In mid January, Woolly Mammoth chose to give a sermon upon the Epistle to the Ephesians chapter 4, verse 28. It was cool, but Woolly Mammoth decided to do something different for this sermon. He decided to hold the sermon out of doors and make a large bonfire out of the deadwood from the forest that Kentrosaurus had recently replanted for Widow Ground Sloth and her son Junior. Since most of the congregation consisted of Pleistocene megafauna, he knew they would not be uncomfortable.

As Woolly Mammoth finished, the first guests to arrive were Woolly Rhino and Western Black Rhino.

"Hail, Woolly Mammoth!" said Woolly Rhino. "Why do you build a fire out of doors? Is this where the sermon will be tonight?"

"This is my plan," said Woolly Mammoth. "There is no fault with the Church; rather I do enjoy the crisp weather at present, and would like to give the sermon out of doors, if that pleases the congregation."

"I'm okay with that," said Woolly Rhino.

"I'm okay with that too, " said Western Black Rhino, "...and I don't have any fur !! The weather will be fine."

"Where is Kentrosaurus?" asked Western Black Rhino. "He's usually here by now; is he okay?"

"Kentrosaurus is fine;" said Woolly Mammoth. "We have been visited since Christmas Day by a mammal named Steve Beaver who is replanting the Avocado Grove for Widow Ground Sloth and her son Junior."

"So I suppose then, that we will not see the Ground Sloths," said Western Black Rhino.

"Or Kentrosaurus. It will be a while; he is fascinated by the teachings of our new mammal friend Steve, and probably will not be seen here for a few days. I've given him a vacation, knowing that when he returns he has new knowledge to bring to our gardens. Fear not, for when he returns he will be graced with knowledge granted to him by The Lord, and he shall make our gardens even more wonderful and pleasing to the Lord and His Son, Jesus. We will still have many come to hear my sermon today; I trust in the Lord. Today I have chosen to speak upon the Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 4, verse 28."

"It will seem strange without Kentrosaurus here at the moment, but he is about doing the Lord's work." said Woolly Rhino.

"Please reside within our prayer garden for your rest and relaxation while I continue to prepare," offered Woolly Mammoth. "Peace be with you both; I will let you know when the sermon begins."

The two rhinos cheerfully turned to depart for the prayer garden while others began to arrive for the sermon. But then, all of the megafauna were alarmed to suddenly see Smilodon arriving.

"This could be very bad," said Western Black Rhino. "Woolly Mammoth, what are we to do now?"

"Have faith, Western Black Rhino. We rescued Smilodon from the tar pits years ago. He repented from the murder of Giant Ground Sloth, but has rarely been seen at Church. As with Spinosaurus do not assume the worst."

"Trust is hard to come by, knowing his nature," admitted Woolly Rhino. "Proceed carefully, and I will protect you both. With my life, if I have to."

Woolly Rhino did not want Woolly Mammoth to step forward, but Mammoth stepped toward Smilodon, saying "Peace be upon you, brother Smilodon. Welcome, in the Name of the Lord God, and Please do not eat us."

"I will not eat you. I have been inspired to come hear the Word of God today. Am I late for the sermon?" asked Smilodon.

"No, you are not," said Woolly Mammoth. It is on St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, with a focus on Chapter 4, verse 28." said Woolly Mammoth. "It is so nice to see you. The sermon will begin shortly."

The nervous Rhinos remained with Woolly Mammoth, still very nervous. Woolly Mammoth was not afraid, but he welcomed the protection. Then came along Spinosaurus, the first time anyone had seen him since Christmas.

"Today is just not our day to feel easy," Western Black Rhino. "Christmas has been over now for several weeks. Spinosaurus will not be on his best behavior."

"There should be an abundance of caution," agreed Woolly Mammoth. "But be patient and trust in the Lord. The Lord God never gives us more than we can handle."

"Be at peace, I mean no harm to any one on this the Lord's Day, Sunday." said Spinosaurus. "I ate well before I have come to Church and so I assure you that I have come to be inspired by the sermon today."

"I am so glad, and so glad to see you," said Woolly Mammoth. "Be welcome, Spinosaurus. The sermon will shortly begin."

The Rhinos finally felt they could go to the Prayer Garden, and Woolly Mammoth continued building his bonfire.

"Where is Sister Quagga?" asked Smilodon of Woolly Mammoth. "Does she ever come to Church?"

"Do you promise not to eat her if I tell you?" asked Woolly Mammoth.

"Of course, I will be on my best behavior, just like Spinosaurus."

"Okay then," said Woolly Mammoth. "Sister Quagga is with Widow Ground Sloth, Junior Ground Sloth, Kentrosaurus and Steve Beaver planting trees today. She rarely comes to Church, but I pray for her every day; she has a good heart and is very generous. I hope she will come to the Lord on her own time someday. The door is always open at my Holy Pentecostal Church of the Pleistocene Revival."

"I was only concerned as I had not seen her in a while," said Smilodon.

Woolly Mammoth wasn't quite sure he believed that, but he decided not to press Smilodon on the matter; he decided a good sermon would speak to Smilodon's heart far better than a general scolding.

He said, "There, Smilodon, we now have a good bonfire going. The sermon is about to begin. Please join the congregation."

Then Woolly Mammoth went to the Prayer Garden to fetch Woolly Rhino and Western Black Rhino, and when he returned the Rhinos also joined the congregation and the sermon began.

"Brothers and sisters, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, welcome. Today our sermon is outdoors in spite of the cooler weather. I have built a bonfire to keep us warm, should our fur not be adequate. Or, if you do not have fur, like Spinosaurus," said Woolly Mammoth, noting that the usually fearsome meat eater looked rather innocent curled up by the fire, yet attentive to the soon to arrive sermon.

"Today our sermon is on St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians," said Woolly Mammoth. "Ephesus was an ancient city in Anatolia; it became one of the early centers of Christian activity in the first three centuries of our Lord but it had been inhabited since the Neolithic age by many pre Christian peoples. Thus, It had temples both Christian and Pagan, and its Christian Church St. John mentioned in his Revelation. It was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, in present day Turkey. The author of the Epistle on which I speak a sermon today St. Paul lived there from Anno Domini 52 ~ 54, speaking sermons, and conducting missionary acts though the Epistle he wrote to the Ephesians was written in A.D. 62 or so, when St. Paul was imprisoned in Rome. It is also rumored that Mary the mother of Jesus spent her last years on earth in Ephesus; the house where she lived still stands today. The great days of Ephesus ended in the 15th century; Mammals abandoned it long ago, but still think enough of its remains to declare it a World Heritage Site as of 5 short years ago. St. Paul spoke to the Ephesians when they were a large, thriving city of Godly citizens thus, saying as I say to you now,' Grace and peace to you from our Lord, Jesus Christ! He has blessed us in the Heavenly, spiritual realms with every blessing!' As famous mammals have said, 'I give to you as I have received, for the more I give the more I have'; the Lord's love is infinite! 'The Lord chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be blameless and Holy in His sight! In his all encompassing love!' Can you not feel it in the air, brothers and sisters? Can you not feel it surrounding you as we gather in this out of doors Sky Church, how can you not feel the Love of the Lord God if you believe? Tell me, give me 'Amen!' if you can feel it!

And the small gathering declared unanimously 'Amen!'

"Now Brothers and Sisters, I have said before the Sermon started I wanted to preach on Ephesians Chapter 4, with a focus on verse 28. So we'll start at the beginning of Chapter 4. God love you."

'Amen!' said a few voices in the congregation.

"I say again, God love you, and you should rejoice in being a child of God, a student of the Lord. As St. Paul tells the Ephesians, 'I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received! Be humble and gentle, be patient in your expressions of love to one another. Make every effort to be peaceful; you are all united in this holy bond. For there is one body and one spirit, just as when you were called to one hope: one Lord, one faith; one baptism; one God, and one Father.'

The Lord God gives us grace, as the Christ in a manner of His own determination; as we are told in the Psalms, "When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people."

"Christ gave himself to the prophets, to the evangelists, the rabbis, the pastors, and the teachers, that they may ready themselves for a life full of good works and service. Thus, may be body of Christ be built up in the Earth until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ! Come with me, Brothers and Sisters! Be not left behind! The Lord wants you to be part of the Heavenly Jubilee! He wants all mammals! All megafauna! All dinosaurs! All birds! All insects, yea, even insects into his Kingdom! Come one, come all, to feel the Love of Christ Jesus! 'Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming'. For we will know and be certain of the place we go, and need not fear extinction! See the light! Feel the light! This is the love of the Lord, and the way, the road to eternal salvation! As famous mammals have said, 'Let danger never turn you aside from the pursuit of honor, or the Glory of Christ Jesus! Extinction is inevitable, but the fame of Godly virtue is immortal!' Immortal, I tell you! immortal!"

"Thus, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ !! He is within !! Calling to you, waiting to be heard! So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed !!! Turn not this way, but towards the Lord Jesus! Jesus is, IS, the WAY! The WAY, Brothers and Sisters! Fear not, for He is with you in Heart and Soul! The way of greed and selfishness, of earthly depravity is not what you have been destined! You are destined for Salvation! The Lord wants you for salvation! He wants you to come HOME! 'You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness !!'

"Though it be difficult, remain on the straight and narrow path, long suffering bears fruit in the end, a joyous reunion with those we've loved, extinct before us, but we must remember, 'Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.' Live the life of service to your fellow traveler on life's journey, from the very beginning to the very end, charity is your moral responsibility, not a purpose of the civil authority; but rather you should give of your own that which you have. And I implore you, so as you speak, so shall you be judged, so speak not unkindly; speak only words of love and hope, if you can not speak kindly, say it not, or think it either!

Returning to the scripture, again St. Paul says, 'Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.' Go in peace, my Brothers and Sisters! This is the message St. Paul gave the Ephesians, and the one I give to you and urge you most heartily to heed today, so many dire events in the World today, wars and rumors of wars, meteors, comets, floods, earthquakes, there being no shortage of calamity; but you can be at peace within by following the Lord and being not in disagreement with your fellow, be he megafauna, dinosaur, mammal, or other being. Go in love, Go in Peace. God love you."