Let me read you just to get us going in this session, what I would call an essential element of discipleship 101 for new believers,

because in Acts 14, Paul has just recently planted churches in Lister and Derby and Iconium,

and now he's going back, and he's going to stabilize them.

What will he say?

They've been Christians a few weeks, months, at the most.

And in verse 22, well, let's start at 21 in Acts 14.

When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Listra and to Iconium and to Antioch,

strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith,

saying through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom.

That's the only thing he mentions in the discipleship program.

Is it in yours, okay?

For your kids, for yourself, for any person you're talking to, how to help them.

He's encouraging them to continue and stay Christian and hold on to Jesus.

Why?

Because it's going to be trouble.

It's going to be difficult.

Christianity is not a pathway out of difficulty. It's a pathway into difficulty.

So we don't preach the prosperity gospel here. We preach the opposite. If you want your life to go well,

stay away from Jesus. Of course, it will only go well for a few decades, and then there's eternal misery.

But if you want your life to go well for eternity and have trials here more than turn to Jesus.

And he will both bring the trials, and he will give you the grace to do what needs to be done.

Okay, we have in our session this morning three units that we need to get through.

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