For the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about How to Think About & Handle Money. Thus far, we’ve talked about shifting our values, having the right vision and seeking wisdom. The idea is that we need to make the shift from being consumers to being stewards.

If you’ve been coming to Victory for a while, you know that one of our core values has always been to steward the money that we receive in such a way that we can give outside this church to make a difference in the world.

It’s clear in Jesus’ teachings on money that He wants us to capture the essence of having a giving heart. I realize we all come from different backgrounds concerning money, and much of our thinking has been formed by our circumstances. However, at some point, when one decides to become a true Christian, one of the greatest signs is in the area of giving. So. as a means of encouragement, and to help anyone who is struggling in this area, I want to share from my heart seven reasons Why I Give:

1. I give because I want to demonstrate a THANKFUL HEART to God at all times. When I began to study the Bible, I noticed how the Israelites were constantly forgetting what God had done for them; turning to idols because of ungrateful hearts. From this, I realized that my heart is affected by what I do with money!
2. I give because I want to demonstrate a FULL SURRENDER to the God I serve. I’ve made my decision, I want to give full control to Christ.
3. I give because I made a COVENANT with God and the people of this LOCAL CHURCH. I learned a long time ago that God functions with a covenant mentality. Rather than be a covenant breaker, I decided to live with a covenant mentality; and this is true in marriage, serving. giving, etc.
4. I give in order to POSITION myself for God’s BLESSINGS AND PROTECTION. I’m very mindful of the promise of scripture. Read Malachi 3:8-10. Regardless of how tough times may get, I’m fully convinced that as long as I remain faithful to God in giving, He will take care of me – and not just financially, but also in health, protection, favor, etc.
5. I give because I really believe in the VISION of our CHURCH. From time to time, Colleen and I will ride past the daycare where we first met as a church and reflect. I love the fact that:
   • We are doing things to bless the community (Norcross Co-Op, transitional housing, paying people’s bills, etc.)
   • Marriages heading for divorce get turned around
   • People are set free from drugs, alcohol and depression
   • People with serious illnesses are healed
   • Young people are inspired to live for God
   • Entire families are transformed
   • Over 100 nations gather every week
   • New churches are planted
   • We support missions projects all over the world
   • Every week something is happening with the money I give that makes a difference in eternity!
6. I give because I want to be an EXAMPLE to my CHILD. Over the years, my daughter Lauren has been able to share in our giving model.
7. I give so that someday I will hear the COMMENDATION of the one I love: “WELL DONE!” I’ve had to sort out over my life what I’m living for.

If you’re one who already tithes and gives faithfully, I congratulate you. You’re operating under the blessing and promises of God. If you’re someone who has struggled in this area, let me challenge you to put your full trust in God and put him to the test in this, even as he has invited us to do. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

Listen to or watch this message online here.

Enter the main sanctuary of Victory World Church and take a look around. On the walls you will notice four large pictures, each with a statement: Reconciling Cultures, Building Families, Transforming Community and Impacting the World. Those statements are Victory’s pillars and on Saturday, July 10th members of the Victory World Church family brought the pillar of Transforming Community to the Alcovy Springs Subdivision in Lawrenceville.

When most people think about transforming a community they imagine a poor neighborhood in the inner-city or a desolate village in Africa, so I was more than a little surprised as I turned into what appeared to be a very nice, middle-class neighborhood. “This is where we’re serving?” I asked myself as I navigated the sidewalk-lined streets and waved as I passed several teams of people wearing blue tee-shirts proclaiming “This is What Community Looks Like” and bravely battling the 95º+ heat as they cut lawns, painted mailbox posts and trimmed hedges.

As I climbed out of the air-conditioned comfort of my car, and was nearly knocked down from the intense heat, I was convinced that the extreme heat was causing me to hallucinate. I checked my directions and confirmed that I was indeed in the right place so I headed off to find the organizers of the event. I quickly caught up with our V•Groups Pastor and newly-elected Alcovy Springs Homeowner’s Association President, Rich Mace, as well as Missions Pastor Dennis Russell.

As we walked through the neighborhood, Pastor Rich explained that he and Pastor Dennis Russell had wanted to organize a family-friendly outreach that focused on the pillar of Transforming Community. Pastor Rich explained “We often focus on the needs of the poor, but there are many people living in middle-class neighborhoods that are suffering and many do not know the Lord.” It was this revelation that led him to propose the idea of a community outreach to the Alcovy Springs Homeowners Association, and within five weeks, he was given the go ahead.

“The community has responded well” he commented. “They are seeing the blessing and coming out. The idea is to pay it forward. Hopefully they will go out and do this in another neighborhood.” Pastor Dennis Russell further explained, “This is a model. A lot of our outreach focuses on the poor and the homeless. We wanted a way to minister to the middle-class and bring Jesus to them as well.” He continued, “It allows us to connect and build relationships. It is a spiritual connection and brings healing and restoration.” Pastor Dennis Russell added that it will take a few months to see the impact, but the mid-term effect will be in how well the homeowners maintain their homes and community.

Karri Street, an Alcovy Springs resident came out with her children, Victoria 11 and Kyle 9, to participate. “I think this is a great idea. It’s nice to have a lot of people chipping in. Every neighborhood needs this. I hope this fosters community spirit.”

Peter Dawkins, a Victory World Church member for almost 4 years, brought his small group out to help. His wife, Lorna, shared how a homeowner had approached her team with tears in his eyes and stated that this outreach was “huge” and should be taken world-wide. Like Carol Holcomb, many volunteers were moved by the reaction of the homeowners as they realized the impact their effort was having.

After all the hard work, volunteers and community joined together for a cook-out complete with music and games. While cooling down and enjoying the food and festivities, Victory World Church members Carrie and Robert Raboud explained their reason for volunteering. “We have been asking the Lord for ways we could serve” said Carrie “and the Lord has been giving us opportunities.” While unsuccessful in getting daughter Izabella to participate in the Hokey-Pokey, they both agreed the experience had been great.

Finally, in response, neighborhood resident Mike Vincent wrote the following:

Thank you for your parish’s time and service. The day of service/volunteer work you provided our subdivision was amazing. Since the birth of my first child, I haven’t been able to do all the things I would like to maintain my home. I am still trying to find a good work/life balance with the new one.

Your help a couple of weeks ago served as a reinforcement that good people do exist and that teamwork always win. I hope this act of kindness brings our neighborhood together like I know it will.

Once again thank you for the time and generosity. We hope as a community we will be able to return the favor.

Well done, Victory! This is another great example of your commitment to being the hands and feet of Jesus to everyone around us and around the world!  (by Karla E. – VWC Press)

Hey! What’s God been doing in or through your life at Victory? Please share your story here.

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Somewhere in the hustle & bustle and overcrowded malls…
Somewhere in the beautifully wrapped presents and perfectly decorated trees…
Somewhere in the parties, plays and traditions…
Somewhere, Something, Someone has been lost…

The true spirit of Christmas…

Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ – born the tiniest of babes, in the lowliest of mangers – to be the mightiest of Kings. A glorious King who came to bring us the greatest gift of all – the hope of heaven.

This Christmas, as part of our iCare Christmas Gift to the World offering, we’re making sure Jesus is at the top of our Christmas list. As you add His name to your list, remember that in honoring Him, you can give the greatest gift of all – The Gift of Hope.

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Within our community, your Christmas Gift to Jesus will give Hope to those who are carrying the message of Christ’s love to our neighbors and friends – churches right here in our area who are struggling, including Atlanta Vineyard Church, who recently lost their Jimmy Carter building.

The economic crisis in our nation is hitting churches hard, with almost every church suffering a loss in revenue because their people are hurting. This is forcing pastors to make the hard choices of cutting ministries to their community, cutting jobs and losing long-standing properties.

It is our great privilege as a member of the body of Christ to remember that when one member of the body suffers, we all suffer alongside them. We need each other, and the people of Atlanta need all of our churches.

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Across the globe, your Christmas Gift to Jesus will give Hope to those who are caught up in the horrifying life of sex slavery in Addis Abba, Ethiopia. In partnership with International Crisis Aid, we will be assisting in providing funds to build a church and vocational training center in the heart of the red light district.

This church, proclaiming freedom in Jesus Christ, will reach out to those in the most desperate of conditions, providing them with hope, help and the message of a wonderful Savior who has given it all because He loves them.

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Thank you for your partnership this Christmas as we commit to putting Jesus at the very top of our lists and bringing Him our very best gift – giving HOPE to our community and our world.

Click here to give online throughout the month of December. (Remember to select “iCare” in the “Add a gift to:” drop down box and type “Christmas” in the comments.) Thank you!

A few weeks ago, families at Victory World Church gathered in our V3 building for an evening of family fun, praise and worship called Elevate. During normal services here at Victory, children are in the various classes provided by the Children’s Ministry while their parents attend service. Elevate, hosted by Pastor Randal McNeill, Family Ministries and VicKids Children’s Ministry, provided an opportunity for families to worship together for the first time this year.

The evening started with games for the families to play. First, the moms were put to test by participating in a hula-hoop competition. Two more rounds of hula-hoop competition involving children and a dad followed it. Next was a real treat with the dads squaring off in a dance competition. One of the dads did a ground crawl and brought back some moves from back in the day. The third game was Are You Smarter than a VicKid?, in which parents took turns answering questions that varied from 1st to 5th grade topics. After the games, the Victory Vida Band led praise and worship, keeping everyone on their feet as the little ones danced around in bare feet or bounced to the beat of the music while sitting on their fathers’ shoulders.

Thereafter, Flatman & Bobbin entertained the whole family with a pre-recorded skit, in which they illustrated the tremendously positive ripple effects of encouragement on those around us. According to one of the characters, parents who were encouraged as children will also encourage their children, and this cycle of encouragement continues. While it was certainly entertaining, the message of the skit was powerful and set the tone for Pastor Randall’s message to the parents.

After the Flatman and Bobbin video, the children were taken to their classes for age-relevant lessons while Pastor Randal delivered a thought-provoking message entitled, “Priming the Pump,” to the adults. (Click here to download a PDF of the notes.) Pastor Randal emphasized the importance of parents creating an atmosphere of encouragement and showing respect for their children. He also talked about speaking life into our children and the importance of children honoring their parents. Punctuating the message with humorous personal anecdotes, he also used a water hose and bucket to fully illustrate his point that as we fill, the flow continues to come forward.

At the close of his message, parents were given paper raindrops and asked to write something special about their children on them. The highlight of the evening came when the beaming children, carrying small silver buckets, filed back into the room met by standing and cheering parents who placed the raindrops into each child’s bucket. To seal the blessings that were presented to the children, each family was asked to gather in small groups for the parents to pray over their children, and the children to pray over their parents. That night, the children of Victory World Church were given a gift that is sure to continue to flow.

The evening was capped off with Pastor Randal bringing his family, including his parents who were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary, up on the stage. He then demonstrated the meaning of his message as each member of the family took turns blessing, encouraging and speaking words of love to one another. After Pastor Randall prayed over all the families represented, everyone was invited to celebrate with the McNeal’s by partaking in their anniversary cake.

Do you have a desire to partner with others in fulfilling the Great Commission? Are you looking for a church where you can use your gifts for the glory of God? Then join Victory World Church and its mission to Reconcile Cultures, Build Family, Transform Communities, and Impact Nations.

Just take a look around and you will see for yourself that Victory is fulfilling the call of Christ to make disciples of every nation, tribe, and tongue. Currently, there are nearly 100 nations represented at Victory, and this number is growing. People from ALL walks of life are coming into Victory as broken individuals and coming out of Victory as disciples for Christ. Lives are being changed! Relationships are being restored! Those who are bound are being set free! “For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit… (Luke 6:43-44 KJV).”

When I first began visiting Victory World Church over a year ago, what stood out to me most was the worship that poured out of everyone’s heart. People were corporately worshiping the Lord and experiencing His awesome presence. I had never felt so free and empowered during a worship service before. The presence of the Lord is certainly at Victory. “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel (Psalm 22:3, KJV).”

In addition to the amazing worship, what stood out to me was the practical and applicable biblically based teaching that freely flows out of the mouths of pastors Dennis and Colleen Rouse. This teaching is immediately applicable to your life. You can take what you have heard and apply it the moment you walk out the door. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17, KJV).”

Read some of the testimonies that are posted online, come to the sermons and listen to what those being baptized are saying. See for yourself that Victory is not only good soil, but GREAT soil where you can plant your seeds of faith. Plus, when you put your seeds of faith with the seeds of your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, you will see spiritual synergy at work!

Membership is not necessary in order to partner with Victory. However, as Christians, we are called to live in community with others in the body of Christ. It’s an outward expression of our inner commitment to God and his work here on earth. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:25, KJV).” ~ Alex Hogan

(To find out when the next Access Victory Membership Class will be held, check the weekly communiqué or the events scroller on victoryatl.com.

• Developing a roadmap to guide new believers and new members in their walk with the Lord
• Developing and hosting Encounter Weekends, which will include times of worship and prayer, an opportunity to receive healing for demonic oppression, water baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit
• Partnering with other churches in the areas of serving the community and being unified in Christ
• Expanding beyond our current four services by opening satellite locations throughout the city
• Providing discipleship courses to equip believers in interacting with the world around them, covering topics like how to heal the sick, minister to the lost, cast out demons, etc.
• Arranging a series of classes building upon one another to help in spiritual growth; i.e. ministry 101, ministry 102, etc.

In order to implement these new programs and make new changes as we move forward, it essential to have leaders who are committed and passionate about what they do. “At the very core of any church that is taking territory for God is a heart of passion that burns in its leaders.” (source unknown) As leaders, we are called to lead a generation of people with fervency, compassion and love.

There are four things for which God wants our hearts to stay passionate:

• Passion for the Lost – Acts 1:8, “…you shall be witnesses….“One of the signs that you’re full of the Holy Spirit is that you’re interacting, interceding and being mindful of the lost. That is, you will have an evangelistic viewpoint concerning the world around you.
• Passion for Discipleship – Jesus charges His disciples in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
• Passion for Serving- When God calls us, He provides an anointing for us to do what He has called us to do. The key is being obedient to what He has called us to do. We all have moments where we desire to be served instead of serving others. In those moments, we should ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do? What does Jesus say about this?” (see Matthew 20:25-28)
• Passion for Loving- Realize that even in the midst of our busy and hectic lives, God has placed people all around us with problems, hurts, concerns and burdens every day. Look up. Look around you at the people in the line at the store or people at your job. What are they going through? What is their story? Do they know the hope that is found in Jesus? We all need to keep expanding our hearts to love more people. God put us on this earth for a purpose – that is to love people. There are a lot of people that are hurting, in distress and at a loss. We need to take our focus off of ourselves and be available for those who need our assistance. Consider Jesus’ example in Matthew 9:35-38.

Currently, about 6,300 to 6,500 people in our weekend services. Think how many more people can we reach if we will live our lives fueled with passion for those things that God is passionate about: the lost, discipleship, service and love. May we take up our cross each day and follow the way of our Lord and Savior.

We live in a generation that is very unclear about who or what God is, and the majority of which does not have a relationship with Him. For the last several weeks, we’ve been discussing the importance of having a 20/20 vision for every area of our lives. As Proverbs 29:18 says,”Where there is no vision my people perish.” (KJV) This week, I would like to turn that around and say,”Where God’s people have no vision for the lost, the lost perish.” If we don’t have a vision for people who don’t know Christ, they will perish because we won’t tell them about Him.

Almost nothing is more important than our vision for lost people. Yet, very few people wake up in the morning thinking about that. Most of us inside the church don’t think much at all about those outside of it. Yet, this was the number one purpose of Jesus’ ministry – to seek and save that which was lost. In addition, He commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel – to be His witnesses. Wherever we go, we are supposed to be sharing our faith.

Why aren’t most of us doing this? Well, some of us have gotten caught up in our own little church world and forgotten about the lost. Others of us are strongly influenced by society, which puts a lot of pressure on us to keep our faith private and not share it with others. However, the main reason we don’t often (if ever) share our faith with others is that we love ourselves more than them.

In John 15, Jesus talks about abiding in Him, bearing fruit and loving one another. Jesus was so anointed and spoke with such authority because He was motivated by love. Abiding in the Father will cause love – for Him and others – to become our primary motivation.The more we love people the more their hearts open to the Gospel. On the other hand, when we stop abiding in God, our love for others decreases, our love for ourselves takes the front seat and people’s hearts are closed.

The key of love is laying down our lives for others. That means:

1. Laying down our desires. The journey that we’re on is all about losing the life of our own desires in exchange for the life of His desires.
2. Laying down our time. How much of our time is dedicated to the lost? More than for anything else, Jesus got the most criticism for spending so much time with the lost.
3. Laying down our reputation. We don’t like to be embarrassed – especially when we share our faith with people and they reject it. But, which is more important: our reputation or people’s souls?

We carry the answer for every person on this planet – Jesus Christ. It doesn’t do any good if we just keep Him for ourselves. We’ve got to share Him – through our actions, first and foremost, but also with our words as people open up. God has specifically placed people in our lives so we can love them and share Christ with them. I urge you; seek to build genuine, loving relationships with those around you. Invest in them – out of love, not just to “get them saved.” I guarantee that the seeds of love you sow into people’s lives will bear fruit as the Holy Spirit moves in their hearts. We have to get a Vision for the Lost. People’s eternal lives are at stake!

(Learn more about Vision for the Lost by listening to or watching this message.)

Every human being is made up of three parts: body, soul (mind) and spirit (the inner essence of our being). Our spirits are different than the other parts of our being. You see, while our bodies and souls may mature, it’s quite possible that our spirits may not. Our spirits are the center of our being, the core of who God intended us to be. They’re where God speaks to us, moves in us, fellowships with us and dwells with us. They’re the key to connecting with Him, finding His will for our lives and walking with Him. While the first two parts of our being grow naturally, our spirits don’t. Our spirits need to be grown, developed, cultivated. If we’re not intentional about this, our spirits stagnate.

So, we need to get a vision for growing our spirits. Once we have that vision in place, we will start moving in the right direction, growing our spirits and drawing closer to God. What does that vision look like? Well, spiritual growth starts with hunger for God, His righteousness and things of the Spirit. Our lives generally revolve around that for which we’re hungry. We can tell what we’re hungry for by what we feed our lives.

Hunger for the right things will lead to discipline. No, this isn’t a fun word, but it is one of the greatest principles in the Bible. Just as we don’t just wake up one day with big strong physical muscles without discipline, so also is discipline required to build up our spirits.

Discipline is part of a process. Growth doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time. Even Jesus grew through life’s processes. Spiritual growth is a process that requires a change in our daily routine and living in a growth environment, which means:

• Interacting with others who are beyond us spiritually
• Living outside our comfort zones
• Feeding our spirits daily
• Being accountable to others

All of these things will result in works. Works are the things we do that are the natural, outward evidence of what is going on inside of us. When our spirits are growing, we will do the kinds of things Jesus did and much more (see John 14:12). Now, plenty of people do works out of religious duty or obligation. That’s not what I’m talking about. In and of themselves, works do not prove spiritual growth. However, they will always be present in the lives of those who are alive and growing spiritually.

So, here’s the truth: If we want to connect with God, hear His voice and enjoy the life He has for us, spiritual growth is essential. And, that starts by getting a vision for it and then living it out! (Learn more about this by listening to or watching last weekend’s message.)

This last weekend, I continued talking about having a vision for our financial lives. (If you missed that message, I encourage you to listen to or watch it here.) You see, our lives are a byproduct of the vision we have for them. This is as true for our finances as for any other part of our lives. If we don’t have a vision for our financial life, we will end up where a lot of people and our nation are today – in debt, in bankruptcy, in trouble.

God, however, wants us to get His vision for our finances so that we can be free of the world’s economy. God wants us to have an abundant life – one of blessing and peace. If we also want that, we need to understand how God thinks about money.

Now, listen, God doesn’t want our money. He doesn’t need it. What He cares about and wants is our hearts. However, He knows that our hearts follow our money, and that the way we view and use money has a direct correlation to where our hearts lie, whether with Him or with the world. Consequently, He urges us to give in ways that increase His kingdom and draw our hearts closer to Him.

Obviously, we aren’t taught this in the world. Rather, we’re taught to make more money to buy more stuff, to get rich and so on. Yet, Jesus is saying there’s a shift that we need to make under the new covenant. He has a different purpose for money.

The heart of God’s economy is not establishing our kingdoms in the earth, but in establishing His kingdom in the earth. He wants us to do things with our money that make a difference in people’s lives, things that have eternal value. Let me put that another way: God’s top priority for money is maximizing its use to establish His kingdom on the earth.

So, let me ask you, how connected do you think your goals for life are to God’s? How many of us ask at the beginning of each year, “What do we want to do with the money God has given us this year that will make a difference?” Or, better yet, “What does God want us to do with the money?” Ask yourself whether you’re going to spend the majority of your life:

1. Paying debts – living for the past?
2. Spending money – living for the present?
3. Saving/investing money – living for the future?
4. Giving money – living for eternity?

If we’re honest, way too many of us have been living in levels one and two. However, God’s desire is that we would spend the majority of our lives living for eternity by developing a lifestyle of giving. God intendeds for us to be rivers, not reservoirs.

God wants us to live abundant lives, but to have that, we have to surrender our wills and our minds to Him and be transformed. When we begin to seek His kingdom first, our vision begins to shift away from ourselves to making a difference in the lives of others. And, as we put our trust in God and put him first, He will work things out favorably for us. He will bless us, even in the midst of an economic downturn. So, do you have the vision now?

This past weekend, as we continued our series on getting a 20/20 vision for life, I invited my wonderful wife Colleen to speak about a topic that she is very passionate about – our health. God has given her a keen desire to pursue not only her own health, but also to impart His wisdom in this area to others as well. Our bodies are very much a part of who we are, and if we want to live a 20/20 LIFE, we need to get God’s Vision for Our Health. Here’s some of what she had to say:

Most of us have gone from darkness to light spiritually, but I want us to go from darkness to light physically as well. That requires having a vision for our health. Those who lack this, usually experience a sense of discomfort, guilt or discouragement when the subject is broached. If that’s the case for us, it means we’ve bought into guilt and condemnation. That’s not God’s way. He wants us to experience conviction that will lead to true change.

God wants us to have healthy bodies, and when we get His vision for our health, it restores our hope, incentive and courage to break free from the desires of the carnal appetite. It enables us to discern and choose between those things that sustain and enrich us over those that satisfy but destroy us. In addition, it also establishes us as good role models to those we have been given charge over. Having a vision for our health will motivate us to increase in biblical knowledge and wisdom concerning health, which will then be reflected in our daily choices – choices that will honor, glorify and please Him.

On the other hand, when we lack a vision for our health, we don’t exercise restraint. In fact, we tend to view constraints as nothing more than limitations to our freedom and happiness. We become a poor influence to the generations below us and, ultimately, fall short of God’s best as both the quality and length of our lives are shortened unnecessarily – something that must sadden our loving Father.

For many of us, it’s time for a change. That means we need to recognize and admit our need for change. Then we must institute a plan to change. And then, for change to truly take place, we must be committed to the plan. If we want to walk in God’s healing, we first need to get His vision for our health.

This was a good message, and very timely for many of us. Doesn’t it make sense to have a vision for your health? If this has touched a chord in your heart, let me encourage you to listen to or watch the full recording of this message, and then, visit our bookstore to pick up some of the many resources for healthy living Pastor Colleen has made available to us there. Don’t miss out on the blessings of a healthy life. Diligently pursue God’s Vision for Your Health!

My Vision for Health

• I will live to reflect my gratitude for His goodness, His greatness and His power.
• I will consider the price that He paid to purchase me.
• I will remind myself of the truth that I am not my own but I am His temple.
• I will be accountable to Him, presenting myself daily to Him as a living sacrifice.
• I will choose first the living foods that He designed me to benefit from and avoid those altered by man.
• I will discipline my body to enable me to finish this race and glorify Him.