Jesus An Abundance Of Life

By Ronald Price

Are you needing encouragement or looking to strengthen your Christian walk? Are you hungry for more from our Lord? If so, look no further and get ready to be challenged, encouraged, and motivated. The first step is to turn your vessels upward after they have turned upside down and are emptied.

Jesus: An Abundance of Life presents a series of essays that invite you to develop a deeper intimacy with God. Each chapter offers a lesson in the form of a narrative with supplemental quotations from scripture. Through these chapters, you can build a better understanding of how to apply the lessons in ways that will enhance your Christian walk with the Lord. From a little girl who makes a difference with her challenges to an aggressive goose with hidden motives, the characters of these tales can guide you toward learning to be a difference maker in your own life.

Uplifting and heartening, this collection of devotional essays provides inspiration and guidance for Christians seeking to find a closer work with the Lord.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9781973699538

Ronald Price

Ronald Price holds a pastoral degree from the Berean School of the Bible, a school of Global University. He has acted as a missionary assistant in four countries and served for many years as a chaplain at his local children’s hospital. The author of numerous devotional articles, he is also a Christian speaker and teacher and sings in a gospel choir. Now retired, he lives with his wife in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Copyright © 2023 Ronald Price.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-9951-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9952-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9953-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023912345

WestBow Press rev. date: 07/13/2023

Scripture taken from King James version of the Bible, public domain.

Scripture taken from the Common English Bible®, CEB® Copyright © 2010, 2011 by Common English Bible.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. The CEB and Common English Bible trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Common English Bible. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Common English Bible.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scriptures quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Scripture quotations marked NET have been taken from the NET Bible® https://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB. Copyright ©2016, 2020 by Bible Hub. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Scripture taken from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version- Second Edition Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Chapter 1 Do You Recognize Him?

Chapter 2 Our Father

Chapter 3 Gangsta the Goose

Chapter 4 My Name Is Barney

Chapter 5 Food Fight in Heaven

Chapter 6 Binocular Vision

Chapter 7 The Essence of Reflection

Chapter 8 Adam, Where Art Thou?

Chapter 9 The Third Rugged Cross

Chapter 10 What If?

Chapter 11 Breakfast with Jesus

Chapter 12 In the Beginning God

Chapter 13 What’s in Your Refrigerator?

Chapter 14 God’s Arsenal of Grace

Chapter 15 Why Should We Pray?

Chapter 16 I Heard You Would Listen

Chapter 17 Who Do You Think He Is?

Chapter 18 Baaaaa Baaaaa

Chapter 19 Your Dusty Road

Chapter 20 The Facts of Life

Chapter 21 Turn Your Vessel Upward

Chapter 22 Go, Wait, Now Go

Chapter 23 We Are the Church

Chapter 24 God Is Speaking

Chapter 25 Back to the Garden

Praise for Jesus An Abundance Of Life

To you,

My friend, Ron, asked me to write a quick introduction to you about him.

My thoughts exactly….a little awkward, a little embarrassment, but when a brother in Christ asks…well here it is.

I meet Ron just about 8 years ago, when I decided to come back to the church after a rough trial in my life. I was helping prepare a breakfast for our Men’s Ministry, when this man out of nowhere started to pray for us. This us included me. Well, I was a bit overwhelmed at first, but during our breakfast he sat down at my table, and we talked, the next Sunday, he found me again and talked some more. I finally got over my fear and apprehension and agreed to become his accountability partner.

We would joke and tease each other, exchange funny text messages but then I noticed when I was facing a trial, I would receive a text from Ron saying that he was praying for me. What a blessing this became to someone who was just getting back into the life of Christ.

Let me fast track our relationship to now and currently Ron is sitting at my right hand as a group of men meet at a local coffee shop. I know that the world might see as miss fits, but we stand on this claim as brother of valor to study each week and dive deep into our relationship with our savior Jesus! Ron still has his sense of humor, just last week he showed up to our study with a head band of bright red and black hair.

I might have had the chance to read some of Ron’s devotions, but after all these years, I am looking forward to sharing this read with you as well.

Terry Allen

Ron’s personal but deeply insightful style of writing captures the reader's attention. He sees the spiritual in ordinary things and can apply his insights to life that is illuminating. Ron’s contemplations are a resource for everyday, all day.

Roberta Shimensky, Music Director

Hilltop United Methodist Church

Sandy, UT

A special acknowledgment and thank you to my son

Jeffery Julian Price, for his beautiful work at designing the book

cover for Dad. I love you son, more than words can express.

FOREWORD

I walked into the church as the new lead pastor back some time ago. It was all new to me: the people, the responsibility, the pressure, the joy. As pastors, we typically thrive on knowing the words we speak and the messages we craft find a landing place in the hearts and lives of those we lead. What we do week after week hopefully encourages others to experience a relationship with the Creator and His desires for each of us.

After I became pastor, Ron became part of an exciting exchange. He would, from time to time, express to me something that was challenging him from a message I shared. He would give me a rundown of the a-ha moment and explain how God was using some small part of the message to shape a new discovery for himself when it came to his faith.

Soon, my inbox would chime, and Ron would share an incredible insight from the Word with which he was wrestling. I read those early devotions and found myself drawn into the stories, the applications, the humor, and realized I had my own a-ha moment with God. What a treasure for me personally and professionally to have Ron as part of our congregation. While each person brings unique gifts and talents to bear on the Body of Christ, those who communicate well are incredibly important (and rare). As you read the pages of this book, I am sure you will find moments of sheer joy as Christ is born in you differently. There is no doubt in my mind that you will be enriched by the insights gleaned through personal stories and unique applications.

May each of you be blessed.

Ron, thank you for continually putting yourself in a position of learning and curiosity; we are all beneficiaries of your humble heart.

Rich Wooten

Lead Pastor, Life Church Utah

West Valley City, UT

CHAPTER 1

DO YOU RECOGNIZE HIM?

In our busy lives and culture, do we take time to recognize Who Jesus is and what He is? I guess we fail to do so many times, but this is something we need to change. So Who is He? Is He just a good teacher/rabbi? Is He a fictional person we may read about? Is He someone we know but don’t fully listen to or understand how awesome and amazing He really is? I recently heard that our hearts keep us from fully wanting to know who Jesus is and see what He wants for us. If that is so, and I believe that it certainly can be, we must ask ourselves what we are missing out on. William Gurnall wrote, Nothing is more contrary to a heavenly hope than an earthly heart.

I am not one who has done much journaling in the past, but it is something I am going to start immediately. Our journals can be electronic or handwritten notes; perhaps we’ll make hand- drawn images of lessons Jesus is trying to teach us. I love to write, so my prayer is this will be a means for me to jot down and remember the various ways I recognize Him in my walk with the Lord. What lessons am I being taught? How am I challenged differently in my choices? I want to recognize Him in the life I live. Are you with