GuideStone® was originally established in 1918 to provide financial support and assistance for retired pastors and widows. Today, we continue to carry out that mission through the ministry of Mission:Dignity®. Here’s an encouraging devotional from one of our recipients:
I Don’t Like ChangeHebrews 13:8 (CSB)
James Vann authored this issue’s devotional. He served the Lord alongside his wife, Sherry, for more than 40 years.
My wonderful wife, Sherry, and I retired after 45 years of full-time pastoral ministry in Georgia and Alabama. We have embraced our calling, which led to many wonderful memories and lifelong friendships.
While attending many pastor support groups through the years, one thing became evident. Many of my pastor friends confessed they were very insecure and, over time, became anxious when faced with changes within church ministry. These changes included:
Over the years, we have experienced many of these issues, but have never regretted our calling. We have experienced traumatic events such as serious health issues and the loss of family members. We lost our oldest son in 2023 at 50 years old. We lost a nine-year-old grandson in an accident. We both lost our parents and have personally experienced a decline in health.
Our church friends became our support system as they lovingly cared for us through it all, but the promise found in Hebrews 13:8 (CSB) has been how we have retained our joy through the years. Its truth can help you, too. It says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Church situations may change, but Jesus is always the same.
Loss of loved ones brings change, but Jesus is always the same.
Declining health changes things, but Jesus is always the same.
People change, but Jesus is always the same.
How can you cling to the promise of Christ this week?
Want more devotionals? Our 40-day devotional book written by our Mission:Dignity recipients is available to order here.
This information is prepared by GuideStone Capital Management, LLC®, a controlled affiliate of GuideStone Financial Resources®. This material is provided for educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell securities. Diversification is not a guarantee against loss. This information does not represent any GuideStone® product. Special risks are inherent in international investing, including those related to currency fluctuations and foreign, political and economic events.
The material represented has been obtained from sources we consider reliable, but which we cannot guarantee. It is subject to change without notice and is not intended to influence your investment decisions. This information discusses general market activity, industry or sector trends or other broad-based economic, market or political conditions and should not be construed as research or investment advice.
All indices are unmanaged and not available for direct investment. Index performance assumes no taxes, transaction costs, fees or expenses. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
The S&P 500® Index is a market capitalization-weighted equity index composed of approximately 500 U.S. companies representing all major industries. The index is designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of its constituents. “Standard & Poor’s®”, “S&P 500®”, “Standard & Poor’s 500” and “500” are trademarks of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and have been licensed for use by GuideStone.
The Russell 2000® Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe and is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index, representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of that Index. It includes approximately 2,000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current Index membership. The Index is completely reconstituted annually to ensure that larger stocks do not distort the performance and characteristics of the actual small-cap opportunity set. Frank Russell Company (“Russell”) is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks and copyrights related to the Russell Indexes. Russell® is a trademark of Frank Russell Company. Neither Russell nor its licensors accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the Russell Indexes and/or Russell ratings and/or underlying data and no party may rely on any Russell Indexes and/or Russell ratings and/or underlying data contained in this communication. No further distribution of Russell Data is permitted without Russell’s express written consent. Russell does not promote, sponsor or endorse the content of this communication. Index used with permission. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Crude Oil Index is a benchmark in oil pricing, representing the price of oil extracted in the United States, primarily from Texas and surrounding areas. WTI is widely used in the oil futures market for trading and contract settlements. The Index reflects the spot and futures prices for WTI crude oil as traded on the New York Mercantile Exchanges (NYMEX).
Commentary
• Jan 6, 2026 