We’ve all been startled by the noise on our phones when an Amber alert is issued near where we are. You’ve probably also heard of Silver alerts, but what about Blue Alerts, Camo Alerts, Clear Alerts or even Feather Alerts? Me neither, so let’s investigate what they all mean.

Sharing alerts is an easy way to be a Person of Impact. Even if you don’t personally have a connection to any alerts that you see, you might have someone in your circle who does. Social media can have positive effects on our society when we use it to share important information like alerts that let us know that someone vulnerable is at risk. While you’re sharing, ask them to share it with their friends, too. If we all work together, we can make our communities safer places for ourselves and our loved ones.

It’s easy to think that we won’t ever need to know about these alerts because they will never affect us or anyone we know. That same false sense of security can creep into our churches as well. We don’t want to believe that sometimes we need an alert there too! Paul shared with the early church some words that we need to apply to our faith communities today. Let’s read Acts 20:28-35:

Keep watch over yourselves. Keep watch over all the believers. The Holy Spirit has made you leaders over them. Be shepherds of God’s church. He bought it with his own blood. I know that after I leave, wild wolves will come in among you. They won’t spare any of the sheep. Even men from your own people will rise up and twist the truth. They want to get the believers to follow them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning you. Night and day I warned each of you with tears.

“Now I trust God to take care of you. I commit you to the message about his grace. It can build you up. Then you will share in what God plans to give all his people. I haven’t longed for anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that I have used my own hands to meet my needs. I have also met the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that we must work hard and help the weak. We must remember the words of the Lord Jesus. He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

We need to be on the alert for those wild wolves who try to introduce twisted teaching that can lead to abuses and hurts of all kinds. This was so important to Paul that he warned the early church for three years to the point that he broke down in tears. He has been faithful to shepherd the church, now he is pleading with them to do the same once he leaves.

Too many churches struggle here. When we have so many people who are being hurt in or by the church, how can we expect those who don’t know Jesus to think that we have anything to offer them? Let’s be sure that we are giving more to the church than we are expecting it to give to us. That’s how we are going to keep the wild wolves in check and show our communities that we are safe places for them to come for fellowship and to have their needs met.

If you've got any information on Borges Diaz's whereabouts, please contact the Miami Dade Police Department Special Victims Bureau/Missing Persons Squad at 307-715-3300. You can also call Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS. That's 305-471-8477.

Season 3, Episode 48: Twelve Years Gone: Where Are the Skelton Brothers? Listen here.

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