Category: Zac

Cancer Free!

On By MarkIn Cancer, Pray, Zac12 Comments

How about this for a ‘faith-check’. Did I really believe? Yes, I did. I believe God is amazingly and sovereignly gracious in all His acts. He is glorified through life and death. He is glorified even when we can’t understand and struggle accepting His actions. And sometimes He is glorified as He delivers what we call ‘really, really good news’.

Today, I received word that my nephew Zac is cancer free! The Friday before Mother’s Day he was diagnosed with stage 4 (worst possible) colon cancer with spots on his liver and spleen. Many of you have followed him on his blog (listed to the side of this one) and have prayed with him and for him. Many of us have believed the whole time that God is certainly able to heal, but we also know that God sometimes brings glory to Himself with the news that we don’t want to hear.

Today God has showered us with a huge blessing. Zac is healed of his cancer. Read his blog for his words on what’s next.

So, as we trust God for His plans for Zac and all of us, let’s also pause to celebrate and thank Him. The Jewish people would celebrate for days, with lots of food, dancing, musical instruments, etc as a response to God’s goodness and His favor. Somewhere, somehow, enjoy the celebration with us today on Zac’s behalf.

Zac Smith @Grace This Sunday

On By MarkIn Cancer, God's Glory, GRACE, Preaching, Zac2 Comments

I believe it was the Friday just before Mother’s Day when Zac went in for a colonoscopy.  That day he learned that he had a lemon-sized tumor. The next morning they did surgery and it wasn’t long before he learned the cancer was at a stage four status. There are only four stages.

I remember learning of the news by talking with my brother Jim, (Zac’s dad) and wept on the phone realizing this wasn’t going to be the news any of us wanted to hear.  Immediately I began to mourn for my nephew.  I couldn’t believe my 32 year old nephew had cancer.  I remember a few days later getting a phone call from Zac. Just seeing his name on my cell phone seemed to affect me.  It seemed surreal to be talking to a young man I know well and love much, yet feeling so helpless. There’s nothing to say, nothing to fix, simply being on the phone was going to be good enough. And it was.

Zac has served us all well by sharing his thoughts via his blog.  He’s allowed us to read the journey as he is experiencing it.  I would think it would be very easy to become very private and secluded, whether in sorrow, self pity or overwhelmed thoughts of the brevity of life.  I can’t imagine all that Zac is experiencing, but I’m grateful that he is sharing parts of the story with us. On the side of this blog, you can find a link to his blog. Go and read it.

This Sunday, Zac will be speaking at Grace. This is huge.  Zac is an excellent teacher, preacher, and thinker.  Whatever you can do to be at Grace this week, it’ll be worth the effort. I’m trusting God for an amazing time together learning of the marvelous and amazing grace of God as seen and experienced through this young man’s life.  We start at 10.  For my Grace peeps, let’s be praying now for God’s Spirit to minister in a special way this Sunday.

Sundays @ Grace

On By MarkIn church, GRACE, Missions, ZacLeave a comment

I love Sundays @ Grace. Someone has said the church is not measured by the seats in the auditorium but by those sent out. This coming Sunday July 5th, we’ll be hearing from some of our very own missionaries sent out by Grace. Each of them serve with Network of International Christian Schools. (http://www.nics.org/)

Charity LaMertha and Molly Evans serve in Indonesia and Scot and Kristen Byrd serve in South Korea. These four will be telling their stories, which is in fact a story of God’s grace in the lives of those ‘zealous for good works’ (Titus 2:14).

The following Thursday, July 9th, we’ll have a special gathering at the Ministry Center with Jason and Tami Rogers, our missionaries to Nicaragua.  (http://rogersinnicaragua.com/)  In a more intimate setting, we’ll learn of God’s great work of grace through their ministry.

The next Sunday, July 12, I’m honored to have my nephew Zac Smith as my guest. (http://www.hello-righton.com/)  Last week, I shared a little of Zac’s story. Later this week I’ll add more here about his life with cancer.

Each of these guests are amazing examples of God’s grace in obeying His call and “devoting themselves to good works” (Titus 3:8)