Sorry I bumped the send without finishing the final sentence.

Today, for a calm and undisturbed mind ask the Lord to show you if there is something He has directed you to do that you haven't or are not doing.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood, Sr.

Wednesday A Calm and Undisturbed Mind

(AMP) Proverbs 14:30
A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones.

Monday we spoke about turning our thoughts to our Heavenly Father.
Tuesday we spoke about how the Word of God is a comfort.

There is no doubt the Word brings comfort, but just reading it not enough.
(NLT) Luke 6:47-49
I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. [48] It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. [49] But anyone who hears and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins."

I had a professor in college that would pray for us before a test. I didn't like the way he prayed. "Dear Lord," he would say, "help these students remember what they've studied." I needed a miracle, not practicality. God gives us directions to follow and promises, if we follow them, He will carry us through whatever storms of life come our way. Though it is true that none of us can follow them completely, Jesus did say, if you love me keep my commandments. So, to ignore them is impractical at best and disobedient at worst.

Today, for a calm and undisturbed mind ask the Lord if.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood, Sr.

Tuesday A Calm and Undisturbed Mind

(AMP) Proverbs 14:30
A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones.

Yesterday I encouraged you to think on God. Another step toward a calm and undisturbed mind is to praise Him, specifically for the Word of God.

(AMP) Psalm 119:164-165
Seven times a day and all day long do I praise You because of Your righteous decrees. [165] Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble.

The NLT states it this way: (NLT) Psalm 119:164-165
I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just. [165] Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.

Do you love God's instructions? Do you love the Bible? Have you spent time in it today, this week, this month? Are you obeying it's instructions? These questions are not here to make feel guilty. They are here to tell you, if you are of a disturbed mindset, perhaps it is because you have been too long away from the source of peace. The Word of God is there for you like a blanket kicked to the foot of the bed on a cold winter night. All you have to do is reach for it and draw it up around you. Immerse yourself in God's word and find that calm undisturbed mind.

Today fall in love with the Word of God. Make an appointment with your Heavenly Father every day. Meet Him at His Word. Find His peace in it's comfort.  

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

A Calm and Undisturbed Mind

(AMP) Proverbs 14:30
A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones.

This week we will look at some passages that give us direction to a calm and undisturbed mind.
(NLT) Isaiah 26:3-4
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! [4] Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
The Amplified Bible puts it like this. (AMP) Isaiah 26:3-4
You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind both its inclination and its character is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. [4] So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock the Rock of Ages.

Today, keep taking your thoughts back to your wonderful Creator. Give Him thanks. Hope in Him and His goodness. Trust that at the right time, in the right way He will break into your situation with the perfect solution.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

A Prayer For Us By Us

(NKJV) Matthew 6:9-13
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. [10] Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. [13] And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Yesterday we spoke about the importance of being on guard at all times. another tool to help with that is this model prayer our Lord Jesus Christ gave us.

Today pray the model prayer. Note that you are praying for "us", that is all believers. Don't rush through it. Stop and savor (meditate on) each line. Think about them and ask the Father to help you get the deepest meaning from each. 

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

Be On Guard

(NLT) 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. [14] And do everything with love.

Spiritually there is never a time to let down our guard. (NLT) 1 Peter 5:8
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Here are some ways we let our guard down.
1. By allowing ourselves to view television programs, movies, internet sites, and reading material we wouldn't view if Christ were in the room.
2. By getting drawn in to idle talk such as gossip or course jokes.
3. By not having a plan of action during down times. Remember the old saying, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop."

Plan to stay on guard
1. Have a list of things to do when you have down time. If your married your spouse can help you with this honey do list.
2. Have some good books or audio books on hand for those times when you can't work on the honey do list.

Another old saying that comes to mind is, "If you aim at nothing you'll hit it."

Today, make a plan for staying on guard.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

Fishers of Men

Fishers of men

(NLT) Matthew 4:19
Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!"

I enjoy fishing, but I'm not crazy about cleaning the catch. That's the beauty of fishing for people. It's the Holy Spirits job to clean them. We are to encourage them and to teach them but He has to move in their hearts or they won't move in His direction.

The Great Banquet Community has a saying, "Talk to God about your friend before you talk to your friend about God."  Jesus said, (NLT) John 15:5
"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing."

Today, these thoughts may seem a little random. However, I encourage you to talk to your best friend, Jesus, about going fishing for some others. Then listen to the Holy Spirit as He guides you, but go fishing.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

Now You Will Really Believe

(NLT) John 11:14-15
So he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. [15] And for your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there, for now you will really believe. Come, let's go see him."

(NLT) Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

There is no way Mary and Martha would see ahead of time what God was doing in the death of their brother. It's the same in most of our trials. We don't know what Father is up to, but we can trust Him. We can believe.

(NLT) John 20:29
Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me."

Today be blessed. Believe God is still in charge and that He has a plan.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

Say What!

Sorry so late today. We started VBS and I'm fighting some serious allergies.

Say what!

Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, "Young man, your sins are forgiven." Luke 5:20

We visited this passage a couple weeks ago. I want to take a different approach today.

Imagine you and three others carried a friend to Jesus and there was no room for you. So, you and your determined pals climb up on the roof hauling your parapeligic compadre. You dig a hole in the roof and lower him down. This is no easy task these guys pulled off.

After all that work you hear the master say, "Your sins are forgiven." Wait a minute. We were looking for healing.

We are so attached to this physical life we often miss the importance of the spiritual. Sometimes our heavenly Father is doing something so much bigger than physical healing. Sometimes the paralyzing events in life free us to become what God truly desires for us.

I thank God that Jesus did heal that young man because in doing so He showed He has power to forgive. (Vs 24)

Sometimes He doesn't heal. Then He says, "My grace is sufficient."

Today carry your friends to Jesus but trust Him with the outcome. Trust Him to do what is truly best.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

A Prayer for Generations!

(NLT) Psalm 100:1-5
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! [2] Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. [3] Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. [4] Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. [5] For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Oh Lord God, Truly You are worthy of all praise and thanks. Fill our mouths with praise this day. Open our eyes to your many merciful blessings. May we be such grateful people that the next generation sees, hears and joins in our praises of You, the most high God and King.

In Jesus Name, Amen!

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

Self-control!

(NLT) Galatians 5:22-23
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Over the last several weeks we have looked at the different parts of the fruit of the Spirit. Each time I have pointed out that this fruit comes with the Holy Spirit. It is the result of Him being present. He produces it in our lives. If He is in you His fruit is in you.

Therefore, self-control is in you. Remove "I can't" from your vocabulary. In any given situation you can choose to do the right thing by the power of the Holy Spirit in you.

Today, choose to be in control of your actions by His power.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

Is Trouble a Gauge?

(NLT) Romans 8:35-37
Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? [36] (As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.") [37] No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

Romans chapter 8 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. I've heard and preached many sermons from it. The last verses tend to get believers pretty excited. We are more than conquerors through Christ, but back up a minute. Look at the second sentence in the 35th verse again. "Does it mean that He no longer loves us if we have trouble...?"

Bad things happen to all of us. One pastor we had said it like this, "Jesus didn't say life would be easy. He said you would have abundant life. That just means you'll have a lot of it along with it's trouble on this world, but be of good cheer, Jesus overcame this world."

Trouble doesn't mean His love is lacking. Trouble is an opportunity to see His love in action. It is an opportunity to watch Him carry you through. It is an opportunity to be His hands in helping others through.

No. Trouble is not a gauge for measuring God's love. It does, however activate a gauge of your trust in God. How you respond to trouble shows what you really believe.

Today, when trouble comes your way look at your response. Then compare it to what you say you believe.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

second try with Put a Helmet On!

Sorry about the second send. Some were unable to read all of the last attempt.

Eph 6:17  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Eph 6:17  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

1Jn 4:8  But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1Jn 4:10  This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

There is a comedian who uses the statement, "Put a helmet on!" as a way of poking fun at people who do or say silly things." Truth is we all get silly if we listen to the lies of Satan and let them take control of our thoughts. So God has provided a Helmet of Salvation for us.

One of the biggest things Satan uses in his relentless attacks is a simple question, "Hath God Said?"  Then he continues by trying to explain away what God "hath said".

This is why the Helmet of Salvation is so very important. Rom 12:2  Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

The Helmet of Salvation is the truth that God is who He says He is and that He loves us and that we are His children if we have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.

Some trial comes into our lives and Satan is right there saying, "If God really loved you..." That is when you had better have that Helmet of Salvation on.  Here is a good and simple way to put it on right now if you haven't already done so today.

Sing it with me...

Jesus loves me this I know

For the Bible tells me so

Little ones to Him belong

They are weak but He is strong

Yes Jesus loves me

Yes Jesus loves me

Yes Jesus loves me

The Bible tells me so

A child's song? Really, Brother Steve? Yes a child's song with the most precious and powerful message ever proclaimed. Sing it until you believe it so much that no matter what comes into your life you truly believe that God loves you and that He will work all things together for your good. Rom 8:28.

Today sing it, believe it and share it.

Love in Christ,

Steve Sherwood Sr.

Put a Helmet On!

Eph6:17  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Eph 6:17  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

1Jn 4:8  But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 

1Jn 4:10  This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 

There is a comedian who uses the statement, "Put a helmet on!" as a way of poking fun at people who do or say silly things." Truth is we all get silly if we listen to the lies of Satan and let them take control of our thoughts. So God has provided a Helmet of Salvation for us.

One of the biggest things Satan uses in his relentless attacks is a simple question, "Hath God Said?"  Then he continues by trying to explain away what God "hath said".

This is why the Helmet of Salvation is so very important. Rom 12:2  Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

The Helmet of Salvation is the truth that God is who He says He is and that He loves us and that we are His children if we have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.  

Some trial comes into our lives and Satan is right there saying, "If God really loved you..." That is when you had better have that Helmet of Salvation on.  Here is a good and simple way to put it on right now if you haven't already done so today.

Sing it with me...

Jesus loves me this I know

For the Bible tells me so

Little ones to Him belong

They are weak but He is strong

Yes Jesus loves me

Yes Jesus loves me

Yes Jesus loves me

The Bible tells me so

A child's song? Really, Brother Steve? Yes a child's song with the most precious and powerful message ever proclaimed. Sing it until you believe it so much that no matter what comes into your life you truly believe that God loves you and that He will work all things together for your good. Rom 8:28.

Today sing it, believe it and share it.

Love in Christ,

Steve Sherwood Sr.

Faith verses a lot of other choices.

(NLT) Luke 18:1-8
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. [2] "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. [3] A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' [4] The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, [5] but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'" [6] Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. [7] Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? [8] I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?"

Here are some choices for dealing with a difficult situation:

1. Give up on God and His word and try to fix it yourself.

2. Complain to others how God just doesn't meet your needs like He does for others. (Perhaps, this one comes with these motives; maybe those I complain to will fix my problem, or misery love company.)

3. Just give up and accept that this is your lot in life. It will never get better.

4. Keep on praying, keep on believing, keep on proclaiming the goodness of God our Creator, Friend and Father, and keep on looking for His answer to arrive.

Jesus promised an answer for those who cry out to Him day and night. The term quickly here is misunderstood to mean something will happen soon. That goes against the fact that we are to continue asking night and day, which implies the asking goes on for quite awhile. So, the "quickly" is that when it happens it will be quick justice.

The point is, keep praying for the answer until it comes. Keep looking to God to do what only He can do. With that in mind, if you have been given wise council follow it. Do your part.

Today pray, act wisely and righteously and wait on the Lord.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

A Prayer For You - nity

John 17:20  "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message. 

John 17:21  I pray that they will all be one, just as You and I are one—as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me. 

John 17:22  "I have given them the glory You gave Me, so they may be one as We are one. 

John 17:23  I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me. 

John 17:24  Father, I want these whom You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they can see all the glory You gave Me because You loved Me even before the world began! 

John 17:25  "O righteous Father, the world doesn't know You, but I do; and these disciples know You sent Me. 

John 17:26  I have revealed You to them, and I will continue to do so. Then Your love for Me will be in them, and I will be in them."

In John 17 we find Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane praying for us. He makes it clear that He is praying for us in verse 20. Wow, Jesus Christ prayed for you.  He prayed for me. His desire in this prayer is that we would be one in Him and the Father with one another.

Father God, Great Creator and Master,

Work in our hearts and minds. Make us one in You and Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit You have sent to work this out in us. Show us if there is any unforgiveness in us. Grant us the gift of repentance in regards to all who have hurt us. May the world see us loving one another in such perfect unity that they will know You sent Jesus and they too, will believe and be saved.

Through Christ Our Lord,

Amen!

Love in Christ,

Brother Steve

His Grace

His Grace in You

(NLT) Ephesians 2:8-10

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9] Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. [10] For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

It is by His grace that He saves us. We can take no credit for our salvation. Even the faith to believe in Him comes from Him.

(NLT) Philippians 4:23
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

(NLT) 2 Timothy 2:1
Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus.

Not only does He save us by grace but daily His grace is available for us and to us and in us. 

It is His Grace that helps us to live the Christian life. 

Gal 3:1  Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ's death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of His death on the cross. 

Gal 3:2  Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 

Gal 3:3  How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 

Our perfecting is found in the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Today, may God's grace be upon you and in you and evident to all about you.

Love in Christ,

Steve Sherwood Sr.

In reply to the story on Snopes.

I received a lengthy email this morning about snopes.com being led by liberals. It may be true, it may not.  I didn't bother to check it because:

I don't use snopes. I use truthorfiction.com. However, when it comes to truth there is really only one we can fully rely on, that person being Jesus Christ. After all He is the way, the truth and the life.

Most of this stuff that gets sent out over the internet as a BIG WARNING is hype. Truth is Christ promised we would have trouble in this world and along with that promise came this encouragement, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Further more, many types of emails that go out with, "if you care let all your friends know" plastered on them are meant to spread fear.  Jesus said, "(NLT) Matthew 10:28 "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell."  We are also told in 2Ti 1:7  For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 

Other such emails are sent to make us angry about something.  Eph 4:26  And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, Eph 4:27  for anger gives a foothold to the devil. Eph 4:31  Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

Here's another one. "If you love Jesus you will send this to 10 people in the next 30 seconds." My love for Jesus is not measured in the emails I send.  It is measured in whether I'm keeping His commands.  Some wishy washy email that only speaks of God's love but says nothing of His justice and the need for repentance is only going to spread a false sense of security to people who are already complacent in their relationship with God almighty. You want to show Jesus you love Him? Push away from your computer, come out of hiding and love some real people you can see. Share with them the Gospel. Share your food and clothes with them. Visit the nursing home, the hospital and the jail. Go out into the streets and talk to some homeless folks. Give a smile to the check out clerk at the store who is moving a little slow. Say, "God Bless You!", instead of griping how long they took. Show the love of God.

So, Truth is, I ignore a lot of these forwarded emails. Yes, I hit delete without even opening them. Father, God can be trusted. Pray, write your congressmen and senators, but speak with grace and truth, not bitterness and anger. Share your faith with people face to face.

Feel free to save this and send it to those people who insist on filling your inbox with all their fears, guilt trips and rants. Or you can delete it. There are no miracles waiting to happen one way or the other as a result, except that some may find you unreasonable in your trust of almighty God and may remove you from their spam list. 

Oh, one more thing, please don't send me those forwarded emails. Someone will no doubt write me and say, "But you like getting jokes, don't you?"  Yes, yes I do.  Pro 17:22  A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength. So send on the good CLEAN jokes.

Love in Christ,

Steve Sherwood Sr.

Place, Bigger font.

I sent this earlier and received a reply that the font was very small.

(NLT) 1 John 5:21
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.

We are created with a God sized hole in our lives. Though many things will try to fill that place, none but God can fill it correctly and adequately.  Only God is sufficient.

So, what is first in your life? Who is first in your life? Is there anything that pushes God off the throne of your heart?

You see, when you chose to become a Christian, in your heart you believed that God raised Jesus from the dead, and you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. (Rom 10:9) Do you confess Him, Jesus Christ, as Lord? If so, then is He Lord of your life? If He is Lord of your life what things, people, situations, thoughts, desires, etc., are clamoring for control of your life?

What things do you need to lay aside to truly give Christ the throne of your heart, mind and body?

You may be saying, "Isn't this my life to live as I please?"  1Co 6:19  Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20  for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 

There is no safer, calmer place to be than in the middle of God's will with Him at the controls of your life.

Love in Christ,

Steve Sherwood, Sr.

Place

(NLT) 1 John 5:21
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.

We are created with a God sized hole in our lives. Though many things will try to fill that place, none but God can fill it correctly and adequately.  Only God is sufficient.

So, what is first in your life? Who is first in your life? Is there anything that pushes God off the throne of your heart?

You see, when you chose to become a Christian, in your heart you believed that God raised Jesus from the dead, and you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. (Rom 10:9) Do you confess Him, Jesus Christ, as Lord? If so, then is He Lord of your life? If He is Lord of your life what things, people, situations, thoughts, desires, etc., are clamoring for control of your life?

What things do you need to lay aside to truly give Christ the throne of your heart, mind and body?

You may be saying, "Isn't this my life to live as I please?"  1Co 6:19  Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20  for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 

There is no safer, calmer place to be than in the middle of God's will with Him at the controls of your life.

Love in Christ,

Steve Sherwood, Sr.

1Co 6:19  Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, 

Roof Ripping Perseverence

(NLT) Mark 2:2-5
Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God's word to them, [3] four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. [4] They couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. [5] Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My child, your sins are forgiven."

(NLT) Mark 2:11
"Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!"

Notice what moved Jesus to act on this man's behalf, (Vs 5) "Seeing their faith". Their faith showed by their action that they truly believed Jesus could help their friend.

(NLT) Ephesians 6:18
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Do your prayers for others show "roof ripping" perseverence?

I have a friend who has been so beat up by every turn of life that her faith is presently paralyzed. She can't get herself to Jesus right now. Her friends must carry her in prayer.

On Fridays I usually have a prayer for you. Today I'm asking you to put your armor on and pray for "Steve's friend". Father knows her name. I'm asking you to pray with "roof ripping" perseverence for my friend and any of the people you know who feel paralyzed by Satan's lies.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr.

Think!

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

There is an old song that says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, then the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace".

How are we to live the faithful life?

1. Turn your eyes on Jesus.
A. He started our faith.
B. He will complete it.

2. Turn your mind to all that Christ endured. Have you suffered for your faith? Have you been nailed to a cross? Notice Christ endured the hostility. Now He is seated with God in the heavenlies.

3. Turn your weary heart and mind to rejoice in the strength Christ offers. Be encouraged.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr