The Sermon Nails That Strengthen by Art Monk
Mar 07, 2012
Nails That Strengthen (27:06)
Referenced Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 12:5-10; Psalm 22:12-18; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 12:5-10; 2 Corinthians 11:23-30; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 4:12; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Isaiah 40:31; Romans 12:3
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
2 Corinthians 12:5-10
5) On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.
6) For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I forbear, so that no man may account of me above that which he sees in me, or hears from me.
7) By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted excessively.
8) Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
9) He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
10) Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ‘s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.
Psalm 22:12-18
12) Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
13) They open their mouths wide against me, Lions tearing prey and roaring.
14) I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; It is melted within me.
15) My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death.
16) For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evil-doers have enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet.
17) I can count all of my bones. They look and stare at me.
18) They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
1) When I came to you, brothers, I didn‘t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.
2) For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3) I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
4) My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5) that your faith wouldn‘t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
2 Corinthians 12:5-10
5) On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.
6) For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I forbear, so that no man may account of me above that which he sees in me, or hears from me.
7) By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted excessively.
8) Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
9) He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
10) Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ‘s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.
2 Corinthians 11:23-30
23) Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I am more so; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths often.
24) Five times from the Jews I received forty stripes minus one.
25) Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.
26) I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;
27) labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.
28) Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily, anxiety for all the assemblies.
29) Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don‘t burn?
30) If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.
Galatians 2:20
20) I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.
Philippians 4:12
12) I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things have I learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need.
2 Corinthians 12:9
9) He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
Isaiah 40:31
31) but those who wait for Yahweh shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
Romans 12:3
3) For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.
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Well never anybody remember reach cordage that area reach. According was. He was in the morning announcer on KKK radio number of years ago and down whenever we were in the barn milking cows at six o'clock in the morning reach court. It was on and he would always say, smile fresh air is good for your teeth are always though I know some of you are just much too young to remember reach coordinate. But anyhow, pastor month. If you come to be with you this evening. Select ball forward, her eyes or Jesus, I ask that you would speak to our hearts or souls fill us with your spirit. This time in May the words of my mouth meditation of our hearts be acceptable to the award are rock and our Redeemer and the topic that is for this evening is the mail was Blue Cross. They strengthen passage of Scripture comes from Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, chapter twelve, verses five through ten on behalf of such a man will light on behalf of such a man. I will like to but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weakness right do not wish to vote for you. I do wish to post. I shall not be foolish, for I should be speaking the truth, but I refrained from this, so that no one may credit me with more VCs in the or hears from me, and because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations. For this reason to keep me from exalting myself. There was given me a form in the flesh. The messenger of Satan to buffet me to keep me from exalting myself concerning this item entreated the Lord three times, it might depart from me, and he has said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness vision for this late season is the nails of the cross and what they do for us and you'll remember two weeks ago, can you share with us that the nails guide us to guide our attitude, our actions. Hans last Wednesday, John shared with us that they strengthen vertically heal us on your heart, your spirit. I get right. I wanted to share about those nails for passage of Scripture that you might not think was actually talking about the nails because it is in the Old Testament is the Psalms the twenty second Psalm, to be exact, and I wish your verse. Verses twelve to eighteen with you for many polls have Ron Strong bulls abashed to have encircled me here when wiped her mouth at me as a ravening and roaring lion, I am afford out like water and all my bones are out of joint. My heart just like wax is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a pot surge like Tom Cleaves to my jaws and that dust laden be in the dust of death for dogs to surround the abandoned evildoers. This encompassed me they pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They brought they stare at me if I divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast law 's Jesus knew what awaited him when he went to the costs he knew the nails would go through this finance and through his feelings. I don't know if we really try to grasp it. One time I try to show what my congregations to give them a little bit of an idea, just a little pin. No one was open to use when you're selling and stick it in the palm of your hand, it probably doesn't feel too good, doesn't make it a little bit bigger. Make it a Brad. It feels a bit worse, but it wasn't just a Brad. It wasn't just a finishing nail was a large roughhewn mail that held his body to the costs how we can you be for the position figure would be putting that is weaker than hanging on a cross by Neil through your hands and feet and I preview and for me, Jesus became weak so that we might become strong. Paul talks about Regis in first Corinthians. The second chapter, he shares these words from with us in verses one through five, and when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you that testimony of God by determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling in my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit of our feature faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God, the power of God. He said he chose the way of week that he didn't choose, although even highly educated, highly educated in the Greek education and in the Jewish education, a Roman citizen of Paris air Pharisees had great wisdom and great great power, according to the world standards. He chose to give all that up and call it as rubbish by calling of Christ Jesus and his wife. He chose the path of wages rather than the path of the eloquent words and on all good. Speaking of the weirdest this e-mail for the greens were known for their philosophy, war-torn password. I was looking for, rather than the oratory, he chose to preach the power of the cross of Christ. That's where the strength would be less seeing God 's wisdom, but let them seek God 's power. The meeting week, let him be strong. He also found that his flesh, and that was in the passage that I shared with you, but let's remember those words that Jesus shared with Paul as he is three times faster than struck that board to be removed from the site. He said my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is perfected in your weakness. Also, the answer to this weakness. They says yes I am weak, I am crucified with Christ. He says in Galatians two twenty I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in the adult life I now live I live by the power of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I live by his power, I live by his string. He guides me he fills me with his spirit and witness power and so he moves on. He could tell the Philippians in the midst of the imprisonment in Rome is writing to this church. They dearly love you realize you probably would never see again. And he's talking about his desperate circumstances which they have helped of ministers who in help in the basis he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him receive those nails that held Jesus to the cross. Give us strength history perfect in our weakness. One of my bike. I don't do children's rooms were church here anymore but I had in past years I've been responsible for doing the children's sermon. I enjoy the children, but I sure that with that opportunity with people. The church here below to my favorites are on children's sermons in that I used to do some really have a jumping contest, but I would think showcase out of the crowd, one would usually be alone grown by four or five years old and I try to get other about a ten -year-old boy and forth against each other. Of course that was going to jump the furthest and of course that boys quite sure that he's good to be able to do it right. In fact, the entire congregation is quite sure that he is going to jump the furthest south park in the five or six-year-old girl child as I say, ready status. John and appoint Justices pharmacy Canada girl John Strube eyecatcher on her way up and I carried her for about twenty yards and then I say, could you think jumped the furthest slot air isn't it. I didn't say that I wouldn't help either of them is like that with us we given our very best efforts, we can jump as far as hard as we possibly can be given to those still and try to be just as balanced as possible in our life, we can try to use our best knowledge and wisdom, and we can still fail and why not write, but with God 's power to pick us up in Sherry 's equity wants to do for us. He wants to pick us up and left us over those difficult time. He wants to give us the strength to go forward. He wants to give us the wisdom and the guy 's. He wants to heal us. He wants to care for us. He wants to pick us up a curious fact when you are back in well lit up to things that were true of my life to two true stories. One of them. I've been in the ministry for a relatively short time. I know that because it was up in Bradford. I was speaking a Lenten service much like this except there was much, much, it was the first church. Bradford and all of this city of Bradford was invited, and we had probably about three hundred people in an audience scripting at a microphone, because like my wife today that day. I had no voice and I have to tell you I I not sure that the message was all that great everybody listened traditionally of that service. I'll be whispering of people talking with their neighbors. Not that I that night they had to listen very attentively they would miss something. They were afraid of what they might miss the weakness of my voice without God 's Spirit manifest history and my weaknesses, day number of years before that in my time between college and seminary. I spent three years and three months in the Army basic training was not one of my favorite experiences, February and March at Fort Dix, New Jersey, are not pleasant experience. We went out on a twenty mile forced night, March they been up all day while marching to the rifle range marching over to confidence course in different things we've been doing. We went in I fire range that night. We thought that was the last thing that we march on wrong twenty miles was exactly a great physical specimen. In those days still not my friend. This career from Isaiah forty first thirty one they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up as goals there were he not be weary, they will walk and not faint. I prayed that prayer and in March, I was still there with the group now like that when I was in the first rank of that march with my weapon on one arm on backpack on my back someone else's weapon on my other arm in somebody else's backpack in my other arm walk and not bring two people had to be taken to the hospital from that I prayed in my weakness, God help me, and didn't brothers and sisters, God is there and he wants to help us. He wants to give us that's right. And in our weaknesses. We confess it to him and let him move and move through West, and he takes us through times of suffering a dinner with Paul a shares back in the eleventh chapter of first Corinthians were second Corinthians seven. Back are in verses twenty three through thirty. The shares are they servants of Christ. I speak as if I was insane. I wore cell with far more laborers in far more imprisonment be times without number, often in danger of death five times I received from the Jews. There eyelashes. Three times I was beaten with wads. Once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and day I spent in the deep. I've been on frequent journeys engages from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers, my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers of the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren, I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights and hunger and thirst, often without food in cold and exposure and apart from such external things, there was the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches, though this week without my being weak, who is led into sin without my intense concern. If I have to boast I will boast of what pertains to my weakness God& even times when we are weak, so that we can see his strength at work in us. I saw the most times in weakness and difficulties. God has placed this world. While this to be there so that we can be more effective instruments of his many of you may not realize it, but by the my wife on her second husband. Her first husband left her while she was carrying her third child, you don't get much weaker state that he would not give her money kids. But I'm here to ask you that God has used that to give her a heart of compassion that understands what other people are going through when they go through difficult circumstances, God heard what was a very weak in a very difficult situation into a victory of his brothers and sisters. When you find yourself walking through the valley and you find yourself feeling really week God 's strength will want to and will bring you through it. Victoria Sabin is a time this season to examine our lives to do serious self-assessment. Think about who we are our strengths or weaknesses. Romans twelve, verse three applause already said, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service of worship. I don't be transferred don't be the one whose role, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order that you might prove that good excellent perfect will of God, but he continues with this verse four through the grace given to me I say to every man among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but so too thing to think so as to have sound judgment, as God to lead allotted to each a measure of faith. Look at your life. Look at your strengths look at your weakness 's view, all of them to go present yourself with your weaknesses and your strength to go on for server those strengths. He renews brothers and sisters. He will also use those weaknesses as we offer ourselves that us humble ourselves before Almighty God, let us pray for Jesus. We call it weighs strong, but if so many ways week award. We know that we can do nothing worthwhile apart from you, nothing that really lasts apart from you, Lord. May we be employed for your kingdom say take us as we are moved in our life and our hearts believe the instruments and Yuri 's play in the potter 's hand 's molded and shaped by his as vessels for your glory before Your Honor, and for your kingdom say that it is in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Today I spoke with someone and I said while you believe it young to have a belief system you have a church give something if you believe in God, and he looked at Mrs. all. Yet I believe in God. I have his picture and that was all that he hath that was his entire faith for facing the end-of-life. What I believe in God have his picture and that was it a and I thought it tonight. How much of God 's word that we have in our life. How much of it that we've heard how much of it has been a part of our life in the miracle of God 's word is that we speak it and it creates faith. It creates hope it creates life inside of us. The word that we have heard tonight spoken to us is just like in Genesis when God spoke the word brought the world into existence. God 's word was spoken to each of us in a created what was necessary for our life right here and now inside of us, how much more we have the just the picture we have his word in his life. The family of God to celebrate with event choice that has to month. Thank you. Thank you very much, and this Lenten season. We are all of all people most blessed because we live in a place where we are free to celebrate our faith and the shared with one another and shared openly and it is important that we that we share that love and that we pray one for another bear one another's burdens, sofa, and so fulfill the law of Christ. So pray one for another, and when someone's someone comes to mind. Pray for them. When someone you're thinking about, you know, you just been on my mind and pray for them offer a prayer. God help them be with them up them in their and their situation and again father. It is great is with great privilege. Lord to say we are your children and that we are part of the family of God. We are so grateful Lord that you loved us. But you look beyond our faults and you see the need of our lives. And you speak your word to us, and it creates in us hold live peace got there so much that we are need of in our weakness, but yet your word comes to us to give us life. We ask your blessing upon all of our churches, but not just the churches Lord each individual and each family that is connected with them. I pray that this be a special time of blessing for our community, the God that you who have had such a profound effect upon our lives continue to do so through the clergy through the ministers and through those who serve you and each family in each individual God just bless us, Lord, that we might continue your ministry of creation of creating good things in our community and are on our lives and our surrounding areas. We pray this in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, and everyone said they meant that less you know I'm always great for handshakes and hugs of all SSO give somebody something. Yeah JakeWell never anybody remember reach cordage that area reach. According was. He was in the morning announcer on KKK radio number of years ago and down whenever we were in the barn milking cows at six o'clock in the morning reach court. It was on and he would always say, smile fresh air is good for your teeth are always though I know some of you are just much too young to remember reach coordinate. But anyhow, pastor month. If you come to be with you this evening. Select ball forward, her eyes or Jesus, I ask that you would speak to our hearts or souls fill us with your spirit. This time in May the words of my mouth meditation of our hearts be acceptable to the award are rock and our Redeemer and the topic that is for this evening is the mail was Blue Cross. They strengthen passage of Scripture comes from Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, chapter twelve, verses five through ten on behalf of such a man will light on behalf of such a man. I will like to but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weakness right do not wish to vote for you. I do wish to post. I shall not be foolish, for I should be speaking the truth, but I refrained from this, so that no one may credit me with more VCs in the or hears from me, and because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations. For this reason to keep me from exalting myself. There was given me a form in the flesh. The messenger of Satan to buffet me to keep me from exalting myself concerning this item entreated the Lord three times, it might depart from me, and he has said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness vision for this late season is the nails of the cross and what they do for us and you'll remember two weeks ago, can you share with us that the nails guide us to guide our attitude, our actions. Hans last Wednesday, John shared with us that they strengthen vertically heal us on your heart, your spirit. I get right. I wanted to share about those nails for passage of Scripture that you might not think was actually talking about the nails because it is in the Old Testament is the Psalms the twenty second Psalm, to be exact, and I wish your verse. Verses twelve to eighteen with you for many polls have Ron Strong bulls abashed to have encircled me here when wiped her mouth at me as a ravening and roaring lion, I am afford out like water and all my bones are out of joint. My heart just like wax is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a pot surge like Tom Cleaves to my jaws and that dust laden be in the dust of death for dogs to surround the abandoned evildoers. This encompassed me they pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They brought they stare at me if I divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast law 's Jesus knew what awaited him when he went to the costs he knew the nails would go through this finance and through his feelings. I don't know if we really try to grasp it. One time I try to show what my congregations to give them a little bit of an idea, just a little pin. No one was open to use when you're selling and stick it in the palm of your hand, it probably doesn't feel too good, doesn't make it a little bit bigger. Make it a Brad. It feels a bit worse, but it wasn't just a Brad. It wasn't just a finishing nail was a large roughhewn mail that held his body to the costs how we can you be for the position figure would be putting that is weaker than hanging on a cross by Neil through your hands and feet and I preview and for me, Jesus became weak so that we might become strong. Paul talks about Regis in first Corinthians. The second chapter, he shares these words from with us in verses one through five, and when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you that testimony of God by determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling in my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit of our feature faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God, the power of God. He said he chose the way of week that he didn't choose, although even highly educated, highly educated in the Greek education and in the Jewish education, a Roman citizen of Paris air Pharisees had great wisdom and great great power, according to the world standards. He chose to give all that up and call it as rubbish by calling of Christ Jesus and his wife. He chose the path of wages rather than the path of the eloquent words and on all good. Speaking of the weirdest this e-mail for the greens were known for their philosophy, war-torn password. I was looking for, rather than the oratory, he chose to preach the power of the cross of Christ. That's where the strength would be less seeing God 's wisdom, but let them seek God 's power. The meeting week, let him be strong. He also found that his flesh, and that was in the passage that I shared with you, but let's remember those words that Jesus shared with Paul as he is three times faster than struck that board to be removed from the site. He said my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is perfected in your weakness. Also, the answer to this weakness. They says yes I am weak, I am crucified with Christ. He says in Galatians two twenty I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in the adult life I now live I live by the power of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I live by his power, I live by his string. He guides me he fills me with his spirit and witness power and so he moves on. He could tell the Philippians in the midst of the imprisonment in Rome is writing to this church. They dearly love you realize you probably would never see again. And he's talking about his desperate circumstances which they have helped of ministers who in help in the basis he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him receive those nails that held Jesus to the cross. Give us strength history perfect in our weakness. One of my bike. I don't do children's rooms were church here anymore but I had in past years I've been responsible for doing the children's sermon. I enjoy the children, but I sure that with that opportunity with people. The church here below to my favorites are on children's sermons in that I used to do some really have a jumping contest, but I would think showcase out of the crowd, one would usually be alone grown by four or five years old and I try to get other about a ten -year-old boy and forth against each other. Of course that was going to jump the furthest and of course that boys quite sure that he's good to be able to do it right. In fact, the entire congregation is quite sure that he is going to jump the furthest south park in the five or six-year-old girl child as I say, ready status. John and appoint Justices pharmacy Canada girl John Strube eyecatcher on her way up and I carried her for about twenty yards and then I say, could you think jumped the furthest slot air isn't it. I didn't say that I wouldn't help either of them is like that with us we given our very best efforts, we can jump as far as hard as we possibly can be given to those still and try to be just as balanced as possible in our life, we can try to use our best knowledge and wisdom, and we can still fail and why not write, but with God 's power to pick us up in Sherry 's equity wants to do for us. He wants to pick us up and left us over those difficult time. He wants to give us the strength to go forward. He wants to give us the wisdom and the guy 's. He wants to heal us. He wants to care for us. He wants to pick us up a curious fact when you are back in well lit up to things that were true of my life to two true stories. One of them. I've been in the ministry for a relatively short time. I know that because it was up in Bradford. I was speaking a Lenten service much like this except there was much, much, it was the first church. Bradford and all of this city of Bradford was invited, and we had probably about three hundred people in an audience scripting at a microphone, because like my wife today that day. I had no voice and I have to tell you I I not sure that the message was all that great everybody listened traditionally of that service. I'll be whispering of people talking with their neighbors. Not that I that night they had to listen very attentively they would miss something. They were afraid of what they might miss the weakness of my voice without God 's Spirit manifest history and my weaknesses, day number of years before that in my time between college and seminary. I spent three years and three months in the Army basic training was not one of my favorite experiences, February and March at Fort Dix, New Jersey, are not pleasant experience. We went out on a twenty mile forced night, March they been up all day while marching to the rifle range marching over to confidence course in different things we've been doing. We went in I fire range that night. We thought that was the last thing that we march on wrong twenty miles was exactly a great physical specimen. In those days still not my friend. This career from Isaiah forty first thirty one they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up as goals there were he not be weary, they will walk and not faint. I prayed that prayer and in March, I was still there with the group now like that when I was in the first rank of that march with my weapon on one arm on backpack on my back someone else's weapon on my other arm in somebody else's backpack in my other arm walk and not bring two people had to be taken to the hospital from that I prayed in my weakness, God help me, and didn't brothers and sisters, God is there and he wants to help us. He wants to give us that's right. And in our weaknesses. We confess it to him and let him move and move through West, and he takes us through times of suffering a dinner with Paul a shares back in the eleventh chapter of first Corinthians were second Corinthians seven. Back are in verses twenty three through thirty. The shares are they servants of Christ. I speak as if I was insane. I wore cell with far more laborers in far more imprisonment be times without number, often in danger of death five times I received from the Jews. There eyelashes. Three times I was beaten with wads. Once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and day I spent in the deep. I've been on frequent journeys engages from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers, my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers of the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren, I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights and hunger and thirst, often without food in cold and exposure and apart from such external things, there was the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches, though this week without my being weak, who is led into sin without my intense concern. If I have to boast I will boast of what pertains to my weakness God& even times when we are weak, so that we can see his strength at work in us. I saw the most times in weakness and difficulties. God has placed this world. While this to be there so that we can be more effective instruments of his many of you may not realize it, but by the my wife on her second husband. Her first husband left her while she was carrying her third child, you don't get much weaker state that he would not give her money kids. But I'm here to ask you that God has used that to give her a heart of compassion that understands what other people are going through when they go through difficult circumstances, God heard what was a very weak in a very difficult situation into a victory of his brothers and sisters. When you find yourself walking through the valley and you find yourself feeling really week God 's strength will want to and will bring you through it. Victoria Sabin is a time this season to examine our lives to do serious self-assessment. Think about who we are our strengths or weaknesses. Romans twelve, verse three applause already said, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service of worship. I don't be transferred don't be the one whose role, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order that you might prove that good excellent perfect will of God, but he continues with this verse four through the grace given to me I say to every man among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but so too thing to think so as to have sound judgment, as God to lead allotted to each a measure of faith. Look at your life. Look at your strengths look at your weakness 's view, all of them to go present yourself with your weaknesses and your strength to go on for server those strengths. He renews brothers and sisters. He will also use those weaknesses as we offer ourselves that us humble ourselves before Almighty God, let us pray for Jesus. We call it weighs strong, but if so many ways week award. We know that we can do nothing worthwhile apart from you, nothing that really lasts apart from you, Lord. May we be employed for your kingdom say take us as we are moved in our life and our hearts believe the instruments and Yuri 's play in the potter 's hand 's molded and shaped by his as vessels for your glory before Your Honor, and for your kingdom say that it is in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Today I spoke with someone and I said while you believe it young to have a belief system you have a church give something if you believe in God, and he looked at Mrs. all. Yet I believe in God. I have his picture and that was all that he hath that was his entire faith for facing the end-of-life. What I believe in God have his picture and that was it a and I thought it tonight. How much of God 's word that we have in our life. How much of it that we've heard how much of it has been a part of our life in the miracle of God 's word is that we speak it and it creates faith. It creates hope it creates life inside of us. The word that we have heard tonight spoken to us is just like in Genesis when God spoke the word brought the world into existence. God 's word was spoken to each of us in a created what was necessary for our life right here and now inside of us, how much more we have the just the picture we have his word in his life. The family of God to celebrate with event choice that has to month. Thank you. Thank you very much, and this Lenten season. We are all of all people most blessed because we live in a place where we are free to celebrate our faith and the shared with one another and shared openly and it is important that we that we share that love and that we pray one for another bear one another's burdens, sofa, and so fulfill the law of Christ. So pray one for another, and when someone's someone comes to mind. Pray for them. When someone you're thinking about, you know, you just been on my mind and pray for them offer a prayer. God help them be with them up them in their and their situation and again father. It is great is with great privilege. Lord to say we are your children and that we are part of the family of God. We are so grateful Lord that you loved us. But you look beyond our faults and you see the need of our lives. And you speak your word to us, and it creates in us hold live peace got there so much that we are need of in our weakness, but yet your word comes to us to give us life. We ask your blessing upon all of our churches, but not just the churches Lord each individual and each family that is connected with them. I pray that this be a special time of blessing for our community, the God that you who have had such a profound effect upon our lives continue to do so through the clergy through the ministers and through those who serve you and each family in each individual God just bless us, Lord, that we might continue your ministry of creation of creating good things in our community and are on our lives and our surrounding areas. We pray this in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, and everyone said they meant that less you know I'm always great for handshakes and hugs of all SSO give somebody something. Yeah Jake