Your Hearts in the Refiner's Hands

You know, I don't know where the warm weather went. Uh you wake up and it's cold again. But hopefully, God willing, it'll be coming soon again. Um but let's let's start off this service today. I'll read from uh 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. You know, God, he doesn't just improve us. He makes us new from the inside out. And in Christ, our old ways and failures, they no longer define us. and God, he continually grows um grows and molds us to reflect his image and his purpose. So, you know, let's keep that in mind for today. Uh let's also prepare our hearts for the sermons, for the music. And with that being said, let's stand up and pray for the service. Lord God, we thank you for this amazing morning you've given us, Lord. And we ask you and we pray, God, bless today. Lord, bless the sermons, Lord God. Bless the singing, Lord. Bless everything, God. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Lord, fill us place the Holy Spirit. God, open up to our hearts what you want to say to us today. Lord, help us to hear your words. Lord, guide us and lead us in this service today. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen. And still standing, we're going to be singing the song by the name of Behold our God. [Music] Who has held the oceans in his hands? Who has numbered every grain of sand? Peace and nations tremble at his voice. All creation rises to rejoice. Behold our God seated on his throne. Come let us adore him. Behold our king. Nothing can compare. Come let us [Music] adore him. who has given counsel to the Lord in question any of his works. Who can teach the one who knows all things? Who can fathom all his wondrous deeds? Behold our God seated on his throne. Come let us adore him. Behold our king. Nothing can compare. Come let us adore him. And now we'll be singing as the dear pants for streams of water. [Music] As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after you. You alone are my heart's desire and I long to worship [Music] you. You alone are my strength, my shield. To you alone may my spirit hear. You alone are my heart desire and I long to worship you. You're my friend and you are my brother. Even though you are a king, I love you more than any other so much more than anything. [Music] You alone are my strength, my shield. To you alone may my spirit. [Music] You alone are my heart's desire and I long to worship you. I want you more than gold or silver only you can sisfy. You alone are the real joy giver in the apple of my eyes. You alone are my strength, my shield. To you alone may my spirit hear. You alone are my heart desire and I long to worship you. You alone are my strength, my shield. To you alone may my spirit be. You alone are my heart's desire and I long to worship you. [Music] Praise the Lord, brothers and sisters, for this morning. You know, I'm looking outside. It's still pretty sunny, though. So, that's at least good for today. And I'm going to read a Bible verse in 1 John uh chapter 4:E1 16. And it says here, "And so we know and rely on the love uh God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them." Praise God. And I also want to announce our program for this morning. Uh we'll have brother Mark sing a song for us and then right after that we'll have brother Vlad continuing his series and his message for today. God bless. [Music] You're my faithful friend when I feel like I'm on my own. You remind my heart it's darkest right before the dawn. Cuz even in the dead of night when darkest on every side, you're telling me to lift my eyes. It's going to be all right. All right. We'll tilt and suddenly a light will shine as we're waiting for the morning light. As steady as a new sunrise. It's going to be all right. All [Music] right. Yeah, it's hard sometimes, but I know how the story ends. Although this night is long, on your faithfulness, I can't [Music] depend. Cuz even in the dead of night, when darkness is on every side, you're telling me to lift my eyes. It's going to be all right. All right. And suddenly a light will shine as we're waiting for the morning light. As steady as a new sunrise. It's going to be all right. All [Music] right. Cuz even in the dead of night, when darkness is on every side, you're telling me to lift my eyes. It's going to be all right. All right. And suddenly a light will shine as we're waiting for the morning light. As steady as a new sunrise. It's going to be all right. All right. [Music] Praise God. Praise God. So, um, yeah, today we're we're talking about part two of your hearts in the refiner's hands. And, uh, as a recap for part one, last time we learned how biblical discipline, uh, the heart, mind, and body sets us on a path of genuine transformation. And we saw that it isn't about rulekeeping, but about letting God's spirit change us from the inside out. Um, but here's the reality. Even with a cleansed heart, a renewed mind, and a disciplined body, challenges will come. And God often uses trials to refine and mature us like a craftsman refining gold. And today, we'll see why and how God does this and how we can embrace his refining work. And today we will go over four main ideas. The first being the thorn in the flesh. Second, the refiner's fire. Third, discipline and God's love. Fourth, draw near to God before the crisis. So, let's dive into part one, which is the thorn in the flesh. And let's read from 2 Corinthians 12 7-10. 2 Corinthians 12 7-10. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. What is uh the background of the second Corinthians? Basically, it's uh Paul he founded the Corinthian church which we see in acts 18. But he faced opposition and criticism from false prophets or uh false apostles who question his authority and his motives. And in chapters 10-13, Paul defenses apo apolistic uh apostolic authority. Um, you know, I'm still working on my English. Uh, and he addresses spiritual visions and revelations that he'd experienced. uh immediately before this passage Paul he mentions profound spiritual revelations perhaps to show that he had uh like as you can call it spiritual credentials yet he doesn't boast about them instead he mentions the thorn that keeps him humble and what is the definition of thorn so the Greek word is scolops it's it's literally a sharp stake or a splinter. And the exact nature of Paul's thorn, it's honestly unclear to us, but it could be a physical uh sickness like eyesight or chronic sickness or spiritual harassment or some kind of ongoing opposition. But the text focuses less on what the thorn is and more on why it remains. And that is to keep Paul dependence on God. And why does God allow a thorn? And it could be a few reasons. So the first it can be to prevent pride. You know, Paul explicitly says it was to keep me from becoming conceited as as we just read. Um when we experience spiritual highs, you know, success, revelations, breakthroughs, pride can really start to creep in. And sometimes a thorn it humbles us reminding us that all we have is by God's grace. And another thing is it could reveal God's strength in our weakness. And in verse 9, as we just read, it says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." And rather than removing the thorn, God highlights that his grace sustains us and our limitations become a stage for God's power to shine. And another reason is to deepen our dependence on Christ. When Paul says, "Three times I pleaded," it shows Paul's desperation. But God's response indicates that greater intimacy and reliance on Jesus is more important than immediate relief. And a thorn it can drive us to prayer to worship and you know even a deeper fellowship with God. And then moving moving on um we can also see the tension of unanswered prayer. Paul, he pleads three times. You know, this is reminiscent of Jesus praying three times in Gethsemane, which is in Mark 14. Uh ultimately surrendering to the father's will. Sometimes God's best for us involves saying no or wait. That could be God's answer to us. Not because he's distant, but because he has a higher purpose. And we should trust God's better answer. Paul wanted removal, but God wanted reliance. And this completely realigns our perspective. Instead, we can ask for healing, deliverance, and solutions, but remain open to God's sovereign plan. And we should not equate unanswered with unheard. God, he hears every single prayer. And how do we respond to our own thorn? You know, the first thing is of course identify your thorn. You know, it might be a physical struggle, a stubborn addiction that you keep battling with, uh, you know, a difficult person or situation or like a mental/ emotional challenge. But the first step is to acknowledge it before God just like Paul did. And then we need to pray honestly. You know, it's okay to ask God for relief. Paul did so three times, but also pray, "Lord, if your purpose is deeper than my comfort, help me lean on your grace." You know, we need to embrace weakness as an avenue for God's strength. And in verse 9, it also says, "I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." And this is it's a countercultural idea or almost like a paradox. You know, we usually hide or we resent weakness. But God, he invites us to see it as a place where we can show his power. And we should also refuse resentment. And we should choose worship. You know, a thorn, whatever it is, it can lead us to bitterness if we don't trust God's loving hand. And instead, let it be an incentive for deeper worship, praising God for his sustaining grace in the midst of all the troubles or all the problems that you may have. And then we can we should also uh seek community support. Paul wrote openly to the Corinthians about his thorn. So we see vulnerability fosters understanding and mutual prayer and we should not be afraid to share our burdens with trusted friends with small groups or mentors. You know we should be able to share it freely with whoever we might trust. And picture this image in your head a rose with a thorn. And we can go on to the next slide. Oh, maybe I missed that one. So, a rose with a thorn. Yeah, there it is. A rose is beautiful, but its thorns can still wound. And our callings, they can be fruitful and graceful, yet not without pain. You know, the thorn keeps us humble, keeps us reliance on God and not on ourselves. And here's the question to ask yourself. What if the very thing you wish God would remove is actually shaping your character? How might that perspective change your attitude? So to summarize the thorn, a thorn that keeps us humble, keeps us reliant on God, and showcases his power in our weakness. And even unanswered prayers can be God's means of molding our hearts. So, we see God uses a thorn to keep us dependent on him. Uh, but sometimes the trials aren't just a small poke. It could it could feel more like a fire. So, now let's move on to how God refineses us through fiery orals. And this is part two, the refiner's fire. There are two main scriptures that I want to read here which the first is 1 Peter 4:12. I'll let you guys open up to it. 1 Peter 4:12. Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. What is the context here? The Apostle Peter wrote to believers scattered throughout Asia Minor who are facing persecution and hostility for their faith. And uh Peter's admonition was trials are normal in the Christian life and it's an expected part of following Jesus and it's not an anomaly or something that just comes out of nowhere. And I also wanted to read a second part which is Malachi 3:es 2:3. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness. For he will be like a refiner's fire. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. You know the context here is Malachi addresses a spiritually uh complacent Israel and God promises to send his messenger cleansing and purifying his people so that they might offer righteous sacrifices. And we can imagine this image of God is like a refiner who subjects silver or gold to intense heat to remove impurities. So why the fire? Uh just just like God refineses us through trials, gold is refined by literal fire. And let's look at a little bit about the process how gold gets purified in the furnace and also why why that is. you know what's the process what's the what's the idea behind that. So there are five steps to refined gold and we'll compare kind of how it looks in our life as well. So the first is it's just a raw ore and raw gold it contains impurities. It it looks like a dirty rock you know just like a normal rock maybe with a few shiny flakes in it. and uh mine gold that's usually mixed with silver, copper, iron or dirt. Uh this is just as our lives, you know, it can contain pride, selfishness or fear, you know, whatever it might be. Um and then the second step is the gold is heated to higher temperatures. So at around 1,64 Celsius or almost 2,000° F, that's when the gold melts. And the extreme heat that we face in life could be crisis, crises, it could be challenges uh or spiritual pressure. And step three is the impurities of the gold, they start to rise to the surface. And when the heat is on, our hidden attitudes, you know, whether that's unforgiveness, bitterness, addictions, they often float to the top. And in step four of the gold refinement process, that's impurities are removed. and the refiner of the gold. He skimps off uh what's called the dross, whatever comes to the top. And in the same way, God desires to remove what corrupts or holds us back. And in the final step, step five, it's repeated if necessary. And sometimes the fire uh it returns till the gold reaches a 99.99% purity. And that's why if you ever looked at gold, if you ever to buy it or just to look at it, it might show the percentage of what the purity is. And likewise, we might face multiple trials until we truly reflects we reflect Christ's character. So why refine gold? There's a few reasons for that. And it's to increase its purity, which makes it more valuable and durable. And it's also to meet standards much like God's standard uh for holiness and maturity. And it's to separate gold from the waste. Only the precious remains u showing how God wants the best in us to remain once sin once sin is removed. What is the spiritual parallel? And you should remember this. In the same way, a refiner won't stop until the gold's purity shines, God won't stop refining us until we're conformed to the image of Jesus. That's a very important point right there. And let's make a quick comparison here of the fire versus the thorn. If you recall, a thorn, it's it's not ongoing persistent struggle like Paul's thorn in the flesh. And it usually doesn't come with intense heat of a crisis. It's more of a nagging limitation that keeps us humble and rely on God's grace. The refiner's fire, however, tends to feel broader and more intense, and it can touch multiple areas of our lives, whether that's finance uh finances, relationships, health, or even our sense of purpose. And sometimes it arrives in the form of unexpected trial or a season of deep testing. and it exposes issues we'd never had noticed otherwise. Both are God's instruments aiming toward the same goal. Christlike character and deeper intimacy with him. Thorns, they keep us humble and the fire purifies and strengthens us. In each case, the Lord's intent is to shape us to look more and more like Jesus. So, what are the practical applications? How do we respond when we sense the flames are heating up in our own lives? So the first thing we could do is invite God to refine you. You know, instead of running from hardship, uh pause and pray, Lord, what are you trying to remove in me? You know, is it pride? Is it anger, selfishness, fear? Just show me and help me to let go. We we should pray a prayer like that. And it's it's tempting to focus on escaping the trial, but often God's deeper work happens through it. And another thing is you should also persevere with hope. The furnace, just like with the gold, it isn't forever. In gold smelting, the refiner maintains the fire only until the purities uh the impurities are skimmed off. And in the same way, your struggle won't last a moment longer than necessary. Remember Paul's encouragements in Romans chapter 8, uh, verse 28. God is working all things, including the fire, for good to those who love him. And we should also remember to guard against bitterness. When the heat intens intensifies, resentment then can creep in. And we might say, why me, God? Why is this happening to me? Haven't I suffered enough? But remember Hebrews 12, it also says God refineses and disciplines those he loves. And he cares not he cares enough not to leave us in a complacent state. This is his fatherly affection and it's it's not cruelty. And we should also take part in community. You know a metal worker he rarely refineses a precious metal in isolation. You know there might be helpers or unlook on unlookers. Uh likewise we need fellow members to walk with us to pray for us and speak truth when we are struggling. Don't is don't isolate yourself. You know we can go to a small group trusted friend. They can be a great help. Quick questions of reflection before moving on to the next parts. First is name your fire. What current challenges might be your refiner's fire? Financial strain, relational conflict, health scare, spiritual dryness. Identifying it is the first step to surrendering it to God. Another question, am I resisting or cooperating? Have I been trying to escape the heat, complaining, running, or avoiding rather than letting God reveal and remove what doesn't belong? Sometimes the greatest breakthroughs happen when we finally say, "Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Do what you want to do with me." You know, and what does God want to skim away? Is it bitterness? Where are you? Hidden sin, misplaced priorities. Ask him to skim off the dross and leave you shining with renewed faith. Now, we've explored the thorn and the fire, two instruments God uses to shape us. But how does this all connect to his loving discipline and our invitation to draw near to him before the crisis hits? Stay with me. I hope you guys are not falling asleep. Um because in these next parts we'll discover that these trials are actually an expression of God's deep love and fatherly care. And we'll see in Hebrews 12 um how a proact proactive walk with him guards our hearts when storms come. Okay. So the third part discipline and God's love. Now let's consider another lens of God's work in our lives. his discipline flowing directly from his deep fatherly love. And let's read from Hebrews 12 verses 5-7. And I'll let you guys open up to it. Uh it's a little bit longer. Hebrews 12:es 5-7. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son." Endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? And then let's also move a little bit lower down. We'll move to verses 10 to 11. They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. So, what is the context here in these verses? Uh the letter to the Hebrews, it was addressed to believers facing persecution and they were tempted to give up. But the author assures them that the hardships or the fiery trials aren't random punishment, but more like a training ground and God's loving discipline shaping them. And what is the difference between discipline and punishment? Why does the writer emphasize discipline? Because we often uh confuse discipline with punishment. In punishment, it is retribution for wrongdoing. It is typically fueled by anger or a need to um as you can say even the score and it leaves a person feel uh fearful or condemned. And discipline on the other hand is correction and instruction rooted in love. And it is aimed at growth like a parent training a child to avoid danger or adopt healthy habits. And it produces security, maturity, and a sense of belonging. And God's discipline is never about destroying us. It's about shaping us into the people who uh basically share in his holiness. And um sometimes we wonder if God really loves me, why am I going through this hardship? The writer of Hebrews, he flips our perspective on that. So the first is evidence of sunship, which is endure hardship as discipline. uh God is treating you as his children and just like a caring father invests in the character of his kids, God invests in us through discipline and it's proof of his fatherly commitments and not his indifference towards us. And it's also for our ultimate good. In verse 10, as we read, it says, "God disciplines us for our good." And the end result, it's a harvest of righteousness and peace. And we not we may not see it immediately, but God has the long view in mind. And you know, it's it's painful yet it's productive. And verse 11 acknowledges discipline can be painful or unpleasant. But think of an athlete in rigorous training. You know, it's grueling now, but it yields victory later. You may not want to uh stop eating unhealthy now. Uh but if you do, you see the results much later on. Or you might work out your biceps. They might get uh larger in a few months, you know. So, we see it much later on. So, what are the practical applications here? How do we respond when we sense God's corrective hand in our lives? The first is to recognize that discipline confirms you're God's child. He hasn't abandoned you. Rather, he is actively involved in your growth and well-being. And we should also stay open and teachable. Instead of resenting or ignoring the discomfort, we should ask, Lord, what are you showing me? Where do I need correction or where do I need change? You know, a humble heart sees discipline as a gift and not as a curse. And we should resil uh resist self-pity or bitterness. When difficulties arise, it is easy to become bitter. Why me God? You know why now? But if you see it as a loving discipline, you'll be quicker to trust his wisdom. And we should pray for clarity. Father, help me to see what you see. remove blind spots that are keeping me from growing. And then we should also lean on God's strength and in his community as as we've also spoken in in the last or I've spoken in the last part. We shouldn't go at it alone. Sometimes you need a pastor, a mentor, or a friend to kind of help you interpret God's hand in the trial. And we should share our burdens. We should let others pray for us, especially when we feel overwhelmed or confused. Building on this, we've talked about the thorn, the refiner's fire, and now the loving discipline of God. So, what is left? Uh, let's finally get into the importance of drawing near to him before the crisis strikes. So, we're prepared to receive his discipline with open hearts rather than hardened ones. And if we maintain a close walk with the Lord every day, we'll weather the storms and the fires with hope and confidence in his good purposes. So four, draw near before the crisis. We've seen the thorn keeps us humble, the refiner's fire purifies us, and God's discipline flows from his loving heart. But there's a crucial final piece, and that's learning to stay close to God before the trials strike. So we're spiritually prepared. And reading James chapter 4 verse 8 it says come near to God and he will come near to you. In James he writes to believers who struggled with worldliness and internal conflicts and he urges them to repent and humble themselves promising that when we move toward God he always moves toward us. And why do we draw near early? Basically, it is a foundation before the storm. And Jesus's parable in Matthew highlights building a house on the rock before the storm arrives. And similarly, if if you only start seeking God mid crisis, your foundation, it might be very shaky. And a well-built spiritual life weathers the most fiercest winds, the most fiercest storms. When we have a strong foundation, it leaves us much, much better off. And it is better to prevent than to scramble. We know uh physically it's better to exercise and to to eat healthy before than to fix chronic disease later. And spiritually it's the same. You know, a consistent walk with God, it it fosters resilience in times of adversity. And what are the differences between proactive versus reactive spirituality? looking out proactive. It could be uh daily devotions. You know, even 10 to 15 minutes of scripture reading and prayer can strengthen our faith. It could be regular confessions. Um uh regular confession with God. We can keep short accounts with God. Um you know, not letting sin pile up. It could be ongoing worship. You know, worship is not just for Sunday. It could be a lifestyle that uh a lifestyle of praise that shapes your heart to trust God in trials. And then looking at reactive, it's only seeking God when life feels chaotic or desperate. And this approach, it often leads to panic or superficial prayers because the relationship hasn't been cultivated beforehand. And um with that, we should establish rhythms. You know, we should set aside specific times for prayer and scripture. Uh maybe it's morning devotion or prayer walks at lunch. Uh think of it as like a spiritual maintenance, ensuring that your heart is stays aligned with God. And we can also use small moments uh throughout our day. You know, it could be pray while we're commuting to work, wherever we're going. Uh reflecting on a verse during a break or uh listening to a a Christian podcast. But we can integrate spiritual focus into daily routines. So drawing near becomes a natural habit and we can also pursue uh heart honestly honesty. And James also calls for sincere repentance. You know he says grieve mourn and wail humble yourselves before the Lord. Being real with God about struggles, it it fosters intimacy and we shouldn't wait until problems explode. We should talk about uh you know the small issues early on. And some final reflection questions. Am I drawing near to God in the ordinary? Am I making time for prayer, scripture, and worship consistently even when life is calm? Do I tend to seek God only when I'm desperate? How can I cultivate a heart that longs for him even when things are going smoothly? Which daily or weekly rhythms could I implement? Could I commit to a Bible reading plan, a small group, or a prayer partner? You know, James 4:8 offers a simple yet profound promise. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. And if we maintain closeness with the Lord, we're prepared so that when the thorn pricks deeper, the fire it burns hotter, or discipline feels sharper, we can stand firm in his love and presence. And now let's bring all four parts together, the thorn, the fire, God's loving discipline, and proactive intimacy with him into a final conclusion. Um, what is the final big picture? So uh the thorn in the flesh, it teaches humility and dependence on God, God's sufficient grace. The refiner's fire, it purifies hidden impurities, revealing the character of Christ in us. And God's loving discipline, uh not punishment, but fatherly correction that leads to holiness and a harvest of righteousness. and the last being drawing near before crisis. It's a proactive intimacy with God, building spiritual resilience for trials ahead. All of these points, they come to one overarching uh truth. God is committed to shaping us into the image of his son. That is the big picture. Whether it's a persistent thorn, a fire, discipline, or daily invitation to closeness, his ultimate goal is our transformation, freedom from sin, and a deeper fellowship with with him. And just reflect on your life. Which of which of these four resonates most with your current situation? Are you dealing with a thorn? Embrace God's grace. Are you walking through a fire? Surrender your impurities. Are you feeling the weight of discipline? Remember, it's God's love shaping you. Are you struggling to keep up with spiritual habits? Choose to draw near daily. Even when it's painful or confusing, God's method always comes from his unchanging love. and he's the master craftsman who sees the finished product, which is Christlike maturity. As you respond to his refining hand, you'll find joy, peace, and a powerful testimony of his goodness. Amen. Let's pray. I think what if we choose Sunday at three? Do you think that's a good time? Yeah, Alan Michaels. Gwen agrees. Okay, great. So, so Sunday at 3 we'll meet at uh uh Esther Simpla Park. We'll have a bus come down to to Corpus. I would say probably around 2:15 2:15ish. Uh sharers, you think that's okay? Yeah. Okay. bus will come down around there 2:15, pick you guys up, uh, bring you down, and we're going to spread the joy of our brothers Allan and Michael getting baptized, becoming one with Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. No water will no cold water will separate us, right? God will warm it up. Okay. Well, we do have some needs. Uh, brother Michael is wanting a second job. He he's working uh night shifts, but he Yeah. Okay. Well, he's asking for a day job, but we'll see what God wants for you. He knows what's better. So, we'll pray about that. and Savannah uh it's her first time here and she asked that for us to pray that God restores her life to normal and that he works on her life and we'll pray for that because we believe in the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and he can do that and Alfredo Alfredo came again and he's looking for a job so we're going to pray for that because God he does provide like he did to brother Michael we prayed for him and he got a job. So we'll pray for Alfredo and he's also like asked us to pray for a holy relationship with his girlfriend. Holy relationship. He wants to make it right. Amen. With that and brother Allan asked us to pray about baptism. And so we'll pray that God gives him that boldness and strength and also for his back and his leg. And uh Gwen asked us to pray for her mother's heart. It's very weak. And so we'll ask for that valery. Okay. Supposed to have surgery on the 17. Uhhuh. Okay. We'll pray for that. God knows God will just heal the whole thing. And um and the last one is Amanda. She asked us to pray for her uh bronchitis. So, we'll pray for healing. Okay, let's pray. A lot of needs. Lord God, we thank you for we thank you for this morning, God. And and for everybody that came here to to hear your word, to hear your message. May this seed be sown in each heart, God. And may this seed uh show its I'll say like ability and a fruit in our lives Lord God. May we draw near to you so you can draw near to us and refine us like gold Lord God. We also pray for all the needs for uh Michael's need, Savannah's need, Alfredo's need. Uh we pray for Allen's need, Gwen's and Amanda's need. Lord, you see there's a lot of needs and we give them all to you. We already like we already said them. We already talked about them, God. You heard it. You know their needs. You know their requests, Lord. And we pray, God, that you bless them, Lord God. That you answered them, Lord God. That you help them, that you heal them, Lord, in the name of Jesus. And that you answered them, Lord God, because we believe in your power, God, and in your love, Lord. May your name be uh blessed and uh glorified 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. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. for your kingdom, your power, and glory forever yours. Amen. And I just want to say uh next week we're we're gonna uh hear a message about I think it's an exciting message. It's about why did Jesus choose Judas? We all know Judas. Why did Jesus ju choose Judas? So, so I invite everybody to come next week. Amen.