Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Focus Church: Good Shepherd (Kansas City)
Pastor: Mark D Sheets and spouse Yanela
Pastor: Fabian G Gonzalez and spouse Krista
Pastor: Kayla L Meredith and spouse Brian
Pastor: Bryan P Rezen and spouse Tara
Pastor: Diannah L White and spouse Jeffrey
We extend prayer and sympathies to the family of Rev. Calvin Brown on his death, June 14. Rev. Brown served several churches in the Southeast and Mid State Districts prior to retiring in 2014. Words of sympathy can be sent to Barbara Brown and family, PO Box 525, Morley, MO 63767-0325.
Scripture – 2 Corinthians 6:1-13
6 1 Since we work together with him, we are also begging you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 He says, I listened to you at the right time, and I helped you on the day of salvation.[a] Look, now is the right time! Look, now is the day of salvation!
3 We don’t give anyone any reason to be offended about anything so that our ministry won’t be criticized. 4 Instead, we commend ourselves as ministers of God in every way. We did this with our great endurance through problems, disasters, and stressful situations. 5 We went through beatings, imprisonments, and riots. We experienced hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger. 6 We displayed purity, knowledge, patience, and generosity. We served with the Holy Spirit, genuine love, 7 telling the truth, and God’s power. We carried the weapons of righteousness in our right hand and our left hand. 8 We were treated with honor and dishonor and with verbal abuse and good evaluation. We were seen as both fake and real, 9 as unknown and well known, as dying—and look, we are alive! We were seen as punished but not killed, 10 as going through pain but always happy, as poor but making many rich, and as having nothing but owning everything.
Call to relationship and holiness
11 Corinthians, we have spoken openly to you, and our hearts are wide open. 12 There are no limits to the affection that we feel for you. You are the ones who placed boundaries on your affection for us. 13 But as a fair trade—I’m talking to you like you are children—open your hearts wide too.
