“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8

Our God is always the same.

He is the same in His nature, His character and His will. We can rest in the fact that He never changes, and He can never be made to change.

Our circumstances may change. The people in our lives may change. But God will always stay the same.

Psalm 102: 25-27: “Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will wear out like a garment. You can change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.”

Pray: Lord, I worship You today as the one who remains the same yesterday, today and forever. I can cling to Your stability. I can rest assured that You are and will always be faithful and good and kind and loving and holy and just. When the world around me is changing, provide comfort and peace to me as only You can.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” – Psalm 43:5

The Psalms are a good place to camp out if your desire to be more grateful — though not because they’re filled with nothing but happy, upbeat sentiments.

The Psalms vibrate with every emotion known to man. They speak of back-breaking pressures, deep valleys of depression, and times when life barely seems worth living. And yet the Psalms reveal that the only ultimate answer to trouble, grief, pain and loss is a return to God in worship and gratitude.

Even in the darkest night, you can still experience God’s peace and rest, knowing that the joy of the morning is ahead. Do not to let your level of joy be determined by the presence or absence of storms, but by the presence of God. Choose to be joyful in Him today.

Pray: Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your ever-present help and fellowship, especially in the dark times. Help me to always hope in You and to praise You for being my salvation. When darkness falls, help me to be joyful in You and Your love.

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” - Psalm 32:5

How can I draw close to a God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and fully aware of all the reasons I do not belong in His presence?

Many Christians face insecurities when approaching God. Many feel unworthy or disqualified from this privilege.

Why the struggle? Because we are human and God is not! We have a propensity to sin. And we are incapable on our own to give God the righteousness He deserves.

Thankfully, God knows we have these struggles. And, He has an answer.

First, our confidence in drawing near to God is not based on our performance. Our confidence is in the performance of Jesus. Hebrews 4 instructs us to come to God with boldness based on our full confidence in the finished work of Jesus on our behalf.

Once we have received Christ as savior, then God sees us as clothed in Christ.

Secondly, our confidence in drawing near to God is based on His love. I can trust His love for me.
The very things in my life that appear to disqualify me – sin, weakness, failure, flaws, etc. – provide convincing proof of God’s love. God knows everything about us. He is fully aware of the good, the bad and the “ugly” in our lives, and He loves us anyway.

When we confess our sins to Him, we acknowledge what He already knows. We reveal the part of our life that puts His love for us to the test (at least in our minds). And praise God: He proves His love. He forgives and loves us anyway.

Romans 2:4 indicates that the kindness of God leads to repentance.

Pray: Heavenly Father, reveal anything in my life that would hinder my ability to come into Your presence. Thank You for loving me in spite of my failures. And thank You allowing me to draw near to You based on what Jesus did for me, not based on my own actions.  Lord, it is Your loving kindness that leads me to repentance.

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” – James 3: 17-18

God’s ways are often different than the world’s ways.

Yet God’s word provides indicators to help us determine what comes Him and what comes from the world. This is true of wisdom and understanding.

The source of one’s wisdom and understanding can be determined by the way a person displays his/her wisdom.

Natural, earthly and even demonic wisdom will produce jealousy and selfish ambition (James 3:14-16).

“But wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).

A person who is sharing God’s wisdom will do so in a manner that is pure, peaceable and gentle. He or she will be full of mercy and good fruits, and he/she will be unwavering, without hypocrisy.

We can use this list of characteristics to “test” the source of wisdom in our own lives and the lives of others. For ourselves, we can ask: Am I pure? Am I peaceable? Am I gentle? Am I open to sound reason? Am I full of mercy? Does my work produce good fruit? Am I impartial? Am I sincere?

Pray: Lord, help me to better understand that true wisdom comes from you and that only true wisdom will produce lasting good fruit. Dear Lord, please teach me Your ways and give me Your wisdom and understanding. And help me to apply it in such a way that I understand that it comes from You.

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” – Psalm 13: 5-6

Most good stories contain a plot twist – a sudden change in direction that forces the reader to pay attention.

Psalm 13 provides an example of how all of us can experience a plot twist in our own lives. In this short Psalm, the psalmist focuses on his less-than-favorable circumstances in verses 1-4, asking “How Long, O Lord” will you forget about me, how long will you hide your face from me, and how long will you allow me to have sorrow in my heart?

Then, in verse 5, the psalmist turns complaint into confidence. He remembers what the Lord has done for him in the past, and such a memory leads to rejoicing.

We can follow this same pattern and turn our complaints into praises.

Pray: Lord, help me remember all that You have done for me. I have trusted in your steadfast love. Because of how you have dealt with me in the past, I can sing praises to you instead of complaining about my circumstances.

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.” – John 5: 19-20

Jesus perfectly completed every assignment that God the Father gave Him to do.

“Experiencing God” authors Henry Blackaby and Claude King teach that we can use Jesus’ life as a model for our own. They use John 5: 17-20 to provide an outline for knowing and doing God’s will.

That outline states:

*The Father has been working right up until now.

*Now God has me working.

*I do nothing on my own initiative.

*I watch to see what the Father is doing.

*I do what I see the Father already is doing.

*You see, the Father loves me.

*He shows me everything that He, Himself, is doing.

The model “describes a love relationship through which God accomplishes His purposes,” Blackaby and King explain. To please God the Father, we should look to see where He is working and then we should join Him.

Pray: Father, thank You for loving me. Thank You for creating such a close relationship between us that I can see where You are working. Help me to get in alignment with what You are doing. Help me to complete the assignments You have for me.

“Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.” – Proverbs 23:17

Our current American culture promotes comparisons.

Many of us peruse our friends’ social media posts and then compare our lives with that of others. How does my life stack up to that of my friends?

God warns against such comparisons.

In Galatians 1:10, Paul writes: “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

This verse implies that we cannot focus on pleasing man (or comparing ourselves to other men and women) and serve Christ as the same time.

Proverbs 23: 17 indicates that we cannot fear the Lord and envy sinners simultaneously.

When we compare ourselves with others, we fall into one of two mindsets – pride or envy. We are either prideful (thinking that we are better than those with whom we compare); or, we are envious and desire what we see in the lives of others.

We should strive for the approval of God.

Pray: Lord, forgive me when I fall into the comparison trap. Help me to see that comparing myself to others is not what You desire for me. Help me instead to choose only to compare myself to Christ, which will ultimately reveal the areas where I fall short.

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3: 13-14

A vehicle’s rear view mirror is much smaller than its windshield. Such a design allows the driver to focus his attention on what lies ahead instead of focusing on what is behind him.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul shared a similar mindset. When it came to obtaining his goal of spiritual maturity, he recognized that he had further to go. He was willing to forget the past (and his past accomplishments) and press forward, like a runner who is determined to reach the finish line.

Paul pursued Christlikeness with enthusiasm and persistence. Through his writings, he encourages us to do the same.

For the Christian, the best is yet to come. The best is in the future, as God will use future events to help us become more like His son, Jesus.

Isaiah shared a similar encouragement with the Israelites in Isaiah 43:18-19. He told the Israelites, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old” and went on to say that God is doing a new thing. The encouragement was to help the Israelites see that God would bring them out of their captivity.

Which do you focus more intently on – your past or your future?

Pray: Lord, Help me to see all the ways that You are at work in my life. Help me to see that what lies ahead is good for me, and that You will use my future to help me become more like Jesus. Help me to press forward.

“The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it where he will.” - Proverbs 21: 1

“Leadership is a stewardship.”

This is a quote from Pastor Andy Stanley delivered to thousands of young church leaders in Atlanta a few years ago.

Stanley pointed out that any influence we have with others (that is, any opportunity we have to lead) is a gift from God.

God raises up and takes down leaders (Daniel 2:21). He can direct them in any way He chooses in order to bring more glory to Himself and ultimately bring about His purposes (Proverbs 21:1).

Romans 13:1 says in part, “There is no authority except from God.”

Think about the various leaders in your life. Thank God that He has entrusted those people with influence, and praise the Lord for how He is using those leaders to bring about His plans (even if you think their leadership is bad).

Now think about the people you have the opportunity to influence. Thank God for that opportunity to lead, and ask Him for wisdom and discernment in how to steward the opportunity well.

Pray: Lord, help me to better understand your sovereignty. Help me to see that You are in control and that You are the source of authority and leadership. Help me to trust You more regarding the work of the leaders You have placed in my life. And help me to better honor You with the way I lead.

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” – Psalm 42: 1-2a

“If you aren’t hungry for God, you are full of yourself.”

Stop and read the previous sentence a second time. Make sure its meaning clearly registers with you before you continue.

“If you aren’t hungry for God, you are full of yourself.” This is a quote from Pastor Mark Batterson’s book “Not Safe: Discovering God’s Dangerous Plan for Your Life.”

Batterson goes on to explain that we have to empty ourselves (Philippians 2:1-11) and that we have to die to self (Luke 9:23, Galatians 2:20, Luke 14:27, Luke 14:33), so that God can fill us.

How hungry are you for God?

Do you only “hunger” for Him when you need something? Or do you recognize that you are dependent on Him for every breath and every heartbeat.

God wants us to hunger for Him.

Pray: Dear Lord, forgive me for being full of myself. It is so easy for me to focus only on me and my needs. When I do so, I lose sight of You and do not abide in You as I should. Help me to see the things that I should eliminate from my “diet” of life so that I depend on You more.

“Love covers a multitude of sins.” – 1 Peter 4:8b

One way to promote unity and harmony is to overlook minor offenses.

Such a strategy is recommended throughout scripture:

*Proverbs 19:11 – “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (See also Proverbs 12:16, 15:18, 20:3)

*1 Peter 4:8 – “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (See also Proverbs 10:12, 17:9)

*Colossians 3:13 – “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (See also Ephesians 4:32)

When we choose to let love cover the wrongs of others, we are imitating God’s forgiveness toward us: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. … He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103: 8,10)

In his book “The Peacemaker”, Ken Sande writes: “To overlook an offense is an active process that is inspired by God’s mercy through the gospel. To truly overlook an offense means to deliberately decide not to talk about it, dwell on it, or let it grow into pent-up bitterness.”

Pray: Lord, help me to discern which offenses I should overlook and let love cover. I desire to treat people the way that You have treated me. And I know that You sacrificially made a way for the forgiveness of my sins. Because I have been forgiven much, help me also to forgive others.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” – James 1: 2-4

God allows challenges in our lives to help us grow. As a matter of fact, He BRINGS challenges and trials to us in an effort to help us become more like Jesus.

For many, it is easy to get caught in the same rhythm and pattern of life. We get comfortable, and we let our comfort control our actions and limit our growth.

God can bust up that comfort when it is best for us, causing us to face a challenge and encouraging us to change.

James reminds us that we can count such challenges (trials) as joy. We can rejoice in our challenges. We can embrace the change and even be joyful because of it, knowing that our God is sovereign and His ways are better than our own comfortable ways.

Pray: Lord, help me to rejoice in the challenges I am facing. Helping me to see change in my life as a good thing. Help me to have faith and to recognize that You remain in control, and that You are working to produce steadfastness in my life.

2 Timothy 2:2 —“And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

The relationship between Paul and Timothy is one of the coolest relationships in the New Testament.  God brought together Paul, a legalistic pharisee turned apostle of Christ, and Timothy, an ethnically mixed Jewish/Greek kid from Lystra. 
 
Paul viewed Timothy as his spiritual son. One can only imagine the time they must have spent sharing life together — talking, laughing, crying, and maybe even debating at times — but all in all, embracing the common goal of sharing the gospel.
 
In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul reminds Timothy to equip other faithful men in the same way that Paul equipped Timothy. Paul recognized the value in disciple-making -- that is, the value in making disciples of Jesus Christ.  Whether Timothy realized it at the time or not, Paul was preparing him to shepherd others.
 
What a blessing to have a Paul figure in your life! But like Timothy, at some point God expects us to faithfully pour into the lives of others.

Pray: God, thank You for the spiritual mentors You have placed in my life. And thank You for all they have done to point me to You. Dear Lord, help me to recognize that You desire for me to do the same with others. Open my eyes to the people that You want me to influence.

Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Those who trust in the Lord have an amazing assurance that God will never stop loving them.

As believers, we can find comfort in this fact.

No matter how bad life gets, God will not stop loving us.

He loves us in the good times; He loves us in the bad.

Pastor Rick Warren describes it this way: “When you put your hand in God’s hand, He grabs it and won’t let go. God holds on to you with all He has. …You’ll have times in your life when you’ll want to let go of God’s hand. You’ll want to give up your commitment to Christ when times get tough. But God won’t let go of you – ever. Once you put your hand in His, it’s there to stay.”

Pray: Lord, thank You for loving me. Thank You that Your love for me will last forever. I am grateful that You are at work in my life, helping me become more like Your son, Jesus.

Psalm 89: 15-16 (NIV) – “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness.”

In Philippians 4:4, Paul encouraged the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord, always.” Paul’s encouragement was not new. Throughout the Psalms (including Psalm 89, above), the Israelites recognized the importance of rejoicing “all day long.”

To rejoice “all day long,” we must be willing to let God’s presence be a part of our day. We must “walk in the light of His presence” and acknowledge that He is with us.

Doing so allows us to focus on the Lord and His goodness instead of on ourselves and our circumstances. If we face a difficult situation during our day, we can talk about it with the Lord. If we get bored or stressed, we can take our focus off of the situation and praise and worship the Lord.

Every moment of every day can be special, if we keep our focus on our Savior.

Pray: Lord, forgive me for the times when I let the busyness and stress of my day take my focus away from You. Help me to see that I can walk with You constantly and that I can rejoice in your name all day long. Help me to be more active and consistent in my rejoicing of You.

Psalm 28: 7 – “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart turns, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”

What is your source of strength? Do you depend solely on your own physical and mental capabilities to get through each day? Do you depend only on what you eat to provide you with energy?

In writing Psalm 28, David pointed out that the Lord is his strength and his shield.

The Lord provides the strength we need for each day. And that strength comes when we draw near to Him. Pull away from Him and you may find yourself overcome with weakness. Take your eyes off of Him and your circumstances can consume your thoughts and drain you of strength.

Draw near to the Lord and you will be strengthened. Draw near to Him and let Him protect you. For He is also your shield – an alert and active shield that knows all you are currently facing and all you will face in the future.

Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for being my strength and my shield. Forgive me for the times my heart turns away from You. I know You can strengthen me and protect me better than I can myself.

Psalm 27:8 – “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’”

In an effort to become a praying church, many of Westside’s corporate prayers in recent years have been scripture-fed, Spirit-led, worship-based prayers. These prayers focus more heavily on seeking God’s face (who He is) rather than seeking God’s hand (what He can do for us).

Christ-followers often go to God when we need something, calling on Him to help. And He certainly wants to hear from us in those situations, and He will help us in the ways that make us more like His son.

But God is more concerned about His glory than He is about our happiness, and He wants us to have the same mindset.

Take a few moments and think about your prayer life. Do you use your prayer time to get to know God better? Do you seek His face? Or are your prayers primarily focused on you and what you want?

Pray: Lord, forgive me when my focus is on myself. I know You deserve to be first place in my life. Help me to see how focusing on me and my needs may be preventing me from knowing You better.

Psalm 9: 9-10 – “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”

Throughout scripture, God indicates that He will not leave nor forsake His children. Several times, this promise came when the Lord assigned a specific task (Deuteronomy 31: 6-8, Joshua 1:9, 1 Kings 8:57, 1 Chronicles 28:20 and Isaiah 41: 10-13, just to list a few).

Jesus also included the promise when he gave the Great Commission. He told His disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Even today, God is with us. He goes with us wherever He sends us. And He will not forsake those who seek Him.

Pray: Lord, help us to seek You more intently during this unprecedented time. Help us to find comfort in the fact that You are with us. You are with Westside Fellowship, and You are with Riverview Baptist. And You will not leave nor forsake Your church.

Psalm 119: 11 – “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Throughout Psalm 119, we are reminded of how valuable God’s word is. It provides the truths that we can live by. It provides the commands that help us to walk in the way of the Lord.

“Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors” – Psalm 119:24.

So often we are quick to go to our friends or our loved ones for advice. Other times, we turn to popular “experts” or seek answers online or through books.

God’s word is filled with the wisdom that we seek.

Pray (from Psalm 119:33-37): Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes... Give me understanding, that I may keep Your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments… and turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in Your ways.

Philippians 4: 4-7 – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians Chapter 4 provides us with a remedy for worry and anxiousness. To combat anxiousness, we should pray and we should be thankful.

Prayer acknowledges our dependence on God. Thanksgiving reminds us that God has provided in the past and that He is capable of providing in the future.

Pray and be thankful, letting your requests be known to God, and God’s great peace will guard your hearts and your minds from anxiousness.

Pray: Lord, forgive me for the times that I fail to recognize that You are in control. Forgive me for my anxiousness, as my worry is often an indication that I am attempting to control various aspects of my life instead of trusting You. Dear God, thank You for desiring to hear from me and for listening to my requests. And thank You for guarding my heart and my mind with Your amazing peace.

1 Corinthians 1: 10 – “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”

Unity is extremely important to our Lord Jesus Christ.

In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul reminds believers that Christ is the one who died for them and it is Christ that they should follow.

The same is true in local churches today. The believers in a specific local church should be following Christ, not following an individual, regardless of how popular that individual is or how significant of an earthly role he/she may have played in your life.

As Riverview Baptist and Westside Fellowship both face possible leadership changes, let us be reminded that we follow Christ.

Pray: Lord, let there be no divisions among us. Help us to be united in the same mind and the same judgment. Help us to see that You are the one we are to follow.

James 1:5 — “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Wisdom is having the knowledge and understanding to skillfully apply God’s word in circumstance.  
 
 True wisdom belongs to God and is given by Him. (Job 12:13)
 True wisdom is received through God’s word. (Psalm 19:7)
 True wisdom is received through submission to God. (Proverbs 15:33)
 True wisdom is imparted by God’s Spirit. (Ephesians 1:17)
 True wisdom is given in response to prayer. (James 1:5)
 
 Pray that God will give Westside Fellowship and Riverview Baptist Church wisdom to skillfully apply His word as we seek to do His will during the month of August.

Pray:  Dear God, I thank You that You are a generous god and that You are generous with regard to giving wisdom. You desire for Your church to seek Your wisdom for making decisions.  I pray You will give us wisdom and discernment. Help us to remain sensitive to Your Holy Spirit’s leading and guiding.

Ephesians 3:4-6 — “When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

Can you imagine what Paul must have thought when the mystery of the gospel was revealed to him? To think that the forgiveness of sins extends even to the Gentiles was an unheard of concept to the Jews.
 
After being rooted in a culture of prejudice, Paul begins sowing a message of love. After promoting disunity, Paul begins proclaiming that both Jew and Gentile are equal at the foot of the cross. After supporting segregation, Paul begins sharing that all believers are united in the same body – the body of  Jesus Christ.
 
The gospel is no longer a mystery, but that doesn’t mean that it is any less exciting. Get excited about the Good News of Jesus Christ. And then share it with someone.

Pray: Dear Lord, it just doesn’t make sense to me that You would choose to take the punishment for the sins that I have committed.  But that is what is so incredible about You – that You made a way for us to have a close, personal relationship with You. God, I ask You to help me embrace the life-transforming power of the gospel. And help me to boldly share this Good News with those who need to hear it.

Philippians 1:6 — “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

In a society fueled by rugged individualism and results-based performance, it is easy to think that the quality of life is somehow linked to quantity of work we accomplish.  So often, Christians in America are driven by our culture to sleep less, work more, and push harder toward the unattainable goal of popular success.
 
The Gospel of Jesus Christ shatters this mindset. We can find comfort and rest assured that salvation is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ.  Nothing more is needed.  Our sin debt has been paid in full by the blood of Jesus in His work on the cross.  
 
There is nothing we could have done to earn such a salvation, and there is nothing we can do to bring it to completion. It is a free gift of God based on the work of Christ alone.

Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for the riches of Your amazing grace.  I praise You today as my Lord and Savior.  Because of Your faithfulness, I trust that Jesus saves me and Jesus keeps me saved. I ask You to help me to abide in You today and embrace Your loving-kindness. Help me to rest assured that You will bring to completion the good work You have started in me.

Ephesians 4:1-6 – “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

The Lord puts tremendous value on unity and harmony, especially among His children.
To maintain such unity, He calls us to live peaceful lives – to walk with humility, gentleness and patience. We do this by bearing one another’s burdens in love.

If you are reading this, it is likely that you have a connection with either Westside Fellowship or Riverview Baptist Church or both. As these churches face a possible change in leadership, maintaining unity and harmony will be critical elements to the health of the churches.

Please pray that you do your part in helping to maintain the unity that God has created in your local church.

Pray: Dear Lord, help me to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. As your child, you have called me to be an ambassador of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). As such, I want to represent Jesus well in all areas of my life. Help me to do so in the various ways I interact with others. Help me to walk with humility and gentleness and patience. And help me to maintain unity by placing a high priority on keeping the peace.