Study Desk

If God would give so much to outsiders, think about how much he would give his own people.

I'm not blowing smoke, I'm talking to you outsiders now. God has given me the responsibility to go out and gather your pastures for his brand. I've got a good motive, too!

If God didn't hesitate to cut his own people off, don't think you are somehow immune if you turn your back.

God is both dangerous and kind. He is dangerous to the disobedient, but kind to those who seek his guidance through Christ. But if you turn your back, the axe is coming out.

You outsiders were like a wild branch cut from the wilderness and grafted in God's orchard. If he did this for you, do not think he would hesitate to bring his own people back.

God's gifts and his calling can never be thrown away.

Everyone has turned their back on God, but his mercy is greater.

There is nothing better than God's riches and his wisdom. There ain't no way we can ever truly understand his ways or his reasonings.

There's nothing we have that he didn't make or have a hand in. It's not for our personal glory, but only his. Give him the glory forever! Amen.

I'm saying this as if the God of mercy himself were standing right here. I urge each of you to offer up your lives into his outfit—this is how you really worship God.

Because of his grace, God gave us different specialties for doing things well. If God gave you the specialty of speaking his truth, do it with as much faith as God has given you.

Get along with each other like a cowboy with his best mount. Don't be too proud to sit at the fire with greenhorns. And whatever you do, don't ever think you know it all.

Y'all have to do what the cow bosses tell you to. All authority is given by God and God alone and you don't get to second-guess his decisions.

God's the one who doles out patience and encouragement for those who use them to build a crew that works well together. This is how Jesus wants his crew to operate.

God is the only source of hope and my prayer at the campfire each night is that you are filled with joy and peace by trusting in his power instead of your own. I pray that this filling will be like a trough overflowing through the Holy Ghost.

Say hello to Rufus. Jesus picked him personally, as well as his momma, who has been like a second mom to me.

Hello to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his hermana, as well as Olympas and all they watch out for.

Timothy, my saddle pard, sends his hellos along with Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater—my fellow Jews.

Gaius said to tell y'all hi. I'm staying with him and our outfit meets at his place. Erastus, the city's bean-counter, along with Quartus, send their regards.

I'm writing to God's outfit in Corinth. I'm writing to those God has chosen to be his cowboys. He has straightened your lives out through his son, Jesus, and given y'all the job of gathering and tending the herd. But this is not just your job, but the job of every cowboy who has called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.