Think back to a time in your life when someone went so above and beyond what was expected that you were truly overwhelmed with their graciousness and kindness. For many of us, there have been several times in our lives when this was true: maybe someone helped you deal with significant grief; maybe a stranger stopped on the side of the road to offer you assistance; or maybe a neighbor demonstrated a gesture of true kindness and self-sacrifice.

Acts 8:26-39

I hope you are having a great day thus far and have taken time to read the Scripture passage for this devotional - that is where the real substance is. The power to change your life and grow you closer to Jesus is in the Word of God. If you do not read the rest of this devotional, but spend time with God in reading your Bible, the goal of this time has been accomplished.

Psalm 136:1, "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."

When traveling, it is good to have information about the place you are visiting; things like must see attractions, good local food, and clean places to stay are all valued knowledge, especially if the insight came from people who have already been there. One of the tools I use for this purpose is an app called Yelp. Basically, Yelp features businesses that provide a service, then collects reviews from people's experience and issues a rating based on a five-star system. For example, in Jackson, Mississippi, there is a restaurant called Table 100 which serves Southern American and French cuisine. When you look at their review, you will find that 162 people left a rating. Out of the dining experience of those 162 people, Table 100 earned an average score of four-and-a-half stars out of five. Based on these recommendations of others, Table 100 is now on my list of places to eat the next time I am in the area of Jackson, Mississippi. I want to experience it for myself.

As September comes to a close, and we look back at the Missions Conference and reflect on what we heard and experienced, there are things we need to do going forward in our service for the Lord. Decisions were made about Faith Promise, about serving in certain areas, and about faithfulness. Many serve in the church; sometimes it may become common and not as exciting as it once was, but think about where you are serving and what it may accomplish for eternity! From the nursery to the auditorium class, we are all working toward the goal of getting people to Christ and growing closer to Him, while continuing to accomplish training. Consider these examples we are given:

Psalm 18:30, "... the word of the LORD is tried: ..."

The questions are: Who has tried the Word of the Lord? Under what circumstances? What were the results?

We see God the Father trying His Word in creation. He tried it on the darkness and the darkness became light. He tried it on the firmament and it divided the waters. He tried it on the seas and dry land appeared. He tried it on the earth and it brought forth grass, herbs, and trees. He tried it in the skies and they were filled with the sun, the moon, and the stars. After six days of speaking to this situation, we read the results: "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. ..." (Genesis 1:31). God said it ... and it was so.