Hebrews 13:12, NLT: "So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood."

sycophant a person who acts attentive to excess toward someone important in order to gain advantage.

Do you remember when you were new to the church. There was a fire in your belly and you wanted to work. A Christian warrior in your heart ready to shout to the world. Fall on your knees God hears your plea’s. Open your heart and he’ll break your chains free. Do you remember that person? Do you remember that me?

Today, the same essence, energy, and power that breathed out God’s Word still reside in it.

He cares and he gives.One of the ways the world knows that he cares is if you and I who know him and love him and extend a helping hand to someone who needs it.

1 John 3:7 Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous." Its not because you prayed a certain prayer or got baptized or was 5 minutes early for church every week. No. Christ says because you practice. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous.

In Hebrews 5:12-14

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

2 Peter 3:9 God is patently Waiting on you - it says ‘The Lord is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness. But He is patient with us, because He does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

God waits

What is your first response when someone damages you? Maybe you immediately become angry and want to retaliate. Or perhaps your outward expression doesn’t change, but inside you begin quietly nursing bitterness. Although these reactions come across us as understandable and perfectly natural, they're not how God tells us to respond.

In Colossians we are encouraged to clothe ourselves with “compassion, humility, kindness, gentleness and patience.” These qualities are like all the pieces in a matching set of clothes. He’s saying, in effect, “Get rid of your old, dirty, smelly clothes so that Jesus can give you the clothing of life.” Then “over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”