August 13, 2026

Hey guys, 

This week’s Thought comes from 1 Timothy 1:19. As I read it, there was one word that leapt off the page and grabbed me. Paul is writing these words to Timothy, one of his disciples and a coworker in the faith. He tells Timothy to “cling to your faith in Christ and keep your conscience clear.” The word cling resonated with me. 

When I picture the word "cling”, I picture desperation. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen a few movies recently where people were hanging from places and about to lose their grip…they were desperately hanging on. It’s also the beginning of the school year, and we sometimes hold our kids so close that we feel like maybe we're starting to lose that grip. So what do we do? We cling more desperately. That's the picture that Paul is painting here for Timothy. Cling to your faith. 

I just got back from East Asia a few weeks ago. It was the first time I'd been to this particular city in over 10 years. Eleven years ago, I met a young man in this city and was privileged to be with him when he accepted Christ. Then, a year later, I was privileged to be with him when he was baptized, in secret, in our hotel room. Two weeks ago, I was privileged to reconnect with him. What I didn't know was that the network of Jesus followers with whom we had connected him over 10 years ago, had fallen apart and even a few of the missionaries around him got kicked out of the country. So, for various reasons, he's been out on his own, living his faith, trying to walk this journey out with Jesus by himself for almost eight years! When we met with him just a few weeks ago, immediately you could see that he was clinging to his faith–he was desperate, as if to say, “I need help. I need support. I need encouragement. I’m hanging on for dear life to this thing that is Jesus.” 

We were able to pour into him, love on him, and encourage him. Our time together reinvigorated him and his faith. Then we were able to connect him with new believers that we knew–a network of underground churches - so he now has that body with which to connect, and grow with. 

Then, I started thinking about our faith. How often do we cling to our faith out of desperation? With the privileges that we have in our lives, I'm afraid to say it's probably not very often. 

So, let this be a challenge to you today. When it comes to your faith, your relationship with Jesus, cling to it. Be desperate for it, because without Him we are nothing. 

Love you guys,

John