The following message is by pastor John Piper.

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Today's scripture passage comes from John 12 20 through 26.

If you'd like to follow along in your Pugh Bibles, it can be found on page 899.9. John 12 20 through 26. Now among those who went up to worship at the feast, were some Greeks.

So these came to Philip, who was from the Seda in Galilee, and asked him,

Sir, we wish to see Jesus.

Philip went and told Andrew.

Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

And Jesus answered them.

The hour is come for the son of man to be glorified. Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of

wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

If anyone serves me he must follow me and where I am there

will my servant be also. If anyone serves me the father will honor him.

Let's pray together. Father, these are radical words, hating our life, dying like a seed, the hour of crushing come, following you where you went on the Calvary Road. And so I ask for help to be faithful to them and

to you. It's come and apply this word to our church, to our lives.

I ask in Jesus' name, amen.

Well, in our little niche on planet Earth, this feels like a historic moment to me in the

life of this church to be on the weekend before the launch of the third

campus of Bethlehem Baptist Church.

And we're praying, as I said, for 750 folks

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