Welcome to the Gospel Coalition podcast, equipping the next generation of believers,

pastors, and church leaders to shape life and ministry around the gospel.

Merciful God, our Father, how grateful we are to be called partners with you in ministry.

As we've turned aside this morning to listen to what you have to say and pray,

first of all, you'd search us, oh God, know our hearts, try us, know our thoughts, see

if there'd be any wicked way in us, lead us in the way everlasting.

But open our ears, open our eyes, open our hearts, help us to hear very clearly what

you expect from us in these last and evil days.

Now, Master, I've arranged the wood, but only you can send the fire down, so I pray.

Send your fire.

Jesus' name, amen. My friend is in his last days.

I just talked to his daughter before I came into this room.

About 90 miles away from here in Kankakee, Illinois, where I grew up.

Godly man is in intensive care at Riverside Hospital. They're waiting for me to finish my work

here so I can go there. When I last visited him last week, he said that

he wanted me to do his last will and testament. And so we got everybody else out of the room.

He told me who he wanted his extensive theological library to go to and some other miscellaneous

things, but that's not really what he wanted to talk about.

It was a guise to get everyone else out the room so he and I can talk face to face.

Not really face to face. He had a, they call it a bi-pap machine. It's a breathing machine.

He had the oxygen mask on his face. And as he was struggling,

for each breath, he sort of scooted toward the edge of the bed and beckoned me to lean over

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