The Development of Persevering Faith

Romans chapter 12 verse 17 and 18 printed at the top of our prayer sheet, repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

That's a charge from the Word of God and one that I think most Christians from time to time find themselves trusting God for grace to live that out. February is a Beacon Broadcast Month where we feature the radio ministry here at Beacon Baptist Church and the broadcast is aired on eleven stations Monday through Friday. Knoxville, Tennessee, Roanoke, Virginia, Lynchburg, Virginia, Richmond, Virginia. We have two stations in York, Pennsylvania that are broadcasting the Beacon Broadcast at five o'clock which is an excellent time.

People are in commute from work. So 11 stations Monday through Friday, one station Monday through Sunday in Richwood, West Virginia, and that is our friend Brent Seacrest from up in there. He's pastored up there in a church for 40 plus years and comes down to our tri-state and he airs the broadcast there. And then six stations that we are on on Sunday in Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Richmond, Virginia. So God has given us a broad range of ministry opportunity through the Beacon Broadcast.

So familiarize yourself with the various stations. There are radio cards at the Usher station for you to take and distribute, make people aware, and pray for the ministry. Thank you for supporting the ministry and rejoice in what God has done and is doing through the Beacon Broadcast. We had our staff meeting again today this afternoon and we are just continuing to trust the Lord and pray and consider the present circumstances and when it will be wise and feasible to also begin to include other services that are people present. Right now Sunday morning is the only service we have with people present and then we're live streaming on Wednesday night and Sunday night. So pray with us about that.

I think we're likely to see significant improvement in the weeks and months ahead of us as the virus has rolled out and more and more people are being vaccinated and as cases come down I think things are going to continue to open up more and more. So that's what we're watching and praying about, so you pray with us concerning that. Tap Ministries is a ministry in Pennsylvania that ships study Bibles, Bible reference materials, children's Sunday school materials, VBS materials, hymnals, and books on specific topics like prayer and prophecy and theology and doctrine. They do not send magazines or devotionals or adult quarterlies or CDs or DVDs. Those are the things they do not pass on in their ministry, but just to remind you of that ministry and we have a receiving box out here in a connecting hallway to receive your donations and when the box is full Steve Lynch boxes things up and sends it on to Tap Ministries.

Let's take a look at our request side of the sheet. We're rejoicing with Andrew and Nancy Ellis in the birth of their tenth child, thirteenth grandchild of Paul and Gail Ellis's. It's their eleventh grandson and it's also the fifteenth great-grandchild to Evelyn Butler, Gail's mother, so we rejoice with them.

Timothy Carl Ellis arrived last evening weighing eight pounds and twenty and three-quarter inches and baby and mother are doing fine. We're praising the Lord for successful back surgery for Scott Hazelep. He went down again to South Carolina yesterday, had had surgery.

He'd had it one side done last week, went back to have the other side and it was successful and they have returned from South Carolina. Our government official of the week is Graham council member Melody Wiggins from Graham and our college student of the week is Jonathan Freeman who's taking classes right now online at Bob Jones University and planning to relocate to the campus I think in the fall. Under members we're asking you to remember Betty Duncan who's dealing with severe issues with her back. She has relocated to I'm better not say exactly where I've forgotten but her her daughter Jeannie has bought a home and Pat and Betty are living with her and it's a much better situation for her to have family around her and caring for her needs. Drew Guthrie is continuing to battle with cancer and she had COVID and has come through that. She's tired and she's weak and most likely this cancer is going to be God's way of calling her to glory but in his own time.

So we commit Drew to to to the Lord and ask you to pray for her that she may have a persevering faith. Shirley Watkins was admitted to the hospital with a couple of issues and has received help there and I had a text from Patty today. She did not sleep much at all last night so she was tired but was anticipating going home tomorrow. Your prayer sheet says she went home today.

I don't know that I'm just going from what I heard from Patty that she was scheduled to go home tomorrow so maybe they moved that up so one way or the other she's either home today or will be going home tomorrow. Under others we are asking prayer for a Mr. Ladd, a man who's been on life support for the last couple of weeks because of COVID. He's now responding for which we are grateful and said some people in the church may know his sister Debbie Gunn, Mr. Ladd and said she doesn't know his first name.

Melvin Purvis, cousin of Jean Latour, was released from the hospital yesterday. His kidney function has returned to nearly normal and he has recovered from COVID. He's very weak and will be receiving home therapy but God brought him back from the brink of death. Really has confounded the doctors.

They certainly were not expecting this recovery. Keith Sirmotsky, friend of Leslie Fanon's son Joel in Canada, has been on a ventilator since passing out a week a week or so ago. It's probably been a couple of weeks now. He now has a trach and a feeding tube. They have awakened him. He has been responsive for which they're thankful because they really weren't sure whether he had suffered brain damage.

So the fact that he is responding to them is very encouraging. So the prayer is that he will regain strength and they will be able to take him off the ventilators soon and for his salvation that God will use this to bring him to Christ. David Williams, Amy Freeman's dad, remains in Shepherd's Care in Greenville, South Carolina. Rose Bradshaw is asking prayer for her niece's brother-in-law who was shot. He's a US marshal. He was shot a week or so ago and is now recovering from surgery and he's off the ventilator. Pray for the family's salvation.

That happened up around Baltimore, Maryland. And before we go on, something that's come to my mind that I had a phone call from Michael Abernathy asking the church to pray for him, an unspoken request, but a rather urgent request. So please uphold Michael Abernathy as he seeks the Lord over some matters. Under missionaries, we're praying for Mike Webster.

We're rejoicing that Donna Edens has improved significantly from the automobile accident that she was in. I know you're praying for Trevor Johnson and his family, Paul Snyder and his family, but Mike Webster has been through five or six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy treatments for colon cancer and so please stand with he and Melanie in this trial that they're going through. Under sympathy, we express heartfelt sympathy for the families of Janet Miller. This is a neighbor to Don and Cheryl Ingold and then a young man by the name of Daniel Peacock, 25 year old son of Graham Peacock. That name may not ring a bell to you, but Graham Peacock is a brother to Laverne Waugh. Laverne was a peacock and this is Graham's 25 year old son who died of acute leukemia. Graham is a missionary, I believe, to Zambia, so this is a real blow to them, so please uphold them in prayer. And then the Lord called our dear sister Texie Owens home to glory this past Saturday and there will be a memorial service here at Beacon this coming Saturday at 1 o'clock. Visitation will begin at 12 o'clock, so we've not had very many memorial services here at the church because of COVID, a lot of graveside services or small gatherings at chapels at the funeral homes, but the families requested a memorial service here, so for those of you who can come on Saturday at 1 o'clock we'll maintain social distancing and be careful about our interactions, but we want to minister to the family, so thank you for praying for Pam and Pat and there's several brothers and there's there's spiritual needs in the family, so uphold the family in prayer. Pastor Barkman will be conducting the service and pray for him in that regard. And then Naomi Williams, Amy Freeman's mother, is home from rehab but she's very weak, so pray for strength and wisdom in making decisions for her care.

So that's a lot of prayer requests. Thank you for being faithful in praying for the church and its needs and the folks who are calling upon us to pray. We have a reputation of being a praying people and therefore we get requests from far and wide from people to pray, so thank you for your intercession.

I have a couple of things to share with you along mission lines. This is a thank you from Tom and Connie Chapman, came in my inbox this morning and they write greetings from way down south and summertime. Connie and I want to thank you and our brothers and sisters at Beacon for your very kind and generous gift to us in December. Since the economic recession of 2008, giving has lowered considerably, especially the extra gifts that we used to receive almost monthly, so it is especially encouraging to receive such an abundant gift as you sent us. I'm sure that it meant sacrifice for some of your people. May the Lord richly bless them for their willingness to do that. We apologize that we are just now sending this note of thanksgiving, but please know that we are truly grateful not only for the Christmas gift but also for Beacon's faithful support of our ministry here in Chile, both a material form with your monthly gift and spiritually with your prayers. How precious and needed are your prayers, especially as it seems that the whole world is going to the extreme left and is gearing up for the arrival of the Antichrist.

Wholesale persecution may be just around the corner for all of us. We must pray much for each other. And they close with grateful hearts, Tom and Connie Chapman. Here's an update from the Piedmont Rescue Mission. We had a meeting here on Monday morning for two and a half hours to go over the finances of the past year.

Our financial secretary gave an excellent summary of the finances of the past year and rehearsing what's going on in the ministry, so I won't say too much about that, but let me read this update from Tony Honeycutt, the director of Piedmont Rescue Mission. He writes, in a world full of fear, the verse, there is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. He says this verse is so comforting to us. It reminds us that if we trust in the Lord and His love for us, we have no reason to fear. For many however, they do not know the peace that the love of God gives. Isaiah 26 3 says, thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee.

We praise his name for the love and peace he's given us as believers, and we want to share this with all those that we come in contact with on a daily basis here at the ministries of Piedmont Rescue Mission. Fear comes in all areas of our lives. We fear getting sick. We fear how we will take care of our family.

We fear that our jobs will be unstable. A lot of people we see here at the mission fear if they will even have their next meal or a place to sleep. In the pregnancy service, our ladies come in with fear of how they will provide for their babies on a daily basis. Just this week, we had one lady come in who has been forsaken by the father of her child and her family refuses to help her.

How do you deal with such rejection and deal with how you will not only take care of yourself but a precious baby? Within minutes of being in our office, this young lady was in tears after hearing how we would be able to help her through the most difficult time in her life. Knowing that she had helped from us gave her peace and comfort but knowing that God loves her and wants to help her in her life will give her more peace than we could ever give her. At the rescue mission, men come in at the end of their rope. They've lost their job, their family, and yes even self-respect. They fear they will never be the same again.

We have the message of hope in Christ to share with them and help them see if they'll put their trust in Christ they can live without fear knowing that his love indeed casts out all fear. So that's from Tony Honeycutt. They had a challenging time at the mission. One of the significant men there who has oversight responsibilities on the men's side, Jerome. You'll remember Jerome is the man who led the men's choir here.

He's quite spiritually minded. He oversees a good bit of the training with the men. He came down with COVID, had two heart attacks, was in the hospital for five or six weeks, and the doctors tell him that he will not be able to return to the mission. So his absence is leaving quite a hole.

We're praying for someone, for God to raise up someone to take over those responsibilities. COVID did manifest itself there to mission. Quite a few men came down with it.

The health services came in two or three times a week and tested. So they navigated through that. I'm thankful for the way the mission is run. The mission works hard to find employment for the men who are working through the program and get through various stages and they get to a place where they can work, return to the mission after work, and spend the night, and then again leave and go to work. The men are required that are working to pay $55 a week for that's their contribution to be able to stay there at the mission.

And so revenue comes in through that means. Most of the time there's 18 to 20 men who are out working. And that's a testimony to the way the mission is structured to teach men responsibility and financial integrity. But that was disrupted because of COVID. A lot of the men, well some of the men, left the mission because of the fear of COVID.

And so there was a time where there were only half a dozen or so men at the mission. But they've been cleared by the Health Department and now they're getting close to maybe three-quarters capacity. The family shelter is progressing. Tony has done an excellent job of making contacts with businesses who are donating material.

In fact one contact he has is with Lowe's Home Improvement. They've donated all the ceiling for the family shelter, windows for the family shelter, and plumbing is being done free of charge by some local businesses. So we have a lot of friends of the ministry who are helping. But when people are donating their time and their resources it delays things a bit because COVID has affected businesses and so on and so forth.

So that's one of the reasons for the delays. We'd like to see the family shelter finished so it can be operating. But we're moving in that direction so pray for the family shelter in particular. I think I had brought Bill Hill's monthly newsletter with me but I will not take the time to go over that.

I'll do that another time. I want to turn your attention to the first chapter of the book of Job and I want to consider with you tonight the development of persevering faith. The development of persevering faith. Let me read the 22 verses that make up chapter 1. There was a man in the land of us whose name was Job and that man was blameless and upright and one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

Also his possessions were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large household so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East. And his sons would go and feast in their houses each on his appointed day and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. So it was when the days of feasting had run their course that Job would send and sanctify them and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said it may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts thus Job did regularly. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came among them and the Lord said to Satan from where do you come? So Satan answered the Lord and said from going to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it. Then the Lord said to Satan have you considered my servant Job?

There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil. So Satan answered the Lord and said does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land but now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face. And the Lord said to Satan behold all that he has is in your power only do not lay a hand on his person. So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house and a messenger came to Job and said the oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them when the Sabaeans raided them and took them away indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking another also came and said the fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking another also came and said the Chaldeans formed three bands and raided the camels and took them away yes and killed the servants with the edge of the sword and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking another also came and said your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house and it fell on the young people and they are dead and I alone have escaped to tell you. Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and he fell to the ground and worshipped and he said naked I have come from my mother's womb and naked shall I return there the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

In all of this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. We want to consider the subject of the development of persevering faith. William Bathurst wrote a hymn oh for faith that will endure. Oh for a faith that will endure though pressed by many a foe. A faith that always stands secure through every earthly woe. That will not murmur nor complain beneath the chastening rod but in the hour of grief or pain can lean upon its God. A faith that shines more bright and clear when tempest rage without that when in danger knows no fear in darkness feels no doubt. A faith that keeps the narrow way till life's last spark is fled and with a pure and heavenly ray lights up a dying bed.

Lord give me such a faith as this and then what air may come I'll taste in here the hallowed bliss of an eternal home. The development of persevering faith. I'll probably take two weeks to do this where there's a lot here in chapter 1 so we'll begin tonight and I will give you four headings that make up chapter 1.

In fact really there are because this is historical narrative and it the chapter keeps moving from scene to scene I've chosen to give you four scenes in chapter 1. Scene number 1 is verse 1 to verse 5 and I've entitled that section faith stated faith stated. Scene number 2 verses 6 through 12 faith challenged faith challenged. Scene number 3 verses 13 through 19 faith tested faith tested and then scene number 4 verses 20 to 22 faith sustained faith sustained. Hebrews tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God impossible to please God without faith. So that tells us how critically important is faith but God is not just interested in faith in and of itself. God is interested in a persevering faith, a growing faith, a strong faith, and enduring faith and that's what I want you to see here in Job chapter 1 the development of a persevering faith.

So scene 1 verses 1 through 5 faith is stated we're introduced to a man named Job a man with a large family he has seven sons and three daughters and he owns an awful lot of livestock he is a very wealthy man but what is of most interest to us is what is said about his character and what is that? That Job was a perfect and upright man one who feared God and eschewed evil. A blameless man he feared God he feared God and he shunned evil and there are two things here concerning faith. Number one his faith is described to us and number two his faith is explained for us. The description of his character this man of faith is that he was blameless and upright and he shunned evil and this is exactly what God said about him in verse 8 the Lord said to Satan have you considered my servant Job that there is none like him on the earth a blameless and upright man one who fears God and shuns evil. What does that mean? Well it means that Job was a man of outstanding moral integrity he was a man of integrity on the outside as well as on the inside there was nothing crooked about him there was nothing deceitful about him the words shunned evil indicates that his life and behavior outwardly was consistent with the state of his heart. Now when it tells us that he was perfect and blameless that does not mean that Job was sinless far from it he was a worshiper he served as a priest in his own home he offered sacrifices first for himself and for his family and here's just one verse that dispels any notion that Job was a sinless man Job chapter 7 verse 21 Job asks this question in one of the darker moments of his life and he asks this quote why do you not pardon my offenses and forgive my sins end of quote that's job speaking to God so we have this description of this man of faith but let's not let's go beyond the description to the explanation and the explanation is in the phrase he's one who feared God that means he took God seriously he made God the center of his life he worshipped God with reverence and godly fear it tells us in verse 5 that this is something job did continually it so it was when the days of fasting had run the course that job would send and sanctify them and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all for job said it may well be that my sons have sinned God have sinned and curse God in their hearts thus job did regularly this was his custom he continually did this he regularly did this and it's a good a good reminder to stop and think is our lives marked by this are we men and women of moral integrity do we fear God do we shun evil we're living in a dark and sinful and wicked world and there is sin all around us and do we shun it are we combating it are we protecting our children and our families are we protecting ourselves are we safeguarding our lives job was a man who did sometimes we think that God only tests and stretches the faith of weak Christians those who have weak faith so that their faith may go from weak to strong but note with me that here's a man who is blameless upright a man of strong faith and surely that tells us that there's none of us who have got to the place where we've graduated beyond the point of being tested that we've got to the place where faith doesn't need to be developed where we do not need the benefit of being tested if job needed this you and I need this there's none among us who have a perfectly formed faith all of our faiths are in need of improvement so this has application for all of us blameless could I ask you tonight could you could you make that claim that before God you stand blameless and if you can say yes what is the basis for such a claim could I suggest an answer to you that if you are a Christian you have placed your faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ God has declared you to be righteous he has justified you and on the basis of his justifying work you stand blameless before the judgment bar of God not because of anything you have done not because of your record but only because of your faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ because God has imputed the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ to you and clothe you in that righteousness and he sees you in that perfect righteousness and therefore views you as blameless now there is this matter of progressive sanctification there are none of us who are sinless but the goal of the Christian life is to be sinning less you see the difference of what I'm saying none of us can claim we're sinless that our lives are void of sin but the goal of the Christian life is to be sinning less pursuing holiness without which no man will see the Lord winning those daily battles and struggles with our sinful flesh that's the goal of the Christian life striving for holiness so that's scene number one faith stated let's look at scene number two faith challenged faith challenged the scene shifts to heaven in verse six it says now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came among them the angelic hosts appear before Jehovah they are his ministering servants sent out into the world to do his bidding and the latter part of verse 6 tells us and Satan also came among them and our curious minds asked the question what is he doing what is he doing appearing there Satan whose name means adversary one who opposes God opposes truth opposes his people that's his whole aim his intention is to oppose he's our adversary I thought it was well stated and arresting in the context of the preaching this past Sunday morning when Pastor Barkin was speaking of Paul's thorn in the flesh sent from a messenger of Satan and we were reminded that Satan is God's unwilling servant he doesn't intend to serve God's purposes but he is nonetheless a servant of Jehovah an unwilling servant as we think of this scene faith challenge we learn a couple of things about our adversary we learn something about his character and we learn something about his position think with me he is number one subordinate to Jehovah he speaks when he is spoken to he responds to the Lord and he does not initiate he gives a disclosure concerning his activity and he submits to and is confined to the limits that are set for him by God that's what we see in this second scene we learn something about his activity when God asks the question when God asks questions recorded in the scriptures it's never for the purpose of obtaining information because God knows all things least of all he has no need to learn anything from Satan but he asks Satan the question several questions the Lord said to Satan from where do you come another question verse 8 have you considered my servant job God asks questions in order to teach us something and in this instance the teaching concerns Satan's activity verse 7 from where do you come Satan answered the Lord and said from going to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it that reminds us of Peter's description in 1st Peter chapter 5 and verse 8 that our adversary is like a roaming lion seeking whom he may devour that's what he discloses here when he's asked by Jehovah it seems to be Satan's main preoccupation prowling roaming the earth like a restless lion seeking its prey the Lord takes the dialogue a little further in verse 8 then the Lord said to Satan have you considered my servant job that there is none like him on the earth a blameless and upright man one who fears God and shuns evil here again God's question is meant to teach us something about Satan's activity that is the way he pays special attention to believers Satan had indeed considered job very closely and he knew all about him as evident from his reply in verses 9 through 11 God said have you considered him blameless and upright one who fears God and shuns evil question mark so Satan answered the Lord and said does job fear God for nothing have you not made a hedge around him around his household around all that he has on every side you've blessed his work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land but now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face he has indeed considered job very closely and here's where we see faith challenged he accuses job of serving God out of self-interest he says does job fear God for nothing in effect he says to God it is true the job is blameless and upright and he shuns evil but that is only because it pays him to live like that he's acting out of self-interest not because he loves you you've guarded you've protected you put a hedge around him so that his life is comfortable and easy he has wealth and status and a happy family without any worries or problems and that is why he serves you is what he is strongly implying and here's the question is there some truth in that do believers render service to God out of self-interest or do we simply render service to God because he's worthy of that well I think the answer to that is there is nothing that we do that is not tainted with self-interest that our motives are mixed so the question is is our love for God based on in large measure self-interest and I think it is more for some and less for others verse 12 says we're considering the second scene and that is faith challenged because Satan says now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will curse you to your face and the Lord said to Satan behold all that he has is in your power only do not lay a hand on his person so Satan went out from the presence of the Lord sobering frightening God took the hedge down from around Job and he allowed Satan to attack him in order to do what in order to prove the reality of his faith don't lose sight of the big picture here we're talking about the development of persevering faith job needed his faith developed in that way and dear friend all of us need our faith developed in that way we need a persevering faith we need a faith that will endure as the hymn writer says well I think this is a good place to stop we've considered faith stated and we've considered faith challenged and when we come back to this we will look at faith tested I think it helps us not to have to work hard to get our mind around the details we know about we've heard and read and I've heard preaching and teaching on this portion of historical narrative so that helps us we're we're familiar but I think it's good to follow these themes and this theme in particular the development of persevering faith as we seek to understand what God is doing in the life of Job and as we do we'll see what God wants to do in your life and my life what his agenda is that God wants us to have a robust faith a strong faith a growing faith a developing faith a persevering faith and it's wonderful to see that manifest itself in the lives of people we have witnessed a good number of Saints finish their course and be called away and to see people persevering in the faith trusting God to the very end finishing well that is a testimony of the grace of God working in the hearts and lives of people evidence of persevering faith so that's what is on my heart and mind I trust you've been challenged tonight as we've considered these things let us go to the Lord in prayer father thank you for the revelation of yourself to us we are encouraged that you would preserve this portion of your word for us we know things that job did not know when they were happening to him we know what you were doing we know why you were doing what you were doing in job it seems had no warning he did not know he had no explanation ahead of time during or after so we thank you that we live on this side of the cross that we have the benefit of the full revelation of God that these things are written for our instruction for our admonition and we pray that the Spirit of God would take these things and use them for our growth and development Lord we we confess to you that our faith many times is weak and fragile and we confess that it stands in need of being tested and stretched and developed and how good it is to know that you know how best to produce persevering faith in your children so we submit to you we yield ourselves to you in this regard we thank you for answered prayer we thank you for the blessings of life we thank you for the gift of Timothy Carl Ellis to Drew and Nancy how it has blessed them and brought joy to them and to Paul and Gail and to Evelyn Butler we thank you for the successful surgery that Scott Hazelep has received on a couple of occasions in South Carolina we thank you for the skill that doctors have to do very delicate surgery on our backs and nerves and things like this that allow us to be more mobile and to be able to function we pray for Graham council member melody Wiggins and asked that you would cause her to be a god-fearing person one who acknowledges her stewardship before you one who is looking to you for wisdom and guidance and the decisions that she makes thank you for Jonathan Freeman what a joy it is to see him growing and developing and using his gifts for your honor and glory help them to be diligent and to study and to prepare himself for that which you have for him we pray tonight for Drew Guthrie and ask you to minister to her needs strengthen her thank you that we're seeing the very evidence of what we saw in job chapter 1 the evidence of persevering faith Oh for a faith that will endure and it is enduring in her case thank you for what you're doing for her and in her thank you for the help that Shirley Watkins received in the hospital thank you that she's either at home now or will be going home tomorrow we pray for this person Annie has made us aware of mr. lad who's battling a COVID we pray that you'd use this in his life for his good thank you for the incredible improvement in Melvin Melvin Purvis his life for the return of his kidney function and he is recovering from COVID help him as he is weak and body to regain strength for Keith Sirmatsky in Canada we pray that his improvement will continue that he will be able to come off the ventilator as we've heard the report that he has come to and he asked what happened what has happened an acknowledgement that he's mindful of his circumstances for which we are very encouraged use this Lord to the salvation of his soul we commit David and Naomi Williams to you and their needs and ask for wisdom for Amy and her siblings as they seek how best to care for their aging parents thank you for preserving the life of this US marshal who was shot in line of duty thank you that he is has improved there's the need of salvation in the family and we pray that you'd use these events to that end I want to pray for Michael Abernathy tonight and the needs that he has and the things that he's facing give clear direction and wisdom father I pray we pray for Mike Webster and ask you to encourage this man help him to to persevere through this ordeal of cancer and treatments thank you for the improvement of Donna Eden's and for Trevor Johnson and his family and Paul Snyder and his family for the ongoing needs of Laverne wad her family in the recent home going of Stewart wall Lord please encourage them comfort them cause your peace to rule and reign in their hearts help the believers there in Zimbabwe to trust you through the unanswered questions that they have we pray for these families that have suffered the loss of a loved one for the family of Janet Miller and the family of this young man who brother or son to Graham Peacock Daniel please minister to them and Lord we commit the family of Texie Owens to you and you know the needs there and we thank you for the opportunity afforded to the church to rally around this family and administer to them by our presence and our prayers and particularly our presence at the memorial service on Saturday we asked that that would be accompanied by your spirit that preaching would be powerful that the hearts would be prepared and and open to receive the truth of your word we pray for the salvation of any in that family who do not know you we thank you for the memory of Texie Owens and for the confidence we have that she is with you even now as we pray we pray for Betty Duncan and ask that you strengthen her and the needs that she has but we acknowledge our need of you and our dependence upon you we pray that you would strengthen us in the inner man that you would fortify us that you would grow us that you would increase our dependence upon you that we might honor you we think of the promise of Psalm 50 in verse 15 where you said call upon me in the day of trouble and I will answer thee and you shall glorify me Lord help us to have confidence that when we pray to you we know that you hear us and we know that you will answer us and we know as children of God you will answer us in such a way that you will enable us to glorify you and our response to whatever it is you have brought into our life or cause it to be so for all of your children for their good and for your honor and for your glory we pray in Jesus name amen