Lessons from Life's Storms - 04.26.2026

Today's Life Lessons: 

1.) When the commission from God leads you into a life storm and test,

trust in His promises, power, and protection to save

2) When the faithfulness of God is experienced during life's storms,

walk obediently, stand faithfully, and proclaim boldly about

His love, grace, and mercy in Christ

Trinity Baptist Community Church International is shepherded under the direction of Bishop Dr. Michael J. Love. Trinity is a preaching, teaching, and reaching church. Under the direction of Bishop Love, Trinity has over 100 ministries, as well as global expansion, church planting in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and 37 churches in India. Please come out and join Bishop Dr. Michael J. Love as he critically imparts the Word of God at Trinity Baptist Community Church International www.trinitybcc.org

Copyright @ 2026 TBCCIdrloveministries. All rights reserved. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:03

Just in case you don't know. Let me just mention that our we're kicking off on this Sunday here. You can see our team's heading towards the chapel for those of them. We're starting off our new teen vibe ministries. We're heading on fourth Sundays, or last Sunday of the month when there's a fifth Sunday. Over to the chapel during this time frame. So they're kicking off this new this we're kicking off this new ministry. We want to keep them prayed up as they head in that direction, our first lady and Reverend Skinner. Amen. Amen. Get our young people prepared and geared up and ready for the days ahead. And as they get ready to move into whatever that next season is, or this college or vocational work or whatever the Lord leads them to do, that uh prayerfully they are equipped to the best of our ability to come alongside and uh and be a part of that walk of faith of theirs there. Amen. Turn with me in your Bibles, if you will, to uh to Acts chapter 27. I'm gonna close out our time this month in Acts by referring to uh this episode in the life and times of Paul. Fascinating episode. It's a big block of scripture, so we're gonna try to uh pull out the vibrant points that the Lord wanted to lead us to. From chapter 27, I jotted down verses 21 through 26 is our core time for studying together. And verse number 24 is our key verse to read together. So if you don't mind turning with me doing to that in your Bibles, we're gonna we'll have it up on the screen. We've got the key verse up on the screen as we prepare our hearts and minds to delve into this work for the Lord. There's some couple life lessons I want to share. It's practical takeaways. So if you're able and you don't mind standing with me, let's just read this uh this this one verse together, and then we'll just dive into this time together. Verse 24 says, saying, Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar, and lo, God hath given thee all them that sell with thee. Let's read that one more time for the listening audience. Saying, Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar, and lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Why are you taking your seat? I just want to spend some time on the subject matter, on the theme of lessons and life storms. This is one of those powerful storm storylines in the New Testament, in which God has this marvelous way of just showing up in the midst of the difficult moments and being faithful to the very commission and call he's placed on the lives of the apostles or the disciples. And giving us life lessons that we certainly have not only hope but an assurance that God is in the midst of our journey, no matter where you are in your walk of faith, and that you can depend on him, you can trust in him. And so let me read you the passage scriptures that I, the passages that I jotted down. In verse 21. I picked it up. This is after, it says after after long, after but after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them. This is after they've been out in that stormy sea and they've tossed and turned and they've done everything they could possibly do on their on their route. And they're starting to toss, uh, as you read the storyline, they're starting to toss baggage and everything overboard because it seems like they cannot withstand the winds and the waves that they're facing in the midst of this journey. And they've given up all hope, and it talks about how they hadn't seen any sun or stars for many days now, and you can imagine that all hope that says all hope that they should be saved, was taken away. So you get a little bit of a glimpse of just what it was like within the turbulence that they're feeling like these are prisoners on the ship. Paul has Paul has been has stood before uh the the the uh the leadership in Jerusalem and he has he has leaned into his right as a Roman citizen when they were accusing him falsely and trying to indeed imprison him. And he says, Yeah, but I'm a Roman citizen. And and uh you you might not have taken that into account, and now that you know that I'm a Roman citizen, that I'm I'm appealing uh to Caesar, and so now they are sending him as a prisoner to Rome to stand before Caesar's court. And he is a prisoner then on this ship. And so in verse 21 it says, but after long absence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them. This is in the midst of the sea, and said, Sirs, you should have hearkened unto me. I love Paul. I love this guy. He told him early on, as you read the early portions of this message here, that uh we shouldn't be launching out into disturbance. Uh it's it's it's gonna be a danger to us, a danger to our lives, danger to our destiny. And the centurion, who was in charge of in charge of this, uh these people in this along with the pilot of this ship, basically did not did not heed Paul in his warnings. And so now Paul was a part of his instructive moment, his teachable moment there. He starts out by making it powerfully plain that you know, if God had empowered pointed wisdom into him to speak into these people, into these prisoners, into these gods during this time, they should have heeded. They should have paid attention to it. So he says, Now, now I exhort you. Well, let me back it up. Says, Sirs, you should have hearkened unto me, I mean 21, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. I wonder a little bit if he just took a pregnant pause and gave them a chance to just think about that for a moment. Or did he just hurry on into the good news or this peace? He said, But now I exhort you to be of good cheer. For there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, God whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul, this is our key verse. Thou must be brought before Caesar, and lo, God hath given thee all them that sell with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. There were some exhortations. I'm gonna put my two life excessions up if you don't mind, Diana. There are there are three or four different commentaries in here that Paul lays out wisdom from God speaking into the audience, even as a prisoner on a ship, that just jump off the page about just how just how God is working in and through the man, as he's using even what appears to be overwhelming circumstances and hardships and trials and tribulations, and somehow God is working this all out for his glory and for the good. And he speaks to that. This is one of those pivotal moments after having given them the warning early on. I jotted down these two life lessons. When the commission from God leads you into a life storm of tests and tests, trust in his promises, trust in his power and his protection to save. And secondly, when the faithfulness of God is experienced during life storms, walk obediently, stand faithfully, and proclaim boldly about his love, his grace, and his mercy in Christ Jesus. Be grateful today. Be grateful today. I thought to myself, now what must this really be feeling like? To have stepped out boldly as as the Apostle Paul has done. And his journey. Having come from last Sunday, we talked about how he held the cloaks while they were stoning Stephen. And how just that that powerful witnessing that Stephen had given, even as he was giving up his life, being stoned, clearly had an impact on the witnessing Paul out there in the audience there. To the point that when he went, when he went and said, give me the decrees that I need to go to hunt down all of these people in the way, all of these so-called heretics who follow the way, this Jesus. And I'll bring them back, or I'll drag them, or I'll do, I'll do whatever's necessary to stop, put a halt to this so-called sect, religious sect. And to have Jesus confront him on the road of Damascus and basically knock him off his horse and blind him and turn his whole way of life around, transforming the man so that he was no longer a persecutor of believers in Jesus Christ, and to become a chief proclaimer of the good news of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. And so now, in the midst of his journey, in the midst of his journey, we're at the closing chapters of Acts, so he's been to a whole lot of things. He's been imprisoned, he's been stoned, he's he's been left for dead, he's uh he he's he's seen God, he's seen God with powerful miracles in his life to deliver him from all kinds of bondage and and separate him. I gave him wisdom as he's standing in Mars Hill, he's proclaiming to a to a philosophical audience there who the real God is while they're searching for the emptiness to try to understand the emptiness that they had, the God-shaped emptiness inside of them. Paul has been through this missionary journey on two occasions back and forth, and now he's in the process where he God had promised him, I'm gonna get you. You want to go to Rome, I'm gonna get you to Rome. It just might not look like the way that you thought you were gonna be going the wrong. You you might have thought that you're going in a different mode where you could be proclaiming that word, perhaps out in an amphitheater someplace. But God sent him as a prisoner with a handcuff and promised him that even when he says, I'm a Roman citizen in Jerusalem, that God will somehow use his captivity and his standing for his faith in the midst of the Jewish audience to get him on a boat. Seemingly somewhat uh uh handicapped in the sense that he he didn't have control over his circumstances, seemingly. And God, and yet God used what seemed like lifestones in his journey to somehow not only draw him closer to the Lord, but also gird him up and make him stronger in his faith wall. Because he realized that he wasn't in this journey by himself, that the call that God had placed on him was the God who placed the call on him was absolutely large enough and wise enough and caring enough and gracious enough to be able to see him through no whatever the storm he was facing in life. So being on this boat with other prisoners, while looking on the surface like it's an absolute situation that uh that that that that that his livelihood and his calling and his his opportunity to serve God might be short-circuited, God gave him a word of hope and assurance. I I love that. He he understands uh God understands everything, but but to but to uh metaphorically lean over and care enough about you and me while we're out here and our life journeys, doing our little things down here on earth, you know, living out moment by moment, walking our faith journey down here, for him to care enough about the details of our life, that he would number every hair on your head to that point, that God would love you that much that He would get, He would send a word of encouragement just in the moments when it feels like everything about me ought to say it I should be discouraged. Lost control of my situation, all of my legacy in the future that I may have had round up, wrapped up in my mindset now seems, doesn't seem like it could possibly be about to happen. I thought I was going to room to see Caesar and stand tall and proclaim proudly, and yet God has got me on, got him on this boat with other prisoners. And then had the audacity to to speak a word into Paul and tell him in a caring but audacious manner, you need to tell them you shouldn't uh you shouldn't be going out in this storm, because you're in danger if you go out in this storm. And but digging then to have the centurion to look at him all cross-eyed and say, Well, now what do you know about this? You don't know anything about sailing. If I've got to depend on somebody to tell me whether or not it's safe to go out into the storm, then I'm not gonna lean on the prisoner, I'm gonna lean on the pilot. And to think that somehow in my in my in my humanity and my human uh ingenuity that I somehow know more than God knows about the situation, the God who created the universe, the God who has controls over the winds and the seas, the God who knows what's going on, everything that's going on, that somehow a centurion would think that I'm gonna trust not in the God man's world, but I'm gonna trust in this mere pilot over here who's sailed the seas a few times. So there was a life lesson. There was a tea thank you to preach that thing. There was absolutely a teachable moment that the Lord wanted to lay on their hearts as He's preparing these prisoners in this interior and all those on the on the ship to not only recognize that for that that in this in this uh in this life realm that we are that we're in the and the laws that God had placed in the affair, there there are consequences for our activities and our actions. But yet, it's still in the midst of the consequences, there's also that beautiful, powerful admixture about the grace and mercy of God. And so they feel some of the consequence of a bad of a decision that was going against what God has spoken to the God man, the prophet, I mean the the the apostle to tell them, but yet they receive the favor of being in the presence of the apostle and the commission that God has in front of them, in front of him, to the point that they get consequences, but they don't they do not get the ultimate consequence if life, if if giving up their life is that ultimate consequence. And so you find Paul starting them out with a life lesson, an understanding, and a teachable moment. He says, You I told you, I told you, that you shouldn't you shouldn't have launched out there, you didn't hearken under me. Told you you shouldn't have losed some creeps, but you didn't repeat, but you didn't listen to me. Told you that we're gonna run into a storm, but you didn't want to pay attention to the to the preacher over here. You know, well, you know, he's preaching the sailor. The preacher knows about storms, but you know about boats out in the river. You know, we got we got it, it almost sounds like one of those Peter's moments when they said, but you know, we cast all, we passed, we've been preaching all night long, and yeah, we haven't caught anything. Yeah, but you didn't cast your net when God told you to cast your net. Yeah, we we we we shouldn't have been out in this one. Paul said, Paul said you shouldn't have been out here, I told you. He said, But the big pregnant butt in this is that the the the connecting transitional moment in this is that you you need to understand that while we are experiencing the difficulties and the hardship momentarily out here in the sea with the winds raging and and and and we're casting all our gear overboard and we're down to where there's very little food, if any food on the boats, and and we're we're getting ready to we're getting ready to basically jump off the boats and run for our lives and see if we can't escape, thinking that we cannot survive out in here. Then Paul comes along and tells them that be of good cheer. Be of good cheer. Because God has told me that there were no loss of any man's life shall be among the among us. So we're gonna lose the ship, but we're not gonna lose any life. And this he gives them the qualify. He says, Well, because an angel stood by me. I said, This isn't just earthly wisdom, this isn't Pauline wisdom here that I'm laying out for you. I'm not I'm not trying to impress you with my words. I've given you, yeah, you messed up by not following me before, uh, saying that trust me now, based on my knowledge. But I got this straight from the God who I'm served to an angel who spoke to me. And he said, Fear not. Somehow God has this piece of the journey in his infinite wisdom as a part of his bigger picture plan. I just need you to drop a pen right there, if you could, and just reflect for a moment and think about is there anything in your journey that you can re you can bring to the surface of your mind now or perhaps even later if you need to? Were you seen, where you felt God's nudging and promise on your life that there was something He wanted to play, something He wanted you to accomplish, some kingdom impact He wanted you to have, some personal place He wanted you to go to and have impact. And in the midst of that, when you heard it in your mind's eye and you you start stepping out on it, then all of a sudden you got the enemy decided to take your joy of it, he tried to sidestep you. I know somebody's other than me. He tried to put an obstacle in the way of it. Well, now the Lord wants you to do this, wants you to get there. I'm gonna when you get to that person, I'm gonna give them such a bad attitude that you're gonna act like you don't even want to talk to them about that. But the Lord sent you over there to have a word of peace and healing with that individual. He didn't send you over there to be a counselor, to be a to be a uh a positive image, positive uh thing. He sent you over there with the word of God. And when you got there, that individual looked you in the face and was ready to spit on you in the midst of that. He didn't like you in the first place, didn't want to have anything to do with it. You talk somebody talked to me like you had some folk around you that wanted to treat you any way but good. But yet God said, I need you over there. I prepared the moment for you, I prepared the environment for you. And whether or not whether you recognize it or not, I've actually tenderized, I've touched the heart of the individual so that when you come there and he and he or she starts treating you in ways that that that you would not treat them, that that they're gonna feel some conviction from the Holy Spirit because you're standing in front of them, loving them like Christ. Paul said, I told you. I told you. And you had to receive a little spanking from the Lord in order to get your attention. I said, But the Lord didn't kill you. Matter of fact, he promised that none of us are gonna die out here. He said, You're gonna have to give up the boat. Both gotta go. Which means there's there's there's some drama in the midst of this that you're gonna have to deal with that's beyond your capacity to handle in and of your own strength. But that therein lies a big piece of the lesson. Not only do you not lean into your own understanding, I didn't hear you say that, brother preacher. But in not leaning into your own understanding, you need to trust in the Lord. And sometimes in our rock-headed fashion, we need to experience some things that kind of make us have to recognize. I mean, you either get this the nice way, you get this the rock-head way. And if the Lord has the, I believe there's a scripture in there that said, whom the Lord loves, you know, he's he's chastising, he spanks. Take the spanking. There's victory even in the spanking. And so he's walking not only Paul through this this powerful character, uh, transforming, continuously transforming moment, but he's bringing along with Paul those who are on the ship, those prisoners who felt like their life was hopeless. Many of them are probably going off to Rome in order to be sentenced to death. Who knows what that situation might have been? And and in the midst of that, Paul is telling them, you can be of good cheer. You can absolutely be joy filled. But we got no food, preacher. The boat's breaking up, the winds and the waves are tossing. Yeah, I hear you telling me we shouldn't have been out. Here, but now that we're out here, and everything is falling apart all around us. Are you sure this is the right time for a sermon? But the power in the sermon was in the purpose that underlined underlaid the sermon, the message. Not only the good news, the inspiration, the hope that was given out, but the authority from which he spoke it. This is coming from God. He is the creator of all things. He is a sustainer of all things. He controls the winds and the waves. If he says, if he says we're going to get to Rome and we're going to have to give up the boat, but nobody's going to die, then that's exactly what's going to happen. I may not have the details for you. I can't take you through the day-to-day piece of the process here, but I'm at point A, and he tells me I'm getting the point Z, then I'm then we're going to get the point Z. Because we're somehow a part of the greater picture that God has here. Somehow, in this little moment when you had this encounter with that individual who didn't want anything to do with you, and God was trying to bring about healing. Somehow, in that healing, reconciliation moment, that there was a transformation that God was wanted to take place, that would maybe perhaps much often have that individual become a woman of encouragement to somebody else, having felt the graciousness and the mercy of God operating in their lives. And who knows how that might ripple down the road there? So they tell them to them, you're a part of a bigger plan, and that bigger plan is to get Paul to Rome. Because there's a mission there in Rome for Paul. And I saw four quick things, and then I saw Paul, Paul exhibiting his faith in God in the midst of that. And in the midst of everything that's around him and the circumstances, he leaned into, he's leaned into his faith in a good, in a good, gracious, loving, merciful God, a righteous, all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present God. And the same God who was with him and changed him and made him a new man on the road of Damascus is the same God who's now with him and carrying him to his next level of ministry and his journey. This is the same God. He's faithful to every single one of his promises until Paul leans in and leans on to God and trusts him. Number one, firm faith in God. Secondly, I saw Paul's possibility to maintain this interesting level of peace in the storm. And actually prudence in his counsel. When everybody else is frantic and running and tossing gear off the ship and trying to figure out what's the quickest way they can escape. How can they survive out in the middle of this turbulence? The winds, the waves, the lightning, the thunder, whatever's hitting them out there, the wind's forcing back against them. They can't go any further and the ship's stranded out in the water and it's falling apart and breaking apart. And in the midst of that, there is this unexplainable peace. That I think he would describe as a peace that passes all my understanding. Guarding my heart and mind to not do what it instinctively wants to do, which is panic. Everything in me wants to react totally differently than what God is doing, what the Holy Spirit is now doing inside of him, which is calming him and giving him the assurance that God is with you. And then to take that peace and assurance and verbalize it out to those in his circle of influence. I know you're struggling, brothers. I feel what you're feeling emotionally and inside. Intellectually, I can't, logically, I can't wrap my head around how this necessarily is going to happen. Because it's beyond our ability to control our circumstances. But I serve God, who controls all circumstances. He's sovereign and in charge. And there's a promise attached to this journey. So with the promise and the character, based on the character of God, who is truth and faithfulness, never fails, never will fail, never can fail. That God, through Christ Jesus, who has demonstrated so everything we need to see and know, he leans into that and it gives him peace. And it also gives him a boldness to proclaim this good news. And then thirdly, I notice how Paul had this ability to be praising, be thankful to the Lord, and portray this hopeful spirit. And that's all a part of how he speaks it out. But as he talks about how the angel approached him, and I told him that the Lord has given them all that sell to be with thee. And then re-emphasizes, be of good cheer, because I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit, we must be cast upon a certain hour. And so there's stuff still coming. There are things that we still got to deal with here. But in the midst of that, I can still be thankful. So he's he's expressing his thanksgiving and his gratitude to God, not only to God, but his his loving faith in God and his hopeful spirit even before the rescue comes. Well I need you there with me for a moment, George. And then there's this thing about his impact. He says to them, this is his encouraging moment. I didn't give this to you to jot down, but I I jotted down, I think I picked up in 34. He says, wherefore I pray you? He's telling us, he's telling him, he said, these the centurion, the soldiers, you know, they're ready to bell, they're running out of food, all hope seems to be lost. He's giving them the words of encouragement. You know, and now he's got to come back and kind of reinforce. And he says, wherefore I pray you, listen to it, take take some meat. There's a little bit left here. Take take some meat. 34. For this is for your health. Now, you you know that that is there is hope attached to that statement. There's assurance attached to that statement. Because it doesn't matter to if if I eat a little meat if I'm about to drown. Am I helping anybody? The brother says, take a little meat. It's for your health. I just told you that the Lord's gonna deliver us into the mountain. So if if you think you're gonna give up your life right now, if you if you if you don't have any faith that God's gonna get you to the island, then you know you don't need to eat. But but if you're believing that God's gonna get you there, you need He wants you to He wants you to give you, take a little meat so that you got a little strength for the journey that lies ahead because we're not there yet. There's still some stuff to do. And then he says, For there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you. And when he had spoken, when he had done spoken, then he models it. Nothing's spoken, I need to hurry. He took bread, gave thanks to God in the presence of them all, and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some bread. And it tells you how many on the ship there. So he not only proclaims it, but he models it. This is good, this is good teaching. This is good discipleship. He not only says, My God is faithful, my God is all powerful, my God is all knowing, my God is ever present, my God has given us a promise, my God is gonna bring us through this storm. He said, and my God is concerned about even the details of this journey for you. So, you know, take some bread, brothers, and and and get yourself nourished up. And if if you can't imagine, you can't fathom why you want to eat the bread if you think I need to be worrying about how I'm gonna swim across this water rather than worrying about how I'm gonna eat the bread, then let me show you what peace, the peace of God looks like. He was breaking up the bread and dining in front of them and saying, Well, either this brother's crazy or he knows what he's talking about. Huh? Either way, he's definitely the best choice we have out here. And I love the way he he he he uses that moment and and demonstrates not only the the the peace and the provision that God gives and the protection that God gives, but even as they go through that journey with them themselves and they begin to try to, they you know, they want to break out and run off the ship and and do all that kind of stuff, and Paul is costing them and the centurions now listening to him. But there was one last little thing, and I need to go. One last little thing to jump off the page of me, and it's really at the close of the chapter. When the soldiers said the soldiers, let me get to uh let me get to 42. 42 says, and the soldiers, then they've now arrived. He said the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape. Don't run past that too fast. But then there's another one of those pregnant butts. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose and commanded that they could sw that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea and get to the land. And the rest, some on boards and some on broken pieces of ship. And so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land. The beauty of not only God's promise being fulfilled, but God's protection in the midst of the storm of life. God's provision to those who take a little food, because you got some swimming, you gotta take care of. Get yourself girded up and prepared. Those who can't swim well, God provides a board from the broken down, dismantled ship so that they can then use that as a life, a life preserver to head towards the land. But in the midst of that, he gives favor on Paul in the midst of a situation in which the gods feel like they don't really, they don't they're losing control of their prisoners. And because Paul was certainly prominent, they wanted to kill everybody in the midst of that thing. And the centurion, who just in the beginning of our storyline, didn't want to listen to Paul when he said, Yeah, I told you you shouldn't go out of here. It's not the centurion that's seen God working in and through the man over this entire journey. Paul, who was a prisoner, became the absolute pilot of this ship to the point that God said, I'm getting him, I'm getting you to, I'm getting you to Rome, I'm getting you in front of Caesar, and nobody's gonna be hurt. And the centurion said, You don't you touch Paul. Paul is the reason that the Lord has absolutely preserved us in the midst of this journey here. So Paul became Paul became the symbol of salvation and deliverance to a people who didn't know didn't want to know the God that he was serving through Christ Jesus. Give me my life lesson, Zion. It's amazing how God can utilize weak tissue like us. And somehow accomplish his great plans and purpose. Fallen, faulty, frail, fear-filled folk like us. And somehow gird us up, stand us up, prop us up, give us what we need to not only stand up for him, but as we lean on and lean, trust in him and not unto our own understanding, to do marvelous and miraculous stuff that somehow, in his all wisdom and vision, fits into his perfect plan and purpose. The tall storms of life have purpose. The difficult obstacles in our journey have purpose. And somehow God can make, I love you, Paul, somehow God can make all of that work synergistically together for his glory and for our good. Took a storm to get Paul to Rome the first time. Not like I expected. When the commission from God leads you into a life storm and test, trust in his promises, trust in his power, and trust in his protection to save. And when the faithfulness of God is experienced through in life storms, when you experience you, you see it and feel it, and you're part of it for yourself. Walk obediently. Stand faithfully, not on your own understanding, but on his word. And proclaim boldly his love, grace, and mercy that's available in Christ Jesus, our Lord and our Savior. Father God, thank you for the day. Thank you for this time you've blessed us with, this family that you put together, this opportunity that you provide us to come together once again this Sunday. And worship and in praise and in fellowship and in study time. May your word be planted deep inside of our hearts and bear the fruit that you intended to bear in our life. May we share it out as we work out that salvation that you have worked in us. To your glory. Proclaiming this good news of the saving grace of Jesus Christ to anyone and everyone that you send across our path, our life paths. May we have a deeper and richer understanding about your grace, your mercy, your loving kindness as we step into the next circumstance or situation in life. Realizing that through you, obstacles are turned into great opportunities for kingdom impact. So before we even face the next test in life, Lord, let us give you praise. Let us say thank you, Lord, for who you are and all you've done, doing, and will do in our lives. And let us give you glory in advance for how you're gonna operate in this journey, this part of our life journey. We thank you, Lord. We love you, Lord. And we praise you in the precious name of Jesus. All God's people said amen and amen. As First Lady plays, we're gonna open up the doors of the church, an extended invitation, and invite our ushers to come as we prepare to worship God with our giving. I know you I messed up your hug over there. I'm sorry. Don't be mad at me, Doc Laura. Praise God. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 40:39

Disaster. Oh blessing. Knowing all from before stuff happens, having laid out everything in detail, giving of yourself at the outset, holding back nothing, but for the joy of our salvation, you've given us your best sending us forth, having already demonstrated your superordinate power. Overcome what may, and yet your grace, your love, your mercy pokes through to each and every one of us. Having surrendered yourself to pay the full price that each one of us proves that we ought to pay. And yet you've given yourself in our stead. And with this mindset, we approach this moment of the offer toy. It's not a compulsion imposed, but rather an invitation extended for us to participate howsoever we might in this area of giving. For you have given all at the outset, asking for nothing, but that we trust you. Guide us and keep us for your purposes. In Jesus' holy name we pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 44:12

I'll send it to you again. Thank you, sir.

SPEAKER_01 44:58

Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 45:09

Mr. Nancy. Oh. They can let that you can open up. We'll close out together. I think I see the teen vibe group coming on back in. Come on in, we'll do our benediction together.

SPEAKER_01 45:26

Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 45:35

Good to see our new teen group kicking coming back in. You didn't you didn't you didn't work them too hard over there, did you guys? Amen. Praise God. We're excited about that. It continues to grow. Yeah, that's very excited about that book. And I failed to mention, but those uh we do on our website, there is a for those on the live stream who would prefer to give or any house that prefer to give, I'd like to always mention that we do have uh the PayPal button on our website. You can go to that and take care of that business there. As the deacon has said, it's it's uh it's not compulsion, it's just an invitation that the Lord leads you, as the Lord leads you in your giving and your serving. So as we stand together, prepare to close out our time on this beautiful Sunday that the Lord has blessed us with, praying God's gonna do something very special in your life, not only today, but in the days to come, uh somebody will send somebody across your path, my path, that uh that could use a word from the Lord, as we all can use a word from the Lord, and place it on your heart to be able to share this good news, this loving kindness of Jesus Christ. The Lord may use that moment to move them in a way that's transformative. And you may just, when we get the, I think you were you were talking about the who's a Deanna was talking about the Revelation moment when we get when we all get to heaven. Oh yeah. It's gonna be fascinating. I don't want to start down this rabbit trail, but it's just gonna be, it's just gotta be more than off, awe-striking. The people that we may see, that we cross paths with, trap paths with, and may have just God may have just used us to touch their lives in some way and share this word. Come, Lord Jesus. With our heads bowed, with our eyes closed, our hearts humbled before the true and living God, as we assume an attitude of prayer and we lift our hands to Him in praise, now unto Him, who is able to keep you and me from falling, and present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power now, henceforth, forevermore. And all God's people said amen and amen. And lift our voices and sing, holy, holy, holy.

SPEAKER_01 48:41

Lord, God Almighty. God in three persons. God and three persons. God bless you, God keep you. Have a marvelous week. Let's give God some praise. Give him some praise. Give him some praise. Amen. Invite somebody new to church next Sunday morning.