How firm a foundation,

ye saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word.

Give top priority to the matter of knowing Christ.

That's Dr. J. Bernard and McGee's sound advice in this study on Through the Bible.

He says, make it your passion and your priority to know Jesus.

I hope that's on top of our list of what we do today and every day,

whether we've just begun this journey of faith walking with the Lord, or whether

we've known the Lord for decades. We're in 1 John in our five-year journey through the whole word

of God, and according to Dr. McGee, it's a book that we should read carefully and often. It's the

Apostle John's first-hand account of the greatest life in all of history. After all, John walks side by side

with our Lord Jesus and observed him up close and personal. Well, we may not have that same privilege

to physically share a meal with or embrace Jesus like John did, at least not this side of heaven,

but if you've been living a life of faith of any length of time, surely you've

encountered people in your life whose godly examples of faithfulness have blessed you, encouraged you,

as well as challenged you to grow in your faith. Or people whose stories of walking with the

Lord make them witnesses to you of God's goodness, his power to deliver from sin, or maybe the ability to change

the trajectory of a life. Well, Dr. McGee frequently talked about men who mentored him or inspired him.

He knew the value of having a godly witness, and we've experienced that too, haven't we, Greg?

I think it may be one of the greatest privileges of what you and I and others in this ministry get to do.

And that is just to know some of God's choices, servants around the world.

And I think you and I have talked about this.

It really is humbling when you encounter people that have incredible faith and that sacrifice.

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