Fear is part of life in a sin-cursed world, but it is unnecessary when we are rightly related to God through Jesus Christ. As God’s children, we can calm our hearts when we hear Jesus tell us, “Fear not,” and follow him openly and boldly.

Matthew 10:24–30 gives us five reasons. First, when we identify with Jesus Christ, we are bound to him in persecution (vv. 24–25). The opposition we fear is actually a mark of being a disciple of Jesus (cf. Phil 1:28–29)! Second, the truth in which we trust will ultimately be vindicated (v. 26). We will never regret a single minute of following Christ. Third, the worst that can happen to us is to be killed (v. 28). Even death has lost its sting with the resurrection of our Savior from the dead (cf. Phil 1:20–23). Fourth, we know that God is in control of all things (v. 29). Because God is good and sovereign, we are not afraid of the future. Finally, we know that God cares for us intimately (v. 30). He cares for all his creation—how much more for us, his children?

The past month brought opportunities to serve at Peniel Bible Camp as well as in our home church. This past week we arrived in northern Arkansas to serve for five weeks with one of our supporting churches, Mountain Home Bible Church. On the schedule is ministering to the teens, helping with VBS, teaching an adult Sunday School class, and serving wherever we can. We are looking forward to the opportunities the Lord will give us!

Lord willing, after we return to Ohio, we will visit several of our supporting churches before we leave for Chile at the end of the year. You can view our itinerary at perrys2chile.com/calendar. The next few months look like this:

• July 10–August 17: Ministry at Mountain Home Bible Church in Mountain Home, Arkansas
• August 20: Greencastle Bible Church, Carroll, Ohio
• August 27: Chillicothe Bible Church, Chillicothe, Ohio
• September 10: Hardingville Bible Church, Monroeville, New Jersey
• September 17: Wayside Chapel, Bucyrus, Ohio
• November 5: Commissioning Service at Westerville Bible Church, Westerville, Ohio

Some of our teens were at Family Camp last week,
so we had a “TAC t-shirt Tuesday.”

We are studying through the book of Esther with the teens
at Mountain Home Bible Church over the next five weeks.

 Thank God with us:

• For his grace in bringing us to Arkansas to serve with one of our supporting churches over the next several weeks.
• For his grace and constant care for us in meeting all our physical and financial needs month by month.

Pray to God with us:

• For grace to serve here at Mountain Home Bible Church in a Christlike way this coming month.
• For spiritual strength to work on Spanish and make preparation to leave for Chile at the end of the year.
• For wisdom in the myriad of details that must be taken care of during the rest of this year.

This is our July 2017 email update. You can sign up to receive our updates in your inbox here. You can download a printable PDF here.