Scripture referenced 11 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
-
Psalm 67 described as the spreading circle of blessing, quoted as 'let the peoples praise you, oh God, let all the peoples praise you'
1 May God be merciful to us, bless us, and cause his face to shine on us. Selah.
2 That your way may be known on earth, and your salvation among all nations,
3 let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.
4 Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you will judge the peoples with equity, and govern the nations on earth. Selah.
5 Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has yielded its increase. God, even our own God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us. All the ends of the earth shall fear him.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Keep this verse
Psalm 96:3,10
quoted as Old Testament command to tell of God's glory among the nations and say among the nations the Lord reigns
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
10 Say among the nations, “Yahweh reigns.” The world is also established. It can’t be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
2 Timothy 4:9-22
the passage being preached through, Paul's final personal words to Timothy
9 Be diligent to come to me soon,
10 for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.
12 But I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
13 Bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when you come, and the books, especially the parchments.
14 Alexander, the coppersmith, did much evil to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds,
15 of whom you also must beware; for he greatly opposed our words.
16 At my first defense, no one came to help me, but all left me. May it not be held against them.
17 But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me for his heavenly Kingdom; to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus.
20 Erastus remained at Corinth, but I left Trophimus at Miletus sick.
21 Be diligent to come before winter. Eubulus salutes you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.
22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Acts 15:36-39
quoted to show the sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over taking Mark on the second missionary journey
36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”
37 Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also.
38 But Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work.
39 Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus,
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Colossians 4:10
quoted to show Paul already speaking well of Mark, asking the church to welcome him
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you received commandments, “if he comes to you, receive him”),
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Philemon 1:24
quoted where Paul lists Mark among his fellow workers
24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
1 John 2:15-17
quoted as warning not to love the things of the world, listing lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and boastful pride of life
15 Don’t love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s.
17 The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Matthew 28:18-20
quoted as the Great Commission, all authority given to Jesus, go make disciples of all nations
18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Galatians 3:8-9
quoted to show that all nations would be blessed through Abraham by faith, not by race
8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.”
9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
quoted about momentary light affliction producing eternal weight of glory, looking not at things seen but unseen
17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;
18 while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Romans 15:13
used as the closing benediction, may the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
Pastor Ray brought the final passage of 2 Timothy to a close while weaving in a just-completed mission trip to Nakuru, Kenya. The people mentioned by name in Paul's closing verses became a lens for looking at the people he and Carl had just met and served. The sermon kept moving between the ancient letter and the present-day work in a community built around a landfill.
What was said
Paul's closing lines to Timothy are dense with names, and Pastor Ray pointed out that most people skip past them. He argued that is a mistake, because the Bible is fundamentally about people, and these names represent a full range of responses to the call of God. The list includes those who stayed faithful, those who drifted, those who came back, and at least one who actively caused harm.
Demas is the first and sharpest example. Paul says Demas, having loved this present world, deserted him and left for Thessalonica. Pastor Ray connected that directly to the early history of the school Dave and Kim had started in the Giyotto dump community. Partners who started well eventually decided to charge tuition, which pushed out the very children from the dump the school was meant to serve. First John 2 was read to press the point: love of the world and love of the Father cannot occupy the same place, and it is genuinely possible for someone who has run well to turn back toward worldly things.
Mark runs in the opposite direction. Paul had once refused to bring him on a missionary journey because Mark had abandoned them in Pamphylia. By the time of this letter, Paul is telling Timothy to pick Mark up on the way and bring him along, because he is useful for service. Pastor Ray held that up as an encouragement: the trajectory can go either direction, and the person who once bailed can become someone others are glad to have beside them.
The personal texture of the letter kept surfacing. Paul asks for his cloak, his books, and especially the parchments. He warns Timothy about Alexander the Coppersmith, who had done him real harm and likely opposed him at his first defense. He sends greetings through Prisca and Aquila, whose home church appears every time they are mentioned in scripture, and he asks Timothy to thank the household of Onesiphorus, who had gone out of his way to find Paul in prison and care for him.
The Kenya trip illustrated these same patterns in living people. Erastus was their driver's name, the same name that appears in Paul's list. The staff at Maisha Moppi Learning Center were described as exhausted and in need of encouragement, which was much of the reason for going. One unnamed woman in the Giyotto community actively opposed the school's work, an Alexander-the-Coppersmith figure in the present day. Dave and Kim's response was to offer her children literacy classes anyway.
Pastor Ray saved verses 17 and 18 for near the end. Even though Paul says no one stood with him at his defense, he says the Lord stood with him and strengthened him, and the purpose was that through him the proclamation would be fully accomplished and all the nations would hear. That phrase, all the nations, was the thread running through the Old Testament passages cited earlier in the sermon, through the Great Commission, and through the reason the trip to Kenya happened at all. The weight of glory waiting on the other side of present suffering, quoted from 2 Corinthians 4, was offered as the frame for looking at places like the Giyotto dump without being overwhelmed by what you see.
The sermon closed with a series of questions drawn from the people Paul named: whether any listener is loving the things of the world the way Demas did, whether they are willing to go to great lengths the way Titus and Crescens did, whether they can honestly be described as useful for service the way Mark had become, whether they treasure the scriptures the way Paul's request for the books suggests he did, and whether they are oriented toward all the nations coming to know Christ.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Paul says Demas deserted him because he loved 'this present world,' and the sermon drew a parallel to people who started well in ministry but turned away when it got hard. Where do you see the pull of worldly priorities most clearly in your own life, and what makes it difficult to resist?
- Pastor Ray described how Mark had bailed on Paul and Barnabas during the first missionary journey, yet Paul later said Mark was 'useful for service.' What does that kind of restoration look like, and have you seen it happen in your own experience?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Read the full transcript 9,755 words
0:02
Speaker 1Good morning, everybody. How are you? Doing alright. Doing alright. Good to see y'all here this morning.
0:09
We've got a few announcements. We got a few folks that are all over the map this morning actually and I'm one of em. I'm finally back from the trip though. My brain did arrive back sometime late Thursday evening and so I hope that I have something that'll be interesting to listen to this morning. Leaning on the everlasting arms.
0:28
Hymn number five seventy five. Would you join us in song? Stand up and we'll sing together. Whatever comes up on that wall.
0:38
Speaker 2What a fellowship what a joy divine leaning on the everlasting arms what a blessedness What a peace is mine. Leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all arms. Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way leaning on the everlasting arms.
1:27
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day leaning on the everlasting arms, leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all arms, leaning leaning on the everlasting arm what have I to dread what have I to fear leaning on the everlasting arms I have blessed peace with my lord so near leaning on the everlasting arms leaning leaning on the everlasting arms Amen. Thank
2:36
Speaker 1you, Chris. Hymn number 635, In the Garden. This is my mother's mother's favorite song but she died before I was born but my mother always mentioned that while we were growing up. She loved this one. So, hymn number six thirty five in the garden.
2:57
Speaker 2I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses and the voice I hear falling on my ear the son of God he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own and the joy we share as we tarry there none other has ever known he speaks and the sound of his voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing and the mellow deed that he gave to me within my heart is ringing and he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own and the joy we share as we tarry there none other has ever known I'd stay in the garden with him though the night around me be falling but he bids me go through the voice of woe his voice to me is calling he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own and the joy we share as we tear none other has ever Amen. Y'all can have a seat.
5:40
Speaker 1Have a few announcements this morning. One is Monday nights at First B is happening. It'll be happening tomorrow night in the Fellowship Hall at 06:00. It's a soft start because we start with a meal. We do meal music and a message and it starts just kinda as people arrive.
5:56
The meal will be ready. Blaise McDonald and a couple other folks are making chicken and something else I heard this morning. Anyway, it's gonna be a food meal. That's what we're gonna offer. Meal, music, and a message and Carl will be leading the band and the music and then he'll be bringing the message from the book of Colossians.
6:13
We're just starting the book of Colossians and that is a very pertinent book especially for where y'all live. It fits this community very, very well. So Colossians starting tomorrow night, Monday nights at first b. At the same time, a is happening in the rest of the church. So we'll start out in this room and then the kids spread out all over.
6:32
You can see they're even in the stairwells. We have a a lot of kids, 100 and something kids that come in and are being brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord with scripture as a focus so we can get into their minds to reach their hearts and this is happening every Monday night, 05:45 to 07:30 for three year olds through fifth grade. The baby bottle campaign is happening right now for Turning Point Pregnancy Resource Center and if y'all didn't or haven't already grabbed one, there's a bottle in a galvanized bucket back there in the vestibule. You grab one of those and fill it with resources, whether it's cash or checks or whatever. That helps us.
7:11
A big chunk of Turning Point's budget is this annual fundraiser that they do in the baby bottle, so let you know about that. CBS has a community Bible study has a Bible study in Hebrews at 09:30 in the morning and 06:30 in the evening on Wednesdays and that is going very very well. They're enjoying studying the book together. Ad Alam and Eric Palmquist are leading the evening session and Ann Stalker, the morning session. There are some flowers up here this morning, and they are in love and memory of Laura Webster Groton.
7:43
And I know that the family that just saw you come in and we appreciate that. That's awfully nice of you. But that's the memorial flowers. And if you didn't know that, you can look in your little paper bulletin and we have in the paper bulletin there are things that I don't announce from the front up here and so there are several of those this week if you grab one on your way out. If you didn't grab one on the way in and there's a meeting next week for the folks who are going to Israel and there is a tour group that's going to Israel from First B.
8:12
There are 22 of us total that are going and we're going to have a meeting next week between services and the church office which help final details before we head out in March March 23 for most people. We have connect hour still between services, so there's gonna be coffee and breakfast items available down the hall and the fellowship hall every morning in or so. Have I forgotten anything else? I think that I've set all of them up for precept. Thursdays at nine precept study going through the book of Acts together.
8:47
That's good and we just somehow deleted the slide but other than that, there it is. Look at there. Thank you, Blake. So if there's not anything else, if there's no objections, we're gonna just go on. Would you all stand and greet one another, and we will bring you back together with a peppy song.
9:06
Welcome and glad you're here. That's fun.
9:21
Speaker 2Cock of ages cleft for me let me hide myself in thee let the water and the blood from thy wounded side which flowed be of sin the double cure save from wrath and make me pure not the labor of my hands can fulfill thy lost demands could my zeal nor respite know could my tears forever flow all for sin could not atone thou must say nothing in my hand I bring simply to thy cross I cling naked come to thee fordressed helpless look to thee for grace while I to the fountain fly wash me savior while I draw this bleeding breath when mine eye shall close in death when I soar two worlds unknown see thee on thy judgment throne rock of ages cleft for me let me hide myself in
11:16
Speaker 1thee Amen. I started to stop verses and say, oh, listen to that and then every line after that is just as good. That is the reason that's a classic. It's perfect. We have come into this house.
11:30
Hymn number two twenty four, little chorus.
11:39
Speaker 2Have come into his house and gathered in his name to worship him we have come into his house and gathered in his name to worship him we have come into his house and gathered in his name to worship Christ the worship him Christ the Lord let's forget about ourselves and magnify his name and worship him let's forget about ourselves and magnify his name and worship him let's forget about ourselves and magnify his name and worship Christ the Lord worship him Amen.
13:05
Speaker 1Y'all can have a seat but Imma invite the frontline team to come. Would y'all pray with me? God, I thank you for the worldwide church, for the church triumphant and I thank you that we can lord be an encouragement to one another. I thank you that you are the one who is working all things together for good for those who love you and are called according to your purpose. God, I pray that you'd give us clear direction on what your purpose is for us but lord, I pray that we would trust in the things that we already know that we can do for you and for the cause of Christ.
13:40
Lord, may these tithes and offerings be received, lord and multiplied, amplified, that the blessing would spread, lord, beyond ourselves and that it would go to the ends of the earth. Would you do your work, Lord, through your obedient servants? I pray, Lord, that you would bless each gift but also the giver, and I pray, Lord, for those who would be receiving from it, the way that you do things lord in your economy. I pray that the ones who receive from it lord but also receive a blessing and know exactly who has been their provider. In Jesus name, we pray.
14:16
Amen. Amen. Thank you, Kristen. That reminds me that Judy Vasey is in Afghanistan right now. So, if y'all knew that or didn't know that, this church is a missions minded church and I think we're going to hit that in the in the sermon today but I want you to be praying for Judy if you would.
17:48
Thank you for filling in. I really really appreciate it but she is safely there and in the home that she's going to visit. So it's good for her and for her son to be there together. We're up to second Timothy four nine through 22. Now, y'all know if you've been coming for a while, you know that we've been walking through the New Testament together and this is the last that we hear from the apostle Paul from his epistles.
18:14
Now, I've not covered the book of Hebrews and the book of Hebrews may have been written by Paul and there are lot of folks who believe that he did. I'm not going to speculate on that but this is the last that we know of. Paul was in prison at Rome. He was in what most people call his second or latter imprisonment in Rome. He was awaiting his trial or his appeal.
18:39
He'd already had a first defense kind of a trial and then he was waiting the second one and these are the last words that we know of that he sent out to Timothy. It's a personal letter. I've mentioned this a bunch of times in the past few weeks since we've been going through it that there's a personal tone to it but it's even more so today but before we get started in scripture today, I want to introduce couple of people because we had hosts when we were going on this mission trip. Y'all know last week, I told you that this week, I'd I was going to try to have prepared a kind of a synopsis at least some points from the high points from the mission trip but I was going to try to do it in a way that was not boring like a just a plain old fashioned missionary slideshow and so I'm working at not doing that but I want to talk about the eternal purposes of God and every tribe, tongue, and nation kind of stuff but I want to do it in microcosm today from Paul's point of view and then from ours but I want you to think of this.
19:37
Frame, let this frame your mind. In the Old Testament, we have this a lot of different times. We have all the ends of the earth will remember and they'll turn to the Lord and all the families of the nations of the world, of all the nations will worship before you, oh God, for the kingdom is the Lord's and he rules over all the nations. Let and then there were Old Testament prayers also. I remember preaching on this one time.
20:03
Psalm 67 is the spreading circle of blessing and it is let the peoples praise you, oh God. Let all the peoples praise you. Old Testament command, Psalm ninety six three and ten says this, tell of his glory among the nations, his wonderful deeds, among all the people, say among all the nations, the Lord reigns. Let the redeemer of the earth say, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. It we're supposed to be telling the story.
20:35
It's not just about us and I know that whenever I talk about missions stuff, there are some of you who feel like, go get em. I can hardly wait. I love this stuff. Is there any room in your bag? I can send something with you and then others are like, oh heavens.
20:51
Please don't make me listen to another missionary moment. I know that that's the truth, but it is about the nations. It really is. It's a call. It's a call to go.
21:00
Therefore, so I'll keep going. This guy, Dave, he was our host. Dave's kind of wild. It looks like right there, doesn't it? He was leaning forward into that picture.
21:11
This is his wife, Kim. Kim looks pretty sassy in that picture. They actually sent that picture this morning. It was after Sunday school over there, which is ten hours ahead of us. And I told them if they didn't send a better picture, I was gonna put that sassy picture of Kim up there and this one of Dave.
21:27
So they sent this and I did it anyway. Dave and Kim came in here a couple years ago, maybe three years ago, and they rented a place here in Jackson for a month. They stayed here for one month. They came in. They just picked a church at random.
21:42
I I don't know how exactly. He doesn't really remember how either, but he knew that where they were living, he felt like God was leading and saying, go and encourage the church in Jackson and he thought that's that's kind of craziest, richest place around. It's like, yeah, why would you want to do that? Well, everybody needs encouragement and he was like trying to be obedient and so he felt like he had a clear direction to do that and so he did. They came in here, they came in, they sat on the second row right there in the middle two chairs there and when they sat there, the McCooey sat on one side of em and they knew the McCooey's from where they live near, you know, San Francisco Bay Area, California.
22:19
Speaker 2They they had known the McCooey's, knew
22:20
Speaker 1who they were, had been friends and then the people who sat on the other side of them rented them the house. They knew everybody on their row when they got here to church and they were like, that's funny the way God does think, you know, and they also invited me and they invited Carl and Tanya and invited us to come out for lunch and just said, listen, we're here to just encourage the church. How can we do that? How can we pray for you? What can we do to help?
22:46
And what's church like here? You know, what are the other churches but what's the capital c church like here? What's going on? Is there anything we can pray about? And we so we talked about it and they were an encouragement, weren't they, Carl?
22:56
It's great. Yeah. Really nice. He spoke on a Monday night and talked a little bit about what they were doing. They were trying or they had started years ago.
23:04
They had started about eleven years ago, a school in a very poor area of Kenya. And I'll get to that in just a minute. But they started to do that and then they hit a couple little obstacles along the way and they were continuing to do that. It started it back up again. Imma go into the scripture now and I'll just kind of alternate back and forth.
23:25
I hope I don't lose you. If I do raise your hand, okay? I'll call on you. No, anyway. Make every effort to come to me soon.
23:32
Again, personal note of Paul speaking to Timothy. Make every effort to come to me soon. Actually, a while back, we were contacting Dave was like, hey, man. Anyway, I can pray for you. What's going on?
23:43
And we and Carl was, yeah, when would be a good time to maybe think about doing a mission trip and he gave us the dates. Just like that. And it was a make every effort to come to me soon. It was about four or five months ago. He said, it would be great if y'all could do this between this day and this day.
23:59
Oh, okay. And he hadn't been angling for it. That's just what he was, they were setting up to do a discipleship day and to do a worship night at a church and to help encourage the staff who are just honestly bedraggled and beaten because of the situation there. It's difficult and I see this and I see Dave's words to us and it was make every effort to come to me soon. There's an urgency.
24:22
Hasten to get here. He tells Timothy. Demus, for Demus, Demus is a person's name. Make every effort to come to me soon, Timothy, for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and he's gone to Thessalonica. So, Dave and Kim started or tried to start this school.
24:42
They went over there and then their zeal got going and they partnered with some folks from around that were well meaning folks would believe and they started things off well and they started this school in a community called Giotto, which is a dump off of London area of Nakuru or Hilton area of Nakuru. I'm gonna skip forward to some pictures. So that's what it looks like. It is not a transfer station, it's a dump. And the refuse comes in and they dump it.
25:14
And then there are people who live all around there and they have made their houses right here in the dump, in the landfill. And some folks have houses, some folks don't have houses, and they live there and they despicable horrible conditions. It's hard, very hard way of life. But these are working poor people that are taking bottles out of that trash and other things too. There are recyclables that come in that people throw away.
25:41
And they gather them up and gather out aluminum. That's what they say, aluminum. They gather things like these bottles. And right now the price of plastic from these bottles is super low and so they're stacking up. They're big, these big old net bags are huge, you know, and they're stacking up right now.
25:59
Guyotto. So this is the Guyotto dump outside of London area of Nakuru, Kenya, also called Hilton. If you see a shirt that says Hilton's Heroes, Hilton is the name of this place. That's Dave actually right here and he's talking with these five kids right there and those five kids actually go to the school that we went to serve, Maisha Moppi Learning Center. And on Saturdays, and this was just yesterday, the kids are out there helping their families collect these, you see these big bottles right here, and collecting other things that can be valuable.
26:35
And I don't know if y'all can see this from here, but right here this says mind your own business. I don't know exactly who that was written to, but when I'm walking in as an outsider, I felt like it might be me. Mind your own business. That's the place where you can turn in scrap and the people were no idlers and only the ones who are out here to work need to be here. We had a work we were hoping to do and Dave and Kim have a work that they're hoping to do, and they hope to get folks from that school.
27:09
They're hoping for community transformation by application of the gospel to a difficult situation. So they're working this through, and let me back up for just a second to this. Demas, having loved this present world, has deserved me and gone to Thessalonica. So Paul had worked with Demas and he says that Demas had been a servant alongside of him in several different books of the Bible and he had given him tasks and they had done them but at some point, Demas bailed and he deserted him and he turned and went back probably where he was from to Thessalonica. The difficult work was too much for him.
27:51
Now when they started the first school in this area outside of Kyoto in the Hilton area, they started with local folks and a nongovernmental organization and they started and got it going and got the kids from the dump into the school and things were going well and it wasn't costing the kid thing and it was something that it was a work of God that was being approached from some of the resources come from the outside, some of the staffing from inside, and it was a place where God was doing the work and then, after Dave and Kim pulled back on this side and a couple other folks pulled out, They recognized that we have this school and it's been built and everything's here and available. Why don't we just start charging tuition? And so they did, and they eliminated all the kids in the dump. There was nothing inside of, nothing constitutionally that couldn't have made that change. But this lines up perfectly.
28:51
Demus, having loved the things of the world, looking at it and going, it's difficult to do what we've been doing and providing for the folks. But they could pay us and then we could have a better class of folk here and we wouldn't have the problems that we have here. So having loved the things of the world, he deserted. And that's what happened at that first school and it's heartbreaking. If you talk to Dave or Kim about it now, it's still heartbreaking but I'm going to talk about the things of the world here real quickly.
29:20
First John two says this, do not be loving actually, progressive action. Do not love or be loving the things of the world. If anyone loves the things of the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, that is not from the father but it is from this world and this world is passing away and also it's lust but the one who does the will of God lives forever. It's from the world and Demus having loved the this present world, he deserted and he went back to Thessalonica.
29:56
So it is possible, and I will make this point, it is possible that even though you have had a good run and you've been going and doing good things, it is possible to turn away from that and just depart. And I'm gonna encourage you, don't grow weary and do it good. Stick with it. Don't turn away for the things of this world, please. It is possible to fall away and go after worldly things.
30:19
So in Kenya, this is the situation, Goethe. But then he goes right on from that. You see the semicolon. It starts off. It says, Cressians, that's another name of a person.
30:30
Demus and Cressians we don't see a whole lot of these days, but Demus went away and then Cressians, Cressians has gone to Galatia. He left and went to Galatia. Everybody believes Paul sent him to Galatia. He went there in order to minister to the gospel. Tradition tells us he did too.
30:47
Titus, Titus now, the other pastoral epistle. We've got first and second Timothy but we also have Titus and Titus had been on Crete. Titus finished his work on Crete and is now headed to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Can you hear a somber tone there?
31:02
He's like, I'm by myself. Luke is with me. It's good if you're an older man and you're in prison in Rome and you've got one guy with you that he'd be a physician. That's kind of nice. Luke is with me.
31:16
Timothy, pick up Mark and bring him with you. For he's useful to me in service. Now, he just kind of blasted Demus, right? Demus, loving the things of the world left and deserted me but if you if you look at this, it's possible to go the other direction too because Mark, you remember Mark? He had been the one that on the first missionary journey made it as far as Pamphylia and then he bailed and went back home to mama, right?
31:38
He just left. Acts fifteen thirty eight, actually 36 says, and Barnabas and Paul were talking and they decided that they would go and they would encourage all of the churches that they had founded on the mission planted on the first missionary journey. 37 says, Barnabas wanted to take John. Now, Barnabas and Paul had been ministering in Antioch and on the whole first missionary journey and Barnabas wanted to take John also called Mark. So, John Mark, he want to take him along with them also but Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them into the work.
32:16
And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. So Mark went with Barnabas on that journey, and we don't have that journey recorded in Max. We do have Paul's journey, but it's nice to see Paul saying, bring Mark. In fact, we've already seen him speaking well of Mark in Colossians. He says, Aristarch is my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings, and also does Barnabas' cousin Mark about whom he received instruction.
32:45
He comes to you, I want you to welcome him. Treat him well as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demus, Luke, my fellow workers. He mentions that in Philemon. He says, pick up Mark and bring him with you for he's useful. He's useful to me for service.
33:00
Oh, that it might be said of that we're useful for service, right? That's a very positive thing. Speaking of service, so this is Carl's back right there carrying a bucket. And that bucket is filled with like cornmeal flour that they make one of the staples at Ugali that they eat and a few other things, some soap and dish soap like clothes washing soap and a few other staples and items. And we each, not every day but most of the days that we were there, we had at least one home visit, sometimes two or three home visits where we go visit the students' families, most of them in that Kyoto area, although there were some different ones.
33:42
And in America, in The United States Of America, if you're gonna go, if you're gonna do something for someone, they'll kind of accept it if they're in the hospital, right? But if you just show up at somebody's house, that is almost offensive here, right? Call first. If you're a pastor even, it's like, oh, he should have told me he was coming. But people here, the individualism and the and our bunker mentality where we kinda sink back into our homes.
34:11
In in in all truth, the most the thing that people want most is that they would just be left alone. Do you agree with that? That's not really real. It's not biblical at all, but that is the American way. Our individualism is pretty theirs is not.
34:27
They're a very collective society, communal type society. So for for the school to make a home visit is kind of welcome, and it's a thing of honor. They let people know they're coming ahead of time and then they bring in outsiders too and I thought that is that okay? Is that alright? This doesn't feel right.
34:45
If I showed up with Krista Klimmer's, you know, Krista Klimmer and Carl and I decided to come along. We're going to pray for whoever's house, you know, one of her kids in her class. I think that there would be somebody to stop us from doing that. But it was a welcome thing and a blessing. It's also interesting and welcome that they speak Swahili for the most part.
35:06
The adults, many of them learn English and most educated people speak English too, but the kids from, you know, grades before grade school, they mostly speak Swahili. So when we would go in and we're to bring a blessing, we can say it in English and have a translator translate for us and that was great and we did do that but we also were able to just read straight from a Swahili Bible and say, may may God's grace and peace be multiplied to you and your household. Oh, so nice. That was a one trick pony. That's all I could do is read but I I know the message.
35:38
You know, it was fun. Let's go on in scripture. So, up to 12, Tichicus, I have sent to Ephesus. So, he says specifically, they sent Tichicus. Tichicus was one of Paul.
35:49
He was his main messenger guy. He carried a lot of the letters of the New Testament and Timothy knew Tichicus. They worked together in a lot of different occasions we see from scripture and he says, but Tichicus, I have sent to Ephesus. He's got, this guy is going to Galatia and this guy is going to Dalmatia. Tichicus though, I've said, he's capable and you know it and when you come, he's already told him, don't tarry.
36:12
Get here as quick as you can. I'm sending Tychicus and you know he can handle this at Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left at Troas with carpus, please. It's a very personal thing too. Right?
36:25
He's approaching wintertime and he's thinking, I'm an old man. I do have a doctor but my goodness, it's going be cold in this prison. Would you bring me my poncho? Paul and Luke in Rome. They've mentioned Carpus at Troas and Mark somewhere between where Timothy is and picking up that cloak and Cressians going to Galatia.
36:47
Actually, Galatia could have been France, Daul. It's a possibility. Tradition does say that that was the case but since we know this is where Galatia was when Paul was visiting churches and who he wrote the letter to but Gaul might have been it. He mentions Titus. He mentions other Tichicus is coming.
37:06
He's gonna take your place. When you come, bring the cloak I left at Troas with Carpus and and the books. Please, bring my books. Paul really loved to study and he loved that And especially the parchments. Now parchments was a higher quality paper like vellum, animal skin paper.
37:24
It could have been that he just wanted paper so he could write more letters. That's a possibility too. But he was saying, bring me the books, the scrolls, and the parchments both. So, it's probably scripture and then maybe something to write on. He goes immediately from that to Alexander the Coppersmith.
37:40
There's another name, right? It's about people. Every, this Bible is a great thing and some times, as a pastor, I look through a section and I go, lord, what would we glean and learn from this and the beginnings and the ends where it has greetings and people's names and stuff. People just skip past that but it is about people and so Alexander the coppersmith, he did me much harm, Paul says. He hurt me.
38:07
And the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Actually, I think what Paul is saying is he's going to receive. For what he's done. That's hard but he did me much harm. He goes on to say, be on guard against him yourself, Timothy, for he vigorously opposed our teaching like the gospel of grace that Paul has always presented and Timothy's always presented alongside him.
38:31
Be on guard against this guy, Alexander because he vigorously opposed our teaching. Now, I don't know when he did that and I don't know exactly what he did to Paul. Some people speculate that he was the one who had Paul arrested. Some people speculate that he was one of the guys who spoke against Paul in his trial and that makes kind of sense because the next thing he says at my first defense, no one supported. Alexander did me much harm and no one supported me but all deserted me.
38:59
He does say this, may it not be counted against them. He understands them not speaking up for him in the trial because it is hard. It was very hard. He would love to have had someone that would stand up for him. And I think half the reason he's writing Timothy this letter is I'm awaiting my appeal and would you come and would you speak up for me?
39:17
You can testify. You're younger, you can testify for me. But be on guard against him. Some people also speculate Alexander might actually be in Ephesus and opposing the teaching of Timothy and Paul there. He's just saying, look out for him.
39:32
Again, I'll say, it's like I said for Demus. It is possible to fall away from the work and to just bail and don't do that. It is also possible to cause a lot of harm for God's ministers and his servants. Don't do that either. You know, I'm skipping verses seventeen and eighteen for right now.
39:51
Those are the verses the seventeen and eighteen are Paul's statements that are pretty power packed, and as they're pretty power packed with theological stuff, you can read them if you want to, but I'm just gonna go on to name some more names right now, okay? Greet Prisca and Aquila. Prisca and Aquila. Priscilla and Aquila. Prisca is a short name for Priscilla.
40:11
Every time we see them in scripture, they are having a church meeting their home. In Ephesus, now, they're having a church meeting their home, a little small group. They also taught Apollos the way of God more accurately. Mentioned in Corinthians. Prisca and Aquila are dedicated servants willing to go wherever God would send.
40:35
The household of Onesipras, sorry, and the household of Onesipras. Onesipras, only other time we hear him is when Paul says, I was so alone here in jail in my first Roman imprisonment and the rest of the church didn't seem to care that I was around here but Onesiphorus, he kept looking until he found me and he ministered to my needs and he took care of me. Now, he's saying to Timothy, tell Onesiphorus' family thank you for me. Greet them, please, the household of Onesiphorus who apparently was not there with them. Erastus.
41:08
Erastus remained at Corinth. How many of y'all have ever known anybody named Erastus? This guy's named Erastus. He was our driver the whole time we were in Kenya. Great guy.
41:19
Really, really appreciated. Dedicated Christian servant. He drove us around, picked us up at the airport, took us back to the airport, did whatever needed to be done. Actually, on the worship night where we had, you know, four churches combined, two continents, one one God, worship service. It was a big deal.
41:35
We had with Moveno Church there and Trinity Church there and Nakuru and Erastus just jumped in and played the piano for that service. Musical guy. That's the little band we're carried all around in where we needed to be. And Carl taught him a few chords. He's learning how to play guitar.
41:56
He'd already played piano. Carl, I don't ever put you on the spot, but I'm going to. Would you come up and talk about Eric for just a second? Would you mind? Just for a second.
42:11
I'm gonna leave the picture of Erastus up there. There's a mic up there too, Carl.
43:36
Speaker 3And Eric was a great teacher. And so every day, he'd be teaching the Bible. He would be teaching these kids. But if you would and and it's and I I think it's very difficult, for someone who's who's not been. But I just would say pray for Eric because it's a huge job and a huge responsibility for what he's been been given.
44:04
But he's learning the guitar and he he promised me that he would be playing the guitar before long to some of these kids. So that's just a little bit about Eric.
44:14
Speaker 1Thank you very much. Did you mention his fiancee? Okay. Good. Thank you very much.
44:19
Appreciate it. So Erastus remained at Corinth. Erastus was the guy that you saw our driver that was there, but we don't know anything more about Erastus in this except for he was in Corinth. He was a minister of the gospel, Christian working there. But Trophimus are left sick at Miletus.
44:42
Think about this. Does did the apostle Paul have the gift of healing? He did. Did he have it to just use that will on his own anytime he wanted to? I'm sure that he prayed for Trophemus to get well, don't you think so?
44:59
It's still up to God. I think that as a corrective to some of the prosperity and health and wealth gospel that we hear a lot these days that Paul left Trophemus sick at Miletus. You know, anyway, that's just a sideline note. Didn't never met anybody named Trophemus either. Make every effort to come before winter.
45:17
He doesn't want him to forget that. Timothy, I'm serious. I know that there are things going on right there but I need you, man. Make every effort hasten to come before winter. Eubulus greets you.
45:28
Eubulus, we don't know anything more about him except his name means prudent or of good counsel. Also do Pudans and Linus and Claudian. Now, Putin's we do don't know anymore about from history. There's not another mention in the Bible, not another mention anywhere but it's somebody in the church there at Rome. Linus actually, we do know about from history.
45:47
Tradition says that that was the second bishop of the church at Rome following Peter. So, within a year, this guy is going to be the bishop of Rome. He's probably already in leadership and Claudia, the name would suggest that Claudia was one of the ruling class more of an aristocrat in Rome but part of the church and all of the brothers and sisters. That's why we know that those folks are Christians and Paul says, all the rest of em too, if I forgotten anybody. Now, he's listed 14 different names.
46:19
And then he says, the Lord be with your spirit. Don't be, don't be downtrodden, Timothy. Come and see me. It would do me a world of good. Grab Mark.
46:28
He'd be useful for us too. Grab the coat. The Lord be with your spirit and then he ends right where he started. Grace be with you. We always start, always end with grace, unmerited favor.
46:38
So, that's the last we hear from Paul. May God's grace be with you. I'm going to go back now and talk about. These are the names that he's listed and it is about people, Demus. He departed from him.
46:52
He deserted him. Crescens, Galatia, Titus, Dalmatia, Luke is there with Paul ministering to him. Mark, he'd be useful for service. Tichicus is replacing Timothy in Ephesus. Carpus held on to Paul's stuff.
47:05
The books, the coat. Alexander, the coppersmith did much harm. He does mention the Lord in the part that I skipped. Prisca and Aquila. Prisca and Aquila are servants and they greet him to church meets in their house.
47:19
The household of Onesiphorus, oh, it's so nice to see him when he came by. He helped me so much. Tell him, tell him thank you for me. Erastus, I left at Corinth. Trophemus was sick.
47:29
Ubulus and Putin's and Linus and Claudia all greet you as well as do the rest of the brethren. Well, our trip was like this. The folks who stole the first school. They started out well but they bailed and they went after worldly things and that's hard but God's work goes on. I left Aquila and Titus in there.
47:46
Sorry about that. Eric, I told Carl to tell you a little bit about Eric. Moses, there are three different people I met named Moses over there. One of them was the sound man, did a great job. Richard was one of the teachers, third grade teacher, fantastic guy.
48:02
Veronica, one of the teachers. There was a nameless opponent in Kyoto. In that slum and dump, there was one person there who just adamantly opposed the Maisha Mopian New Life Learning Center and she did everything that she could to keep it from happening and she continues to do it. Alexander the Coppersmith, right, has hurt me and watch out. What the school, I will say, Dave and Kim, what they are doing is offering to do everything they can to help even for that person's kids.
48:36
They're offering to teach them adult literacy classes and things like that, continuing. The staff at Maisha Moppi, there are 14 on staff there and big part of the reason we went was to encourage that staff with God's word and encourage them, spur them on to keep on and not grow weary and doing good. Erastus and Joseph were drivers Ubulus, I left him there. Jeff and Malu were actually other folks on the trip, another pastor and his wife and Lori, another one of the Americans. That was our trip right there.
49:08
I'm gonna introduce you to a couple more. Dansen. Dansen is that's a full grown man, by the way, that's not a child. He is the interface and the liaison in between Maisha Mopi Learning Center and Gyoto area that they're serving. He grew up in that community.
49:27
He knows that life. He knows everything about it, and he's been called out to help in his community that he grew up in. And so Danson does a great job. He understands culturally everything that's going on there. He speaks English and Swahili both fluently as well as a couple of other tribal languages, and he's a great staff guy.
49:44
And it seems like I have pictures like this from just about every country I've ever been in. That's in Nepal in 2015. That's just sorry. So Grace. Grace Kanjay, if if any of y'all have been supporting missionaries or missions in Kenya, you might have because we sent in August 2013.
50:11
This church sent out 19 ladies to go to Kenya and our ladies went and helped at the very beginning of Grace's ministry there And the 19 ladies came here and sat with the first girls of the AIMA Girls Project, the Grace Girls Project. And these were girls who were at risk or had already been in bad, bad, bad situations. And they've kind of been rescued out by Grace, the Grace Project, and they are now they have learned to sew and they're instead of it being just a handful of girls that were there when we were there in 2013, it's up to a lot of girls who are now being helped. Tea pickers, Grace is one of those names that if I had to list, if you're praying for Grace, she's doing great and she wanted to encourage y'all that the seed and the support that had been given years ago has reaped a bountiful harvest and it keeps on going. This is Alfred.
51:10
Alfred's one of the smaller guys at the school and this is Regina, his grandmother. And Regina is a strong and dedicated Christian lady, and she lives in a squatters community where they do not own the land that their house is put together on. That little corrugated tin house is put together on what's essentially government land. And if the government says you gotta move, you gotta move. But she lives close to the school, but little Alfred rides a Bodo Bodo, like a little motorcycle for the first half of his journey and then walks the rest of the way to school every morning.
51:46
Regina prayed for us as we made the home visit to her house. She's a dedicated believer but for the last, she has four kids, two of whom have died and one is sick unto death right now. She has a grandchild named James that's living with her and James, when we showed up, James went and retrieved a little, just a picture and he brought it back. When he brought back the picture, it was a picture of Dave and Kim and James from the time that he was a little boy and they visited him eleven years ago. And he still had their picture, prayed for him daily.
52:20
They supported him through school. So if you're in any kind of a sponsorship thing, that kid has held on to that and we didn't know when we went in that that's where we were going. It's amazing to see stuff like that. But Regina prayed that God would continue to bless. This is Martin.
52:38
Martin's this child that is at the school and that's his household, his mom, and his little sister and Martin, if you ask him what he wants to be when he grows up, he says a pastor. He leads the prayer at the church. I mean, at the at the opening ceremony a lot of days. That's the opening ceremony right there and Eric is the one that's up front. Eric, that Carl talked about, didn't like to have his picture taken so he was always taking the pictures to avoid that.
53:02
But we got that one anyway. He held the kids pretty much spellbound while he was talking to learning a few chords and dedicated Christian servant. This is Manuel. Manuel. Shows up in a lot of Tanya's pictures.
53:21
Sweet, sweet boy and he appreciates what God is doing and he's a light in his community. Mike, Mike showed up and his first Sunday as their worship leader interestingly enough, Mike shows up in his first Sunday as their worship leader is the senior pastor is not there. He's at a retreat and Carl though, our worship leader shows up. Ain't cool? Carl's been doing this five and a half years or so.
53:51
This job and he deals with the band and he deals with trying to lead people into worship and Mike is getting there and he's in the stage of, oh my goodness, what did I just say yes to? And then God sent somebody to say, it's good. It's good. It's going to be great. Pastor Josh, is the pastor at Mavuno Church.
54:12
Sticking to God's word and applying that to people's lives and seeking their their motto. Our motto here is well with all we are loving God and loving people. Their motto there is taking ordinary people and making them fearless influencers for the gospel. Amen. Florence, the governor of the stomach.
54:35
She was the cook for the school and she was serving the very first devotion we did when we're there is if you're going to speak, speak as though you're speaking the very oracles of God but if you're going to serve, do so with the strength that God supplies because he uses that to show his manifold wisdom to the world and Florence loved her job cooking for a 171 kids, a couple of meals each day. Ruth helped out in the kitchen and washing dishes. They're cooking a lot of cabbage on. James, James, a different James. This guy is a utility player and he's able to do whatever.
55:09
He's useful for service, right? I love that what they said about Mark. Is useful for service. This guy's a smart guy and could do just about any job in the school but he is helping out in the kitchen right now. He's not the head of the kitchen.
55:21
He's helping out because he's useful for service. He's doing what he needs to do. That's the end of the school day. Kids leaving, going back home. And I'm going to hit these last two.
55:32
I did the same exact time frame. We got two minutes to hit these last two verses. So, this is the theological portion of the sermon. It is all about people and this is completely surrounded by people on the front side and on the backside of it and right before this, Paul says, Alexander Coppersmith hurt me and he hurt me bad. Nobody stood up for me at the trial.
55:52
They all departed. May God not hold it against them and then he says, but the Lord, he stood with me. What did Jesus say when he gave the great commission? He said, low, I'm with you always even till the end of the ages. The Lord stood with me and what did he do?
56:08
He strengthened me and why? He strengthened me so that through me, Paul says, the last things he's writing before his beheading death. Last things that we have, the Lord stood with me and he strengthened me. He'll give me a wreath of righteousness. The Lord stood with me.
56:32
Strengthen me. Strengthen me. Why? So that through me, the proclamation. He has just told Timothy previously.
56:38
Preach the word. Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. When it's a good time or when it's a bad time, the Lord stood with me and he strengthened me before those governors and kings and through me that the proclamation might be fully accomplished and that all the Gentiles. Now, we read Gentiles and that's a translation thing but it is all the nations.
57:03
So that all the nations would know Jesus. Galatians three eight says, even so, Abraham, father Abraham, you know, he believed God and because he believed God, it was counted to him as righteousness. Therefore, you can be certain. Be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. It's not racial.
57:24
It is all of the nations. Whoever would believe, it's an open invitation. Therefore, be sure it's those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The scripture foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, preach the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying, all the nations will be blessed in you. So then, those who are of the faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
57:48
It is in belief. It is in where you put your trust that there is salvation if it's in. Jesus and Jesus, this is probably the most famous of the Jesus came up and he spoke to them saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. If you're a disciple of Jesus, he is hinging this upon his authority as savior, redeemer, prophet, priest, and king. He's saying, all authority has been given to me by my father in heaven and I am sending you.
58:20
All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth and so, go therefore, make disciples of all the nations. Baptizing them in the name of the father and the son, the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and low, I'm with you always even to the end of the age. I talk actually quite a bit about suffering and I threw this one in here. It's a little bit out of order for most of us probably. This if it is temporal, like if it's on this side of eternity, if it's this side of time, it's a light and momentary affliction.
58:56
Even Paul's imprisonment. For for momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison while we look, not at the things which are seen. If you went and you looked at the Kyoto slum and you looked at what you saw there, it would be overwhelming. And I'll say, it was near overwhelming for us. But knowing that why we're there is that these and all nations, that these people would come to know Jesus and that this community be transformed by the benevolence of God towards them and through them to their neighbors.
59:33
While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen or the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal. Amen. So, I've got a few application points that are in the form of questions today and I want you to think over these and then we'll sing where he leads me. I'll follow. If you want to, if you want to come up and play.
59:55
Imma ask you these questions. These are straight from the personal examples that Paul gave whether it's himself or someone else. I'm on starting from the beginning. Are you loving the things of the world like Demus? Are you loving the things of the world?
1:00:12
Where do you put your emphasis? Where do your thoughts go? Where does your resources go? Are you loving the things of the world? Demus, having loved the things of the world deserted.
1:00:25
Are you loving the things of world? Second, I was speaking to Siri actually on my phone when I took these questions down. Do you go to great lengths to spread the gospel? I was not talking about golf but if that's a prophetic word from the Lord for you to go to play golf for him, I I don't know. Do you go to great lengths?
1:00:46
Not great lengths, okay? You go to great lengths to spread the gospel. Christians went to Dalmatia. I mean, to Galatia. Titus went to Dalmatia.
1:00:57
Timothy was going to make a trip from Ephesus all the way to Rome. Do you go to great length to spread the gospel? Think about that, do you? Are you like Mark? Are you useful for service?
1:01:11
Oh, lord, please. Let that be said of me that that Ray was useful for service. Paul, when he says, bring me the books especially the parchments. Do you realize how important and precious God's word is? To be blessed to have it in your mother tongue in ninety ninety different translations in our mother tongue actually.
1:01:34
You realize how important and precious God's word is. If you didn't have it, would you long for it? Do you read it? Do you study it? Next one's hard.
1:01:44
Are you causing great harm to the cause of Christ? Now, that one might be an extrapolation but we know Paul was advancing the cause of Christ and this guy hurt him. So, are you causing great harm to anyone who is a servant of Christ? Might be a better question. And then last one is, are you all about Pontata ethne?
1:02:03
I am not trying to shame y'all into being missions people, every single one of you. I think we all are, if we're Christians, all missions people. We're either goers or senders or both. So are you all about the all the nations coming to know him and make him known? And I think that that's my last slide.
1:02:24
Anybody else have anything else? We're only five minutes. Would you all stand up? There's a nice little rainbow. Look at that.
1:02:31
That's a double rainbow over the African savannah there. Where he leads me, if y'all would sing hymn number five ninety three with me. We'll just sing the first verse.
1:02:44
Speaker 2I can hear my savior calling I hear my calling I can hear my savior calling. Take thy cross and follow, follow me. Where he leads me, I will follow. Where he leads me, I will follow. Where he leads me, I will follow I'll go with him with him all
1:03:37
Speaker 1the way. Amen. I have a benediction for you here and now and now, may the God of hope, imagine the hopeless situation we find ourselves in, all of global worldwide, don't matter which ditch we're in. We're in a ditch. May the God of all hope pull you out of that hopeless situation and fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
1:04:08
God, I pray that you would overflow our hope onto people who are helpless around us and God, would you give us the words you promised by your spirit you will. Give us the words that would bring them to an understanding of who you are and how you are and what you've done. Would you use us in our deeds, our actions, and in our words to advance your good gospel this week in the hearts of actual people. Jesus name, amen.
Share this message
Every word on these came out of the message. Download one and post it anywhere.
