Study Desk

I haven't said these things to hear myself to talk, but to remind you of these things because you'll be needin' 'em. It is by God's mercy

But you ain't going to hear me bragging on anything but God and what he's done through me. I've rode with the outsiders and they now ride for God.

But I can say that I'm done here. I'm certainly ready to see all of y'all after years of riding the rough brush and the rough stock.

But first, I have to ride over to Jerusalem to give the offerings I've collected to the hands there.

These cowboys ain't riding for the Lord. They do these things for personal interest and gain. They talk good, but their message is rotten . . . and people fall for it.

Finally, all glory to God, who builds us up strong, just like the good news says. This message about Jesus has shown you God's plan for all the outsiders. This plan has been kept secret since the beginning, but now it is revealed.

All the prophets hinted about it, but now the message has been made known to all outsiders. May they believe and follow Jesus completely as they ride for God.

I'm writing to God's outfit in Corinth. I'm writing to those God has chosen to be his cowboys. He has straightened your lives out through his son, Jesus, and given y'all the job of gathering and tending the herd. But this is not just your job, but the job of every cowboy who has called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When I'm riding along, my thoughts often wander to you and all the benefits of riding for the brand. This brand is Jesus's brand, but he lets us ride for him.

But let me tell you something, cowboys. I'm passing this on to you from the Top Hand himself. Y'all need to get along with each other. Y'all quit your squabbling and bickering. God's cowboys work together, not against each other.

But come to think of it, I did baptize everyone at Stephanas's, but no one else.

Jesus's message from the cross is folly to those heading for the kill-truck. But those of us who will ride in the green grass forever, we know the cross is the power of God.

But to those who have been saved, they understand Jesus is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Don't forget cowboys, there were very few of you who were considered wise by worldly standards or thought to be rich and powerful. But then God got ahold of you.

You didn't hear this from some cocky roper, but from one who didn't feel worthy of the words he said. Quite frankly, I was scared out of my gourd.

But as I said, the message you heard was a plain and simple one. I didn't rely on practiced sermons, but on the power of the Holy Ghost.

But don't get me wrong, when I'm with top hands I can give them wisdom that can even make them better hands. But this knowledge isn't one you can hear from blowhards and braggarts.

Nope, this wisdom comes from the mystery of God himself. This secret has been hidden from the world for a long time but was finally revealed for our glory and his honor.

But the folks who run this world had no idea. If they'd even suspected, they would have never crucified Jesus and unleashed God's power on the world.

And just like a city fellow can't know what it's like to ride for the brand, neither can an unbeliever know what God's thoughts are. They think all this stuff about God is just myth and folly. But it's no surprise to us, is it? A cowboy's secrets can't be explained to a tenderfoot. They'd never understand the life or the code of the West.