Power Of Priority | Jason Martin

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We hope this message will light up your tea.

Okay, good morning again, Happy New Year. If I have

not wished y'all yet, how has the new year been? Good? Scary?

It's like, Okay, how many had good New year so far?

It's like two weeks? Right, two weeks? How many has

had interesting new year so far? Yes? Right, I wouldn't

say bad, because everything is experience, right, and usually you

will learn more from tougher experiences than easier experiences. Right,

all right, So today I will be sharing something that

for those of y'all who missed Pasca when he came

here last week, I encourage you to listen to the

MTG when it is out. But I wanted to also

share a bit on what the word that he shed

to the church during first of January. So first of

January we had pray. So pray is our combined prayer

rally where we gather all the church plans and we

pray for the year ahead, pray for different needs. And

there was a word that he shared which I felt

that hey, wow, that word resonated with me and I

thought I wanted to go and do a bit more

study on my own, and so today I will be

sharing that as well. Okay, so how you know, like

twenty twenty four seems so far away? Okay? Can you

recall or twenty twenty four from January? Okay, January last year?

Twenty twenty four? Can you recall vaguely what happened? You can?

For some you who can, great, you know, because for me,

I felt my twenty twenty four there was like ten

episodes of twenty twenty four. It felt like super long.

You know, there was so many things that happened. There

was episode one, two, three, four, so there's so many

things that happened. And you know, usually when we start

a year, you have New Year's resolutions, you have plans

and stuff like that, and then when you come to

the end of the year, you're like, wow, the time

passed by so fast. Have I achieved all that I

wanted to achieve? All right? And we are If you

have awesome, great. If you haven't, then it is good

for us to do a stocktic and say that why,

you know, And one of the things that I realize

is that there will be so many things that will

be crying for your attention. Right, there's so many things

that are crying for your attention. So and when we

say that, okay, when we started the new year, we

have your new year's resolution or goals, you don't factor

in things that could go wrong. You know, suddenly you know,

like this this year, the first it was the first

week back to work, I think for a lot of people.

So first week back to work, my car broke down

twice twice, one on a Monday, one on a Thursday. Thursday,

had to tow the car, you know. And this was like,

after a long day, I go to the covered after work,

can all start. I was like, you gotta be kidding me.

But I was like it's okay. You know, I'm not

gonna let it affect me. So you got it sorted

out on Tuesday and stuff like that. Then Thursday it

happened again. But I think twenty twenty four has taught

me to like just chill, you know, because the more

you plan and the more control you want to have

over your lives, when things go wrong, you will get frustrated.

And then you when you will get frustrated, especially when

you feel you are losing control. So this year, I

mean this week, right, the car broke down twice, and

then Jude is sick. You know, that's why Jess and Geroman.

Jude are not here, so fell sick. So there's so

many things happening in the first week. It's not like wow,

twenty twenty five is like, you know, you, I'm not

sure if you saw the meme before. God, I pray

that you do not give me your greatest challenges for

twenty twenty five. You know, twenty twenty four was good enough.

Twenty five I pray that you spare me your your

greatest challenges. And sometimes we live I mean, we live

in an imperfect world. Right, there will be challenges, There

will be challenges, There will be circumstances, situations that go wrong.

But how are we living our lives? You know? So

the title of today's message is this the Power of Priority,

Power of priority? You know? So what does this mean?

Because what is priority? Priority is something that you put

as important, right, you put as important? And when you

put something as important, then you will work towards it.

For example, that's your goals, you know. But what happens

when life happens? You know, does your priorities change? Are

you suddenly deviating from what you planned, and then your

focus is drawn to different things. So another way in

putting it right, does life happen to you or do

you happen to life? You know? And what does that mean?

That means if you don't live by priorities? Next line,

This is a phrase that we usually use in ex Church.

If you don't live by priorities, you'll live by pressures.

So does life happen to you or do you happen

to life? There's your pressures dictate how you respond or

do you there's your priorities dictate how you live your life?

You know. So in twenty twenty four, if you think back,

like the time I was talking to Jazz right then

she was like, oh, just scrolling through her Google photos.

You know, that's one way to do the memory recap

of what happened, you scroll through your Google photos. Then

she's like, oh, we actually did a lot of things,

but I feel we didn't do anything. You know, She's like,

we did a lot of things, but we feel did

nothing like in terms of impact, you know, in terms

of impact, in terms of stuff like that. So, and

especially right if things go wrong and derails all your

priorities suddenly and you're focused on that, you will miss

the goal, you know, and let me just pull this up. Yeah,

So either you determine what's important in life, or other

people will determine what's important for you. You know. Sometimes

right when people ask hey, are you free? Here, I'm

very scatered because why are you asking you whether I'm

free or not? What do you want me to do?

Or what do you you know? I like a bit uh,

I'm a very critical uh. I should probably give people

the benefit of the doubt baller, you know. But when

people ask so are you free? If you say you're free,

are suddenly like, hey can you do this? This is this?

This is you know, and if you want to help out,

it's fine, you know. But if you do not have

any priorities, then you it's fine you can help and

do you are helping somebody else with their priorities, you know.

But if you have your priorities, of course you can

help other people definitely. But if it is jeopardizing your

direction towards your goal, then you will have to evaluate

what do I mean by that? One of the most

common goals for the new year is what lose weight? Right?

One the most common goals for the new year is

lose weight. They your friends come and say, hey, you

freely not come, Let's go mama. So if you do

not have your priority of losing weight, okay, let's go mama,

and then after that let's go uh macan. And then

you were just live according to what people uh a

guy telling you to do. But if you have your priority,

like hey, can I go my mom? But I'll just

have a drink or kurrang money is or I will

have mylo co so milo Cosong already got Shugarta but

or they o kosong you know, so you can still go.

But because your priority, your priority is very clear that

my goal is to lose weight, you will not be swung,

you know. And it's a lot of times, right it's

like have you been put in a situation where you

know you shouldn't, but then you don't have a strong

enough reason to say no. So if you do not

have your priorities, that's when people will decide what is

important for you. Okay, So past the Kenneth actually was

sharing that twenty twenty five is a year where we

should live by priorities because in twenty twenty four, however,

it may have been for you. If you are living

by pressures, you would feel that you are losing control

over everything you know. And like just now where we

sang the song during worship that God is mighty to say,

and that take all my fears and failures. Right, if

we are dictated, we are distracted by a fears and

failures and then we are it spins out of control.

We will not be heading towards what God wants for us. Okay,

So what he was sharing is that we should live

twenty twenty five with priority thieves and instead of living

under pressures. So the verse they want to take from

was this Matthew fourteen. So this is if you're being injured,

you'll probably know this story, so let me read this.

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back

into the boat and crossed to the other side of

the lake while he sent the people home. After sending

them home, he went up into the hills by himself

to pray. Night fell while he was there alone was

twenty four. Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away

from the land, for a strong wind had risen and

they were fighting heavy waves. About three o'clock in the morning,

Jesus came towards them, walking on the water. When the

disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified.

In their fear, they cried out, it's a ghost next one,

verse twenty seven. But Jesus spoke to them at once.

Do not be afraid, he said, take courage. I am here.

Then Peter called to him, Lord, if it's really you,

tell me to come to you walking on the water

verse twenty nine. Yes, come, Jesus said. So Peter went

over the side of the boat and walked on the

water towards Jesus. When he saw the strong wind and

the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. Save me, Lord,

he shouted. Next, Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him.

You have so little faith, Jesus said, why did you

doubt me? When they climbed back into the boat, the

wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. You really are

the son of God, they exclaimed. Okay, so today we

will be looking at Peter and his interaction with Jesus. Right,

and how does priority come into display? All right, so

there are three points I have for us today. The

first point is this next line. First, point for twenty

twenty five if we have not already done so we

need to set priorities. Okay, because if we don't set priorities,

I told you, people will set priorities for us. And

then right, you feel there you are so busy, but

at the end you don't achieve anything because all you

were still you miss out what God wants you to achieve.

You miss out his plan for your life in twenty

twenty five, you know. And then another question, right, what

was God's plan for you in twenty twenty four. It's

a tough question because we believe that God has a plan.

His plans are good. His plan is to give us

a future and a hope. But then if we look

back in twenty twenty four, what was his plan for

our life? And this is something if we do not

seek God for it, then we will visit completely, you know.

So let me take us through the verses. So first

point is said priorities, right, So let me read verse

twenty four. Jesus the disciples were in trouble far away

from land, for a strong wind had risen and they

were fighting heavy waves. About three o'clock in the morning,

Jesus came towards them walking on water. When the disciples

saw him walking on water, they were terrified. In their fear,

they cried out, it's a ghost. Okay. So what we

can get from this is that the disciples were in trouble,

you know. So the Disciples were in trouble, and most

of the time that's where we are as well. We

might be facing our own challenges. We are facing our

own challenges. We feel we are alone. But do you

know what Jesus came to them. Jesus came to them.

When we are in our challenges, right, you know what

Jesus will come to us. But the thing is, the

disciples didn't recognize him. So when we are in our challenges, right,

and suddenly Jesus appears. He can appear various ways through

different people that send away to things that people tell us.

But if we are not discerning, if we do not

prioritize God and say I look to God, we might

miss it completely. So they say here, when the disciples

saw him walking on water, they were terrified and in

their fear they cried out, it's a ghost. So they

were in trouble. The person that can save them from

the trouble is walking towards them, and they say it's

a ghost. Why do you think so? It is probably

because Jesus came in a way which he never came before.

For them, they never experienced him walking on water. And

that's why sometimes we can miss Jesus as well, because

like God, last time I prayed, you did it this way.

Now he comes another way, walking on water. You like

you're a ghost. Jesus does not need to do miracles

the same way over and over again. Do you know

that when he's healed blind people one time he spit

on the floor. He spit on the floor for all

the blind people. No, he is God. He can do

whatever he wants, but the result is the same. He will.

He is here to deliver us. So if we do

not recognize, if we do not prioritize Jesus looking to Jesus,

we can easily miss it. Okay, next light. But Jesus

spoke to them at once. Don't be afraid. He said,

take courage, I am here. Then Jesus call to him. Lord,

if it's really you, tell me to come to you

walking on the water. So this, if you see this right,

Peter had his priorities right, So Peter right. He was

in the middle of a storm, most likely going to sink.

Did he ask Jesus to calm the storm? No, he

asked Jesus to say that, if it is really you,

tell me to come to you walking on water. He

wanted to recognize Jesus because he knew that Jesus is

the answer. If it is Jesus, everything else is okay.

So Peter got his priority right, Peter, He didn't ask

Jesus to calm the storm. Instead, he wanted to draw

nearer to Jesus. When we are in our storm twenty

twenty five, whatever circumstance is it is our priority to

draw near to Jesus or not? Or is our priority

treating Jesus like a genie? God? Take away this God,

I want this. God, do this. But what did Peter say,

if it is really you, tell me to come to

you walking on the water. He just wanted to draw

nearer to Jesus. He got his priorities right. Okay, But

you know right, setting priorities is only the first thing.

It's very easy to set New Year's resolutions right. So

earlier I asked you, did we what was God's plan

for us in twenty twenty four. Right, some of us

may know, some of us may not know. But in

twenty twenty five, even as we start this year, there

are three questions which I thought will help us prioritize

our year and know God's plan whether we are in

line with God's plan for us? So next line. First thing,

in whatever decision that I make, am I growing closer

to God? That's the first thing. Be it a job

that you take, be it someone that you start dating,

be it a career move, be it being so serving

in church, serving in ministry. You see, right, all of

us one specific answers God, what's your plan for me? Oh?

Your plan is to go and eat chicken rice after

lunch afterwards for lunch. You know, we want this kind

of thing. But God doesn't answer that way. We have

to evaluate and say that God. First of all, am

I growing closer to you? If I take this decision?

If I do this choice? Am I growing closer to you? Okay?

So that's the first point. Second one is do I

trust God more? Do I trust God more? Twenty twenty

three to twenty twenty four? Are you trusting God more

or less? I know? For me, I definitely trust God more,

because I came to a realization that I can't do

anything on my own. They came to a point. That's

why when my car broke down, I'm like, okay, chill,

like okay, here this happens. You know, it's not gonna

affect me. But God, you are still in control. And

sometimes right when God blesses us with riches, do we

put our trust in riches more versus God? So when

God blesses us, the greatest test right of faith or

trusting God is when God blesses you. When God blesses you,

suddenly your needs are met and then you feel like,

hey God, actually it's okay, Like you can hang back.

I'm good now. But God will never bring us to

a place where we need less of Him. So this

is how we should evaluate our decisions. Would this allow

me to trust God more? Okay? Then the third one,

do I exhibit more of the fruit of the spirit.

So what is the fruit of the spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,

and self control. See all these are from children's church.

That's I can memorize. So send your kids to ex

kids they will definitely pick this up. So if you

are full of the spirit, but you are not. You

cannot be full of the spirit and not have fruit

of the spirit. And apple tree without apples is useless. Right,

you say, we are spirit filled? Where's your fruit? So

in the same way twenty twenty five, our priorities should

be aligned to these questions. Am I growing closer to God? Well?

I need to trust God more and do I exhibit

more of the fruit of the spirit. And sometimes that

can be patience or long suffering, you know, as long suffering.

I tell you tip, don't pray for patience and let's

you really God will answer in mysterious ways and you

will definitely need Yeah, you'll definitely learn it the hard way. Right.

So when we set our priorities, let's use these three

questions as hands else in our decisions so that we

are shooting in the right direction. Okay, so that's the

first point. After you set your priorities. Like what I mentioned,

setting your priority is very easy. You set your New

Year's resolution. Following through is another thing. Following through is

another thing. You know, I think I shed before. One

of my New Year's resolutions long ago was to learn swimming,

you know, because I really couldn't swim. I got swimming

skills of a rock means you put there, I'll sink. Okay,

So for the longest time, a few years, really I

put it there. But then right, you're learn swimming. But

then you know, I need to look good in a

swimming trunks first, which means I need to lose weight.

You need to lose weight. Then on me I can

go and learn. You know that's never gonna happen, right,

So it didn't happen for ages, and then right you're

like you want to look good, and then you're like

you're scared. You don't want to lose face because when

you go and learn swimming, there was so one year

I just decided, okay, I'm just gonna go for it.

So I signed up for swimming. Right I went there,

I'm an adult. All kids, I'm like, okay, you just

have to like suck it in and like, hey, what

is my priority? My priority is to learn how to swim.

My priority is not to like save face or this thing.

My priority is a swim And because of that then

I so, long story shot, I finally learned how to swim.

So that has been one of the resolutions I moved on. So,

like what I mentioned, setting a result solution is simple.

The second step we need to do next night is

to step out of the boat. Are we willing to

step out of the boat? So what does this mean?

So if we look, if we go back to Matthew fourteen, Yeah,

Matthew fourteen verse verse twenty eight, I think two slides

back slide eight, back to slidespeck. Yes, okay, So Jesus said,

don't be afraid, take courage. I am here, and then

Peter called to him, Lord, if it's really you tell

me to come to you working on water, so you'll

be like God, if it's really you tell me to come.

So what did Jesus say, come? Lay? When Jesus says,

kame la, how many of us would there step out

of the boat. You know, it's like quite scary and

it's very scary. Remember it's not calm water. They are

going through a storm. They're going to a storm. And

then Peter ask Jesus and Jesus is to come. You

know for parents, right, how many of y'all have taught

your kids cycling? Thought your kids cycling? Right? You know

you'll be like telling you kid, it's Okay, I'm here,

don't worry you'll kill me. Like, no, I don't trust you.

I'm going to fall. I'm going to die. You know.

It's like then you'll be like, but it's okay, I'm here.

I will not allow any harm to come to you.

But it takes so much of convincing. It depends on

on the kid as well. If some kids will be like, yeah,

let's just jump off the building and then I know

my father will catch me. You know, some of them

are there, but some like uh like, especially from my

older trying to convince him that time I took him

to the dentitional. It's like, I'm going to die. I'm like,

how are you going to die in the dentist? You know.

So I had to like convince him so many ways. Uh.

And then I even got a younger brother, you to

go first and show how it is. You know, it's

safe everything you know, and it's the same sometimes we laugh,

but it's the same sometimes with us. When Jesus asked

us to step out of the boat and come to him,

we don't there because it is something that we have

never done before, and it is something we have no

control over. You are releasing your control over the situation

and say let go and let God. And that's when

we set our priorities. Do we draw closer to God,

do we trust him more? Do we exhibit more of

the fruit of the spirit. We can only do so

when we step decide to step out of the boat.

Because you always say God, I need more of you.

Sure not, you need more God means you have to

step out of the boat and walk to him last,

but he's scary, okay. So moving to the slight eleven.

This is what the worst Pasta can shed last week. Now,

faith is the substance of things hoped for and the

evidence of things not seen for by it. The elders

obtained a good testimony by faith. We understand that words

were framed by the word of God, so that the

things which are seen were not made of things which

are visible. So I want to focus on reiterate what

Pasta can mentioned last week. Faith is the substance of

things hoped for. So your faith has to have substance,

and the substance that means right, your substance means you

have to step out of the boat. You cannot say

I have faith, Jesus, I have faith in you in

the boat. That means you have faith in the boat,

not in Jesus. But you say that. Okay, Jesus, I

have faith in you, and my substance is I'm going

to step out of the boat at your command. Okay.

There are a few examples. So this is Hebrews eleven

right next next Life. So Hebrews eleven is the chapter

about faith. So all the heroes of faith were listed there.

So I want to give two examples. By faith, Able

offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by

which he obtained witness that he was righteous God, testifying

of his gifts, and by it he being dead yet speakers, Okay.

Verse seven, By faith, Noah being warned of God of things,

not seeing me as yet, moved with fear, prepared an

ark to the saving of his house, by which he

condemned the world and became heir of righteousness, which is

by faith. So what was the substance of Able? The

substance of Able was his offering? If not right, it's

not though, you know, no action talk on me, you know.

So they say faith is a substance, right, you need

to back up your faith with action. Noah had never

seen rain before. He has no idea what's a boat?

But he followed by faith he built the boat. So

when we need to step out of the boat, we

need to show what is our substance? Do we trust

God more? Because again, walking on water until now right,

I don't think Peter was the only one that walked

on water. Why is that the case? You know, maybe

it's the way God intended it to be. But there

were other disciples on the in the boat also, do

you think they but they did not have that substance

of faith to say that, Okay, God, I'm going to

walk on water as well. And they missed out. But

Peter was the only one that had the substance right

next line. But without faith it is possible to please

him again Hebrews eleven. So you say that God owey

you and stuff like accept this or this is too hard.

You ask me to do this, it's too hard, I

can't do it. What you're saying is you do not

Your faith does not have substance of things, hope for

evidence of things not seen. Your faith is in Him

and not in the action that you're taking. Because Jesus

is the answer Jesus told you to step on water.

You step on water. Your faith is not underwater. You know,

your faith is in Jesus. But without faith it is

impossible to please God. So this is something we are

we living by faith this year. If not, it'll be

statusch you know. If not, then you say that, Hey, God,

how come? How come a loyicious God? So many testimony

sometimes right, Faith like a child, is the substance of

things hope for the more jaded older we become, the

more jaded we become because of disappointment, because of fear,

because of peer pressure, whatever it is, right, Suddenly our

faith is no longer in Okay, God, you say jump,

you tell me how I will? I will ask you

how high? Instead of why are you sure? I don't

think so? My niece cannot take it? You know, or

whatever it is? That right? So that is the second point, okay,

And the third one this is the last point. Stay steadfast.

Stay steadfast. So after you set priorities, you step out

of the boat, you need to stay steadfast all the

way to the end. You know why I chose this

picture because for someone walking the tight rope, right, you

have to focus your eyes on the goal. You cannot

be distracted on the left or the right. You cannot

be distracted by the wind. In fact, if the wind blows,

you adjust yourself. But your eyes are still focused, you know.

So let me take us through some of the verses. Right,

So he says here for assuredly, I say to you,

whoever says to this mountain be removed and be cast

into the sea. And there's not doubt in his heart.

But believe that those things that he says will be done.

He will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you,

whatever things you ask when you pray, believe you will

receive them, and you will have them. So, how many

of y'all have had answered prayers before? How many of

y'all have had unanswered prayers before? Do you still believe?

Do you still believe? Are you still stepfast? Is your

eyes still focused on Jesus? Jesus is the answer. Jesus

is not there just to provide the answer. He is

the answer. Right, So if I go back to Matthew

fourteen the slight eighth again, right, So verse twenty nine,

Jesus said, yes, come, So Peter went over the side

of the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus,

but when he saw the strong wind and the waves,

he was terrified and began to sink. Save me, Lord,

he shouted, And this could be us as well. All right, yeah,

you set your priorities, you stepped out of the boat.

Then challengers came your way. Challengers came your way, and

then what happened? You got scared? You know, there there's

so many instances right where I like, like, for example,

when I changed my career. So my career has I've

changed industries quite a few times, and each of it

is a testimony. But every time I change, the first

six months, I'll be like, hey, I wish I can

go back, because it's not easy. I stepped out of

the boat and it is not easy. I got so

many challenges, so many challenges come my way. But by

God's grace, he did not allow me to reverse. In

the same way the Israelites when they left Egypt, when

going to a skinan land, then you were saying, hey,

better to go back to Egypt. You were like, dude,

you forgot what happened in Egypt. You were beaten. You

were like, you had to make bricks and they don't

even give you the raw material. And that's us as well,

because when we want to go from glory to glory,

from strength to strength, it will require us to step

out of the boat and be uncomfortable. But we have

to focus our eyes on Jesus. Remember the picture of

the guy walking around the tight rope. Right. If Peter

was like that guy on the tight rope walking and

there was storm and the waves and whatever it is,

he will have to endure it. But Jesus, his faith

was in Jesus. Is he right? Suddenly the waves and

the storm is more powerful than Jesus. And that's why

he began to sink, because the substance of his faith

was that the waves and the sea is more powerful

than Jesus. So the substance is I believe in this one.

This one is more powerful. So what happens I sink?

If my substance was in Jesus, I can still walk

on water. But my substance of my faith is towards

everything else that is happening around me. So the economy

is not good, my boss is not good. Everything like, God,

why do you do this to me? You know stuff

like that? Are you still there? God is still there?

You know the song that we sang. He is mighty

to save. Do we believe it? Right? So he said

save me? So there was there's one thing interesting that

I wanted to bring about. You know. The first thing right,

Peter called out to Jesus because he wanted to be

nearer to God. He called out in faith. But the

second time he called out to God in fear, because

his eyes were no longer on Jesus, the author and

finisher of my faith. He was more than Oh I'm

going to die, he called out in fear. So even

as I draw towards a close right to slide sixteen.

So I remember I preached about this twenty twenty five.

No matter what storm or wave comes your way, fix

your thoughts on what is true and honorable, right, pure, lovely,

and admirable. Think about these things that are excellent and

worthy of praise, because if you think about what can

go wrong, then you'll most likely go wrong right by

you fix your thoughts that God, you are in control.

I don't understand what's happening. It's tough. I don't like

this situation I'm in. But God, I believe that you

are still in control. If you do that and fix

your thoughts. You are still saying that God, the substance

of my faith is I will put my trust in

you although things are going wrong. And when you do that,

you please God. Again for parents who have thought your

kids cycling right, when your kids have faith in you,

are you pleased? Yeah? So how much more our Father

in heaven you know they have your the When your

kids have their full faith in you, know that you

are there, you have your their best interests at heart,

you will be pleased. You'll be like, Wow, I will

do everything in my power to ensure my kids succeeds.

And that is the same way our father God does.

You know. So if we our substance of faith that

our faith is usually tested right when things are going wrong,

that is when you say that God, you are still

in control. Right. So even as I get the band

up the last line, it's just a summary of the

three points that I mentioned. So twenty twenty five, let's

set our priorities right, set our priorities right. And then

once we set our priorities again, how do we set

our priorities? Answer the three questions that do I draw

closest to God is my trust and faith in God, increasing,

am I exhibiting the fruit of the spirit. Once you

do that, you know you are in alignment with God,

and then you will step out of the boat. When

you step out of the boat, I'm telling you it's

going to be tough, but that is when we grow

because with Christ in the vessel, we can smile at

the storm right and stay step fast. Don't look to

the left to the right. Fix your thoughts on what

is true, right, honorable, just, admirable, and God will see us.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

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week is going to be a good week, a hit

for you. God bless