joshfranklin.org
Social media is often praised for its ability to connect people, but it also comes with its own set of dangers. Despite the fact that we identify with each other in social communities, we often become confined to our own little groups and aren't exposed to different perspectives. In 2017, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the potential of social media to bring people together during a speech in Chicago. He presented Facebook's plans to broaden its platform and connect people with each other. Zuckerberg believed that this would not only reverse the decline in community membership but also strengthen our social fabric and bring the world closer together. And, of course, we can see some of the strengths of social media. We can see how it connects people virtually who are not able to connect physically. It's a great way to reconnect with old friends you may have lost touch with over the years or get to know new people. However, he took it one step further, and this is what really grabbed my attention. He claimed that Facebook was becoming the new church[1] in light of recent national declines in church attendance. He highlighted how Facebook is forming new communities. In Analog Church, Jay Kim shared this story and also provided a rebuttal from Peter Ormerod, a journalist writing an article entitled “Mark Zuckerberg, the Church of Facebook Can Never Be. Here’s Why”[2]: “[A]t their best, churches offer a perspective on life fundamentally opposed to the culture Facebook encourages and upon which it feeds… “For one, churches are messy. They are not organised by any algorithm or tailored to the individual end user. Far from it: a church service is not made for any one person… “We can’t just flick past the bits we don’t like: we are confronted with discomfiting Bible passages, impenetrable mysteries, harrowing truths. Unlike Facebook, a church tells us that we are not at the centre of the world. “Rather than encouraging us to show off our best side at all times, a church compels us to examine ourselves in the round, to face up to those things about ourselves that we would like to pretend aren’t there… “Facebook meanwhile presents us with impoverished, narrowed versions of ourselves – the version we think most of our friends think we are, all the better for those likes and shares. And churches, at their best, bring us into contact with people we would never think of as friends. There are cliques, of course. But we all come to the same table and drink from the same cup and sing the same songs and say the same prayers… “It’s a breaking down of barriers, an awareness of mutual responsibility and dependence, a celebration of brokenness. It’s an unsanitised experience of humanity, and all the healthier for it… “[A] good church is more than just a social network: it’s a place of transcendence, space, silence, peace, devotion, richness and depth. No matter how grand Zuckerberg’s visions may be, they will never compete.” He is essentially saying that a good church is so much more than just a social network, and because of that, the church will never have to compete with the likes of Facebook or other social media platforms. Scot McKnight writes, “The church is God’s grand experiment, in which differents get connected, unlikes form a fellowship, and the formerly segregated are integrated. They are to be one.” When I'm using social media or any other online platform, I often find myself interacting only with people who share my beliefs and values. This creates an echo chamber where we only hear our own opinions and perspectives. Meanwhile, other groups are isolated in their own echo chambers, leading to division when we finally come together. Social media platforms unintentionally (or maybe intentionally) cause unnecessary division among people. However, God's grand experiment called the church was designed to bring together people from all backgrounds under one roof. The church unites us under the banner of Jesus Christ, recognizing that His blood was shed for all of us, giving every single person the opportunity to have a relationship with God. It's important to understand that as followers of Christ, we are not only related to God, but we are also related to one another. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become brothers and sisters in Christ. It doesn't matter if we have never met in person; if we share the same faith in Jesus Christ, we are family. These are relationships that will last throughout eternity. In Ephesians 2:14, Paul explains that Jesus breaks down the barriers that exist in our society. Ephesians 2:14–18 (NKJV) 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:19, in the Living Bible, adds, “Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.” He brings together people who come from different backgrounds, whether they are Jewish or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised. Jesus is our peace, and he has broken down the walls of separation between us and God, as well as the walls that separate us from each other. The blood of Jesus reconciles us to God, bringing together sinful man and holy God. But it also brings us together as a community of believers. There are no longer "uss" and "thems." Instead, we are all one family, united by our faith in Jesus. We may be different from one another, but instead of being separated, we are brought together by the blood of Jesus. If we have given our life to Jesus and said, "Jesus, be my Lord and be my Savior," we are family. “Dear Lord, thank You for bringing me close to You through what Jesus did on the Cross. Thank You also for bringing me into Your family. I belong with You for eternity, and I belong with my brothers and sisters as well. I pray I never take Your church for granted. In Jesus’ name, amen.” [1] https://nypost.com/2017/06/29/mark-zuckerberg-says-facebook-is-the-new-church/ [2] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jun/29/mark-zuckerberg-church-facebook-social-network Adrian Rogers once saw a picture and an article that caught his attention from The Houston Chronicle. This picture, which was on the front page, showed a woman who had her ear on a man’s chest. The man was not her husband, nor was he her son, nor was he related to her in any way, and yet she had her ear on his chest. The reason was because the man that she had her ear up to his chest was a man who’d received a heart transplant, and the heart transplant that he had received was the heart of this woman’s son. She was listening to the heartbeat of her own son. Rogers shared this application with his audience, “When I saw that, I thought, ‘O my God, could You put Your ear to my chest and hear the heartbeat of Your Son?’”[1] Matthew 9:36-38 shows the heartbeat of Jesus. It reads, “36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” When Jesus looks at this world, He has compassion for us. Men, women, boys, and girls need to hear about Jesus. Many churches and Christian organizations are striving to reach them. The real question is: What are you, personally, doing to be a part of God’s work in the world? I once heard a preacher share a simple but pointed statement: “Do something, lest you do nothing.” We all can do something. I remember seeing my own dad’s heart for God’s work when I returned from a short-term international mission opportunity. When he was younger, he, too, had been on short-term mission trips. At this point, physical challenges caused him to need to stay close to medical care in the US. He couldn’t travel like he once did. I wanted to share with him some of the things that we did while we were there. I told him how we were distributing Bibles. We were sharing the Gospel. We encouraged the believers and churches. After I was done talking, he was lying on his back and he sincerely asked me, “Josh, next time you go, would you take me with you?” I told him that I couldn't take him overseas because hospitals were not close by. He pressed further, “I won’t get in the way. Take me with you next time. I just want to help.” I told him that he just physically couldn’t right then. However, I told him that his passion and heart to be a part of God’s work in the world were a testimony to me and everyone who knew him. If he COULD go, he WOULD go. What about those of us who can go or can take part in ministry opportunities. Some can teach the Bible. Some can love on babies, while their parents are in worship service. Some can tell boys and girls about Jesus. I know some cannot, and I would not want to heap guilt upon them. That’s part of the reason I wanted to share that story about my dad’s heart on full display. However, there are those who can be engaged in God’s work but choose not to participate. We can list many reasons why we can’t right now:
The real question we should ask ourselves is when God sees the laborers, and the great harvest – does He count you as one of His laborers? Let God’s compassion for lost humanity move us to the point where we say, “I can’t do everything, but I can do something.” “Dear God, I want You to be able to hear the heartbeat of Your Son in my heart. I pray I see the lostness of humanity the same way Jesus does. I pray You can count me as one of Your laborers. I pray that You help me see the part I can play in getting Your mission done in this world. In Jesus’ name, amen.” [1] Adrian Rogers, “When God Cleans House,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Matthew 21:12–13. Before I entered the ministry, I worked in Christian bookstores. I started working in them at the age of 16 and even managed three of them once I turned 18. I enjoyed every minute of it and thought that was going to be my career. In general, I love bookstores so much that when Lydia and I were first married, a great date for us was to eat out somewhere, and then she would drop me off at a used bookstore or a regular bookstore, while she shopped somewhere else. Several hours later, she would pick me up, and we would go get ice cream or dessert. I remember working as a bookstore manager and later on shopping as a customer; I always enjoyed helping people find Bibles and Christian resources. In a bookstore, there would be a variety of Bibles available, and I would often hear customers express what they were looking for, but no one was available to help them. So, I would step in as a customer and offer my help. The employees would be surprised, but I just wanted to help. It's nice to be able to touch and see a book before you buy it. However, online shopping has taken over the book industry so much that many brick-and-mortar bookstores have had to close. They simply weren't getting the same level of customer engagement and financial returns as before. Why do consumers prefer online shopping? When shopping at brick-and-mortar stores, customers might find what they're looking for, but they may also find that the prices are too high. For instance, a few weeks ago, I was at a bookstore, and I saw a book that I wanted to buy, but the price was pretty high. So, I looked it up online and found it for half the price with free shipping. What did I do? I purchased it online and walked out of the store. Online shopping has become increasingly popular in the last fifteen years, and it has pushed traditional shopping to the side. However, you just don’t get the same experience when you shop online. For instance, when you go to the mall or a physical store, you can try clothes on and immediately see if something fits or how it looks. Shopping online, you take a risk that something might not fit or look good on you. Often, you have to return the product because it wasn’t quite right. The point is that we can see bookstores and other brick-and-mortar stores struggling to stay afloat. We've all seen it – you just go to a mall and notice certain areas that are empty instead of bustling with activity like they used to be. Even though we have online shopping, people still want to experience what they once had in brick-and-mortar stores. One national online retailer that put many brick-and-mortar businesses out of business has now decided to start up brick-and-mortar bookstores. Why? Because people want to experience the same thing they did before. It was a sad day when I realized that I was part of the problem. I would go to a store, look at a book, and then search for it online to get a better deal. I would also take pictures of items with my phone, intending to purchase them later. If everybody treated bookstores the way I did, then they would inevitably go out of business. But that's capitalism 101, and this is what progress looks like. Relating this to God’s church, here’s a good question we should ask ourselves: If everyone treated the church the way I treat the church, will it survive? The online church is a great option for keeping you connected during times of sickness (even long-term illness) or vacation, but believers should want to physically be in the church. Christians should desire to be back with the people of God. The online church will never replace the experience of gathering together, worshipping together, giving together, serving together and hearing God’s Word and responding together. Nationally, around 4,000 churches across the country close their doors every year, including many that were once thriving. Rather than simply criticizing this trend, we should ask ourselves if we contribute to the church’s demise. I was thinking of this one guy, he called up a pastor and he said, "Pastor, I want to join your church." And the pastor said, "Okay, great. This is exciting." And he said, "However, I want to tell you, Pastor, that even though I'm going to join your church, I don't want you to ask me to give any money. I don't want you to look and see if I'm attending on a regular basis. I don't want to be asked to serve on any committees. I don't want to be asked to go to Sunday school. I don't want to serve. I don't want to teach, but I want to be a member of your church." And the pastor said, "You know what? I don't think our church is the right place for you, but I do have a church that you would like to be a member of." The man was interested, so the pastor said, "Write this address down." He wrote down the address. He said, "Thank you for your time." When the man drove to that location, he found an abandoned church building – no longer in use. The truth is, if everybody treated the church the way that man wanted to treat the church, there would be nothing but abandoned church buildings everywhere. There was a large church that had to sell its property and purchase a smaller building because the attendance was so low. The online chatter exploded, locally and nationally because of the church’s prominence. People criticized the leadership of that church. "How dare that church sell their beautiful building to go to a smaller location. Now it will be turned into something else. The leaders are making a terrible decision,” The online responses were heartbreaking, because they went something like this: "That's the church I used to attend. That's the church I used to serve in the Sunday school. That's the church I was baptized at back in the day. That's the church I grew up in and loved." The phrase that was common was "I used to" or something in the past tense. Every generation has to make the decision of how they're going to handle God's church. In 722 BC, the Assyrian armies dispersed the northern tribes of Israel, but the southern tribes, where the house of God still stood, were untouched. The faithful tribes there held on until 586 BC when the Babylonians destroyed everything in Jerusalem, including the temple. The Babylonians took the people into captivity, including Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God's message to His people was that they would return to their homes after 70 years. And just as God had promised, King Cyrus of Persia sent a letter allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem. Fifty thousand Jews led by folks like Zerubbabel and the governor repopulated the area of Jerusalem and began to rebuild the temple. They laid the foundation, but fear of outsiders caused them to pause the work. They were, however, still able to rebuild their own houses during this time. After 15 years of no progress, God sent the prophet Haggai with a message. Haggai 1-2 records four messages from September to December of 520 BC, urging the Jews to resume the work on the temple. The people had become apathetic and were making excuses that it was not the right time to rebuild the temple. However, Haggai reminded them that it was time to rebuild the Lord's house. Haggai 1:1–9 (NKJV) 1 In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” ’ ” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” 5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! 6 “You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. 9 “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. In the fourth verse, God is questioning His people’s priorities. In essence, He is saying, “You build luxurious homes for yourselves, but My House lies in ruins.” They justified their apathy, saying it wasn’t yet the right time to rebuild the temple. But Haggai is reporting that God wants them to prioritize His house. The temple was where God’s presence would remain and where the people could offer sacrifices. In verse five and verse seven, God says, “Consider your ways.” In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." While it is true that Jesus is responsible for building His church, it is equally true that every generation will decide how they will treat God's house, which today is His church. We must do our part to ensure its survival for future generations. We must faithfully attend, give, serve, love, and support God’s church. We must see the church as an essential part of our spiritual walk. “Dear Lord, thank You for Your church. I pray that You find me faithful in taking care of Your church, so it may be a beacon of hope, love, and truth in my community for future generations. In Jesus’ Name, amen.” I remember when Lydia and I were planning on getting married, and friends and family members were going to throw a bridal shower for Lydia. I had not gone to any bridal showers that I was aware of, and I was kind of indignant that I was being left out. I said, "Hey, why am I not invited? I'm getting married too. This shouldn't be a bridal shower. This should be a wedding shower, and it should be both of us there." The ladies who organized it decided to indulge my ignorance and invited me. I remember spending the first 10 minutes in that wedding shower, where I was pretty much the only guy there, and I realized real quick why they call it a bridal shower. With lots of ladies there, talking about different things with the wedding, I thought to myself, "I do not belong here." I felt so out of place. So, let’s just keep calling it a bridal shower. Has there ever been a time when you didn't feel like you belonged? Has there ever been a place where you didn't feel like you fit in? It can be a challenge. It may cause you to feel ostracized. First Peter was written by Peter while he was in Rome. He was writing to a group of people, not just one church, but a group of people who were in several different colonies of Rome who were believers. Some had Jewish backgrounds, some had Gentile backgrounds, but all of them were beginning to experience suffering and persecution for their faith. Peter is writing about this intense persecution that he and others were experiencing. According to Church history, that persecution in Rome would ultimately lead Peter and his wife to be martyred for the cause of Christ. They experienced great persecution and were sent to their deaths, proclaiming Jesus as Savior and risen Lord. A couple of years before this ultimate martyrdom of Peter and his wife, persecution began to intensify in Rome. Peter also heard about the persecution that was happening in these Roman colonies. Why were Christians suffering persecution? First, Nero burned down many parts of Rome so he could rebuild it the way he wanted. When citizens grew upset about it, Nero blamed it on the Christians. They were easy targets because they were a group of people that the Roman citizens really didn’t understand. He would ultimately call Christians “atheists.” Why? Because they wouldn't worship the Roman gods or deities that the other citizens would worship. So, they would point to Christians and say, “Who are these people? They don't even acknowledge our own deities. They must be atheists.” Second, Roman Christians were accused of being cannibals. The confusion came from the practice of the Lord’s Supper, also known as communion. In John 6:53, Jesus told His followers, “Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you do not have life in you.” This was a symbolic statement, but outsiders viewed it as literal. Jesus instituted Communion, when He said, “Take, eat. This is My body, which is broken for you. Take, drink. This is My blood poured out for you” (see Matthew 26:26-29). Jesus was referring to our identification with His sacrifice on the Cross. However, the Roman citizens would overhear them and think they were cannibals. Third, they would call the Christians incestuous, believing they were marrying their own siblings. Why? Because, those Christians would greet one another, referring to one another as “brother” or “sister”. Ultimately, they would marry, and so there was the accusation of incestuous marriages. Of course, all of these were misconceptions about first-century Christians. Imagine the context where being a believer meant that you were misunderstood for your convictions. Of course, we don’t have to imagine it, as it is part of our daily lives living in this country. Our faith is misunderstood. We stand for truth and are misunderstood by secular society. Well, First Peter begins his letter to Christians who are scattered in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) in this way: 1 Peter 1:1-2a (NKJV) – “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God…” Verse 1, in most English translations, reads, “To the pilgrims…” lists all of the places, and then verse 2 begins, “elect according to the foreknowledge of God.” However in the Greek text, it actually says, "To the elect pilgrims" or "elect exiles" or "elect sojourners" - however you want to translate the word "pilgrims." The Greek text reads "elect pilgrims," and then goes on to describe the dispersion in Pontius, Cappadocia, Bithynia, and other places. That means that God is sovereign even over where He has placed you. You may say, “Well, God doesn't know where I am.” God knows exactly where you are. You may say, “Well, I'm in this environment at work or school where I'm the only Christian.” God knows, and in that place, He calls you one of His “elect pilgrims.” Sometimes, as Christians, we find ourselves in situations where we say, "I don't belong here. I don't fit in. I don't understand why I am experiencing suffering or persecution, or why people will not try to understand my Christian faith.” However, the truth is that you are a citizen of heaven. You are a pilgrim, a sojourner, and a refugee traveling through this world. Peter reminds the people of God who are dispersed in places like Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia that He knows where they are but they are not citizens of those places. Even though they may be citizens of Rome, their true citizenship is in heaven. Paul expresses the same idea in Philippians 3:20, when he says, "Your citizenship is in heaven." Even though Paul was a proud Roman citizen, he knew that his true citizenship was in heaven. When traveling internationally, you might feel like you don't belong because you are not in your home country. Similarly, as believers, we are not made for just this place. So, when you feel like you don't belong or fit in, remember that it's because you were made for another world. You are just passing through this earth, and your true home is in heaven. “Dear God, thank You for helping me see life from Your perspective. I trust You with my life. Thank You for loving me and saving me. May I remain faithful to You as I look forward to heaven. In Jesus’ name, amen.” 1 Peter 1:1-2a (NKJV) – “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God…” First Peter was written by Peter while he was in Rome. He was writing to a group of people, not just one church, but a group of people who were in several different colonies of Rome who were believers. Some had Jewish backgrounds, some had Gentile backgrounds, but all of them were beginning to experience suffering and persecution for their faith. Peter is writing about this intense persecution that he and others were experiencing. According to Church history, that persecution in Rome would ultimately lead Peter and his wife to be martyred for the cause of Christ. They experienced great persecution and were sent to their deaths, proclaiming Jesus as Savior and risen Lord. A couple of years before this ultimate martyrdom of Peter and his wife, persecution began to intensify in Rome. Peter also heard about the persecution that was happening in these Roman colonies. Why were Christians suffering persecution? First, Nero burned down many parts of Rome so he could rebuild it the way he wanted. When citizens grew upset about it, Nero blamed it on the Christians. They were easy targets because they were a group of people that the Roman citizens really didn’t understand. He would ultimately call Christians “atheists.” Why? Because they wouldn't worship the Roman gods or deities that the other citizens would worship. So, they would point to Christians and say, “Who are these people? They don't even acknowledge our own deities. They must be atheists.” Second, Roman Christians were accused of being cannibals. The confusion came from the practice of the Lord’s Supper, also known as communion. In John 6:53, Jesus told His followers, “Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you do not have life in you.” This was a symbolic statement, but outsiders viewed it as literal. Jesus instituted Communion, when He said, “Take, eat. This is My body, which is broken for you. Take, drink. This is My blood poured out for you” (see Matthew 26:26-29). Jesus was referring to our identification with His sacrifice on the Cross. However, the Roman citizens would overhear them and think they were cannibals. Third, they would call the Christians incestuous, believing they were marrying their own siblings. Why? Because, those Christians would greet one another, referring to one another as “brother” or “sister”. Ultimately, they would marry, and so there was the accusation of incestuous marriages. Of course, all of these were misconceptions about first-century Christians. Imagine the context where being a believer meant that you were misunderstood for your convictions. Of course, we don’t have to imagine it, as it is part of our daily lives living in this country. Our faith is misunderstood. We stand for truth and are misunderstood by secular society. First Peter is describing that we can be encouraged even in the midst of challenging times. Peter was experiencing suffering in Rome, and he sent this letter to the Christians who were in all of these Roman colonies where persecution was intensifying, suffering was taking place, and his mindset to them was that this should not surprise Christians. You can be courageous. You can be joyful even in the midst of difficulties or suffering. Prepare your minds for the suffering that may take place in your communities. We can be encouraged when we can see things from God's perspective, not from a human standpoint. Verse 2 begins by expressing how God foreknew us as His children and we are chosen by Him. We have been chosen by God. Our salvation was never initiated by us. Our salvation was always initiated by God. He called us, and He drew us to Himself. He pursued us into a relationship with Himself, and then we responded to that. Romans 3:20 says, "No one seeks after God, not one." You might say, "I said ‘Yes’ to Jesus." Yeah, but that's because He was first pursuing you. He was reaching out to you with His arms of love. Jesus said in John 15:16, "You didn't choose me, but I chose you." Sometimes, people get really caught up with this idea of election, and they begin to think, “Well, did God preordain who will say ‘Yes’ to Him and say ‘No’ to Him? Did God preordain who will accept His salvation, and who will reject His salvation?” That’s not what is taught here. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God predestines people to go to hell. However, in the mysterious work of God, He does say that He has called us, chosen us, and pursued us to initiate a relationship with us. We should be encouraged by that thought. D.L. Moody once said, “Election should always encourage the saved, not discourage the lost.” Revelation 22:17 says, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (KJV).” John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." 1 John 2:2 says that Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world. Jesus died for everyone and anyone who wants to be saved can be saved. However, I like what Charles Spurgeon once said, "When we get to heaven, over the gates it will say ‘whosoever will may come,' and upon entering, we will see inscribed on the backside, 'elect before the foundation of the world'." There is a mystery to our salvation - we have been chosen by God, and then we have said "yes" to Him, but our salvation was initiated by Jesus Christ and God the Father pursuing us into a relationship with Himself. This should bring comfort. You belong in His family. Your salvation is not based on you, it is based on God. “Dear God, thank You for pursuing me with Your love. I praise You for saving me. You are my Lord. I belong to You. Thank You for being brought into Your family. In Jesus’ name, amen.” |
About JoshFollower of Jesus Christ, husband, father, pastor. Archives
May 2024
Categories
|