By John Henson, McMinnville TN
Colossians 3:12-14
- Bowels of Mercies: A Heart of Compassion (Verse 12)
- Kindness, Humility, Meekness, Longsuffering (Verse 12)
- Forbearing, forgiving (Verse 13)
- The Bond of Perfectness: The Bond of Unity (Verse 14)
Jesus, the cure for emptiness
By Lance Foster, Iuka MS
John 4
- The Samaritan woman had an empty bucket.
- She had an empty life.
- She had an empty marriage.
- She had an empty worship.
Conclusion: “Come and see” vs. 29.
Win Each Battle
Circle your people with your protection,
O God who shields the weak from harm;
We suffer from attacks of Satan,
And fall to this world’s evil charm.
Let Christ the Victor come to conquer,
And we, with him, saved from defeat,
To win each battle, with him as Anchor,
We need not fear nor ever retreat.
Remove self from the equation
Our Father in Heaven, you are the center of all our existence. Let your Self be our concern. Remove our desires and self from the equation. Help me to see that it’s not about me. May your Name be honored.
Lord, may your kingdom reach those who presently live under the reign of the evil one. And may the eternal kingdom arrive today and usher us into your heavenly presence.
Make your grace dominate so thoroughly that the evil one is vanquished and righteousness reign in every act and thought.
Keep before us the risen Lord Jesus as our Master and Savior, that he may be example and leader as we march toward victory and wait for the end.
Four negatives for Corinth
By John Henson, McMinnville TN
1 Cor 10
- Neither be ye idolaters (verse 7)
- Neither let us commit fornication (verse 8)
- Neither let us tempt Christ (verse 9)
- Neither murmur ye (verses 10-11)
Insight into gospel’s simplicity
Father, let your will be our food, as it was for Jesus Christ.
Let our hearts and minds be occupied with doing what pleases you.
Give us insight into the simplicity of the gospel.
We desire the Spirit’s abode in us.
Make us content in your presence.
Show us the power of your hand as we work and serve.
Be glorified in us and in your church.
Give us life, strength, and vitality in the Lord Jesus.
Motivate us with your love.
Help us to look ahead
Father, help us to look ahead, in order to prepare for future opportunities, to be ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us lay aside worries about tomorrow in order to take up the hope of your promises.
Let us forget ourselves, for our joy.
Let us focus on serving, for the blessing of others.
Let us follow the Lord Jesus, for your glory.
Our fellowship with you our food
Father, our fellowship with you is our food. We share in common a love this world cannot know.
We experience the life from the Source of living.
We know the Son who lives in us and walks with us until the end. We suffer with him and for him, for the sake of the Good News and the salvation of many.
We serve the needy and use our gifts for the benefit of the body of Christ.
This is our pleasure and joy and crown. We thank you for this communion.
Straddling the fence
As a young boy I found myself in many peculiar situations. On one particular day my family and I were visiting my aunt and uncle. They had a “farm” and for city slickers like us it was an amazing place.
It just so happened that my uncle had an old motorcycle. Being as adventurous as I was I asked if we could drive it around. My uncle conceded after much begging and my brother and I set off to enjoy a day of driving around; it was just in circles around the pasture but it was exciting.
Like many stories go with those that are driving motorcycles I ended up, on the last go around, wrecking the bike and hurting my knee. As I was picked up and taken back toward the house there was a point that I will not soon forget, if ever. Continue reading “Straddling the fence”
No rush, no delay
God who neither rushes nor delays, you do all things in good time, at the right hour, just when action is needed. I wait upon you. I trust in you to come to my aid. Teach me patience. Try and purify me.
We praise you for you do not forget nor go back on your promises. We are grateful that you are faithful, because we trust your word.
Bless us, O Lord, that we might be a blessing to others. Give us wisdom to speak well, courage to speak up, love to speak unceasingly so that many might be saved.