““One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.””‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:10-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/luk.16.10-13.esv
All,
This stands out because we are all tempted at times to think of what God has given us as ours and that we earned it. I was in a meeting last night for a fall league and all the organizers kept reminding us how we are part of something bigger like all the boys lives now and also the kids that will participate 50 years from now. Do we bring that thought into our daily lives now? Everything you do is either for God’s purpose or not God’s purpose. God’s purpose brings lasting joy. Please pray that we and our friends seek God’s purpose today in all our actions. Please pray for the Buckhead CLC Social on September 24th. 

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’””‭‭Luke‬ ‭15:31-32‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/luk.15.31-32.esv
All,
This stands out because we should be so happy when people turned towards Christ. None of us are perfect, but the moment any one of us or our friends acknowledge our need of Christ, deserves a celebration. Is our next action to walk with them through the next phase or to move on to someone else or one-up them with our prior experience. The father celebrated here and walked with his son just as Christ does with us. Please pray that we embrace our friends and walk with them as they get to know Christ. Please pray for the CLC Buckhead social on 9/24. 

“Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”‭‭Luke‬ ‭14:31-33‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/luk.14.31-33.esv
All,
This stands out because Jesus said, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” Only God and ourselves truly know if God is first in our lives and He will let us be a part of His purpose today accordingly. Please pray that we and our friends make a definitive choice to put God first in all our decisions today. Please pray for the Buckhead CLC Social on 9/24. 

“One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” And they could not reply to these things.”‭‭Luke‬ ‭14:1-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/luk.14.1-6.esv
All,
This stands out because Jesus did what was right by God and what was wrong by society at the time. The world sets up a set of its own rules that it wants everyone to follow by to be considered “good or bad”. Jesus never concerns himself with those rules or even concerns himself with appearances in order to “bring his audience closer to God”. Jesus obeyed God period and let society work out what it needed to work out. Please pray that we and our friends are more concerned with obeying God today than we are with the rules of society. Please pray for Ken and Paul’s group. 

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’””‭‭Luke‬ ‭13:34-35‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/luk.13.34-35.esv
All,
This stands out because Jesus said, “And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” I was listening to atheist make fun of the Bible the other day and this verse means a ton now. It’s seems impossible to see Jesus for who He is until we say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. To have “ears to hear and eyes to see”, we must believe Jesus and He be the Lord of our lives. Until then, it’s tough to believe Him. Please pray that we and our friends ask what we really put our trust in and realize who Jesus is. Please pray for the men in your lives who could be leaders in the Kingdom and send me their names. 

“No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’””‭‭Luke‬ ‭13:5-9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/luk.13.5-9.esv
All,
This stands out because it seems so harsh. This is yet another tree that would be cursed due to not producing fruit. Is the fruit in our lives other disciples, good works, nice person? I get comfort that the fruit is the Fruit of the Spirit that would be produced in us. God is freely giving us this fruit and only we can block it by trusting the world over God. Please pray that we and our friends put all our hope and trust in God today and enjoy the Fruit of the Spirit(Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) Gal 5:22. Please pray for Brandon and Doug’s group. 

““Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.”‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:35-36‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/luk.12.35-36.esv
All,
This stands out because because the servants are “dressed” and “lamps burning”. I know I like to serve my own purpose, but God has to constantly remind me that His purpose is why we are here. His purpose has much joy, whereas my purpose is usually self-centered and has fleeting happiness. Please pray that we and our friends seek His purpose today and be “dressed and lamps burning” all day. Please pray about any friends that would be a good CLC co-facilitator and give me their names. 

““Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:32-34‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/luk.12.32-34.esv
All,
This stands out because Jesus said, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”. He wants to give us the Kingdom, but we let fear get in the way. It’s been said that if you identify what a person fears, you will see what they worship. While “the fear of God is the beginning of all knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7), Jesus explains that although God should be feared, He also desires to give us the Kingdom. Please pray that we and our friends do not let any fear get in the way of knowing God. Please pray for Robert and Jim’s group. 

“As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!””‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:27-28‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/luk.11.27-28.esv
All,
This stands out because Jesus said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Jesus acknowledges that many people hear and probably know the Word of God, but the key part is to KEEP the Word. We will be blessed when we keep it. I can almost guarantee that the harder it is to keep it will garner the most joy when we do. The true joys will always take a great amount of courage to find. Please pray that we and our friends trust God completely today and keep His Word. Please pray for Jonnell, Devon and Cedric’s group. 

“But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’”‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:33-35‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/luk.10.33-35.esv
All,
This stands out because the Samaritan took him to the inn and left. Many years ago Ron Greer pointed this out to me and it has been extremely helpful to me. So many times, we feel like we need to take care of someone forever, but in this instance, the Samaritan helped his immediate need and left. It can be too overwhelming to help if we think we need to take care of every issue, but God wants us for His purpose right then. Even Jesus didn’t heal everyone in some towns. Please pray the we and our friends ask God how we can help and when we need to leave. Please pray for Cheever and Steven’s group.