Good Fear Gone Bad

So let me start by just thinking a little bit about what good fear means and is intended for us.

And I think, let me just start by a little questionnaire, a little quiz for everybody here this morning.

There are fears I think we're very used to, have names that perhaps we're familiar with as well,

common phobias that maybe we experience or those around us experience.

So if I was to say to you the phrase claustrophobia, what would that be the fear of?

Anybody know?

Claustrophobia?

The claustrophobia is a common one.

About 5% apparently of the population suffers from claustrophobia or the fear of confined spaces.

Here's another one which you probably know, arachnophobia.

Arachnophobia, fear of spiders, that's right, another well-known one.

Well, how about this one?

Perhaps a little bit more unusual, not a name you necessarily know, but ophidiophobia.

Ophidiophobia.

Anybody know that one?

Long words.

No, it could be.

No.

Actually very close to fear of spiders.

Ophidiophobia is the fear of snakes.

And then last long word, teromahanophobia.

Teromahanophobia.

Anyone can guess what that's?

That was the most complicated one I could find.

Teromahanophobia.

If you had that, you're very unlikely to get on an airplane because that is the fear of flying.

Fancy words, perhaps ones we've never heard of before, but all fears, I think we can understand

where the basis of them comes from.

They all have a potential of risk, maybe danger or harm or pain to us.

And God has created us with this capacity to fear so that we understand when there is a threat of danger or under certain circumstances that we might fear.

And it is meant to act as an alarm bell, a kind of a sensory system to alert us to danger.

Good fear is meant to function to protect us so that we avoid danger and enjoy all the goodness of God's creation.

So, for example, if you're out hiking and terrible storm comes down, good fear would lead you to find shelter, maybe away from the risk of falling trees and flooding rivers.

Maybe if you're out camping as well, you're toasting marshmallows over a campfire.

Good fear warns you not to pick up the marshmallow that falls into the fire through fear of burning your hand.

As Sean said, I've got seven kids.

Three of them are now driving.

One is still learning.

But in their driving instruction, they've all went through classes with their instructors early on where they were taught to focus on road safety

and were given lessons about why they should wear their seatbelts and why you should never text and drive

so that they develop a good fear that keeps them and others on the road safe when they're driving.

Now, Jesus, of course, is God's son, our creator.

He knows how good fear is meant to function in us as God's creatures.

And yet no one knows us better than Christ Jesus for how the fall has affected us,

how sin has distorted what God has called good and how sin makes good things bad.

And that includes our sense of fear and how it is meant to function in our lives.

And this morning, in the particular context of our passage, we're going to think around the application,

particularly of fear in terms of fear of man, although it really applies to any fear.

But in the context this morning, particularly the fear of man.

And so that leads us to our second point.

Very quickly, we get to what Jesus says to us about how good fear has gone bad.

By its proper definition, a fear becomes a phobia when it's out of proportion to or it's excessive

compared to the actual danger presented to us.

Now, there may well be very genuine mental or emotional health issues associated with why a person would have an elevated sense of fear

that's out of proportion to the actual danger.

And there are ways to help to address those issues of mental or emotional distress.

But in our passage this morning, Jesus addresses his disciples and he addresses us at a far more deeper level,

at a level of spiritual level that applies to each and every one of us here this morning.

He speaks to our beliefs and addresses how sin distorts our sense of fear.

He addresses how good fear has gone bad.

We see in verse 4, he's addressing a fear that is bigger than the actual danger.

He says,

Do not fear those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do.

Now, if you're familiar with Jesus' teachings, he often says things in a way to provoke attention, provoke response,

because the honest answer to that verse alone should be something like,

Jesus, what are you talking about?

It does seem entirely reasonable, doesn't it, to fear someone who's threatening to kill you?

Didn't we just talk about examples of how good fear is meant to function to protect us from danger?

Surely someone threatening to kill us is something where we are meant to rightly fear,

and that's meant to function to protect us.

Well, of course, Jesus knows very well what he's saying.

And we need to understand his words in their full context.

It's hinted at in the second half of that verse and developed into the following verse in verse 5.

So, again, he says,

Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.

What more is there that they can do, Jesus?

He goes on to tell us.

He says,

But I warn you whom to fear.

Fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.

Yes, I tell you, fear him.

The reason Jesus tells his disciples not to fear those who can only kill the body is because it's a distorted fear.

He's addressing this good fear gone bad.

It's distorted in two ways.

It's distorted in that it takes being killed and elevates it above what is appropriate,

making physical death the absolute and ultimate terrible thing.

And at the same time, it's a distorted fear because it takes what is really the absolute and ultimate terrible thing,

being called to judgment before God,

being found guilty of breaking his laws,

and being cast into the eternal agony of hell.

Taking that truly ultimate terrible thing and reducing it,

reducing God, in fact,

reducing eternity to something less serious, less important,

than what can happen to us in the here and now.

And Jesus is saying to his disciples at this point of his ministry

because he knows the threat of death for him is looming ever closer.

And because of that, it is looming ever closer for those who would choose to follow him.

Just before our passage this morning, at the end of Luke chapter 11,

Luke 11 · chapter mention

Jesus has been at a party.

He's been invited to a party, a dinner party at the house of one of the religious leaders,

one of the Pharisees.

And Jesus doesn't hold back in condemning his host and his other guests

for hypocrisy and self-righteousness

and for ignoring and condemning the Old Testament prophets.

And chapter 11 ends by saying,

As he went away from there, as he left the party,

the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard

and to provoke him to speak about many things,

lying in wait for him to catch him in something he might say.

And then chapter 12 starts,

In the meantime, when so many thousands of people had gathered together

that they were trampling one another,

he began to essentially teach his disciples.

So our verses this morning are in the context of a huge crowd

gathered around Jesus and his disciples.

And no doubt in such a large crowd,

there were some of these Pharisees among them

or those who were perhaps loyal to the Pharisees,

those who would be looking to put an end to Jesus

and to put an end to any who would hold to his teaching.

And under those circumstances,

Jesus presents this loving warning to his disciples,

to his friends, to us today,

not to fear what man might do to you,

to let that get distorted,

to not to let good fear go bad

and elevate fear of man over the fear of God.

For the disciples,

the prospect of being killed

was very real for them.

And more than likely,

all but John and Judas of the apostles

were martyred for their faith.

And throughout church history,

from the time of the scriptures through to today,

disciples of Jesus Christ

have faced being killed for their faith.

There remains many parts of the world

where being a Christian,

simply standing to be counted as a follower of Christ

and seeking to be obedient to his teachings

is enough to be killed at the hands of men.

And yet for you and I living in America currently,

we are unlikely to face deadly opposition

for our faith,

for the sake of Christ.

But I know for myself,

I don't need the threat of being killed

for my sinful broken heart

to wrestle with distorting the fear of man,

to distorting what thought

or what man might do to me and to us

and to elevate the fear of man

and allow it to occupy a place of dominance

in our lives

that is the rightful place

for the fear of the Lord alone.

And just to be clear again,

the fear of man

isn't limited to distorting fear

about what somebody may do to us as a Christian.

This isn't a unique fear actually to just Christians.

Once we distort or elevate the fear of man

above the fear of God,

once that good fear has gone bad for us,

from then on we place undue focus

on what others might do to us

or think about us,

not only for being a Christian

but for anything else.

When good fear has gone bad,

we are submitted to things,

we are preoccupied with things

that God intended to us

to be only submitted and preoccupied with him.

This is true of any distorted fear.

A distorted fear of man

will affect how we bear the name Christian

when it's unpopular with those around us,

but it may also,

a distorted fear may also affect

what dominates our thoughts

and our actions

when we're around our friends,

around our peers,

our colleagues,

so that we act

or we speak for their approval

and to avoid their rejection

regarding what sports team we follow,

maybe what clothes or shoes we wear,

maybe what movies or television shows

we keep up with

and what computer games we play,

what car we drive,

what neighborhood we live in.

The list goes on and on and on.

And of course,

we live in an age

where social media

can fuel that distorted fear

ever so easily

because we see very clearly

what others think

because they tell us

through likes and comments.

Fear of man

affects how we think about

our school,

our work,

our job,

so that we can pursue success

and praise

from our professors,

our teachers,

our parents,

our boss

or it affects

how we seek to cover up

and make excuses

for our mistakes

and our failures.

One Christian counselor,

Ed Welch,

said,

fear of man

is such a part

of our human fabric

that we should check

for a pulse

if someone denies it.

And I think he's accurate

in that assessment.

So we would do well

to listen to Jesus' words

of warning

and counsel

and counsel

in this passage

so that we can recognize

and confess

before God

where good fear

has gone bad

in our lives

and in our hearts

and so that we can receive

his cure

for bad fear

and the cure

that Jesus offers

to us.

So let's look at that now,

the cure

for bad fear.

And before we dive

into the passage

and the scriptures

to see

what the right fear

is that Jesus

offers to us,

I think it's important

that we recognize

and call out

a couple of bad cures

for good fear

gone bad

that we might consider

taking or have

presented to us

because there are

many alternatives

out there.

first of all,

if the fear

of man

or fear

of what man

may do

to us

is,

if we accept

that as wrong

thinking,

that it lifts up

man

and brings

God

down,

then the cure

for that bad

thinking,

for good fear

gone bad,

must not be

to replace

wrong thinking

with just a different

sort of wrong

thinking.

and there's

a very particular

example that I want

to bring to you

this morning

and it's the example

of the trust

in yourself

mentality.

Don't be afraid,

you can do it.

Now don't get me wrong,

there can be

genuine

and valid

encouragement

in those words.

I've used them

with my children

many times

when they've been

hesitant or frightened

to do something

that I know

they're capable of

if they try

and apply themselves.

But there is

danger

if that is

the only thing

that is repeatedly

said

to fight

fear.

You can do it,

just try harder,

trust in yourself,

be harder

working,

be stronger,

be smarter,

be better looking

and you won't

have anything

to fear anymore.

That's replacing

one form

of wrong thinking

with another

form of wrong

thinking.

It's a lie

and Jesus' words

expose it

for a lie.

Sure,

doing those things

may feel like

they help

to some degree

for some amount

of time.

You may become

stronger than

those around you,

you might become

smarter or better

dressed than

those around you

but you won't

remain that way

forever.

Jesus deliberately

takes us to the

ultimate and the

final reality

that everyone

will face,

death

and judgment

before God

to help us

to get our

fear in

perspective

and see the

cure that we

truly need.

Trusting in things

that really

cannot save you

reminds me of

something that I did

when I was a

little kid.

the very first

bedroom that I

have memories

of as a boy

growing up

had this

fantastic wallpaper

all the way

around the room.

My parents put

this up and it

had Superman

wallpaper

and it had

this reoccurring

images of

Superman all

the way around

the room

all in various

different action

poses, heroic

poses and it

certainly fueled

my fascination

with superheroes

but I remember

that I developed

this rather

particular

childlike habit

of dealing

with fear

because of my

Superman wallpaper.

My bed

in that room

was right up

against one

of the walls

and at night

time if I ever

was frightened

whatever it may

have been

maybe I heard

a bump

or a noise

in the house

or maybe I was

worried about

monsters under

the bed

whatever it was

I developed

this pattern

of I'd

lie right up

against one

of the walls

and I'd think

to myself

I'm going

to be okay

Superman

is all around

me and he

will protect

me

and that's

a sweet

childlike

thing

but it is

ultimately

quite useless

because what

was going

to happen

if any

of those

things that

I was frightened

of actually

turned into

a material

danger

or threat

where was

my hope

truly placed

in those

circumstances

I was trusting

in my

wallpaper

and Jesus

offers us

something far

more substantial

I think you'll

appreciate

than wallpaper

this morning

but it's a

silly example

to show how

we can

take wrong

thinking

and comfort

ourselves

with other

wrong thinking

if we are

not careful

in the same

way Jesus

challenges us

with his

words to make

sure we are

not dealing

with distorted

fear in the

wrong way

in a way

which is

ultimately

still going

to let

us down

you can

do many

good things

you can

work out

you can

study hard

you can

help other

people

you can

have a

nice family

you can

have a

well-paying

job

but Jesus

does not

intend for

us to

trust in

these things

to protect

us through

life

and they

will not

protect us

at the

end of

life

either

one more

error

before we

get to

Jesus

cure

for

good

fear

gone

bad

it's

another

form

of

replacing

wrong

thinking

with

wrong

thinking

dealing

with

this

distorted

fear

of

man

by

trying

to

go

to

the

other

extreme

not

giving

any

care

or

any

thought

to

the

opinions

of

others

on the

face

of it

that

might

sound

like

a

good

idea

right

if

I

shouldn't

elevate

other

people

above

God

so

that I

fear

what

they

might

do

to

me

or

what

they

might

think

about

me

then

perhaps

I

can

deal

with

caring

about

them

too

much

by

not

caring

at

all

about

what

they

think

I'll

just

do

my

own

thing

I'll

do

my

own

thing

my

own

way

so

I

don't

care

what

you

think

what

you

say

whether

you're

my

peers

my

parents

my

professors

my

pastors

I'm

not

going

to

fear

you

in

fact

I

don't

really

care

what

you

think

or

what

you

do

of

course

the

problem

with

that

approach

is

that

Jesus

says

we

are

to

truly

care

appropriately

care

about

others

about

what

others

think

and

what

others

do

in

humility

we

are

to

count

others

more

significant

than

ourselves

and

for

certain

people

in

particular

roles

that

God

has

placed

around

us

and

above

us

honoring

God

means

honoring

people

in

roles

of

authority

that

God

has

placed

over

us

so

Jesus

isn't

suggesting

we

deal

with

a

distorted

fear

by

deliberately

not

caring

about

what

anybody

else

says

around

us

so

what

is

the

right

cure

for

bad

fear

that

Jesus

is

offering

we've

seen

it

already

in

verse

5

the

right

cure

for

bad

fear

is

the

right

fear

of

God

again

he says

I will

warn you

whom

to

fear

fear

him

who

after

he

has

killed

has

authority

to

cast

into

hell

yes

I

tell

you

fear

him

may

not

his

will

fear

will

how he will use this power and this authority.

Scripture has made it abundantly clear to us, plain to us,

who God is, how he is holy and just.

He doesn't randomly assign people to hell,

nor does he make wrong judgments ever.

In fact, the gospel of Jesus Christ starts with the bad news that all of us,

every single one of us in this room here this morning,

we all deserve to be subject to God's authority and judgment that we see here in verse 5.

We don't deserve to be in God's presence.

We deserve to be cast into hell because of our rejection

and our rebellion against him and against his ways.

And yet, the gospel tells us this amazing truth,

that this terrible judgment that each of us faced

Jesus has taken it upon himself on the cross

so that everyone who trusts that Jesus' death in their place

satisfies God's judgment upon us.

So that you are forgiven of your sin and your offenses against God,

including our distortion of putting other fears,

fear of man above the fear of God,

fearing creation rather than the creator.

If you've done that this morning,

if you're a Christian,

this fearsome God no longer calls you his enemies,

but he calls you his children.

Which brings us to the last verses of our passage,

verses 6 and 7.

If verses 4 and 5

sound like Jesus is speaking quite in harsh extremes

to help us see through our distorted fear of man

over the fear of God,

then verses 6 and 7

sound almost humorous in their gentleness

and their tenderness towards us.

He says,

These two verses

that help us see the gospel cure for bad fear

because they tell us two profound truths

about the fearsome and almighty God whom we worship.

It tells us that God knows you completely.

And it tells us that God cares for you deeply.

So much of the distorted fear of man

centers around being exposed.

Perhaps being exposed to physical harm,

but also being exposed to shame,

to ridicule,

to condemnation,

for people to see us as we truly are,

to know our darkest secrets,

our most embarrassing and shameful moments.

Jesus' words connect to that distorted fear

and they correct that fear.

We may be able to go through life

hiding our dirty laundry, as it were,

from others around us

so they don't see.

But God sees.

God sees you completely.

And He knows you completely,

down to the hairs on your head.

Now, as time goes on,

for some of us, like myself,

that's an easier job for God than others.

But He knows us completely.

If you were to pour out your heart

in complete honesty before God,

confessing all your thoughts

and all of your feelings,

warts and all,

nothing held back,

God would not respond to you,

wow,

I had no idea that that's who you really were.

I need a time out.

I need to reevaluate what's going on here

as to who you are.

That is not what God would say.

Rather, He might say something like,

thank you.

Thank you for being honest.

Now, would you like me to tell you

what you missed?

He knows you.

He knows you completely.

He knows the hairs on your head.

He knows the freckles on your face.

He knows the first thought you had this morning.

He'll know the last thought you have

before you go to bed tonight.

He sees everything,

knows everything about you,

and rather than push you away,

He draws you close to Himself in Christ.

Because of the cross,

Jesus has dealt with everything

that caused God to reject you.

And now He calls you to Himself

as His child.

He loves you.

If you are a Christian,

He's drawn you to Himself.

He knows you completely,

and God cares for you deeply.

God cares for the sparrow, Jesus says.

So small and so fragile,

even though it's of little worth.

How much more is the argument

Jesus is making here?

How much more will He care for those

who are made in His own image?

God loved the world so much

that He gave His only Son,

not because that was a fair price

for what we're worth,

but that that was the price

to redeem sinners,

like you and me,

out of bondage to slavery,

bondage to good fear gone bad,

out of His own love

with which He loved us.

Father, Son, Holy Spirit,

our God chose to pay that price.

That price is what He cares for you.

The gospel is the cure for bad fear,

for distorted fear.

And as we're confronted with the enormity

of the Almighty God's love for us,

the cross declares

how He knows us completely,

warts and all,

and yet cares for us deeply

to give us His Son,

to bring us to Himself.

And now He's given us His Holy Spirit

to live with us and within us,

working in us power,

the power of the resurrection

to bring renewed hearts and minds

that orient around right fears,

good fears,

appropriate fear of man,

and appropriate fear of God

for who He is.

There are two very simple words

in our passage this morning

which we can easily overlook.

We find them at the beginning

in verse 4

that are profound

if we understand them correctly.

Jesus calls those

who are His disciples

my friends.

My friends.

If you're a Christian,

Jesus Christ,

the Son of God,

second person of the Trinity,

the one who has the power

and authority

to lay down His life

and the power

to bring it back up again,

this Jesus

calls you

my friend.

When we grasp hold

of these truths,

we can affirm

and live out

the words we see

the Apostle Paul say

at the end of Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

I think we have these

to project as well.

We have this recorded for us.

What then shall we say

to these things,

to any of these fears

that may be distorted

in our lives?

If God is for us,

who can be against us?

He who did not spare

His own Son

but gave Him up

for us all,

how will He not also

along with Him

graciously give us

all things?

Who shall bring any charge

against God's elect?

It is God

who justifies,

who is to condemn.

Christ Jesus

is the one who died.

More than that,

who was raised,

who is at the right hand

of God,

who indeed

is interceding for us.

Who shall separate us

from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation

or distress

or persecution

or famine

or nakedness

or danger

or sword

or any other fear

that you may have?

As it is written,

for your sake

we are being killed

all the day long.

We are regarded

as sheep

to be slaughtered.

No.

In all these things

we are more

than conquerors

through Him

who loved us.

For I am sure

that neither death

nor life

nor angels

nor rulers

nor things present

nor things to come

nor powers

nor height

nor depth

nor anything else

in all creation

will be able

to separate us

from the love

of God

in Christ Jesus

our Lord.

When the gospel

of Jesus Christ

has taken hold

of you

and you have

taken hold

of the gospel

the power of God

is at work in you

to cure you

of good fear

gone bad

to heal you

of distorted fears

so that you can

mean and say

those words

of Romans chapter 8

Romans 8 · chapter mention

for yourself.

God wants that

for you

and I want to help you

with just a few

practical suggestions

of how we can grow

in applying that fear

so let me close

with the cure

in practice.

First and foremost

the cure

of the gospel

only works

if you have

received it.

You cannot take

the cure

for your fear

problem

if you have not

received the cure

for your sin problem

and if you are here

this morning

and haven't

received Christ

as your savior

then I'm so glad

you're here

so glad that I get

to speak with you

this morning

and I'd love to

talk to you more

about how

you can receive

Christ

and his life

his death

his resurrection

for you

so that you might

know forgiveness

and freedom

from God's judgment

and wrath

to come

and then

you can start

working

in placing

the fear

of man

in right proportion

to the fear

of God

if you have

received Christ

then

we apply

this truth

of putting

good fear

into its right

place

through practice

simple things

things I'm sure

you've heard

before

but let me

just give

some specific

application

the first

is in reading

God's word

the Bible

is a lifetime

supply

of meditation

and reflection

that works

to correct

distorted fear

to put the fear

of creation

in its proper

place

and the fear

of our creator

in his proper

place

but I want

to add

that the Bible

isn't our only

input

into our lives

and we need

to think

carefully

about our diet

because you may

be reading

your Bible

but what else

are you reading

and how is that

informing

your fears

the world

in so many

different ways

is telling you

what to fear

and it's not

telling you

to fear God

through the news

through social

media

through conversations

with friends

at school

or work

or college

there are

subtle

and there are

distinct

voices telling us

to fear this

fear that

fear the other

all at the expense

of fearing

God

and you and I

are taking that in

every single day

and honestly

it is foolish

and it is arrogant

for us to think

that we can resist

that influence

if we are not

regularly taking in

and balancing it

with the word

of God

speaking correctly

so that we can

distinguish

distorted fears

from accurate fears

so I want to

encourage you

feed on God's

word

I just read

recently actually

the Bible has

over 365

times where

we are called

to fear

not

that's more than

one a day

that might be

an outstanding

use of your

devotional time

just to

chart that

through

each day

reflecting where

God says

fear not

and what

grounds he

gives you

for that

but feed

on God's

word

being aware

that you're

already feeding

on other

things

so consider

your diet

carefully

second application

I would encourage

you to pray

and to invite

prayer

specifically

invite prayer

for where

distorted fear

applies and is

lived out in

your life

and we have

before us

an example

in the

apostle Paul

he says to

the church

in Ephesus

in Ephesians

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6

he says to

the church

pray for me

pray for me

that words

may be given

to me

in opening

my mouth

boldly

to proclaim

the mystery

of the gospel

for which I

am an ambassador

in chains

that I may

declare it

boldly

as I ought

to speak

brothers and

sisters

if the

apostle to

the Gentiles

the guy

who wrote

most of the

letters of

the New

Testament

if he

needed

God's

people to

pray for

him

I'm pretty

sure you

and I

need prayer

from those

around us

too

so when

you meet

one-on-one

with friends

over coffee

when you

have small

group time

prayer time

invite others

into your

struggle

because they're

in the same

position as you

are

the fears

might be

different

but we all

wrestle with

this reality

invite others

in to pray

for you

in very

practical

ways

for how

you see

fear being

distorted

in your

lives

and then

lastly

a practical

application

is to

try it

try it

out

do not

wait for

your feelings

to catch up

to what

the scriptures

are telling

you

don't wait

to feel

bold

being

brave

isn't

the absence

of fear

rather it

is being

being afraid

still

and yet

doing

the right

thing

anyway

so step

out into

whatever

sphere it

may be

that you

know

God

is calling

you to

and where

these fears

are distorted

for you

being

fueled

and

strengthened

by God's

word

resting

in the

prayers

of God's

saints

for you

expect

to have

those

old

feelings

that come

from a

distorted

fear

expect

them to

be there

for a

little

while

longer

as God

continues

to work

in you

but do

not let

that stop

you from

doing

what God

calls you

to do

you may

be familiar

with

C.S.

Lewis's

book

The Lion

the Witch

and the

Wardrobe

it's a

family

favorite

for us

and we

read it

once in

a while

there's a

scene

in which

brother

Peter

is

seeking

to defend

his

sisters

from

attacking

wolves

who

serve

the

wicked

white

witch

and Lewis

writes

this

he says

Peter

did not

feel

very

brave

indeed

he felt

he was

going to

be sick

but that

made no

difference

to what

he had

to do

it made

no difference

to what

he had

to do

don't let

your feelings

make a

difference

to what

you have

to do

to what

God

is calling

you to

do

what

Jesus

lays out

in these

verses

for us

this

morning

to

place

God

in his

rightful

place

the

gospel

cure

cures us

from

good

fear

gone

bad

and with

that

in place

brothers and

sisters

friends

be equipped

be

courageous

to live

out

the life

God has

for you

serve

him

honoring

him

as you

receive

all of

God's

blessings

in your

life

let me

pray

heavenly

father

we thank

you for

your word

to us

this

morning

we thank

you for

how you

speak

into

our

the many

ways in

which our

lives are

messed up

and how

you have

spoken this

morning

and how

to

correct

distorted

fear

good

fear

gone

bad

we thank

you for

your son

Jesus

Christ

we thank

you for

your spirit

and we thank

you for

your word

word

we pray

Lord

that you

would work

in us

faith

to step

out

as you

call us

to in ways

which honor

you

glorify

you

we do

this in

Christ's

name

amen