John 3:16-21
Believe and be saved
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For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son
This is the verdict:
Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
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Believe.
Everything hinges on this.
Those who believe find light and life.
Those who do not believe find darkness and death.
What do you believe?
In this dark time when people are desperate for light and life,
Where do you put your faith?
I have a list of things I believe to be true.
I think gravity is a law, not a suggestion.
The 10 Commandments? Same thing.
But faith is more than what I think.
I believe in my wife.
But that faith is much more than a list of facts, figures, measurements, and scientific analysis.
Those things may be true, but that is not why I believe in her.
I believe in her because she is better to me than I am to myself.
I believe because her voice settles my soul.
I believe because she has always been faithful.
I believe because she loves me.
I believe because I love.
That is exactly what it means to believe in God.
All the facts we know about Jesus do not add up to faith.
We believe because he is faithful.
We believe because his voice heals us.
We believe because he loves us so much more than we love ourselves.
We believe because we are loved.
Those who believe in nothing are already dead.
Those who believe have already found eternal light and life.
Those who believe have found love.
All the news headlines in the world cannot give love or take it away.
Social distancing and locked doors cannot take it away.
When you believe, your heart is set free.
When you believe, you have found life.
God loves you, so you can believe.
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Sioux Prayer
Grandfather
Great Spirit
All over the world the faces of living ones are alike.
With tenderness they have come up out of the ground
Look upon your children that they may face the winds
And walk the good road to the Day of Quiet.
Grandfather
Great Spririt
Fill us with the Light.
Give us the strength to understand, and the eyes to see.
Teach us to walk the soft Earth as relatives to all that live.