Thank you for completing the Prayer Questionnaires this past Sunday. Through this simple survey of 4 questions, I learned that most of you are praying as often as you were before the sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer began. Some are praying more, but most continue to pray about the same. One person said, “I pray as often as I can.” From these responses, we can be grateful that our membership believes in the practice of prayer by praying as often as possible.
 
Most of our church family prays because they want to. There is within us a compelling desire to pray because God speaks to us and calls us to spend time with Him. The answer to this question was almost unanimous from all those of completed the questionnaire. People at Grace want to pray.  I praise the Lord for that.
 
There were 2 responses to the most important things in prayer that help us pray. “Calling God Father” was at the top of the list along with “Forgiveness of My sins.” Next in line came, “Looking forward to God’s kingdom coming here and in heaven,” together with “My forgiving others who have sinned against me,” and “God’s power at work in me.” When we pray, we use words like Father, Forgiven, Kingdom and Power. Some used the word Holy Spirit when talking about God’s power. You have helped me better understand not only WHY you pray, but also HOW you pray. I am humbled and grateful to learn more fully the prayer language this church family uses when it prays.
 
There was an open question which asked you to express your greatest prayer need. Responses like"

• “Reach Lost People,"
  
• “Remove self and allow the Holy Spirit to control,”
  
• “Moving of the Holy Spirit in me, Getting closer to Jesus, Strengthen my faith, doing better, God’s leading my prayers, and More of God and less of me”
  

were all stated.

I share all those pleas from the heart with you. We all can do better and be more in touch with God when we pray. It is a rich blessing to know that we share the same desire to have God more in control of our praying. Over and over, I heard you say, “More of God and less of me.” Maybe that is what happens when we pray. The more we pray, the more of God and less of me we get. That makes prayer worth everything we put into it.
 
Monday night this past week, our deacons met at the church to pray together. There was no business discussion. No planning and no reporting. Only praying and kneeling before God was done.

• We prayed for people within our church family.
• We prayed for healing and strengthening of those who are sick.
• We prayed that God would show us His truth.
• We asked God to establish His word within us all.
• We asked God to end dissensions, unite our church family, cause love to abound, forgive our sins, and send great revival to Grace.

 
This prayer meeting of deacons was a sweet fellowship, powerful outpouring and uniting of our hearts for the good of this church family. I cannot wait to see what God is going to do and how He chooses to answer the prayers of these wonderful men.
 
Listen once again to what the apostle John said about the power of prayer, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (1 John 4:14-15). Our church has prayed. We can be confident that God has heard. Knowing that God hears us, gives us great strength and expectation that God is ready to do amazing things in and through us. I look forward with joy to all that He chooses to do in coming days.

We praise God that COVID infections have dropped significantly in Georgia since September. Since September 12, reported cases per day throughout the state have decreased by 1,000. The number of people testing positive have declined as well. Hospitalizations have gone down by 20%. Unfortunately, reported deaths have remained the same not yet being impacted by the decline in infections and hospitalizations. Hall County currently reports 186 positive cases with 5 deaths over the past two weeks. Current trends are dropping both locally and across the state. We praise God for this good news.
 
Our deacon body discussed the positive outlook that currently exists due to the increase in vaccinations across the country. During the surge over the summer with the delta variant, you were asked to kindly and voluntarily wear a mask during services and Bible study to help keep yourself and others well. Thank you for stepping up and masking up even though it was inconvenient and bothersome to some.
 
Our Associational missionary, Jo Jo Thomas recently visited our church on Sunday Morning. When he entered, he noticed the sign encouraging mask wearing. He did not have a mask on, so he went back to his truck and got one to wear. I told him that our church has voluntarily worn masks for the most part because of our respect for our elder members and our love for one another. We can give thanks to the Lord for His great love for us demonstrated through the patient loving care we all have for each other, “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant…does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with truth; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1Corinthians 13:4,7). We have come through these trying times due to COVID because of our love for God and each other. Truly, the Lord’s command to “…love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34) has been true here at Grace.
 
In light of God’s love and in recognition of the unity of the Spirit and the love of Jesus, our Deacons unanimously recommend to our church family that the wearing of masks continue to be voluntary, but that those who have had COVID, been vaccinated, or are restricted from vaccines and other physical needs be free to not wear a mask during worship and Bible study if they so choose. Some will continue to mask-up due to personal and medical reasons. They should be encouraged to be true to their convictions. There should be no discrimination, “…there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:11). Let’s all keep on loving and encouraging one another whether maskless, or not. We are the Body of Christ who have persevered these trying times because the love of Jesus never fails.

​What does real glory look like to you?
 
Robbie sees glory in the crimson reflection of the sun on the horizon at sunset. She’ll say, “Look at that! It’s beautiful. Isn’t that glorious.”
 
The mighty Red Coat band lights up Sanford Stadium with “Glory, Glory to Old Georgia” every time the Bulldogs take the field on a cool Autumn afternoon.
 
Many say that glory is rooting the home team on to victory and championship.

Others see glory in a new-born baby’s face resting peacefully in its mother’s arms.

Some see glory in a 14-point buck passing under their deer stand.

Stadiums rock in the glory of a game winning home run.
​
I know people who relish seeing the glory of a 12-pound bass mounted on the wall, or a well-groomed front yard, or a classic car spit-polished to perfection.
 
What does glory look like to you?
 
Let me tell you what glory looks like to Jesus, “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as WE are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as you have loved Me. Father I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:22-24). Glory to Jesus looks like you and me.
 
Can you believe that?
 
Jesus is the glory of God before the foundation of the world. He not only knows what glory looks like; He is God’s glory. He puts His glory in us, His children. Every time we come together to worship. Every time we bow our heads and pray, “Thine is the glory…” Every time we love our neighbor, give a cup of cold water, join in singing with other believers— “To God Be the Glory, great things He has done,” Jesus says, “Look at that. Listen to them. Now, that’s what glory looks like.”
 
When Israel was making its way through the wilderness toward the Promised Land, God showed up in the camp every night in a Pillar of Fire. Here’s how Moses described it, “The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, form before the people” (Exodus 13:21-22).
 
This is the same glory which descended on Mt. Sinai when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. It’s the same glory which the prophet Elisha saw descending from heaven to swish Elijah away in a “…whirlwind to heaven” (2 Kings 2:11). I believe it is the same glory which the disciples saw cover the face of Jesus, his clothes and everything before them on the Mount of Transfiguration. These hard, weather-worn, outdoor rugged men were so awe-struck they fell on their faces at the site of such glory.
 
Think about this - we do not just see and feel God’s glory, WE HAVE BECOME GOD’S GLORY. That’s what today’s sermon is about. Glory is not something you admire and get all goose-bumpy about. Glory is not something to feel nostalgic over or look forward to when you get old and gray-headed. Glory is now. Glory has been given over, transferred, passed on to you and me through the prayer which Jesus prayed in John, chapter 17. Glory is not what we will become someday. It is who we are right now. So, my word for you today is –

This past Sunday morning, I talked to our children in my time with them about their wants instead of their needs. I gave them a choice between a slice of loaf bread and a piece of chocolate candy. Only one of the children chose the slice of bread. They all wanted candy except one. Jesus said, “Give us this day our daily bread…” He did not promise us candy. Bread is a necessity. Candy is a desire, a want. Jesus taught us how to pray because we need to pray. Prayer is a basic necessity for a believer in Jesus. Here are some tips on how to fulfill your need to pray:
 

1. God is Sovereign – We need to pray because God is perfect and greater than we are. God has never said, “Oops.” He has never confessed, “I messed up today.” We are flawed and full of mistakes. We need to pray in order to confess our sins. We need to admit our mistakes and tell God we are sorry for what we have done wrong. Our problems show us that God is able to answer and provide what we need, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)
2. God has the answer – Prayer should not be our last resort. It should not be something we do after we’ve tried everything else. Prayer should be our first response, our first “go-to” place when we need an answer. God promises to answer when we pray, “Ask and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 6:7-8)
3. Finding God’s Will – The will of God is not a mystery that God keeps for Himself. God’s plan and purpose is clearly revealed in the pages of scripture. You will never know what God wants if you do not read His word. Pray with your Bible open and ask God to show you in His word what He wants you to do, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
4. Living with Confidence – Once you’ve determined that God’s word is true and that it provides the answers and directions you need, you can live with confident assurance. People may disagree with you. They may even mock your choices, but God’s presence of power through the Holy Spirit supersedes the opinions of others, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” (1 John 5:14-15)
5. Serving with Gratitude – Giving thanks for answered prayer is the highest mark a praying believer can reach. Praise is the language praying people use to tell God thank you. God is not stingy. He is not a promise breaker. He is like a father who supplies good things to His children, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”(Philippians 4:6)

 
With all these good promises to inspire and guide our praying, why do we find it so difficult to pray?
Why are there so many hindrances keeping us from praying, and so many excuses we use to cover our not praying?
 
We simply need to pray. Ask God to give you the desire to pray. Then pray. He’ll do all the rest.    

We all agree that children are a gift from God, “Behold, children are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psalm 127:3). The apostle Paul said, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). Not only are children a gift, when they are obedient the Lord is pleased, “Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord” (Colossians 3:20).

With all these positives about children in scripture, some disturbing news was reported this week. Through internal research, Facebook has discovered that their social media platforms lead to increases in teenage anxiety, depression, and suicide among young girls.

​The Bible tells us that having children is the good, right, fruitful, and pleasing thing to do. Social media, on the other hand, turns what is right and good into something that is dark and destructive.
 
The Bible tells us that there are several important things about our children we should know:

1. Children are to be conceived inside the bonds of marriage – “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it…’” (Genesis 1:27-28a). Having children outside of marriage is not in keeping with God’s plan. The right way is for husbands and wives to bear children.
2. Fathers and mothers are to provide for their children – “…for children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children” (2 Corinthians 12:14). Parents caring for, protecting, supervising, nurturing, shielding, and educating is the right way to go. No one can do for a child what a parent is called to do.
3. Parents are to instruct their children – “For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children” (Psalm 78:5). Parents are responsible for teaching their children the things of God. Teaching the Bible to your children is always right. Taking children to church is right. Praying with your children is right. Facebook, Instagram, and Tik-Tok do what is profitable, not what is right. 
4. It is the job of parents to discipline their children – “Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not desire his death” (Proverbs 19:18). The undisciplined life is short-lived. Good discipline starts at home and continues throughout one’s lifetime. Learning to live a controlled and stable life is the right thing in God’s eyes.
5. Children are to be encouraged – “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Pointing children in the right direction is always encouraging. Leading them is better than pushing them. Children will follow when they are encouraged.

 
I guess you can see that raising children to be obedient takes time and energy. Obedience is more than words and conversations. It starts at home and builds upon what husbands and wives are committed to show their children every day. We must never allow social media to assume or take over that which God has put in the hands of moms and dads to do. Facebook will not, cannot, and does not raise obedient children.

​​Our church has unanimously approved the plan to raise $15,000 to match a $12,000 donation already in hand for the purpose of constructing and installing a new 8’ X 10” church sign and message board by which the gospel of Christ Jesus will be proclaimed every day to people passing by on Mundy Mill Road. This sign will be the only one of its kind all the way from the Blackshear Place crossing to McEver Road. Yes, there are business signs, bank signs, even church signs along this corridor, but ours will be the only Gospel sign for people to see and read the Good News of Jesus Christ.
 
The Bible says of Jesus, when He first began His ministry in Galilee, “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.” (Matthew 4:23)
 
The gospel does its own promotion. Its faithful proclamation will lead to what the Bible says, “Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.” (Matthew 4:25)
 
Trusting in the power of the gospel will lead to people hearing, growing numbers following, and people receiving the gospel by which they will be saved. Grace church is trusting in the power of the gospel to do its work in the lives of people who will be regularly informed with its truth.
 
The title of our campaign to raise the necessary funds will be known as

 
capital campaign. Last Sunday, $1,100 was received in donations toward the goal. This Sunday, we will call the church to prayer and ask you to contribute to the fulfillment of the plan. Prayer is the key. We do not want God to endorse what we have done apart from the movement of the Holy Spirit to make it happen. We have been praying and talking about this gospel sign for 9 years.
​

• God has given us over these years a permanent property that belongs to our church on which the sign will be placed.
• God has led our church to raise over $150,000 to match funds contributed by Mr. Jim Walters to pay for renovations to our buildings.
• We have reduced the overall debt we owe to $300,000 when a recent appraisal shows that our location and buildings are worth well over a million dollars.

 
God has been leading us, blessing us, and giving us sufficient evidence of His mighty hand at work among us. We can accomplish this worthy goal, not because we are financially well off, but because the evidence proves that the mighty hand of God is with us.
 
I look forward to all that God is going to do as we trust Him and the power of His gospel. Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself” (John 12:32). Putting this gospel sign in front of our property is a means to lift up Jesus Christ. His powerful name will be shown to people passing by every day. There is power in His name. The truth of the gospel will be broadcast continually in large letters, illuminated by sharp and distinct lighting. This sign will be a bold testimony of our faith in the Bible and its revelation about Jesus through the gospel. It will reveal that we believe what the Bible says, and God will receive glory through its daily messages.

​Today we begin a new series of sermons entitled, “WHEN YOU PRAY.” This series will be based on the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount about prayer. We will also cover two parables Jesus told about prayer. Once we have finished His teaching about prayer, we will turn to Christ’s actual prayers like those He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane and the ones He prayed from the Cross. We will look at His High Priestly Prayer that He prayed for His disciples in John, chapter 17. Prayer is more than a conversation with God. It is communion with God. Prayer is a relationship with God. It is not an occasional “stop-over” with God. Prayer is a daily walk together with God.
 
The Psalmist said, “Today, if you will hear His voice: ‘Do not harden your hearts.’” (Psalm 95:7-8)
 
Tom Elliff says, “Many believers are under the misconception that they can return to intimacy with the Lord whenever they want. They believe restored fellowship is solely a matter of their personal discretion, available at the drop of a hat. But in moments of deep searching and quiet desperation they admit that even the willingness to will themselves back to God is missing. They come to the startling revelation that we must come to Him on His terms and at His time or we will not come to Him at all.”
 
The cold heart is a matter of the unbent knee and lack of prayer.
 
F.B. Meyer said, “The greatest tragedy in life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.”
 
Our whole nation suffers from this great tragedy. When the people of God fail to pray, the nation of God’s people suffers.
 
Today’s sermon makes 4 points for us to remember:

• Prayer is an Act of Worship – How can you make worship better in your life through prayer?
• Become a NOW disciple in prayer – Make a prayer schedule and stick to it!
• Pray Sacrificially – Pray like God is the only one listening. What should you do NOW to make God the only one who really matters when you pray?
• Pray in your Private Place – Do you have a special place in which you pray? If you do not, clean out a place, fix it up and set apart/sanctify a spot somewhere that is your special place of prayer.

 
You will be asked today to respond to these four points which Jesus spoke about in the Sermon on the Mount when He taught about prayer. Prayer changes the cold heart into a spiritual heart sensitive to the word and way of God. Determine now to become a believer who prays like Jesus taught us all to pray.
 
“Father, make us a more sensitive and determined people in prayer. Warm our hearts, convict our souls and move us in our spirits to make prayer a daily priority in our homes, in our families, and in our dealings with others. May we put You first in our prayers. Help us to pray not to please others, but to obey You and listen to what You have to say. Jesus, show us how to pray to You like You prayed for us. Make Grace Baptist Church a place of powerful God-honoring prayer. May we today, truly ‘Hear Your voice…’ like the Psalmist prayed. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.”
 
Pastor Mike

I give thanks to God for the awesome praise team God has given our church to lead our worship. We have been studying the letter to the Ephesian church on Wednesday nights. In Paul’s teaching, he uses a series of comparisons to highlight what the church should be and how the people of God should live. We are now in chapter 5 where we see that God’s people should live lives that are different from people who are in the world. Believers should act differently than non-believers. The church should live above the culture and demonstrate what Godliness is.
 
Paul calls this the difference between living in the light rather than in the darkness, “Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:7-10). Light is different than darkness. Light pleases God. Light dispels darkness. God’s people are to be people of the Light.
 
One of the ways God’s people let their Light shine over darkness is by what they sing and how the sing. The songs of the Light are not like the songs of darkness. People inside the church sing differently than those outside. Paul says, “…but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). The songs of the Light must be different songs than the world sings. The songs of Light must be sung differently than the world sings. The music God’s people sings is to be higher, cleaner, happier, and holier than any song you hear in the secular world. We simply do not sing like they sing.
 
I am not talking about the difference between contemporary and traditional music. I am not comparing the music sung by choirs and the music sung by praise teams. I’m talking about music sung by rock bands, country singers, hip-hop, and gross uncouth grunge groups. I’m talking about the difference between what we sing in church and what the world sings in bars, back alleys, beer bashes, tailgate parties, or even department store elevators. Paul calls that kind of music, “…disgraceful even to speak about” (Ephesians 5:12). We are not to sing like the world sings.
 
I praise God that Brian and all our praise team folks get it. They know what singing songs about Light is and that darkness has no place in the worship of God’s people. Paul says, “But all things become visible when they are exposed by light, for everything that becomes visible is light” (Ephesians 5:13). We sing differently than the world sings. Our music on Sundays rises above the dark music of the world around us. Praise God! Let’s sing today the songs of light like we mean it.
 
The other day I was putting gas in my trunk when a convertible pulled into the place with its blaster blasting full blast. The sound was so loud the concrete underneath my feet was shaking. The guy’s music was vibrating the concrete. I thought, man this concrete will crack under this kind of pressure. There was an older man filling up his car behind my truck. I asked him after the blaster guy turned his car off and the noise went silent, “Did you hear that?” He nodded yes and we both made unapproving faces at each other.
 
Why is it that some people’s music is noise to other people?
Why does the Light of the Gospel not dispel more of the darkness?
 
Sometimes the volume of Light is not turned up enough. Thanks Brian and Praise Team for the volume and commitment you have to the Light of Jesus.

...more than a building with an address. It is more than a budget, a calendar of activities, and a weekly schedule. Grace Baptist Church is a family of believers who live, work, grieve and rejoice together in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior. In the little letter John wrote to his fellow bond-servant Jude, he writes, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life” (Jude 20-21). To him, church is where the “beloved” of the Lord build together, pray together and wait together. For Mrs. Alma Adams, our beloved sister in Christ, and Martha Embrick, Chris Pace’s mother, there is no more waiting. They have now passed from this life into the next. They are in heaven with Jesus.
 
We have within our church family shared over the past few weeks the heartache of watching loved ones suffer. We have walked together through the portals of grief and sorrow as our beloved brothers and sisters have buried loved ones. We have grieved with them, loved on them, and comforted one another in the dark moments of death and separation. That’s what being the church, what being the fellowship, the family of God is about. We walk through “…the valley of the shadow of death” together with the Great Shepherd of the sheep, Jesus, and with one another. Church is not always about Halleluiahs and Amens. Sometimes its about shedding tears and carrying burdens. In all of it, God has called us to be His people and to be united together in One Faith, One Lord and One Baptism. We cannot be the complete Body of Christ without tears, or without the aches and pains of carrying someone else’s load. I praise God today that our church is a burden-bearing, grief sharing, second-mile walking, bended-knee praying, good-times rolling, praise-lifting family of God. We are together through the good and the bad. We are the Family of God.
 
Jesus said in the gospel of John, “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15). Jesus is the good shepherd because he “knows” His sheep. He is with His sheep. He is with them through thick and thin. He is on sight and on task in the middle of His sheep’s daily lives. He does not depend on second-hand information. He does not care what other people say about His sheep. He does not compare His sheep with someone else’s sheep. He does not look at what is posted on-line about His sheep. He is with His sheep, and He “knows” His sheep.
 
Anybody that does not spend time with the sheep of the Lord cannot “know” the sheep. And worst yet, the sheep do not know them. You must be with them to “know” them. I want the “know” the Lord’s sheep like the good shepherd knows them. That’s why the Lord has given me this week the opportunity to be with His sheep in their sickness and their sorrow. He has blessed me to share with His sheep their praise and their pain. I have shed tears with the Lord’s sheep, and I have rejoiced in joy as good memories and happy stories have been told. I love being a pastor/shepherd to this body of sheep called Grace Baptist Church. It’s what God has called me to do.

​We were all rejoicing yesterday with the amazing progress Alma Adams was making following by-pass surgery. Then, in an instant, without warning, her condition changed because of a blood clot and a stroke that no one saw coming. Now she has undergone a second surgery to remove the blood clot, is again in ICU at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, and our church family is praying for her life and her recovery. How quickly life can take an about face.
 
I was sitting with her family yesterday and praying with them as my heart and mind reflected on how uncertain life can be. The apostle Paul said, “…while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
 
Think about that. Everything we own, every material thing we value, all our belongings, our status, our careers, even our health is temporary. Everything about us can change and become irrelevant in an instant.
 
Do you remember the parable Jesus told of the rich landowner whose land was so productive that he tore down his old barns and built new ones to hold all his produce?
 
He said to himself after his massive renovation project, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:19).
 
Remember what God said to him?
 
“You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?” (Luke 12:20)
 
In the very next verse following the man’s statement about security, his circumstances abruptly changed and everything he had worked so hard to store and maintain became irrelevant. Nothing in this life is 100% certain. Your life can change before you can blink your eyes, just like that man’s did who owned the barns and just like Alma’s did yesterday.
 
Here’s a good verse to remember when things change around you: “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)
 
There are some things, Praise God, that never change, things that last forever:

• Heaven is changeless – “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
• God’s word never changes – “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
• Love never ends – “But now faith, hope, love abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)
• God’s plans are perfect and never fail – “The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, ‘Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand.’” (Isaiah 14:24)
• Jesus Christ is forever – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8).

 
It did me good to look at these verses again this morning and renew my trust that everything about God is sure and changeless. In Him, there is no east or west, no north or south. I can trust Him even though everything around me is temporary and subject to change. I am praying for Alma today in the truth, that our changeless God will hold her tight in His almighty, safe, and secure hands. I believe He truly is able to accomplish His plan and bring her back to us.