Last Monday evening, Tom made Bavarian Sauerkraut and it was delicious! He served it with hot dogs and old-style mustard.

Last Tuesday evening, I gathered online with a wonderful group of women to discuss “contend for the faith” from our study of the book of Jude.

Let me see if I can process with my fingers how these two events impacted my heart and mind. Here goes...

On Monday evening, as I fixed my plate of Bavarian Sauerkraut with a hot dog, I became fascinated with the old-style mustard. I can’t remember having had it before but as I finished up my plate of food there were a few individuals mustard seeds left on my plate. Interesting as they varied a bit in color. I admit I took the tip of my finger, picked up a seed, and put it in my mouth. That tiny little seed was packed with flavor. As I took my plate to the sink, the jar of mustard seeds caught my eye. Fascinating. As I stood there staring, Jesus’ words came to mind….”’You don’t have enough faith’ Jesus told them (disciples), ‘I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain ‘move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible’.” Matthew 17:20.

Wow, I thought….imagine what a whole lot of people with mustard seed size faith could do if together working as one...like in this jar? Working together to do what? Hmmm, I thought. We’ve got some mountain-sized problems that need to be solved (moved). Of course, getting everyone in the same jar (so to speak) is the first mountain to move!

Earlier that day, I had finished up my week’s homework of Jude and was still processing what it means and looks like to contend for THE faith. Study questions had caused me to form thoughts and words to ensure I understood exactly what “THE faith” is and why it is so important to contend for it. Further, I had to answer for myself what contending for THE faith is, looks like, and what it isn’t and should not look like. No, not based on what I thought but what God says in His Word. It was a great exercise. So much so, I have decided to include pictures of pages in my study book that layout from Scripture exactly what is THE faith. I pray that in reading and referring again to these familiar Scriptures you will be challenged and encouraged in your faith so that you will be eager to contend for this faith…THE faith!

Why? Because false teachers have crept in among us unnoticed. I wonder to myself…how is this even possible that they go unnoticed? Then, I am reminded of one of my husband’s favorite sayings…you don’t know what you don’t know. I remind myself to look at what’s going on in our homes, communities, and churches and must face the truth that we really do live in a post-Christian society. How did this happen? How could this be? Well, I guess you can’t contend for something you don’t know. We certainly cannot contend for THE faith if we don’t know it. Right?

Sweet friends, I don’t know if any of this is making sense but I conclude with this thought: Maybe it’s not about having faith to move mountains it’s about having faith in THE faith that moves mountains. Now, that’s a jar full of life-saving, changing, and wonder-working powerful faith right there. If we could just all come together on this one purpose, contending for and sharing THE faith...Nothing would be impossible.

May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.