Luke 13

As I read this chapter, considering all the possibilities for topics, one verse caught my attention, and caused my mind to rehearse a discussion I had Monday evening on a conference call.  The scripture is, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  Jesus continues on, after dropping on us an undetonated time bomb that seems so simple and obvious and not profound, to contrast a faithful servant and an unfaithful servant; one who, according to Romans 12, proved the will of God, and one who found himself distracted by his own covetousness.

It is not enough to understand and know the will of God; it is up to me to pick the place where my treasure will be. Many times, also, I think we misinterpret this scripture to say, "Where your heart is there will your treasure be," as if to say if we get our heart right our treasure will follow. Jeremiah told us, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jesus said, in my crude interpretation, "pick your treasure and your heart will follow." Our heart has a problem; it is fickle. If we follow our hearts our course will change and we will find our self questioning the will of God. When we find our treasure we will sell everything to buy the field where the treasure is.

As the timer on the bomb ticks to zero, I realize how important it is for me to make Jesus the "Everyday God."  Too many times I meet people who say with their lives that He will delay his coming by cutting him out of their careers, finances, relationships, talents, hobbies, etc. His will is that none should perish but that all should repent. Too many people, however, follow their heart which covets something new every day only to find their selves holding a worthless treasure.

I cannot forget that my career, finances, relationships, talents and hobbies are nothing more than tools that are given to me to accomplish the Will of God.  

2 Corinthians 4: 1-7 1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Jason Mathews

Luke 11

> This chapter has been part of the church's bible quizing teams
> memorization and so I have read and reread this chapter many times.
> In the end, what stands out most in this chapter is the number of
> times Jesus' authority is challenged by the Pharisees. They claim he
> casts out devils through Beelzebub. They are amazed that he does not
> wash his hands before dinner. They urge him to continue speaking
> hoping they can catch him saying something they can use against him.
>
> It reminds us that we Christian men are always being watched
> carefully and sometimes challenged for what we believe. We must
> always be aware that there are those at work and in our private
> lives that do not agree with us and are looking to find fault with
> our lifestyle and what we say.
>
> Jesus always responded to his critics with scripture rightly
> divided. He destroyed their argument concerning casting out demons
> with his famous "house divided" response. He rebuked the Pharisees
> for their emphasis on external cleanliness by exposing their
> internal callousness and pride. He chastised them for the murder of
> God's appointed prophets in the name of preserving their religion.
>
> We men of the church know that their will always be opposition to
> our lifestyle and standards until Jesus comes again. This culture
> stands opposed to our values. But these stories remind us that Jesus
> stood up to his adversaries and we must as well.
>
> Paul Pixley

Luke 10

In the 1st verses Jesus sends out workers ahead of Him to plant the seeds of Gods word in the towns . Then He warns of towns not accepting Gods word, and the judgment they will face .

Then in verse 17, The seventy two returned with joy, saying " Lord even the demons submit to us in your name ."  Where as Jesus replies that even better yet is that your names are written in Heaven.  To us that should be the greatest goal, that our names  and our families names be written in Heaven .

In verse 25, an expert of the law asked Jesus," what must I do to inherit eternal life ?" Verse 26 What is written in the law? Jesus asked. The man answered," love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself . By which Jesus replied," do this and you will live ."

Then Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan . Which we all know, but do we truly live it? How many times have we been too busy or preoccupied to reach out, or help, or to encourage the lost and the needy?

The chapter ends at the house of Martha and Mary, with Martha being so busy, that she didn't realize what she was missing.  Not stopping at Jesus feet, just to soak up the word of God. Another way for God to say Wait on the Lord. Don't get so busy that you completely miss Gods blessings.

Rick Vanderzanden

Luke 9

Luke chapter 9, with it's 62 verses, is chock full of God at work among men.

In verses 1-5, Jesus is the giver of power & authority over devils to the 12 disciples, sending them to preach the Kingdom of God.

In verse 7 Herod is perplexed about who Jesus is. 

In verse 11, Jesus is at work teaching the people of the Kingdom of God, & healing the sick.

In verses 13-17, Jesus is at work feeding the 5000 plus people.

In verses 18-27, Jesus is at work questioning & teaching his disciples who He is, what He must suffer, & that they must take up their cross daily & follow him.

In verses 28-36, Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, & John.  Peter gets directly spoken to by the Almighty "This is my beloved Son:  hear him".

In verses 38-42, Jesus is at work delivering a man's son from a demon that the disciples could not cast out.

In verse 44-56, Jesus is again at work teaching the disciples through different events about his death, & how to become great in the Kingdom of God:  teaching them that they that are not against us are for us.  He came not to call down fire or to destroy men, but to save men.

In verses 57-62, Jesus calls some to follow him & makes them aware of the cost of following Him.

Through these many events God is at work among men.  Each event is a snapshot of who He is & what He's doing.  We R.E.A.L. men are called to be like Jesus & do His work.  As Brother Mac would say, "Turn it up"!  Let's be salt & light in this ever-darkening world.

Cecil E. Houston II

Luke 8

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Joe Crosson" <jcrosson@7-development.com>
Date: June 26, 2009 7:26:40 AM CDT
To: <joecrosson@yahoo.com>
Subject: Daily Take Away

Luke 8:22-25  
  
I like this story in the Bible a lot.  There are many things that can be said about it. But one thing I like was when Jesus said "where is your faith?"

Sometimes when we cast off to do Gods will, or take a leap of faith, something may happen.  It seems like it's the end and we won't make it. All the while God is saying "where is your faith?"  If you do something for God he will always keep you and not let you perish in the storm.  So today, I challenge everybody reading this to ask yourself, "where your faith?" We all need to have and exercise our faith.

Marshal McGee

Luke 7

A faith so great that God was amazed.  Luke 7 is filled with recounts of miracle after miracle.  But the verse that stood out to me was verse 9.  Jesus was on the way to the house of a Centurion.  A pagan, yet a man of character who had a good reputation with the Jews.  As Jesus was making his way, the Centurion stopped Him to say that he believed that if He spoke the word, his servant would be healed.  This stopped Jesus in His tracks.  The majority of His time He has been haranguing with the lawyers and religious leaders about the legality of His miracles; about if He was the Messiah.  Yet, a pagan is the one who makes Him wonder. 

Are we guilty of trying to figure God out? Should we, rather, spend our time letting our faith work in us so that our reputations precede us? Maybe to the point that when we do stand before Jesus and ask in faith, others have already interceded and touched God for us. Let us have such a faith in Him that He marvels.

Keith Mathews

Luke 6

Luke 6:1-11 opens up with two storys of how the attitudes of the typical self righteous Pharisees were. Always lying in wait to trip Him up at the next turn instead of opening their hearts to recieve. In the first instance he asked them, "have you read.....?". Using the Word to make them think. In the second instance He used His infinite wisdom, asking them a question they couldnt refuse. Which is better, to do good or to do evil? How small the Pharisees must have felt being in the presence of those crowding around Jesus with anticipation of His next healing or miracle.
Vs. 13-16  Here Jesus is taking care of a little church business, choosing out 12 men hand picked by Jesus Christ Himself. How wonderful it feels even today to be "hand picked" by the Master!  Interesting to see how Jesus ends His decision making by picking Judas Iscariot. (I wonder if Jesus took a long look into the eyes of Judas before going about his way?)
Vs. 17-42 Jesus starts out in the plain with His disciples and began healing those that were sick and vexed with unclean spirits. He lifts up his eyes upon them and begins to teach. We love our healings and miracles but dont forget the meat and potatoes of pure doctrine! He continues teaching them on many foundational values. Loving our enemies, doing good to others, not judging, and forgiving others.
Vs 43-49 Jesus here speaks of our "fruits". What kind of a tree are we harvesting in our lives? A tree that is "fruit" bearing or one that is barren of fruit and weak.  Jesus makes the comparison of where the fruit comes from, the heart. He makes the next comparison to obedience. Where does the fruit of our heart come from? Obedience!  It is like a man building a house. If we don't get the foundation right we will never get our walls plumb and square. If the foundation cracks, it will affect the house all the way to the peak of the roof. Thank God that we as REAL Men have began with the foundation of Truth and built upward.

Daryl Duke

Luke 5

12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. (KJV)

Obedience is an act of faith. Faith is the manifestation of an obedient heart. Here we read that the leper when he saw Jesus, fell down and asked of Jesus to make him clean. What stands out to me in verse 12 is  the leper said to Jesus "if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." You see if God wants to do something for us He can. It's not a question of can He; it's the question of will He.

Sometimes in life we think that God can't fix our problems, or He can't make us whole. Nothing is impossible for God. We tend to think that God should do things in our timing, but God does not keep time like we do. God's clock does not have an a.m. or p.m. we cannot limit God to our twenty-four time frame.

Sometimes it's hard, and we don't understand why God doesn't do certain things that we thought He should do. We should never question the infinite wisdom of God almighty. Some situations God does not change. Sometimes we lose things in life. Doesn't mean that God couldn't work it out, it's just that maybe it was the best for us and we just didn't know it. Then other times God moves on our behalf and He works miracles and changes situations and circumstances for us. But through it all we must come to realize that God is in control and it's not "canst thou" it is "Wilt thou."

Mark Denard

Luke 4

Luke 4 begins with Jesus being tempted by satan.  Though tempted in several ways, the final outcome was Jesus telling satan that "You shall not tempt the Lord your God".  Proving that God is truly great and has the power over all.  After returning from the desert, Jesus came to Nazareth and was rejected for his teachings in the synagogue. 

Much of Luke 4 is very familiar to me, having studied it with Blaine for Bible Quizzing, and one thing that stands out to me in Luke 4:29-30 is that the people took Jesus to the brow of the hill to cast Him over for His teachings.  But in verse 30 it says, Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.  Now that is an exhibit of Gods power.  Sure they were able to force Him to the hill, but they were not able to hold Him there.

How many times has the enemy tried to get us to the brow of the hill and cast us down and God made a way of escape for us?  God is an awesome God, and his power is everlasting.  He cares so much for us that He is always waiting to embrace us with his spirit and make a way where there seems no way. 

The chapter continues with Jesus performing miracle and preaching to those in Galilee.  Last night we heard the even though we may go thru the cycles of life, and enter into the different seasons, God is walking with us and he will carry us thru.  In this chapter we see Jesus walking thru temptation, persecution, times of miracles, and sharing the Word.  Walking thru His seasons.  God has given us so many examples to live by and great leadership to bring them to us, and today these scriptures confirm what we heard last night.

God is great and in control.  Let us continue in the faith, being REAL Men for our families to see.  Leading in praise and worship, ushering in the presence of God, creating an atmosphere for God to enter into, and do mighty things.  Let us continue to be Faithful Men!!

Joe Crosson

Luke 3

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father.  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. (vv 7-8)

The children of Israel were naturally proud of their heritage. When one takes the time to read the story of Abraham, it's easy to understand why. Abraham was a great man of faith and was known as a friend of God.  His faith didn't waver, even when he was asked to offer up his only son Isaac as a burnt offering to the Lord. In fact, he was so intent on carrying out God's command that the angel of the Lord had to say his name twice to get his attention!

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.  Genesis 22 9-11

Abraham's faith was unmatched by the rest of his family. Even his own sons fell short of possessing the faith that he possessed. Abraham would build an altar first and then he would dig a well. Isaac dug the well first and then built an altar. Jacob only built an altar when he was up to his ears in trouble. Isaac and Jacob turned out to be great men of faith but, with each generation, the children of Abraham would digress further and further from their heritage. But no matter how far they strayed from their roots, they were always proud to be called the sons of Abraham.

During the war of 1812, Dolly Madison was forced to leave the presidential mansion by British soldiers. However, before she left, she managed to save the painting of George Washington. Because of her actions, that painting is still in existence today.

I find it interesting that Dolly Madison was so determined to save this painting. Obviously, she didn't want Americans to forget about the sacrifice, dedication and determination of the first President. America would do well to follow her example.

Over the years, the United States of America has drifted further and further away from the original constitution. Americans can sing "I'm proud to be an American" all they want, but if their actions don't back up their speech, the words that they speak and sing are meaningless.

I can lift up my head, puff out my chest, square my shoulders and say, I'm proud of my heritage!  After all, I am a fourth generation Pentecostal and I come from a long line of faithful men and women. But what good is a legacy, if it's not respected by the next generation? Here is a short list of men in the Bible that failed to respect their heritage:

1. The sons of Samuel
2. Absalom, the son of David
3. The sons of Eli the priest
4. Rehoboam, the son of Solomon
5. Esau, the son of Isaac

This list could go on for quite some time, but notice that all of these men had great potential, yet all of them ultimately failed.

Jesus said it best in John 8:38-39, "I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.  They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham."

Remembering our heritage is very important. Deuteronomy 32:7 read,  "Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations:"

The word, remember appears in the Bible a total of 101 times. However, we should not only remember our spiritual forefathers, but we should also strive to walk in their ways. Consider what Jeremiah 6:16 says, "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."

I recently learned that I will be a father in about eight months. While I am extremely excited about this, I am also overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising a child in this day and age. I want to pass this message on to my son (or daughter) and watch them grow into a great man (or woman) of God. I realize that this will not be an easy task.

REAL men of Euless; let's remember the prayer, dedication, faith and holiness of our spiritual forefathers, but may we also strive to carry on that legacy. A famous football player once said, I don't know of any other way to lead, but by example. Therefore brethren, let's go out and show the world a living example of an Apostolic holy roller.

Martin Luther King Jr. said:

"We can either be a thermometer and record what happens, or we can be a thermostat and change what happens."

In Ronald Reagan's Second Inaugural Address in 1985 he stated:

"History is a ribbon always unfurling; history is a journey. And as we continue our journey, we think of those who traveled before us.  Now we hear again the echoes of our past: a general falls to his knees in the hard snow of Valley Forge; a lonely president paces the darkened halls and ponders his struggle to preserve the Union; the men of the Alamo call out encouragement to each other; a settler pushes west and sings a song, and the song echoes out forever and fills the unknowing air. It is the American sound. It is hopeful, big-hearted, decent and fair. That is our heritage; that is our song. We sing it still. For all our problems, our differences, we are together as of old, as we raise our voices to God who is the Author of this most tender music. And may He continue to hold us close as we fill the world with our sound-sound in unity, affection, and love-one people under God, dedicated to the dream of freedom that He has placed in the human heart, called upon now to pass that dream on to a waiting and hopeful world."

Our spiritual forefathers taught us a song; it is the song of the redeemed. Let's open our mouths and sing as never before! I echo the words of John F. Kennedy:

"Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation." 

It is our song now brethren and it is time to shake the earth with that song!!!

Jordan Mills

Luke 2

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.  And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."  And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
(vv 25-33)

Even though Joseph and Mary had heard from angels concerning Jesus, and had seen his amazing virgin birth, and had nie months to ponder what and who he was, they still marvelled when Simeon said what he did about Jesus.

With all the teaching and preaching that we have received about Christ, yet there are still times when we question what he is doing and how he is doing it.  It is high time for some real men of Euless to get behind the wonderful preaching and teaching we hear, spend more time in the Word of God, and more time on our knees. To trust the Lord as he moves in our life and family. To be ready to be used in what ever way Jesus wants to use each and everyone us to further the revival that is in our mist and to do the work of the kingdom of God.

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men
Psalm 107:8

Ralph Cain

Luke 1

Scripture Focus: Luke 1:15-17 (NIV) " 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.  16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous— to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

John was endued with Holy Ghost power, a plan, and purpose. Brothers aren't you endued with power from on High by evidence of speaking in tongues, aren't you given a plan (a plan of salvation), and a purpose to labor "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord".

Note: Luke wrote Acts, so by that we are in for a treat.

Eric Mock

Mark 16

Verse 3 – and they said among themselves, who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?
 
I really wonder what was going on in their thinking as they were on the way to the tomb.  No doubt they believed Jesus when he said that he would rise again and no doubt they heard and understood when he proclaimed himself to be the resurrection and the life.  However, according to the conversation, they expected the stone to block their access to the Promise.  It wasn't a conversation of 'is today the day he will rise again', but rather it was a conversation to determine how or if they were going to move the stone.  So often in life, I find myself contemplating how I am going to move the "stones" that seemingly block me from the promises of God, when God is just waiting to reveal himself as the Promise keeper.  I also notice that when they came that they did not come empty handed, but they brought spices to anoint Jesus.  Even in the times that we can only imagine a stone blocking our access we must bring our praise and worship and anticipate an encounter.

Jeff McGee

Mark 15

When reading Mark 15, there are many different thoughts that can be drawn from it: such as the agony, pain and suffering that Jesus went through for all of us. After I read it, the first thought that came to me was forbearing. From the trial all the way to His death on the cross, He never responded to the ridiculing and mocking that He endured. I just wonder how His human side wanted to respond but He didn't.

Verse 39 says "And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God." Jesus's actions made a believer out of someone. I know that there have been and will be many times in my life that when people are accusing me or the stressful times at work that I want to speak my mind (as I have done). I  need to remember that to be Christ like that I must remember to keep silent (at least be careful with how and what I say) and let Him shine through me and let Him resolve the situation. Will my action lead someone to realize that I have Christ living and working in me?

Randal Sheppard

Mark 14

In reading this chapter several times, the one verse that jumped out to me the most is v 26.
Mark 14: 26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
KJV

This takes place right after the last supper and before he goes into the garden to pray.  His heart had to be heavy and a little sad, for he knew he would be beaten cruelly and crucified shortly.  He had to know the pain and suffering he was about to endure. Yet he sang a hymn of exhortation of praise to God.

Take heart my fellow Real men, for the things we will go through will not compare to what he endured for us and our families.  Lets sing a hymn of praise to our Lord, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, for he is great and his mercy endureth for ever.  Talk of all his wonderful works, lift his name and give him praise, worship him with all your heart and be glad in him.  Give a great praise to our great and mighty God for he is worthy of praise.

Ralph Cain

Mark 12

Opening this chapter is a parable about how Jesus felt concerning the people who had received a promise from God.  In this parable there is a description of how those men in authority treated the laborers and prophets that the Lord Jehovah had sent.  They were sent to remind them of the commandments and law that He had given them.

One they caught beat and sent away, Jeremiah, another servant they cast stones and wounded his head, Hezekiah, another they killed, Isaiah.  I find it very interesting how these men of God lived, and were treated for their labor and how some of them died.

Did you know, for example, that Isaiah was fleeing from his fellow country men because of his prophesying?  He tried to hide in a hollow tree, and the men chasing him caught him in the hollow tree then took a cross-buck saw and cut the tree in half with Isaiah in it.
Amos the prophet was caught out in a field by the son of the high priest.  Amos was trying to awaken the high priest as to the error of his ways.  Amos was killed by this son with a sword and left for the beasts of the field and the fowl of the air to eat.

Jeremiah, as you probably know was put into a very large outhouse or cesspool and left there in that stink and filth to die and rot because of his prophesying.  He was eventually taken up by old rags and died in captivity in Babylon, just as he had prophesied but he died alone and broken.

Then go on to consider the apostles.  Of the 12 only one died a natural death; John the beloved, the revelator.  But that was after he was boiled in oil and left on the desert Island of Patmos.  All of the rest were slain in a number of cruel and painful ways.

I am saying all of this because in the day we live, the "Name it and Claim it philosophy" is flooding the world.  It concerns me that we are led to believe that we will never have to face any real hard times.

The people of Jesus day were trying everything in their power to find a way to trip him up to justify their killing of him. 
v  The Pharisees a.k.a. lawyers, challenging his authority.
v  The Herodians, who heaped on him empty praise, see verse 14, in order to catch him in a rebellion against Caesar. 
v  The Sadducees, trying to prove there is no life after death, were trying to catch Jesus between the law and their distorted views, verses 18 to 27. 
v  The Scribes challenging Jesus knowledge of the law, the commandments, and the Word of God, verses 28 to 33.

Even in all of this Jesus found a reason to commend one of the scribes as he states in verse 34 "thou are not far from the kingdom of God."

If Jesus, who knew that he was to be beaten, mocked, marred beyond recognition and then crucified.  He left us an example of how to treat those that seemed to be his enemies.  How much more should we who have a lot of the comforts of life not follow this lead and be REAL MEN for his kingdom. 

What would be wrong with taking a minute, pray and ask the Lord to give you just one (1) opportunity to talk to someone today about who He is to you.  You may be surprised how quickly God answers this sort of prayer.

Measure the price of a soul lost for eternity.  No one deserves to spend eternity in hell with the devil.  Our Mission Statement says we need to Evangelize the Lost.  What better way to do that then tell someone what Jesus means to you Today.

David DeTar

Mark 11

Mark chapter 11 has so many wonderful things to say. I would like to draw your attention to verse 12 – 14.

 
Mark 11:12-14
 
12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
KJV
 
I like the picture that is painted here. Jesus is walking with his disciples and says, "I am hungry." On a side note, there's nothing like getting with the faithful men of God and having fellowship. Jesus spies a fig tree afar off and decides that's what he would like to eat. You see, a fig tree would produce a great amount of fruit twice a year, in the late spring and early autumn. In the spring season, when the leaves begin to bud, the figs normally grow as the leaves fill out. When Jesus saw the fig tree, it was fully bloomed. The leaves were grown fully and the nature of the tree was screaming out, "I have fruit!" So Jesus walks toward the tree, and He begins to look for the figs or the fruit of the tree and finds none. The tree looked good, but it had no fruit. So the Lord cursed it.
 
As men of God, I don't want to just look the part of a man of God and not bear any fruit. The scripture also says a tree is known by its fruit. As real men, our families are going to have to eat the fruit of our spiritual tree. Our wife and kids need to hear and feel the prayers of a husband or daddy so they can partake of the fruit of prayer. We can't afford to play church and look the part, but we must have a flow of the Spirit of God continually in our lives.
 
The men of Euless are always in my prayers and know that you are greatly missed. What do you say? Let's take our walk with God to another level and have revival like we have never seen.
 
Chad Mooney

Mark 10

Resort:  a place to which people go often, customarily, or generally; especially, a place to which people go for rest or relaxation, as on a vacation. A person or thing that one turns to for help or support.

I am writing this take away on a Monday, and oh what a Monday it was ! Have you ever had one of those Mondays where no matter how much you tried, you just couldn't do anything right?   I guess I should have known what lay ahead of me when the alarm clock went off at the usual time of 5am and the first thought that echoed through my mind was, "at least you have a job and a reason to get up.".          

As I made my way through the hectic day, praising my way through obstacle after obstacle, the grind began to wear me down until I faced the end of my day with not much left to give. Desperately, I tried to go into God's word throughout my day but it was as if I were staring at a blank wall. Just as I began to think that God had abandoned me to fend for myself, the words in verse one jumped on me and instantly I could breathe again.

Now, we are all very familiar with chapter ten of Mark, it has much instruction from the Master. The rich young ruler needed to empty himself and let Jesus fill him but he couldn't see past his own wealth. We all need a blind Bartimaeus attitude. We need to be content with the place God has reserved for us in the kingdom and if we truly can, He might decide to promote from within, so be ready. And, for goodness sake, let's stay out of God's way and let Him do what He intends to. But thank the Lord that as I drove home those words of life washed over me and I finally understood what verse one means.

The people were driven to seek out God for His instruction and Jesus was accustomed to do so. It is in His very nature to teach and minister to our every need. So, when you have one of those Monday's like I had today, do yourself a favor and take a vacation in the arms of Jesus Christ. There's no sea sickness, you won't hear, "are we there yet " a million times and you're overjoyed when your luggage gets lost.

Robert MacPhee Jr

Mark 9

 43And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
 44Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
 45And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
 46Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
 47And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
 48Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
 49For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
 50Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

On the surface of this verse, I would have thought this meant you literally have to cut off an appendage.

What I see from this now is that we need to cut sin out of our lives. Be aware of his real meaning.  As I study even deeper I see now even more into the entire context of this chapter.

Jesus teaches about true greatness. Greatness is like His attitude toward those considered insignificant, the weaker, less informed believer. "Little ones"! The fate of offending one and "sinking in the sea with a millstone around one's neck" reflects the seriousness of not causing  a less mature believer to stumble and sin.

It would seem that the sins of the hand/foot/eye are connected to what we do or how we influence the weaker believer. 

This is what I pray for every day, is to be a better example to my Family and Children. My friends and co-workers. I would not want my sin to be justified by them and cause them or someone else to stumble. Cut off my own desires that would cause me to sin! For I certainly don't want to enter into "the fire that never shall be quenched"

Let us be "salted with fire". A pleasing sacrifice to our Lord.  Let us be REAL men!

Larry Birchfield

Mark 8

29And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. 31And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

It comes to my mind that the disciples, in all of their travels and time spent with the Master, were sometimes blinded by the miraculous works He performed.  The Pharisees sought Him out for signs.  The Disciples witnessed many miracles and signs, yet when they were face-to-face with their own need (Verse 14), they were perplexed. They sought Him for a sign.  There in He warned them to not become like the Pharisees. 

All of this time spent with Him, and yet they never saw his true purpose.  However, in verse 29, Peter saw through the fog and it registered who Jesus really was.  It was then that He began to teach them of His true purpose (verse 31). 

I know I am guilty of some times falling into the trap of the leaven of the Pharisees.  I beg God, plead with Him, ask for a sign; a miracle.  I am sure that it must sometime seem to Him that I only serve Him for the loaves and fishes.  I think it might be easier for those of us who are rich in this blessed heritage to fall into that trap. We hear preaching from our infancy about the power and might of the Lord God Almighty.  We are taught that He can do anything.  Therefore, we look to Him for the miraculous.  And there is nothing wrong with that, as long as it does not become our only relationship with the Maker.  It seems to me that the only time the Pharisees communicated with Jesus was when they were trying to trip Him up; they always wanted Him to prove Himself. 

Are we like that?  Or do we, like Peter, see through our needs and glimpse Jesus the Christ.  You see, Jesus was not here to work miracles.  They were His PR, if you will.  The miracles, as wonderful and life changing as they were for the direct recipients, were nothing more than demonstrations of His might and power.  They were not emblematic of His true purpose.

Jesus only began to teach the disciples His true purpose when they saw Him for who He is.   31And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Jesus came not to make our lives more comfortable by intervening in our troubles.  Rather, He came to give us life and life more abundantly.  He came to die a humiliating, gruesome death so that you and I might have eternal life.

Let us, as REAL men, not seek after Him or desire relationship with Him for the ancillary benefits that seem to impress our humanity.  Rather, let us seek the lover of our souls; let us pursue the one who lived a sinless life to die a debasing death so that we may be free.  Let us seek after Jesus the Christ not Jesus the Miracle Worker.

Keith G. Mathews

Mark 6

Mark 6:26-31 (New King James Version)

26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb. 30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.

After hearing about John's death, Jesus suggests that they depart to a deserted place. Notice that he said, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." I don't believe that Jesus had any intention of resting. He merely wanted to spend some time alone.

Do you think that Jesus never experienced grief? Think again. I believe that Jesus and John were very close friends growing up. Let's examine some of their similarities.

They had a similar preaching style:

Matthew 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

They shared the same opinion about the religious leaders of that day:

Matthew 3:7 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (John)

Matthew 23:33
Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? (Jesus)

Neither man was too concerned about his appearance:

Matthew 11:7-8 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?  8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

Isaiah 53:2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,  and as a root out of dry ground.  He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

Notice the familiar tones in their conversation at Jesus' baptism:

Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"
15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.

This doesn't sound like a conversation between two strangers. These men knew each other. In fact, John knew who Jesus was even before he was born!!!

Luke 2:41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

I doubt that as a child, Jesus was able to find many children who shared His passion for the ministry. However, I believe that John and Jesus could have spent some time together while Mary and Elizabeth conversed. They grew up together, they studied the scriptures together, and they were probably close friends.

I realize that I am not able to prove any of this, but I firmly believe every word of it. Some could argue that because of what Luke 1:19 says, John and Jesus couldn't have been close. Let's examine the verse together.

Luke 1:19 80 So the child (John) grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Notice that he grew and became strong in spirit, and then went to the deserts until the day of his manifestation to Israel. I sincerely doubt that his parents dropped him off in the desert when he was two or three years old!

Now, with all of this in mind, imagine the grief that Jesus must have felt when he heard about the death of his beloved friend, John. He obviously felt grief, because he wanted to spend some time alone. I can picture Him in my mind, walking with his head held low, tears streaming down his face…and then he hears the sound of a multitude approaching.

Mark 6:32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

He could have said, "I'm too depressed!" or "I just want to be alone!" But that wasn't his response at all. Instead, he realized that their need was greater than his desire to be alone.

Have you recently experienced the loss of a loved one, a family member or a close friend? Learn from Jesus' example and don't isolate yourself from everyone and everything. I'm not suggesting that you teach multitudes but, you should surround yourself with people who care about you and if need be, can provide a shoulder for you to cry on. 

I'll never forget a conversation that I had with an elderly gentleman whom had just suffered the tragic loss of a nine year old granddaughter. He looked me directly in the eyes and asked, "Why on earth did God allow this to happen to that little girl?" I couldn't answer the question! I finally had to admit that I didn't know the answer. Then I thought about the story of Job and how that God allowed his children to die in order to test Job's faith and endurance. Later on in life, I wonder if Job ever looked back on the darkest days in his life and thought, "I understand why I had to go through the trial, but why did my children have to die? They didn't do anything to deserve such a horrible death"

I can't pretend to understand God's motives, but I can say that he always has a reason for everything that he does. Be assured that "all things work together for the good to them that love God and are the called according to His purpose." Don't become bitter and please don't isolate yourself from your brothers and sisters in Christ. You're not alone! There are people in the church that know what you're going through and more importantly, Jesus knows you're going through. "Cast all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you."

Hang in there brother…you're going to make it.

Jordan Mills

Mark 5

When human effort is futile, Jesus is there

Mark 5:4-5

For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

Neighbors, friends, family, and good Samaritans all tried helping this man with the temporal mechanisms of the world, all to find out they wouldn't last very long until the chains would just break away. They allowed the problem to fester and to grow under those chains so long that no chain or iron cuff could keep it subdued.

It is easy to see that the problems of this world could not be cured by the things of this world. Family and friends gave up knowing their efforts were futile, and returned to their homes, leaving him in pain and in suffering.

The man however continued to look for one to help him in his desperate hour. It wasn't until one day as he was looking into the distance and saw a man coming his way that his life was forever changed. I see him in his mind asking, "Who is this man?"

The demons answered back in terror saying, "His is the King of Glory, the one who takes away the infirmities of man, he is Son of the Most High God, he is Jesus!" and the man did not hesitate to respond or squander on what little time he had, but the Scripture says he ran to Jesus! As he fell on his knees before the Lord, worship over took him and the legion he was facing had no choice but to flee from presence of God.

When it seems like your world is crashing before your eyes, and a legion is surrounding you round about, just look out into the distance; Jesus will be there. In the most desperate of times when friends or family can not help, rest assure if you look out into the distance Jesus is there.

1 Peter 5:6-7

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Mike Creel

Mark 4

Mark 4:5,6

5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

I want to pose a question to all of us. What is the depth of our spiritual man? Are we firmly rooted and ground in the word of God? Have we built our foundation upon the solid rock, Jesus Christ? Have we invested time in prayer, seeking the face of God? Is there substance to us?

If we are shallow in our walk with God we will be as the seed that fell on the stony ground. There is a twinge of substance to be found, but is it enough to keep us through the hard times?  Is it enough for us to hold fast when the seas of adversity beat against the spiritual ship of our lives?  There must be content to our walk with God. If there is no content, no substance we will as the seed, spring up, but because there was no earth when the sun comes out our spiritual man will be scorched and we will wither away!

We must make sure that our walk with God is firmly embedded in the word, in prayer, and in giving of ourselves to the kingdom of God. If we as men of God do not let our roots sink deep into this truth then the generations to come will have no understanding of the depth that is gained by a life spent serving God with all we have inside! We must show the way for this generation. It is our time to stand up and say enough is enough, and we must show the way!

There is a song that simply says "We won't bend and we won't break. We won't water down our faith. We won't compromise in a world of desperation."

We must be rooted and grounded in all truth! It is not an option. It is our obligation to those that will follow.

Ryan Denard

Mark 3

John Mark, commonly accepted as the author of the Gospel of Mark, was a contemporary of three of the New Testament apostles; Paul, Barnabas and Peter.  Mark focuses on Jesus' mighty miracles, power over diseases and demons, and omitted all Jewish genealogies and birth narratives.  Mark mainly told of what Jesus did and not what he said with a "just the facts"  fast-moving discourses.

Conflicts with the Pharisees - End of chapter 2 and beginning of chapter 3. 

Jesus wanted to emphasize to the Pharisees that the Sabbath for man's blessings.  Jesus became angry and was grieved with the hardness of their hearts.  As Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, the Pharisees were looking more to accuse Him than to see the lame healed and lives saved.  God help us to enter into our worship services focusing on the power of God and not on the procedures of the services.  It is God's church, not ours - allow Him to work as he wills.

Later Galilean Ministry, withdrawal to the seaside - 3:7-12.

Jesus came to minister and not to be ministered to - the servant attitude.  Many were healed and unclean spirits were cast out.  The unclean spirits witnessed "Thou art the Son of God" while others completely missed their day of visitation.  Shame on us if an unclean spirit has a greater revelation of who Jesus is than we who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  God, show me your face and allow me to feel your heartbeat.

Friends and Foes - 3:20-35.
  
The religious world of Jesus' day, scribes and Pharisees, came out to lay hold on Him saying that He was beside himself.  They accused Jesus of casting out devils by Satan himself.  A house divided, how can it stand?  Appearance of being a friend does not define a friend.  It is how we stand on the Word of God. 

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit - 3:28-30.

All sins may be forgiven except blasphemy of the Holy Ghost.  Why so harsh a treatment of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit when murders, thieves, adulterers and such like can be forgiven.  If we reject the infilling and direction of the Holy Spirit, we do not allow God to work in us and through us.  If we are not a "son", we are none of His!

Jesus' true family - 3:31-35.

Who is my mother, or my brethren?  Jesus wanted to emphasize that the New Testament church as defined in the book of Acts is the true family of God.  In order to belong to the "family" of God we must do the will of God.  The will of God is made known in His Word; therefore we must adhere to

II Timothy 2:15.

15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  
God, help us to be "friends", not "foes" of the Church that He was established through Calvary.


Bob Goggler

Mark 2

We have probably all heard parts of Mark 2 preached many times.

We love to hear about the man with the palsy being brought by friends to Jesus.
It is stirring to read and hear about them tearing off the roof and dropping the man down before the Lord.

We love the fact that the Lord forgave his sins and then in the face of complaints about who He  was/is, he heals the man.

Of course the Lord and his followers move on and He reaches out to more crowds and He teaches valuable lessons that we can learn and prosper from.

But, let's stop at verse 14:

And as He  passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me.  And he arose and followed him.

Who was this man that with only two words spoken would choose to follow Jesus?  Of course we know he became Matthew, the apostole and a pillar of the inner circle around Jesus.  Levi was the tax collector and probably not a very popular fellow.  He sits with his hand out day after day and, no doubt, is looked upon with scorn. He was an unlikely candidate to be at the center of the greatest spiritual movement the world has seen.

What did Jesus see in Matthew?  On the other hand, what did Matthew see in Jesus?

We can surmise what Jesus saw in Matthew.  It had to be a willingness and desire to change.  A willingness to become something he had never been, to experience things he had never experienced.  He saw in him a man willing to follow, based simply on two words: Follow Me.

What did Matthew see in Jesus?  Hope.  Hope beyond his situation. Hope for a better day. Hope for reality that he had never experienced.

Would we have picked Matthew out of the crowd to be a follower of Jesus?  What do you think?

Would we have picked ourselves out of crowd to be a follower of Jesus?  Answer for yourself.

Let's look today at everyone around us as someone who could/would Follow Jesus.

George Jinks

Mark 1

CHANGE

My dictionary tells me the definition to the key word for this book:

Change: to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone

How would you be different if God were to leave you alone?  You will never know because Jesus came to change you.

Here is a brief list of changes just from Mark chapter one and how it affected those people in that day.

Vs 2 . . .Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Vs 9 . . . Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

Vs 17  And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

Vs 23, 24  And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

Vs 30, 31  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.  And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.

Vs 40  And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Vs 44-45  And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter,

Here is the list of several different types of changes:

First came John, Jesus' cousin, who started preaching and then baptized Jesus.

Then Jesus started calling some of his disciples.  He changed their occupation for the rest of their lives.

Jesus met an old time enemy and told him to hold his peace and come out.  He changed the man's life out of whom the devil came.  In so doing, Jesus changed the way that we act when the enemy tries to express his power.

Jesus healed one of his disciple's mother-in-law.  When healed, she then got up and cooked for him.  She was changed and so was the whole family.

Jesus healed a leper, the first time to happen in their modern day.  Jesus then told him to keep it to himself.  That could not happen because now he could go home, be with his family, get a job.  It was so much in the leper's passion because of the healing that he not only told someone he published and began to blaze the gospel.

So tell me you great and might REAL Men, who among you are related to someone famous?  Whom have you baptized or brought to the true plan of salvation?  Who of you have had you mother-in-law healed and are happy about it?  Which one of you has been called to a new occupation or life style?

How can we possibly not be the REAL Men that would not just want to live; we have to tell, we must PUBLISH AND BLAZE to the whole world whom Jesus is and what he has done for us.  Changed, you're mighty right we have been changed!  Now you stand for the whole world to see.  But not just to see us, we need to Tell, to Publish and Blaze to everyone that Jesus is here, and he is here to change lives.

David DeTar

Matthew 28

What sadness filled the hearts of those that witnessed the Lord Jesus Christ being hung on a rugged cross, buried and then silence from the grave. What joy there was when Mary Magdalene and Mary  found that the stone had been rolled away!!! A heavenly visitor making "dead men" out of the fierce soldiers that were supposed to be guarding the tomb. Then a little instruction to the two Mary's. From this point on the wheels were set in motion for a glorious church to be birthed and the death grip of sin broken in the lives of men.

Upon meeting Jesus face to face on the road back to the disciples, they worshiped him. With a little more instruction to the girls, they obeyed. Just shows how much Jesus loves us all the more, to not only instruct us from the point of burial, but helping us all the way to the next "meeting point".

Meanwhile, back at the chief priests headquarters, there was some plotting going on. If word got out that Jesus had actually risen from the grave, the news would spread like wild fire. Conforming to the school of thought to just offer money as in Judas' case, they again offered money to have the soldiers come up with a story that Jesus' body was stolen as they slept. Some to this day will still stand by this lie that was constructed thousands of years ago.

Jesus appeared to his disciples in a mountain and gave them the final instruction. Go and teach!!! Not only teach, but baptize in the Name of the Father(Jesus), and of the son(Jesus) and of the Holy Ghost(Jesus)!! Its all in his name. Also, to observe ALL things that he has commanded us. Thank you Jesus for making us complete through his Word!

Daryl Duke

Matthew 27

This chapter is about a "decision" that caused multiple deaths.

Jesus was sinned against and his character and reputation diminished because of a decision a man made without thinking or praying about it.  For  a few pieces of silve, a man forgot what he had seen Jesus do for people. Judas put himself first and did not think of what his actions would ultimately lead to.

Have you ever known someone that didn't think about the future of others by doing right in their own mind? I wonder if that person realized later the destruction spiritually, mentally and maybe even physically they caused.

I see Judas as a man that when it was time to make a decision to do what was right or wrong made the easy decision to go along with the easy way so that he didn't have to stand for anything and gave up on his friends and brethren and fellow disciples. What a selfish person.

Judas' decision to betray ultimately lead to his suicide and the very silver he wanted and desired so badly  became  of such low value and  tarnished that all that could be purchased with it was a field for broken vessels of flesh and clay that could never be used again.

Then Jesus was brought before Pilate, the governor.  He was supposed to be a  man  of great power and significance but yet wasn't able to make a decision on the matter of Jesus Christ, but rather went along with the crowd and pleased them rather than standing strong by his decision of not finding fault with Jesus.

Have you ever known someone that went along with the crowd because they couldn't stand for what they felt was right and then sin and evil was released in their life? Much as Barabbas, a criminal released into the lives of the people to steal, kill and destroy.

Then because of no wrong doing in His own life, Jesus was persecuted and crucified although the story doesn't end there. Death was the ultimate price paid for indecision and bad decisions.

In reading this chapter and applying it to my life, I pray that my decisions please God and lift Him up and give glory to Him and I pray others see Jesus in me.

God, help us REAL men make good and right decisions for our families, our Church and all those around us.

Darryl McGee