Guest Blog written by: Jessica Brown

it started as a simple request.
she was facing something no one should face alone.
and she simply asked us to pray for her.

something stirred in my spirit.
something that said not just to say i would pray.
but something that said to actually do it.
together.

and so we did.
nine people.  
hands clasped.  
boldly approached the Throne.  
unified in prayer.

all praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! 
Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! 
He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, 

he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times 
so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. 
we have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, 
but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—
we get a full measure of that, too.
2 corinthians 1:3-5

there are things this side of heaven we will never understand.
things that are unfair.
things that are unexpected.
things that take us by surprise and knock the wind out of our sails.
and these are the things we should never face alone.

so we’re not giving up. how could we! 
even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, 
on the inside, where God is making new life, 
not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. 
these hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, 
the lavish celebration prepared for us. there’s far more here than meets the eye. 
the things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. 
but the things we can’t see now will last forever.
2 corinthians 4:16-18

what a powerful and beautiful and awesome thing.  
prayer.  
and unity.  
it is even more beautiful when sisters stand together with clasped hands.
carrying the burden of another.
and laying it down on her behalf.

last night, we declared victory in Jesus.
we proclaimed His glorious name.
we petitioned for comfort and peace.
we unashamedly asked for a miracle.
and we praised Him for the lives of the ones we love.
lives that are beautiful love letters written by the One who is love.

your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. 
Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; 
not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.
2 corinthians 3:3

may the words we spoke not be a reflection of ourselves, 
but may our actions be a reflection of God at work around us.  
may He be exalted and lifted up. may He be glorified.  
may those around the situation see His mighty works and praise His beautiful name.   
may we remain faithful in our declaration that His will is evident.  
and long after we drop our clasped hands, may they stay united in prayer and love.  

in the glorious and beautiful and mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Guest Blog written by: Ethan Pettigrew

As we’ve progressed this summer, we’ve read a lot about how much love God has for his children.  A few examples are how He saved Noah from the flood, allowed Lot to be rescued from Sodom, and placing Joseph in Egypt to save thousands during the famine.  And that’s just in Genesis!  In today’s reading, Paul tells the Church of Corinth what real love is.

1 Corinthians 13 is known as the Love Chapter.  The entire chapter tells of what real love should look like.  Paul begins by explaining the importance of love in our Christian lives.  He says we can proclaim the name of Jesus to the nations, have faith that can move the mountains, even give our bodies as living sacrifices, but without love accompanying those actions, we’re really not accomplishing anything.

Next he explains what love looks like.  Love doesn’t rush.  It doesn’t get angry.  It does things for others and doesn’t keep a grudge.  Also, love is trusting.  It can go through any battle or storm.  Love doesn’t give up, it never quits.

Paul goes on to prove that love never changes.  Languages and nations will come to an end.  Knowledge will come to an end.  People must grow up and mature.  Love, however will always be there.  Three things will remain in the end: faith, hope, and love.  And of these three, love is the most important.

In today’s society, love has become so watered down.  We use it to describe our feelings for fast food and for musical groups.  It’s a term that is used so loosely.  However, that is not how love was intended or should be.  Love really is what Paul described it as.

Everything Paul says in this chapter can actually be summed up into one example given by Jesus.  John 15:13 says, “No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.”  Jesus himself was the perfect example of love.  He checked off every category in Paul’s description and ultimately paid the ultimate price for every single one of us.

Guest Blog written by: Charley Goode

The whole 8th Chapter of Romans grabbed my attention tonight.  We have such a victory in Christ.  He does so much for us.  Have you ever just been so upset, mad, or confused that once you sat down to pray you just didn’t even know what words to speak?  Yeah, me too!  How awesome is it that in those moments, the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.  Verse 27 says that He groans for us, when we hurt—he hurts.  So, this makes a difference when we read on into verse 28, where we read that God causes all things to work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose.  So, in the midst of the moments where we just don’t understand why these things are happening to us, when are crying and in the depths of confusion—in those moments where we don’t even know what to pray, God is interceding for us and he is hurting for us but, he is working it all together for His good.  How awesome of a God do we have?

Verses 38-39 for me, describe a heart of one who realizes the majesty of God and the victory to be gained or that has already been gained– “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  What a statement!  I pray that this will be the cry of all of us.  That nothing will separate us from the One who intercedes for us and works things together for our good.