STEVE WEBB - 0:00 Imitate good. INTRO S12E354 - 0:09 Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. And podcasting since 2004, I'm your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we're reading through the entire Bible in a year. This is Epistle Sunday and we'll be reading 3 John. I'm calling today's episode, "Vital and Integral". The show notes page for today's episode is at lifespringmedia.com/s12e354, and my email address is steve@lifespringmedia.com. Are you ready? Let's begin. 3 JOHN (GWT) - 0:42 3 John. (1) From the church leader. To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love because we share the truth. (2) Dear friend, I know that you are spiritually well. I pray that you’re doing well in every other way and that you’re healthy. (3) I was very happy when some believers came and told us that you are living according to the truth. (4) Nothing makes me happier than to hear that my children are living according to the truth. (5) Dear friend, you are showing your faith in whatever you do for other believers, especially when they’re your guests. (6) These believers have told the congregation about your love. You will do well to support them on their trip in a way that proves you belong to God. (7) After all, they went on their trip to serve the one named Christ, and they didn’t accept any help from the people to whom they went. (8) We must support believers who go on trips like this so that we can work together with them in spreading the truth. (9) I wrote a letter to the congregation. But Diotrephes, who loves to be in charge, won’t accept us. (10) For this reason, when I come I will bring up what he’s doing. He’s not satisfied with saying malicious things about us. He also refuses to accept the believers we send as guests. He even tries to stop others who want to accept them and attempts to throw those people out of the congregation. (11) Dear friend, never imitate evil, but imitate good. The person who does good is from God. The person who does evil has never seen God. (12) Everyone, including the truth itself, says good things about Demetrius. We also say good things about him, and you know that what we say is true. (13) I have a lot to write to you. However, I would rather not write. (14) I hope to visit you very soon. Then we can talk things over personally. (15) Peace be with you! Your friends here send you their greetings. Greet each of our friends by name. COMMENTS - 2:32 The book of 3 John is addressed to a man named Gaius. And there seems to be several men with his name in the Bible, one of whom was baptized by Paul. We don't really know anything more specific about this case, except that John considered him to be a very close friend. John commends Gaius for the good reports he hears about him. And for the fact that he supports those who travel around preaching the gospel. It's a good thing to support missionaries, and others who are on the front lines sharing the gospel, because even though we may not personally go out to preach the good news, our support for them makes us an important, vital and integral part of the team. And then John has a warning against a man named Diotrephes. And he has good words to say about a person named Demetrius. John says, "Never imitate evil, but imitate good. The person who does good is from God, the person who does evil has never seen God.” So, Beloved, we need to be aware of those around us and we need to watch to see what their fruit is. Do you have a comment? Let me know go to lifespringmedia.com/s12e354. And tomorrow is Monday and our reading will be from the book of Deuteronomy. We'll read chapters 29 through 31. Boost. PRODUCER SHOUT-OUTS - 3:56 I have several people to thank today. Lifespring Family Berean Brother Paul of Seattle is our Distinguished Producer today and he sent in his weekly $22.22 cent donation. Thank you very much, Brother Paul, and God bless you. And John is our Executive Producer having sent in his monthly $50 donation. John, thank you very much, and God bless you. And our Associate Producer today is Timothy LaFontaine, who sent in his monthly $20 donation. Thank you very much. And God bless you, Timothy. And last but not least Anonymous sent in a donation for my birthday of $68. Thank you, Anonymous. I appreciate you and may God bless you. I want to thank each one of you. I appreciate your support more than you know. God bless each of you. And yesterday's show was recorded several days ago because I knew that the Lovely Lady LeeAnn and our middle son Stephen and his wife are going to be taking me out for a birthday dinner on Friday night which meant that I would not be able to record Saturday’s show on Friday as would be the normal practice. Well, they took me to a very nice restaurant in Newport Beach, but before we went in, they gave me a birthday gift that just blew me away. When I unwrapped it, I was really surprised to be holding a Rode Procaster 2, which is *the* newest, state-of-the-art, all-in-one podcast recording and production setup that all the cool kids have been raving about since it was released a couple of months ago. Well, when I saw it, I looked at LeeAnn, and I said, "You really want me to keep doing this, don't you?" I told you she was a great supporter, didn't I? So, I've been playing with this thing all day trying to figure out all the bells and whistles. Now, at this point, I know I'm in no way using even half of what it'll do. But I hope the sound is okay. Let me know in the comments one way or the other. I know I've got some tweaking still to do. And let me also say that this doesn't change the fact that I will no longer be producing daily shows after the end of this season of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. But also The Next Step emails many of you have sent to me have really touched me. At least no one has said, “It's about time you hung it up.” So, I will be doing something with the Lifespring Audio Bible. It isn't just going to come to an end. Stay tuned and stay subscribed. And if you're not already, I would suggest you subscribe to the Lifespring Media All Shows Feed, if you want to know if and when I do something else other than this show. If I start a new show, or if I do new episodes of Lifespring HymnStories or In Touch with God's Character or whatever, it'll show up on the Lifespring All Shows podcast feed. But do me a favor, would you, please? Keep praying that God makes it abundantly clear what my next step should be. But with this cool new gear that LeeAnn and the kids gave me for my birthday, I just can't quit, right? ON THIS DATE IN CHURCH HISTORY - 6:59 On this date in church history, August 21, 1912, William Bramwell Booth, the son of the founder, William Booth, became head of the American Salvation Army. CLOSING PRAYER - 7:20 Let's pray. Our heavenly Father, we thank you for the little book of 3 John and the reminder to support those who are doing the work of sharing the good news. Missionaries and others who preach the gospel need a team behind them, praying for them and supplying them with what is needed to do the work. And Lord, I thank you for the ones you've sent this season to help me do the work that you called me to do. You've given them generous hearts, and I pray that You would bless them many, many times over for what they've done. Bless them, Lord for their prayers and their donations and their notes of encouragement. I pray, Lord, that You would bless each Lifespring family member today, everyone who's been on this journey through Your Word, whether they've been here since day one or joined some time during the year. Bless them for their commitment to read or listen along with us. I pray that this year has just been the beginning of a lifetime of reading your word every day. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen. If you have a prayer request or a praise, go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com. OUTRO S12E354 - 8:28 Comment on the show at lifespringmedia.com/s12e354. Send an email to me at steve@lifespringmedia.com. Thanks to Kirsty, Sean of San Pedro and Denise, the three team members that really help me out. Thank you for inviting me to spend some time with you today. I appreciate it. And until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye. ADAM CURRY - 8:51 I love you, Steve! Transcribed by https://otter.ai