Well, Church, would you guys thank Ellison for sharing the powerful testimony that she did?

Ellison is leading worship tonight at our Bay Meadows campus, so Ellison, we love you.

Thank you so much for sharing that story.

Wow. Let's you. Thank you so much for sharing that story. Wow. Let's pray. Father, thank you for tonight. Lord, thank you for this chance to gather. Lord, we know in a room like this, even in a season

where we're singing about it being merry and bright, there is a lot of sorrow

and there is a lot of suffering, a lot of trouble and a lot of trial. But you said that you've

overcome it. And so, Lord, we lean into you into the promise of your word tonight. Jesus,

show us what you're doing in the middle of our suffering.

We love you. We trust you. You are such a good God. We pray it in your name, Jesus. Amen.

Well, we are, first of all, congratulations for being here between Christmas and New Year's. You guys are like varsity,

so you're getting, you know, first in line somewhere. But we've been in a series over

Advent and Christmas called Rescue Mission. And we've been talking about when Jesus came,

what he came to do was come on a rescue mission. And for most of the series, we've been talking about when Jesus came, what he came to do was come on a rescue mission.

And for most of the series, we've been talking about how Jesus rescued us from some things.

But today what I want to do is I want to talk about Jesus rescuing us through something,

particularly what Jesus is doing in and through our suffering.

Now, about two years ago, some of you all know this story, I've told bits of parts of this story,

but about two years ago, I started getting this weird back pain, and then I started getting this weird cough, and I thought

I had just pulled a muscle or done something, I don't know.

And one day Kristen came up to me, and she's like, would you quit clearing your throat?

We're in the middle of a pandemic.

Like, stop it.

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