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A Crew That Works Together

¹ Even though I am in chains behind bars for gatherin' for Christ, y'all need to get out there and ride the thick brush and draws looking for strays like you're supposed to. ² Don't look down your nose and help anyone who needs it or asks for it. Don't nitpick each other, ³ but work together like a crew of top hands. ⁴ There is just one body of Christ and one Spirit, there ain't no room for a show-off.

⁵ There is only one Lord, one faith, and one dunkin', ⁶ one God and Dad of all, who is the Boss of all, in all, and living through all.

⁷ But, he has given each of us special abilities through his generousness. ⁸ The Good Book says, "He scaled the unscalable mountain and rescued the prisoners, plundering the treasure and handing it out to his riders."

⁹ Notice that it says, "he scaled." Well, you can't scale a mountain if you don't start at the bottom. That means God came down to our sorry world. ¹⁰ This same one who did all of this is the one who scaled to the top of the heavens and filled the universe with his glory.

¹¹ Here are the gifts he gave to his outfits: the twelve cowboys, the old wise cow bosses, the gatherers, the grow yard bosses, and the clinicians. ¹² Their jobs are to make top hands in all the outfits, which is the body of Christ. ¹³ We will all work hard until we reach top hand status in Christ's eyes, not our own.

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be immature like wannabe cowboys. We won't fall for every gimmick and charade that comes along. ¹⁵ We will ride in truth, love, and growth in Christ every single day we saddle up with the morning sun. ¹⁶ Jesus fits all of us together perfectly. We each have a part to play and a pasture to gather. By doing our part, we fill in the gaps until the body is whole.

Shun Your Old Ways

¹⁷ Jesus told me to pass this along to y'all. Don't live like the outsiders do, for they are kicking and pulling on the reins at the same time. ¹⁸ Their minds are as foggy as a humid valley morning. They don't know sic 'em from come here. They have shut their eyes and ears and now their hearts are like stone against him. ¹⁹ They justify everything they do without shame. Lust is their life and their hunger is for rotten things that destroy the soul.

²⁰ But that isn't what Jesus taught us. ²¹ He's the one who showed us the way to live and ride. ²² Shun your old ways that were full of lies and lust. ²³ Instead, let the Holy Ghost give you better thoughts and ways. ²⁴ Put on your new nature like a new pair of chaps that allow you to ride for our Holy God.

²⁵ Quit your lying ways. Speak the truth and the truth alone. ²⁶ Don't let anger control you. Don't let the sun set while you are fuming or bitter. ²⁷ This is the door that lets the devil in.

²⁸ Don't be a thief. Use what you know for good work and give generously to those in need. ²⁹ Watch your mouth, too. Let all you say be truthful, honest, inspiring, necessary, and kind.

³⁰ Don't let the way you live make God regret that you ride for him. If you ride for him, he's guaranteeing you will be saved—act like it.

³¹ There's no place in your saddlebags for backbiting, rage, gossip, harsh talk, or anything else that will bring dishonor to God. ³² There is a place though for being kind, gentle, and forgiving, just as God has forgiven you through Jesus.