Resources for Sharing

 

We talked today about books that we could share with others whom we are trying to share Christ.

A New Beginning pamphlet $2.00 at christiansbooks.com

From Billy Graham Association Stone Croft, Millie shared this card and it's available to download and print for free: 

• Wallet Size: https://static.billygraham.org/sites/billygraham.org/uploads/pro/2013/03/30021329/Wallet-SizeStepstoPeacewithGod2.pdf
• Printer Friendly: https://static.billygraham.org/sites/billygraham.org/uploads/pro/2013/03/30021329/Printer-FriendlyStepstoPeacewithGod2.pdf

From the Resource list in Contagious Faith: Mama Bear Apologetics Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Curtal Lies

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mama-Bear-Apologetics-Empowering-Challenge/dp/0736976159/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2IMBHXAFT7GAM&keywords=mama+bear+apologetics+empowering+your+kids+to+challenge+cultural+lies&qid=1668122526&sprefix=mama+bear+apologetics+empowering+your+kids+to+challenge+cultural+lies%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1

From InterVarsity International Student Ministry

Bible (NIV) passages you could use in communicating the good news.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
 

Philippians 2:6-8  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made inhuman likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
 

1 Corinthians 15:3-5  For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
 

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
 

Romans 10:9-10  If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
 

Ephesians 2:8-9  For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God  not by works, so that no one can boast.
 

Ephesians 2:19-20  Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
 

John 15:10 & 13  “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Know Why You Believe

 This book was recommended by Tracey, and it is now in my Amazon cart. 

Amazon: Know Why You Believe by Paul E. Little  

Christian Books

Do science and Scripture conflict? Are miracles possible? Is Christian experience real? Why does God allow suffering and evil?

These are just a few of the twelve most common intellectual challenges to faith that Paul E. Little encountered during his twenty-five years of speaking and teaching in the university. These questions need solid answers, and that's what a million people have already found in this clear and reasonable response to the toughest questions posed to Christian belief.

Sprinkling in a few "sure-fire jokes" and other humorous illustrations, Little uses these questions to jog readers' thinking and help them examine their present worldviews, ranging from scientific determinism to rabid existentialism. By thinking through the most common challenges to Christian faith, believers will be prepared to answer others out of the wellspring of their own certainty.

This edition, revised and updated by Marie Little in consultation with experts in science and archaeology, provides twenty-first-century information and offers solid ground for those who are willing to search for truth. Including a study guide for individuals or groups, Know Why You Believe is the classic answerbook on Christian faith.

Reasons - Questions - Answers

 As we discussed the Reason-Giving Style of Faith Sharing today, Susan shared the two questions unbelievers often have below.

Is the universe highly complex? Absolutely! Take a look around. Since our universe has amazing precision, could it have resulted from an explosion? William Paley gave a great example when he said that every watch requires a watchmaker. Imagine you're taking a walk through a forest near your home. Halfway through your walk  you look down and you see a beautiful gold watch lying near a tree stump. Immediately you wonder how it got there. Do you think, "did the wind and rain come together to form such a beautiful piece of art?" 

No, you would never think such ridiculous thing! You would think something like, I wonder if someone dropped this beautiful watch. You know that the watch was designed by a very talented watchmaker. It didn't result from the wind, rain, erosion, or an explosion. It has clear marks of design. It has a purpose, it conveys information, and it is specifically complex. 

The universe is much more precise and awe-inspiring than that watch. The same characteristics we use to recognize design and something like a watch are the characteristics we use to recognize design in nature. When Isaac Newton studied our solar system he said, "this most beautiful system of the Sun, planets, and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being." 

One of the most powerful arguments that the universe has an Intelligent Designer is the anthropic principle, which states that the earth is perfectly designed for life. For instance if the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere was only slightly higher, materials would too easily catch fire. If the carbon dioxide levels were slightly higher, Earth would have a super-hot environment like Venus. If they were lower, plants would not be able to survive.

There are also more than 100 precisely defined constants describing the structure of our universe. One is gravity. If the strength of gravitational force were altered by the tiniest fraction (1 x 1036 or 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000001%), our sun would not exist, and we wouldn't either! Other constants, such as the strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, and electromagnetism have to be exactly balance, otherwise life anywhere would be impossible.

If God created the world, why does evil exist? Did God create evil?

This is a question that has plagued many people through the history of mankind. It is important to realize that evil was not created in the sense that a rock or a tree was created. Rather, evil is something that occurs and exists. Evil is the absence of good. For example, consider a plot of dirt that is ready to be planted with vegetables. The gardener digs holes in preparation for planting the seeds. What are those holes? In reality the holes are just the absence of dirt. In the same way, darkness is the absence of light and cold is the absence of heat. Evil is the absence of good. When God created the universe, all that existed was good. God gave humans the freedom to choose good. In order for them to choose good, He allowed another choice - evil.

Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?

Natural disasters kill thousands of people, a father hurts his children, cancer plagues a child. We often ask, "why do these things happen?" When God created the first humans, He allowed Adam and Eve the freedom to choose right or wrong. They chose wrong and evil entered the world. Often, bad things happen as a result of evil in the world. Sometimes bad things happen as a result of someone's bad decision. For example, someone driving drunk kills an innocent person. God's creation of that person did not cause him or her to drive drunk. It was a wrong choice that the driver made. In our circumstances, remember that God has a greater good, a good bigger than ourselves. The best person who ever lived, Jesus, suffered greatly for God's greater good.

No matter what situations we face, we can be certain that God is in control of the ultimate outcome whether we are there to witness it or not. God will bring about a greater good from a desperate situation.

Why Believe by Investigate Evidence for Faith By: Melissa Houdmann

Sunflowers and Jesus

 

Sunflowers are fascinating plants. Indigenous to North America, they can grow up to a height of 30 feet, but that's not event the most amazing thing about them. Sunflowers exhibit a behavior called heliotropism which means that they follow the sun. At dawn, they face east and as the sun makes its trek across the sky throughout the day, the flowers turn their faces to track its journey. This ensures that the plants get the light they need to thrive. In the same way, people need light too.

The light of Christ came into this world 2,000 years ago, and it hasn't stopped since. But unlike our sun that shines at predictable times and ways, God's Son shines through people just like you and me.

The Christian writer C.S. Lewis once remarked, “I believe in Christ like I believe in the sun, not because I can see it, but by it I can see everything.” When we help others to see their story as part of the story, that light shines in us.

When we call and check on the people God has put into our lives, that light shines in us. When we refuse to become discouraged at the news coming from our TV's and computers and trust that despite any and all evidence to the contrary, God's got this, that light shines in us. It shines when, like those sunflowers, we set our faces toward the Son and follow wherever He goes.

One more cool sunflower fact – a sunflower isn't just one flower. Inside the head of the average sunflower are between 800-1000 tiny smaller flowers, arranged in a series of interlocking spirals. Each one is capable of producing a sunflower seed. From just one plant, if the conditions are right, you can end up with 1000 more.

That's the source of abundance that the Creator fashioned in this amazing flower, and He fashioned it in us too. When we let our light shine, and we share our stories with others, a seed is planted. Each time we do this we have no way of knowing the sort of yield it may have. It could be that a seed we plant doesn't take root, or it could be that it does, and it produces 30, 60, 100, maybe even 1000 more. And each time it does, those seeds can grow on to keep producing, and their seeds can grow on to keep producing. So, no matter what, keep on shining! Keep sharing the light so that others may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.

Chapters 3-7 Outlines

 Contagious Faith Styles

Style #1 Friendship-Building

Key Skills:

1. Start and Strengthen Relationships

• Deepen Current Friendships

• Renew Lapsed Friendships

• Start New Friendships

2. Initiate Spiritual Conversations

• Bridge from Standard Topics to Spiritual Ones

• Ask Curiosity Questions

• Turn Invitations into Conversations

3. Invite Friends into Life-changing Environments

• Tailor Invitations to Interests and Needs

• Provide Printed Information

• Bring Your Friend with You

Cautions Concerning the Friendship-Building Style

• Stay Genuine

• Establish Boundaries

• Prioritize Truth

Style #2 Selfless-Serving

Key Skills:

1. Nurture a Spirit of Empathy

2. Make Room fort Divine Interruptions

3. Develop Discernment about Who to Serve

Cautions Concerning the Self Style

• Serve without Conditions

• Explain What Motivates You

Style #3 Story-Sharing

Key Skills:

1. Use Questions to Draw Out Your Friend's Spiritual Beliefs

2. Communicate Your Story around a Natural Outline

• Discovery

• Decision

• Difference:

3. Relate Your Story to Your Friend's Situation

Cautions Concerning the Story-Sharing Style

• Embrace Your Story

• Tailor to Your Audience

• Speak in Plain English

Style #4 Reason-Giving

Key Skills:

1. Be Prepared to Give Sound Answers and Evidence

2. Respond to Questions with Gentleness and Respect

3. Move from Good Answers to the Good News

Cautions Concerning the Reason Giving Style

• Clarify the Question

• Study Up

• Admit It When You Don't Know

• Win People, Not Arguments

• Expect a Little Tension

Style #5 Truth-Telling

Key Skills:

1. Be Bold in Initiating Spiritual Conversations

2. Get to the Central Message of the Gospel

3. Ask People to Respond to the Gospel

Cautions Concerning the Truth-Telling Style

• Seek God's Guidance and Wisdom

• Resist Being Overly Cautious

• Affirm the Other Styles

Outlines for Chapters 1 and 2 of Contagious Faith

 Chapter 1 Reached By God to Reach Others

Essential Components of a Contagious Faith

1. This is God's Mission

• Jesus came to seek and to save the lost world, and then told us to go into our world and do the same. Matthew 28:18-20

2. This Mission Is for Every Believer

• God's challenge to reach a lost world is not a task that's reserved for elite Christians, those with special gifts or training. We are ALL members of the church to which Jesus gave the Great Commission.

3. We Must Have it Before We Can Give It Away

• Evangelism is best described as overflow – it's letting the good we have in Christ spill over into the lives of people around us. But that means we really need to have it first.

4. God Can Use Us at Any Stage of Development

• Most of us feel 'out of season' or not ready most of the time. But if we'll make ourselves available to Him, He knows how to make up the difference, using us at whatever our current stage of development might be.

5. We Must Be Fueled by Love

• Christ's love compels us

  • If you're driven to share your faith by any motivation other than love, then you're running on the wrong fuel.

  • Our mission is ultimately not to win arguments, to prove people wrong or get them to join our church or cause. It's to lovingly point them to the Savior so that they too, can experience the love and forgiveness of our gracious God.

6. We Must Grounded in God's Truth

• If you want to lead others into the faith, then you must first make certain that the faith you're leading them into is anchored in the clear and consistent doctrines of God's Holy Word, the Bible.

7. We Must Communicate Through Both Works and Words

• Good works can open hearts; grace-filled words can open minds. The Holy Spirit can use the two elements together to redeem lives for eternity.

8. Reaching People is a Process

• Those we hope to reach rarely make the journey to true faith in one fell swoop. The journey usually happens over time.

• We need to show people why these beliefs make sense – and this requires time, energy, information, and patience.

9. Reaching People is a Team Activity

• The process of someone coming to faith in Jesus is NOT all dependent on you.

• We just need to be prepared and available, and then “make open doors to spiritually encourage and speak to people for Him.

• As each of us is faithful doing our part, He will use us TOGETHER as a team to communicate his purposes of grace and redemption.

10. Reaching People is a Spiritual Activity

• Helping people come to Christ is not just giving them information or answers to their questions and objections. Nor is it just about being passionate or persuasive.

• It is a spiritual struggle that is being fought at an unseen level, and because of this, we are all out of our league and need God's wisdom, help, and intervention.

• Ultimately it is the Holy Spirit who draws people into God's loving arms. We need to be as attuned to Him and His workings as we possibly can be.

• This will come only through spending deep and consistent times with Him in prayer, as well as regularly studying God's Word, the Bible.

• Pray frequently and fervently for the people in your life who need to know Christ. In doing so, you will activate divine forces and unseen activities that we can barely understand – but which will nevertheless impact eternity.

We Were Made to Live for So Much More

• A life spent following Christ is a good thing, but one spent contagiously spreading the grace of Christ to others is an extraordinary thing.

• There is nothing more rewarding than knowing that the God of the universe is loving through you, that He is speaking through you, that He is reaching through you, and that He is in the process of changing the lives of precious men, women, and children through your efforts to bring them to Him.

Ripple Effects of a Contagious Faith

• Seriously, what could be more rewarding? What could be better? What could be more important? What could be more urgent? What else can we invest in that will last forever? In what other ways could small risks turn into changed lives, transformed families, and more and more people headed for eternity with God?

Chapter 2 Finding An Approach That Fits You

Discovering Your Natural Approach

• We categorize evangelism as an activity for one of two kinds of Christ followers: Superstar Christians who have the skills needed to share the gospel effectively, or Offbeat Believers who lack those skills but do it anyway!

• The vast majority of believers end up in “evangelistic no-man's land,” thinking somebody ought to spreading the Good News – but that somebody isn't going to be them. Unfortunately, studies bear this out. A recent LifeWay Research publication reports, for example, that less than half of the churchgoers they surveyed (45 percent) had shared information on how to become a Christian with someone in the prior six months.

• You can be that spiritual ambassador. You can be a God-appointed missionary, sent at least initially to reach the people you know best. Now you just need to get prepared. You need to find your natural niche for spiritually influencing others. You'll also want to hone a few Key Skills on how to tell them about your faith.

  
  
  

Encouragement in Current Times

 I love pretty journals and notebooks. I just smile when I see one, and the feel of it in my hands is comfortable and happy. Of course I do write in them too! I have one for quotes that I collect, one for the current Bible Study that I'm involved in, and one for random thoughts and quotes from the devotionals, radio & TV broadcasts, podcasts etc. I just looked over what I've collected over the past couple months and found several on encouragement that I'd like to share with you.

The gospel alone can triumph over the many challenges we are facing in our culture and our world at this hour. Spiritual warfare is real, and it's growing more intense as time grows shorter. We cannot be discouraged, not a bit! "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge in every place."  2 Corinthians 2:14

One recent news report said, "the gospel is spreading through Iran at a sizzling pace." Another report said "the Holy Spirit is on fire in Iran."

 David Jeremiah recently said, "We can have unwavering joy, even in these last days, because the gospel is triumphant, and Jesus is victorious. Nothing can stop him, and no one can stall his work on earth. As the apostle Paul said, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ." 2 Corinthians 2:14. "As followers of Christ, we read the news differently than other people. When you hear reports of the Iranian nuclear deal or the ayatollahs apocalyptic threats, remember there's more going on than meets the eye. The Lord is at work behind the headlines, and the gospel is spreading into every corner of the earth with its message of triumph."

We have no reason to be discouraged and cast down if the religion we profess is not popular and few agree with us. We must remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: 'The gate is narrow'. Repentance, and faith in Christ, and holiness of life, have never been fashionable. The true flock of Christ has always been small. It must not move us to find that we are reckoned singular, and peculiar, and bigoted, and narrow minded. This is the 'narrow way'. Surely it is better to enter into eternal life with a few—than to go to Hell with a great company. JC Ryle

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:  “For your sake we face death all day long; we are  considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  ~Romans 8:35-39

New Study Fall 2022

 

Contagious Faith by Mark Mittelberg

As disciples of Christ, we are called to share the gospel, but few of us are naturally comfortable with evangelism. We wrestle with internal fears, a lack of preparation, and the sense that reaching out to others might force us to act like someone we're not. What if we could find a way to talk about Jesus that fits our personalities, makes us feel confident, and ignites a fire in others? You were created for more than just loving your family, building your career, or attending weekly church services. You were made to share God's love with others in ways that can impact their lives and redirect their eternities. Mark Mittelberg explains in a down-to-earth fashion several key skills that will help you communicate your faith in infectious ways, illustrating his message with real-life accounts of ordinary believers who applied these principles for extraordinary impact. The five Contagious Faith Styles--Friendship-Building, Selfless-Serving, Story-Sharing, Reason-Giving, and Truth-Telling, help you discover which of these approaches (or combination of them) will enable you to naturally share your faith in Jesus with the people around you.

Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, a thinker or a feeler, this book will give you practical ways of sharing your faith that reflect how God has made you to help build his kingdom.

This study will begin on September 29, 2022 9:30-11:00

Pray for Israel

 Jerusalem is mentioned in the Bible 811 times, with Babylon being the next most mentioned city 287 times. Jerusalem appears in about 2/3 of the books of the old and almost 1/2 of the books of the New testament.

"Jerusalem is the city at the center. It is the center of mankind's hopes and God's purposes. God loves it, Satan hates it, Jesus wept over it, the holy Spirit descended in it, the nations are drawn to it, and Christ will return and reign in it. Indeed the destiny of the world is tied to the future of Jerusalem."

Randall Price

In The World, Not Of the World

 Jesus told us, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16

This verse has come to mean a great deal to me as I attempt to live a Christian life in these times. We need wisdom to live in the world but not of the world. Many people believe wisdom means speaking and acting in conformity or agreement with a larger group. This wisdom of the crowd, is called “Groupthink.” It is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a group of people living or working in close proximity, reaches a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the consequences or alternatives. Groupthink is based on a common desire not to upset the balance of a group of people.

Humans are funny creatures aren't we? With our faith in Christ and our church groups we have the power to rise above Groupthink, in order to act in the ways that Christ has directed. This is certainly not always easy. I used Google to find the verse that I find so helpful about living in the world but not being of the world. Do you know what I discovered? Ten Bible verses about us being not of this world! (see list below)

Our true home is not in this sinful world it is in Heaven. There are bad things in this world and there will be suffering, but believers can be assured that there is a glorious Kingdom that awaits us in Heaven. Do not love the things of the world and be conformed to it. The things that unbelievers live for are temporary and it is only temporary.

Live for Christ. Stop trying to fit in. Don’t act how people of this world act, but be an emulator of Christ and spread the gospel as he directed us to in Matthew 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As Christians, we are in the world, but not of the world:

 John 17:14-16 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

 1 Peter 2:11-12 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

1 John 4:5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.

1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

James 4:4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. 

Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The Word of God

 I can not remember where I found this quote. I wrote it down and forgot to include the source. I believe that the World of God is vitally important to our daily lives, no matter how busy we get. I want to place this on the forefront of my mind, and I want to share this with Sisters.

"The word of God will produce spiritual growth in your life. When you don't read it, you become stagnant in your spiritual walk with the Lord. We all live in a toxic world. Toxicity isn't limited to the physical realm. We live in a spiritually toxic world. The word of God is like spiritual dialysis. God's word will protect you from Satan. Get into the word of God."

Social Pain

 I recently became aware of the term Social Pain in a couple different places: Psychology Today, HealthLine, and in the book, Where Do We Go From Here by David Jeremiah. Neuroscientists in Italy have discovered that “social pain” activates the same brain regions as physical pain. The researchers also found that witnessing the social pain of another person activated a similar physical pain response of empathy in most test subjects.

The COVID 19 pandemic exacerbated the problem, taking people from the workplace and schools and forcing them to live in isolation. However, Dr. Jeremiah says that the root cause of disconnection is spiritual in nature, and I whole-heartedly agree. When we are disconnected from God, we don't have the love, peace, joy, kindness or patience to show others. He says we become isolated in our self-centeredness.

Our society is suffering from social pain which involves painful emotions caused by situations involving other people, such as feeling rejected, devalued, alone, ostracized, abandoned or disconnected. Satan surely has a hand in this and we can combat it through prayer, Bible Reading and staying in touch with others. Making a phone call, sending a note or a card of encouragement to someone going through a rough time is a tangible way to combat Social Pain and extend our love to others.

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Fellowship

 I'm currently reading Where Do We Go From Here by David Jeremiah. In it, Jeremiah speaks about he word fellowship in Ephesians 5:11. It is translated from the Greek word sunkoinoneo. The last part of the word means fellowship, but the prefix sun, is the Greek word for with. It means participating with someone in doing something. This verse tells us that once we become a child of the light, we can not longer participate with those who are doing the works of darkness.

It doesn't mean we reject those people, or stop loving them, or cut them from our lives. It means we no longer participate with them in things that are unworthy of our walk with Christ. We are still in the world, but we are no longer of the world.

That is a really difficult place to be isn't it? In the world but not of the world.  We still love some people, we continue to have them in our lives, but we have to watch what we do with them. It's like a fence we straddle in this world. Jesus said, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. Matt. 10:16. It's not always easy to stay on the fence, we lean to one side or another from time to time. Sometimes we fall off. Okay, many times we fall off, and when we do the are wolves waiting for us!

`Ephesians 5:8-12

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.

New Study

 Information on the upcoming study, Grace by Max Lucado can be found under the schedule tab.