Acts 20:16-38

16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for
he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17 From Miletus,
Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them:
You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the
province of Asia.

19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by
the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything
that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I
have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have
faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will
happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and
hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is
to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given methe task of testifying to
the good news of Gods grace.

25 Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom
will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of
any of you.
27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over
yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of
the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage
wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number
men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your
guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with
tears.

32 Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you
an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 36 When Paul had finished speaking, he
knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed
him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.
Then they accompanied him to the ship.
Acts 20:29-31

29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not
spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth
in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember
that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
Watch for Wolves
Watch for Wolves
Song of Solomon 2:15

15 Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in
bloom.
Bad
Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)

21 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will
say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your
name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? 23 Then I will
tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!
busy
Mark 4:15-19

15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they
hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like
seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since
they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes
because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among
thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and
the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
busy
Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given
to you as well.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends
all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
backslidden
Revelation 2:4-5

4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how
far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. . . .
Bitter
Matthew 18

32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, You wicked servant! I forgave you all
that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow
servant, just as I had pity on you? 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the
torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his
brother his trespasses.[f]

Luke 6:27-28

27 . . . Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray
for those who mistreat you.
Burdened
Luke 11:46

46 Jesus replied, And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with
burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.
broken
2 Tim 1:7

7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Mark 8:35 (NIV)

35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for
the gospel will save it.
Blind
Proverbs 29:18

18Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;

but blessed is the one who heeds wisdoms instruction.

Revelation 3:18

18. . . buy from me . . . salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Luke 4:18

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor

that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free

 un-
believing barren

BURDENED Broken BliND

BAD BUSY BACKSLID BITTER

un-believing
Hebrews 3:12 (NIV)

12See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns
away from the living God.
Barren
Matthew 25 (NIV)

24Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. Master, he said, I knew that you
are a hard man 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid 26 His master replied, You
wicked, lazy servant!

1 Peter 3:15

15But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone
who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and
respect,
Mark 10:10-15
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and
have it to the full. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees
the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and
scatters it.

13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am
the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me 15 just as the Father knows
me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep.
 un-
faith
believing fruitful
barren

BURDENED
Fire fearless
Broken foresight
BliND

Forgiven
BAD focus
BUSY BACKSLID
First Love Fresh
BITTER