Getting A Good Start

Has anybody noticed this little scar on my hand yet? There's a lot of people here that would call it a boo-boo. Young and old, I know some of you. This little scar came from wrestling. Not with my wife, no, but with my children. But we wrestle not against flesh and blood. But rather, we wrestle against the powers of the air and principalities of this earth. It's a spiritual battle, kids. Do you realize, kids, that there might be an angel sitting beside you right now? Go ahead, look around, kids. Tell me if you see any angels. Someone just said there is an angel. No, it wasn't Paul. Oh, that we could see what goes on behind the scenes. As we go into a time of praise and worship unto our God tonight, remind yourself that it's not a fleshly battle, it's not a mental battle, but rather, we are being called to do a battle in the heavenlies. That's how we win the lost. That's how we encourage one another. That's how we leave the place where the word is spoken built up and strong and able to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world. Satan's defeated. We have all that's needed. We're bought by the blood of the Lamb. Satan's defeated. We have all that's needed. We're bought by the blood of the Lamb. At the heaven's dinner, at the sin's sorrow, we've been bought by the blood of the Lamb. Our food we pass down, we're no longer bound. We lay down our lives in exchange for a crown. We've bled and died to purchase a crown. We're bought by the blood of the Lamb. Satan's defeated. We have all that's needed. We're bought by the blood of the Lamb. At the heaven's dinner, at the sin's sorrow, we've been bought by the blood of the Lamb. We won't be disturbed by lies we have heard. We're standing secure on the power of His word. He paid the price, the pure sacrifice. We're bought by the blood of the Lamb. Satan's defeated. We have all that's needed. We're bought by the blood of the Lamb. At the heaven's dinner, at the sin's sorrow, we've been bought by the blood of the Lamb. Satan's defeated. We have all that's needed. We're bought by the blood of the Lamb. Let the heavens be crowned and the saints are aware. We've been bought by the blood of the Lamb. Satan's defeated. Satan's defeated. We have all that's needed. We're bought by the blood of the Lamb. Let the heavens be crowned and the saints are aware. We've been bought by the blood of the Lamb. We have been bought. We've been bought by the blood of the Lamb. We've been bought by the blood of the Lamb. We're the people of God, called by His name, called from the dark and delivered from shame. One holy race, saints every one, because of the blood of Christ Jesus the Son. With our lips blessing one confession, with our hearts owed to one truth alone. For He has erased our transgressions, claimed us and called us His own. He is very own. We're the people of God, called by His name, called from the dark and delivered from shame. One holy race, saints every one, because of the blood of Christ Jesus the Son. We're the people of God, the people of God, called by His name, called from the dark and delivered from shame. One holy race, saints every one, because of the blood of Christ Jesus the Son. Hear us, O spirits of darkness, so you will know where we stand. We are His servants. We are His servants, purchased with scars, bought by the blood of the Lamb. The blood of the Lamb. We're the people of God. We're the people of God, called by His name, called from the dark and delivered from shame. One holy race, saints every one, Jesus the Son. What a mighty God you are. He's mighty. What a mighty God you are. He was bowed before you, heaven and earth adore you. What a mighty God you are. He was bowed before you, heaven and earth adore you. What a mighty God. Just a man. He was bowed before you, heaven and earth adore you. What a mighty God you are. What a mighty God we serve, everyone. What a mighty God we serve. What a mighty God we serve. He was bowed before you, heaven and earth adore you. What a mighty God we serve. I command you, Satan. Now, we're going to sing a new song tonight. And it's really simple. It's called, I Command You, Satan. And I'd really appreciate it if you put the words up back there, Don. Because I don't know them yet. I command you, Satan. I want you to say these words with me. Go ahead, put them up. I command you, Satan. In the name of the Lord. All right. Start over. I can't hear you. I command you, Satan. In the name of the Lord. To drop your weapons and flee. For the Lord has given us authority. To walk all over thee. Do you believe that? Let's sing that. I command you, Satan. In the name of the Lord. To drop your weapons and flee. For the Lord has given us authority. To walk all over thee. I command you. I command you, Satan. In the name of the Lord. To drop your weapons and flee. For the Lord has given us authority. To walk all over thee. What a mighty God. What a mighty God you are. What a mighty God you are. Angels bow before you. Heaven and earth adore you. What a mighty God you are. I command you, Satan. In the name of the Lord. To drop your weapons and flee. For the Lord has given us authority. To walk all over thee. Sing it again. I command you, Satan. I command you, Satan. In the name of the Lord. To drop your weapons and flee. For the Lord has given us authority. To walk all over thee. Oh, when the saints go marching. Oh, when the saints go marching in. Oh, when the saints go marching in. Oh, Lord, I want to be in that number. Oh, when the saints go. Oh, when the saints. Oh, when the saints go marching in. Oh, when the saints go marching in. Oh, Lord, I want to be in that number. Oh, when the saints go marching in. What a mighty God you are. What a mighty God you are. Oh, he's mighty. What a mighty God you are. Angels bow before you. Heaven and earth adore you. What a mighty God you are. Let God arise. Let God arise. Let his enemies be scattered. Let God arise. Let his enemies be scattered. Oh, let God arise. Let his enemies be scattered. Let God, let God arise. Just the ladies now declare it. Let God arise. Let his enemies be scattered. Let God arise. Let his enemies be scattered. Oh, let God arise. Let his enemies be scattered. Oh, let God, let God arise. Everyone declare it together. Let God arise. let His enemies be scattered, let God Arise! Hallelujah, Lord! I'm glad to be able to sing songs as warriors tonight and I'll tell you why because I know that we're becoming a victorious people and the reason I know that is because of the number of you that have been dropping by or dropping a note or calling me or one of the other pastors and saying you wouldn't believe what God is doing in my job, in my family, in my home, in my marriage, with my children and on and on and on. I'm not exaggerating folks. There has been a lot of pressure on this body over the last several weeks and guess what's happening? That pressure, that oven of fire as it were, is producing some very special pottery and you're it and I just thank God with you tonight for the work that he's doing in your life and let me share something with those of you who may have come in tonight just about three steps below where I am right now and where many of the people are around you. Eye has not seen, nor has ear heard, nor can a man comprehend what God has in store for those who, what? Love Him. Amen? Amen. Guess what kids? It's time for you to go. Parents, I'd like you to be seated. Oh, as you're being seated, do me a favor. Introduce yourselves around. Find somebody you don't know as you're being seated. Go ahead. Before you sit down, don't go yet kids. Don't go yet. Children, don't leave yet. I'm going to dismiss you. Teachers, you should be coming up. Teachers, you can come on up. Now, I've tried this three times now and I haven't gotten it right yet but I'm going to tonight. I think. Okay. The fifth and sixth grade boys, you go that way. Oh, they're really making it easy for us too. The fifth and sixth grade girls, you go that way. And all the girls went running over. Go ahead. Fifth and sixth grade girls to my right. Third and fourth grade boys to my left. Third and fourth grade girls to my right. First and second grade boys to my left. First and second grade girls to my right. This is really easy. Oh, now it gets harder. Four and five-year-olds to my right. Go ahead. Four and five-year-olds, go that away. Two and three-year-olds, parents, you might want to help your kids along. Go to my left. Two and three-year-olds. That's rainbows to my left and scooters to my right. Look at all those scooters. Are all the kids dismissed? We didn't miss any group, any kids. Always feel a little depleted when they go out, don't you? We have suddenly a number of things that we want to do tonight. We'll do them in different stages, I believe, here. First of all, I want to ask Holly Lawson to come up. Is she still here, Holly? There she is, right in the front. Bless you. Okay. Real quickly, tell. Holly is another special young person in my life, Carol in my life, as we were privileged to be part of God's instrument that broke through to her dark heart a few years ago and brought the light. Tonight, no, I won't tell any stories because you're not going to talk about me. But anyhow, it's wonderful to see Holly growing in the Lord. Why don't you come over here? These people feel favored and they feel slighted. Tell them what you're doing and why we're going to pray for you. I'm going to YWAM. I know Amy Farrell was up here sometime, and I'm going to the same place she is, the Maui base of YWAM. She's going on a staff, and I'm a peon. I don't know. Whatever they're called, I'm just going. But it's three months in Maui as training, and then two months is the outreach phase, and that's either going to be in the Philippines or Asia. I'm really excited about it, and it's a continuation. I've gone on two previous missions trips. I've been up there before. During the past summer, the Lord was just really showing me more and more about YWAM. I had never really known anything about it. I'm not going to talk for every day. It's okay. Then just things fell into place, and so I'm going. Why don't you share what your long-range vision is so people don't think you're just going to Maui for a vacation? I was in nursing school for a while at Duquesne, and I loved the nursing, but I hated Duquesne. I just knew that wasn't where I was supposed to be. Then I found out YWAM has a university and that they have a degree program called primary health care, which is nursing geared towards third world countries. That's what I wanted to do anyway. I wanted to get my nursing and then go on missions. This way, it's kind of all at once, and DTS is a prerequisite for everything. Since so many of our folks are heading to Hawaii for one reason or another, let me tell you why it's there. Seriously, YWAM specifically prayed for God to supply a base that would be a launch pad into all the Orient. That's why it's there. These folks that are going there, I know it sounds like a dramatic break. I know it is significant. You're leaving in January. But the desire is to get people trained and then over into the Orient and some of these very needy countries. So we're going to pray for Holly and others. I'm just thrilled to see people whose whole lives, three years ago, three and a half years ago, two and a half years ago, Holly had yellow hair. I'm serious. No stories. No stories, but that's as much as I'll tell you. Great. Jane, would you come up and join me and Scott, please? I know Carl's here, but let's just pray for Holly. Extend your hand, Church, would you? Father God, as we release Holly for the next step of her training, we are humbled by the magnitude of grace that you've poured out upon her, Lord, to give her a future and a hope, to call her out of a self-serving lifestyle, Lord, into service of the King. We pray, Lord, that this mission training, this medical training, especially that she's heading into, Lord, would equip her. We pray that such great expanding of her heart would take place, that following these next five months, Lord, she'd have a very clear, specific direction for the fruitful years of her life that lie ahead. We thank you for her, Lord. We pray you continue to draw her family close to you through the midst of all this, as they struggle with what it means to lose their daughter to world missions. So we praise you, Lord, and ask you to continue and to send many, many more Hollies up through this congregation, Father. In Jesus' name. Amen. Bless you. Send us all postcards, too. Pastor Tom Walker, who's here tonight, will be meeting with all the parents who want to discuss with him the possibility of a summer missions trip. I think you know about this. I'm just reminding you tonight in the video room right after the service. Finally, I'm going to ask a friend of mine, and I'm sure many of yours as well, Paul McMurdy, who's the Area Director of the 700 Club, CBN, and also a pastor. I mentioned to you on a Sunday morning that CBN now has moved their offices right up here to a really better location, wouldn't you say, than Penn Hills. And right here next to Chuck E. Cheese. So Paul, come on up. That was one of the prerequisites. Paul needed a break at lunchtime. But he's here on a serious mission tonight. By the way, I want us all to thank the Lord and Paul for their help. CBN supplied over $10,000 for the food certificates for the banquet. We want to thank you for that. Thank you. For years and years we've been praying about a place where we could have a base from which to reach into the North Hills like Hawaii. And they said, just get close to North Way. And that's the truth. For four years I've been involved with CBN in Pittsburgh, and that's been the talk, is move to the North Hills, get close to North Way, draw upon the volunteer energy that's milling around in that church, and change the city for Christ. So that's what we're doing. Very simply, we did move up here. We're not so close to Chuck E. Cheese's Sweet Licks. Actually, if you go to Sweet Licks and look across the street, you look at our door. So that's where we are. And the telephone counseling is really what we're all about in that area. We have 10 telephones. When they ring, we talk to people. Let me ask you, just do a poll with you. How many of you have counseled for the 700 Club before? Could I see your hands? Some of you have. I know you have. We have several that are counselors with us now and have been for a number of years. How many of you have ever called the 700 Club counseling line? Good. Are any of you here tonight who actually prayed to receive Christ for your first years that you were saved by calling the 700 Club? Is there anyone here that? Okay. At least two, I see. Very good. Well, that kind of summarizes what we do. And CBN has been doing it for 25 years. We've been in the city of Pittsburgh for 12 years on the east side in the Penn Hills area. And that, as you know, there's been a shift in the population in the general Pittsburgh area. And we have prayed earnestly, and I don't mean that facetiously, that God would open up a facility for us in this area where so much growth is taking place, where there is such a real need for a message of truth that is in Christ. And God has really provided a marvelous facility. And we're believing that God's going to provide a marvelous team of workers. And that's why I'm here. Simply, I have five minutes, give or take, to say to you, would you please pray and consider the possibility that maybe you could be a volunteer counselor. I want to just dispel any anxiety about what it means to be a counselor. We're primarily listeners and prayers. We've sort of gotten away from any sense that we can teach people over the telephone or that we can counsel them in any depth. We really see ourselves as evangelists more than counselors, and we see ourselves as prayer partners. We want to be there for that someone who has nowhere else to turn, who's calling a number, not really knowing who's on the other end of it, and not really having a personal relationship with the person that he's calling. He's talking to a voice on a phone, but that voice can be a signpost, can be someone that connects him to flesh and blood and connects him to the Lord. And that's really what we want to try and do. We want to be there for that person that calls. So the counselor's ministry is first really a ministry of availability. It's a heart to evangelize. But let me just ask you this. How many of you have explained to someone what it means to take Jesus as your Savior or prayed with someone to accept Jesus as Savior within the past week? How many of you have done that? And then obviously the question is, how many of you would like to in the next week? Because that's really what we do. We sit down at the telephone. When it rings, that person, nine times out of ten, is saying, explain something to me, talk to me about God, help me to know or receive or experience the reality of what Jesus Christ or who God is, what He can do in my life. And so we don't ask you to come with great theological training or with expertise in psychology. We ask you to be there as a child of God who's been born again, who's been indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who has a good understanding of what it means to know Jesus Christ and share what you have and not try to share what somebody else has. Just be yourself in the Lord and available and respond to that person as a human being and take the opportunity to tell them what it means to have Jesus Christ in your life. And we're going to have a training session. And keep in mind what I've said now about training. We're going to have a training session that's a total of two hours. That's all the training we're really going to do initially. On Tuesday, this coming Tuesday, the 10th of January, a week from yesterday, one in the morning at 10, 10 till noon, and then one repeated again in the evening from 7 to 9. And I'd like to invite you, if you have a sense that you'd like to explore this possibility of serving the Lord, that you just come and sense the atmosphere and the spirit of what the ministry is all about. We're going to be showing you what CBN does and invite you to be involved personally. The telephone counselor typically spends about two or three hours a week. Usually you pick a day or a time when the television program is being aired, either at 10 in the morning or at 7 in the evening on channel 40, and plan to be there for about a two-hour segment that day. You might say, Tuesday nights are my nights. And start with a commitment to be there from 7 to 9 or from 6.30 to 8.30 or something like that. And that's the kind of scheduling that we're wanting to set up, so that we have volunteer counselors available, and then ultimately our goal is that they would be available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. But we're starting with those basic times when the 700 Club program is being aired in this area, when people would see the number on the television screen and could respond to it. One of the first things that Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew was, follow me and I'll make you fishers of men. And that's the concept of what the 700 Club program does. It throws bait out across the nation. And then there is a net work. That's the television cable systems and the telephone lines and the volunteers draw it in. Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a drag net that collects all kinds of fish. We collect all kinds of collars. We just sort them out. Some are keepers, some are not. Ministry is unto the Lord. It's a great opportunity. And I'd like to ask you to really pray about it, consider it. Jay has promised me that he would provide all the volunteers I would ever need. And I will be, if you really feel like you're committed to coming this Tuesday, I know this is quick notice, but if you really feel like, yes, you want to do that, I'll be out in the hall at the sign-up table after the service and you can sign up. If you want to pray about it a few days, go ahead, and then come Tuesday. Just before you're seated, how many people are going to at least consider this? Just let me see your hand, all right? All right. That's a good start, right? I'll start numbering another page. Okay, great. Bless you, Paul. Thank you for coming tonight as well. I want everyone to turn your Bibles for just a moment to Romans 1, please. I want to share one more thing somewhat spontaneously, but I think I need to share it now before we go on. Romans 1 tells us the way the world truly is when the human heart is left to its own devices. It says this, Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done. For they have become filled with every kind of wickedness and evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy and murder and strife and deceit and malice. They are gossips and slanders and God-haters and insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent ways of doing evil. They disobey their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. And although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. I'm going to share something right now that won't be difficult for some of you, I believe, but it needs to be shared. We've all been shocked, I know, by the rather relentless description of what was happening as a young man's body was found dismembered in all sorts of ways. How many of you know what I'm talking about? You've heard this story. And I hope that all of you are prompted when you hear such things to pray for the people involved. I mean, that's what I've told you in the past. I believe that's something that a Christian must see as a quickening by God. I mean, not everything is going to have that same impact. But I know that I prayed immediately, and I trust you did. But little did I know that someone from our congregation is directly related to that individual. And so we discovered this last night, and not with certainty until really late into the evening. And that person is here tonight, and in fact, it's the victim's brother, who I'm sure you can understand is in somewhat of a state of shock, but did ask for us to pray for him tonight. And he is here because he has been taken in and loved by another family in our church, the Erdner family. And this is one of those ministries that most people don't know about in our church. It goes on all the time, caring for people who have lost home, in many cases lost hope, gotten into drugs, problems of all kinds. And tonight, I think it's appropriate, although difficult, I'm sure, for us to pray for Richie Michalowski. You've heard the name, Anthony Michalowski, it was his brother. Richie's here tonight, and Joyce is here, and her husband Dave, and others from the family. We need to come around them at this time. We need to surround them. We need to believe God in the midst of this terrible darkness, to shine his light, and to save Richie's family, and to bring something redemptive out of this situation. So I'm going to ask you all to stand right now, if you would, and the elders that are present to come forward. Richie and the Erdners, if you'd come up, please. We're going to pray with you right now. And ask God to meet us tonight as we hold your hands before the Lord together. Come on up here. This is Richie. You know Joyce. This is her son Ken, and her husband Dave, and some of the elders. Let me invite you to extend your hands up here, if you would, please. Let's just wait on the Lord for a couple of moments. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Jesus. Holy Spirit, at this moment, I know that your word tells us that you utter groanings too deep for us to speak humanly. And so we utter those groanings for Richie, for his family, oh God. Lord, you interpret that. You interpret that, Holy Spirit, to the Father tonight. You speak the words that we cannot articulate. You speak the emotion of our hearts tonight. Oh, dear God. Dear God, what is man capable of doing? In his fallenness and vileness, oh God, how far will he go? What is the devil capable of doing in a man? Oh, Jesus, we see it tonight, and we understand. Oh, God. Forgive, oh God. Lord, at the same time, we humbly come tonight and thank you for our redemption, Lord. That you sent Jesus to be the light in this dark, dark world. Lord, I thank you that you sent your light into Richie, rescued his heart, oh God. Lord, it's not been without struggle, but you've brought him along. Lord, you've loved him through Joyce and Dave and the family. You've helped him, oh God, to be established. Lord, you've given him to this church. God, we just put our arms around him now. We thank you for him. Comfort him, Holy Spirit. Dear God, I pray that you'd give the family some measure of hope and comfort in who you are tonight. That all of this tragedy, Lord, would lead them to the Savior, the pure and holy one who is everything opposite of what's in the world. Dear God, dear God. Holy Spirit, change our brother. Lord, I ask you to fulfill everything in him that you've designed and destined. I just speak of release into his life of every blessing, of every enablement. I release him from any curse of his past life. I release him from any torturous, demonic oppression. I speak health and wholeness into every cell of his body. Oh God, thank you. Lord, let his heart remain soft before you, Lord. For you are his Savior. You are his Redeemer, oh God. We stand with you, Lord Jesus. Stand with him, Jesus. You're able, oh God. While we just continue to hold up the arms of Joyce and Dave, and pray that they would never, oh God, carry a burden they are not able to carry, Lord, but turn it over to your shoulders. Lord, let us be what they need as a support. Holy Spirit, give them fresh encouragement in life in these days. We thank you for them. Now Lord, our eyes are fixed on you, Lord. In your holiness and your loveliness. In your ability, oh God, to redeem even out of the depths. In Jesus' name. You may be seated, Church. I trust tonight that we'll all receive these difficult moments as a sobering reminder of the reality in which we live. And Church, you know how much I detest the idea of playing religion. And I fear that for this Church. That we can get going in some religious track and just feel good about ourselves and lose sight of what's really out there. And we all know that in the heart of every man lies that same vile, twisted, fallen nature that would do such things. But thank God that Jesus stands as the embodiment of what is holy and pure and righteous and lovely and beautiful. And I want us to spend these next minutes together just before Him. Maybe tonight this just caused you to re-examine the value of your salvation. And I think it would be right for us tonight just to allow ourselves to worship Jesus for these next minutes. You see, it's bringing His presence that's going to drive out everything that's dark and vile anyhow. And tonight, not that we would forget what we've just done, but just simply that we'd be reminded that our focus is on Him. But God, but God, when we were dead in our sin, but God sent His Son to be our Redeemer. So let's stand together and Pastor Scott can lead us as we exalt His name and lift our praise to Him for what He's done in our hearts tonight. Let's just let this have fresh meaning to us as we remember that we too were dead in our trespasses and sins and God rescued us. Let's exalt Him. For His name is exalted, His glory above heaven and earth. Holy is the Lord. Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come. For His name is exalted, His glory above heaven and earth. Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come. For His name is exalted, His glory above heaven and earth. Holy is the Lord. Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who sitteth on the throne and who lives forevermore. Oh God, we worship You tonight. We worship You Lord with all of our heart. You are worthy Lord of our praise and our worship. We adore You. We crown You as King. You are exalted Lord. He is exalted. He is exalted. I will praise Him. I will praise Him. He is exalted. Forever exalted. I will praise His name. He is the Lord. Forever His truth shall reign. Heaven and earth rejoice in His holy name. He is exalted. The King is exalted. I will praise Him. He is exalted. Forever exalted. I will praise His name. He is the Lord. Forever His truth shall reign. Heaven and earth rejoice in His holy name. He is exalted. The King is exalted. Forever His truth shall reign. Heaven and earth rejoice in His holy name. He is exalted. The King is exalted. I will praise Him. He is exalted. He is exalted. The King is exalted. I will praise Him. He is exalted. The King is exalted. I will praise Him. He is exalted. The King is exalted. I will praise Him. He is exalted. I will praise Him. He is exalted. I will praise Him. Oh Lord, I exalt Thee. I exalt Thee. I exalt Thee. Oh Lord. For Thou, O Lord, art high above all the earth. Thou art exalted far above all others. For Thou, O Lord, art high above all the earth. Thou art exalted far above all gods. We exalt You, Lord. Oh Lord. Oh Lord. For His alone forevermore shall reign. Heaven and earth rejoice in His holy name. He is exalted. The King is exalted. I will praise Him. He is exalted. The King is exalted. He is exalted. The King is exalted. Oh Lord. We exalt You, Lord. We exalt You, Lord. God will not come crashing into you. He's a tender God. He's a gentle God. When we worship God, it's our meeting place with Him. Allow the Spirit of God to minister to you now. You don't have to wait. The Spirit of God has ministered to our brother and is ministering to him now. And so shall the Spirit of God minister to each of us. He won't come crashing into your life. He's here now. Receive from His hand. Go ahead. Whisper to Him your need. He wants to meet you at your point of need. Not tomorrow. Not for yesterday. But right now, He wants to meet you at your point of need. If you believe God is meeting you right now at your point of need, just touch someone to your left or right so that they can agree with you that that's happening. Just touch them. That's all you have to do. Don't just share. Just touch them. Say, God is meeting me at my point of need. I'm confident. The Spirit of God is meeting all of my needs. He's able to do that gently, tenderly, lovingly. In His holy name. He is exalted. The King is exalted on high. He is the Lord. He is the Lord. Lord, you are Lord. Forever His truth shall reign. Heaven and earth rejoice in His holy name. He is exalted. The King is exalted on high. He is exalted. The King is exalted on high. He is exalted. He is exalted. The King is exalted on high. Bless you. Would you be seated, please? I want to direct us now to the Word of Truth. And I'm going to encourage the ushers right at this moment to go ahead and pass out the outlines we have for tonight, which will give us something to take home with us. The truth of the Word is, for all of us, I'm sure, a great source of encouragement and comfort, but also of vision for this new year. Let's go ahead and pass those outlines out. You can follow along. I also have an overhead, I think. Don't we, gals? A couple of them. Alright. I was just curious, as you're getting those, how many of you have committed yourself to reading through the Bible this year? Okay. I'm on this side as well. How many of you are already behind? Alright. That's what I call it. You know, already. We're 12 chapters in and you're already a few behind. Now, at this pace, you'll get through about six books by the end of the year. Now, this topic that I'm going to open up tonight, I have some very, very important things to say. Okay, let's get everyone settled. Alright. Now, if you'll look up here, I'll tell you what's on the outline and you won't have to read that and try to listen to me. Okay. At the leadership meeting on Saturday morning, I want to share with you some very important ingredients that will further expand upon what I'm going to start tonight and then on Sunday as well. But I specifically narrowed down what I was going to do tonight. I eliminated prayer and I eliminated lots of other things