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Blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers; But his delight is in Yahweh's law; On his law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper. Psalms 1:1 WEB

Though it did not start out that way, or show itself immediately, we slowly became like them. First standing around talking, and then sitting and listening to the cynical, bitter gossip in church. Before too long, I felt just like they did and I could begin to hear it in my speech. I am not sure why I did not see all this negativity before. How could I have missed it? It was very subtle and crept in. Finally we got a grip on it, moved away from that side of the church, and life was better.

Walking, standing, sitting is progressive and a gradual slowing in the speed of your walk. In 1 Corinthians 15:33, Paul wrote that 'Bad company corrupts good character.' While it is certainly relevant outside of the church, we found that it can be pretty bad inside the church as well. The fruit of the Spirit is: 'Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control' (Galatians 5:21'23). Some of that fruit was missing in the ones that we sat by.

The company that you keep will affect your outlook on life. They can bring out the best in you, or the worst. They can inspire you, or depress you. Many are happy where they are and will not want you to grow. Do not hang out with bad company, they will eventually bring you down to their level.

Prayer: Heavenly Father I thank You and pray that You give me the right friends. Help me to be aware of my surroundings and bad influences in my life. I want to grow in Your likeness so please give me the grace and strength to make the right decisions, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

Note: Happy Sunday! All are invited this morning to join us for our weekly RHM Live church service! This week, we will be continuing with our ongoing Bible Study, covering Acts 16. There will also be time for fellowship, worship, and live interactive prayer, via the RHM chatroom. To participate in the chatroom you need to have a site account, but if not, you can still watch the video of the study. Service starts at 10am EST, but all are encouraged to show up 15 minutes early for fellowship, and to make sure the stream is working for you before we start. Here is the link to join: RHM Live

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