I invite you to take a Bible, either your own, or one from the pew in front of you in those little shelves

and turn to Hebrew chapter 6, verses 1 through 3, if you would like to follow along or if you would prefer to just listen carefully, that's okay too.

Hebrews, chapter 6, verses 1 through 3. Therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity,

not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

of instruction about washings and laying on of hands,

and the resurrection of the dead in eternal judgment.

And this we shall do if God permits.

Father, as we begin this exposition of your inspired word, I pray that you would come with power.

I know that there are people in this room right now who have so many different needs that unless you apply the word in manifold ways, it will be too narrowly spoken. But you can take the narrow

thrust that I have been able to think about and

cause it to penetrate in so many different ways.

And I pray that you would heal the sick. I pray that you would heal the sick.

I pray that you would humble the proud.

I pray that you would lift up the discouraged.

I pray that you would bring clarity to the confused. I pray that you

would bring reconciliation to broken relationships. And I pray that you would give the gift of

perseverance so that we run like these marathoners, the race that is set before us looking to Jesus,

the pioneer, perfecter of our faith, who because he had a joy set before him, despised the shame and endured the cross.

We want to follow him on the Calvary road.

We want to go with him outside the city and bear abuse with him this week if by any means we might show the

surpassing value of Christ in our lives over against everything else.

So come and do these and a hundred other good things in these moments. I pray in Jesus

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