~Julie Schwab- One year for vacation Bible school, Ken's church decided to bring in live animals to illustrate Scripture. When he arrived to help, Ken was asked to bring a sheep inside.
He had to practically drag the wooly animal by a rope into the church gymnasium. But as the week went on, it became less reluctant to follow. By the end of the week, Ken didn't have to hold the rope anymore; he just called the sheep and it followed, knowing it could trust him. (Google image, Sheep and rope)
In the New Testament, Jesus compares Himself to a shepherd, stating that His people, the sheep, will follow Him because they know His voice (John 10:4). But those same sheep will run from a stranger or thief (v. 5).
Like sheep, we (God's children) get to know the voice of our Shepherd through our relationship with Him. And as we do we see His character and learn to trust Him.
As we grow to know and love God, we'll be discerning of His voice and better able to run from the "the thief [who] comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (v. 10)—from those who try to deceive and draw us away form Him. Unlike those false teachers, we can trust the voice of our Shepherd to lead us to safety. [Julie Schwab]
[Taken from Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. www.odb.org]
Let’s Pray-
"Dear Lord, You sent Your Son Jesus to be the sacrifice for my sins so I might have access to an intimate, personal relationship with You. I want to know Your voice and follow You with childlike faith. Today, as I draw near to You, help me recognize Your voice.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen." [Katy McCown]
Our Ambassador to Israel, Michael David Evens' comments:
"In times of uncertainty and even danger, there is safety with God. He is more than able to defend and deliver all of those who trust Him and pray for his help."
Ezekiel 34:27-28
"And the tree . . . shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid."
536-540 one-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted-
Quotes for today-
~ Katy McCown- "To smile without fear of the future, we have to know God’s voice and trust His choices. We have to cry out to God when we’re scared and follow wherever He leads. To do that, we have to know, beyond any doubt, the sound of our heavenly Father’s voice.
Do you know your Father’s voice? When I’m not sure, or need to know God’s voice more personally, I read His Word. The more time I spend with God, the more familiar His voice becomes, and the braver my heart grows."
~ Gwen Smith- "God’s mercy reaches beyond the muck and mire of our pasts to recreate us in the grace and love of Jesus. He lifts fallen heads, purifies rebellious hearts, and places slippery feet on solid ground. He makes us new creations.
Nothing about having a past or complicated associations can keep you from walking out the freedom and hope of Jesus. Behold, the new has come!
It’s time to move forward, friend." [Taken from The Beauty of Grace by permission]
~ When we find it hard to keep our eyes on the Lord to get His opinion on what someone has made clear how we’re expected to react to a decision, may we take a moment to reflect and see if it is how the Lord would have us react. Will it be a growing-up experience for us In handling a questionable situation? May we remember that Christ is our Head, and we’re to look to Him for leadership in our decisions.
Today's guest information-
~ In a new online devotional course from The Navigators, you can spend time learning how to not only endure but mature through life’s hard times. This free course is made available because of our mission to share the truths and promises of God’s Word with all who are in need of encouragement.
Get started to find relief, comfort, and a renewed sense of hope today.
You can activate your free online course right now at this link: http://navlink.org/
Enjoy!
The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,
located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,
broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15
You can view past services too.
Sermon listing: https://www.
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