Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Character Check Who needs for me to step up to the plate?
In Business Terms When a friend of mine couldn’t sell his home after a move, he decided to rent it out. Twice in three years, tenants broke the lease and skipped town after trashing the place, leaving my friend with thousands of dollars in repairs.
He tried to sell the house again, and it sat on the market for months while he made mortgage payments he couldn’t afford. His credit cards maxed out, foreclosure became a possibility, and his stress was sky-high.
When he told his friends at church about his problem, within 48 hours:
His couples’ Bible study gave him and his wife a check that more than covered their next mortgage payment, giving them more time to sell the house;
His Sunday school teacher-a realtor and financial adviser-prayed with him and his wife, encouraging them;
A church elder-an attorney my friend could never afford-spent 90 minutes on the phone, giving advice.
My friend was striking out, and the church stepped up to the plate. But it never could have happened if he hadn’t put his pride aside and made his needs known.
—Mark Moring
Something to Think About Worship does not satisfy our hunger for God; it whets our appetite. – Eugene Peterson
