Could we pray as we start? Father in heaven thank you that you are the God of the universe,

that you became a man in Christ, and you lived the life we should have lived,

you died the death we should have lived. You died the death we should have died in our place.

Three days later you rose from the dead,

proving you're the son of God,

and offering salvation and forgiveness of sins to everyone who repents,

who turns to you and believes.

We believe that is the gospel, that you have entrusted us to steward that.

And so we at the outset of this year, we do what you told us to do.

We beseech and entreat the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into your harvest.

We thank you that every one of us is responsible as we have said yes to you to be saved and to be transformed individually.

We have automatically committed to share that with others. saved and to be transformed individually,

we have automatically committed to share that with others.

Help us to do it in a way that brings honor to you,

that brings glory to you,

that produces the least amount of stumbling blocks so that others may receive and

have a fair hearing.

Lord, it is their right to know because your gospel is the cure for injustice.

And we thank you in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, usually when I stand up and people see,

my name Rice, they kind of wait for me to do the explaining like what is this all about.

...