You can do the full screen thing, that would be super. Great, and I'll just try this. Great. Awesome.
So I'm just going to get situated here. Sorry about the delay. You can imagine where a little out of practice in terms of playing together and singing together. And my voice feels like a bruised reed, because it's like a muscle that I haven't used in like a little while, not much anyway.
Yeah, just. And it's really good to be here. And it's just encouraging. And I think it sounds better from back there where I can hear all your voices.
And I think it's wonderful that we can start getting back into fellowship and Lord willing and by His grace will continue to go on the track that it seems like we're on, and it seems good. So praise the Lord. So I've never tried starting with a joke before. So here goes.
Two old friends sit down in a restaurant, and it's June 2021. And friend one says, wow, it's so good to see you. We haven't talked since over a year ago. So how have you been?
And friend two says, oh, I've been great. This has been an easier year. Get it? Because that's a totally ridiculous thing to say because it hasn't been easy for anyone.
So that's a dumb joke. But I don't want to get into specifics of the challenges that we face and everything, because I know you know all about that. But I want to acknowledge that. And just kind of that's where when I was preparing, I have to think about where I am and where we all are, and address present times and current events and things, or not current events specifically.
But I just want to acknowledge that so that I can point to God's word as kind of a firm foundation that we need and that we can stand on and rely on in these times, and point to God's word as the bread of life that sustains us in difficult times, and point to God's word as an immovable anchor of hope that isn't affected by our circumstances. And that was kind of, I guess, what was on my heart as I started to think and prepare. And I'm not sure right now what I'll speak on specifically. I have some scriptures.
And I have notes, but I'm not sure that that's necessarily exactly what I should share right now. It does seem like the pressure just keeps coming wave after wave after wave after wave. And it's very tempting to worry about things. And we also can't hide or avoid.
We can't use avoidance as kind of our coping strategy. And so I believe that we do need to examine ourselves. And we also need to kind of honestly face reality. And with that, we do need to turn to the word of God as that immovable anchor and look to the Lord to meet our needs.
And I think this is true in the good times and in bad times. And nothing really has really changed in that sense. Nothing has changed at all. We just need the power of the word of God.
And it's a perfect antidote for the world. No matter what the world is doing, the word of God doesn't change. And it's certain. And people change.
And people change their word. But God doesn't change his word. It's unchanging. And so it's kind of just tell you where I'm at.
And then you can kind of fill in the blanks maybe. So this is going to be about the strength and power and finality and absolute truth of God's word, I think. So let's pray and ask the Lord to guide us. And just guide and direct and encourage all of us through his word directly and give us strength and spiritual nourishment.
So let's pray. Thank you, Holy Father. Thank you, loving Father, for all that you've given us. And blessed us with and all of your provision for us, God.
And we think of how if you did not send your son to save us, that we would be doomed. And Lord, we're so thankful to have the Lord Jesus. And everything else fades away in the light of his glory. And I pray that you would simply show us in your word, your glory, and through it nourish us.
And help us. I pray that you would strengthen us spiritually and nourish us through your word, and that you would be glorified in all of this. And I pray for guidance in what you want me to say. And you know exactly what I have prepared and studied and written down, but you know also that it's not too late to change that.
So just pray that you would help me and that you would guide me. So I pray in Jesus' name, amen. OK. So this is more introduction.
So have you ever been in a conversation and not necessarily an argument, although it could be an argument, where you just share your views one too many time. And you like later that night when your head hits your pillow, you're like, ah, why did I say that? Why couldn't I just close my mouth? And in an actual argument, I think you all know what I mean by the final word or getting the last word in.
So that's where someone feels like they have to win the debate or win the conversation simply because they were the most recent person to open their mouth. And I think everyone can relate to that, but especially maybe teenagers and perhaps married people. I know that this happens. And I know I've really told you something you didn't know.
Anyway, so this can happen in constructive discussions too, though. Like for example, like a conversational Bible study. Like you say something really insightful. And then I say something also really insightful and smart.
And then you say something that's even more smart and insightful. And we're just screaming in agreement. And we're like, look at us. A bunch of Bible scholars sitting down and studying the word of God.
But I said the last thing. I think you know what I mean. And may God have mercy on us all. But what I want to bring to our attention today is that God has spoken already the final word in this universe.
God has spoken the final word. And there is nothing more to debate. There is nothing more to constructively add to the pot. God has said everything that needs to be said with divine authority.
And he has done so in the person of his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. So if you would turn in your Bibles to 1 John 5, 4 to 12, that's the primary scripture that I'd like to examine. But there's more passages that I have some key verses to consider. And I'm not sure.
Yeah, we'll just keep going. So let's just read. I think I have it. Can you click on the PDF part of the screen so that, yeah, cool.
It's like when you lose focus, then this doesn't work. When you're doing audacity or whatever. So yeah, let's read. And then I have it here too.
So we're in 4 to 12. It says this, for whatever is born of God, overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the spirit who testifies because the spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify, the spirit and the water and the blood. And the three are in agreement.
If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. For the testimony of God is this, that he has testified concerning his son. And the one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his son.
So those are the primary verses that I wanted to consider today. And so let's go through those in detail. And then there's a whole bunch of too many things to cover. So I just tried to cover something very narrow so that I wouldn't be here for like an hour and a half.
So verse four says, whoever has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith, depending on your translation. And the victory that has overcome the world. So I think overcoming is a very important concept and understanding the world and our place in the world.
And I think it's obvious to everyone that pressures have been kind of increasing in different ways. And I don't think this is anything new or unusual necessarily speaking. But so help me out here. We have three principal enemies.
And the world in this context isn't really a positive mention. What are our three enemies as believers, the enemies of our soul? Number one, the world. Yes, the world absolutely is one given.
And two others. Our own flesh, our own sinful flesh, and three, the devil. Yeah. So those are traditionally, we consider those to be three of our greatest enemies.
And by the world we mean sinful world systems, sinful society, evil spiritual powers behind scenes in the world, principalities and powers and things like that. And so it really is a situation where believers and us as believers aren't really expecting to have an easy go as far as conforming to the world or being obedient to the word of God. And in this case, to overcome means spiritual victory. And spiritual victory means obedience to God's word.
And we could look at obedience in what John recorded at that Jesus spoke and what he wrote in his epistles. And obedience comes up huge as basically that is in summary, that spiritual victory, obedience to the word of God. And don't get me wrong. Jesus came to save the world.
We don't hate the world. We're just in it because that's life. But our desire is to be in the world and not be of the world, but in our lives overcome and be obedient. And so I'd like to just go to Revelation 2 and look at this word overcome.
And I think, I don't know, this is just the scriptures, I guess we'll just kind of go through those. I don't necessarily have a neat analysis here, but let's just consider these things. Revelation 2 and 7 says, he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, to him who overcomes, I will grant to eat the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of God. And verse 11 says, he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, he who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.
And verse 17 says, he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, to him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manah. And I will give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone, which no one knows, but he who receives it. And verse 26 says, he who overcomes and he who keeps my deeds until the end. to him I will give authority over the nations.
So we have a lot of interest for our own good to be overcomers and to overcome in our lives and to have that life of faith. And I'm not saying it's easy, and I do believe that being obedient to the Word of God has always carried consequences. And at this time, remember that this portion of revelation is basically literal, and the Spirit spoke these words to the literal churches of the time. And at that time also, you know that the early church was under pretty intense persecution.
And people were being rounded up and put to death for sport for the entertainment of the masses of the society of that time. And there was a fire, and Christians were used as political scapegoats by the emperor to distract from that he didn't want society to blame him. So he blamed Christians, and the Colosseum's were going on. And so we have our particular circumstances to overcome by faith.
But over the course of the ages and the centuries gone by, other believers and believers in other places in the world definitely haven't heard of. We're honestly relatively easy going right now today where we are. But in good times and bad times, if we live by faith in Christ and the Word of God and we'll be OK, circumstances will definitely change. But the point here is that the circumstances change, but the Word of God doesn't change.
The final word has been spoken, and that word is not going to change. That's what I've just kind of been meditating on. Verse 5 says this, who is the one who overcomes the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. So I wrote as the object of faith determines the value of faith.
True faith, biblical faith, and that is to say saving and sanctifying faith is a very specific kind of faith because large faith in the wrong thing, it could just be arrogance or it could be entirely misplaced confidence or misplaced hope. I could have great faith in my own willpower and my own vitality to solve all of the problems. But that would just be kind of prideful. I don't have sufficient willpower to conquer my sin.
That's God's work of sanctification. I don't have sufficient vitality to run my own life. I need fellowship, and I need other people to be involved in my life and to tell me things that I don't know and to help me think the right way. And so large faith isn't really what it's all about.
And I wrote, I just put in Matthew 1720, which is a verse you'd be familiar with. Faith the size of a mustard seed is sufficient to move mountains. But it doesn't really matter about the size of the faith. That's not the point.
It's what you have faith in. And we need to have faith in the Lord Jesus and not other things. There are lots of other things that are distracting. Yeah, I don't know.
I could believe that the type of daylight and could beat the Montreal Canadiens. That would just be misplaced, because they're the Canadian underdog team. There's a clear good guy here. Anyways, forget that.
But yeah. So if you place your faith, if I place my faith in myself, I'm going to get burned by that. And if I hope to deliver myself from trouble, that's just kind of a very short-sighted strategy. But if you place your faith in the world, it can be very disappointed.
And things of the world. You get burned again. But anyone who places their faith in Christ, who is the final word of God, will not be disappointed. Versus, so I guess I didn't have a note for a verse 6 to 8.
But I guess I should say something to that. In verses 6 to 8, John addresses the divinity of Christ by the testimony of water blood and the spirit. And I think this is something that's good to kind of grab a commentary and check it out. And I'll kind of leave it with you.
But it's very interesting. The specific nuances of how he defends Christ's deity. And there was a popular heresy of the early church that you can go read about in commentaries and things like that. And the divinity of Christ is a common thing to come under attack in terms of attacking Christian belief.
But Jesus is God. And so I'll continue on to verses 9 and 10. They say this, if we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater. For the testimony of God is this, that he has testified concerning his son.
The one who believes in the son of God has the testimony in himself. The one who does not believe that belief God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his son. So the word testimony, that's kind of God's word. And I think these verses really do highlight, and 11 and 12, they really highlight the finality of God's testimony.
And you see that in verse 10, the finality of how, if I agree with God, well, then that's great. And I'm going to have the life that the son has. But if I don't believe and agree with what God said, I'm accusing God of being a liar. And the wording there is kind of funny.
The one who does not believe God has made him a liar, capital H, him a liar. So that is just to say that it puts me in the wrong position of accusing God of saying something that's false and rejecting his son. And so really, it's God's word itself, and this is going to be a common theme that we're going to see later. God's word itself has this truth to it and this absolute power to it that holds up.
And the word itself kind of judges and divides and is the arbiter of truth. And it's just really fascinating because Jesus, personally, he is the truth and he is the word. But the word also is, yeah, we're going to get into it as a read some other references. But I have some interesting or just some discussion points here.
One thing about today and the way we live is that we're just flooded with information right now, inundated to the point of confusion, if you care to absorb the information that's flying around. Access to information is a really, really good thing in theory. It really is a helpful thing, being able to just research things like how to run my life. I can learn gardening on the internet or whatever.
Access to information is really good. And that's in theory. But the problem is there's so much junk information, and there's more junk information now, and basically the internet is polluted, with just junk information of various types. And I think it's really funny that kids these days, they grow up and they just kind of unassuming know that the sum total of human knowledge is available on the internet.
And it's like, OK, well, people never grew up like that before the internet, because it's not just like, OK, you can go and access that vast pool of knowledge. But there's a big problem here. And this is the first part of verse 9. It says, if we receive the testimony of people, that's what that is.
And people have opinions. People tell you what should be happening, what is happening, how you should feel, how you should think about that, and what things are right and wrong. And people have all these opinions, and people put all this information out there. And oftentimes, we receive the testimony of people.
We just believe what people tell us. And we often basically do receive the testimony of people. But if we do that, we should know that the testimony of God is greater. For the testimony of God is this, that he has testified concerning his son in the word of God.
And so there's a lot of junk information out there that I feel that I don't really need to worry about and pay too much attention to, because it's not really central to the Bible and the word of God. It doesn't help me to be an overcomer necessarily. Depending on, there's nuances to all of that. But I think you get the thrust of that.
The point is that the testimony of God is greater and that he has spoken the final word in his son. And he's testified concerning his son. And probably like parents have probably said, throughout the world in different languages and different times, no if stands or buts. I imagine that's probably the end, right?
I can imagine someone saying that maybe in another language it's a common saying, I don't know. Verses 11 and 12 say this. And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son. The one who has the son has life.
The one who does not have the son of God does not have the life. And so yeah, there's a lot of things going on, but I would say that really most things have of importance, God has already spoken to and testified and determined most outcomes. So the outcome of having faith in Christ is determined. It's settled.
There's nothing to add or subtract from that. All we can do is align with God or not. The destiny of believers, as we're in this world, our destiny is settled. If you're saved, your destiny is settled.
And that's not gonna change just from the changing this of the world or the changing pressures of your life. The end of this world is already decided. It's all been written out. And the timing of that is already set.
And we don't know when that is. But I would say that your choice is not necessarily automatic and forced and decided, your choice to overcome and my choice to overcome and to choose to be obedient to the word of God. I believe that we will always have that ability to choose Christ, whether or not we have apparent freedom to choose Christ. And I think that choice to choose Christ has always been consequential.
And it always has been at different times of the ages. But to those who overcome in their specific circumstance, there will be a reward. And that's what God asks for us, is to focus on obedience in the word of God and things will happen otherwise, right? And so what's next is kind of a collection of scriptures.
I would say just like, maybe sit back and relax because I'm just going to read them. And there's just so much to speak to on this, but I've been fascinated by the finality and kind of the existence of God's word in all the scriptures that speak to that. So if I could get a clicker or a controller, you just click on the PDF and it'll go back to, yeah, there you go, okay. So I have control again.
So Hebrews 1 says this, God after he spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in his son, whom he appointed heir of all things, how God has spoken to us in his son. We know that the son is the word of God. It's interesting that when this was written, it was considered the last days because it's been the same era, the same age since then. But God has spoken to us in his son and just the significance of Jesus as the word of God and how final that word is.
Jesus himself never changes and the word of God never changes. And it's just because God's truth is so perfect and Jesus is perfection. And it's all just so aligned. John 1 of course says this, that in the beginning was the word and the word was with God.
And the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him and apart from him, nothing came into being that came into him being. In him was life and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 3 says this in verses 17 and 18, for God did not send the son into the world to judge the world but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him is not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God.
So this is like when someone has so much authority that when they make a decision, it's like it's a done deal. And God is like that because in verse 18, we see that he who believes in him is not judged but he who does not believe has been judged already. And it's because God has already declared and set up the whole story. And falling into that latter category, it's like a done deal because of the authority of God, because the finality of the word of God.
John 5 says this, I've come in my father's name and you do not receive me, Jesus speaking. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and you do not see the glory that is from the one and only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the father, the one who accuses you is Moses in whom you have set your hope.
For if you believe Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words? I mean, the word as we think of it or the scriptures include of course the Old Testament and the writings of Moses. And Jesus says that those writings will accuse these Pharisees who are, you know, they're being hypocritical and seeking glory from one another.
And I just think it's so interesting that Jesus has that compassion where he often said this kind of thing. But it's still the final word has been said as for the judgment. But Jesus comes as a savior. If anyone hears my sayings, John 12, if anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
He who rejects me and who does not receive my sayings has one who judges him. The word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. And this, John 12 is really what kind of got me thinking about this. I don't know why I didn't speak on John 12 because these are just truly amazing.
This is a truly amazing passage and a truly just incredible, this chapter, what Jesus says about himself. And I think it's worthwhile to kind of go there and read the larger passage here in John 12. It's just, it's like just, I don't have an analysis or whatever for you or like points, but I'm just looking at the word of God and I'm amazed at the things that Jesus says because he speaks with perfect authority and every word he says is perfect. And it's so cross cutting, it cuts across time, it cuts across different cultures and it's just, it's God's truth.
And it's applicable, but also it's so solid and there's such authority in it. Let's consider, let's just read John 12. Let's just read this passage. I think it's gonna be good.
From verse 20 to verse 50, it's like the things that are going on, the things that Jesus says, it's just so nourishing. So it says, greeks, seek Jesus. Now there were some greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast. These then came to Philip who was from Bethsaida of Galilee and began to ask him saying, sir, we wish to see Jesus.
Philip came and told Andrew, Andrew, and Philip came and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them saying, the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. If you just took those verses, and I imagine it like a connect the dots puzzle almost, because these are all very related and they present a larger message, but each statement is kind of far from the one before it.
And it takes a bit of meditation and thinking about what Jesus is saying in order to kind of connect the dots, I think. That's how I feel. Because each sentence, you know, you have to ponder. How is this connected to what Jesus is saying overall here?
And I would say of verses 25 and 26, he who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves me, he must follow me. And where I am there my servant will be also. I think that speaks to the fact that Christ he knew his destiny or his appointment, I guess, with the cross and the work that he was going to do.
And if anyone serves Christ and follows Christ, where Christ goes, we can expect to go. He's in glory now, and we'll go there someday. But while we're here on Earth, as he was here on Earth, we can assume that if we're serving him, it's gonna be a similar kind of outcome bearing that cross. And verse 25 is very connected to that because it says he who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
And so if we love our life in the world, and if we aren't willing to approach a cross of death that could literally be something very painful in our lives in the life of a believer, I mean, it's happened in the past in past societies such as in the early church that or in different countries around the world now that Christians have been told to deny Christ on her penalty of death. But which life do we love more? And are we willing to follow Christ to that end? And I just see the connection between these verses where Christ is, he's saying these things, and if you just kind of look at them grammatically, it doesn't all come through.
But I think they are all very connected. Let's keep going. My soul has become troubled. And what shall I say?
Father, save me from this hour. But for this purpose, I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name. And Jesus was very aware of where he was headed.
And then a voice came out of heaven and said, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it's under it. Others were saying an angel has spoken to him. Jesus answered and said, this voice has not come for my sake, but for your sakes.
Now judgment is upon the world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. It's not fascinating that Jesus, the finality, now judgment is upon the world.
Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And here we are today. And we know that the final word has been spoken. The world really has been judged.
And Satan has been judged and defeated in the work of the cross. It's already happened. And we have this solid framework of the Word of God. And it enables us to live our lives by faith.
But he was saying this to indicate the kind of death which he was to die. The crowd then answered him. We have heard of the law that Christ has remained forever. And how can you say the Son of Man must be lifted up?
Who is this Son of Man? So Jesus said to them, for a little while longer, the light is among you. Walk while you have the light so that the darkness will not overtake you. He walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.
While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become sons of the light. Like he doesn't answer the question. It's just fascinating. These things Jesus spoke, and he went away and hid himself from them.
But though he had performed, I should back up there and say, he answered a deeper question than the one they asked. And this is very characteristic of just how he spoke. Eternal truth doesn't fit into just that specific conversation. So he holds answers a deeper question.
These things Jesus spoke and he went away and hid himself from them. But though he had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in him. This was to fill the Word of Isaiah, the Prophet which spoke. Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the Lord, the arm of the Lord, been revealed? For this reason, they could not believe for Isaiah said again. He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive what their heart and be converted, and I healed them. These things Isaiah said because he saw his glory and spoke of him.
Nevertheless, many even of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees, they were not confessing him for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the approval of men, rather than the approval of God. Isn't that poignant? Pointing it. Isn't that amazing that John saw this so clearly and what's going on?
And it's so connected what he wrote later in the Epistles towards the end of his life. And this. These Pharisees were not overcomers. They believed.
Even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees, or the leaders, I guess, were believing, but because of the Pharisees, they were not confessing him for fear. And Jesus cried out and said, he who believes in me does not believe in me, but in him who sent me. He who sees me sees the one who sent me. I have come as a light into the world so that everyone who believes in me will not remain in darkness.
If anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There's that thing again. How Jesus is coming as Savior, and he came as Savior, but still, that judgment is there in the world, in the Word. He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has the one who judges him.
The word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day, for I did not speak on my own initiative, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to what to say and to speak. I know that his commandment is eternal life. Therefore, I speak. The things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.
I mean, that theologically, that passage is really significant, and Jesus is revealing the nature of the Son in the Trinity to a large extent right there. That's something you could look at later. I should just wrap up. Matthew 24, 35 says, heaven and earth will not pass away, but will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Another very celebrated verse that we think of, and we think of the power and the transcendence of the words of Jesus and the scriptures themselves. And this is really interesting too. For the Word of God is living in active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. So able to judge, it's not typically the thing that we would.
That's kind of like something that you'd say only a person can do or whatever. But really, because Jesus is the Word, I mean, it's a living thing, right? And so just two related verses in Revelation 1 and 16, it says, in his right hand, he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in its strength. And on 1915 reveals a significance of that.
From his mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it he may strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, and he treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. So that sword is the word because he's using it as the judge. And I've just been fascinated by, at the end, and I've just been fascinated by these things, and thinking about all the different ways and interconnections of how the Bible presents these things. And I think it's just great that it enables us to have such confidence in the faith that we have, and that faith is victory in itself, because we can declare that the Word of God is greater by far than any other thing, any other information, any other news, any other current events.
It's the Word of God that we can live on, and live by, and be obedient to. And so I'll just close in prayer, and that's all I have. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your word, and thank you for the Lord Jesus, and pray that you would help each of us strengthen us, Lord, nourish us, and we need you, Lord, and we're not wanting to hide or be oblivious or avoid things, but, Lord, we really just want to be obedient to you and honoring to you, and just pray that you would help us, and that you would continue to guide and direct even just our hearts, our emotions, our feelings, our thoughts, and our lives are so complex and nuanced, but we know that you have lived it, and we know that you know us, and you understand us, and we just cry out to you as your children, Lord, and ask that you would meet our needs spiritually, and help us, Lord, to worship you with our lives, and worship you in spirit and truth, and that you would help us to have that connection of worship and prayer, and in singing, and pray that you would enable us, and help us to have fellowship, and that you would make a way for that. And God, we want to commit the remainder of this day, and our lives overall, in this body, this assembly, Lord, we commit ourselves to you, God, because we know that, without you, we really have nothing to stand on, but we pray that you would keep us in your word, and help us to continue to stand, and to stand strong, and to stand firm, and to be the ones who overcome, to be overcomers, and pray God for your strength, and we pray in Jesus' name, amen.