Good evening, everyone. We're gonna go ahead and get started with our service this evening. With this first song, Here I Am to Worship. Light of the world. Light of the world, you step down into darkness. Open my eyes, let me see. Beauty that made this heart adore you. Hope of a life spent with you.

Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my God. You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy. Altogether wonderful to me. King of all days. King of all days, oh, so highly exalted. Glorious in heaven above. Humbly you came to the earth you created.

All for love's sake became poor. So here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my God. You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy. Altogether wonderful to me. And I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.

And I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross. So here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my God. You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy. Altogether wonderful to me. You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy. Altogether wonderful to me.

Amen. Good evening, everyone. I'm glad you guys can all make it. These moments together during this week are important times for us to remember and appreciate all that has happened. What we want to do in each of these devotion nights is to walk through the events of history and also to think of the many perspectives that are there but also the experiences that our Savior went through.

And so we'll be doing that. We'll also be hearing testimony, salvation testimonies, from some of our members of the church. And tonight we have our brother Josh Malapudi who's going to come up after the worship set to share his testimony with us. So as we prepare our hearts, would you please bow your hands and let's begin with a word of prayer.

Our God, we want to thank you so much. And Lord, we want to continue just to appreciate in our lives all that you have done and all that you are to us. And God, as we think about Jesus our Savior, we want to continue to reflect and to think deeply about all the steps he took.

We recognize, Father God, that there are so many elements of his suffering, the magnitude of the cross, Lord, we will never comprehend. But even leading up to it, we recognize that our Lord truly set his face like Flint and that he was dedicated to come to suffer and to sacrifice his life for us.

And so, God, we worship you, we thank you, and we pray, Father God, that as we reflect and that God, as we join together in worship, we would raise essentially our gratitude and hearts of praise to you. And, Father, may our hearts be filled that more and more truly we would recognize your glory and that our affection would rise to you, Lord.

We thank you for this time. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Why don't we all stand for a time of praise? One church. One church, one faith, one anthem raised. God and God alone. One cross, one grace, one name that saves. All praise to you belongs. All praise to you belongs.

We lift you higher, higher. God and God alone. Your name be louder, louder than any other song. You are forever seated on your throne. You are forever God and God alone. Who else? Who else can wash our sin away? God and God alone. Who else can raise us from the grave?

All praise to you belongs. Jesus, all praise to you belongs. We lift you higher, higher. God and God alone. Your name be louder, louder than any other song. You are forever seated on your throne. You are forever God and God alone. And what can separate us from this amazing love?

What can say it's greater than our God? Every knee will bow down. And what can separate us from this amazing love? What can say it's greater than our God? Every knee will bow down. Oh, every knee will bow down. We lift you higher, higher. God and God alone. Your name be louder, louder than any other song.

You are forever seated on your throne. We lift you higher, higher. God and God alone. Your name be louder, louder than any other song. You are forever seated on your throne. You are forever God and God alone. You are forever seated on your throne. You are forever God and God alone.

Jesus Christ, I think upon your sacrifice. You became nothing, poured out to death. Many times I've wondered at your gift of life. And I'm in that place once again. I'm in that place once again. Once again. Once again I look upon the cross where you died. I'm humbled by your mercy and I'm broken inside.

Once again I thank you. Once again I pour out my life. Now you are. Now you are. Exalted to the highest place. King of the heavens. No one day I'll bow. But for now I marvel at this saving grace. I'm full of praise once again. I'm full of praise once again.

Once again I look upon the cross where you died. I'm humbled by your mercy and I'm broken inside. Once again I thank you. Once again I pour out my life. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for the cross, my friend.

Thank you for the cross. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for the cross, my friend. Once again I look upon the cross where you died. I'm humbled by your mercy and I'm broken inside. Once again I thank you. Once again I pour out my life. Once again. Once again I look upon the cross where you died.

I'm humbled by your mercy and I'm broken inside. Once again I thank you. Once again I pour out my life. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for the cross, my friend. Thank you for the cross, my friend. Thank you for the cross, my friend. Thank you for the cross.

Pastor Mark a few weeks ago asked me to share my testimony. And thinking about it, I wanted to, I started wondering like why am I saved and kind of the history. And so I started searching and I found a whole bunch of old books from written in the 1800s and 1900s of how missionaries came to my part of India, where my parents are from.

And it's been an interesting journey the past two weeks reading letters and correspondence about their experiences. And it just blown me away how they struggled in every aspect, didn't have money, didn't know the language. And the two missionaries that came to my area specifically, they went six years preaching the gospel without anyone converting, which just blew my mind.

How can two people leaving their country of England sailing and struggling for six years without any fruit and yet they persisted until my great, great, great grandfather heard the message and accepted Jesus. And so I stand on the shoulders of a lot of sacrifice. And it was a very humbling experience to just to read that.

And so for me, I grew up in a Christian family where being in India, if you're a Christian, you have to kind of be willing to be ostracized by society. And so it was just something I was born into. Both my grandparents, my mom and dad side, they planted lots of churches, very active in the ministry.

And so this was my life as a little kid. And coming here to the US, it was the same. We just grew up, I grew up in the church. And so it was all I knew. Everything like not missing a Sunday, being active in Sunday school, the whole deal.

The church I grew up in sixth grade, they have tradition of giving new Bibles once you're done with sixth grade. And I remember receiving a brand new NIV Bible. And I challenged myself, I wanted to read the whole Bible within a year. And so I remember I started reading, I toughed it through the genealogies.

And by the time I got to the story of David, I was hooked. It was very exciting to hear just David's conquest. I related to him because in school I was always picked last. And so here's David being the smallest of his brothers. And so I just, it was great.

I was excited because it went from boring to exciting, just reading the Bible. Then I came to the history of David, where the part where he commits adultery with Bathsheba. I remember reading it as a seventh grader confused why David, who experienced the power of God in such a tangible way, could do something like that.

And not only that, he went to murder Uriah. And I clearly remember reading the part where Nathan confronts David about his sin and tells him the story of the neighbor and the lamb. And I remember crying over that story. Although this, and it was at this point, I stopped reading.

I remember I stopped reading, I couldn't continue. But this didn't shake my faith. It just left me with a lot of questions. The next major challenge to my faith came in college as a biology major. My professors started, regardless of whatever the course was, whether it was relevant to evolutionary process or not, that's what they would start with.

And they would tell me to put my faith aside and my beliefs aside. And so again, this started putting doubts and questions in my mind. And it was not my search for answers. I ran into a talk given by Dr. Hugh Ross, an astrophysicist, who explained how the biblical account isn't contradicted by science, but rather supported by it.

And in one of his talks, he talks about how the moment of Jesus' death on the cross, even though it occurred at a specific time in history, the payment was applied throughout all time, both past and future. So it was this point, like, it really clicked. Like when David sinned, and Nathan at the end says, "God has put your sin," it was just one little statement where it says, "The Lord has allowed your sin to pass," which is, I mean, that one statement covering all the craziness that David did, it's only made sense by what Christ did on the cross.

And so in all my questions regarding evolution, it was through talks, listening, and researching by Dr. James Tour and Stephen Meyer. And it was just like all those questions I had, it was answered. And this was over a course of years that my questions were answered, and to a point where I was pretty confident, and yet my faith was just, it wasn't, it was, I didn't have the sorrow for sin.

I felt like I had the formula to get into heaven. I knew that if I lived a good life, I did A, B, and C, and I was looking for a better life. But one day I was listening to a sermon by John MacArthur, and he was talking about Matthew 7.

I always thought Matthew 7, with the narrow and the wide road, I thought, "Okay, the narrow is for people that are believers, and the wide is non-believers, Hindus, Muslims, whatever." But he wanted to explain that, no, actually, they're all filled with people that think they're going to heaven, that believe in Jesus.

And it was that sermon that really just opened my eyes. And the cross-references for striving to enter the kingdom, it was nothing that I ever really heard in church before. Even though I thought I was a Christian, I went to church regularly, my prayer life was poor, I didn't really read the Bible that regularly, but it was that sermon that really just set me on a different path.

In Luke 13, 24, Jesus says, "Strive to enter the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and not be able to." And the word for strive was a word, agonizome, and the cross-references going back to Jacob struggling with God, and in Matthew, how the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

So it shattered whatever my thinking was. And it was that time that I started to question myself, am I striving? And then going back to understanding the pain and suffering that Jesus took on the cross, and I realized it was just a big magnifying glass on my own life, things that I haven't done.

And I feared that growing up in the church, I became somewhat desensitized to God's word. I had zeal, but not according to knowledge. God has been so patient with me. He has addressed all the doubts I've had, and the realization that while, even while I was living in sin, Christ still chose to love me and died for me.

It just came to me with a new clarity. I'm still learning, and through more careful reading of the Bible, which is ongoing, God has been slowly correcting my understanding, resulting in a true relationship with him. Thank you. >> Okay, thank you, Josh. So at this time, I'm going to be walking through the events of that Passion Week on Monday, and I want to begin by just going right into thinking through the events that's happened.

When we think about that week, I want to show you a little quick picture of how the disciples in Christ would station themselves over in Bethany, and then walk into Jerusalem, repeatedly going back and forth doing the various ministries. So just really briefly, on Saturday night, they would go over to Bethany, which on the pictures on your guys' right, and it's about almost two miles away, where they would have to traverse and walk through the Mount Olives, and then they would pass by the Garden of Gethsemane, and then into the temple, okay?

And I want to show you that because on Saturday they were there, Sunday they came in, in what is called a triumphal entry. We learned about it this past Sunday. And then, in the evening, they returned back to Bethany, and on Monday, they're essentially walking back towards Jerusalem. And what we have is an interesting story.

There's a two-part today. One, Jesus' interaction with this tree, and then Jesus entering into the temple, and then clearing it. So to begin first, there is this interaction that is kind of strange, and kind of odd when you first take a look. And it's Jesus taking a look at a fig tree on the way to Jerusalem, and then cursing it, okay?

Let's take a moment to read the passage. It's in Mark chapter 11, verse 12 through 14, okay? Mark 11, verse 12 through 14. And the passage reads this way. On the next day, when they had left Bethany, he became hungry. Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if perhaps he would find anything on it.

And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples were listening, okay? Now there is a little bit of confusion sometimes pertaining to this interaction with the fig tree, because tomorrow morning, after they've gone home to Bethany for the evening, on their way back, they interact with it again, and Jesus uses it as a teaching tool.

But here, what we have is Jesus first taking a look at the tree. There's a lot of leaves on it. It's in full bloom, so to speak, but there's no fruit. And so when you think about this, it seems okay. It's just a natural progression of Jesus walking early in the morning, and just like you wake up super hungry, maybe he felt the same.

But I want you to take a moment to think about how strange this would be. Number one, that in the Passion Week story, this is a part of the narrative, right? It almost seems kind of comedic. But two, how strange it must have been for the disciples to see their Lord, to see their Master, walking towards this tree and going, "Bah!

No fruit!" And then he gets really harsh, really fast, and it amps up. And you might even wonder, from the disciples' perspective, looking at Jesus' words, maybe they're thinking, "Guys, let's not mess with him today. He's like hangry, like really bad, angry from his hungers," or something like that.

Like, "Whoa, did Jesus Christ just wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Was it a full week of just nonstop, and so he's fatigued and tired? Why so harsh?" And as a matter of fact, if you'd imagine, if you saw someone talk that way, you would almost wonder, like, "Are you being childish?" Right?

"Don't worry. If you're that upset, I'll find you something." I wonder if perhaps those were the thoughts that perhaps would go through the mind. But as you guys know, when we think of Jesus' reaction, this is a significant moment because it has much to say about what Jesus is seeing, and how Jesus, but also the rest of Scripture, in many significant moments, have used the example of the fig tree to talk about the state of mankind.

Now when we think about fig trees, I'm not going to go deep into it. Just real quick, I went on a long, long rabbit trail researching about fig trees preparing for this message, and there is this crazy thing about fig trees and wasps. Okay? I'm not going to tell you about it, but it's crazy.

Look into it. It's a little gross, but what I'm going to say is that the fig trees have such a unique relationship with wasps that they will be internally pollinated, and they're very, very resilient. What's my point in sharing with you all this information? Is that fig trees were supposed to be resilient trees that bore its fruit in whatever kind of scenario and landscape.

Did you know that 90% of US's fig, like the little fruit, its production comes from California? Because it was trained essentially to give fruit all year. Fig trees naturally have two seasons, very close to the spring and fall, where they're supposed to bear fruit. The point here in our context is, in this narrative, is Jesus saw that it was full of leaves.

It faked like he was ready. This fig tree looked like he was going to bear fruit. And so upon Jesus coming and looking at it carefully, there was no fruit at all, was there? And it doesn't take much then to come to a point of quick conviction that what Jesus saw was a mass of leaves, but no fruit in it, and therefore brings us to this conviction.

What Jesus saw just the other day was a mass amount of people, and yet no worship. What Jesus is going to see regularly throughout the week is massive amounts of people constantly following him. They're very content to mass together. They're very content to come and gather, but there was no prayer.

They're very content to come and perhaps do the ritual, but there was no intent and purpose to receive what was supposed to be the purpose of the ritual. Why were they gathering together? Why was there such a significant buildup to the Passover, where everybody had to go through all these conveniences of gathering together?

And you guys have heard that there was easily about a million people perhaps within one city at that time for this important, significant moment that God had instituted. Why were they there? Now the thing about it is, Jesus' reaction to this scenario then is he is upset. And I'm not sure if it bothers you, I mean, this question, does it bother you whenever you see Jesus upset in the scripture?

I think that subconsciously I've been duped by too many images of Jesus where he's supposed to be like a floating, stoic, like sage-like being, where he doesn't react in any way. But clearly he does. And what's more, my own reaction informs me that I forget Jesus has said, "The master of the field expects fruit to be born." And when the master of the field sees that the trees are not bearing fruit, he actually says then that tree is only good for fire.

And it's not going to be left alone to take up space in the field. God expected fruit to be born. Christ is looking at this tree and he's disappointed. Here's a passage that Christ describing a parable, he says this, and I'm going to read for you from Luke chapter 13.

What has happened is there is a story that individuals tragically died because a building fell down on them. And what Jesus says is in verse 5, "I tell you, no, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." Meaning there has to be the fruit of faith. Verse 6, "And he began telling this parable, a man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard and he came looking for fruit on it and he did not find any.

And he said to the vineyard keeper, 'Behold, for three years I've come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down. Why does it even use up the ground?'" So coming back to this question, why was Jesus so harsh with this tree? Well, one, trees are supposed to bear fruit.

The mass of the tree expects it. But two, the fig tree has been used not only in this time but many significant times before to talk about the entirety of God's chosen nation, not bearing the kind of fruit that God expected. Here's a passage from Hosea for you. Chapter 9, verse 10, it says, "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness.

I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season, but they came to Baal Peor and devoted themselves to shame and they became as detestable as that which they loved." Now this is not the only passage. There are so many passages from long ago with a long history of this kind of actually you can call it tragedy or you can call it this fruitlessness.

And what I'm saying is as Jesus re-enters into Jerusalem, that's exactly what Christ himself is seeing. So when we think about it, he enters into the temple and what does he see? He sees again that in Jerusalem day to day there are so many people, lots of leaves, and yet no fruit.

Why? Because in the next scene what he sees is that the temple is full of people but no prayer. Right? The temple is full of people doing merchandise exchange, and coin changes, and business, and etc., etc. And what happens as you know is Jesus drives out the merchants and here I want to read to you the story continuing on in Mark chapter 11, verse 15 through 19.

So Mark 11, 15 through 19 says this, "Then they came to Jerusalem and he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers in the seats of those who were selling doves. And he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple.

And he began to teach and say to them, 'Is it not written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations, but you have met at a robber's den." The chief priests and the scribes heard this and began seeking how to destroy him, for they were afraid of him.

For the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching. When evening came, they would go out to the city." So very much the connection I'm trying to make for you is like a tree that on the outer appearances is in many ways I guess you could say in full bloom.

If you remember how Jerusalem looked, it was beautiful. Remember how I showed you that little picture of the walk from Bethany over to Jerusalem? Do you recall how the disciples would walk that? They would stop at the Mount of Olives because they're elevated. They'd see Jerusalem. They would just sit there and be like, "Wow, Jerusalem is amazing.

The temple is beautiful." Right? But unfortunately, Jesus was looking at this scenario and saying, "This is all wrong. This is not the purpose by which God has established this place, these people, why he's called you to gather in this fashion." And so one of the meditation questions that I want you to think about is as we're walking through the events, sometimes it's important to think like, "Whoa, if we drop ourselves down, we too perhaps could be drawn along by the hype, by the sheer size, by the visual glory of everything and just think everything's awesome.

The people are gathered. Everything is just hustling and bustling. Maybe they're even thinking like, 'Dude, there's hope for our economy. I don't know. I'm just postulating now." Right? But could you imagine walking into that kind of scenario and you be the one thinking, "No, this is all wrong. How could it be so wrong?" And I want to ask you that question.

How could it go so far? How could the people lose their way so much that in the temple where they were taught to tremble as they enter, right? You think from the Jewish perspective, they were taught to be cautious. They were taught to recognize that coming into the place of worship before God was an incredible privilege but also a threat to your life because of the holiness of God and yet it go so sour.

How could it go so wrong? You could only postulate that, yes, there were crooks. There were the shady people. They knew that you, if you were a Jew, had to come in, you had to take your Roman coin and you had to change it for a shekel, right? There was a specific kind of sanctuary-use coin for the Jews that they had to offer up and therefore, lucrative business.

Let me change that coin for you. Ah, sorry, there's a little fee, right? There are people who are taking advantage of the situation. Could it be that the leaders had long ago lost their way? That they were no longer people who are mediating and serving God and making sure that the voice of God was going forth but they were using their positions just to pad themselves.

Look how holy and set apart we are, right? Or could it be just that the people in mass, it was just nice? It was nice to gather. It was great to exchange ideas and goods. Yes, we still have to come and do the sacrifice. Yes, we have to still come for the Passover but if we're doing it, then let's make it convenient.

I don't know. I could just only postulate. But what I want us to focus on now is as we're walking through the events, think about Christ entering into the scene. And with the same anger that he has against the tree, he directs at the people that he sees and he starts to go into this mode where he drives out the merchants.

He flips over the tables. Why? Because there is zeal in his heart. And there was this question in my mind like if we're walking through the events of history, how do we feel the indignation that Jesus feels? How do I come to a point where I'm like, "Oh my goodness, that is right.

This is appropriate, proper, and righteous of you to feel this." And I found it because I recall that this was not the first time. Do you guys remember that? Early in the scriptures, John chapter 2, right after Jesus performs his early miracle of turning water into wine, you know, Jesus was already doing ministry, right, in a sense.

Well he was doing ministry for three years. That means Passover has come around multiple times. Do you think the first time he saw that he was okay? And he thought like, "Oh well, what can you do?" Early on in Jesus' ministry in John chapter 2, it records a time when Jesus entered the temple during the Passover when everybody gathered and a similar scenario happened.

Let me read that passage to you. It's John chapter 2 verse 11. And it says, "The Passover of the Jews was near and Jesus went up to Jerusalem and he found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves and the moneychangers seated at the tables.

So he made a scourge of cords and drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and the oxen and he poured out the coins of the moneychangers, overturned the tables. And to those who were selling the doves, he said, 'Take these things away. Stop making my Father's house a place of business.'" Does that have then the same effect for you where you realize Jesus already were warning, clearly teaching, correcting, and telling these people, "What you do in the house of God is absolutely wrong." But that means with resiliency, with stubbornness, they refuse to bear the fruit.

And so when I asked the question earlier, "Is it strange that Jesus was so upset at the tree?" And is it strange to you that when Jesus enters into the temple, he is enraged? Because the heart of man is so stubborn. You know how stubborn this is going to be, that upon repeated correction, rather than yielding that which they know because the guilt is already upon them, they're going to decide, "You know what we need to do is we need to get rid of this guy." And so what I want you to see is that in many ways the temple, yes, many have gathered, yes, leaves all around, the temple is Ichabod.

Long ago there was a scenario where this idea of Ichabod meant that although the walls of the building are there, the glory of God has already departed. Yes? And that is the only reason why that temple could ever be destroyed because no power of the Spirit is in there.

And that is a sad state of affairs. So then there is grieving, there is frustration, there is anger. And I have a slide for you to think about Jesus' actions upon seeing these things. And I want us to just think about what he's doing and how when sometimes when we read of it, we may not think how profound it is, but I want you to imagine you seeing an individual potentially even like this.

We're all gathered. There is a sense that, hey, something solemn and great is going to happen here, but he makes an incredible scene where Jesus drives out merchants. He literally tells them, "Get out of here, right? You get that stuff out of here." And then obviously people are going to start fighting back and asking, "Who are you?

What authority do you have?" And then to make it even matters worse, he takes the tables with all the coins and he smashes them over and flips them upside down, right? And perhaps people are thinking, "Oh my goodness, this guy, he's filled with the evil spirits. Look at him, uncontrolled, violent.

How dare he?" And in our eyes, he would seem just like a crazy man. This is out of control, rampant, angry person. But what's more, he prevents anybody from carrying merchandise through. So he's literally blocking them, right? Now, can you imagine you looking at something so upsetting that you would do those things?

And what I would like to call our attention to is, think about this then. Jesus himself, he is such a patient being, right? He is such a patient being. Even to those who were, yes, tax collectors, even to those who just talk, talk, talk, and even to those who were promiscuous, the prostitutes, Christ was actually very patient.

But what sets him off is he says, "My house shall be called a house of prayer. But look what you have done." And I pray that we would meditate on those things. As we think through this day, this is a day when Jesus expresses his indignation, frustration, and anger, not just of one thing, but of a constant pattern of resiliency, like defiance against God's rebuke, and this inability where they would just bear the outside, they were just so content to bear the externals, and yet not bear true fruit.

And so from here we know that upon Jesus calling people out, Jesus making this kind of scene, the religious leaders are so livid, are so angry, the scripture says, that they were now thinking and devising of how to destroy him. And so after today, once the day is done, Jesus and the disciples will go back into Bethany, but here and now, essentially, in the next days, we're going to see a ramping up of the contention and the conflict between Jesus and the leaders.

For today, as we wrap up, I want us to think about some of the important points of this day, recognizing we know that Christ has dedicated himself to walk to the cross, but as he's going, he is revealing just how sinful the situation is. One of the things I remember and take to heart is when Jesus looks upon Jerusalem, he talks about how this is a wicked and perverse generation.

And truthfully speaking, every generation has, including ours. And when he weeps over the city of Jerusalem, who have gathered together, and he wishes that they would have received him, he wishes he could have taken them in, but they were just so content to do their normal thing, to sprout leaves, but no fruit.

Likewise, for us, we want to just take a moment to think about our faith. It is a temptation for us to just be content to look like we're here and present, but we do not want our hearts and we do not want our faith to be fruitless, amen? So let's take some time, if you would now bow your heads, and take a minute or two in personal reflection and prayer.

And after just a few moments, I will lead us in a time of closing prayer. (Piano music) (Piano music) (Piano music) (Piano music) (Piano music) (Piano music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (coughing) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) (mysterious music) - Amen.

Please join me in prayer. Heavenly Father, we recognize God, especially as a church we're going through First Peter, and we remember your words, Lord, that you have called us for incredible purposes, an incredible value, that we would be called children, and therefore we would be your own precious possession, that we would be a people marked by you, a royal priesthood, Lord, to declare the excellencies of our Father.

And I pray, Father God, with this sense of purpose, we would desire to come with fruits of faith, Lord, where there is more love for you, greater thirst for righteousness, and a desire to know you in deeper and greater ways, and God, that we would be used for your purposes.

But Lord, we also confess our weaknesses that are ever before us, and I pray for anybody here who's been struggling, who feels like they've been dry just showing up, and we recognize, Father God, that sometimes we can just fake it, where we come and show our external faces, and yet our insides are far from you.

But I pray any time that we see it, I pray, Father God, that you would grant to us spiritual courage to repent, to come to you, and to draw near in every way. Father, we recognize, Lord God, that for us to have conviction, for us to have repentance is grace, and I ask that you would regularly grant to us that conviction in the spirit.

Lord, we ask that as we continue this week, you would help us to both see, to remember, but also, Father God, to be moved, so that, Lord, we would draw near to you. We thank you, Lord, it's in Christ's name we pray, amen. Let's all rise together for the closing praise song.

(soft piano music) ♪ Be thou my vision ♪ ♪ O Lord of my heart ♪ ♪ Not the all that's to me ♪ ♪ The dream that thou art ♪ ♪ Thou my best thought ♪ ♪ By day or by night ♪ ♪ Waking or sleeping ♪ ♪ Thy presence my light ♪ (soft piano music) ♪ Be thou my wisdom ♪ ♪ And thou my true word ♪ ♪ My ever with thee ♪ ♪ And thou with me, Lord ♪ ♪ Thou my great Father ♪ ♪ And I thy true son ♪ ♪ Thou in me dwell ♪ ♪ And I with thee, Lord ♪ (soft piano music) (soft piano music) ♪ Riches I need not ♪ ♪ Riches I need not ♪ ♪ Nor man's empty praise ♪ ♪ Thou mine inheritance ♪ ♪ Thou and always ♪ ♪ Thou and thou only ♪ ♪ First in my heart ♪ ♪ High King of heaven ♪ ♪ My treasure thou art ♪ (soft piano music) ♪ High King of heaven ♪ ♪ Thou victory won ♪ ♪ May I reach heaven's joys ♪ ♪ O bright heaven's sun ♪ ♪ Heart of my own heart ♪ ♪ Whatever befall ♪ ♪ Still be my vision ♪ ♪ O ruler of all ♪ ♪ Heart of my own heart ♪ ♪ Whatever befall ♪ ♪ Still be my vision ♪ ♪ O ruler of all ♪ - Amen.

Let's pray together to close the evening. Our God, with our hearts gathered, we wanna say to you, thank you. And again, Lord, for our Savior to walk this earth. What a humbling and what a great sacrifice that in of itself is. We thank you, Lord, that you endured the sins of the people.

We thank you, Father God, that Christ was long-suffering in such a way that both the false alliances, allegiance, the forgetfulness, the complete neglect, and sometimes accusation and more, that God Christ suffered through all those things. And today we thank you, God, that God you are long-suffering with us, for we recognize our own forgetfulness.

We recognize, Father God, our own propensity to be so distracted. But Lord, we wanna pray also that tonight we gather, desiring to come together for you. And it is our prayer request, Lord God, that you help us to prioritize you in such a way that our daily walk would truly be abiding with you.

This we pray in Christ's name, amen. All right, thanks everyone for coming. Have a great evening. Just as a quick note, I am posting on our general Facebook website each morning reflection passages for the week. So if you do have time, there are some questions there for you to take time and look at so you can refer to those.

Thanks so much, everyone.