The Church of God in Texas

The ministry theme for 2012 is “Unhindered.” The goal of this theme is to reinforce the core value of Jesus: to seek and to save the lost. As a church, we often proclaim this value, but do we really perform this value? Consider the following as an introduction to the 2012 ministry theme.

I’ve always been impressed with how the book of Acts ends. The last Greek word in the text is “akoloutos,” which is the English word translated as “unhindered.” This word, however, is an adverb. As you know from English class, an adverb describes the kind of action the verb is taking. For example, if you say that Tim West is dancing, you would use the adverb my 14-year old daughter uses: disgusting!

The adverb in Acts 28:31 describes the action of a word used earlier in the verse as “teach.” Paul’s teaching, even in a prison cell somewhere in the Roman world, was “unhindered.” If you look even more closely, you see it was also described as bold.

We live in changing times to be sure. The need for a boldly and unhindered proclamation of Jesus remains unchanged. After all, we live in a culture that needs Jesus as much as ever. We know the power of sin to bind people today is still as real as it was in the first century.

Our vision in Texas is the church of God working in a bold, active, and unhindered way to transform the world. Let’s not make excuses since Paul didn’t. Let’s get our adverbs really kicking and let’s go do the job. Fortunately for me, dancing is not a requirement.