The Race is Given to The One Who Endures To The End

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

1 Peter 4:8-10

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. ON OCCASION AN EXPERT IN THE LAW STOOD UP TO TEST JESUS. " TEACHER,"  HE ASKED, "WHAT MUST I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?" "WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE LAW?" HE REPLIED. "HOW DO YOU READ IT?" HE ANSWERED: "LOVE THE LORD YOUR 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.'" "YOU HAVE ANSWERED CORRECTLY." JESUS REPLIED. "DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE."  BUT HE WANTED TO JUSTIFY HIMSELF, SO HE ASKED JESUS, "AND WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?" IN REPLY JESUS SAID: " A MAN WAS GOING DOWN FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO, WHEN HE FELL INTO THE HANDS OF ROBBERS. THEY STRIPPED HIM OF HIS CLOTHES, BEAT HIM AND WENT AWAY, LEAVING HIM HALF DEAD. A PRIEST HAPPENED TO BE GOING DOWN THE SAME ROAD, AND WHEN HE SAW THE MAN, HE PASSED BY ON THE OTHER SIDE. SO TOO, A LEVITE, WHEN HE CAME TO THE PLACE AND SAW HIM, PASSED BY ON THE OTHER SIDE. BUT A SAMARITAN, AS HE TRAVELED, CAME WHERE THE MAN WAS; AND WHEN HE SAW HIM, HE TOOK PITY ON HIM. HE WENT TO HIM AND BANDAGED HIS WOUNDS, POURING ON OIL AND WINE. THEN HE PUT THE MAN ON HIS OWN DONKEY, TOOK HIM TO AN INN AND TOOK CARE OF HIM. THE NEXT DAY HE TOOK OUT TWO SILVER COINS AND GAVE THEM TO THE INNKEEPER. 'LOOK AFTER HIM,' HE SAID'AND WHEN I RETURN, I WILL REIMBURSE YOU FOR ANY EXTRA EXPENSE YOU MAY HAVE.' WHICH OF THESE THREE DO YOU THINK WAS A NEIGHBOR TO THE MAN WHO FELL INTO THE HANDS OF ROBBERS?' THE EXPERT IN THE LAW REPLIED, "THE ONE WHO HAD MERCY ON HIM." JESUS TOLD HIM, "GO AND DO LIKEWISE."

 Luke 10:25-37

LET'S LOOK AT KNOWING THE COST OF FAITH

MATTHEW 16:24 THEN JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, "IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME, HE MUST DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME.

"REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR"

-JOHN THE BAPTIST

LARGE CROWDS WERE TRAVELING WITH JESUS, AND TURNING TO THEM HE SAID: "IF ANYONE COMES TO ME AND DOES NOT HATE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN, HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS-YES, EVEN HIS OWN LIFE-HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE. AND ANYONE WHO DOES NOT CARRY HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE. "SUPPOSE ONE OF YOU WANTS TO BUILD A TOWER. WILL HE NOT FIRST SIT DOWN AND ESTIMATE THE COST TO SEE IF HE HAS ENOUGH MONEY TO COMPLETE IT? FOR IF HE LAYS THE FOUNDATION AND IS NOT ABLE TO FINISH IT, EVERYONE WHO SEES IT WILL RIDICULE HIM, SAYING, 'THIS FELLOW BEGAN TO BUILD AND WAS NOT ABLE TO FINISH.' "OR SUPPOSE A KING  IS ABOUT TO GO TO WAR AGAINST ANOTHER KING. WILL HE NOT FIRST SIT DOWN AND CONSIDER WHETHER HE IS ABLE WITH TEN THOUSAND MEN TO OPPOSE THE ONE COMING AGAINST HIM WITH TWENTY THOUSAND? IF HE IS NOT ABLE,  HE WILL SEND A DELEGATION WHILE THE OTHER IS STILL A LONG WAY OFF AND WILL ASK FOR TERMS OF PEACE. IN THE SAME WAY, ANY OF YOU WHO DOES NOT GIVE UP EVERYTHING HE HAS CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE." SALT IS GOOD, BUT IF IT LOSES ITS SALTINESS, HOW CAN IT BE MADE SALTY AGAIN? IT IS FIT NEITHER FOR THE SOIL NOR FOR THE MANURE PILE; IT IS THROWN OUT.

"HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR."

LUKE 14:25-35

SO YOU'VE MADE MISTAKES. WHAT NOW?

JESUS CONTINUED: "THERE WAS A MAN WHO HAD TWO SONS. THE YOUNGER ONE SAID TO HIS FATHER, 'FATHER, GIVE ME MY SHARE OF THE ESTATE.' SO HE DIVIDED HIS PROPERTY BETWEEN THEM. NOT LONG AFTER THAT, THE YOUNGER SON GOT TOGETHER ALL HE HAD, SET OFF FOR A DISTANT COUNTRY AND THERE SQUANDERED HIS WEALTH IN WILD LIVING. AFTER HE HAD SPENT EVERYTHING, THERE WAS A SEVERE FAMINE IN THAT WHOLE COUNTRY, AND HE BEGAN TO BE IN NEED. SO HE WENT AND HIRED HIMSELF OUT TO A CITIZEN OF THAT COUNTRY, WHO SENT HIM TO HIS FIELDS TO FEED PIGS. HE LONGED TO FILL HIS STOMACH WITH THE PODS THAT THE PIGS WERE EATING, BUT NO ONE GAVE HIM ANYTHING. WHEN HE CAME TO HIS SENSES, HE SAID, 'HOW MANY OF MY FATHER'S HIRED MEN HAVE FOOD TO SPARE. AND HERE I AM STARVING TO DEATH! I WILL SET OUT AND GO BACK TO MY FATHER AND SAY TO HIM, FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN AND AGAINST YOU. I AM NO LONGER WORTHY TO BE CALLED YOUR SON; MAKE ME LIKE ONE OF YOUR HIRED MEN.' SO HE GOT UP AND WENT TO HIS FATHER. "BUT WHILE HE WAS STILL A LONG WAY OFF, HIS FATHER SAW HIM AND WAS FILLED WITH COMPASSION FOR HIM; HE RAN TO HIS SON, THREW HIS ARMS AROUND HIM AND KISSED HIM. "THE SON SAID TO HIM, 'FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN AND AGAINST YOU. I AM NO LONGER WORTHY TO BE CALLED YOUR SON.' "BUT THE FATHER SAID TO HIS SERVANTS, 'QUICK! BRING THE BEST ROBE AND PUT IT ON HIM. PUT A RING ON HIS FINGER AND SANDALS ON HIS FEET. BRING THE FATTENED CALF AND KILL IT. LET'S HAVE A FEAST AND CELEBRATE. FOR THIS SON OF MINE WAS DEAD AND IS ALIVE AGAIN; HE WAS LOST AND IS FOUND.' SO THEY BEGAN TO CELEBRATE .

LUKE 15:11-23

THEN JESUS TOLD THEM THIS PARABLE: "SUPPOSE ONE OF YOU HAS A HUNDRED SHEEP AND LOSES ONE OF THEM. DOES HE NOT LEAVE THE NINETY-NINE IN THE OPEN COUNTRY AND GO AFTER THE LOST SHEEP UNTIL HE FINDS IT? AND WHEN HE FINDS IT HE JOYFULLY PUTS IT ON HIS SHOULDERS AND GOES HOME. THEN HE CALLS HIS FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS TOGETHER AND SAYS, 'REJOICE WITH ME; I HAVE FOUND MY LOST SHEEP.' I TELL YOU THAT IN THE SAME WAY THERE WILL BE MORE REJOICING IN HEAVEN OVER ONE SINNER WHO REPENTS THAN OVER NINETY-NINE RIGHTEOUS PERSONS WHO DO NOT NEED TO REPENT.

LUKE 15:3-7

1. WASH ONE ANOTHER'S FEET: ALTHOUGH IT MAY SEEM SMALL, IT IS A GESTURE THAT SPEAKS A BIG MESSAGE. JESUS TAUGHT IT AND WASHED HIS DISCIPLES FEET

2. GREET PEOPLE WITH A KISS ON THE CHEEK OR HUG: THIS IS A SIMPLE WAY TO SHOW YOU CARE. DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A BEAR HUG. JUST A WAY TO SAY HELLO.

3. FEED SOMEONE WHO IS HUNGRY: THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE TO FIND FOOD EVERYDAY. SEEK OUT THE HUNGRY, LIKE AT A LOCAL SHELTER, AND BUY ONE PERSON A MEAL.