“Write this to the angel of the church in Sardis: These are the words of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and has the seven stars in his hand. ‘I know what you’ve been doing. You have a reputation for being alive, but you’re dead.
That question came up because some false believers had slipped in among us to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to make us slaves again.
I’ve had to keep on the move constantly. I’ve been in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my fellow Jews, and in danger from Gentiles. I’ve been in danger in the city, in the country, and at sea. I’ve been in danger from people who pretended they were believers.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure that was hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then he went and gladly sold everything he had to buy that field.
When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up onto the shore. Then they sat down and gathered the good fish into baskets, but they threw the bad fish away.