Veteran's Day
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing… 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love… 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends… 17 This is my command: Love each other.”
-John 15:5-17
Everyone serves something or someone.
The question is "who" and "what" are do we serve.
“If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…
But as for me and my house-hold, we will serve the Lord.”
-Joshua 24:14-15
“So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him.”
-Romans 12:1
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
-Ephesians 2:8-10
"Paid it FORWARD"
"I am the good shepherd… and I lay down MY life for the sheep. I lay down MY life… to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of MY own accord.”
-John 10:14,16-18
Drafted (Called)
Enlisted (Volunteered)
“I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
-Isaiah 9:8
Lessons from one Christian Soldier
-John Chang
Lesson #1 from a Mother
“Pray to God every day, but tie your own shoes.”
“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”
-Psalm 127:3
Lesson #2 from Experience
“We tell them like it is. We tell them just like it is. There is no glory. But they’ve got a job to do. Just be the best you can be.”
-John Chang
Lesson #3
“Ask for help when you need it.”
-John Chang
“For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisors.”
-Proverbs 11:14
Lesson #4
Trust that God knows best.
“I knew I was going home in a body bag. I just knew I was not going to live. And that was a good thing, ‘cause knowing you’re not going to make it, you don’t worry about anything.”
-John Chang
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
-Proverbs 3:5,6
War causes scars & Faith Means Scars
We will not get through this life without hurt and pain.
We will be attacked.
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”
-1 John 3:8
Others see and believe in Jesus.
"When the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
-Mark 15:39
War causes scars and injuries of many kinds, for all involved.
"Thank you" for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. -Think about the freedoms we enjoy…Think about the love that we have been shown.
To all of you... We thank you.
The freedoms we enjoy today… were bought with a price.
“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
-1 Corinthians 6:19,20
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