I find where you can bring your own personal requests and prayers.
So let's pray together now, let's talk to God.
Our Father, we thank you for the world in which we live,
for the beauty of your creation,
for the provision of all that we have every day.
We thank you for your control, for your rule.
We thank you so much for the things that we can enjoy in this world.
But yet we recognize when we look out into the world,
as we listen to our news, we see that not only is it a place of beauty,
but it is a place that is terribly broken,
where people are living in rebellion against you,
which we see in wars, we see in famine,
we see in so much destruction.
And so today we pray especially for the country of Syria.
We pray for an end of the violence and the bloodshed.
we pray for an end of the rule upon the people
that is causing so much pain and so much suffering.
And we pray that in its place,
there would be a new leadership,
a new government
that would not only seek justice and peace,
a government that would not only seek
what is right and best for the most vulnerable,
but leaders who would seek to follow the way of God
and would lead people towards the Lord Jesus.
We pray for the church in that country,
for all the believers,
for all those who know you and love you,
that you would give to them courage
to be peacemakers,
to speak the truth of peace
rather than taking up arms.
So we pray, Father,
that you would intervene into that land
and the many nations surrounding that area too.
Not only that, we pray for our own country.
We thank you for all the privileges
and the benefits that we enjoy.
While we recognize there is hard times
and economic difficulties,
we praise you and thank you
for the things that we do have,
for our education,
for our health,
for benefits,
for care,
for the freedom that we have to meet together
without fear of any authority,
coming to shut this meeting down
or telling us that we cannot talk about Jesus.
We thank you for all that we have
and we pray for our government
and for our leaders
that you would continue to give them wisdom
in leading us and helping us.
And again, we pray that it will be
for the best of those who are most vulnerable
and most in need within our society
and our community.
Now let's just take a moment,
quietness,
to bring our own personal requests to God.
Let's just use the quietness to do that now.
God bless you.
So, let's go.
Thank you, Father, that you are kind, generous, always listening, always caring.
Thank you for this privilege that we can talk to you about all of our needs and concerns.
And we pray that we would be a people who live for you, who follow you, and who trust you in every circumstance of life.
We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
Well, we're going to hear God's Word, so if you've got a Bible...
I've got a Bible, and one will be brought to you.
Put it up nice and high.
And turn to Acts 2.
As you're doing that, just for those who are going away on the church weekend, next weekend, I've been asked to announce that if you could read, if possible, all of Philippians.
It's only a short book.
In preparation, the book of Philippians.
It will take you about 20 minutes, I reckon.
Less.
It doesn't take very long at all.
Kirstie.
Thank you.
Our reading is from Acts chapter 2, starting from verse 37.
That's on page 1094 in the church Bibles.
So page 1094 in the church Bibles.
That's Acts chapter 2.
Starting from verse 37.
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles,
Brothers, what shall we do?
Peter replied,
Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins,
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord our God will call.
With many other words, he warned them and he pleaded with them,
Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about 3,000 were added to their number that day.
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common, selling their possessions and goods.
They gave to anyone as he had need.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.
They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people.
And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Well, if you've got the Welcome to sheet again on the back,
and also on the screen there's an outline of the talk,
you can write notes on there, or even on the back there.
I'm not sure where the pens are, there are pens around, I think at the back there.
If anybody would like a pen to jot down notes again, put up your hands,
and you can get one there.
Well, let's pray and ask for God's help as we hear his word.
Let's pray together.
Father, again, we thank you for this opportunity to come and to join with Stephen and with Shane
as they get baptised.
Help us now as we think about that,
that not only would it be something they are doing,
but it is something that we also understand and respond to.
We pray that by your Holy Spirit,
you would help us to see the good news,
the wonder of who Jesus is,
and all that he has given to us.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
So, baptism.
What's it all about?
Well, I'm quite sure the idea of baptism is not new.
In fact, I'd say that most people who are here have been baptised either as a baby or as an adult.
And depending on your background, we all have a different idea of what baptism is.
But whatever our tradition and our experience is,
we want to hear what the Bible has to say.
In other words, you and I don't get to decide what baptism is or what it is not.
We need to let God's Word, the Bible, tell us what it is.
And that's why we're going to be looking at this section here in Acts chapter 2,
which is on page 1094.
You can follow along there.
In the book of Acts, which is really a great big story
of how the good news of Jesus began to spread in the early years,
we hear people talk about Jesus,
and then in response, people get baptised.
So let me show you a few examples of that from Acts.
So look at verse 41 of chapter 2.
It says,
Those who accepted his message,
that's the message of Jesus Christ,
were baptised.
Then have a look at chapter 8,
verse 35.
This is the story of Philip and the Ethiopian.
Philip had been,
or the Ethiopian had been reading something from Isaiah,
and then Philip explains what it is.
So in chapter 8, verse 35,
it tells us there that Philip began with that very passage of Scripture
and told him the good news about Jesus.
As they travelled along the road,
they came to some water,
and the eunuch said,
Look, here is water.
Why shouldn't I be baptised?
And he gave orders to stop the chariots.
Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water,
and Philip baptised him.
Then in chapter 10,
over the page from me,
not sure where it is for you,
but chapter 10, verse 36.
Again, we're back to Peter,
as somebody who went around telling people the good news about Jesus.
We read in verse 36.
He says,
You know the message that God sent to the people of Israel,
and this was the message,
telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ,
who is Lord of all,
whatever country or nation you are from.
And then at the end of his talk,
look at verse 47.
Then Peter said,
Can anyone keep these people from being baptised with water?
They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have,
so he ordered that they be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ.
So, baptism is related to hearing about Jesus,
and then responding to Jesus.
In fact, baptism is actually a visible picture,
a demonstration of the good news about Jesus.
Two things,
the new life that we receive from Jesus,
and the new community that we enter because of Jesus.
New life from Jesus,
and the new community we have from Jesus.
So, although Stephen and Shane are getting baptised in a little while,
as we said at the beginning,
it's not actually about them at all.
It's all about a person,
the person of Jesus Christ.
So, let's have a look at these two ideas of new life and new community.
First, baptism is a picture of new life,
our faith in Jesus.
I was talking with someone recently
who told me about a man who was both deaf and blind.
So, the way to communicate to this person was through hand signs.
Literally, the hand would go in one hand,
and through the shape he would be able to communicate
and understand the other person.
And this blind and deaf man was told the good news about Jesus,
and in response, he too wanted to get baptised.
But somewhere along the line,
the communication had broken down.
This poor man thought he had to jump into a pool.
Now, if you're blind,
that would be a huge step of faith, wouldn't it?
Being told to jump
and not being able to see what you are jumping into
requires faith.
Well, as you can see,
we thankfully don't have any diving boards rigged up here,
and Shane and Stephen aren't going to have to jump from a height.
But, what is required
is a step of faith.
Faith not in a church,
but faith in a person,
Jesus Christ.
Look at chapter 2, verse 37.
It starts like this.
Chapter 2, verse 37.
When the people heard this,
well, what had they heard?
Well, Peter had been telling them the good news about Jesus.
In fact, we can see what he actually had told them.
Go back to verse 22 of chapter 2.
Because he says there,
men of Israel,
listen to this.
And then he went on to tell them
the good news about Jesus.
Now, there's three things we are going to learn
about Jesus from what Peter told them.
First, who Jesus is.
Look at verse 22.
Jesus of Nazareth
was a man accredited by God to you
by miracles, wonders, and signs,
which God did among you through him,
as you yourselves know.
So he's talking about Jesus
who lived on earth
and did amazing miracles.
By a simple word,
and we can read this in the Gospels,
the Gospel of Mark, for example.
By a simple word,
he calmed the storms.
By a simple word,
he healed the sick.
He raised the dead to life.
He fed crowds of people
with only a few fish
and a bit of bread.
He silenced demons.
He did amazing miracles.
Now, amazing as that was to the people,
the primary reason of all these miracles
were signposts
pointing people to who Jesus is,
his identity.
Because Jesus was doing
what only God could do.
Only God could raise the dead
and heal the sick.
And now this man was coming
and he was doing the same things.
Jesus was God in human form.
The God who created the universe
and who controls the world
was walking on earth
as a human being.
The God-man.
But look what happened
to this Jesus.
His death.
Look at verse 23.
This man was handed over to you
by God's set purpose
and foreknowledge
and you,
with the help of wicked men,
put him to death
by nailing him
to the cross.
Now, we know through reading
the Gospel,
through reading the Bible,
that Jesus was a man
who did nothing wrong.
No fault could be found in him.
He was perfect without sin.
He lived the perfect life
that you and I could never live.
But yet we're told here
in verse 23
that he was put to death,
he was executed
by nailing him
to a cross.
Now, why was Jesus executed?
An innocent man.
Well, Jesus' death on the cross
was all part of God's plan.
Look carefully at verse 23.
It tells us that this man,
Jesus,
was handed over to you
not by chance,
but by God's set purpose
and foreknowledge.
This was all part of God's design
and plan
right from the very beginning of time.
Because Jesus' death on the cross
was God's means of dealing
with the big problem of sin.
For Jesus came into the world
to take our sin,
my sin and your sin
on himself
and suffer the punishment
that you and I deserve.
That was the purpose
of his death.
Now, let me illustrate this
for you.
Some of you may have seen it
before,
but I want you to imagine
that this DVD here
is a record
of your life
or my life.
It's a record
of our life.
Right from the very beginning
of your life,
right up to this moment,
everything that you
ever thought,
everything that you
ever said,
everything you
ever did
is all recorded
on here.
Everything.
All those public occasions,
all those private occasions,
everything is recorded
in here.
What would you think?
Maybe you'd be happy
with some of the things
you'd see,
maybe there's some things
you wouldn't like.
Well, if this was a record
of my life,
I wouldn't like it
to be in the public library,
that's for sure,
or in extravision.
Might be entertaining
to you,
but not to me.
Because if this was
a record of my life,
it tells of all the things
that I've ever done wrong.
Now I want us to imagine
that in this room.
Okay, God is up there.
We are here.
This record of our life
is a problem
because it causes
a barrier between us
and God.
All our things
that we've ever done wrong,
all the things
that we've ever said
and thought,
are a barrier
between us
and God.
And God says
the punishment for that
is judgment,
is separation from God.
God is hell itself.
To be separated
from all that is good
and all that is beautiful.
That's the problem.
Christ, on the other hand,
has come,
we are told,
the God-man
who entered into the world.
And he has come
and through his death
he takes the record
of all the things
that we've ever done
on himself.
He takes the blame.
He takes the punishment.
He suffers hell
for you and I
so that we don't have to
so that what was in the way,
the barrier,
is now gone
and we can have
that relationship with God.
We can know God
and enjoy him
and love him
and have all his
wonderful promises
because Jesus
took the record
for us.
But not only that,
let's just change
that this is no longer
a record of us,
but this is a record
of the life of Jesus.
A perfect life,
a good life,
a pure life,
a life that never
did anything wrong.
Not only does Jesus
take our record,
but he gives us
his record,
his beauty,
his perfection,
his life,
so that now
when God looks at us,
when he looks at me,
he doesn't see me,
he sees the record
of Jesus Christ,
which is now applied
to my life
through faith.
And now I'm treated
and loved
and treasured
like Jesus,
like God does
his own son.
That's what his death
is all about.
That's why he died,
to take our record
and to give us
his record.
So we learn about his life,
we learn about his death,
but look at verse 24.
We also learn about
his resurrection.
We're told that God
raised Jesus from the dead,
freeing him from the agony
of death,
because it was impossible
for death
to keep its hold
on him.
Jesus did die,
but God also raised
Jesus from the dead.
Now death isn't something
we like to talk about,
is it?
Not a very popular subject,
because when people die,
it means the end
of relationships.
It means separation.
We don't get to see
those people again,
not on this earth
or in this life.
There's sadness,
a loss of friends.
It hurts,
it's painful.
And amazingly,
we found lots of cures
for all kinds of diseases
and all kinds of
health problems.
We can go to the chemist,
we can go to the doctor,
we can get all kinds
of treatments.
But we can't find
a cure for death.
Nobody has.
Except for Jesus'
resurrection.
Because when Jesus
rose from the grave,
he defeated death,
he destroyed death.
Or look what it says
in verse 24.
Jesus was freed
from the agony of death.
And the good news is,
as Jesus says,
I can free you
from the agony of death.
It doesn't mean to say
that we won't face death,
we all will die,
but the Bible says
death for the believer,
for the person
who trusts in Christ,
is just like waking up
from your sleep
in the morning.
Just a simple waking up
to eternal life.
That's what it's like.
And Jesus is the one
who can free us.
He has the cure,
the antidote,
his resurrection
from the dead.
So we have here
a story,
an account of Jesus,
the God-man
who came to live
in this world,
who deals with sin
through his own death.
He defeats death
through his resurrection.
Now the question is,
what are we to do
with this good news
about Jesus?
What are you going to do?
What am I going to do?
Well, it requires a response.
Look at verse 37.
So when the people heard this,
this was the good news
about Jesus' life,
his death and resurrection,
when they heard
all of this explained to them,
they were cut to the heart
and they said to Peter
and the other apostles,
what shall we do?
What are we to do
in response
to what we've heard?
Well, Peter replied,
repent
and be baptized
every one of you.
He was talking
to crowds of people,
far more than there is
in this room.
Repent every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness
of sins
and you will receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Now repentance
is a double action.
It means simply
turning away
from going your way
and living your own life
and turning around
not just 90 degrees
but 180
and going Jesus' way.
A complete turnaround.
Repentance.
Turning away from self
and turning to Jesus.
So no longer
are we putting
our faith
in our own ability
to deal with sin
and death
but now our faith
is in Jesus
who deals with
the punishment
that we deserve
and he destroys
death that we can
never defeat.
So we've got to do
something about
this good news of Jesus.
Am I going to trust
in myself
to deal with
sin
and with death?
Am I going to face
the grave and say
well I'm going to
count on myself
and I'm going to
figure out a way.
Am I going to
trust myself
to do that?
Or am I actually
going to turn to Jesus
and say no
he actually died
for me.
He took the blame
that I deserve.
He is raised
from the grave.
He defeated death.
I can never do that.
I'm going to trust him.
Shane puts it
like this
in his story.
You can read it
in the little sheet
later.
He puts it
like this.
He said
I had come to
realise that
Jesus is our
substitute on the
cross.
He takes the pain
and experiences
death and hell
for us
so that we
never have to.
Not only that
but because of
Jesus we have
an amazing promise
eternal life.
Stephen says
it simply
like this.
I believed
in God
and asked him
to forgive me
for my sins.
Now baptism
as we'll see
in a minute
is just a picture
of that.
It's a picture
of our faith.
A visible
demonstration
of our faith
in Jesus Christ.
In his death
and in his resurrection.
So when we
climb into this
pool here
when we go
down into
the water
it's a picture
of Jesus'
death.
And when
Stephen and
Shane go down
under the water
they are saying
that when
Jesus died
he was dying
for me.
Jesus'
death was
my death.
He was taking
the blame.
He was experiencing
hell for me
so that I don't
have to.
So when they go
down under the water
they are putting
their faith in Jesus
and saying
he died for me.
He did it all
for me.
I'm not trusting
in myself
but in Jesus.
And then when
they come up
out of the water
we promise
we'll do that.
We'll not leave you
down there.
We're going to
bring you up.
It's a picture
of Jesus'
resurrection.
That Jesus
was raised
for me.
That his
resurrection
was my
resurrection.
That his
life,
his ability
to defeat
death
is in
Jesus.
They're not
trusting
on their
own.
They're not
trusting in
their own
self or
anyone else
or anything
else.
Only in
the death
and the
resurrection
of Jesus.
And this
is a wonderful
picture of
new life.
Their death
and their
rising again
to new
life.
And that's
what baptism
is all
about.
It's new
life.
A transformed
life.
The hope
of eternal
life.
A new
life today.
Sins
forgiven
and the
future
secured.
So that's
the first.
It's new
life.
Second,
baptism is
also a
picture of
the new
community or
if you like
the family
of Jesus.
Community
is vital
to all
of our
lives,
isn't it?
In fact,
most of us
I say long
for real
community.
Friendships,
relationships,
people that
are going to
support us
and encourage
us and
never let
us down.
A place
where we
can feel
safe,
a place
where we
feel we
belong,
a place
where we're
not going
to be
left out
and even
if we
mess up
we're
still going
to be
welcomed.
That's
the kind
of community
we want.
Now most
of us
belong to
communities.
You live
in a
neighbourhood
don't you?
Or on a
street
somewhere?
That's a
little
community.
We all
live within
the bigger
community of
Carragaline.
Maybe some
of you belong
to a sports
community or
a social
club.
We all
belong to
little
communities.
Now it
tells us here
that when our
faith is in
Jesus Christ
you know
what?
We become
part of a
new
community,
a new
family.
Look at
verse 40.
It says
with many
other words
Peter warned
them and
he pleaded
with them
save yourselves
from this
corrupt
generation.
He's telling
the people
look you're
to leave
this old
community.
Leave the
community of
people who
do not
put their
faith in
Jesus.
Who do
not have
Jesus at
the centre
of their
lives.
And devote
yourself or
join this
new community
who do
have Jesus
at the
centre.
Now of
course that
doesn't mean
we all have
to leave our
neighbourhoods
and go and
live in some
little commune
somewhere or
stop going to
our sports
club or
anything else
like that.
Don't do
that.
Stay where
you are and
live where
you are and
keep being
involved where
you are.
Both of
you.
Keep
involved where
you are with
your friends.
Don't ever
leave them.
Alright?
But what
does it
mean this
leaving to
another
community?
Well it
simply means
that we
have this
awesome
privilege and
responsibility
of belonging
to those
who also
love Jesus.
Look what
it looks
like.
Verse 42
it says
they now
devoted
themselves
so they
leave one
community
and connect
themselves to
another
community.
They
devoted
themselves
to the
apostles
teaching
that's
devoting
themselves
to the
good news
about
Jesus
and
learning
from
God's
word
to the
fellowship
that's
to the
rest of
the people
to the
breaking
of bread
remembering
everything
that Jesus
had done
for them
his death
and to
prayer.
And verse
44
all of
the
believers
were
together
and they
had
everything
in
common.
They
were even
selling
their
possessions
and goods
and they
gave to
anyone
as he
had
need.
Now
this isn't
a community
of rules
and regulations
where everything
is decided
for you
or we're
suddenly going
to ask
Stephen and
Shane to
hand over
their bank
account details
or no
it's not
like that
at all.
It's like
a family.
It's a
place of
support and
care,
a place
where people
grow and
learn.
It's a
community
of
continual
forgiveness
and
unconditional
love.
And of
course it's
not perfect
because this
community is
made up of
people.
I'm involved
in that
community.
That's one
good reason
why it's
not perfect.
And Stephen
and Shane
are joining.
That's another
reason why
it's not
perfect.
He was
already blaming
his brother
earlier on
for being
late.
That's how
imperfect it
is.
But this
is a
community
that depends
on the
daily grace
and mercy
of God.
We're
messed up
people who
get it
wrong all
the time
but we're
simply
depending on
his grace
each and
every day
and seeking
to live
that grace
out with
each other.
Stephen
puts it
like this
in his
story.
This is
after his
faith.
He says
I then
knew in
my heart
that God
really had
forgiven me
and that I
was saved.
I knew I
was part of
God's family
and that I
was a citizen
of heaven.
From then
on I began
to grow
every day
as a
believer.
Shane
says it
like this.
He says
it's bizarre
to me
that you
can know
someone for
five minutes
but instantly
have a
strong bond
thanks to
a shared
love of
Jesus
you automatically
feel as if
you have a
bond with
the other.
It's bizarre
isn't it?
But it's
very true.
Now the
question is
how do
people know
that Stephen
and Shane
are a part
of this
new community?
Well hopefully
by the way
they live
and the way
they care
for others
and the way
they help
out which
is what
they do
but the
sign
well look
at verse
41 was
that they
were
baptized.
Look at
verse 41
those who
accepted the
message
the good
news about
Jesus
were baptized
and about
3,000 were
added to
their number
that day.
They just
simply became
part of
the community.
You see
baptism was
like an
initiation.
It was a
sign to
say that
we're no
longer part
of this
community
we're
part of
this
community
the family
of Jesus.
You see
our faith
in Jesus
is not
just some
personal
affair
that we
conduct
out there
somewhere in
our house
on our
own
and do
it when
we want
to.
No it's
a public
event
of joining
the family
of Jesus.
Faith in
Jesus
and the
family of
Jesus.
You can't
separate them.
They belong
together.
And that's
why we have
this public
event inviting
people to
come and to
share that
they're saying
yes I'm a
follower of
Jesus,
yes I have
faith in
Jesus and
yes I'm in
the family
of Jesus.
Jesus.
Now in a
moment Shane
and Stephen
are going to
get baptised
but as we
said at the
very beginning
it's not
actually about
them.
If we think
it's about
them we've
missed the
point.
And it's
not even
about this
church.
It's a
Baptist
church.
So be it
but it's
not actually
about this
church either.
It's all
about Jesus
Christ.
Their
baptism is a
picture of
their new
life.
Our faith
in Jesus.
The new
community.
The family
of Jesus.
But is this
just for
Shane and
Stephen?
Is the
good news
of Jesus
Christ just
for these
two people
here?
The new
life, the
new community
is it just
kind of for
a few?
Well look
at verse
39.
I don't
think it
is.
I think
it's open
to all.
Look at
verse 39.
This
promise,
the new
life, the
new community
is for
you and
your children
and for
all who
are far
off.
So he
was talking,
this is like
2,000 years
ago, so
we're these
people who
are far
off at
this stage,
a long
ways off,
2,000 years
off.
and for
all whom
the Lord
our God
will call.
You see,
God has
done a
work in
Stephen and
Shane's
life.
He's
helped them
to see
and understand.
He's given
them understanding
and he's
brought them
to a place
of faith.
That's God's
work in
their life
and this
promise is
open to
everybody
who will
come and
trust him.
they've
responded to
the good
news.
They've
put their
faith in
Jesus.
They've
identified
themselves
with belonging
to the
family of
Jesus.
Baptism
is simply
a sign
of those
things.
What's
our
response?
What's
my response?
What's
your
response
to the
good
news
of
Jesus?
Have
you got
faith in
Jesus?
is your
faith in
his death
and
resurrection
or are
you going
to trust
yourself
or are
you going
to trust
him?
What about
the family
of Jesus?
Is the
Christian life
something you
just want to
live on
your own
or have
you committed
to the
family?
It's part of
the same
thing.
If you have
faith in
Jesus,
you're in
the family
of Jesus.
You can't
separate it.
This is the
good news
that Christ
has come
to bring
us.
Stephen and
Shane have
responded.
We all
need to
respond
to this
message.
Let's
pray
and then
we are
going to
baptise
Stephen and
Shane,
but we'll
pray and
then we'll
just have a
little minute
or two and
somebody can
go and get
the others.
But let's
just pray
together
first.
Let's
just use
a moment's
silence
for us
all to
respond to
what we've
heard.
When they
heard the
message,
they said,
what shall
we do?
And Peter
replied,
repent
and be
baptised,
every one
of you.
Father, we
thank you
that it's
not dependent
on ourselves,
but it's
dependent on
the Lord
Jesus,
that he
died our
death.
He took
the blame
that you
and I
deserve.
He defeated
death for
us,
something that
we could
never do,
so that we
might have
new and
eternal life.
But not
only that,
he has given
us the
wonderful family
of Jesus,
other people
to care and
support and
encourage,
people who
forgive.
People who
show grace
and mercy
and love.
We thank
you for
these wonderful
things that
we can have
because of
you.
We thank
you for
Stephen and
Shane.
Thank you
that they
have put
their faith
in you.
Thank you
that they
love you.
And we
pray your
help for
them as
they go
into school
and college
at the
beginning
of this
week.
That they
would be
strong for
you,
that they
would live
for you,
that they
would be
people who
tell others
the good
news and
bring that
same love
wherever they
go.
Encourage
them in
their lives.
Bless
them.
Keep
them strong.
Keep
them focused
on you.
We pray
all these
things in
Jesus'
name.
Amen.
So I'm
going to
ask Stephen
on you.
Hold on
water on e
and for
to
be
good.