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NEED
PRAYER?
Do you need prayer or want our
prayer group to pray for someone? Email Brother Barry and let
him know your requests
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| Email: Brother
Barry |
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| Devotionals |
| Two Wolves... |
One evening an old Cherokee told
his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said,
"My son, the battle is between 2 wolves. One is Evil. It
is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity,
guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority,
and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,
kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion
and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his
grandfather, "Which wolf wins?
"The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
The Apostle Paul said, “My counsel is this: Live freely,
animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed
the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful
self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just
as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two
ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times
one way and at times another way according to how you feel on
any given day. Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit
and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?
It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get
your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex;
a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied
and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion;
paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied
wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided
homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits;
the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival;
uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of
community. I could go on.
This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you
use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.
But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into
our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard
- things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity.
We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion
in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates
things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments,
not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct
our energies wisely.
Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in
the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected
with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone
else calls necessities is killed off for good - crucified.
Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the
Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea
in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its
implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will
not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better
and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do
with our lives. Each of us is an original.” (Galatians
5:16-26, The Message)
You are a unique original. So feed the wolf of the Spirit!!
Sincerely,
Pastor Kevin |
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| Sunday
School 9 a.m. • Worship 10:15 a.m. • Nursery available |
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