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Our dog Mikey is a Pug. Pugs have many traits. One is that Pugs guard resources. If Mikey finds a piece of paper, a leaf, a shoe, or a dog toy, he stands over it. If any of us comes too close, he growls. He guards it as if it’s the most important thing in the world.

The other day, we cooked perogy. One fell on the floor. None of us noticed, including Mikey. But later he found it. He took it to the couch. And there he guarded it. And guarded it. And guarded it. For over an hour we could not coax him away. Eventually, he jumped off the coach to find my wife. We grabbed the perogy and Mikey’s hour of guard duty ended.

Standing guard over resources is one of Mikey’s traits. And standing guard is a Christian’s trait. 1 Timothy 6:20 says, “Guard what has been entrusted to your care.” 2 Timothy 1:14 says, “Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” To guard what has been entrusted to us means we never let go of or compromise the truth of the Gospel. Like Mikey who resolutely guarded the perogy, we resolutely guard the truth of the Gospel. We teach the Gospel, we live the Gospel, we pray the Gospel, we proclaim the Gospel, we pass on the Gospel to the next generation. And on the Gospel we take our stand.

Today, how will you stand guard for the Gospel among your family, with friends, at work, in your neighbourhood?

我們的狗米奇是一隻哈巴狗。哈巴狗有很多特徵，其中之一是守護資源。如果米奇發現一張紙、一片葉子、一隻鞋子或一個狗玩具，他就會站在上面。如果我們中的任何人靠得太近，他就會叫。他守護著它，就好像它是世界上最重要的東西。

前幾天，我們做了餃子。一個掉到了地板上。我們沒有人注意到，包括米奇。但後來他發現了，就把它拿到沙發上。他在那裡守護著它。一直看著它，寸步不離。接下來一個多小時我們都沒能把他哄走，直到最後他跳下沙發去找我太太，我們才撿起了那個餃子，也結束了米奇的緊張時刻。
守護資源是米奇的特質之一，而堅守崗位則是基督徒的特質。提摩太前書 6:20 說：“要保守所交託你看管的。”提摩太後書 1:14 說：“從前所交託你的善道，你要靠著那住在我們裡面的聖靈牢牢地守著。” 守護託付給我們的東西意味著我們永遠不會放棄或妥協福音的真理。就像米奇堅決守護它的餃子一樣，我們也堅決守護福音的真理。我們教導福音，我們活出福音，我們祈禱福音，我們宣揚福音，我們將福音傳遞給下一代。我們以福音為我們一切的立場。

今天，你將如何在家人、朋友、工作、鄰裡中守護福音？

Grace and peace

Pastor Callum