All that you have, we now are, a fresh receive by trusting you, banking our hopes upon you.

And so now, Lord, since you've taught us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God,

I pray that as I attempt to unpack parts of your scripture and illustrate the mercies of God that you would work faith in our lives.

Make our faith stronger.

If there are those among us who don't trust you,

I pray that you would make yourself appear to them

what you really are, namely trustworthy, and so that

you would awaken a reasonable faith in their minds and hearts. Lord, we dedicate the rest of this worship service to you and ask that you would receive our

exultation over your word and fill us with increasing gratitude all through this week.

Through Christ I pray, amen.

I want to begin by telling you where I'm going, what my purpose is, and then how I'm going

to get there, and then how we're going to close, namely by having everybody look at that piece of paper that you have in your worship

folder, this one right here, so we're moving toward.

And the reason I want to tell you up front very clearly what my goal is and how I aim to get there and how we'll close is so that you're alert and able to assess what I say clearly.

I don't want there to be anything subtle or I don't want any surprise to be

surprises to be sprung on you. I want you to have a sense. I know where he's heading. I know how he plans to get there because truth really matters. You know, we have a banner on the building right over there.

You can see it from the freeway when you drive by it says truth matters.

That's true in your life.

It's true in Florida right now. It's true in the way I preach and what I say. not only what I say, but how I say it, is it truth governed? And I know that when a preacher or a politician or anybody speaks into the context that we have

in America today, the suspicion that it is not truth-driven is very high. And so though I may be speaking against the stream I

would dare to hope that if I can be as open and above board and up front with you about where I'm going you might give me the

benefit of the doubt and hope that he is meaning what he says.

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