Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/visionbaptist/sermons/54133/mark-coffey-send-off-service/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfred, Georgia. It is our prayer that you will be blessed by the preaching of God's Word. I'd like to have you turn to 2 Timothy for a few moments. [0:13] Brother Mark, this is a challenge basically probably directed toward you, but it's a ministry thing for all of us. In 2 Timothy 3, verse 14, But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. [0:45] All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. [1:04] I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word. [1:24] Be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. [1:38] But after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. [1:52] Timothy was like a son to Paul. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, which are rich in truth, to help Timothy with his personal walk with the Lord, as well as his pastoral walk with the local church. [2:07] Paul gave a very strong charge to Timothy in chapter 4, verse 2, preach the word. What is the word? [2:20] We found above there in verse 15, that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures. Scriptures are the written words of God. [2:34] You need to know that as you preach the word, the scriptures are holy, and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures. [2:46] The word of God is pure. The word of God is perfect. The word of God is God's word. Number one, recognize them as holy. [2:58] Number two, recognize the word as wisdom, and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. [3:09] Make thee wise. Now there's a lot of wisdom in the scripture, but one of the foremost foundational things is the wisdom that leads to salvation. [3:21] The word of God makes one wise unto salvation. Romans chapter 10, verse 17, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. [3:33] So the challenge is, as it was for Timothy, as he as a young boy grew up under the word, he learned that it was holy, and he learned that it was wise. [3:47] Now, another truth that comes here is in verse 16, all scripture. Now what scripture did Paul have? Paul did not have the New Testament at that point in time. [4:02] The Holy Scripture then to him was the Old Testament. Now we accept the New Testament and the Old Testament as the Holy Scriptures. But the Holy Scriptures to Paul and to Timothy were the Old Testament. [4:16] And in chapter 3 and verse 16, all scripture is given by inspiration of God. And literally what that means is that it is God breathed. [4:29] We've heard that. It is the breath of God. When you come up to a person and talk inside their ear, if you're really close, you can actually feel the warmth of their breath as it comes across your ear. [4:44] And when you read the word of God and you read it in its truth and in its sincerity, it will come across to you as the warm breath of God. It is that close to us. [4:56] God breathed means that it is right there in our presence. When you go to Africa, the word of God will work in Africa as it works anywhere. The word of God is pure. It is holy. It makes one wise unto salvation. [5:08] Preach the word. Preach the word. Don't get sidetracked. Stay to the truth. Words are formed as air is forced out of the lungs, through the vocal cords and out the mouth. [5:30] If there's no air coming out, you can't hear words. God breathed. It takes breath to make words. But the combination of the breath and the words comes from the heart. [5:44] Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. So when God speaks, it is God breathed. It is from inside himself. It is the combination of his thoughts and the combination of his breath to us. [5:56] The scriptures are God breathed. They are brought to us as close as the next breath of air. They are warmth. They are help. They are hope. They are encouragement. They are power. [6:07] They are wisdom. They are what we need to herald wherever we go, U.S. or Africa or wherever. Preach the word. When we read God's word, we can feel his breath upon our ears. [6:24] It is warmth. It is encouragement. But we also need to understand in this matter of inspiration, and in theology classes you will have had and remember that. In theology, we say that inspiration is both verbal and plenary. [6:41] Now, those are good words. I don't know how you will translate and teach that when you get to the language that is in Africa. But what that refers to, verbal refers to the individual words. [6:54] Plenary refers to the entire whole from Genesis to Revelation. The whole and every individual word are inspired, God breathed. [7:07] They are the breath of God. Jesus said that not one jot or one tittle shall pass till all is fulfilled. The very smallest elements. [7:19] The jot is the yod in the Hebrew language. It is the smallest letter in the Hebrew language. The tittle is the little slash mark that differentiates between the sin and the shin. [7:32] Two different letters. For us, for easier understanding, what makes the difference between an O and a Q? That little slash. That little slash. [7:43] It's the same in the Hebrew with the sin and the shin. Not one jot or tittle, not one yod, the smallest letter, or one little slash, shall pass till all is fulfilled. [7:55] In other words, every part of the Scripture is inspired. Not just the whole, but every word. So when the Bible says, preach the word, it says, preach the words. You cannot preach the word apart from preaching the words. [8:09] You have to have the individual parts and the whole. The preacher of the word must preach the words, what each word means. [8:20] 2 Timothy 2, verse 15, Paul said to Timothy, Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [8:33] You will have to learn to study in a foreign language. Now, I've never done that. I don't know how that works. But it will be a challenge for you that when you go, you have to be able to communicate the word. [8:51] Your philosophy, your counseling, it will have to be for you the preaching of the word. You have to keep that in your mind. Keep the focus on that. [9:03] The danger, in verse 16, but shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness. Why is it in the United States that we are seeing the ungodliness spreading so much in our country? [9:19] We are the religious capital of the world, spiritually speaking, but why are we seeing so much worldliness? It is because of the fact that preaching has declined much across this country to vain babbling. [9:33] People preaching out of reader's digest, whatever it might be. shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness, for their word will eat as doth a canker, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some. [9:54] Nevertheless, nevertheless, the foundation of God's stand is sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His. You have to stay in the word. [10:05] You have to stay by the truth. You have to preach the word. I want to encourage you with that. I don't know if that's... I'm not trying to rebuke or whatever there. Sensitive, isn't it? [10:16] Just preach. Preach the word. Stay in the word. Preach the words. And God will take care of the rest. It's His work. Thank you. To open your Bibles to the book of Philippians, in chapter number one. [10:35] Philippians, in chapter number one. Allow me to share just one verse with you this evening. Of course, this time that we have is designated toward the Coffey family, in which we are very thankful for them. [10:47] We love them very much. Mark's been a personal friend of mine for many, many years. We did deputation together. We have some very fun memories of deputation. And then we arrived to Peru together in language school. [10:59] And we always had a good time. Every time Brother Austin would leave Peru to come to the United States and do a conference or something, Mark and I always had some witty idea of things that we were going to do while Jefe was out of the country. [11:11] And we could get away with about anything. In fact, we found a place called Siglo Vente. It was an open-air market. And you could buy a movie on a CD for probably about 30 cents. [11:22] And so Mark and I bought, I don't know, probably 10 years worth of movies while Brother Austin was gone out of the country. And just for clarification, if anybody's thinking anything negative, they were all classics like Shirley Temple, Anne of Green Gables, really good movies for you. [11:39] But anyway, we did a lot of those different things. We had a wonderful time. We would always get in trouble. Mark and I one time jumped the wall. It was probably about a 12-foot wall. We climbed over a wall to get into Brother Austin's house. [11:50] And the guards came. And we just had a great time doing all kinds of good things. I left Peru and went to Argentina. Mark brought a group down to Argentina. And we kept that close friendship and connection. [12:03] And I told him that I wanted macaroni and cheese. We didn't have that in Argentina. So Mark, I think, told every one of the students to bring macaroni and cheese. And I had macaroni and cheese, I think probably for two years, every day for supper or something. [12:16] I mean, it was just wonderful. Then I left from Peru. I got to Argentina. And then from Argentina, the Lord moved us last year to return back to here. And it was almost like another step that I was actually following Mark. [12:27] And so I said, Mark, you know, I'm glad you're leaving to South Africa. Can I go ahead and take your position now? You know, but we had a great time. I remember a long time ago, Mark told me, do you want to know what my favorite Bible verse was? [12:39] And I said, I would love to know. You know, I thought it was some spiritual deep meaning. And so he read me Psalm 3737. And it says, Mark the perfect man. I thought, really? I mean, you know, I was ready for some really deep spiritual move. [12:52] And here he goes reading Mark the perfect man. You know, obviously took everything way out of context. Totally, you know, anti-biblical everything. But anyway, I want to share with you this evening and directed towards Mark, my life verse in Philippians chapter one, verse number six. [13:06] And the Bible says this, being confident of this very thing that he, that's God, which hath begun a good work in you. That's your salvation when God begins that good work. He won't perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. [13:19] And that's the moment that he returns and takes us out of here. And Mark, I say to you as a friend, as a co-labor, God began a good work in you. Of course, that was our salvation. And God did something wonderful, but even now, God is continuing and he's going faithful through that good work. [13:34] And all of us as children of God, God began something special in us. God doesn't want to drop it there. So Mark, as you leave and you go over to South Africa, remember the Bible also says that you and your wife, you're one flesh. [13:47] That means God has a work for you, but God has a work for both of you together. God has a work for you guys as you move your way and your family at the same time. And what God begins, God always finishes. So I challenge you this evening, let the Lord move as he maybe takes you through language and he takes you through other steps. [14:04] Let God move in your life and just follow him every step of the way. Amen. Amen. If you would take your Bibles, turn with me to Acts chapter 11, verse 24. [14:15] The Bible says this. This was the testimony of the Bible about Barnabas. For he was a good man full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. Tonight I'd like to talk to the church and everyone else. [14:26] If you're a Christian here, I'd like to talk to you about what a good man is, what a good man does. The first mention of Barnabas was in Acts chapter 4, verse 36. And the Bible says this, The first thing in being a good man, I've noticed these different characteristics through Barnabas, but he was a giver. [14:56] Barnabas was a giver. When he came up, Barnabas took what he had and he took the initiative and he sold it. And he gave up a sacrifice that was in his family. And he gave it to the apostles. [15:08] He laid it down at their feet. Don't get much out of that. Don't get much glory out of that. But that's what Barnabas was. He was a giver. The second thing I see that Barnabas was is he was an enabler. [15:19] He was a trainer. You see in Acts chapter 11 when there was tidings of people getting saved over in Antioch, the church of Jerusalem was looking around for somebody they could send out there. [15:30] And they sent Barnabas. But when Barnabas left, you all know the story, he had to take somebody along with him. So he stopped by Tarsus and he picked up Paul or Saul at that time. [15:42] And we know this, that this is the time that Saul came into the ministry. Barnabas recruited people to help out in the ministry. It's one of the illustrations that we could use on life-on-life discipleship. And through that enabling and training people, they taught many people. [15:57] Many lives were changed. But in order to be a trainer or an enabler, you see you have to have double vision. And that's something a good man must have. You see back in Acts chapter 9 when a man just got saved and he was wanting to get into church and he was wanting to do something with his life for God. [16:19] Barnabas came alongside him. He came to the church leaders and they were rejecting him because you all know the story. Saul persecuted the church. And Barnabas brought him to the guys and he said, Hey guys, let me tell you what he did in Damascus. [16:34] In Acts chapter 15, it tells another story. You guys know the story. You probably heard of John Mark and how he left Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary trip. [16:46] And it was time to go back to the cities that Paul wanted to go to that he preached to in the Lord. Paul didn't want him to go, but Barnabas wanted to take his friend along. You see, Barnabas had double vision. [16:57] He didn't see where the guy was at. He didn't see where he could be. And by the end of it, at the end of Paul's life in 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 11, Paul's telling Timothy to bring Jonathan Mark, or John Mark, not Jonathan Mark, I'm sorry, Jonathan. [17:13] But to bring John Mark because he was profitable. So church, we need to be a good man. We need to be full of the Holy Ghost. We need to be full of faith. We need to be like Barnabas. We need to be givers and give what we can't get out of it. [17:26] We need to enable and train others so they can do as much in the ministry as God has intended them to do. And we need to have a double vision for everyone else. You might think this is a weird blessing service message, but I was trying to think what I could say to Mark. [17:43] And what do you say to a guy who's influenced you in ways that you can't even explain? What do you tell one of your teachers? You don't tell them anything. All I can say is this. [17:58] If there was ever a man during this day and age that embodied these characteristics, a giver, a man that enabled other people to get into church, a man that enabled other people to get into ministry, a man that had double vision when a punk from Podunk, Ohio came down, about ready, punched him in the face. [18:22] I swear, one time I about punched Mark in the face. He still worked with me, a man that had double vision. If there was ever a man in this day and age, I believe it's Mark Coffey. [18:35] And I like to challenge the church, be like Barnabas. Give, even when you don't get your name known. Enable other people into the ministry and see that double vision of what they could be. [18:47] Mark, I love you. I'm proud of you. Can't wait to see what God's going to do with you in South Africa. Well, I'm thankful to be part of a service tonight that's only possible because of the power of the cross. [18:58] I know we're in a room full of people that love each other deeply because of the cross. And I know that Mark and his family are only going to South Africa because of their love for the cross. [19:09] I get to be part of many of these services and I'm honored just to be in the room with these men in the back wall and be part of this church. But I'm extremely proud tonight. [19:21] I told my wife she wasn't going to be able to say anything because she's going to cry so hard and that I'm going to go and do the same thing. And I'm not going to lie that there haven't been many Thursday nights that if Mark told me he was going to get on a plane and go to South Africa that I wouldn't have volunteered to drive him. [19:35] But tonight, I'm definitely not too happy. I'm excited because of the power of the cross. but outside of the cross, I don't want to see him go. I'm so proud to be part of this family. [19:47] I really am. First of all, I'm proud tonight because that's my family, my brother, my sister, and my nieces and nephews. And to not grow up in a family like that and to say that I have family that the power of the cross took to the other side of the world makes me very proud to be part of that. [20:07] I wanted to be part of that family so much. I remember when Luke was born and I took pictures and I made sure the co-fields got him because I had a game plan. I was going to get to be part of that family and part of that legacy of preachers and I'm real proud to be part of this family. [20:24] Chase and Tyler, I'm so proud of you guys watching you. This church has grown from you at your youth. People, you've been an example to this church and this church has grown and I'm proud to be your uncle and I know that God has a plan for you guys over there. [20:40] Sometimes we wonder if maybe God just sends parents just so the kids will get to go over there because he has a work for you to do. Luke, you're Thatcher's heroes and you're one of my heroes as well. [20:53] What a wonderful spirit you have about you. You make every place you go better and because you carry the gospel, you'll make South Africa a better place. [21:04] Emily, you're the first person in the family that I fell in love with. You're a little rug rat and you always came and crawled up in my lap when I was a student there and the more I ignored you, the more you wanted to hang out with me and I just began to see what a Christian family looked like as I get to be around the home. [21:21] And then Amy, I never knew what it would be like to have a sister-in-law when you're a college-age guy. You don't really care about having in-laws. You just want a wife. So I never dreamed what it would be like to have another sister. [21:32] I want to have a sister and it's been wonderful. I thank God that my wife has a sister like you and that we've got to serve alongside of you guys for all of these years. [21:43] So I'm proud tonight because this is my family and they're going because of the power of the cross and I'm thankful that it's their love for Jesus that's taking them to the other side of the world. I'm also extremely proud tonight because they're part of this church family, part of Vision. [21:59] And that they didn't come here and I'm very thankful for the people that we get to train and to send out but there was a time when they had a home and this was going to be their life but in this environment inside of this church with you as a church family they made a decision to go to the other side of the world. [22:15] And you'll be very excited about that. That our church, that you and the Sunday school teachers and the others that come here that we could produce a missionary that inside of this that God could call somebody to the mission field and that they would say yes to it because they knew that people stood behind them and loved them. [22:34] And so as a church we'll be very excited about that and extremely proud that that would happen in our midst. And I thank God for them. And Mark, I'd like to say that you have helped me so much in life and ministry. [22:50] You have given your life. Romans chapter number 12 and verse number 10 says, Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love. And maybe kindly affection it is not something you would think of when you think about Mark seeing that everybody wants to beat him up it seems like. [23:07] But here it speaks about a type of a family love that, you know, they say that a blood's thicker than water but the Holy Spirit's thicker than both of those things. And I learned about this kindly affection love it's where we feel about family. [23:21] You know, I've hesitated many times to help somebody out in this church where Mark automatically got up before the phone call was over and was already in his car. And I learned so much from that. [23:32] I learned that the boundaries of family are so much different than those that are just born into your family. It also says in verse number 10 in honor preferring one another Robert said it so well but I've learned what it means to prefer somebody that Mark has served me not because I deserved to be served but because he preferred me because he was serving Jesus and that he served me and that I had opportunities when he would be doing something painting a wall or doing something that I was not very good at that my life is different because he worked so that I could focus on what I wanted to do with my life and it didn't go unseen. [24:13] Mark, I thank you for the sacrifices that you made to do so many small things that people didn't know about and it says not slothful in business. You know in the early days of the church especially there was a decision made that didn't cost me and Mark a night of fighting. [24:30] There was no decision that we made from the color of a track to the color of the walls he won there to anything that we did that we did not just think was the most important thing in the world. [24:43] and man pastors preach the great message the other night about not despising the ministry. This is a man and a family that doesn't despise the ministry. He poured himself into every little detail because he knew that he was serving Jesus by serving this church and what a wonderful example he left to me and so many others and so much of the work that I will continue to do and that Brother Robert and Brother Jeff was first works that Mark started and set an example for us to do in fervent spirit in serving the Lord and so I just say that I am so thankful Mark and Amy and Luke, Emily and Chase and Addison to be part of your family. [25:24] I'm so extremely proud and I'm also very proud that I get to serve besides you. You help me so much not just in ministry but also in life how to be a father and how to be a husband and how to be a servant and I want to continue in what you set out the example that you set before me and all the others that will serve here inside of this church and my heart is absolutely filled with gratitude that God would allow me to be a part of your family and I would be so honored if in history that my name would just go down as your brother-in-law and that I was somebody that I get to serve alongside of you and I honestly believe that you're going to South Africa because of your love for the gospel and I thank you for being somebody that loves the gospel. [26:09] I'd like to pray and thank our heavenly father that he would allow you to do such a ministry and that the gospel would free you to want to do something with your life that would cost you because I know as we heard today it's wonderful even though it hurts to know that the cross falls here. [26:26] So many times people think that missions is just a novelty at vision and that it doesn't cost us anything but to lose this family will cost us. Pastor says if it doesn't hurt us to lose them then they're not ready to go and if that's the case then they're more than ready to go because it hurts to lose you the night but I'm thankful that it will be for the furtherance of the gospel. [26:49] Heavenly father I thank you so much Lord for this family Lord I do not deserve to get to be part of this family Lord you are so good in saving me you are so good in giving me the wife that I have and allow me to be part of this legacy and of this family and Lord I do not deserve to serve you in this church Lord I thank you for my friend here Lord I thank you for Mark Lord who showed me that serving you is the most important thing in the world and that every small detail was worth giving our lives to Lord it's worth staying up late at night it's worth arguing about if necessary Lord but it's worth pouring our whole lives into and Lord I desire to be a good man as Brother Robert spoke about tonight I want to be a good man and I pray that my life will help push people down the road Lord I pray that my life will be used to help people in the ministry and I thank you so much for the impact this family has had here upon our church and then how you will use your life [27:53] Lord to see the power of the cross demonstrated among the lives of people in South Africa I thank you so much for your love for us in Jesus name I pray amen I ask Mark and Amy and the kids all to come up here all 25 of them if they would those of you who don't know what's going on we have what's called a blessing service I learned this in Arequipa Peru you know the Peruvians didn't have very much to do for to be able to give to each other and so on a birthday they would sit the person in a place of honor and they would sit there and share from their heart the love they had for them and it was I found it to be a far greater gift than any monetary gift you could ever give to anyone then you go to the Bible and God's people would often pray over the others and ask God to do a work in their life and bless them as they died or they moved on and we do the same thing even in the ordination and all of that so I just want you we're going to have the testimonies now so in just a second [28:57] I'll ask you to come forward men women they're going to share a word of testimony but I want you to be able to see them I want you to know that Tyler and Chase have been put into this family by an act of God by God working in their life and I am so proud of these two boys and excited about what God's going to do with their life excited about how they're going to be used to God and so I hope that you know tonight we're loving on them loving on Jesus if you love this family how about a round of applause for them well I'm not going to preach to Mark because he knows everything and I don't know what I can tell him you know but I did write down some blessing words to you Mark you've probably already seen it so let me just say this to you before we as a church pray for you words can't express how much I love you and your family God's allowed me to spend many years with you and watch God build you into quite the man of God I remember when you came to Peru and fixed my ministry and I sure appreciate that [30:01] I remember how you took on responsibilities with money and leadership and Peru that were far beyond your years when I would come back to the states when you did a good job I remember all the times that you took care of my needs and my ministry and laid the way for me to be able to do the things I did for those who don't know Mark was my personal assistant for like 15 years and he told me that he would always be my personal assistant and he would only leave when I died or retired and he's only the reason he went ahead and left he said was I lived too long so I know that without you I would never have been able to accomplish the things that God allowed me to accomplish I want you to know that I admire you I was so proud of you when you took in Tyler and Chase and the way you loved them I was proud of you when you launched Vision Baptist Missions I'm so grateful for how you raised up so many of the young men that work with us today and without you I would not have the privilege of working with them I've always been blessed by how great a giver you are [31:02] I've always given sacrificially to others into the work of God you have motivated and helped others to reach their full potential you believed in people when they didn't believe in themselves and I'm proud of you now for some challenges and I do wish you'd listen to this learning a language is never easy and will require lots of dedicated hard work emphasis on dedicated you will have to forego many things in the ministry that you want to do to accomplish real language learning and do that for a long time and I tell you in front of everybody I don't trust you you have to lay some things aside and really learn cosa you'll have to allow yourself to be corrected and since you're used to correcting everyone else that is going to be hard for you by the way Robert is doing a good job of taking your place he already knows everything and constantly corrects me you will have to put yourself in uncomfortable positions and out of your comfort zone on an everyday basis if you're really going to learn the language you have to learn another culture and that's hard and in South Africa you'll be faced with multiple cultures to learn and to cross graciously you'll have to be patient with yourself and with your family to be blunt honest [32:30] I think you try to rush too hard I think you try to get there too quickly I think you'll try to take shortcuts and I challenge you not to do that you never have listened so I don't expect you to this time but I'm saying it it's on the record Andrew you are recording this correct you'd like to be patient with Amy patient with the kids you'll have to remember this is a marathon and not a sprint you'll have to deal with not being in the middle of all the exciting stuff while you train for the next couple of years and I'd like to remind you you need to take a couple of years to really learn it takes a lot to learn the language it takes a lot to learn the culture and though outside of my family my own sons you probably know more about what I would teach about ministry you do not know South Africa you do not know how to deal with them I hope you'll really take the time Jesus took 30 years maybe you could give two be careful to pay the price to learn the thing it's necessary to do a great ministry in South [33:36] Africa reminders I remind you that training men is our goal you're going to prepare men to do the ministry there you'll help plant churches win souls disciple men but training future leaders that's our priority I remind you that you have to pay the price to get the vehicle that will deliver all of your ministry the language and the culture I just say to you I remind you that everything we do is based on our ability to talk you learn how to talk you will not be able to do the ministry if you talk poorly you won't be able to do the ministry to the day I left Peru I was not comfortable in Spanish to the day I left Peru I didn't feel like I had arrived I find many missionaries arrived very quickly which means they didn't arrive by the way I remind you that this will mean you spend time on the back side of the desert getting ready for your real time ministry [34:40] I remind you to love your family and spend time with them they're going to need you now more than ever you have two teenage boys that will be desperately in need of your time and your love I failed like that in many ways I was too busy raising too many other people's kids I challenge you not to do that you have other children that need their dad not just the two boys you have a wife that will need a spiritual leader I remind you vision loves you and I love you and I'll be there or here to do anything for you that I can and before I close where'd chase go I see Tyler Tyler and chase I want you two boys to know something I love you and you're a big blessing to me and I'm proud of you and taking this step and going to that country is going to be tough stuff for you and you'll leave the states and you'll miss your family but man God's got a special plan for you and I want to remind you that if you and I told you this in a little letter you'll find in a box keep notes you're going to watch [35:46] God do wild and crazy things you would have never dreamed or expected you're going to see God God do great things and Sunday you'll be able to tell a story about all the great things God did in your life be thankful and grateful for how good God's been to you Father I pray your blessings on this family I pray that your name would be honored and glorified and I pray that you would do a great work in their life and I'll give you honor and praise for all you do I thank you for Mark and Amy I thank you for the children thank you for Addison and Luke and Emily thank you for Tyler and Chase and I pray God that you would greatly magnify yourself in their lives I pray God that someday Mark and Amy would have the privilege I have of having four children five for them that will love you and serve you and honor you and be doing something greater than they can do I thank you God for your goodness I magnify you and I praise you in Jesus precious name Amen this message was recorded at Vision [36:47] Baptist Church in Alfredo Georgia for more information log on to www.visionbaptist.com where you can find our service times, location, contact information and more audio and video recordings