all the hassles of this life, the junk you go through, the challenges, mistakes, tribulations, failures, trials, hard work, messing up, effort, patience and endurance you experience…is this: He loves us. He forgives us. Two basics.
Basic #1: Jesus Loves: “…to Him Who ever loves us…” Have you pondered that lately? He ever loves us. He loves us. Jesus loves us. Jesus ever loves us. He can’t stop loving us, because He is love. I have to be honest; I often have a hard time grasping that. I know it’s true, but the daily experience of this reality is something we all need more of! God’s love—the deep love of Jesus…wow. He ever loves us. (Need a fresh revelation of this? Why not pray Ephesians 3:14-20 for yourself or someone else right now!)
Basic #2: Jesus Forgives: “freed us from our sins…” Simple truth, but so, so huge! Jesus through His shed blood has freed and loosed us from all of our sins. All of them. Have you sinned lately? Whether your sins have been giant, blatant, massive and ridiculous or little, itty-bitty ones—Jesus has freed you from every sin and the penalty that went with them! We have been made as righteous as God Himself because of what Jesus did in shedding His blood. Ponder that for eternity!
Say It: Father, these things are so basic and yet, so true. I pray for a fresh revelation of Your love in my life. Help me to know the length, depth, breadth and height of it. May I come to know practically through experience for myself, Your great love. I thank You for Your mercy and forgiveness. Jesus, thank You for shedding Your blood so that I could be free from every sin. My slate is clean and I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ. Today is a good day because God loves me and my sins are washed away. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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As a young couple, fresh out of Bible School with Two daughters and a third child on the way, Jeff and Beth Jones felt God's call to pioneer Valley Family Church in 1991 with a vision to make an eternal difference in Southwest Michigan. As a husband and wife team, they have always led together as visionary pastors and have shared the pulpit as Bible teachers. They are passionate about building the local church in greater Kalamazoo and the global church around the world.
Their message has always been focused on the basics of the Bible and has remained consistent since VFC's beginning. Throughout VFC's history, the goal of their teaching has been to help people live an abundant life through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and through faith in God's Word. In short, it's our mission statement: we exist to help people become devoted followers of Jesus who get the Bible basics, live the life and do the stuff.
Jeff and Beth have four kids and four grandchildren. Meghan is married to Brodie Hock. Annie is married to Zack Spangler. Luke is married to Kelsey Jones. Eric is married to Alexa Jones. All of their kids and in-laws have served with them in the church for many years and each sense their own unique calling to ministry.