Purpose – Dobra Family Ministry

Household Prayer: Graduating Class of 2026

And because you are God’s workmanship, His own possession, you can know you were created with purpose for such a time as this, “so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” (1 Peter 2:9, Esther 4:14)

Classical Conversations homeschool community at Bethany class of 2026 Graduation

1 Your Commencement

Welcome friends and family and welcome Classical Conversations class of 2026…

This is your commencement.

The year of our Lord 2,026 is the 250th anniversary of America.

In 1776 what we know as the United States of America 🇺🇸 was born with the Declaration of Independence.

But where did such an idea come from?

Preceding the events of 1776 were the reformation and the great awakening.

The reformation put God’s word into the hands of every thirsty soul.

The church leadership had forgotten that no man had the authority to be gatekeepers of God’s word.

Paul says in 1st Timothy “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5)

And in 2nd Timothy “the word of God has not been chained.” (2 Timothy 2:9 LSB)

Many reformers were martyred for printing bibles in the common man’s language.

As access to God’s word was opened, Spiritual awakenings and liberation broke out across Europe and drove the Pilgrims with God’s word to the new world.

The First Great Awakening started in New Jersey in the early 1700s… and in 1740 George Whitfield preached 175 sermons to tens of thousands of people during a 45 day itinerant preaching tour.

It was out of this spiritually fertile ground that the founders began to answer the questions such as
“In what sense are “all men . . . created equal”?
“What is human liberty?”
“What is prosperity, and how is wealth created?”

In 1776 these questions were addressed and became the theological foundation of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

A little side note, Site and Sound films made a movie called A GREAT AWAKENING that tells the true story of the friendship between George Whitfield and Benjamin Franklin that resulted in one of the most defining moments in American history. It’s still in theaters and I highly recommend it. https://www.agreatawakening.com

And, Isn’t it interesting how church history and the birth of our nation intertwine?

Why is this history lesson important to you six graduates on your commencement?

History, or His story, helps us understand our identity and our purpose and how our thoughts and actions can shape the future.

2 Your Identity

As you commence on this next season of the pilgrimage of life, remember your eternal identity.

God tells us in Ephesians 2 that He, God, “… being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ …”

God makes you eternally alive with Christ.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:4-10)

You are God’s creation, His tapestry.

Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

And that is Good news!

And Because of the reality of Jesus’ resurrection we can know that sin and death have no hold over us.

And because you are God’s workmanship, His own possession, you can know you were created with purpose for such a time as this, “so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”(1 Peter 2:9, Esther 4:14)

Or, as you’ve heard in CC, To know God and make Him known.

3 Your Purpose

As you commence this season, knowing you have a purposeful identity, you should be seeking your specific calling or mission.

Your purpose is simple but not easy.

In simple terms we have a mandate as God’s image bearers to take dominion, and a commission to make disciples of all nations (Gen. 1:26-28, 2:15; Matt. 28:18-20).

Simple but not easy.

So whatever course you take, keep in mind your mandate and commission and “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people,” (Colossians 3:23)

4 Your Charge

There are dangers to be aware of on your journey.

The word muse comes from the latin musus, which is thinking, to think deeply. “… to think about something carefully and thoroughly”

To amuse, the root of amusement, is the opposite, it is unthinking. “to divert the attention… [and in some cases] to deceive”

Once you commence there will be many unthinking distractions to amuse you away from your purpose.

Be full of joy and full of fellowship, but resist the temptation to be amused into complacency.

A pastor I know, recently said:
“Passion starts things.
“Faithfulness sustains them.
“The Kingdom isn’t built by people who start strong.
“It’s built by people who endure when it gets hard.
“Don’t quit in the season God is using to shape you.”
So I want to encourage you to persevere. (Romans 5:3-4)

And By faith (Heb. 11:1-3,4,5…), get to work subduing and ruling, working and keeping, being fruitful and multiplying (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15), and making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20)

Do what builds up and produces, not what tears down and consumes.

Find ways to produce, contribute, and serve your household, church, and community.

If you know God’s word, you know His will for you; to love God and love your neighbor.

Remember the reformers, the pilgrims, and the founders and how by faith, in everyday faithful living, the word of God and His salvation went forth.

In all you do proclaim the excellencies of God. Share His truth and the good news of His salvation to all creation in word and deed through everything you do (1 Peter 2:9; Mark 16:15; Romans 10:14-15).

5 benediction

And “Now may the God of peace…
equip you in every good thing to do His will through Jesus Christ,
to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”(Hebrews 13:20-21)

Household Prayer: Graduation and Commencement 2024 https://ministry.family.blog/2024/05/12/household-prayer-graduation-and-commencement/

THE GOOD NEWS

There is a God that created the heavens and the earth. We humans are created in His image.

We are sinners, we have rebelled against Him, our Creator. Our rebellion has brought “all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice… envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness” to the world. Romans 1:29-31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.1.29-31.ESV

Therefore we justly deserve our due punishment of death and damnation, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” Romans 3:10-12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.3.10-12.ESV

But good news! God is merciful and loving. Jesus is God the only begotten Son and He took our punishment upon Himself in our place. Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and securing the hope of our salvation.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.15.3-8.ESV

““Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”” Acts 2:36-38 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.2.36-38.ESV

We need only repent and believe it. Repent: turn away from our sins, proclaim Jesus is lord and savior, and we will be forgiven our sins and have life ever after! “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”” Romans 10:9-11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.10.9-11.ESV

There is hope. Believe in Jesus! ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.3.16.ESV

It doesn’t matter who you’ve been or what you’ve done, God stands with arms wide open, ready to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.9.ESV

Peoria Area Activism Hub a Turning Point USA Chapter Prayer Vigil 9/22/2025: Pray for America

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)..” Ephesians 2:4-10 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/eph.2.4-10.NASB2020

Devotional for Peoria Area Activism Hub a Turning Point USA Chapter Prayer Vigil

Charlie Kirk, I believe, is one of the great evangelists of my generation, much like the Apostle Paul, and now a Christian martyr.

Paul in Athens

How was he like the great Apostle Paul?

Let’s look at Paul in Athens and his sermon on Mars Hill. Acts 17:16-34 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/act.17.16-34.NASB2020

Charlie understood the times in America like Paul observed the idols of Athens in his day.

And like Paul, Charlie found our marketplaces of idol worship and philosophy and went right into the center of them and reasoned for gospel truth.

And he brought thousands to the faith.

The ultimate soul saving message!

Darrell B. Harrison said, “Movements are transient and impermanent. But, when all has been said and done, what Charlie was engaged in, fundamentally, was apologetics—contending for and defending the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is a message not a movement, one that changes not only minds but hearts—which should be our ultimate goal. We must remember this as we work to honor his legacy.” https://x.com/d_b_harrison/status/1966875128102375884?s=46&t=Ag2lESY3ntUopWo1gN17hw

So what is the message?

The message is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Gospel means good news, but to understand the good news you must first understand the bad news.

There is a God that created the heavens and the earth. We humans are created in His image.

We are sinners, we have rebelled against Him, our Creator. Our rebellion has brought “all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice… envy, murder, strife, deceit, [and] maliciousness” to the world. Romans 1:29-31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.1.29-31.ESV

Therefore we justly deserve our due punishment of death and damnation, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” Romans 3:10-12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.3.10-12.ESV

When we die and stand before our creator we will be judged and given our just and righteous condemnation of hell.

That is bad news!

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:4-10 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/eph.2.4-10.NASB2020

““Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent [turn away from sin] and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”” Acts 2:36-38 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.2.36-38.ESV

Praise God for the good news that we can receive the gift of forgiveness and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God.

He became a man with no sin, and in accordance with the Scriptures He “died for our sins … he was buried…” and He was rose from death on the third day. Jesus is alive! 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.15.3-8.ESV

Jesus has taken all of the sins of those who believe in Him upon Himself so that we might be saved!

All praise and glory to God!

The mission

That’s the message, and all who believe and have been made new have a mission.

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” The great commission, Matthew 28:18-20 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/mat.28.19.NASB2020

Truth

The Declaration Of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Let these truths be our message and the foundation of all we think and do.

Household Prayer: Saint Patrick’s example – proclaim the excellencies of God

”But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;“ 1 Peter 2:9 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/1pe.2.9.LSB

Brothers, I’ve been meditating on 1 Peter 2:9. We find our identity, a chosen people, and our purpose, to proclaim the excellencies of God. I pray we proclaim God’s excellencies in our households and as Saint Patrick exhorts, I pray we “bear witness to his great wonders before every nation under heaven.”

“… I cannot be silent – nor would it be good to do so – about such great blessings and such a gift that the Lord so kindly bestowed in the land of my captivity. This is how we can repay such blessings, when our lives change and we come to know God, to praise and bear witness to his great wonders before every nation under heaven.” Saint Patrick https://www.confessio.ie/etexts/confessio_english#

“”St. Patrick: His Confession and Other Works” from Catholic Book Publishing gives the listener an excellent perspective on this beloved Saint, making him even more relevant for modern times. This book details two of the Saint’s written works: Confession and Letter to Coroticus, providing a deeper understanding of the Saint who converted Ireland. https://mycanonplus.com/tabs/search/audiobooks/6163

“Each local church plays a vital role in the great commission… How do we go forward as the people of God in 2024? As pastors, if our congregation is to function as a public witness for Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century, we must prepare our people for it. Our people must know the message of the gospel that we are to proclaim. They must be firmly committed to the means that God has given us to share the gospel, namely, the proclamation of his Word. And as pastors, we must seek to train and disciple leaders who will then go out and proclaim the gospel on the streets. To encourage public witness in the church, Spurgeon would do two things. First, he would make public evangelism [a] regular pray[er] in the life of the church. Second, he would actively encourage and development evangelists in his local church. We can do the same as we seek to be salt and light in this dark generation.“ Charles Spurgeon’s Public Evangelism (Part 1), https://founders.org/articles/charles-spurgeons-public-evangelism/

Household Prayer: Joyful Labor for a Thousand Generations

[24] The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it…
[26] and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it;
Revelation 21:24,26 (NASB)

Brothers I’m praying we experience joy as we labor in love. I’ve been meditating on the things of glory and honor in the nations that will be brought into the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:26). What joy we have in our salvation. Joy that we didn’t have to earn it by works of the law. Joy that we are now free to work for/in the glory and honor of our Savior to fulfill our purpose and mission. Jesus warns the church, ““I know your WORKS” (Rev. 3:2,15) We do not know the hour of Jesus’ return and should continue working in joy and the power of the gospel for the good and future propagation of the gospel and discipleship of nations in this world for a thousand generations!

Whatever you do, “do all to the glory of God.” (I Cor. 10:31) Whatever our calling and vocation, building or supporting schools, healthcare clinics, farms, and businesses, whatever, our purpose is for the love of our neighbor and the discipleship of the nations. These good works, when motivated by love of God and neighbor, are good things. These things educate, disciple, employ, and care for neighbors, loving them as Christ commanded and can be used to point people to the gospel. The things of glory and honor in the nations will be brought into the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:26). Rejoice in your labor brothers!

5 Important Christian Political Acts

Thread:
The most important political act Christians do is gather on the Lord’s Day to worship God according to His Word. If you gather for a rock concert, comedy hour, or pep rally, you’re part of the problem. There are no quick fixes in politics, and Jesus is not your quick hit.

The second most important political act Christians do is get married, keep covenant with their spouse till they die, and raise a troop of children who love their parents’ God, hate the devil & all his works, and are sharp & dangerous to all unbelief with their joy & creativity.

The third most important political act Christians do is build Christian schools & colleges. These are not worldly institutions with pinches of Bible. These are covenantal boot camps training our kids in the Lordship of Jesus over all things. Classical Protestantism built the West

The fourth most important political act Christians do is start businesses & services producing real goods long term for all, especially the family of God. Those who don’t start their own join others & work for Kingdom minded entrepreneurs, building generational wealth & wisdom.

The fifth most important political act Christians do is participate in the political process, starting locally and then more broadly as opportunities and gifts align. The last 2 years have woken many up to just how rotten our system has gotten; it will take generations to reform.

None of this will work if we are not saturated in all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation applied to all of life. Secular neutrality is a myth: Christ or nothing, Christ or chaos, Christ or tyranny. And that means the forgiveness of His bloody cross at the center of it all.

Originally tweeted by Toby Sumpter (@TJSumpter) on November 9, 2022.