Letter

1. “Why me?”
I asked that question as I was finishing what seemed
like an endless round of chemotherapy and radiation
treatment. Other discouragements had piled up—losing
a loved one, job changes, family crisis—until finally I
cried out, “I’ve known You my entire life, and I know that
when my faith is tested my endurance grows, but I’m tired!
Why me?”
As I’m reading through the Old Testament, what I
am learning is that I’m not alone. Even my Bible heroes
got discouraged! Reading about their lives, I have an
advantage; I can see the fruit that came from their
trials, frustrations, heartbreaks, and disappointments.
Some trials made them stronger. Some made other
people stronger. Some pointed to God Most High while
others set the path for the Messiah to come. But ALL
these heroes’ lives reflected God’s faithfulness. They
Continued on backwww.insight.org
COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNICATING BIBLICAL TRUTH AND ITS APPLICATION
Everybody,
take a deep
breath, and give
everyone the
room you would
like to have in
your life — to be
and to do.
— Charles R. Swindoll
by CHUCK SWINDOLL
COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNICATING BIBLICAL TRUTH AND ITS APPLICATION
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duced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. Insights is published monthly by Insight for Living Ministries, the Bible-teaching ministry of Charles R. Swindoll.
Insight for Living Ministries is an autonomous ministry. Cover inset of Chuck Swindoll: Edmonson Photography. Printed in the United States of America.
Hear this full conversation at reframingministries.com /podcasts.
Growing Up with Grace: A Swindoll Family Conversation, continued from front
small, we had rules, but they were basic-to-life rules;
they weren’t numerous, tight, little, nitpicking rules.
At home or anywhere else, when we make
nonessentials essential, we quickly enter the realm of
legalism. Cynthia and I agreed, if it’s not essential, let’s
not make a big deal about it. Now, you’ve also got to
determine, “What’s essential?” Is it because Scripture
states it as such . . . or just because you’ve always
believed it?
Austin: In other words, are we focusing on what the
Bible says or what we want it to say?
Chuck:You’reexactlyright.Intoanysituation,webring
the roots of our lives. The way I was raised naturally
came from my original family. The way Cynthia was
raised naturally came from hers. We had to learn to
ask, “Why do we keep saying our children must do
such-and-such?” I remember years ago, Colleen, all
you kids wanted to sleep outside. I said, “No, no, no!
You’ll get bit by spiders. Somebody might crawl over
the fence and kidnap you. Or, you’ll get cold.” Your
mom pulled me aside and said, “What’s wrong with
letting them sleep in a little tent out back? What’s the
big deal?” She developed a rule I will never forget, and I
love her so much for teaching me this: “Unless we have
to say no, let’s always look for ways to say yes.” And
you know what? It worked. I loosened up, and you kids
had a blast (and nobody ever got bit!).
Colleen: I made some of my best memories in that
yard!
Chuck: I know it! You slept outside, and I thought,
They lived to see the sunrise! No spiders bit ’em. The
snakes didn’t crawl into their tent. They didn’t set the
house on fire.
Colleen: Well . . . that did happen on the patio, but I’ll
leave that out!
Chuck: Yeah, what I don’t know doesn’t concern me!
Colleen: One thing I want to emphasize is that, in the
nonessentials, we give grace and let go of our lists. But
even if somebody has committed a sin, we should give
grace! Christ invited those living sinful lifestyles to
come to dinner and sit and talk with Him. One thing
I love about Austin is that he hosts Bible studies and
invites people who believe all kinds of things.
Austin: Jesus said, “Healthy people don’t need a
doctor—sick people do” (Mark 2:17). If we ignore
people who have an atheistic worldview or struggle
with some addiction or have a smorgasbord of
questionable issues . . . if we don’t demonstrate grace to
them, how are we replicating the grace Christ showed?
He modeled the message we’re to model!
Chuck: And I don’t think Jesus sat there with a harlot
and talked about how she ought not be a harlot the
whole time they were having their meal together! Same
for a man who was ripping people off financially.
Austin: Legalists focus on consequences. Someone
who has that weight dumped on them can’t focus
on why something is wrong or right. In our family,
through generations, there’s been an emphasis on
principle. Mom and Toban would often say, “Think
about whether it’s right or not instead of thinking only
about the consequence.” I learned to think for myself
that way.
Colleen: And I want to interject something here.
When Ashley and Austin grew up and moved out, I
didn’t give them a list, “You need to do this or never do
that.” I haven’t even looked at their social media pages
because I have my own life to deal with! They have to
deal with their own lives.
Chuck: This is grace at its best: when you’re able to
say, “They have their lives. And that also means that
my attention needs to be on my life.” Only One should
be in charge of everyone’s lives . . . His name is Jesus.
If He wants me to do something, I need to be doing it.
But the room He gives you, the breadth He gives you,
that’s between you and Him! Follow Him. He gives you
truth, and what does that do? It sets you free. What a
great way to live!
by LINDA RICKS
Director of Ministry Events
FROM INSIGHT FOR LIVING MINISTRIES
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June29 – July6,2019
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UPCOMING
VOLUME 40
ISSUE 3
Holding Fast to His Unchanging Hand
ecently, three generations of Swindolls sat down to chat about grace. This
conversation between Chuck, his daughter Colleen, and her son Austin is
this month’s Reframing Ministries featured interview. Get a sneak peek below
and listen to the full recording at www.reframingministries.com /podcasts.
• • •
Chuck: I wrote The Grace Awakening to say, in effect, “Everybody, take a deep
breath, and give everyone the room you would like to have in your life—to
be and to do.” How you rear your children may be different from how your
neighbors rear theirs. The entertainment you enjoy may be different from
what they would choose. Neither is sinful, just different. When you’re a
legalist, though, you’re looking through a tiny radius, like a toilet paper
roll . . . and that’s the most dreadful way I can imagine to live one’s life!
Colleen: I’m often asked, “What was it like growing up in a pastor’s home?
You must’ve had all these rules.” But I really didn’t. You never said, “Colleen,
you have to do this or that because of what people will say about me.”
Chuck: I often would say, “Don’t do this for my sake. You’re not maintaining
your purity so your dad will have a good reputation. You’re doing that for
your benefit. When you compromise, you hurt yourself. There may be
ramifications that fall back on me, but that’s not your concern. Your main
concern ought to be you and your walk with Christ.” That kind of grace
allows people to grow up! Now, obviously, when you and your siblings were
R
A Year in the Word
kept walking, believing, trusting . . . and God
remained present, even in their darkest times of
discouragement.
I’ve had a tough few years. At times, I’ve felt like
I’m staring down the Red Sea. I’ve heard God’s call
to trust Him deeper, walk with Him a little further,
and rest in Him a little more because He has a plan.
As I read Exodus 14:13–14, Moses’ words calm my
heart: “‘Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch
the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see
today will never be seen again. The Lord himself
will fight for you. Just stay calm.’”
God hasn’t answered why I must go through
these trials, but I know I can trust Him to fulfill His
plan. All I must do is hold fast to His unchanging
hand.
• • •
Will you read the Bible with us? You can find
Chuck’s Bible reading plan on our mobile app.
Click the Bible icon . . . then go to insight.org /share
to tell us what you’re learning!
I’ve heard God’s call
to trust Him deeper,
walk with Him a little
further, and rest in Him
a little more because
He has a plan.
— Linda Ricks
Linda Ricks oversees Ministry Events at Insight
for Living Ministries and finds encouragement
from God’s Word through the daily Bible reading
program.

2. our international headquarters to tour The Book Shoppe
& Coffee. Impressed, Keith suggested Bill visit David in
Panama during harvest season.
Finding the World’s Best Coffee
Winter 2018, Bill and Jeremy Brudwick, our director of
Operations, landed in Panama and settled in for a week
at David’s home, 5,000 feet up the side of Baru Volcano.
As they were driving out to the plantation to see the
harvesting process, Bill told David, “Put us to work!”
“We wanted to learn why you pick some beans and
leave others on the branches. We wanted to carry the
bags to where the beans are dried and sorted,” Bill recalls.
“Those bags are 100 pounds, and so David said, ‘Sure!’
We did everything from picking and carrying to sorting
and re-bagging, floating the beans in a unique water
system that David designed just for his plantation.”
Upon retiring from NASA, David pursued a
successful career in photography. But three years ago, he
felt led to join the coffee business that extends through
At the end of the service, Lia Pech worked her
way down the aisle of Stonebriar Community
Church in Frisco, Texas, to meet senior pastor-
teacher Chuck Swindoll and his wife, Cynthia. Lia
had waited for this moment ever since she first heard
“Finding Healing through Forgiveness.”
“Cynthia,” Lia said taking her hand, “your testimony
changed my life.” After chatting a few minutes, Cynthia
turned to Lia’s husband and asked, “What do you do?”
“Well,I’maretiredNASAengineer,”Davidanswered,
“and now I run a coffee plantation in Panama.” Cynthia’s
eyes twinkled; this was no chance encounter. She smiled
at David and Lia, “Boy, do I have somebody who needs
to meet you!”
• • •
Over the last nearly 40 years, Chuck and Cynthia
have learned to recognize those “only-God moments”
that have built Insight for Living Ministries into
a multifaceted ministry intent on Vision 195, our
mission to reach all 195 nations and their 6,875 heart
languages. Even so, when Cynthia connected David to
Bill Gemaehlich, she had no idea just how big God’s
plan was.
As Insight for Living Ministries’ executive vice
president and chief operations officer, Bill has overseen
the construction and design of the ministry’s newest
outreach: The Book Shoppe & Coffee. The Lord has
paired Bill’s decades of leadership experience with
a passion for mentoring and a refined coffee palate,
making him the perfect person to direct this project—
from helping select the antique wood beams that create
the shoppe’s old-world feel . . . to hiring baristas with
coffee-making skills and hearts for evangelism . . . to
stocking the coffee bar with the world’s best beans. And
it just so happens that some of the finest and rarest
beans grow in Panama’s rich, volcanic soil.
After Bill and David connected via e-mail, David’s
son, Keith, who’s a part of the family business, visited
five generations of Lia’s family, the Ruizes. Since then,
he’s been developing a new, unconventional way of
growing and harvesting beans. David calls it the “Noble
Process.” Why? “Because,” as David says, “It’s a noble
thing to do.” It’s a process that began with questioning
why the coffee business does what it’s always done and
how it could be better . . . and it’s resulted in an innovated
water system that not only improves the quality and
efficiency of the plantation’s output but also provides
hot water and showers for the Ngobe people who work
on the plantation. And this is where the story really gets
exciting. . . .
Reaching the World through Coffee
When the idea of our opening a bookstore and coffee
shop first came about, we decided two things. First, if
we do this, it has to play a meaningful role in Vision 195.
Second, either we do this with excellence, or we don’t
do it at all. Impacting our local community in Frisco,
Texas, is a natural way The Book Shoppe & Coffee
will further Vision 195. We quickly determined we
would also serve quality coffee from around the world,
featuring different countries and dedicating a portion of
the proceeds to ministering in those countries.
However, acquiring the expensive, illustrious coffee
that grows in Panama never crossed our minds! We had
no idea that one of the most prominent coffee-growing
families in Panama not only loved the Lord but had
been impacted by the Swindolls and had a heart for
reaching the indigenous Ngobe people they employ.
And we certainly didn’t know we would be meeting
that family shortly before The Book Shoppe & Coffee
officially opened its doors!
As Bill and Jeremy dined with the Ruiz family at
the historic Hotel Panamonte in Boquete, Panama, Bill
shared with them that we would like to “sew” ministry
seeds back into every country that provides us with
coffee beans. “Our goal,” Bill explained, “is to teach—
in every nation and every language—the study and
application of God’s Word in an accurate, practical
way. We’re working on getting Chuck’s Searching
the Scriptures book and curriculum translated into
other languages. And we plan to train pastors from
each country to use Searching the Scriptures to help
indigenous pastors understand how to study, apply, and
share God’s Word.”
The table erupted with a flurry of excited Spanish
phrases! Bill’s and Jeremy’s hearts raced. “We don’t need
U.S. Christians to show us how to evangelize,” David
said. “We know how to evangelize our people. But what
we DO need is better knowledge about Scripture—how
to study, interpret, and apply it.”
David’s sister-in-law Maria smiled enthusiastically,
“Okay, let’s stop talking theory. Pragmatically, how do
you make it happen?”
• • •
“Coffee from Panama was a door we didn’t expect to
open,” Bill says. “So when it did, we thought, We’ve got
to do this! We went there for a procurement trip and
found another, completely unexpected open door into
ministry.”
This May, our Spanish-language pastor, Carlos
Zazueta, and our director of our Guatemala office, Jorge
Ponce, will travel to Panama to meet the Ruiz family.
Together, they’ll begin making plans for a potential
Searching the Scriptures training conference for local
pastors.
Meanwhile, the intoxicating smells of delicious
Panamanian coffee will float through The Book Shoppe
& Coffee, mingling with the prayers of our staff as
they brew coffee, stock bookshelves, and engage in
conversations with customers. And behind each of
their name badges will beat the heart of a passionate
believer, ever intent on listening and looking for those
“only-God moments” that are making Vision 195
become a reality.
Jeremy spreads freshly picked coffee cherries on a rack
to dry in the warm Panama sun.
Ngobe employees turn the coffee cherries on the racks
for drying.
Jeremy Brudwick and Bill Gemaehlich visit Damarli
Estate to learn David Pech’s coffee growing methods
and explore new avenues for ministry in Panama.
Workers at Damarli Estate sort the coffee cherries,
selecting the best beans for processing.
David Pech adds a yeast mixture to the coffee to
aid fermentation—a critical component of David’s
Noble coffee production process.
David Pech, owner of Damarli Estate coffee
plantation, inspects the Geisha coffee beans on
the drying racks. Panama Geisha is considered
one of the world’s finest coffee varietals.
Brewing Faith and Dreams
Vision 195 and Insight for Living Ministries’
The Book Shoppe & Coffee
David Pech
personally checks the
fermentation barrels
used in the Noble
production process.