And we will finish what we started last Sunday morning. Rise up and build Rise up and build. Proverbs 2,918 says, where there is no vision, the people perish but he that keepeth the law happy is he. The word that's translated vision there means prophetic vision. It means revelation from who?

Revelation from God. We have the revelation from God, do we not? We we hold it in our hands today. We call it the Bible. We have his vision.

We have his law. We have his way, his gospel, we have the plan and purpose of God for his people, the church, for you, the revelation found in the pages of this book. If 2021 is going to be better for our church and growth and faith and testimony and spirit, in souls saved and added to the church, it is not going to happen just because we flipped the page on the calendar. It doesn't work that way. It is going to take faith.

It is going to take hope. It is going to take work and commitment on the part of God's people. To build what God has asked us to build, to serve in the manner that God has asked us to serve, to grow ourselves and our ministry. In the grace and wisdom and love of God. We must get excited about God's vision.

For us personally this year and for our church. We must believe that it can happen. Say, pastor, I've tried many times and I've just given up. Don't give up. Greater is he that it's in us than he that is in the world.

We are overcomers, we are told in Christ Jesus, our Lord. We have the victory in him. There is always a way of escape that we may be able to bear whatever temptation or struggle or trial may come our way. I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. Do not buy in.

That there is not victory in your own personal life. Do not buy in to the lie that things cannot be better for you, for our church, even for our nation. Trust in the Lord and obey his word. He will bring it to pass. God's grace By God's grace, we must not allow this opportunity this week, this month, this year to pass us by.

We must not give up on the growth of our ministry or victory in our personal life. We must not be satisfied with the status quo. We must look to higher ground. We must look for growth. And victory.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord for your word and for the example of many in scripture. Who had their back up against the wall, whose circumstances were not ideal That Lord, they found victory in their God, in their faith, in your vision for them, their family, their nation. Lord, I pray that we would not fail. To grasp a hold of the opportunity that lays before us.

Lord, that we would not be so weak in our faith as to believe that it cannot be done or that cannot be better, that we cannot grow. For Lord, we can. You are mighty. And Lord, we trust in you today and we pray Lord for your direction and we pray Lord for your empowerment. That we might succeed in the thing that you have called us to.

In Jesus name, amen. Now, the book of Nehemiah, God had called Nehemiah to lead the children of Israel out of captivity, at least some, back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city, to rebuild the walls, to rebuild the government, to to rebuild the people. It was going to be a very big job. Why? Because number one, the condition, the condition of Jerusalem.

We find that condition in Nehemiah chapter one and verse one. Nehemiah one one, if you look there, it says, the words of Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah, came to pass in the month Chisleu in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace. He was a cup bearer to the king. He was a servant of the king, not the king of the Jews but the king of Persia who was ruling in that day. He was in captivity basically.

Verse two, that Hananiah, one of my brethren came, he and certain men of Judah and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped which were left of the captivity and concerning Jerusalem. There were some Jews that were left in Jerusalem after had been destroyed by the Babylonians. They said unto me, the remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction. And reproach. Humiliation basically.

The Wall Of Jerusalem also is broken down. And the gates thereof are burned with fire. The condition of Jerusalem was a good or bad. What the condition of the people was a good or bad? It was all bad.

The homes were bad. The the city wall was destroyed. Buildings were burnt, people were discouraged and humiliated. These people of this once great nation of Israel. Think back to King David and Solomon.

Are now depressed and discouraged. There are few left, many died. It is a very sad condition. However, throughout Israel's history, they had found their back against the wall and time again and whenever they put their faith in God, God delivered them and gave them the victory. Whether it was David versus Goliath or Gideon and his 300 versus the Midianites, Deborah and Barak versus the Syrian army, Jehoshaphat facing invasion from three different armies, from three different nations all at once.

Whether it was Hezekiah with the Assyrians camped outside the walls ready to break them down the next day. In every case, when they turn to God and prayed, God gave them the what? God gave them the victory. God turned the tables. God showed himself mighty.

Now, it's been a hard year for our nation. May have been a hard year personally for you. It's been not the easiest year for the church. Praise God. Actually, we've done pretty well.

The Lord has taken good care of us. We've been able to continue to meet. We've been able to pay the bills. And we've even seen a few new people. Come into our congregation to worship with us.

It hasn't been all bad, has it? But can it be better? Yes, it can. It can be better yet. And we look not to ourselves and not to programs and and business models but we look to God, to Jesus Christ, our savior, to his word.

To his power. To his provision. And we trust in him. That if we will trust him. That if we will put in the work.

That if we'll get on our knees and pray. That he can do great and mighty things. Which we would not imagine. Despite whatever trial our nation has been in, our church, or you individually. God is still on the throne.

God still answers prayer. God is still interested in this church and he's still interested in you. He is still able to move mountains. Like with Caleb. And he is certainly able to change hearts.

We can see revival, growth, success, and joy this coming year regardless of what happens with COVID if we will look to who? If we will look to Jesus and to our Lord in faith. And reliance. And in diligence. Philippians three thirteen says, forgetting those things which are behind you and reaching forth onto those things which are before.

We've got some good and bad things behind us. Let's look forward before to the path that's laid out, to the mission that we have been given. You see the condition that Nehemiah had to deal with and we read about the assets that Nehemiah had at his disposal. First of all, he had the people that were left there. They were few.

They were discouraged. They were relatively poor and in distress but that did not deter him. We sang a song last Sunday morning, little is much when God is in it and these few people as we read in the book of Nehemiah, we see these few people with enemies all around. They were able to rebuild those walls and what was it? Fifty, fifty days?

Fifty two days? They rebuilt those walls. They weren't all builders. They weren't all masons. They weren't all carpenters.

They weren't all engineers. But by God's grace and strength, they were able to do an incredible feat with just a few assets, a few assets. Why? Because they had the most important asset. What was that?

They had the Lord. They had the Lord. In 02/18, Nehemiah said, then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me. In 02/20, the God of heaven, he says, he will prosper us. Therefore, we, his servants, will arise and build.

Because greater is he that's in us than he that is in the world. The same is true today. Our numbers are small compared to some but our people are faithful, soft hearted, willing, giving of different ages, of different backgrounds, and those can all be good things in the hand of who? In the hand of God. Gideon defeated the army of the Midianites with only an army of 300 men.

He started out with a bigger army and God sent them home. And Gideon scratching his head like, what are you doing? Why did you send them home? God said, no, you only need 300 men to defeat the Midianites. So, don't get discouraged about the number.

Don't say, well, look at this and look at that and compare us to so and so and so and so. No. God has given us this place. He's placed us here at this time. He has brought us together and we are mighty in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

He can do great things through us. He's giving us these buildings and property. They're all paid off. He's put us in a community that is needy, somewhat hard to reach maybe but needy and they need Jesus Christ. He's given us this past year a church van.

We can use to pick up people and we do every Wednesday to bring them to church. And we'd love to pick up more. The Lord hasn't changed the same God that said to his disciples concerning his church that the gates of head will hell would not prevail against it. The same God that said in Philippians four thirteen, of whom Paul said in Philippians four thirteen, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. As the same God we serve today.

And if we'll trust him, and if we're willing to get our hands dirty, so to speak, to work, to commit, to be faithful, and to pray. God will do incredible things. So we see the condition and the assets, and we stopped there last week. We'll finish this evening, this morning, not evening yet with the plan. The plan.

What was the plan? The condition and the assets but but what was the plan? Well, the plan has to do with faith and teamwork. Let's look Nehemiah chapter one. Nehemiah chapter one and verse five.

What did Nehemiah's plan begin with? How was he going to accomplish this? Well, it all starts with what? Nehemiah one five. Anybody know?

It all begins with. Prayer. Prayer. Verse five, and I and said I beseech thee, oh Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments. Let thine ear now be attentive and thine eyes open that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant which I pray before thee now day and night.

For the children of Israel, thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee, both I and my father's house have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, have not kept the commandments nor the statutes, nor the judgments which thou commandest, thy servant Moses. Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandest thy servant Moses saying, if you transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations but if you return unto me and keep my commandments and do them, though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of heaven, yet I will gather them from thence and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. Now, these are thy servants and thy people whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power and thy strong hand. Oh Lord, I beseech thee.

I plead with thee. Let now thy near be attentive to the prayer of thy servant and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name and prosper, I pray thee thy servant this day and grant him mercy in the sight of this man for I was the king's cup bearer. What was the beginning of Nehemiah's plan? This beginning was prayer. He began with prayer.

He didn't sit down and figure out everything and how he's going to do this. No. He got on his knees and he wept and he cried and he went to God in prayer and he said, oh Lord, things are terrible in Jerusalem. Your people are destroyed and discouraged and distressed. And it's that way because we abandon you.

You told us it would happen. But Lord you also said in your word that if we return to you that you would restore us and so he said, I confess our sins and I pray for your deliverance and restoration. If we'll turn to you. He began with prayer and share it chapter two and verse four. As he is speaking to the king to ask permission to go back to Jerusalem.

It says, then, the king said unto me, for what does thou make request? So, I to the God of heaven. Now, it wasn't a long drawn out prayer. It probably wasn't even an audible prayer. It was, Lord, help me.

And then he answered the king. You see, the king could either grant his request or take off his head. There wasn't a whole lot in between. The king decided to grant his request. And not do in just a small part.

To the answer of his prayer. It begins with prayer. In chapter four and verse nine, it continued with prayer. Chapter four and verse nine, nevertheless, he says, we made our prayer unto the God of unto our God and set a watch against them day and night because of them. When they started the work, guess what?

They found out they had enemies that weren't going to stand around and let them do it. The enemies were trying to stop them. The enemies were more numerous. The enemies were more powerful. But Nehemiah said they didn't stop us.

We just got on our knees and why? Prayed. We prayed and then we kept busy and we trusted that God would protect us and that we would succeed. It begins with prayer. Anything in which God shows himself mighty in this world.

In behalf of his people, almost always begins with what? Most always begins with prayer. If we're not praying for souls to be saved, if we're not praying for God to change our heart, to bring revival to our church, to extend our outreach. And our testimony. If we're not praying for those things, then why would we expect to see them?

But if we do pray, we can expect to see them. Because God does hear and answer prayer. His team be, his his plan began with prayer. It continued with faithful participation. Look if you would in Nehemiah chapter three.

Faithful participation. Could Nehemiah build the walls of Jerusalem all by himself? No. Could he build the walls of Jerusalem in fifty some days with just he and a little team of engineers? The answer is no.

This is a big task. This is a task that you would imagine would take years. Like repaving Ulmerton Road took years. But it only took days. It only took weeks.

Why? Because of the faithful participation of others. Look in chapter three, then Eliashib, the high priest, rose up with his brethren, the priest, and they builded the Sheep Gate. They sanctified it and set up the doors of it even unto the Tower Of Mia. They sanctified it under the Tower Of Hananeel.

The next unto him builded the men of Jericho. The next to them builded Sachar, the son of Emery, but the fish gate did the sons of Hasina build, who also laid the beams thereof and set the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. Next unto them, repaired Meremoth, the son of Arijah, the son of Kaz, and next unto him repaired Meshullam, the son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabeel, and next unto them repaired Zadok, the son of Bana, and next unto him, the Tekoites repaired but their nobles put not their necks to the work of the Lord. Verse six, moreover, the old gate repaired Jehoiada, the son of Paseah, and Michelam, the son of Besodeiah. They laid the beams thereof and set up the doors thereof and the locks thereof and the bars thereof.

Next unto them repaired Melatiah, the Gibeonite, and Jaden the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah unto the throne of the governor on this side of the river. Next unto him repaired Uziel, the son of, do you get the idea? Do you get, do you get what Nehemiah is is recording here? He's telling you that it every each one of these groups, each one of these families, each one of these businesses, they all took a section and they all did what? They all worked on it shoulder to shoulder next to one another.

Some work quicker than others. Some worked on bigger sections than others. Some work on building the wall of stones. Some worked on building the gates. They did what they were able and what they could do, but they all got to the work, they all pitched in, and the walls got built.

That was the plan. Not a program, not a business model. The only business model was this, pitch in, take your part, we'll get it done. And they did. Faithful participation and giving.

Giving was a part of the plan. Look if you would in chapter seven. The end of chapter seven beginning in verse 70. Chapter seven verse 70. Chapter seven verse 70.

Some, many people were poor. They didn't have anything or much anything to give in the way of financial means but some did. Dehemiah seven seventy and some of the chief of the fathers gave into the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, 50 bassoons, 538 priestly garments, some of the chief of the fathers gave the treasure of the work 20,000 grams of gold, 2,200 pounds of silver, and that which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 grams of gold and 2,000 pounds of silver, and three score and seven priest garments. The people gave.

They gave of their time. They gave of their energy. They risked their lives in some cases because they had to carry weapons while they worked because of the enemy that was determined to stop them. They also gave of their means, those who had it, to help with the work of the Lord. They gave, they gave sacrificially, and the walls got what?

Built. And the walls got built. And then part of the plan, prayer, participation, giving, but the plan didn't stop there. Part of the plan also was a hunger for the word of God and a humble willingness to submit themselves to it. No plan will succeed unless we are willing to submit ourselves to who?

To our God. To humble ourselves, and to have a hunger for his vision, for his word, for his way. Chapter eight verse one, Nehemiah one and all the people gathered themselves together as one man in the street that was before the water gate and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had commanded to Israel. You know, Ezra, one of the spiritual leaders of the group didn't go to the people and say, hey, y'all need to come here and hear the word. I'm going to teach.

Now, I'm going to teach on this day at this time. So, you've been gathering just everybody come. No, that's not what happened. Ezra didn't go to the people. The people did what?

The people came to Ezra and they said to Ezra, we want you to teach us. We want you to read us the law of the Lord. We want to know. They had a hunger. They had a desire and they went to Ezra to ask him.

In verse nine, it says, in Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha and Ezra, the priest, the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people said unto all the people, this day is holy unto the Lord. Unto the Lord your God, born not nor weep for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. They were softhearted. When they heard God's word, it struck them to their heart. It struck their heart.

It humbled them. It challenged them. It convicted them. And they responded emotionally. And they responded willfully.

They responded obediently. They responded to the preaching and teaching of God's word. We must respond. It's not enough to come and sit and listen to God's word once a week. If we don't what?

Respond. It isn't enough to read God's word in your own home. If you're not responding to the word of God, if you're not willing to let it cut you to the heart, to reach into your soul, to challenge and convict you of sin. You must respond to God's word. You must be softhearted.

Elsa just bounces off and I'm afraid too many times and too many churches in the lives of too many Christians. Well, we have church at this time. So, they show up and they sit and they listen and they go home and think, well, it was a pretty good sermon and yeah, I did my thing for this week and God will be pleased with me. You're missing the point entirely. We're here for God We're here to let God do something in our life to change us, to make us more like Jesus.

That's not going to happen. If we're not willing to make decisions. It's not going to happen if we're not willing to humble ourselves and respond. I'm afraid too often in baptist churches, that just doesn't happen. And we wonder why nothing changes but it did in Israel When the first day was done, they came back for a second day.

When they heard that they were supposed to be having a certain feast and they hadn't had it in years, immediately, they obeyed and they stopped everything they were doing. And they honored the word of God and trusted him but pastor, I don't have time to be part of this to to take part of that, to spend time in prayer and devotions, and to to witness and and all of thee. I don't have time for that. I'm too busy. Yeah and that will forever be the case if that's your attitude.

I praise God that's not entirely your attitude this morning because you're here But it's the attitude of some. The attitude of many in Christian in today and nothing changes. We're not the salt and light we ought to be. Because we just don't have time for God and his word. God can change us, the church, the world.

But it starts with us taking time to let God change me, to spend time in his word, to be still, and know he's God, to spend time in his word. They did that. They stopped in the middle of what they were doing. They obeyed God and you know something, it paid off. It paid off.

God gave them the victory. That's the plan. The plan for Missouri Avenue Baptist Church is very similar. What is God's plan for us? Faithfulness, teamwork is required in man and required in stewards that a man be found what?

Faithful. Faithful. That begins with the leadership but it works its way down. If I'm not faithful, if you're not faithful then we won't we won't see anything change but we can. We can.

We'll be faithful. We'll submit to the Lord and to his word. Be faithful. It begins with what? Begins with prayer.

Call unto me and I will show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. Matthew eighteen, nineteen and twenty. Again, I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that you shall ask. It shall be done for them of my father which is in heaven. For two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

If you believe with all your heart, if you pray with all your heart, in accordance with his will, it shall be what? Done. Shall be done. Does God want souls saved? He does.

Does God want our ministry and testimony to grow? He does. So, pray for it and then put your feet to it. Grab the tracks off the back. Grab the New Testaments.

Take em. Hand em to somebody. The more we put out there, the more seed we sow. The more increase we'll see and you might not even see it from the people you hand it to but if you're faithful to the Lord, you'll see the increase. We will.

If we sow and it begins with sowing the seeds of what? Prayer. Personal prayer in your closet. Public prayer like on Wednesday night and Sunday night and Sunday school. Come and pray with us but I don't I don't don't want get up and come for Sunday.

I'm not interested in the kingdom at the moment. We always start with prayer can come pray with us. Participate encourage encouraged as well. Take time out on Wednesday night to come and pray. We have a few faithful people who come to pray.

You can come. Everybody can come that's here this morning and still be very socially distanced, okay? Come and pray with us on Wednesday night. Have a plan of prayer. Begins with prayer.

A plan for personal growth. How you going to grow personally? Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungod ly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seed of the scornful but his delight is in the what? The law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

There you go. How do you grow? You take time to be in God's word and to meditate on it every day. You talk to God every day. You make him part of your life and his word, part of your life.

You meditate, you think on it. You don't just let it go in one ear and out the other. And he'll change you and you'll grow it'll happen. It will happen. I have seen it happen in some of your lives but it needs to keep happening in mine and in yours and it can happen more if we'll take time to spend with our God.

A plan for personal growth. We don't grow this ministry and we don't grow this church without growth in us. Period. Won't happen without that. And then dedication, dedication attendance and participation.

Remember the walls went up because everybody want? They work together. They participate. They took teamwork. Hebrews ten twenty five, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is but exhorting, encouraging one another's and so much the more as you see the day approaching.

It's the day of Christ return. It's the day that the days get darker. Our our our need to gather together to participate, to work, to pray, to encourage one another, only that need only gets greater. And should be the case today. So, I challenge you.

In 2021, we have Sunday school, Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. I know that for some of you, COVID is a problem. I understand that. More than others. But let's trust the Lord.

Let's be wise but let's be faithful and if you can't come to every service, and spend time in God's word. If you can't come to every service, spend time on your knees when you're not here. If you can't come to every service, spend time on the phone calling other Christians and encouraging them in your church. Participate. And be here when you can.

Find your niche of ministry. Whether it be bookkeeping or singing or helping to keep up the grounds or the children's ministry or visitation or prayer letters or phone calls. Don't wait for me to have a program and say, okay, we're having a program. Who wants to participate? I don't do that too often.

You know why? Because I say, okay, come if you want to participate. I show up. Maybe one other person shows up. And then it's discouraging to the other person who showed up.

Where's everybody else at? Don't wait for the ministry. Don't wait for the pastor to say, we're all going to do this now. Show up. Come to me.

Say, pastor, I want to do something. Last week, I mentioned the track Shirley Shirley beat two two others of you. There were two others that came to ask about those tracks. Shirley beat em. She got to me before they did and said, can I fold the tracks?

I said, sure. So, she brought them back this morning and guess what? I gave her more to fold. So, You want to call somebody? Say we had visitors.

Can I call them? Come ask me. I have their information usually. I even call em. Yeah, you want to know the birthdays are in the bulletin.

Send them a card. You don't have a prayer list? Grab a prayer list. You can pray for somebody and you can call em and say, hey, I am praying for you. Hey, can I bring you some food?

Hey, what can I do for you? And that would transform our church and ministry in ways you cannot imagine. And it can happen It can happen but you can't sit back and say, well I'm too young I'm too old. Haven't done it. Can't do it or I'll let somebody else do.

Because then nobody does and it doesn't get done. Doesn't come without sacrificial giving and I'm not just talking about the money in the plate. Talking about the giving of our time and our talents and resources. It doesn't come without commitment, commitment to telling others about Jesus and Jesus spake unto them saying, all power is given unto me, that means all authority. The word power there is authority.

All power, authority is given on me in heaven and earth. Go you therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, the son, the holy ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and low I am with you all way even until the end of the world. We must be committed to reaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ and you say, pastor, I I just I don't feel confident speaking to other people, then, take a track and let it speak for you. Go to the neighbor that you do feel comfortable with. Just invite them to church.

Say, if you want to come, you can come me. I'll pick you up and bring you. And you might be surprised that somebody takes you up on the offer Bring them in the doors. Get them in. Be committed to reaching people for Christ.

And love your neighbor and your brother and sister in Christ more than yourself. Get your eyes off yourself. On the mission that is before you and on the people that need it. And God will do incredible things and you will have joy unbounding. When he does.

Close with this verse, Joshua twenty four fifteen. Joshua said to the children of Israel, just before his death, after they conquered the land and divided it, he said, here's one important thing, before I leave, I challenge you with this. It seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve, or the gods which your father served that were on the other side of the flood, or the flood gods of the Amorites and whose land you dwell but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. You say, pastor, I chose the Lord and I hope you have chosen the Lord as your Lord and savior. I hope that you have come to him and called upon him to be the Lord and savior of your life.

He pleads with you and ask you to do that. He died on the cross so you could be saved. He took your punishment and penalty. Have you come to Jesus? Have you humbly called upon him to be your Lord and savior?

Have you repented of your sin and trusted him to save your soul? When did you do it? How old were you? Do you remember when it happened? I do.

I was nine years old. I came forward at the end of the service. You don't have to do it at the front pew of a church. You can do it in your closet at home. But when did you do it?

When did you become a Christian? That's first important question. Do you know the Lord? Are you saved? The second part of this is that word.

He says, choose you this day who you will what? Serve. Serve. That implies action, does it not? It implies action.

It applies, it implies obedience. He said, don't just choose who you will believe in. Choose who you will want. Serve and I ask you and I plead with you and I beg you. Choose you this day.

This year, whom are you going to serve? Are you going to serve the almighty dollar? Are you going to serve the television set? Are you going to serve the the acceptance of the world? Are you going to serve Jesus Christ?

There will be sacrifice involved but the rewards far outweigh the sacrifice. We're going to pray and as we pray, I ask you to pray. And tell God your decision today. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord.

For what you did for us on the cross of Calvary that you didn't wait for us to come come to you. You came to us. You died on the cross. You paid the penalty. We could not pay that we might know you and have eternal life and Lord now, it is your desire to build your kingdom.

It's desire to build your your children and Lord, you've given us this place, this time, these people, this opportunity, your word, and your spirit and Lord, I'm afraid we haven't done as much with it as we should have been. We've seen answers to prayer anyway. We've seen souls saved. You provided for us and sustained us Lord but all we can see so much more. Lord, I pray that we would answer the call that would say, here am I.

Send me this year. That we would find people to witness to, to give tracks to, that we would be faithful, that we would find places of ministry, something to do. So, that the work of the ministry would get done. A more prosperous and successful way than it has been. That you would be magnified and that souls would be saved.

I pray Lord that you'd help us. Forgive us of our sin. We confess. Lord, that we've not been as faithful as we should have been. Lord, help us to get victory over strongholds that maybe holding us back in our life.

Lord, I pray if there's one here today that's never accepted Christ as savior. I pray in particular they would come as we give this hymn of invitation. I'd love to show them how they can be safe today and know it. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.