Large crowds were traveling with Jesus.  He turned to them and said, ^26 "If people come to me and are not ready to abandon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives, they cannot be my disciples."

(Luke 14:25-26 -- GW)

Come, let’s worship and bow down.  Let’s kneel in front of the Lord, our maker, because he is our God and we are the people in his care, the flock that he leads.
(Psalm 95:6-7 -- GW)

Photo:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/kneeling-together-gm870609200-145361703

Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
let those who love your salvation continually say, “God is great!”

(Psalm 70:4 -- CSB)

Some men had lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard.  As they sat together, Peter sat among them. ⁵⁶ A female servant saw him as he sat facing the glow of the fire.  She stared at him and said, “This man was with Jesus.”
⁵⁷ But Peter denied it by saying, “I don’t know him, woman.”
⁵⁸ A little later someone else saw Peter and said, “You are one of them.”  But Peter said, “Not me!”
⁵⁹ About an hour later another person insisted, “It’s obvious that this man was with him.  He’s a Galilean!”
⁶⁰ But Peter said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”  Just then, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ Then the Lord turned and looked directly at Peter.  Peter remembered what the Lord had said: “Before a rooster crows today, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” ⁶² Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.
(Luke 22:55-62 -- GW)

Come back to the right point of view, and stop sinning.  Some people don’t know anything about God.  You should be ashamed of yourselves.
(1 Corinthians 15:34 -- GW)


Photo:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/brake-pedal-gm880921184-245327473

The eye is the lamp of the body.  If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

(Matthew 6:22 -- NIV)

Make your ways known to me, O Lord, and teach me your paths.
(Psalm 25:4 -- GW)

Photo:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/winter-road-sign-gm865552860-143738585

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

(Psalm 107:1 -- KJV)

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18 -- KJV)

Photo:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/pumpkins-on-straw-gm842086006-137406805

Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this.

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 -- GW)

 
 
I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.
(Abraham Lincoln on October 3, 1863)

Photo:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/inflated-turkey-gm879130774-245095513

We don’t have a permanent city here on earth, but we are looking for the city that we will have in the future.

(Hebrews 13:14 -- GW)

All of us make a lot of mistakes.  If someone doesn’t make any mistakes when he speaks, he would be perfect.  He would be able to control everything he does.
(James 3:2 -- GW)


Photo:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/gray-taped-window-gm825409966-133874053

I said, "If only I had wings like a dove—I would fly away and find rest."
(Psalm 55:6 -- GW)

"Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest."
(Matthew 11:28 -- GW)

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
(John 8:7 -- ESV)

Photo:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/stone-retaining-wall-gm869882698-145187915

When I look at your heavens, the creation of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have set in place—⁴ what is a mortal that you remember him or the Son of Man that you take care of him?
(Psalm 8:3-4 -- GW)

You alone created my inner being.  You knitted me together inside my mother.  ¹⁴ I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made.  Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.  ¹⁵ My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, when I was being skillfully woven in an underground workshop.
(Psalm 139:13-15 -- GW)

"God doesn't drive parked cars."

(A quote attributed to many)

------------

You will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way.  Follow it, whether it turns to the right or to the left.”

(Isaiah 30:21 -- GW)




Photo:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/abandoned-car-gm875237564-244350466

Jesus answered him, “Scripture says, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”

(Luke 4:8 -- GW)

He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
(Psalm 23:3 -- CSB)


Photo:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/country-road-to-mountains-gm869524990-145073949

I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord.  They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.

(Jeremiah 29:11 -- GW)

How long will you gullible people love being so gullible?
        How long will you mockers find joy in your mocking?
        How long will you fools hate knowledge?
(Proverbs 1:22 -- GW)


Photo:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/mockingbird-on-wagon-gm865553312-143739341

So place yourselves under God’s authority.  Resist the devil, and he will run away from you.

(James 4:7 -- GW)


P.S.  This is what "pushing back" looks like . . .

I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
(Psalm 119:104 -- NIV)

Photo:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/road-through-the-trees-gm865509138-143724799

They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for statues that looked like mortal humans, birds, animals, and snakes.

(Romans 1:23 -- GW)

And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
(Romans 13:11-14 -- NIV)

Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
²⁷“Consider how the wild flowers grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!

(Luke 12:26-28 -- NIV)

Watch out for false prophets.
(Matthew 7:15a -- NIV)


Photo:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/moose-on-the-road-gm865509464-143725239

What you plant, whether it’s wheat or something else, is only a seed.  It doesn’t have the form that the plant will have. ³⁸ God gives the plant the form he wants it to have.  Each kind of seed grows into its own form. ³⁹ Not all flesh is the same.  Humans have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds have another, and fish have still another. ⁴⁰ There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies.  Heavenly bodies don’t all have the same splendor, neither do earthly bodies.

(1 Corinthians 15:37-40 -- GW)

Faith convinces us that God created the world through his word.  This means what can be seen was made by something that could not be seen.
(Hebrews 11:3 -- GW)

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways,” declares the Lord.
(Isaiah 55:8 -- GW)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
(John 3:16-18 -- NIV)