Dear gracEmail family, You have reached out to me and our family with gracious words and many emails, which I am just now responding to, and we are grateful for each compassionate word and shared memory. I am posting links to both of the memorial services for Edward. I believe each one is a sweet window into the extraordinary life of Edward Fudge. The Franklin service participants included: Rob McRay, Henry Fudge, Robert Fudge, Paul Fudge, Aaron Fudge, and Pat Arrabito. Our daughter Melanie led the worship and our son Jeremy and his daughters spoke at the end. Jeremy concluded his … [Read more...]
HOUSTON HURRICANE REPORT
gracEmail September 21, 2017 Edward Fudge So many of you have inquired of us and others after praying for our safety during the recent onslaught by Hurricane Harvey. We are thankful that we suffered no personal damage or even loss of power and we grieve for hundreds of thousands of others who did, including numerous gracEmail subscribers. Frank Coats is pastor of Lake Houston United Methodist Church, which was thoroughly flooded and has conducted Sunday services for the past several weeks in the yard. Within our own Bering Drive church of fewer than 200 people, eight families were … [Read more...]
WAYNE MCDANIEL
He was usually one of the first to respond to any new gracEmail. His subject line would often say "another ace." Not for outstanding human wisdom or human oratory, but because it pointed to Jesus. Wayne was above all a Jesus man, and because it was my goal to be one also, he was one of my most faithful encouragers for more than 50 years. Wayne died on Monday, August 14, 2017, at age 70. He was still excited to be teaching Bible classes and preaching about Jesus when possible. I first met Wayne and Phyliss McDaniel in their trailer home at Florida College, when he was a student and eager to … [Read more...]
Family Notes 20/4/17
ERIC METAXAS GUEST Recently I was invited to be the guest for an hour on the Eric Metaxas radio talk show, broadcast nationwide. The interview aired yesterday, Wednesday, April 19, in the second hour. The podcast of that conversation may be heard at : www.metaxastalk.com/podcast/wednesday-april-19-2017/ Eric was kind, courteous, and sincerely interested in the topic. He was also well-prepared, asked me about Hell and Mr. Fudge movie, and apparently had read rather broadly on the topic. He treated me withrespect and presented himself as a humble lover of truth throughout. He is an … [Read more...]
Family Notes 09/11/2016
THE NINTH DAY OF NOVEMBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. ONLY THE PEACE OF GOD Late last night, gracEmail subscriber Glenn Lashway sent the following in his weekly email column "Gleanings": "Well, it's almost over. Just a few more hours from when I am writing this and we will have elected a new President. Pray for that person. The task of reuniting the country will be monumental, if even possible at all! I for one will be very glad that this whole thing will be over, even if only for a couple of years. I will try very hard to remember that God is still on the … [Read more...]
Family Notes 02/11/2016
THE SECOND DAY OF NOVEMBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. UNDERSTANDING REQUIRES LOVE "I have found the following big picture ideas helpful as a framework for Christian interpretation of Scripture in God-honoring ways," writes gracEmail subscriber and blogger Bobby Valentine. (Read the entire article excerpted below at: stonedcampbelldisciple.com/ Creation rebelled and . . . erected a barrier between Creator and Creation. God is working within creation to redeem, restore and even glorify his creation. The Gist of that Story is this: God created the universe as an act … [Read more...]
Family Notes 19/10/2016
THE NINETEENTH DAY OF OCTOBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. ZOE WORSHIP CONFERENCE Register online until Nov 1st, for the Zoe worship conference and hear featured presenters Constance Cherry, Luke Norsworthy, Mike Cope, Heather Hodges, Jack & Jill Maxwell, Jeff Barker, and Amanda Roberts. Visit: www.zoegroup.org COPY ON FACEBOOK A reader asks if he may cut and paste a gracEmail for his Facebook friends. Yes, indeed -- any time, and without further permission! FREEDOM! Feedback like the following from "Rebecca M." brings joy to us and … [Read more...]
Family Notes 11/10/2016
THE ELEVENTH DAY OF OCTOBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. POLITICAL CHRISTIANITY: AMERICAN STYLE In today's super-charged political world, the difference between the two major presidential candidates is often defined in terms of which is the greater scoundrel (if not felon) and respected Christian spokespersons are found endorsing them both -- in voices equally judgmental and equally dogmatic. In such times as these, Scot McKnight, in my opinion, is one of the most biblical, balanced, and evenhanded observers and commentators to be found. His blog post, named above … [Read more...]
Family Notes 4/10/2016
THE FOURTH DAY OF OCTOBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. EDDIE SNYDER (1957-2016) I attended the Chattanooga seminar on the gospel in the late 1970s, excited to meet its sponsor-speaker, Australian Robert Brinsmead, who had helped me understand the gospel through his "Verdict" magazine (earlier "Present Truth"). Also at the conference were Eddie and Leah Snyder, who were to become my lifelong friends. Later they drove from Tennessee to join us at the church in the barn in Athens, Ala. Years later I visited them on a speaking trip in Pennsylvania, and again during a … [Read more...]
Family Notes 24/08/2016
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY OF AUGUST IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN. When the Peoples Republic of China was founded in 1949, the nation had 500,000 Christians. Add 70 years of official governmental oppression, and today Christians number more than 60,000,000. At that rate, by 2030 we can expect to see 200,000,000 Christians in Communist China, says Purdue University sociologist Fenggang Yang, making it home to the largest Christian population in the world. What is going on? CHINA'S CHRISTIAN FUTURE By Yu Jie The beginnings of this immense growth can be traced back to two … [Read more...]