1 Peter 3:8

Good morning, everybody. It's good to see you all. It's wonderful to be back at the home base. I want to thank you for coming. Some of you know me; I planted this church back in 1981 and was blessed to serve here for 27 years. In 2008, I transitioned to Pastor Miles, and it's good to see the church growing and continuing to be in love with Jesus.

For those of you who don't know me, I'd like to introduce my family to you. Pam, wave! That's my wife back here in the middle with the TCU shirt on. Go Frogs! Next to her is my granddaughter Kaylee, and next to her is my son Jordan. And to all of you, God bless you.

This morning, I want to talk to you a little bit out of 1 Peter chapter 3. I believe you have an outline in your bulletin that you can fill in the blanks. We are going to discuss 12 challenges to be a prepared witness and an equipped church.

We know that we are called as Christians to reach out, right? We are called to be a witness of the Lord and all that He is doing in our lives. We understand that, but to do that, we need to be equipped as well. What you are doing here this morning is not just coming to church on Sunday; you are getting equipped. The Holy Spirit is doing a work in your heart and your life that He wants to pour out through you.

This is not the end of the game; getting saved is just the start. What's done is done, and God's grace be upon you this morning as we move forward with what He wants to do from this point. I am still serving the Lord with a ministry called Poiman Ministries. Poiman is a Greek word that means basically to shepherd.

A handful of Calvary Chapel pastors have been in the trenches for a while. They have turned their churches over and are now making themselves available to other churches and young pastors. Their goal is to mentor those who are right in the middle of ministry, helping to assess what is going on in their ministries and assisting churches that are going through transitions.

Sometimes a pastor retires, gets sick, messes up, or goes out to the mission field. In these situations, we have the opportunity to step in and take over the pastoring of the church while they search for a new pastor. We help guide that process. I recently went through this in Maricopa, Arizona, where their pastor went out to the U.K. We conducted a whole pastor search and did all the interviews. It was a trip because I had never done it before. I had been through it, but I had never led it. It was a lot of fun, and the church is doing well. The Lord led us to a guy named Roger Thompson, who was pastoring down south, really down south in Alabama or Tennessee—somewhere back there. Anyway, I can't remember exactly, but they are doing well. I visited a couple of weeks ago, and it was really cool to see.

Now, I would like to read the first couple of verses before we get into it. Finally, verse 8: "All of you be of one mind. All of you, having compassion for one another, love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous, not rendering evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing."

Father, we just pray right now and ask You, Lord, to open our hearts afresh to what You want to say to us in Your Word. Lord, might we continue to grow in our love for You. We ask this all in Jesus' name. Amen.

All right. For the last four weeks, you guys have been coming for a while. Myles has been taking you through a series that started off with the Ten Resolutions on New Year's Day. Then, the next Sunday, he talked about life in connection with God.

We are made to live in communion with God and communion with one another. A couple of weeks ago, he talked about life in connection with one another, and I enjoyed what he said. He mentioned that we are the most disconnected, connected individuals of any time in human history. That was classic because it's really true. Although we're so connected, isolation is on the rise. Social isolation is increasing. He talked about how sin destroys the connection that God wants to have with us and that we are to have with each other. Sin destroys that. But then Jesus destroyed sin, which enables the connection to happen. It's very simple, but very true, and we need that so much. God wants to not only restore but also nurture the church body.

Last week, he discussed life in connection with the world and shared the story of good old Zacchaeus climbing up in the tree. He talked about the feeling of being lost and how Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. He provided five points in the outline last week. Jesus loves to retrieve that which was lost. If you're lost this morning, if you don't know Jesus or you're not sure how you even got here, know this: the Lord wants to retrieve you. He wants to bring you back. He wants to bring you close to Him.

Secondly, we all came into this world terribly lost. Not one of us was born again. We were born once, but we needed to be born again. Some of you were born again when you were young, some as teenagers and young adults, and some as senior citizens. God is still calling, no matter where you're at or what you've been through; He still wants you. Jesus sends the found to find others. I like that. Have you been found? Were you lost and then found? You don't just say, "Oh, I'm going to put that on the shelf. That's cool." No, you're found for a purpose, and that purpose is to go and share the good news.

He then asked the question: how do you connect the world to the life of Jesus? How do we do that in such a disconnected world? We connect with the world through the Lord working out through us—compassion, charity, and evangelism.

Jesus empowers and equips us to reach the lost. He talked in Acts 1:8 about how the Holy Spirit has come upon you and is going to make you His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the outermost parts of the earth. All of those places were kind of threatening and alien for the disciples, if you think about it. Jerusalem is where they just killed their Master. Then there are the Samaritans, who were considered half-breeds, and the rest of Judea, who were expecting Jesus to be the conquering Messiah. On top of that, they had to deal with the Romans and the Greeks. These guys were left wondering, "What do we do?"

The Holy Spirit came upon them, empowered them, and infused them with the very words of Jesus. They went out, and the church was born. We are still part of that. The Lord is still doing that. Building on that, I would like to focus this morning on being a prepared witness and an equipped church. We are connected with God through and because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is that relationship with Jesus that brings us close to God.

How many of you have a relationship with Jesus Christ this morning? Don't be afraid to raise your hand. If you have a relationship with Him, you now have a mission to reflect what Jesus has done in your life. The relationship brings us close to God, but our reflection of Jesus is what reaches the lost. He chooses to use people like us to reach the lost. I mean, He is God, right? He could have said, "Okay, all of you are saved," and then taken everyone home to heaven right away after they got saved. But it doesn't always work that way. We have to deal with life, but we do so with a reflection of Jesus working through us.

Remember what Jesus said to His disciples in John 20? He said, "Peace to you. As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." As He was writing this letter, He was giving instruction on how believers should live in relationship to several different groups. Starting in chapter two, He talked about how they should deal with the Gentiles.

Ministering to the Gentiles was a significant issue for the early church, which was mostly composed of Jews. They had a cultural problem with Gentiles, viewing them as the garbage of the earth, only good for fodder for the fires of hell. They really didn't care about them and didn't want to accept them. However, the Lord began saving Gentiles, which raised the question: What do we do with that? In the second chapter, He provides counsel regarding our relationship to government, which is an interesting topic given the current state of affairs. He also addresses relationships between bosses, wives, and husbands.

Peter offers sound instruction that can help heal any interpersonal problems you might have if you apply it to yourself. I believe the fruit of this study will be a heart and a life that joyfully reflect the love and sacrifice of Jesus to a lost world. We have about a dozen points in our notes, and I want to try to go through them quickly in the next 30 minutes.

These teachings instruct us on how to be like Jesus. They reflect the Lord's character in us and guide us on how to live a godly life—one that is prepared, ready, and able to give a defense, as well as a reason for the hope that is within us. In this section, we will look at a solid framework for devotion. It is essential to think about these things, meditate on them, and ensure you are saturated with them. Life application is crucial because all of the doctrine means nothing if you do not engage in the duty part of it.

We learn these things not just to become knowledgeable theologians but to be representatives of Jesus Christ to a lost world. You need to have both aspects. The Holy Spirit seems to be giving the church some executive orders. I envision Reince Priebus behind Donald Trump at his desk, with a stack of documents, bringing them out and placing them down as Donald signs them. As I read through these exhortations, that is the image that comes to mind.

This is the Holy Spirit's executive orders. This is the way it needs to be. If you're not doing this, you're out of sync with what God wants to be doing in your life. Now, we're not going to send any of our pastors home with you just to ensure that you're doing all of these things, but I urge you to make it a checklist. Treat it like your vitamins, your nutrition, the things that you need to function throughout the day. When you find yourself in a troubling situation, go back to these and look at them, because they'll help straighten your heart.

So, the first one. Actually, there are five challenges in the first verse. Finally, because of all that's already been said, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another, love as brothers, be tenderhearted, and be courteous. The first challenge, number one, is to be of one mind. All of you—servants, wives, husbands—be of one mind. The term "one mind" actually has a Greek word associated with it, which I can't quite pronounce correctly, but it's a call to harmony. It's where we get the word "harmonious" from, and it implies that the chords, the notes, are sweet.

You know, Emily and Casey, it was sweet. You'd know it if it wasn't, right? If you hit a wrong note half a step higher, you think, "Eww, what was that?" Well, the Lord says, "I want you guys as a church to be harmonious. I want you to be in tune." You're a family, so be of one mind. What mind is that? It's the mind of Christ. Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus, as stated in Philippians 2. Let this attitude guard your heart.

What would Jesus do? Seriously, we need to ask that, especially if we get upset or hurt by somebody. Well, what would Jesus do? Bless them with a brick? Smite them? Sometimes we think that way, right? I do. I have to repent. So, be of one mind. I think that's clear. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity, as mentioned in Psalm 133. In Romans, Paul said in Romans 15:5, "Now may the God of patience and comfort."

You need patience and comfort this morning? Don't tell me to pray for patience, because God always answers that. Something's going to break, but we need that. It's a gift from the Lord. It's a fruit of the Spirit. May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians chapter 4, which starts the practical application of the position we have in chapters 1, 2, and 3 in Christ, Paul right off the bat exhorts us to walk harmoniously by demonstrating all lowliness and gentleness with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, and endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. That's a seven-part sermon right there. There's so much in that. But this is the hard attitude that we're to have as ministers of the gospel. I'm not just saying ordained ministers; we're all ministers. Minister means servant. We're all serving. We're serving God and we're serving each other.

So you need to ask the question: Am I in harmony, or is somebody just really bugging me? Please know that if somebody's really bugging you and you feel it, then the Holy Spirit's got your number. He's looking at you. Ah, so you're ticked off, huh? Well, let's talk about that. You can't get away with it. Once you draw close to the Lord, He's going to reveal those things. If you don't know how to handle a sticky situation, make sure you're back close with the Lord. Make sure your heart is in that place where you have one mind. You want the mind of Christ; here's what it looks like. So, Lord, create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit in me.

Challenge number two: Have compassion for one another. Have compassion. It's a word from which we get the word sympathy, and it literally means to suffer with. This is demonstrated by Jesus in His life. In Matthew 14:14, when Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude, and He was moved with compassion for them, and He healed their sick.

He was moved with compassion. We, as His followers, want that too. We need to be moved with compassion. Jesus was always moved by the needs of the people. As we grow in connection with one another, we become more aware of and responsive to the needs of others. It's part of what it means to be a Christian. It's about one another.

God has done this work in me; that's cool, that's great. However, the way that work matures is by giving it out and sharing with others. So, what are some needs you see within your own marriage, your family, your circle of friends, your church family, and the community you live in? This is what we're called to as believers. We are called to love as brethren, which is the word "philadelphos."

I missed one thing I want to go back to. When we talk about the needs of others, it's also important that we open ourselves to receive compassion, help, and good counsel. Sometimes we're very proud and too afraid to ask. We're too afraid to make our needs known. I'm talking about needs related to anger, dealing with bitterness, lack of forgiveness, immorality, or whatever it might be. We are afraid of opening up and telling anyone.

The Lord is saying that compassion is the fiber of our church; it's a fiber of who we are. It goes both ways. Just saying, you may need to open up. We are to love as brethren, "philadelphos," from which we get "Philadelphia." That's the word used for brethren. We are to love that way, for loving as brethren.

Now, there's agape love, but there's brotherly love as well. I think brotherly love is the fruit of agape love; it's the action of it as it goes out. Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples" (John 13). If you have love for one another, all people will see it. They will be looking at the church: Are you loving each other? Be loving one another. Hebrews 13:1 says,

Let brotherly love continue. David Goosick said that Jesus didn't command us to like our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we are commanded to love them. Once we start loving them, we will begin to like them. It's just a work of the Spirit. He wants us to be together; He wants us to be connected with one another.

Challenge number four is to be tenderhearted, which means to be full of pity and not callous. This is the idea here. Pity sometimes gets a bad rap, but it's an important virtue that prevents us from being indifferent to the needs around us. In our culture, we tend to be very nuclear, focusing on just me, myself, and I. It's just me and my family, and we don't talk to anybody else. We exist in a little capsule, but the Lord wants to break that. The very essence of the Holy Spirit working in you is to help you get out of yourself and start helping others.

You might think, "No way, man, I'm not going to be a softy," but consider who is writing this: Peter. He was one of the rough, tough guys that Jesus called to be one of His disciples. A fisherman, seasoned and an old salt of the Sea of Galilee, he lived his life out there on the boat catching fish. When he met Jesus, He said, "Come, follow Me," and Peter followed Him for three years. Peter was always the guy who stuck his foot in his mouth; he always had to say something.

But after he denied the Lord, he was broken. Then Jesus came to him and said, "Feed My sheep, feed My lambs. You're not done, Peter. You've learned a lot; now put it into practice." And he did. So, Peter is the one saying to us, "Be tenderhearted towards one another."

I love the Greek word for it, asblognos. I don't know if I pronounced that right, but I like the way it sounds. It basically means to have strong bowels, for all of you who took your Metamucil today and your Miralax.

Have strong bowels. You know where that comes from. When you hurt or when you're stressed, where do you feel it? Usually, it hits you right here. It's been that way since man was created. That's the word used here to be tenderhearted. The Lord wants you to be compassionate and to feel the needs around you deeply.

So how can you guard against being just critical of everybody? Of your family, your church, your community, your government? It happens. We're a divided nation with very strong opinions on both sides. I am not at all assuming that every person who goes to church is a Republican or voted for Donald Trump. But the fact is, regardless of politics, we're called to be one body. We're called to have compassion for one another, not to be hateful just because of whose bumper sticker is on your car. I hope you all agree because I think that's really important. It's a testimony to the world, and we need that challenge.

Number five: be courteous. Be friendly of mind. That's what the word means there. Another word is to be polite. Just be polite. What a wonderful Christian virtue that is! Act kindly towards one another, again putting the needs of others above your own. Have you been rude to anybody? Have you been unfriendly? Have you been selfish in any of your relationships? Be courteous, be tenderhearted, have the mind of Christ.

Paul Cedar, a commentator, said that the challenge is to treat others with the same courtesy and love that we would extend to a dear friend. If you have friends, I hope you have a few. It's different when you have a friend; there's a different level of communication, isn't there? You do care about what's going on in their lives. This is something that the believer, with the Spirit of God in him, with Jesus not wanting anyone to perish but wanting everyone to have eternal life, chooses earthen vessels like you and me.

How many of you look in the mirror and think, "You've got to be kidding, Lord"? The Lord uses us from all different walks of life for His glory. So, be courteous and be tenderhearted. These first five action points should characterize any group of followers of Jesus, and I believe they will enable each one to serve effectively in the home, in the church, and on the streets.

Now, we are going to look at wisdom in being prepared to handle rejection. I don't need you to raise your hands, but how many of you have experienced rejection? I think rejection is almost a part of humanity. Someone is going to reject us, and we will have to deal with it.

Challenge number six is to seek to bless those who speak evil of you. Verse nine says, "Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." You have been blessed to be a blessing. God didn't just bless you to put it on your shelf at home; He blessed you to bless somebody else. That has always been His way of working from the very beginning, even with Abraham. In the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis chapter 12, He said, "In your seed, Abraham, all the nations would be blessed."

We have been born again by the blood of Jesus, by His sacrifice on the cross in our place. We have been made alive by His Spirit to be a blessing, to reach out to our community, and to touch them with the love of Jesus Christ. That is what we are called to do.

I think the greatest challenge to our love for others comes when we are wronged. The natural man always wants to get even or justify himself, even if it means tearing others down. This challenge really has to do with our inner attitudes. If you get angry at someone and feel that anger seething within you, you might as well paint a big target on yourself because the Lord is going to be working with you.

Over the years, I have tried to learn that when something happens that irks me, I need to zip it and ask myself, "Why is this stirring me so much? Why am I getting so upset?"

And it helps them to go back to the Scriptures to know that He will keep you in perfect peace. He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him. See, what is that? Isaiah 26 and Psalm 26:3. I love that. Keep your mind fixed on Him, and His peace is going to work. We're going to talk about that in just a minute.

I like what the New English Bible says here: do not repay wrong with wrong or abuse with abuse. On the contrary, retaliate with blessing. I like that. Retaliate with blessing. Nothing throws a person off more than when they have done something unkind to you, and you turn around and do something kind for them. They might say, "You just gave me a $25 Starbucks gift card," or "You came and mowed my lawn," or "You actually smiled at me and invited me and my wife out to dinner." That's weird because our world is sort of accustomed to reacting when someone does something to you. It's why we have wars; it's why countries fall apart.

California wants to separate from the union. Oy vey! God says in Proverbs 15:1, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." This isn't new to the Lord. It's not brain surgery here. I mean, it is kind of brain surgery, actually. The Lord is rewiring us.

Remember, we've been called to be a blessing to others, even our enemies, and our model for this has to be Jesus. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus said, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." You might be the only Christian that has ever prayed for them.

Now, I'm not saying to wake up in the morning and say, "Lord, I hope people spitefully use me today." I don't think that's normal, but I think it's wise to be prepared. If you are spitefully used, understand that's an open door. Maybe you can say something, maybe you can do something, but I guarantee in all cases, you can pray.

You can pray. That's wow, that's cool. They insulted me, and I get to add them to my prayer list. This is so important. Seek to bless those who speak evil of you.

Challenge number seven, which builds on everything else, is to guard your tongue from speaking evil. Peter here is applying Psalm 34, verses 12 to 15. He is quoting it. As a student of the Word, I understand that correct words lead to blessing. Choose wisely the words you will use. Choose wisely, and you will have a good life if you learn to respond correctly. Frankly, a lot of us just react. The Lord wants us to be responders, and in a sense, to be a first responder.

What do first responders do? While everyone is running away, they are going to the problem. So, be a first responder to render the first aid of blessing. Look for those opportunities. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification or building up of others." You've heard parents say this to their kids: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. It drives us nuts, and then they watch us ripping apart other people.

Do what is good for the necessary building up, that it may impart grace to the hearers. My beloved brethren, James 1:19 says, "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." I think this is a real key to happiness and to walking with joy in the Lord.

A couple more challenges: challenge eight is to turn from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it. Challenge eight is to turn from evil and do good, like what the old theologian and pastor Spurgeon wrote 150 years ago.

He said to set a distance between yourself and temptation. Be practical, active, energetic, and persevering in doing what is good. If you have something that is messing you up, set a distance. For example, if you have a problem with alcohol, I would not recommend the local bars as the place where you will be witnessing. You might have to set a distance. If you have a problem with pornography, you will need to set a distance and ask for help. Don't be so prideful that you can't ask for help.

Whatever habit you might have, sometimes habits grip you. You know what's wrong, and you know you shouldn't be doing it, but you keep doing it. Then, you're still too proud to tell anybody because you think everyone will know, and it might even end up in the bulletin.

Let him turn from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. The idea is that you will be actively seeking and going after these things. It's the outward action; it's a commitment of your heart and mind to these things. The idea of peace is not just preferring peace, but with zeal and care promoting it. Peace is also a byproduct of commitment.

If you're committed to your spouse, there is peace. If you're committed to your job, there is peace. You might feel intense, but if you go to work and say, "I can't stand this job. I hate these people," it will be a rough day. However, you have control over your reaction and how you will deal with it.

Commitment to God will have the same effect. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." How do we have peace? It is through our Lord Jesus Christ, and that is where all these challenges start.

So, are you at peace with God today? Do you know the Lord Jesus? You can't have the peace of God until you are at peace with God. That is the invitation of the church: get to know Jesus, turn from your sin, repent, and do a 180; go the other way.

And the Holy Spirit, as you open up your heart to Jesus, will equip you and strengthen you to walk in victory. It's a challenge. I got saved in 1971, which was a lot of years ago. I figured that when I got saved, ten years from then, I would be cruising along, dealing with this issue, that issue, and the other issue. I thought I would be good. However, as soon as you say that, the Lord responds, "Well, I want to continue to perfect you," and something will happen. Bam! You just blow it. You think, "I thought I had that licked." This Christian stuff doesn't work. But that's not the right answer or the right response.

I've learned through tragedy, trauma, and loss that God is faithful, and He'll see you through those difficult seasons. You may not see Him while you're going through those tough times, but He sees you. I think that's what faith is: holding on to the Lord and not letting go. This is so important. Seek peace and pursue it.

Number 10: pray and be followers of good. How important is prayer? You need to know that His ears are open for you to pray. He wants you to pray. He desires for you to have that time of meditating on Him, on what He has done, and on what He has said. As you do that, you should open the Word every day, think about what the passage is saying, and look to God to do a work in your own heart.

The idea here is that His ears are open to you. You need to ask yourself, when will you set a time each day for prayer? Prayer is a critical duty of every believer. The fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much, as the Scripture says. Unleash what God wants to do by going to Him and saying, "Lord, fix this messed-up heart." He responds, "Well, I already did, but you have to trust Me." He sanctified us through His blood on the cross, but then there's a process of sanctification as we walk with Him. He is always dealing with us, so let Him, and you'll be a blessing to others as you do.

Look at the effect of that kind of prayer in verse 13: "And who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?"

But it's like the wisdom of the Holy Spirit there. It's not just positive thinking. He puts a comma there and says, "But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed, and do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled."

Again, Paul Cedar said, "Indeed, we are called to the marvelous ministry of retaliating with blessings." As we do, we will be blessed by God, regardless of the response of the other persons. We're going to grow. So if you're in the midst of that, pray, and you're going to grow. You might not get the immediate answer. The immediate answer isn't really what's important. The importance is the process. It's what's going on in you as you wrestle with that serious situation that you might be in. You wrestle with it through the authority of God's Word, the finished work of Jesus on the cross, and the beautiful gifting of the Holy Spirit to enable you to be His witnesses, both in Escondido and North County, in the rebellious state of California, and around the world.

Practice what I preach. So, number 11: sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. This is linked to verse 14. Instead of terrifying yourself with the fear of men, be sure to set apart the Lord Almighty, the Lord of Heaven's armies, in your heart. I serve the one true God, the God who created everything, and He knows what's going on here. Jesus said, "Don't fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). Proverbs 14:26 says, "In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge."

A holy lifestyle is a light in a dark world. Am I letting my light shine?

Lastly, challenge number 12: always be ready to give a defense. There are three reasons why we share: hope, meekness, and fear. Hope, as a Christian, I ought to be expecting that I'm going to heaven one day, right?

I ought to be expecting that Jesus is working in my life and that He loves me. As a Christian, this hope ought to be so strong that people will see it and ask me why I have it. They may want to ask, "Tell me of this hope that's in you." They'll probably look at you and say, "What's wrong with you? Why are you different? Why aren't you freaking out here?"

If I have true meekness, then I see God's hand in the things around me. This is so important. I don't question why God has put a person in front of me asking about Jesus. I accept it and gently respond, seeing what God does with it.

Finally, if I have the proper fear of God, and if I realize that one day I'll know it was worth all the difficulty, then I'll be bold and courageous in sharing my faith. Proverbs 14:27 says, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to turn one away from the snares of death."

So, how are you preparing this morning, and how are you making yourself ready? I encourage you to take these challenges to heart. Think about them and consider how God wants to use you. Be prepared in your faith, for there is a great harvest of new souls waiting to be had. You and those around you will never be the same. Amen.