Hi friends, I am Annie F. Downs. Let's read the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

These are the stories of Jesus Christ's life on earth, the friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, the miracles.

Each month we get to read all four books and you know what we say around here a lot.

You don't have to be in the Gospels every day to be changed, but every day you are in the Gospels will change you.

So I'm so glad you're here with us today.

Here's how this works. I'm going to read three chapters to you.

You can listen or read along in your own Bible or online and then I'll pray and that's it.

So today is June 21st, day 21, and I'll be reading John chapter 17 through 19.

And this month I'm reading from the NRSV, John 17.

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said,

Father, the hour has come, glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you

since you have given him authority over all people to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

And this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.

So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world.

They were yours and you gave them to me and they have kept your word.

Now they know that everything you have given me is from you.

For the words that you gave to me, I have given to them and they have received them and no in truth that I came from you.

And they have believed that you sent me.

I am asking on their behalf. I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me,

because they are yours. All mine are yours and yours are mine.

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