Longsuffering: The Power of Waiting

Holy [ __ ] Heat. Heat. Just like I Praise the Lord, brothers and sisters. Uh to start off today's service, I'm going to be reading 2 Corinthians 5:1 17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. When you come to Christ, he doesn't just, you know, clean you up a little bit. He makes you completely brand new from the inside out. And your past doesn't get the final say anymore. You know, on the things you've done, the person you used to be, that's completely behind you now. And like it says, uh, God puts it into the depths of the sea and he even forgets about it himself. And this isn't something you have to earn. God, he already did it in the moment. You put your life in his hands. And that is something that we can be grateful and thankful for every single day of our lives as followers of Christ. So with that being said, let's stand up and pray for this service. Lord God, we thank you for this beautiful morning you've given us. Lord God, we thank you for this chance for us to come here and to praise your name, God, and to hear your word, Lord. We pray and we ask, speak to our hearts today, Lord. Fill this place with the Holy Spirit. Bless the singing, Lord. Bless the word that is going to be discussed today, Lord. We thank you for everything you've given us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. And for our first song, we'll be singing, When We All Get to Heaven. Sing the wondous love of Jesus. Sing his mercy and his grace. In the mansions bright and blessed. He'll prepare for us a place when we all get to heaven. What a day of rejoicing that will be. And we all see Jesus. We'll sing and shout the victory. While we walk the pilgrim pathway, clouds will overspread the sky. But when traveling days are over, not a shadow, not a sign. When we all get to heaven, a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory. Let us then be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day. Just one glimpse of him in glory will of life repay when we all get to heaven. What a day of rejoicing that will be when we all see Jesus. We'll sing and shout the victory. Onward to the prize before us. Soon his beauty will behold. to the pearly gates will open. We shall tread the streets of gold. When we all get to heaven. What a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory. When we all get to heaven. What a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we'll see and shout the victory. For our second song, we'll be singing He is exalted. He is exalted. The king is exalted on high. I will praise him. He is exalted forever. Exalted. And I will praise his name. He is the Lord forever. His truth shall reign. Heaven and earth. Rejoice in his holy name. He is exalted. The King is exalted on high. He is exalted. The king is exalted on high. I will praise him. He is exalted forever. Exalted and I will praise his name. He is the Lord forever. His truth shall reign. Heaven and earth. Rejoice in his holy name. He is exalted. The king is exalted on earth. He is the Lord forever. His truth shall reign. Heaven and earth. Rejoice in his holy name. He is exalted. The king is exalted on high. He is exalted. The king is exed. Praise God. Praise the Lord, brothers and sisters, for this morning that we can all come here and make it today to the house of the Lord to hear his word, to worship his name because he's worthy. And I want to uh do our Bible reading for this morning. And this is going to be in Psalms 44 uh page 809. And for many of you, the Bible in the pews is going to be page 809. This will be in Psalms 44, page 809. And it says here, "We have heard with our ears, oh God. Our fathers have told us the deeds you did in their days and days of old. You drove out nations with your hand. Put them you planted. You afflicted the peoples and cast them out. For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them. But it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your countenance because you favored them. You are my king, oh God. Command victories for Jacob. Through you will be you will push down our enemies. Through your name, we will trample those who rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me. But you have saved us from our enemies and have put to shame those who hated us. In God we boast all day long and praise your name forever. But you have cast us off and put us to shame. And you did not go out with our armies. You make us turn back from the enemy. And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves. You have given us up like sheep intended for food and have scattered us among the nations. You sell your people for next to nothing and are not enriched by selling them. You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a der derision to those all around us. You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples. My dishonor is continually before me, and the shame of my face has covered me because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, because of the enemy and the avenger. All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten you, nor have we dwelt falsely with your covenant. Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way. But you have severely broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death. If we had forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a foreign god, would not God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart. Yet for your sake we are killed all day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake. Why do you sleep, O Lord? Arise. Do not cast us off forever. Why do you hide your face and forget our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body clings to the ground. Arise for our help and redeem us for your mercy's sake. Praise God. And now we'll have Pastor Tim come up and do a couple announcements. And then right after that, um, Pastor Tim and Pastor Gennady are going to lead a topic for us this morning. God bless. Well, we just read right now, I think we can all sometimes see in in our life how things don't go our way. And over here, I like how the psalmist says, "I will not trust in my bow. I will trust in you." Sometimes when things feel that they are out of our control, we try to do things with our own hands and later we find out that we have made more mistakes than if we would have just been patient and trusted in the Lord. So today friends the the psalmist teaches us that trust in God especially when you are going through difficult times especially when you are going through difficult times because that's when it's the hardest to trust in God and we try to take things in our own hands. God says, "Guys, I'm with you. Just trust in me. Come on. I'm with you. I'm ready to help you. Just trust in me. Stop trying." And then when we try and try and try and then give up and then turn to the Lord, then we see victories in our life. So over here, Psalmist David, he was also crying out for help and he's like, "I don't know what's happening, God, but I'm going to trust in you. Please show me your mercy. He's turning to God for help. Amen. So, we're going to be praying for our Sunday school as well as for our uh lesson for this morning about the topic of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the spirit. We're going to be talking about is longsuffering. So, please everybody be patient in longsuffering. Um, but let's all stand up and this will be our last Sunday school class and they're taking a summer break. All the kids, please come up. So, they're going to have a party that none of us were invited to. So sad. As sad as it is, not enough cookies for us, but it's okay, you know. Oh. Oh, you hear that? She said she'll save us some. the teacher. Uh well, thank you, Ruth. But we're going to pray for the kids and um just remember parents that today was going to be the last day for Sunday school up until September. September it will start again. Let's pray. Lord God, we thank you for this beautiful morning, God, and how the psalmist says, Lord God, I will not trust in my bow, Lord. God, help us to always trust in you, Lord God. not in our own strength but in your strength because you can deliver us Lord God. And we also pray God for the Sunday school teacher Ruth and the students. May the power of the Holy Spirit guide them like in your truths and whatever the lesson is going to be for them and also us Lord God. We're going to be learning about the fruit of the Holy Spirit of long suffering. God, I ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to open up our hearts and our minds and our ears to your word that we can apply it in our lives. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Let's take these few minutes and um just few quick minutes meet and greet and then we'll start. Christmas. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I don't know. I Okay, we're going to be starting. Let's all um those who want to open up to second Peter and maybe help us out with the number. Second Peter chapter 3. page 1761. 1761, Bibles in the pews. And I just uh would encourage for people to to come with with notebooks, take notes because these are all lessons from the Bible that we can apply in our life but also teach others. So when you guys do write things down, it's not just a memory that stays here, but it goes long ways for you as well. But we're going to be in uh second Peter 3:9. But before that, I just want to remind us again uh Galatians 5:22-23. It talks about but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, which we already talked about love, joy, and peace and longsuffering, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. And today we're going to be talking about longsuffering. So I actually learned about this a lot myself because I thought longsuffering was just suffering patiently suffering through trials and tribulations in our life. But when we actually look at the word longsuffering in Greek which is called uh macrothemeia macromia it's a combination of two words and in some translations it's going to be called patience but let's look at the the meaning of the word. It's a combination of two words. Macros meaning long and thyos meaning temper or passion. So long temper long temper. Uh there's this saying in our times it's uh a person has a short fuse or short-tempered over here longsuffering that the fruit of the holy spirit produces in a Christian is the opposite of a short-tempered or shortfused person. The fruit of the spirit gives us um long temper to be patient with those that we don't want to be patient with. So the literal meaning is translated as long temper. It describes someone who takes a long long time to get angry and has the ability to endure difficult people or circumstances without striking back. And I believe that this is what separates a believer from an unbeliever. Because when Jesus Christ was standing before the kings, standing before the Sanhedrin, he was getting spit. He was getting uh mocked, he did not strike back. And this is actually um what a characteristic of God that he wants all of us to grow in. All of us to grow in because we will meet very difficult people in our time. Even those that will spit in your face and you know sometimes the hand comes up and it's like brother put it down sister put it down. Well, I haven't seen the girls fight, but uh but you never know. Okay, so we are in second Peter chapter 3 9 it says here, "The Lord is not slack." meaning that the Lord is not slow concerning his promise as as some count slackness, but is longsuffering towards us, not willing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance. We see over here uh Peter he's opening up the characteristic of God and he's saying this again the Lord is not slow concerning his promise as some count slowness but is longsuffering towards who? towards us not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance. So over here even God himself, God the father, he is showing um restraint. I saw this one video where a person asked this uh pastor, why doesn't God just get rid of evil from this earth? And the pastor replies, that means he would have to get rid of all of us, you know. And people don't think that. But see, that's why God, he's long-suffering. Yes. Guess what? He already has the judgment day set. But over here, what we see is that he is patiently waiting that maybe one more person will come to know him. So to the word of longsuffering or macromia I would say to be even a more precise definition you guys know what's the word macro mean what's the macro and micro micro it's big and micro it's a small so to be even more precise we would say not just a long but it's a it's a big actually big patience. It's uh not only for something where you may be enduring something but do not enduring anything. It's a person that able to I like the explanation of that word the power of waiting. Yeah. When you are have that power to wait on things because we in this life want things to be done quickly. When we suffering we want God to answer quickly to us. When something did wrong to us we want them to acknowledge quickly. But then we will never be able to train ourself how to have this macro female a big patience big patience. So that's why um and another thing I do want to concentrate uh because a lot of people or or emphasize on a lot of people think since it's a fruit of a spirit it's whatever the Holy Spirit has is just give it to me. But that's not how it works. It's actually in God's spirit a longsuffering. But now when we read the Russian translation, the spirit I know a lot of English translation has as a as a capital letter, but the Russian translation has a small letter. And I think that's more correctly. It's the fruit of your spirit because if God gives you patience, it mean it's a gift of the spirit. The fruit is that you labor for something something that God has in himself. So therefore for this thing we have to labor. This is something where we work towards and one of the example in a Bible given to us it's Job. He was not given patience by God. The reason we read in James uh chapter 5 verse 11, let me see if I can find. Yeah. Um yeah, so chapter 5 verse 11, we count those bless who endured. You have heard that enduring also another word for patience. You have heard the endurance. King James actually have patience of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings. So it's something that Job did and then you saw how God rewarded him. So since we're going to go through what is the longsuffering, I want us to understand this is something me and you have to labor towards. That's why it says it's a fruit. Another example I want to give you why it says is a fruit. If you guys would just imagine or a little bit some of you know the chemistry of how the fruits are made. It's a labor that ch to produce and combine together and make a fruit for a tree. It's a labor. That's why it's called the fruit. The fruit of a womb. It's a baby. I I mean there is lot of labor for it as well. It's a fruit. So now when it's talking about patience that has to be in us, it's a labor. It's a fruit. We could also fruit. We could exchange the word labor towards. And so now when we going to go we would have to have in our back mind okay this is something I have to produce in myself imitating the god's spirit because that's is in him and now because I'm his child I'm going to conduct myself I'm going to do or I'm going to live in same way that the god himself self was doing it. Yes. And uh Pastor Henry totally, you know, explained it on the spot because when when we labor towards it, like what does that that look like? You know, what does that look like? And uh kind of I brought up the example of Jesus Christ at the Sanhedrin. Uh yeah, he could have brought a legion of angels and like wiped out the whole humanity, but he didn't. And uh when like example if if somebody like is mean towards us that's why in the like in the old testament before the ten commandments people were doing uh what they thought was right you know somebody punched that person the other person punched back and then it went to uh even greater things where that person then got angry so he went and killed that person then the the family member of that brother or sister now is angry and it just like worldwide just chaos broke out um because there was no longsuffering at all going on. And if we think about it, if if we if God lived like like us, then for if we have sinned right away punishment, we would all be done. We would all be done. But God, when we do sin, he's longsuffering and that he's waiting for you and I to say, "Lord, forgive me. I have sinned." And we can see that the characteristic of God that he's not quick to punish. Even though we we um disobeyed him, he's not quick to spank in a way. Uh he's not quick to spank. So and and to add to that point actually and I do want to maybe read a little bit from what pastor Tim already talked about. You have heard that it was it's a Matthew chapter 5 that it was said an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. So that was given in the Old Testament. I mean to be just. Yeah. But I say to you do not resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other uh uh to him also. And then it goes down explaining how we should not resist. And then it says, you have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and then uh but hate your enemy, but I tell you love your enemies as well. And then it goes, if you greet only, therefore you are to be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. Jesus Christ saying that you need to do all those things to be like the father in heaven. Because if the father in heaven would be here on earth, he would actually do that. He let would let other people slap him on a on the right cheek. And that's what Jesus Christ because he's a son of God. He showed he represented father on this earth and he conducted in the same way. Now the bible says if the father in heaven be like perfect like him he would do the same things as we should do. That's a patience. And that's why if we look in the Old Testament, a lot of people would say, "How did God let other nations um to be killed and all that stuff?" But you know what? God waited for 400 years. Can you believe if some someone would do harm to your child, you want justice right away? And when God saw that those people need to be punished right away so the justice would be performed, he waited 400 years. I mean look what kind patience God have. Same thing with us. We have to be like him as well. And if you guys have anything you would like to share, just raise your hand and Dimma will come up and give you a mic. But we'll move on and um I want us to look at Romans chapter 2 if you guys can can flip to that. And you know if it's your Bible just go ahead and and highlight these verses because uh they're very important. So Romans chapter 2 verse 4. I'm going to read this verse and then I'm going to read before and after so we get the whole context. Okay. And it says this. Romans 2:4. Does anybody have a page number? 16:26. 16:26. Okay. Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not known that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? or do you despise the riches of his goodness? So meaning that do you take advantage of his goodness? Um forbearance and longsuffering not knowing that goodness of God leads you to repentance. But before that I wanted to read chapter 2. Therefore you are inexcusable oh man whoever you are who judge. For in whatever you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to the truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, oh man, you who judge those who those practicing such things and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness, in your impenitent, which is unrepentant heart, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds. eternal life to those who by patient continuence in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality. But to those who are self-seeking, meaning self-willed, it's all about me. And do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation, and wrath, tribulation, and anguish on every soul of man who does evil. of the Jew first and also of the Greek. But glory and honor and peace to everyone who works what is good to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. So over here we see that God's righteous judgment and like I said before that God God the father he already set his judgment day. But over here uh when uh Paul says, "Do you despise the riches of his goodness?" People take advantage of God's goodness. Oh, God so merciful. God is this. God so loving. So they take advantage of his goodness to do evil. And over here uh Apostle Paul is saying that uh yes, God is long-suffering. Yes, God is forbearance, meaning that he's holding himself back from punishing, but his goodness should be leading you to repentance, not for you to live in your sin, but it's like, Lord, wow, thank you for your longsuffering. Please forgive me, God, for I have sinned. That's what it should be doing. Not okay, God is patient. He's long-suffering and I'm going to go and sin knowing that he's dead. And Apostle Paul then goes on, but in accordance with your hardness, in your unrepentant heart, you see he's talking about repentance here. He's saying you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath. And so over here, Apostle Paul teaches us that guys, do not take advantage of God's goodness because because he is long-suffering, but he's also just and uh like we heard the the the story that he waited 400 years. Yet those people didn't repent and he punished them. and he punished them. Well, and in this what a team read um if you would break down pretty much each verse, you would see that Apostle Paul and also Apostle Peter uh pretty much in the same way explains that the reason God is being patient, it's so we would repent. That's the only reason why he's waiting. God God does not just want to condemn us. God does not want to punish us for something that we did wrong. But because he just, it will happen. The only question is are we going to take an advantage of his patience and we'll repent and be right before God? Or we actually going to take his patience for granted and like Apostle Peter explained that some people say well he's not punishing anyone. It's like well it's because he's waiting for you to repent. The only reason again he being patient it's not because he just decide I'm going to be patient because he's waiting for you and me to repent and be right before him. That's what's his waiting. So to us, the lesson I I'm not I'm sure we're not done yet, but the lesson if I'm doing something wrong, if I'm if I'm not leading the proper lifestyle and God being patient with me is he's waiting until I will repent and come before him. Okay. And uh moving on, does anybody have any questions? If not, we will move on to Ephesians 4:2. Ephesians 4:2 is just a a few chapters after Romans. Ephesians 4:2. And over here now, we kind of see um the the short fuse, the short temper that we talked about. This is now uh before that was God's patience, God's longsuffering towards us, sinful humans that need to come to him that need to repent and he washes us clean by his blood and saves us from eternal damnation. But now over here this is already to us for our brothers and sisters. Okay, I will be reading. Uh, Dimma, do you have a page number or 1690 1690 1690? I'll give some time. Okay. Apostle Paul, he's writing to the church of Ephesus and he says this. I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. I like how he says worthy of the calling. Like you call yourself a Christian, walk worthy of that. You gave your life to Christ, walk worthy of that. Okay. And verse two, he says, "With all lowliness," meaning that putting others above yourself, don't think higher of yourself than you should, and gentleness with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. So over here, Apostle Paul, I wanted to like reiterate verse two. With all loneliness and gentleness, with longsuffering bearing with one another. That's where I put the short fuse image because oh man, sometimes people just they get to us, right? And you know what I noticed in my life is that those that that um tend us to explode are the ones who are the closest to us. It could be your siblings, your your brother, you know, he's just annoying you. Your sisterh's annoying you. It could be your kids. Hey, stop it. You know, and but over here once again we see that the characteristic or the fruit of a Christian is long temper. Long temper, long patience. And it's so hard to be patient with with uh like we get so irritated sometimes quickly. But Jesus is teaching us, hey, these are the times that you have to be patient. This is just a little small test. Your siblings, be patient with them because there's bigger things going to come in your life where you're going to need it. So God is already teaching us from those who are the most nearest. um and how I put over there and I wanted to ask us where do we show our short fuse or our short temper like I said for me sadly it's sometimes with my kids and and and yeah it's it's my fault even it's not like that that it's their fault I mean like three years old like what does she know better, but I'm like, "Oh my goodness, stop screaming or like I explode." So, so sure, of course, uh it's our kids, it's our close ones, but let me ask you a question. I mean, we've heard that we got to be patient. How do we get those patience? I mean, Bible gives us an exact answer for it. Like if we read in Romans chapter 5:E3 and not only we glorify or but so and not only so but we glory in tribulation also knowing that tribulation workketh patience. So now tribulation could be anything. It's it's some kind difficulties in our life. It could be kids that are screaming. If the kids are never screaming we have perfect kids. We would never able to learn how to be patient. If the people don't do anything wrong to us, we would never be able to learn to be patient with them. So now we can approach those tribulations or those difficulties in our life. If the kids or my friends are not being right with me, we should see this is an opportunity for my growth. Yes. If I see that someone always are not doing uh right things or not being correct towards me and it frustrates me then then I blame everyone around me. But now I'm going to approach and going to decide, okay, maybe those circumstances are the lessons that God put before me and I should take this as an opportunity to learn to have the power of waiting to gain that power of endurance. endurance only can happen under intensive exercising. So now I'll take this opportunity as an exercise of my spiritual person and um but if we just get frustrated of those things and never think about it that maybe it's an opportunity for me. Yeah, we're going to get frustrated, but let's look at those things as opportunity in our life to grow in patience, to grow in endurance. Well, we have just a few minutes left. Does does anybody want to share maybe some other things that we could be impatient where we could grow? Anybody? Dimma is smiling. He knows patient when you're driving. Yeah. Oh, man. Yeah. The thing is that right now it's like the the script has changed. It's it's the young kids who are driving who who are going under the speed limit. Before it was like all the kids would be zooming around. But now it's like you're thinking it's it's somebody older and you're driving by. You're like, "What? Aren't you supposed to be speeding?" Well, that's not good either. They're they're checking their text messages probably. Yeah, that that for sure teaches us patience. Yeah. Well, yeah. I don't think people think like that, but uh but like I came to the the conclusion because I'm like, you know, I'm just going to take it easy. I'm going to follow this person five miles under the speed limit and I'm just going to cruise with them. So, so God's been also teaching me on the on the drive part. Um, what about anybody else? Yes, Vlad. Sorry, Mike, we couldn't give you the mic. Oh, you see that even rhymes. Sorry, Mike, we couldn't give you the mic. Yeah. So, I think that longsuffering can also be not just uh, you know, freaking out on somebody, but also waiting for things, waiting on God, being patient. You might be praying for something for many, many years, and that's still a quality of the the Holy Spirit, fruit of the Holy Holy Spirit. And this this allows us to wait on God, wait for his timing, and that's also considered longsuffering. Yes. So add to that point uh you know Job, you know his story. Yeah. How long do you think Job was suffering in this this difficult times? How long that difficult times was in his life? Who wild guess but ma mainly that what wanted to I'm not sure. I think there was a number right I don't know if it was like 17 years or something. Yeah. So some some would say it's from 14 to 20 years that he was suffering. He was in this situation. Can you believe he constantly calling out to God and for 20 years things are not resolved. So we have some lessons from those people. Yeah. And that's the thing uh we're not going to get to there today, but to Vlad's point, it's actually written in James 1 that it it talks about where uh tribulations produce patience and like pastor Henry read also in Romans and uh like usually or testing testing and a testing is it's usually from God. Um it's from God. God tests us. The devil, he tempts us. God tests us. And over here, uh, the testing of your faith produces patience. And God will test us to see what kind of fuse we have. Are we ready to give up or are we ready to endure? What's interesting also when Paul using testing or James Uhhuh. and tribulation. It's actually in a Greek, it's the same word, so it's interchangeable. Well, friends, if if anybody if nobody has anything else to say, we're going to pray and we're going to ask, "Lord, forgive me for short temper, short suffering, and help me to have long suffering and long temper, and bless you, Bella." Uh, may God bless you. Um but but we all need this and may we grow in it. And how we grow is like pastor Henry already mentioned it's through the testing, through the tribulations that could be those around us, our kids, our friends, our family members, our relatives. It's like, oh my goodness, not him or her again. Oh, that's a testing, guys. That's a testing, you know. So, so God, he's he's he wants that fruit of the spirit of the Holy Spirit to grow in us so we can become more like him. Let's pray. Let's stand up. Lord God, we thank you Lord for this uh time that we could learn about the fruit of the Holy Spirit of longsuffering or patience. Lord, help us Lord to all have this long long long temper. Lord God, forgive us Lord wherever we have exploded, blew up or like injustly paid people back. Lord God, Lord, forgive us, Lord, for our short temper, Lord. Help us to grow in the fruit of the spirit of longsuffering, Lord. And when we do see those things, God, when you send into our life, help us to recognize them that you are teaching us a lesson, Lord, and help us to grow in it in Jesus name. Amen. And for our last song, we'll be singing Grace That is Greater. Marvelous grace of our loving Lord. Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt. Yonder on Calvar's mount poured there where the blood of the lamb was spilled. Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all our sin. Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, freely bestowed on all who believe. You who are longing to see his face. Will you this moment is grace receive grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all our sin. Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all our sin. Praise God. Praise God, church. And I think we had a good lesson and a good discussion this morning, but I would like to get into announcements. Uh, next week our service is cancelled. So, um, just know that we will not be able to pick up at the shelters. Um, but we do have that 11:00 a.m. service. So, if somebody is willing to come here, that still stands. Uh, we're also going to in a few weeks start uh preparing the gym for a painting outside. So, we're going to need uh hands that can um unscrew the gutters, the lights, fix up the top. Also, there's paint that is peeling off and we need to uh pressure wash that paint off. Uh so when we do paint, it doesn't bubble up and come off. So, in a few weeks, I'll let you know which Saturday it is. Uh we're going to need some help with that. Also, one of uh people, her name is Mary, she asked for us to pray for her kids. I guess one of her child overdosed. Um I'm not sure if they're in stable or unstable condition, but we're going to pray that God uh opens up himself to that child, saves them, forgives them, and uh saves them from their addictions. Does anybody have any needs or thankfulnesses? If not, let's pray. Lord God, we thank you for this time, God, that we could come here and worship you and praise you and learn about uh longsuffering and patience, Lord God. May you bless us with the this fruit, Lord God, that we grow in it more and more deeper and deeper, Lord God, and help us to recognize those things around us that are building this fruit in us, Lord God. Bless each person here, Lord. We also God pray for Mary, Lord God. you see this uh tragedy, Lord God. But we know that you came to save the sinner from the sin, Lord God. And we ask for your power of the Holy Spirit to touch that heart and to save them, Lord God. Save them and deliver them, Lord, from this addiction, Lord God. Forgive them, God, and save them. Thank you for this blessed time in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For your kingdom, your power, and glory forever.