Who's ready for an encouraging word from God today, huh?

With so much negativity, so much hard news, I'm so thankful for God's word that is

living and active to speak to us today.

Would you pray with me, Father, thank you for every person watching every person at

church online, every person in a building.

We pray God that your living inspired word would build our faith, encourage our hearts

God to be your church, shining your light, lifting your truth and loving people toward

Jesus.

We pray this in His name and everybody said, Amen.

I don't know if you've noticed it or not, but everyone that you come across is facing

some type of battle in their life.

It's about everybody that you encounter is often going through something that may not

be obvious from the outside, but they're facing a battle on the inside.

It's a lot like a guy named Scott that I met years ago.

Scott was one of the nicest, most easy-going guys that I've ever come across, and that's

why I was completely shocked when we were having a private conversation in my office that

Scott told me that he had concluded that it was best for him to take his life.

He went on to tell me about the ongoing anxiety that he felt, the depression that he fought,

and that he was just tired of being alone and hurting, and he thought the best solution

would be for him to take his life.

I was a very young pastor, wasn't experienced in this type of situation, so I immediately

just kind of prayed a shotgun prayer to God.

...