We bid farewell to the first half of 2025! The first half of 2025 has brought many emotions and feelings. We’ve felt triumphant and defeated, delighted and downhearted, successful and discouraged. It has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs and though we can find it easy to dwell on the bad we’ve decided to fix our gaze on the Lord. He is the one constant, good, and never-failing in our lives. As we prepare for the second half of the year our prayer is that God will continue to use us to further His Kingdom. 

The end of June marks the start of our annual Bible Conference and we are eager to see what God has in store for this year. Our motivation is knowing that we will be ministering to those who spend their lives ministering to others. Many of the participants do not have the funds, resources, or time to take a break, and this is something we pray they can do while here. They can sit and be filled, they are fed three wonderful meals daily, they are provided with resources, they are prayed for, and they get free time to just be and enjoy. Please join us in prayer as we prepare to host over 120 pastors and leaders. Pray for the team joining us. Pray for those teaching and those interpreting. Pray for our staff, for God to provide us with His strength, love, peace, and unity as we serve together. 

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,

do it all for the glory of God.

I Corinthians 10:31

As we prepare for our Bible Conference, we are ready to see pastors who come from all over Guatemala, from different churches and different denominations. One of our passions in Impacto is the training of leaders and pastors in the Word of God. This week I will be sharing morning devotions in the Conference. I want to share 1 of the 7 points I will be sharing in those morning devotions. 

If we are truly children of God, we need to give Him all the glory. The Bible says we were created for the worship and glory of His name. I want to share with you a story from the Bible of a lame beggar. In Acts 3 we read that Peter and John would go up to the temple during time of prayer. For the last 40 years, a lame beggar sat at the temple gate every day. You see, part of the religious practices for a Jew was to help the needy, so the beggar would benefit from sitting at the temple gate. 

Peter and John are nearing the gate, and the beggar is anticipating receiving something from them. But Peter tells him, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” It then goes on to tell us how the beggar jumped to his feet and began to walk. He then went in the temple for everyone to see. Peter was quick to make sure everyone knew it was not he or John who had healed the man, but that it was Jesus, the one they had crucified. This story is beautiful, a little long, but you can read it in Acts 3 and 4.

I reiterate what the Bible says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10:31. Please think about giving God the glory; for who you are, for what you have, for your family, for His provision, for everything. God told the Israelites in the desert, I don’t want you to talk about how your sacrifice or your hard work brought you to the Promised Land – but to give God the glory that through His mercy they had what they had. I encourage you to do the same. 

Serving Christ together,

Pastor Luis