Good morning and welcome. Sorry for the late start. Glad you're joining with us on this

Independence Day for our second service on Sunday morning. We have two services, the first of

which is the Prophecy Update, and second is our verse by verse study through the Word of God.

We currently find ourselves in the book of Hebrews, and today's text is going to be chapter 4, verses 12 through 16.

So for those of you that are here, if you're there already, if not I'll invite you at this time to turn there.

And if you're able, please stand. You can follow along as I read. If not, where you're seated is fine.

The writer of Hebrews, by the Holy Spirit verse 12 writes,

for the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.

It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow.

It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Nothing, verse 13, in all creation, is hidden from God's

sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before his, before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Therefore, verse 14,

since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus, the son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet

he did not sin. Let us then, verse 16, approach God's throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Let's pray, if you would, please join with me.

Loving Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your word and especially this portion

here before us today. Lord, that's why we're here today. We're here because we want to hear you speak into our lives as only you can in that still, small, refining voice, very personally, very powerfully, if need be, confidentially, just between you and us, as you minister

to us and reveal to us that which you would have us to see in this passage today.

Lord, please, will you speak? Your servants are listening. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

You can be seated. Thank you. So I want to talk with you today about one of the most powerful passages in all of

Scripture concerning God's help in our time of need. I have to confess that actually this was deliberate.

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