following that day and we'll have several... Has anybody contacted you about... I haven't heard anybody, so it looks like you and I may be preaching. I don't know. So some of you men, if you're getting ready to preach a 10 or so 15 minute message, please let me know. Not the last minute, but let me know so we have an idea what's going on that afternoon. Otherwise, we just have regular Sunday night service and add to that whatever along the way there. Anyway, we have been looking in the book of Colossians chapter 4, finally moving on. And we've been dealing a lot with with what we might look at as being physical characteristics of language. And tonight is not an exception as we look at Colossians 4, 5 through 6. And this goes to no matter how you talk about the physical aspects of the tongue or the lips, what you hear and so on, it really goes to what is the heart. What is the heart, true heart attitude of the Christian, of the believer. And it says as we look at there in verse 5, walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech always that your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how ye ought to answer every man. In our previous conversations on spiritual maturity, we examined Colossians verses 2 through 4. And the two subjects were a speech concerning prayer, and in our witnessing, how we witness to people. You could come off as a know-it-all, or you can come off as someone who has been humbled by the fact that this is how you came to know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and that you really want them to experience what you've experienced. But sometimes we get it all down and so that we are very mechanical in our presentation. And we can begin with Romans 3.23 and Romans 5.8 and Romans 6.23 and Romans 10.9 and 10 and 13 and maybe throw a few other verses in there along the way there. And it just becomes very clinical and very cold and doesn't seem to be very inviting. And I think a lot of it is because our heart's not there. We know it's something we should do, so we kind of go through the motions, get it over with, move on, with an attitude of almost, well, I didn't really think that they would want to get saved anyway. But I do remember, I think I've shared with you before about one time when Dr. Howells was out visiting, and he had gone to visit with a man on a number of occasions, just numbers and numbers of occasions. And the guy just listened to him, and that was fine, that was wonderful, and didn't want to get saved. And I remember Dr. Howell saying he got about halfway down the driveway one day, and he said, that's enough. He went back there, knocked on the door. The guy came to the door, and he actually knocked off, got down on his knees, and grabbed the guy by the legs and wept for him. And the guy said, OK, now I can get saved. Now I'm not saying you have to do that, but there has to be some humbleness. There has to be a sense that I want you to experience what I have, because what I have experienced is the most wonderful thing that could ever possibly happen to a human being. Now, there's a lot of wonderful things that happen, but there is nothing more wonderful than receiving Jesus Christ as one's own personal Lord and Savior, and wanting others to experience that same thing. Now, unfortunately for a lot of people, the Christian life is, again, it's just one of those mechanical things you do. You go to church, you read your Bible, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da, that's what you do, and there's no real warmth in that process. There's no real desire. There's no real love. no passion to come before the Lord who has saved us and redeemed us from our sin. So the idea is that the two subjects that we're looking at were our speech concerning prayer and our witnessing, which is all well and good so long as there is a lifestyle that coincides with our speech. Amen? Listen, you can talk to, some of you work with until you're blue in the face. about the Lord Jesus Christ. But if your life doesn't match what you're saying, if you don't have a changed life, that's observable. Because what happens inwardly is supposed to be manifested outwardly. So if there's a transformation taken inwardly, there needs to be a transformation that takes place outwardly. Amen? And so that's where we are. That's where we should be as Christians. And so our life ought to be lived as an example of what's going on inside so that when we do speak the wonderful riches of the Word of God, people say, you know what, I want to sit and listen to this person because I have seen the transformation in this person's life. So there needs to be a consistency between what we say and how we live out our lives. Now if a picture is worth a thousand words, and we've heard that expression before, then the reality is a life lived for Christ will enable us to use fewer words to win the loss to Christ. Isn't that amazing? If your demeanor, your walk on a daily basis is bathed in godliness, you don't have to go through Genesis to Revelation to try to explain to people what it means to be saved. You can do it in a few words because they're going to look and say, I've noticed that there was something different. I know that what you've got is real. I know that what you have is genuine. I want to listen to what you've got. And you can cut right to the chase and get right in there on the plan of salvation. So for all too many of us, it is so much easier to talk about the Christian life than it is to live it daily. And the challenges are great. The opposition is relentless, but our resources are limitless and our wisdom is without end. That's the amazing thing. Yes, we have an enemy that is great, we have an opposition that is relentless, but our resources are greater than all of those combined. So over the next couple weeks, that's this week and next week here, we'll look at two main points. Number one, our walk of spiritual maturity in verses four, chapter four and verse five. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without redeeming the time. Now, a lot of times we're focused on our own life, aren't we? The Bible says we need to be focused on other people's lives. So that when we live our lives, it was the idea that we want to win them over to what we have to say. But the second thing is, Lord willing, not next Wednesday, but the Wednesday after that, our talk concerning spiritual maturity in chapter four and verse six, let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. So tonight, walking in spiritual maturity, As we look at it, in this verse we find at least three things, the three things the Apostle Paul says believers are to do. Now these are not suggestions, they're in the imperative, things we are to be doing to serve the Lord in obedience if we are to reach the laws. Number one, we are to walk in wisdom. How much of what you do, and how much of what you say, and how much of the advice that you give has its origins in the wisdom that comes from the Word of God, or the wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit of God. Anybody can give people advice. A kindergartner can give an interview. I remember hearing, I don't know how true the story was, but this car had broken down next to kind of an insane asylum on a highway. He broke down, a guy pulled over, and he jacked the car up, and he took the lug nuts off, and he took the wheel off, and he put the lug nuts in a hubcap, and while he was taking the wheel off, the wheel fell, hit the hubcap, and all the lug nuts went down the sewer. And him look over his shoulder and there's this guy hanging on a fencer and he's kind of looking at him, a little bit starry eyed, and the guy's thinking to himself, what in the world am I going to do? And he began to think, and he began to think out loud, he said, what in the world am I going to do? And so the guy's hanging on a fencer, he said, why don't you take one off from each of the other wheels and put it on that one so you can get more. And the other guy said, I thought you were crazy. He said, yeah, but I'm not stupid. But we do. We have to walk in wisdom. We have to walk in wisdom. Secondly, we have to walk in wisdom toward them that are without. It's imperative that we walk with... They don't know what you know. Amen? They don't understand what you and I understand. Let alone believe what it is that we believe. So we have to walk with wisdom. Listen, if you're talking to a fireman, you know, why would you want to talk gardening with him? You want to go sowing something? Listen, do you realize there's a fire that even all the firemen in the world put together couldn't put out? Now I'm not talking about California, that seems to be pretty much the ballgame out there. I can't say I ever get anything done out there when it comes to that, but there is a fire. And so you can look at the circumstances and the situation and ask God to give you the wisdom that you need to be able to have a verbal exchange with an individual that would be bathed in the wisdom of God. But he also says we're to redeem the time. We don't have as much time as we think. We're all just one breath, one heartbeat away from eternity. Amen? Sure, I may be in good health. Well, I can't say that. I'm living. I might be as far as I'm going. I'm living. But who knows what tomorrow holds? You just don't know. And so how does one walk in wisdom? How does one walk in wisdom? Well, the word walk means to make one's way, as in making progress, to regulate one's life, or to conduct oneself. You conduct yourself with wisdom. Not only in your attitude, but how about in your reaction. Not just your actions, but your reactions. How we respond. You can act appropriately all day long, and one thing go wrong, and you blow the whole thing out of the water. You can go for years being right on top of it, having good conversations, and having wisdom, and guiding and directing your life, biblically speaking, and boy, you know, it only takes one time. One time to destroy everything. Whether it's weeks, or whether it's months, or whether it's years. You can flush your testimony down the drain. So secondly, I'm afraid this is all many believers do, and that is walk. but not always according to wisdom, which is necessary if we are to have any degree of spiritual success in spite of the world's character. So do you want to have a godly result in your daily walk? So that when you lay your head down on the pillow at nighttime, you're not stressed out about what you should have done, what you could have done, what you didn't do. or how you acted or how you reacted in a situation which was probably uncommon but it just seemed like the moment got a hold of you. See, walking in wisdom means that we've got to be constantly aware of who we are and where we are and to whom it is that we belong. So to walk in wisdom is to carefully evaluate life circumstances and making decisions and choices based upon what we know to be the will of God. Now, we talk about walking wisdom is to carefully evaluate life circumstances rather than throwing a hand up and saying, oh, why Lord? Why me? Why now? That's not how we go through those kind of situations there. Or maybe it's something that the dentist said. You know, you've got a bill here. A doctor's got to say, well, you've got to go in for this surgery or whatever it is. And you know, you kind of get all upset about those kind of things here. But listen, if we truly believe that God is sovereign, and He is, So that means that all of life's circumstances, He knew all about them in advance. Now if He didn't think we could handle them, and if He didn't think that we ought to go through them, I don't believe He would have put us through it. And so every one of life's circumstances has a purpose in God's plan for our lives. If nothing, I think at the very least, it's maybe show us that we're not as spiritually mature as we thought we were. So if we can't handle those things and the wisdom and the understanding that God's going to take care of it, then what does that mean? It means we're not to that place where we need to be and we need to get on our knees before God and say, Lord, I need to grow. Lord, I need some spiritual growth and God will move us forward. And so all of life's circumstances, all of life's situations are really, even tonight, couldn't find the dumb key. And I'm looking for my key. How do you lose a key? Lost a key. From maybe with 20 steps, I couldn't, I placed it somewhere. I couldn't remember where I placed it. So then I'm looking at the clock and it's getting later and later and later. And I'm starting to... Yeah, I'm getting frustrated. And I said, Lord, I need to find that key. I got to get to church. Oh, I got to find that key. And he helped me find it. And it was good. And of course, everyone else in the house was praying as well. So we found the key and so on. It's important we understand that these are things that really test our mettle. Are we really who we say we are? And are we really living as we ought to be living as Christians? For sure. Colossians chapter 1, going back just a couple chapters, looking at verse 9 and 10. is that for this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord, and of course that might walk is based on verse 9, whether we pursue the knowledge and allow the Holy Spirit of God to fill us with that knowledge, and of course how does He fill us with that knowledge? I don't know, I haven't seen anybody in this church or any other church I've been in, I've never seen anyone with a funnel in their head. And you just can't pour it in there. We've got to get in the Word of God and we've got to be alone with the Holy Spirit of God, guiding us and directing us, reading the right kind of books, reading the Bible, studying the Bible, meditating the Bible, because otherwise you're not going to be as mature as you think you are. Sometimes I believe that we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. And that includes preachers in the pulpits, and missionaries on the field, and evangelists on the trail. But he says that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. You know, sometimes it's through circumstances that we increase in knowledge. And so if we don't embrace the circumstances that we're going through for the simple fact of the knowledge we're going to gain walking through, then you're going to learn a lot about God going through circumstances. You learn a lot about yourself going through circumstances, amen. And you learn a lot about where you are in your relationship with the Lord and the Lord with you. So now the fourth thing tonight is such knowledge as is gleaned from being a serious student of the Word of God. Now what does it mean to be a serious student of the Word of God? Well, yes, we do our program and we have our three chapters a day and so on there. But I'm going to tell you folks, that's good. That's a good exercise to be involved in. But that's not being a serious student of the Word of God. Being a serious student of the Word of God is setting some time aside where you can get some courses or take some courses or do something. She said, I want to know more about the Lord. I want to know more about the apostles' lives. I want to know more about the Bible here, about over there. I'm convinced a lot of people don't even know why we are a KJV only church. They like the idea but they don't really know why we've chosen that we're going to stand by the King James Version of the Bible. They don't really know. Why? Because they haven't really taken the time. Well preacher that's your job to teach us. No, it's your job to get in the books to find out. So that we can come together and we can share what we've learned together and we can say amen rather than I don't get it. Not a good thing. Joining with being a serious student of the word is very, very important. Now, Proverbs chapter 9 and verse 10, we'll be back to Colossians, but in Proverbs chapter 9. Oops. Chapter 9 and reading in verse 10, one chapter too far. The Bible simply says there, the fear of the Lord is what? the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding. Now when it talks about the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, we ought to so reverence the Lord that we want to know as much as we can possibly know about Him. And how are we going to know more about Him? You've got to be in the Word of God, gleaning the Word from the Word of God, picking out those principles, picking out those precepts that we need to apply to our lives. And then when circumstances come along, we make the application of those things to our lives. And you know what? We learn how faithful God really is. We also learn how smart God is. Because you know what? God's smarter than all of us combined. But he says there again in verse 10, as we pay attention here, You know, I just lost my, okay, the fear of the Lord. That's having a reverence for God. But it also says there, wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. So the more we know about God, the more able and ready we are going to be able to understand life in general. Understand the way the world is. See, the world doesn't know why they are the way they are. They don't know why we are the way we are. But we know. because God has revealed to us little by little. So Proverbs chapter 9 verse 10 tells us unequivocally that the beginning of wisdom is the fear that is the reverence of God. Respecting God. Do you respect God? When we transgress against God, when we're in disobedience to God, when we're lying and cheating and being dishonest, when we are being lazy and shiftless and all those other kind of things there. Listen, you know what, that's not reverencing God. Reverencing God is doing that which pleases God continually. Also, the more we know about God from the Scriptures, and apply what we learn about God to our daily living, the greater our reverence, the greater our awe, the more sincere we will be in our walk with Him. So the typical believer who will not get into the Word of God beyond a cursory reading will never, never, ever come to a greater appreciation of God in their lives. They're just kind of floating along. Whichever way the current goes, whichever the waves go up or down, whichever the way the swells are, that's just the way they are. And they will never come to a genuine reverence. And they will never come to a genuine fear of God when it comes to discovering just how magnificent and how powerful God is in all things. We settle for so little when God has so much. Think about it. How little are we settling for when God has so much? We stopped for several hours some time ago in St. Petersburg, Kentucky to visit the creation. We've been there twice. And I had picked up several DVDs, things I gotta stay out of, that is tool shops and bookstores, Christian bookstores. I should never go into those things. But I picked up several DVDs on the wonder of the cell, and I think I've shared with them sometime in the past here by Dr. Georgia Purdom. I mean, I've read several articles from Institute of Creation Research of things that take place where only super microscopes can see. And I have to tell you, to believe in the theory of evolution at this level requires more faith than I could ever possibly muster to believe that that which they have revealed and that which they have discovered just somehow happened. And the problem is that the average person just looks at the big picture and they assume that they never get down to see the little minuscule, almost imperceivable parts of that big, big picture. It's like on your screen, you look at that screen, you don't realize that that TV screen that you've got, the bigger the screen, the more pixels you've got. Or the higher the number, the more pixels it takes to make up that thing. But you don't know that, because you're just enjoying watching the television. But someone had to realize that all those tiny little pixels, they have a place and they have a purpose. And they're all generated different colors, whatever it is that's in there, all combines there, and all you see is the big picture. And so we need to get to that particular point where we believe that God, our God, is such a magnificent God. It just transcends our complete ability to understand it. But we can still sit there with our jaws agape. Amen? So when the scriptures say to you and to me, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding. It brings to us a whole other understanding that the casual reader will never experience. But you see, you have to stop. And you have to ask yourself, how is it that my reverence helps me with knowledge or the understanding of the Holy? Such knowledge and such wisdom should shake us really to our core and motivate us to live in His presence in obedience. Colossians chapter 2, verses 2 and 3. He says that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love. Do I want to be there right? Yep. Yep. and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom I hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words, for though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. But ye gotta love, verse three, in whom I hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. You and I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of all that God knows, of all the wisdom that God has. Listen, our minds, we couldn't even probably put a scratch in what God already knows. So I can't imagine how much knowledge has been done by believers who have done the right thing or said the right thing and weren't concerned about their actions and their attitudes in the process, how much harm has been done, how much hurt's been done, especially to them that are without. Our focus should only be our daily walk with God, but also those who are out there watching us. We had some neighbors that came here on the Kentara. That was wonderful. They've been watching. Now maybe they're being able to put two and two together and say, okay, this is the church they go to. And there's more people than just our neighbors. So they probably would not even set foot in here if they hadn't seen something about you. Because an invitation is an invitation. Why do I want to go there? These guys are rascals, troublesome, noisome neighbors, always causing trouble, always causing strife. Why do I want to go there, here at Quintana? But when we have the right spiritual relationship with the Lord, with the right walk, then they begin to sit up, they begin to take notice. So the point is to conduct ourselves in a way that does not give outsiders the wrong idea or cause or reason to really cast God aside. We come in contact every day with those who are outsiders to the body of Christ. Only as we walk in wisdom toward them will our lives have a positive impact and convict them and draw them to the person of Jesus Christ. And then number three as we close, redeeming the time. Simply put, making the most of every opportunity. Probably even this day, many of us in here, myself included, have wasted opportunities that God had for us. God forgive us. It is a picture of a merchant going to market and making the most of his money by making the best purchases or making the best deals. Are we to make the best use of each opportunity that God brings into our lives? John chapter 9 verse 4 says, I must work the works of him that sent me. While it is day, the night cometh when no man can walk. We ought to walk in wisdom toward them that are without. We ought to redeem the time because time is running out for them, or maybe even for us. And so, our opportunities. Because once a person is dead, they're dead. You can't talk to them anymore. You cannot share the gospel. You can stand by their grave, but that's all you can ever do. We must get them before they breathe their last breath or before we breathe our last breath. Amen? All right. Now we do have the prayer cards here tonight. I did put on the earth, praise the Lord for all those who made it safely, whether they came from Mexico or whether they came from Pensacola or they came from wherever. Are there any other prayer requests? Very quickly here tonight while we're passing those out to you. Carrie. Her name is Rhonda and she's quite disturbed because a lot of things were stolen out of her home. So she talks like she's a Christian but she's disturbed. OK, Rhonda. Things were stolen. Or someone else. Karen. The lady Deb that I work with, she's come through this office a couple of times. She was in the hospital last week. She's got her diverticulum, diverticulitis. So she's at home. She's got a drain. She was praying on top top surgery. All right. Brother Jim, get us on these long terms. Appreciate that. Justin, pregnancies. Steve, spiritual needs and growth. Jack, salvations. I'll hit these short-term requests here and missionaries in a month. Clark, you going to have those? And AJ, how about these Vermont pastures? Good. All right, Brother Jim. Father, we come to you tonight on behalf of these long-term requests. Father, we thank you and praise you for what you've done and what you're doing to each one of them. Father, we pray for Clark's eyes, that they would remain benign and just have your will there. And the related problems, we pray, Father, that you'd be with him and strengthen him physically and spiritually. Then, Lord, for Linda Epp, we pray that you'd be with her as she deals with her health issues. Have your will on her there. And then, Lord, for Rosa, for her foot pain and her heart and her eyes, we pray, Father, that you'd meet her in their physical and spiritual needs also. Then Lord, for Sophie, we pray for her serious ongoing health issues. We pray, Father, that she has a new role in her life. And then, Father, we pray, especially to not hurt parents again, that they will come to know you as their own personal Lord and Savior. In order for Dan Charlton, we pray for his needs and for financial needs at this time. We just pray, Father, that you'll meet all his needs according to your will. In order for Johnny S., we pray that she be with him as he serves the city of Burlington. We pray, Father, that you put a protection around him and just have your will to land his life and meet all his needs according to your will. And then again tonight, we pray for our pastor's family that you'll continue having your will and way in his life and continue meeting your financial and your spiritual and physical needs. And Lord, we just pray that your will will be done, that you meet all these needs now. Lord, your will. Lord, we ask you to bless, meet the needs, and we'll thank you and praise you for it. In Christ's name, amen. Lord, in the area of pregnancy needs, we lift up before you the will to care in the pregnancy center. Lord, we ask for you to please be with them during this time of year. Lord, just help the donations to come in. Lord, just help meet their needs. And we just ask for you just to continue to be with them, Lord. Give them opportunities every day. So just give out the gospel and your will for these pregnant women's lives, Lord, and for hearts to be softened and ears to be open to that good, godly counsel that they're given, Lord. We just ask you to help them to continue to get stronger, to grow, to get healthy, and to put on weight and continue to have a blessing. Be with them during this time of the year. Lord, just help them to know how much You care for them, Lord, and help us to come alongside of them and strengthen and encourage them, Lord. And we just ask You to please be with them, Lord, and just help them to realize this is part of Your perfect role for their lives, Lord, and You have a plan and a reason for this, Lord. And we just thank You so much for all that You will do, Lord. in their life. So we also lift up before you Leda Mae and Elaine, who are pregnant and expecting. Lord, we just ask for you to just keep a hedge of protection around them and their unborn children, Lord. Just help them to continue to grow and to come full term, happy and healthy according to your perfect timing, Lord. And we just ask for you to be with Brother Glenn and Brother Juan, Lord. Just help them to be the spiritual leaders. of their household that you happen to be, Lord, and to prepare their hearts and homes even now for the addition of the new child, Lord. And we just thank you so much for all you do, even through those pregnancies, Lord, and you continue to. In your Son's name we pray. more. Father, tonight, these names in these or that Yup. that you teach us and instruct us through these processes that sometimes... Whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, whoever's coming to look at the home or look at the parcels Well, whatever, we're just afraid that you work one thing of our person there, or for the gem that you keep his eyes healthy and strong. We just are so excited by what you have done. Lord, for their interaction with us, their prayers for us are so important. Everybody's as important as those who are gathered here physically in the sanctuary. And Father, for their well wishes and their encouragements along the way, we appreciate them so much. And Father, we'd ask that this would also be a meeting by which the unsaved would come to know you as a more personal Lord and Savior. So Father, use it for your honor. Use it for your glory. Well, we pray also for our young people. One of them will be coming up on grade, but one of them will be going back to school again in January and back to colleges and so on. Father, we ask and pray that you'd help them learn this time to grow spiritually. Lord, not to get so caught up in the trappings of when they forget who they are, and whom they serve, and whom they are to live for. That when they go back to school, Lord, they'll be strong in the things of the Lord, and they'll be resolute. And we thank for those young people who are making that stand. Lord, we rejoice in the strength and the courage and conviction they've got. They put some of us adults to shame. So Father, bless them, strengthen them, encourage them in these areas. May they know that Lord heaven rejoices when they make such a stand in their position. Lord, we pray for other families that are moving into the area that they'll find their way. Lord, hear to Calvary and Lord, they'll be like-minded and wanting to get into a ministry that loves the Lord, who believes in the infallibility of your word, that you've kept your promises and so on. And so, Father, we just pray that, Lord, we can use for, and Father, we can be a blessing and that they might be a blessing to us as well. Lord, for Greta Bolson and her partner, to share the gospel. Lord, for Mike and Jack's ongoing problem with their legs and their feet, you bring your guide and director there as well. Lord, that you provide a sense of healing in some particular point in time. And Lord, guide and direct the doctors accordingly. They might have wisdom and discernment to be able to deal with the problem with their legs and their feet there. to college students for their finances or during this time of the break that they might get to gain more employment, that they'd be able to pay off their school bills, or they'd be able to get their finances back on top of things again and so finally meet their needs. And they get a good rest during this time frame as well. Lord, for our police officers and our EMT personnel and firemen, again, we pray for all those who, Lord, put their lives out there in order to make us feel safe, in order to make us safe. And Lord, we pray that you'd watch over them. And Lord, we pray for their salvation if they're not saved. Lord, again, we pray for Calvary's people that, Lord, as we've discussed tonight, that they will crave and hunger and thirst for a deeper walk. Lord, not one that's gonna put them out of touch with reality, but, Lord, a deeper walk as far as wisdom and knowledge goes and be able to use it to be able to reach many others of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And what helps to be humble in that process, that meek and mild, Lord, so that they'll know that there's sincerity, Lord, that it can be, It can't be something that's produced, but just something that emanates from our hunger and our thirst for more of you. as in Boydian, Betty, and her husband out there, the Wizard of Dainty, to be able to look after her, to be an encouragement to her at each and every step of the way. Lord, we praise you for the safety of our students traveling home for the Christmas holidays, and Lord, we just pray this will be a great time together with family members. Lord, as they prepare their hearts and mind to be able to go back to school, Lord, may this be a time of also mental relaxation to be able to kind of take a reprieve from the triggers of studies. Well, we're ready for Jump Start coming up, Jump Start 2018. My brother Dan Sousa, we pray the Lord this will be a great turnout, the passions will come, the hope will come. Lord, we just have a wonderful time as we fellowship on Friday, Saturday, and on Sunday around your word. We think of Austin in June, and he'll be traveling with his son, Ivan Alco. We pray that you give them travel of mercies as they head to South Carolina, and then to Tennessee, and eventually back here. Lord, may they have a great time. So, Lord, please keep me under protection right now. Now, Lord, we thank you for Rhonda, this friend of Curie's, who has had a number of things stolen from her. Lord, in the end, these are just material things, and Lord, they can be easily replaced. And Lord, one thing they cannot take, one thing they cannot steal, Lord, is her relationship with you and the joy of her salvation. So, Lord, when she's truly saved, I want to speak to her heart and strengthen and encourage her. Lord, we think of Karen's friend that died at a particular place, and we're just afraid that she'll take care of her. Lord, that she'll know that the hand of the Lord has been upon her. And Father, we pray thee, sing to Jesus' name. Gracious Lord, Father, we think of the missionaries that we help support. Lord, we've gone from a total