"The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:10-11). 

Whether you're a countryside person or a city person will affect how well these words of Jesus resonate with you.  Many of us don't see or spend time around sheep very often.  Sheep aren't very clever creatures and need a lot of looking after.  They aren't able to find good grass to eat on their own, they cannot find their way to water alone, and they are very good at wandering off to get lost in the hills.  So if you were a sheep, your life depended on you having a good shepherd, who would look after you and lead you well.  Therefore, it is very humbling for us in the contemporary, industrialized, educated and wealthy western world to be compared with sheep by God.  But Jesus tells us that we are like sheep as we wander around this world, looking for something to fill and satisfy us, following many different false shepherds who say "Follow me and you'll be happy," "Follow me and you'll find success," etc.  Sadly they will lead us only to emptiness and sometimes ruin - they are thieves not shepherds.  But Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd, one who genuinely cares for His sheep.  He will not lead you out into the dry empty desert to devour you, but rather to the bountiful Promised Land to truly satisfy you.  So much does He love His flock, that He would give His life to save them from danger.  When attacking wolves and lions came to attack the flock, Jesus is the shepherd who would sacrifice Himself into their vicious jaws and claws, so that the sheep can escape.  That's what the Cross is all about and why we have reason to celebrate His love today.

Praise God Today: "May I Never Lose The Wonder Of The Cross"

Pray Today:

• For Simon, Annika and Karis as they await the date for the corrective open heart surgery in the forthcoming weeks.
• For all the children up at Buckstone as they learn about the Cross on Wednesday morning
• For brothers and sisters in Iraq who are enduring horrendous persecution at the present time.
• For all the outreach teams mid-week through Chat65, Buckstone, Puppets and UBM to keep going strong in God's strength and to be encouraged as they see God at work.