Concord Chronicle
Church Family Newsletter | October 4, 2025
Major's Minute
One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is found in Exodus 17 when Joshua was leading the Israelites in battle against the Amalekites as directed by Moses. Moses, Aaron (his brother), and Hur (his nephew - traditionally, Miriam's son) went up to the top of the hill. When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed. When his hands got tired, they had Moses sit on a stone, and they supported his hands, one and each side. They held his hands steady until the sun went down. In the end, Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword.
It's a great reminder of spiritual intercession. "We can't just pray and let God take care of the life battles we face or that we must assume all responsibility and solve each problem alone. To prevail against enemy attack, you must both make contact with heaven and take responsibility for your actions on earth" (Holman Bible Publishers, 2017).
Moses was a godly leader and servant of the Lord, but he couldn't do the work he'd been assigned alone. He needed support. We all need others in our lives - brothers and sisters in the Lord - who will be there to help spiritually when times get heavy.
In weariness, one may want to retreat, but everyone has a role to play. Teamwork and collaboration are important.
I thank God for those who figuratively held up my hands this week. Who held yours? Is there someone you know who may need support? Prayer is good, but practical support along with prayer is powerful and effective.
As we start this week with Vacation Bible School, keep the children and the leaders in prayer. The theme of the week is "Live It Loud: Discovering how to love like Jesus". May it be an awesome week!
AnnMarguerite Jones
Corps Officer
Presence
Back in the dinosaur days of the 1990’s there was a popular song “From a Distance” that grated on me every time I heard it (on my steam-driven radio) because the lyrics implied that God was far away and was not really interested in the minutiae of our lives — “God is watching us, from a distance”. But that clearly is not congruent with what I read in Scripture.
Proverbs 5:21 emphatically states, “For the LORD sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.” I think these words contain both comfort and reveal a mystery. Comfort, because they assure us that God is not distant or disconnected from the details of our lives. And mystery, because they remind us that God’s involvement does not always work out the way we might expect. Sometimes, we come to a place where we cannot explain why things turned out as they did—yet we discover that we are still right in the center of His will.
This truth confronts a common misconception. Many people, even believers, are tempted to think that God works mainly on a “big picture” level—concerned about nations, wars, the direction of history, and perhaps the church as a whole—but not so much about the small twists and turns of individual lives. Skeptics might even dismiss the idea that God is involved in our personal affairs at all, attributing life’s “surprises” to mere chance or random circumstance.
But Scripture does not allow us to entertain the idea of a distant, uninvolved deity. “For he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens” (Job 28:24 NLT). God’s knowledge is comprehensive. Nothing escapes His notice. He is not an indifferent observer. Psalm 139 reminds us of His deep intimacy with our daily lives: “You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do” (Psalm 139:3 NLT). We are not hidden. We are fully known, fully seen, and fully loved.
If God sees so clearly, why does His will sometimes feel so perplexing? Why do we encounter unexpected detours, difficult assignments, and seasons of loss or disappointment—even while walking faithfully with Him? The answer is not that we have strayed from His will, but that His will is often deeper and more surprising than our own plans.
The Bible is full of such stories. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisoned. None of those experiences felt like God’s blessing in the moment, yet God was at work shaping Joseph into the man who would save an entire nation from famine. (Genesis 50:20)
Ruth, a Moabite widow, found herself in a foreign land gleaning grain just to survive—only to become part of the lineage of King David, and ultimately, the Messiah. (Matthew 1:5)
The disciples, too, were often stunned by Jesus’ choices, from the cross itself to the Great Commission. God delights in working in ways that stretch our understanding and deepen our trust. (Acts 1:8)
Paul gives us language for this mystery in 1 Corinthians 13:11–12: “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”
In this life, we will only ever see part of the picture. Our vision is clouded by time, pain, and perspective. But God sees the entire canvas, beginning to end, and He is painting something beautiful—even if right now it feels unfinished or confusing.
What this means for us is profoundly personal. We are not left to stumble through life alone. We are not victims of chance. Even when we cannot see the pattern, God is weaving something purposeful through our circumstances. (Romans 8:28)
His sovereignty does not mean we will always understand His timing or His methods—far from it. In fact, the mystery of His will often calls for greater faith. (Isaiah 55:9)
Yet that faith is not blind optimism. It is grounded in the truth that God’s knowledge is perfect, His character is faithful, and His purposes are good. Jesus reminded His followers, “And the very hairs on your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30 NLT). This is not just an interesting fact—it is a declaration that nothing about you escapes His attention. If He knows something as small as the number of hairs on your head, surely He knows about your grief, your setbacks, your hopes, and your prayers.
Therefore, we can take comfort—even when life surprises us, even when His will feels like a mystery. The God who sees every path is the same God who walks with us on it. And when we finally look back with perfect clarity, we will see that even the detours were part of His perfect plan. (1 John 3:2)
Blessings on you and yours,
Jim Black
Be a AAA Parent
When I’m asked about what parents can do every day (besides praying) to make a huge difference in their kids’ lives, I tell them three things that can make them “AAA Parents.”
Affection. Everyone needs affection to thrive, but kids want affection from their parents. I’m convinced that one of the reasons teenagers become sexually promiscuous (especially girls) is because they lack affection from the significant male figure in their life. My parents were great, but they weren’t overly affectionate, so I chose to change the script of how I parented. I poured affection into my kids through hugs, back rubs, and snuggling during TV time. For a short season, during their teenage years, the affection wasn’t always returned, but I knew it would when they got older (and I was right). Every day, find a way to be affectionate with your child.
Affirmation. Mark Twain once said, “I can live for two months on one good compliment.” Unfortunately, many kids go two months without any genuine affirmation from their parents. Through their words, parents yield so much power to shape their kids. Children don’t often return the encouragement, and many parents tire and weaken of speaking good words to their children because they feel like they’re not getting anything in return. But remember, it’s not about the parent; it’s about the child. Imagine your child has a bank account and each encouragement, affirmation, positive comment, or intentional and personal word of kindness is a deposit of a penny to their account. Each negative comment is like withdrawing a quarter. How is your child’s bank account doing?
Attention. Simply stated, this means parents need to focus and engage in what’s happening in their kids’ lives. Giving kids attention means more than popping by their bedroom and waving goodnight — it means tucking them in. It means more than asking how their day went — it means asking and really listening to the answer and asking more questions. It means more than making sure they get homework done — it means helping and coaching in a way that they feel confident and empowered. Kids need to feel that they matter to their parents!
Give it a try this week. These actions are easier to remember than they are to put into practice, but I know you can do it.
Parenting isn’t easy. Intentional parenting is even more difficult, but the rewards your child will reap through affection, affirmation, and attention are worth the difficulty it takes for parents to make these into daily habits!
Doug Fields
Families, Parenting
P.R.A.Y. T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R - Future Officers' Fellowship Campaign
OCTOBER: ASK
Ask God, the Lord of the Harvest, to send laborers.
Prayer Focus: Ask God to speak to those who He is calling to be Salvation Army officers.
Majors Emmanuel & Jennifer Masango
Territorial Youth Secretaries
Divisional Youth Chorus
Allison, new Youth Program Specialist
Del Oro Brass
Evan sharing his testimony
Pamela giving the Call to Worship
Morgan sharing her testimony
Darrell, a visiting Salvationist
Doug reads the Bible
Verena leads us in prayer
Schools are back in session, the Halloween store has opened its doors, and the local coffee stands are now serving up everything pumpkin spice and other such fall flavors. That means it’s time for us to start making plans about how to make the 4th annual Trunk-O-Treat at The Salvation Army a blast!
This year, we are adding a craft bazaar to the festivities. As in years past, we will also have hot dogs, carnival-type games, and of course, candy, and prizes! While the event is FREE for all ages to attend and participate in the fun, there are opportunities to financially support our youth programs.
We need you! Here are some of the ways you can participate:
- Decorate your “Trunk”; hand out candy and/or prizes:
- Sponsor an activity table and gain advertising (prices vary by activity)
- Volunteer your time to help make this year memorable for all
- Sell your crafts (for your profit minus a table fee)
- Spread the word for others to participate
We have the date set, so mark your calendars now! The event will be on Sunday, October 26th, 2025, from 1 pm to 3 pm. Set-up times will be on the same day, prior to the event starting.
If you are interested in learning more or signing up to participate, please do not hesitate to reach out via email to this year’s co-organizers, Kris Curtis or Kahlia Hopkins, at Kahlia.Hopkins@usw.salvationarmy.org or by leaving a message for callback at 925-676-6180 x 007.
The QR will take you to the Amazon Registry for items that can be used for prizes instead of candy.
Registration to host a trunk is open on our website at https://volunteer.usawest.org/OpportunityShiftSelection.aspx
The Salvation Army Concord Corps
Email: annmarguerite.jones@usw.salvationarmy.org
Website: https://www.SalvationArmyConcordCA.org
Location: 3950 Clayton Road, Concord, CA, USA
Phone: (925) 676-6180
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSAConcord