Lesson 14 & begin 4:21-25 Lesson 15a

All right, we are finishing up lesson 14. If I can pull this up here. And I think we just have questions 8 and 9 to complete on lesson 14. And then JD is going to be up with that. Again, we've been talking about faith, obviously with Abraham, and then we've gone through verse 17 and how that may strengthen faith, and now we get to verse 19. And in question 8, how does verse 19 possibly negate faith?

So, verse 19, without becoming weak in faith, he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb. So Newell puts it this way, quote, he considered it and knew it to be thus, and was therefore wholly hopelessly in himself. Moreover, Abraham knew Sarah was, quote, past age, unable to bear a child. He had before him then himself is dead and the deadness of Sarah's womb. So what was Abraham focusing on? Yeah, he was looking at all the physical things.

Sarah's no spring chicken over here. She's past the normal age for bearing a child and I'm kind of limping around here and getting to be 100 years old and not jumping up and down and running around as much anymore. So how's this promise going to be fulfilled that I'm going to be the father of the nations, the descendants will be more than the grains of sand on the shore, how's this going to happen? So he starts looking at himself. He looked at the physical realities around him.

And I guess the question is, and from this is, you know, we look at Abraham and he does that and he's going, yeah, but do we do that? And I think we do it immensely. And yet we, you know, we go around and we have our life and all this stuff. But many times we're focused on the physical, not the spiritual. And we look at the physical realities around us, and that even in my prayer is saying, you know, in the blessings and the trials. Sometimes in the blessings, you know, it's great, but then we get kind of, I don't relaxed in that and we think it's all about us and it's how great it is. Or in the trials we think, you know, what's going on here? Why am I suffering? Why is this going on? Why is this trial happening? And we look at the physical realities of what's going on. But I think we have to step back and look at that God is in control of all things. Obviously in my prayer too. I'm struck by the fact that we have a sovereign God. That means he's in control of all things. All things. And so when the trials come, God, why did you abandon me? Why is this going on? Why did I get to be 100 years old and you promised me this? He's looking at all this stuff and he's not thinking about what's going on, what the promise is.

Ultimately he does. He doesn't waver in that, especially when it goes to sacrifice Isaac. That's even the ultimate test of faith. Here's my one. You provided this miracle with Sarah here and yet you now want me to go up and sacrifice the one child I have. But he goes up and he's right there, going to do it. And so, again, as we've seen in the previous verses, his faith was counted as righteousness. Now, so when we do this, what are we doing? What do we do when we look at the physical and not what's going on from spiritual or God working in our lives?

What happens to us? What normally is the result of that for us? Maybe fear and just being afraid of circumstances in your life that you shouldn't be trusting? Yeah, I mean, we all do it. What happens when we do it? We have fear. What about anxiety? Oh, yeah. You know, I go through this. It's like, I wanted on, you know, we're, I was kid, we're in a fast food microwave generation. You know, I want it now. Got to ask for it. Why? And I think you're leading me there. But why aren't you answering? Why don't you do what I think you're leading me to? And I get anxious. And it's his time and his answer and he is in control. And what about doubting? Do you doubt him? Do you ever doubt? Because, you know, you look at scripture and you think, and you go, man, that's just not happening. It's interesting, you study and you read, but correlating what you've read in the Word of God with the circumstances of my immediate life, sometimes it's difficult to think about the Master and decide, Lord, where do you want me to go? What do you want me to work for?

How do you know? Because it's not in First Californians Chapter 2 that you're supposed to be in San Antonio, Texas. How do you know? I don't know how to answer this without answering directly. If you had a generic one, I would have left it. It's a little... You know what?

At least for me, this is just speaking out of my mouth. Whatever the decision is, it's what God allowed and wanted him to do. It doesn't matter. It doesn't. There's a lot to me. If you rest in the fact that whatever you do, God allowed it. Is he in control of it? Sure.

So whatever the decision is, it's what God wanted. Either to have him go in a cruddy job and figure out something and rely upon God or the perfect job and this is great and all that. Either way, it's what God wanted or allowed. And what does that give you? Peace. Peace and rest. It doesn't matter.

You know, I keep thinking about all the decisions I make. And if I'm, you know, oh, I've got to do the right thing and this and then it's apparently wrong or this. But if God's in control, that's one of my whole thing about it. He's a sovereign God and He's in control of all things. And He uses all things. So if I decide, you know, I've prayed about it and I've decided to do this and I go that way, and I go that way, what about Paul? Don't go to Jerusalem. Don't go to Jerusalem. Everybody told him, don't go there. He goes there. And he's used all through that. And a lot of the epistles come out of all his prison and all the different things after he's been done.

So I just give a whole lot more peace in the fact that God's in control. And even if I make a decision, He's allowed me to do that. Sometimes I make those decisions based on what I think is worldly best for me, rather than what God would have me do in terms of serving Him. And guess what you learned out of that? By going that way. God allowed you to do that, to figure out just what you said.

That's why I have peace no matter what the decisions I make, the stupidity I make. The good decisions I make... Those around you don't have a lot of peace. Well, that's true. What's your famous one about the car? Did they all die or are they all screaming? When I die, I want to go peacefully like my grandfather did. I'm not screaming and yelling like all the people in this car. But I mean, again, I didn't mean to have a generic one, but it doesn't matter. You know, we can pine and we can do all this stuff.

And I pray about things and ask for direction and I think that a lot of times is it. That's where I get more anxiety. Because I think the Lord's taking me down this path. And you know, there's some places like five years, you know, I think the Lord's been directing me, but it's like, it's five years, you know, it's like, we're going to get to this or not. And so I get more anxiety doubting him. I would maybe offer one nuance to your answer, which is, I think there might be a difference between what God allows and what God desires. And so the art of the Christian walk is to bide in His will and in His timing and faith rests so that the decisions you make are in accordance with his desires.

Oh, absolutely, but whatever your decision, just like I said, First Californians, how do you know which it is? You'll have peace about it, you pray about it, and you have peace about it. But if that job turns out to be a crud, or takes you through a lot of trials, Are you going to say that was the wrong decision or was it God that made a mistake? Do you understand?

I pray about a lot of things and have a lot of peace about it. I always want to do what God's will. I pray that I can do God's will or follow God's will and what I want. I have peace about that, but it may be that I ran the car into the wall. But God, I thought you were leaving me here. Well, He did. But I look for the purposes out of that. What did he want me through that trial or through that decision? I guess the thing that I've had just more peace about is that I don't worry about... I pray about decisions. He gave us a mind. He gave us intellect to be able to search his word. He's given us the ability to pray to him and to ask for things. is what he says. And I do.

I guess the thing is that more people get wound up in, I made the wrong decision. I made the wrong decision. I was just offering because now you're clarifying that you're operating and abiding within this fellowship with God the Father and your decision making. And you're not going to have that clarity, perhaps, but at least you're bringing it to the Lord. Because you can clearly do that outside of fellowship with the Father. But again, I always say, He's allowing you to do that, too. I don't want to throw the fleece out and test Him all the time. Was that Gabriel? Who threw the fleece out? Gabriel. Yeah, and it was more moisture due on it. Show me. Caleb. Not Gabriel. Caleb. Caleb. Caleb.

I can't remember. Oh, wait, Gideon. He breaks the jars. There we go. My wife comes to the rescue. We can test. I can walk out in July 25 and say, Lord, protect me. You know, he may or may not, but again, it's using our, you know, within our ability to seek God's will and to ask for God's will and to do that.

I guess the thing is, whatever it is, I rest in the fact that He allowed me to do it. Even if it was a dumb thing to do, He allowed me to do it. That's why I've been so strong on sovereignty of God and the love. If He allowed me to do that, it wasn't to punish me. It was in love to accomplish something in me. to draw me closer, to figure out what his will is, or to see a different aspect of him, or something like that, that he's allowed me to go through that.

And I don't get wound up in all the stupid decisions I make, because there was a reason for it. And I have great peace about that, the peace that surpasses all understanding. People may be screaming in the seat next to me, but I'm okay with the decisions. And I have a lot more rest. Again, my life used to be this way. Now it's a whole lot more steady because I don't worry about it.

I'm just going to say, what I've found just from my experience is that, especially when I was a brand new Christian, I would think, I have to do this particular thing. And I would have an idea, this is what I need to do. And every single thing I was trying to do wasn't what I was really supposed to be doing. All of a sudden, Lockheed would say, well, we've got an idea that you'll just do this where you can just go home for Christmas. I had this real complicated way of getting back home from California. And then I mean, it's just like no matter how hard I tried to maneuver everything, I thought it would make sense that none of that worked. The perfect plan unfolded in spite of me. See, and that's it. I mean, no matter what you did, God was still the one driving the bus.

And that's where I just have so much more peace about things. It's like with sin. That's the other one. People get so bound up in a sin that did something that was sinful. And they're just torn up by it for a long time. Has God done with that sin? Yeah. What are you messing around with it? Confess it, I'm not acting, it's who I am in Christ, 1 John 1 and 9, and move on.

You know, the only one who's satisfied by that is the old man, digging at you. Yeah, you really screwed up. You really, you need to do something about that, don't you? You really think about that every day. You know, we're, we should be done with it.

I didn't mean to make all the... Let me put another element in there. The other element is that I have because of... I spend time out every day with the Lord and I'm in fellowship with him. There comes this understanding that really what you want to do in your life is to serve him and it doesn't really matter what it is. Exactly. Now I perceive that I need to do this for the welfare of my family, but God may have another whole direction that he wants me to go in.

As an example, Donna's trying to decide when to retire, but she just isn't going to retire. She's waiting for God to say, well, here's what I want you to do next for me. And how do you know that? That's my question. How do you know, one, the timing, and two, because we have such a tendency to line up our personal parameters in terms of what we think is important to us and they may or may not line up with what God has in mind. This is getting real personal and I really don't... I'd rather have a generic one than the... You know what? What comes to mind right away is... The job at Hawaii. Well, that would be good.

I guess waiting for God to write on the wall and tell you when Or it's like buying, I'm going to wait until there's going to be a better computer in a few months. I better not buy one because the new widget will be out there. You don't have that same kind of thinking with the Lord. You're waiting for him to show you the direction he wants you to go in.

But I guess whenever you feel comfortable about that, you move and don't worry about that I made the right or wrong decision. And that's where, I mean, the peace comes from knowing that no matter what, because it's not going to be written on the wall somewhere that says, Donna, April 18th, 2019, I got something for you. It's ultimately just resting in the fact that you have a peace about what you want to do, and it may not come for a while. And I just rest in the fact that whatever the decision is, it's okay. It doesn't matter. That's where the peace is. That's why I say the peace that surpasses all understanding is believing He's in control of that. And no matter what decision you make, He's allowed it. And that's where the peace comes from.

It may be that you go crazy because of the decision you did. Or it isn't what you planned. It's the great plan that I had. And I'm going to go that way. And the Lord is leading me that way. Oh, wait. I step out the door and it went this way. Was I wrong? Did I not interpret God right? It's not in 1st Californians.

You have to trust that He has allowed you to do that and move forward. Man makes plans in his heart and the Lord directs his steps. There's a certain piece that you're mentioning, Courtney, that comes knowing that the Lord will direct your steps. It is! And that's where I have the rest, even when I trip. He allowed that, and I understand that. It just gives me much more rest than trying to worry about the perfect solution to things. Because he already has that for me. Does Romans 8, 28, and 29 come into that? Yeah, that's exactly... Well, that's all about the love, right? If all things were together for the good of those of the Lord, you'd go to Boston instead of Fort Worth. He's got you covered no matter what. It doesn't matter. That's the thing. It doesn't matter. The rest is in knowing that He's in control.

Again, I think it's the spiritual growth time is that you're seeking Him and the more you know Him, you can rest in that fact and rest in the fact that He's in control and I can go to Him and ask for Him to show me things. You know, Lord, start directing me in this. That's what I say. Some things I've been looking at for five years. You know, the Lord keeps nibbling and dripping things, but it's like... That's interesting for him. It was specific at first.

And then as he went on and lived his life, he didn't do a very good job. Yet he was learning to be a man of faith. He was learning to be that way. Learning. And so, but he was... in a securitist way moving towards what God had in mind. Yeah, God knew what was going on. Even though he couldn't figure out, well we better get busy having these children that he's talking about. And he listened to Sarah and that kind of thing. So I guess my point is that there is this relationship between God and Abraham. that even though he makes an awful lot of mistakes, he recognizes that God is moving him in spite of his mistakes in the right direction. He wants him in so that 40 years later, he demonstrates incredible faith without question. Yes. But he knows. He's not ignorant. He's informed. about the sovereignty of God and who He is from the very beginning. That's the thing.

And that's where the peace and the rest and the growth comes from. And that's all I'm saying is that when you make these decisions, people get bent out of shape about those. And yes, I spend time in prayer. We do it all the time in Camp Eden. What direction? How should we do this? And we finally make decisions.

And some were apparently blessed by, others were not. He allowed us to do that, and that's where, okay, and you know, if you did it and you touched it and it burned, maybe not do that next time, you know, but he allowed me to do that, so I learned and grow and trust more faith, believe in him. So, I mean, it's just, it's just one of those things between sin that people get bent out of shape and they worry about it all the time, God's done with it. The decisions that you make are allowed by him. Just have that rest. If it goes south, he allowed it. So, get back to Abraham. What's the difference between Abraham and us now?

With regard to faith. He had faith in what was going to happen. We had faith in what already happened. That's exactly right. That's a whole big difference for us in particular. He was on the promise that was coming. We have lots of promises too. We have lots of things that have come through. New bodies, what we're going to have, the wedding feast, we're going to have all this stuff in the future. But we have a lot of facts that we go back on. We're looking at a lot of things that we know are true of us now. And Christ on the cross and everything about those, those are factual. Those are looking back. We know. And he fulfilled all these prophecies. We know all these different things.

Where Abraham was more, I've got to look forward, and by faith, It's going to happen. We're still in that same category. We'll have faith in all the things that are promised to us that are future. But we also have a lot of comfort in that we have a lot of facts to look back on that Abraham didn't. So from our perspective, it's even more kind of grounded in truth. are grounded in, we can look at it, see it. Go to Israel, you can see a lot of things that you read about over there. They're factual, you can see it. It's important to note the differences between Abraham's faith and our Abraham had faith and promises that were to come. Although we have many promises that things come, we have many things that are true of us now. The chafer, 33 things. We have faith in fact, not only things to come.

And then going back on this, Newell put it this way, Satan hates active faith in a believer's heart and opposes it with all his power. The world, of course, is unbelieving and despises those who claim only the righteousness of faith. The example of professing Christians generally is also against the path of simple faith. Among the seven abominations that Bunyan said, he still found in his heart was a secret inclining to unbelief. against hope, against reason, against feeling, against opinions of others, against all human possibilities, whatever, we are to keep believing.

So again, don't look at all the physical, don't look at all the different things. Believe in what is in the Word and what He has told us. Good? Didn't mean to go so long on that one. Does becoming a person of faith make you a stranger and a pilgrim on earth? You guys are all accepted, right? As Christians. Wherever you go. Open door policy. Pat on the back. Are we welcome? Yeah, I mean, go against political correctness.

You know, if you talk about homosexuality, any of these things that are now, by the world standards, fully accepted. You know, see how that plays. And, you know, some of the other things, out of wedlock, you know, relationships. Tell somebody that, or, you know, what does God say about it? What does the world say about it? And see how you're accepted. So, again, did the world accept Christ? They crucified him. What do you think they're going to do to us if our life is in Christ? They aren't going to accept us either.

Also, the one Philippians 3.20, where is our citizenship?

In heaven. So we are just ambassadors here. Our home is in heaven. Colossians 3, we are hid with Christ in God. That's positionally where we are right now. What a wonderful place to be. This place stinks. But God has us here and he's developing us and growing us for his purposes. He's left us here. And the minute he's done with whatever he has for us, are we going to spend another second here? We're gone. We're home.

Let's see, one of the things, yeah. Faith in God cannot be understood, nor those who have it known, except by men of faith. And because real faith in God enters into all walk in ways of a trusting soul, such a one becomes like Abraham, a stranger and a pilgrim on earth. So, any other comments? Otherwise we'll have J.D. take over.

I wanted to read the next paragraph that Newell did, because I thought it was cool. He said, The lots, the Ishmael's, one by one withdraw from Abraham. He dwelt at Hebron, which means communion. Lot, though saved at last, walked as a worldly man. By sight Ishmael, after him Esau, knew nothing of God. But Abraham knew and progressed steadily in the knowledge of his God, even to the ready offering of Isaac upon Galt.

The point being is it not that the world in and of itself can't tolerate a man's faith. and they will withdraw from him and not understand him and not understand what is this about with this person and by virtue of the fact that learning the ways of God and faith in this person of God is the issue not what he's going to do but who he is separates you by virtue of the fact it makes you a pilgrim and a sojourner on the planet because nobody understands The other thing which I always find is, do those who dwell in darkness like light?

I mean, when you flash and see a mouse or something in the dark and put the light on, it's gone. The darkness doesn't like light, so those in the world are in darkness, and when you expose the light to them, it's like a burning ray. And what I found is when you do that, they reject and defend mightily because of that. I think they know in their hearts it's wrong, but they're so convinced of what they're doing, or the old man has them so much. And that's all they can do, actually, as a sinner. That's all they can do is sin. But when you expose that, it's like a torch to them. And you're the light. And when that happens, that, you know, It ultimately can be used. I mean, like, I use it on the drill rig.

You know, a lot of people, you know, they start getting really coarse and really this and that, and I don't participate in that. You know, after a while, it's like they stop doing it. And then a lot of times, so what's with you? Great opportunity. I've had lots of drill rig conversations about the Lord. And it's not because I stuffed it down their throat.

It's because there's something different. You're a pilgrim. You're an ambassador here. And there's something different about you. And they notice it. I mean, you're not like everybody else. And that's how God, I think, draws to the light. Initially, if you shine it upon them, they're running like rats. But ultimately, it's to draw it to him. But they know you're different.

On your question, remember when Thomas was doubting Jesus? And then Jesus came back and promised to put his finger through that hole in his hand. Jesus said, you believe because you've seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen me. Because, I mean, there is something very amazing about dead people rising from the grave. I mean, it takes faith. believing that the Word of God is true, you know? Everything that we have as believers, oh wait, believers, faith. It's all based on faith. You have been saved by grace through faith. Everything that we have is based on faith. Do we believe it?

Hebrews 11.2 says that the Spirit of God confirms our faith to us that we're not, if we believe, we just aren't out there. that the Spirit of God will confirm in us that our faith was genuine. These are all my notes on faith that I've talked about. There are so many sticky notes and everything about how many times, how many things in scripture that God tells us about us and do we believe them? There's a myriad of things that I went through, what he's told us about us. And do we believe it?

And I think the spiritual growth is incrementally walking those things. And starting to trust him and believe what he says about us is true. And what he's told us about us is true. And that's the spiritual growth. That's a growing process from a baby to a mature person in Christ. It's this growing process about believing all these things he's told us.

J.D. you're up. This is your intermission. Get up and stretch. Let's see here. So this is lesson 15, Romans 4, 21 through 25. Just want to go ahead and open your Bibles and what we have in that passage. You need a mic up? JD? Yep. Mic up. I will. This thing hates my hair. Never fits right. I always find it kind of rising. It's not on my forehead, buddy. Alrighty. Can someone read 21 through 25 for me? I'll read it.

And being fully assured that what God had promised, he was able also to perform. Therefore, it was also credit to him as righteousness. Now, not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He who was delivered over because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification. Question number one in lesson fifteen.

Why is faith the only way to reach and gain the value of Christ's work on the cross? Why faith? Why is there not any other mechanism available to us as Bible-believing Christians other than faith? I think because that's the mechanism God uses to instantly believe. Christ, you know, placed into Christ, and sealed in Christ, and saved for eternity. And without that faith, The most important thing of being in him hasn't happened. What kinds of things in other belief systems are used to attain salvation? Whatever they define that as, what are the mechanisms that they have available to them in order to achieve or gain salvation?

Works. Works? They have to do something. Okay, give me an example. As a Buddhist, what do I have to do? I don't know. You don't know? As a Hinduist? Well, they probably have to sacrifice or... To become one with all that is, what do I got to do? Meditate. Meditate? What is meditation? You see, we don't really care, do we? Because we're Christians, and we look to the word of God for the truth. But the world doesn't, right? And it looks to transcendental meditation.

I've got to become one with all that is. The more I ponder my oneness with all that is, I'm like that drop of water that becomes completely one with the ocean. And no longer do I exist, I am just part of the oneness. And once you're there, you're safe. We say, no, the Bible doesn't talk about transcendental meditation, becoming one with all that is. It talks about faith is the only way to reach and gain the value of Christ's work on the cross. My question is, we know that. We've talked about it a lot.

Can faith be weak or strong? Yes. This is a range. Weak faith, strong faith. Where does saving faith exist on this? on the way to the heart, all the way to the blood. All the way here? I think so. You either believe it or you don't. Think so? I think it would be off the chart, but just faith. I like that. And then you start the week just stronger. That's a good way to put it. It's either yes or no. Yeah. It's a yes or no proposition. That's right. But then in the yes, there's... There you go. Saving faith and then begins your journey.

That's what we see with Paul. He had weak faith, he had strong faith, but that wasn't saving faith. That's a different kind of thing. Same thing, same kind of belief in the one who said something, but it's not with regards to your salvation. You see, if you have this saving faith and you tie a quality of weakness or strength to it, all of a sudden it becomes meritorious. And that's the problem.

Faith is an act of the soul, which looks wholly away from self, and honors the Almighty and All-Gracious in a way not indeed in the least meritorious. There's no merit to it. Now, even weak and strong faith with regards to our sanctification, our Christian growth, is not meritorious. Faith in and of itself is not meritorious. But it does have the quality of weak and strong. in becoming stronger over the course of trusting Him.

That's sanctification faith, right? And the object of that faith is who? It's always the same, but the promises grow. As you grow in an understanding of what God has said to be true, you grow in that faith that honors the person of the very words that were said. And so, there's a growth there, but The picture of saving faith is one of a drowning soul reaching out to the hand that's reaching down to save them. How strong is that faith? How weak is that faith?

It's not. It's literally reaching out to the hand that's reaching down to save you. The idea of just reaching out to touch the very garment of Christ has in mind that kind of faith. To reach and touch the very merit, the value and power of the propitiation. That is what it is that God did on our behalf. Faith is the only faculty by which we can lay hold of God. So why is faith the only way to reach and gain the value of Christ's worth on the cross? Because anything else would be you. It's the only thing, faith is the only thing that exists that is not of you. In the sense of, to behold something, to have something.

We go out and we talk about all these decisions that we're making. What do I do? What have I done with my life? And when you think about those questions, and we talk about raising our children, and all the decisions that they're trying to make, and what have you done with your life? Those are questions that you ponder and you think through and you have a response as to the things that I have done. What have I done? Did I make the right decision and do this? Did I work extremely hard? Did I work as hard as I could have worked? Did I remain focused as much as I could have remained as focused? We spend our life looking at the things that we have done, and we talk about how good we did, right?

I mean, our resume is a list of the things that we've done. Faith doesn't exist on a resume. It's not something you do. It's quite simply reaching out so that Christ can take care of the business that He can take care of. It's His job. It's not yours. That's saving faith. Do we see that with Abraham as he grew in his sanctification faith? Where was Abraham at the end of his life? Where was he? Somewhere in here.

My great aunt, she's been a hero of the faith for our family. She never married. Her name is Aunt Mary. She's 90, upwards of the 90s. I can't recall the number. She always ends every conversation with us in the term, keep the faith. It's always been something special to me. Keep the faith. When we get to the end of our life, Where do you hope to be in your faith? Where are you right now? I think right here, just left of the middle. That's where a lot of us may stay, except for Mike.

We were talking about as we grow and we work towards being strong. We don't work? No. Oh, that's a good point. But as we're somehow heading that direction, and we're a brand new weak believer position, we are sanctified, right? Oh yeah. So, what are we talking about here? This is weak and strong faith, but what is faith in? Okay, so promises. Let's write that. Is it really? I think so. What's the source of the promise?

God. God's Word. Promise over. Without God, there's no promises. And without the kind of God, with the kind of character that we have, that we see of God, those promises are true. He is faithful. Because of His sovereignty, His righteousness, His justice, His love, His omniscience, His omnipotence, etc., we look at His promises that He makes to us and we trust those.

So our faith is, is our faith in a promise, ultimately? Or is it in a person? In a person. Okay. It's taking God at his word. Because of who he is. That's right. Allowing God to be God. Yep. So who does that make you? Not God. Not God. We call it the creator-creature distinction, right? Yes. Is that my last bell? I do. Alright. That was a great start. Got started. So really we're talking about person, right? Alright, then we'll pick up there. Alright, well let's pray.

Father we do thank you that it is not our responsibility to work and do in order to achieve salvation. It is something that you graciously and lovingly offered to us because of who you are. And that you allowed us to come to know you in salvation through faith. That we can be saved by simply reaching out to the hand that's reaching out to us. And we thank you that you did reach, that you didn't leave us alone. in order to grow up and wander in the dark and to try to figure out how we could do this by ourselves. You've laid out a very perfect and beautiful plan of faith that as believers we can rest in and know that we have been saved and been pulled from the river of sin and all that sin brings in death and we have salvation in you because you love us and we thank you for it. Just pray for a good rest of the morning and a great time at Silo Park and fellowship together. It's in your name we pray. Amen.