2So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk.G3767G659G3956G2549G2532G3956G1388G2532G5272G2532G5355G2532G3956G26362Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God.G5613G738G1025G1971G97G1051G3050G2443G837G1722G8463You've had a taste of God.G1512G1089G3754G2962G5543
The Stone
4Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor.G4314G3739G4334G2198G3037G593G3303G5259G444G1161G1588G3844G2316G17845Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you'll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God.G846G2532G5613G2198G3037G3618G4152G3624G40G2406G399G4152G2378G2144G2316G1223G2424G55476The Scriptures provide precedent: Look! I'm setting a stone in Zion, a cornerstone in the place of honor. Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation will never have cause to regret it.G1352G2532G4023G1722G1124G2400G5087G1722G4622G204G3037G1588G1784G2532G4100G1909G846G2617G3364G26177To you who trust him, he's a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him, The stone the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone.G5213G3767G3588G4100G5092G1161G544G3037G3739G3618G593G3778G1096G1519G2776G11378For the untrusting it's . . . a stone to trip over, a boulder blocking the way. They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.G2532G3037G4348G2532G4073G4625G3739G4350G3056G544G1519G3739G2532G50879But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—G1161G5210G1588G1085G934G2406G40G1484G1519G4047G2992G3704G1804G703G2564G5209G1537G4655G1519G846G2298G545710from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.G3588G4218G3756G2992G1161G3568G2992G2316G3588G1653G3756G1653G1161G3568G165311Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.G27G3870G5613G3941G2532G3927G567G4559G1939G3748G4754G2596G559012Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.G2192G5216G391G2570G1722G1484G2443G1722G3739G2635G5216G5613G2555G1392G1537G2570G2041G2029G1392G2316G1722G2250G198413Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level;G3767G5293G3956G2937G442G1223G2962G1535G935G5613G524214they are God's emissaries for keeping order.G1535G2232G5613G3992G1223G846G1519G3303G1557G2555G1161G1868G1715It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society.G3754G3779G2076G2307G2316G15G5392G56G878G44416Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules.G5613G1658G2532G3361G2192G1657G5613G1942G2549G235G5613G1401G231617Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.G5091G3956G25G81G5399G2316G5091G935
The Kind of Life He Lived
18You who are servants, be good servants to your masters—not just to good masters, but also to bad ones.G3610G5293G1203G1722G3956G5401G3756G3440G18G2532G1933G235G2532G464619What counts is that you put up with it for God's sake when you're treated badly for no good reason.G1063G5124G5485G1487G5100G1223G4893G2316G5297G3077G3958G9520There's no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you're treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God.G1063G4169G2811G1487G2532G2852G264G5278G235G1487G15G2532G3958G5278G5124G5485G3844G231621This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.G1063G1519G5124G2564G3754G5547G2532G3958G5228G2257G5277G2254G5261G2443G1872G846G248722He never did one thing wrong, Not once said anything amiss.G3739G4160G3756G266G3761G1388G2147G1722G846G475023They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right.G3739G3058G486G3756G486G3958G546G3756G1161G3860G2919G134624He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing.G3739G846G399G2257G266G1722G846G4983G1909G3586G2443G2198G581G266G2198G1343G3739G846G3468G239025You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.G1063G2258G5613G4263G4105G235G1994G3568G1994G1909G4166G2532G1985G5216G5590
Prayer Tents is a Christian mission organization that serves Christians around the world and their local bodies to make disciples ("evangelize") more effectively in their communities. Prayer Tents provides resources to enable Christians to form discipleship-focused small groups and make their gatherings known so that other "interested" people may participate and experience Christ in their midst. Our Vision is to make disciples in all nations through the local churches so that anyone seeking God can come to know Him through relationships with other Christians near them.
Columbus, OH
