3/8 Acts 20:22-27
22 “And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit, not knowing what awaits me, 23 except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. 24 But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus — the work of telling others the Good News about God’s wonderful kindness and love. 25 “And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Let me say plainly that I have been faithful. No one’s damnation can be blamed on me, 27 for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants for you.
MISSION
We each have a mission for our life. The Lord is calling us to follow Him in service and to do be faithful in doing what He has called us to do-our mission. Listen to Jesus. Seek to grow in Christ and serve the Lord. By growing and serving you will fulfill the mission the Lord has called you to do.

3/7 Acts 20:11-21
11 Then they all went back upstairs and ate the Lord’s Supper together. And Paul continued talking to them until dawn; then he left. 12 Meanwhile, the young man was taken home unhurt, and everyone was greatly relieved. 13 Paul went by land to Assos, where he had arranged for us to join him, and we went on ahead by ship. 14 He joined us there and we sailed together to Mitylene. 15 The next day we passed the island of Kios. The following day, we crossed to the island of Samos. And a day later we arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided against stopping at Ephesus this time because he didn’t want to spend further time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, for the Festival of Pentecost. 17 But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come down to meet him. 18 When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now 19 I have done the Lord’s work humbly — yes, and with tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. 20 Yet I never shrank from telling you the truth, either publicly or in your homes. 21 I have had one message for Jews and Gentiles alike — the necessity of turning from sin and turning to God, and of faith in our Lord Jesus.
MESSAGE
The message is always the same. Turn to Christ and turn away from sin. The Lord is able to save us and He will equip us to serve. Lay aside the sin that so easily entangles us and follow Jesus.

3/6 Acts 20:4-10
4 Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus; Aristarchus and Secundus, from Thessalonica; Gaius, from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus, who were from the province of Asia. 5 They went ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 As soon as the Passover season ended, we boarded a ship at Philippi in Macedonia and five days later arrived in Troas, where we stayed a week. 7 On the first day of the week, we gathered to observe the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching; and since he was leaving the next day, he talked until midnight. 8 The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. 9 As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he sank into a deep sleep and fell three stories to his death below. 10 Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!”
MIRACLE
What will it take for you to serve the Lord? Whatever miracle you need the Lord will do it. Follow Him, listen to Him and He will faithfully guide you day by day.

3/5 Acts 20:1-3
1 When it was all over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia. 2 Along the way, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece, 3 where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia.
ALERT
We are called to be as harmless as doves and wise as a serpent. Spend time with Jesus. He will guide your path. Christ will equip you to face life today.

3/4 Matthew 5:43-48
43 “You have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too. 46 If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
ENEMIES
Love your enemies. In Christ we can do that. Without Jesus we would be whistling in the wind. Surrender you life to Christ; let Him propel your daily activities.

3/2 Matthew 5:33-37
33 “Again, you have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘Do not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ 34 But I say, don’t make any vows! If you say, ‘By heaven!’ it is a sacred vow because heaven is God’s throne. 35 And if you say, ‘By the earth!’ it is a sacred vow because the earth is his footstool. And don’t swear, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Don’t even swear, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Your word is enough. To strengthen your promise with a vow shows that something is wrong.
YES
Yes we can follow Jesus. Yes we can be cleansed from our sin. Yes we need to do that quickly when we sin. It is important that I let the Holy Spirit show me my sin and that I quickly repent when I recognize this. Seek the Lord while He may be found. Ask Jesus to keep your heart, mind and body free from sin.

3/1 Matthew 5:27-32
27 “You have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye — even if it is your good eye — causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand — even if it is your stronger hand — causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 31 “You have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a letter of divorce.’ 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
DETAIL
The Lord speaks to us about our sin. We are great sinners. Sin is repugnant. Sin is rampant. We need forgiveness. Jesus provides that forgiveness that we so desperately need.

3/3 Matthew 5:38-42
38 “You have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘If an eye is injured, injure the eye of the person who did it. If a tooth gets knocked out, knock out the tooth of the person who did it.’ 39 But I say, don’t resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too. 40 If you are ordered to court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.
HARD
This is a hard saying. How can I forgive? The truth is I cannot but Jesus can. He forgives me and He will give me strength to forgive those who sin against me. Hate destroys. Forgiveness builds.

2/29 Matthew 5:20-26
20 “But I warn you — unless you obey God better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all! 21 “You have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘Do not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. 23 “So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. 25 Come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late and you are dragged into court, handed over to an officer, and thrown in jail. 26 I assure you that you won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.
SERVE
We are servants of the Lord High God-Jesus Christ. Servants serve. Servants don’t rule nor do they seek first place and they are always evaluated on how well they serve. Servants listen and do not evaluate whether they will do something or not. We serve the Lord God. We do what He says. This doesn’t win us honors it simply certifies that we are indeed servants. Serve the Lord will gladness and do not look for recognition but instead see how to serve Him better.

2/28 Matthew 5:13-19
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14 You are the light of the world — like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. 15 Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them. 18 I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God’s law will remain until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
BE
God calls us to be a be before we do a do. If we don’t get our relationship with Jesus right nothing we do will be right. Listen to what Jesus says and measure the world’s way by what Jesus says. If something is out of sync it is the world-deal with it. You may be persecuted. You may suffer. It is of little importance for the thing of absolute first importance is to let Jesus have control of you. When Christ is in control you will be a light, you will have life and you will know how to deal with daily life.