If you would turn with me, please, to two openings this morning, the Gospel of John, chapter 16,

and then 1st John, the first epistle of John, chapter 4.

John 16 and 1 John 4. Has the Lord done some good things for you since I saw you last?

You know it makes no difference what kind of challenges and tests and trials you have if you will look and examine it you have far more blessings amen far more reasons to give thanks than to feel deprived or denied amen you know I say it all the time and the more I say it, the more I

experience it, God is so good to me. It seems like the more I say that, he says, look, I'm better

than you know. And he manifests his goodness. And there's a faith principle there. But we have so

much to be thankful for.

And of all the things we know of that happened to had to deal with,

there were so many things that never happened.

God spared us from, kept from ever happening.

Amen.

He's looking out for us.

In praying about this day and about what would be good for the church and for here for now,

I believe I'm impressed on these verses we're about to read,

and I believe it's something that's very significant in the rest of your year and the coming year.

If you'll embrace this strongly, if you've already known it, remind yourself.

But to stir up on it, you can approach, you can actually go into this new year with more momentum than you have before.

How many think that's a good idea?

You start off higher, stronger.

Well, then you're certainly going to end up at a higher place.

In John 16 and verse 33, John 1633, Jesus is speaking.

He said, these things I have spoken to you that in me you might have peace.

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