Worship Through Galatians

Such blessings he should and And supremely as So cat. You may be seated. Awesome. Well, we want to, welcome all of you to our service today and let that we're going to do things, a little bit differently today, starting from this point on.

And it's my role this morning to introduce, the rest of our service, to you. We as a church have been doing a series through the book of Galatians over the last, several months. And today we're gonna be concluding our series on Galatians and the way we're going to conclude our, our series on Galatians is by reading through the entirety of the book of Galatians in our service this morning., there is, there is something to be gained by studying expositionally through a book of the Bible and taking that a verse at a time, a paragraph at a time.

It helps us to linger over a few verses of scripture and to break down what that passage is saying and see all that God has for us in that text.

But while there is much to be gained from going through the scripture week by week, in that way, there's also something that's lost, right? And one of the things that can be lost is just getting the sense of the full suite of a book and the flow of thought from one chapter to another, from one, section of the book to another, and to follow that train of thought all the way through the length of the book. but what we're going to do this morning is try to make up for that loss, and that is by going through the entirety of the book of Galatians.

this morning in our, service.

And as we do so, we have the unique privilege of listening to the voice of God. and I hope that you appreciate the privilege that that is that we have, on a morning like this to even be able to listen to the voice of God. We don't deserve even to ever hear God speak to us, do we? we deserve for God to be silent towards us for all of eternity.

And what we do deserve is that if God ever did speak to us, for him to speak, thunder, the pronouncements of eternal condemnation, that's all that we deserve to hear from God because of the sins that we have committed against this just and righteous and holy God. And yet instead of speaking the thunderings of our eternal damnation, God instead speaks to us through a book like Galatians, and what he speaks is grace. And mercy and love, and freedom and intimacy. So let us not lose sight of the fact that all of us today deserve to be in hell for the sins we've committed.

Instead, we are in a comfortably air conditioned auditorium, and we will be able today to sit and to listen to God speak to us words of love, grace, and mercy and freedom. as we go through the scripture, this morning to the book of Galatians, there's a, a few things that are really cool about what we're going to do today. First of all, we have, I believe, about 10 scripture readers that have been assigned different sections of the book of Galatians. So, they are going to be helping us as we work our way through Galatians, this morning.

And also, we are going to be interweaving some of our favorite worship songs throughout, our reading of the book of Galatians, just in those places where certain themes are prominent in the book, we'll be singing songs about That theme. For example, the song We Will Remember, we knew as a staff, we had to get that song in the book of Galatians somewhere. And so we're going to encounter that song at the end of chapter one as Paul is rehearsing his own story of how God has saved him by his grace and called him into the ministry.

So we're going to be doing a lot of singing.

today. And also, we're going to weave communion, the celebration of the Lord's table, into our reading of the book of Galatians, this morning. And so, because we're going to do that, it's just going to fit right into the flow of things. We're just going to start distributing the elements at a certain point.

Of Galatians. So, let me go ahead and introduce communion now, and tell you that we celebrate open communion here at Cornerstone, which means you do not have to be an official card carrying member of the church to, of Cornerstone in order to partake of the elements with us. The Bible does require, however, that you be a born again child of God. banking on Jesus and Him alone for your salvation.

So if you've come to a point in your life where you have seen your emptiness, and your utter inability to make the smallest contribution to your salvation, and then you have looked at Jesus, and you've deposited all of your trust in Him, and in Him alone for the forgiveness of your sins, and your eternal salvation. If you've done that, and today you're sitting here and you are banking on Jesus alone, for your salvation in this way, we would love to have you partake of the elements with us as they go by, this morning.

OK? But use the time as we're listening to Galatians, as we're praying, as we're, worshiping through song, use the time to ready your heart for the partaking of the elements of the bread.

And the cup. So that's going to be the sermon this morning. we're going to let Paul preach to us. this is the way they did it in the first century, that Paul would write a letter and then someone would get up and read through the entirety of the letter.

And we're going to experience something of that this morning, listening to Paul, our brother, but most importantly, listening to the Spirit of God as he speaks to us through, This amazing book that we have been studying over the last few months. All right? Well, let's start with prayer. I'm going to pray, a brief prayer.

You will then join me. We will all pray together a musical prayer to God as we prepare our hearts for, what we're going to experience this morning through his word. Let's bow our heads and pray together. Lord, we are gathered here today by your grace.

It is a mercy that we're even alive and that we're on your good earth instead of where we deserve to be. So, we are amazed at this and we thank you for this. And we also say that we are thankful, Lord, for your word. Thank you for your word.

We also want to say to you that we will listen. To you as you speak to us. Today. We will do more than listen.

We will treasure. Up all of your words, Lord. And we will meditate upon these things. We won't think of anything else during the service.

While you're speaking, we want to devote ourselves to your words. And we will do more than treasure and meditate and listen, Lord, we, by your grace will obey. What we have heard you say. To us today.

Accept our prayer, Lord, in Jesus' name. You, We and this. I will listen. Paul, an apostle, not sent from men nor through the agency of men, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.

And all the brethren who are with me to the churches of Galatia. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that he might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. To whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel, which is really not another. Only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed.

For am I now seeking the favor of men or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men. I would not be a bond servant of Christ.

For I would have, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man, for I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.

But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me.

But I went away to Arabia and returned once more to to Damascus. Then 3 years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him 15 days, but I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother. Now, in what I'm writing to you, I assure you before God that I'm not lying. Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ, but only they kept hearing, He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy. And they were glorifying God because of me. We We is back Bye. me.

Then, after an interval of 14 years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. It was because of a revelation that I went up and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of a reputation for fear that I might be running or had run in vain. But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus.

In order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. But from those who were of high reputation, What they were makes no difference to me. God shows no partiality.

Well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. But on the contrary, Seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter had been to the circumcised, for he who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles. And recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

They only ask us to remember the poor, the very thing I was also eager to do.

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned, for prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like the Jews?

We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles. Nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus. Even we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, since by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified. But if while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin?

May it never be. For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died needlessly. We have to stand for this one. the, Thank You may see You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you.

Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish, having begun by the spirit? Are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain, if indeed it was in vain?

So then, does he who provides you with the spirit and work miracles among you do it by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? Even so, Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The scriptures foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed in you.

So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them. Now that no one is justified by the law before God is evident. For the righteous man shall live by faith.

However, the law is not of faith. On the contrary, he who practices them shall live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree in order that Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham, might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. OK.

Take this bread. And eat this bread, every one of you, Jesus said. This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

Let's partake. Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations, though it is only a man's covenant. Yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed he does not say and to seeds as referring to many but rather to one and to your seed that is Christ.

What I am saying is this the law which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise, but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. Why the law then it was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Now a mediator is not for one party only, whereas God is only one.

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be, for if a law had been given which was based, which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the scripture has shut up everyone under sin so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.

Therefore, the law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor, for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek.

There is neither slave nor free man. There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. is is.

I Or This cup is the new covenant in my blood, Jesus said. Which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it. In remembrance of me.

Let's taste and see that the Lord is good. All got, people said, men. Now I say as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from his slave, although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, so that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Therefore, you're no longer a slave, but a but a son. And if a son, then an heir through God, However, at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.

But now that you've come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are.

You have done me no wrong, but that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time, and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition, you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. Where then is that sense of blessing you had, for I bear you witness that if possible you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.

But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner and not only when I am present with you, my children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you. But I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman.

But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants. One proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves. She is Hagar.

Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free. She is our mother, for it is written, Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear. Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor, for more numerous are the children of the desolate than of the one who has a husband.

And you brethren, like Isaac are children of promise. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the spirit, so it is now also. But what does the scripture say? Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.

So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman. stand together I, Amazing Me Amen. Amen. You may be seated.

It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is under obligation to keep the whole law.

You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by the law. You've fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.

I have confidence in you and the Lord that you will adopt no other view, but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. But if I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.

For you were called to freedom, brethren. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word. In the statement, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

But if you bite and devour one another, Take care that you are not consumed by one another. But I say walk by the spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are. Immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities. Strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Against such things, there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Brethren Even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each one looking to yourself so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another's burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone and not in regard to another.

OK. For each one will bear his own load. The one who has taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. Do not be deceived.

God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time, we will reap if we do not grow weary.

So, then, While we have opportunity, let us do good to all people. And especially to those who are of the household of the faith. See with what large letters I'm writing to you with my own hand. Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh, try to compel you to be circumcised simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

For those who are circumcised do not even keep the law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God.

From now on, let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear in my own body the brand marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen. Let's pray together.

Lord, in this book, As we have read it today and as we have studied it over the last several months, You have spoken much to us of Jesus. And of the cross. We learn in this book of Jesus who gave Himself for us. To deliver us from our sins.

It is Jesus who we find suspended upon a tree in this book. It is Jesus who is publicly portrayed as crucified. It is in Jesus and in him alone in which our salvation is found. And may it never be, Lord, that we would boast in anything.

Other than The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world may come and go, the world will have its own opinions of our trust in this crucified Messiah. Some will brand it as foolishness and others. As a scandal of justice, but to us.

This is the power of God, and it saves us, and it saves us every day. You have spoken to us of Jesus. You have spoken to us of salvation. You have told us the way to salvation through this crucified one, and that is simply by faith and not by any works that we do on our own.

Lord, all you want from us is to, to see the infinite donation of Jesus to our salvation. To see our emptiness, our inability to contribute anything. And to just acknowledging our bankruptcy. To just come to Jesus and look to him.

And to believe, I pray that if there are any here today who have never Withdrawn their trust from themselves. And their own works and deposited all of their trust in Jesus. I pray that today, You would speak to their hearts and cause them to yearn after Christ, and to look to him in faith and find him to be their Lord. And their savior and find you to be their Abba.

Their father. You've spoken to us of grace, Lord. This is a salvation that, Not only have we failed to deserve, but we have succeeded in deserving the opposite. We deserve wrath.

We deserve hell. We deserve eternal torment in the lake of fire, but instead we get this. And this, This is amazing. Grace.

Lord, in this book, you have spoken to us of the Spirit. who mediates these gospel blessings and riches to us from day to day. And you have taught us that we are to walk by the Spirit, allowing the desires of the Spirit to be fully carried out in our lives. They're wonderful gospel desires, Lord, and you teach us that if we walk by the Spirit moment by moment, then we will be delivered from ever carrying out the lust of our flesh that is within us.

And we long for that. Deliverance, Lord. Deliverance even from the presence of the sinful flesh inside of us. But in the meantime, we thank you for the spirit that you've given us that if we walk by Him, we won't at the same time be carrying out the desires of our flesh.

But instead, if we walk by the Spirit, we will find being produced in our lives, the fruit of the Spirit, love and joy and peace and so on, Lord, how we long for these qualities in our lives. But we can't get these qualities by saying, by just talking ourselves into it and And trying to drum it up, these qualities are birthed. In our lives as we walk in your spirit. And allow the Spirit to mediate the blessings of your grace to us.

Help us to walk by your Spirit. Lord, you have spoken to us over the last several months. Much about the gospel. What a glorious, Thing it is.

There is only one gospel. In Ephesians, we see Paul's positive, the positive side of his passion for the gospel. In Galatians, we see the positive side of his passion for the gospel, but we also get a clear glimpse of his passion against false gospels. We know of Paul's love for the gospel by the passion with which he speaks against false gospels.

Lord, you paid a very high price. So that the true gospel, the only gospel might become a reality that you are a jealous God. You will countenance no rival gospels. You allow no place among your people for contrary gospels.

Or any gospels that we might fabricate, Lord, In which we try to allow ourselves even a small place of contribution. You will be glorified, And you, Lord, are jealous against such other gospels, because to allow a place for even the smallest contribution on our part is an infinite insult against the infinite glory of Jesus. And your contribution to our salvation through him. He must receive all the glory.

You are the one to be glorified forevermore. Lord, you speak to us in this book that we are not to bite and devour one another, but we are to love one another, we are to serve one another. We are to help one another when our brothers and sisters are caught up in a trespass, and that happens to all of us, Lord, many of us even this past week, We fail so often, and we need each other. And it is in relationship with one another that we experience the fullness.

Of God Himself. Lord, we meditate on these things. We treasure these things. And we wish To give heed And to allow these things to shape our lives.

Lord, as we transition here to our offering, I cannot help but think of the very first words out of Paul's mouth in this book when he begins the body of his letter. He speaks of Christ, who gave Himself. surrendered himself for our salvation. We are a saved people by your grace.

You allow us the wonderful privilege of participating in this ministry of the gospel. By giving to you. The, the material blessings that you have blessed us with. And so, at this time in our service, Lord, we, we give, All that we have to you.

We give our hearts to you, we give ourselves to you. Lord, I not only give myself to you, I give my brothers and sisters gathered here today. I give them to you. We give each other to you.

We surrender everything to you. And we also are blessed to just give to you a portion. Of the material blessings that you have graced us with. Receive these offerings, Lord.

So that your will would be done on earth. As it, as it is in heaven. In Christ's name we pray. You.

Yeah. is Jesus Christ we last night. Oh It's Hey man, you may be seated. Well, wasn't that awesome?

Praise God. let's express our appreciation to the, scripture readers and also to the worship team for all the work that they have done. We really put the worship team to work today, and the worship team as usual, but on this occasion, all of the readers were here this morning at 6:45 in the morning getting ready and they've, read in both services, So, just, I'm very thankful for their dedication and the job that they did and just opening up the scriptures, just hearing them read, it's like just some of the emphasis that they put on different, different statements of Paul.

It's like, man, I could just feel the heart of Paul coming through, as the scriptures were being read and what wonderful selections of songs to, to worship God with as we go through the book.

well, we just got a couple more things to do and we're done, for, this morning, at least here, and we, we're, we're going to be losing some people for about 20 days to Uganda, and here to speak to us of that is Mr. Stephen McCullough. Here you are. Let's welcome him.

Thank you. Part of, working towards, God's kingdom is, helping out with those who don't have as much as we have, and, that's one, a big part of the mission for the, team that's going to Uganda. They're going to be assisting a school there, a Christian school, with technology, and they'll be doing all sorts of other, ministry activities to the people over there. So, I'd like to invite up at this time, the members of Team Uganda to go ahead and come forward.

And if we can just stand over in this area, Team Uganda want to come on up. You guys can, OK, and then I'd like to invite up our elder board, and we're going to pray for God's, effective working through them. And our elder, Carlos Cuellar is going to lead us in prayer. Join me in prayer.

Let's bow our heads. Father, we, we just acknowledge your sovereignty. Your majesty, your glory. And Father, we, we also bear witness to just your immense love.

And mercy and grace that has been poured out on us and others, and we've tasted of that, Lord, and we know that you are good. And Father, we know that you are at work accomplishing your, your plan, which is to save many and to draw them to yourself, to give them new life and new birth. And we know that you're using us, Father, and we pray that you would continue to use us to that end so that you might get the glory and we just pray for our team members that are going to Uganda in your name in the name of Jesus, and I pray that as they go bearing his name that you would strengthen them, that you would encourage them, that you would have your hand of of safety and protection upon them, Lord, that you would guide them with wisdom and discernment to serve you in a mighty way.

And to minister your love and grace and mercy and, and, comfort to those who, who know you and need that encouragement and love and those who don't know you, Lord, and who are, who are groping in the darkness, I pray that you would use the team mightily, that all that they're taking with them the gifts, the technology, the, the time and talents that you would put them to use, Father, so that your kingdom would be, would be built.

And that your kingdom would come, Father, and we just lift, all of these, these folks up to you, Father, we love them and we love you, Lord, and we pray all of this in the name of your Son Jesus. A couple of items in your bulletin before dismissed, encourage you to take a look at your bulletin. It's a fabulous document. One, item is, just to remember that our Agape Fund is today Agape Fund is where we take up a collection every Sunday to, so we have this fund to help out people in our own congregation that are needy and also people in the community.

So, if you're going to exit through the foyer, you can look for the Agape box on the left hand side, and that's a place to make that donation. That's an extra donation again for the body here and for the community. also, today is the last day to turn in your children's ministry application. All of you that are looking to be nursery workers, workers, children search workers, we, we need that application today, and you can see Steve McCullough out there, I believe he would be one of the guys to look for.

by the way, we're really encouraging everybody, as many people as possible, to fill out the necessary forms to do background checks, even if you think you're not going to be involved in children's ministry. The more people that we have that have filled out those background checks, the more people we have available for substitutes if we need somebody in the nursery or we need somebody else. All of the elders are going through the background check, as scary as that may be. And and so all of the elders are available for nursery duty if if need be and so we'd like to get as many people as possible to do that even if you don't think you're going to be a nursery worker.

A high school summer retreat, I believe this is junior high and high school, isn't it? Junior high and high school coming up July, this, this next week and look in your bulletin about that. All you guys and gals, we're encouraging you to come to that. We also want to point out, a, a last-minute ministry opportunity.

If you see the salmon flyer. Jeff Robbins got the weekend off and he said, man, what should I do this weekend? Let's witness. So, so unlike Jeff, And so, what we're gonna do is, is those of you, if you can sign up with Jeff Robbins out there, it's a similar type of activity where we'd like to wash cars for the community, free car wash and then pass out tracks, share the gospel, see Jeff, Robbins out there at the sign up table.

couple other things, men's disciple in men, look at that on your bulletin. there's a little flyer in here about our A book booth. The information booth is that obscure building on the other side of the fellowship hall that's hidden over there, and what we, what we'd like to do is ask all of you guys to go over there and at least know where it is. And there's a little coupon at the bottom of here where you can get $2 off of our book of the week, which is a Piper book called What's the Difference Manhood Womanhood.

This is