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¹ Hey, pards! This is Pete again, a hand for Christ.

I'm writing to all the cowboys who ride the rough trail of righteousness for the sake of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord. This faith you ride in is the code of justice and fairness that comes straight from the Boss.

² Here's hopin' God is going to dole out more and more grace and peace on ya as you grow through ridin' for his brand.

The Faith Feed Yard

³ We don't lack nothin' because God has given us everything we're needin' to ride for him. By giving us everything we need, God is letting us share in his glory and greatness. ⁴ It's by these two things that he gives us his word that we will share in his divine nature and escape the thick brush that is the world's corruption of lust and the allure of a lazy life.

⁵ Because of this, don't be lazy in responding to God's promises. Throw in a heaping of goodness on top of your faith. To your goodness, add a bunch of wisdom. ⁶ To your wisdom, pile on self-mastery. To self-mastery, add in endurance. To that throw in a feed sack full of godliness, ⁷ and to godliness, don't forget about being a pard. But don't just be a pard to a few, love 'em all.

⁸ This is the feed yard of faith. Feeding on stuff like this will make you productive and useful to God. In other words, it'll make you handy. ⁹ But those who jump the fence and chase after other things will become blind as a cancer-eyed cow. They will no longer be able to see that their sins have been forgiven.

¹⁰ So, cowboys and cowgirls, ride hard and prove you belong to the brand. Do these things I've told you and you won't fall off. ¹¹ When your time comes, God will open the gate wide and give you a place on his spread.

¹² That's why I'm going to keep repeating myself even though you've heard all this before. ¹³ I won't ever stop reminding you that you don't live for yourself, but you ride for the brand. ¹⁴ Jesus has made it apparent to me that I won't be riding these old trails much longer. ¹⁵ But with the time I have left in the saddle, I'll make sure you don't forget who you're supposed to be and what you're supposed to be doing.

¹⁶ We didn't make up a bunch of cowboy stories around a campfire about how Jesus came to earth and did what he did. We are first-hand witnesses to all the things he did. ¹⁷ We were there when God blessed him. We heard with our own ears when God said, "This is my boy and he makes me happy." ¹⁸ We ourselves were sitting slack-jawed on that holy mountain when we heard it.

¹⁹ Because of that and other things we've seen and heard, we know the things those old prophets were talking about were true. Pay attention to what they wrote. Their words are like a warm campfire on a cold, dark night. Their words will keep you out of the dark and warm until the morning star, Jesus Christ, shines in your hearts. ²⁰ Don't forget, them prophets didn't write those things from their own understanding. ²¹ It wasn't human inspired or initiated at all. It was all the Holy Spirit talking through 'em.