Pure - Gay & Christian?

It's on page 1147.

Okay, 1 Corinthians chapter 5, verses 9 to 13.

1 Corinthians 5:9–13

I have written to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people,

not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral,

or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters.

In that case, you would have to leave this world.

But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother,

but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.

With such a man do not even eat.

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?

Are you not to judge those inside?

God will judge those outside.

Expel the wicked man from among you.

Let me go down to chapter 6.

I'll start at verse 9, 9 to 13.

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived.

Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes,

nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards,

nor slanders, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

And that is what some of you were.

But you were washed, you were sanctified,

and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ

by the Spirit of our God.

Sexual immorality

Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial.

Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

Food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food,

but God will destroy them both.

The body is not meant for sexual immorality,

but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Amen.

Thanks very much, Ian.

Well, I encourage you to take notes.

If you've got your new sheet, there's a space on the back.

If not, there should be another sheet that was handed around,

or a pen at the front.

Feel free to get it,

and to get yourself a Bible if you haven't got one.

There's plenty at the back,

and you can follow through.

Before we start this morning,

I want to say a couple of things.

First, that I'm aware when dealing with the subject of homosexuality,

there are a variety of views and experiences.

So, you may find that as we go through this morning's talk,

there will be times you may agree,

and there may be times you disagree.

And so, I'm just saying that up front.

So, if you've got questions afterwards,

to come and talk to me,

and to encourage you to come to our follow-up discussion this evening.

The second thing that I want to say is that I am a learner.

I don't know all the answers,

and nor do I pretend to.

Trying to understand our sexuality is a very complex matter.

And I speak to you not as a physician,

or as a psychologist,

but simply as a learner and teacher of God's Word.

And that is where we want to base our thinking

and our study this morning.

That as we come together,

we want to hear what God has to say about ourselves,

how He has made us,

and how we are called to live in His world.

So, let's pray as we ask for God's help.

Our Father God, we thank you so much that you have given to us your Word,

so that we know how to live,

and how we have been made.

That we are not just placed here on earth,

trying to make it up,

and trying to figure it out by ourselves.

But you have shown us very clearly.

And we ask, Father, that by your Holy Spirit,

that you would help us to understand,

and to apply it to our lives,

and to our thinking.

If we come with any thoughts and any views,

that we would submit them right now to your Word.

That you would shape our minds,

and our thinking,

so that we become more and more like Christ.

Loving one another,

caring for one another,

and serious with the issues that you are serious with.

So please help us,

we ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, over the last 20 years,

Ireland has changed from a conservative religious culture

to a more liberal, irreligious culture.

The bedrock of Irish society,

the heterosexual marriage,

is no longer foundational.

Increasingly, we meet people who are living together

with the same sex,

and hardly a week goes by

without some big-named celebrity coming out.

But with all the changes in our culture,

there still seems to be a lot of confusion about homosexuality.

Last year, I had to attend the funeral of my aunt.

And as with most funerals,

it's the opportunity to meet relatives and friends

that you haven't seen in years.

And at this funeral,

I was looking forward to meeting my cousin.

As far as I remember,

I had only ever met him once.

Of course, we had had many family gatherings in the past,

and everybody had always been invited,

except John was always absent.

Leading up to the funeral,

we were told that John was gay,

and was living with his partner for the last 20 years,

and they were now happily married.

Now, the question I had was this.

Why did nobody know?

Why was it all kept a secret for so long?

You see, with all the changes in society,

it seems that people still don't know

how to handle homosexuality.

Those within the gay community

very often fear rejection and isolation,

and have to deal with being ostracized and marginalized.

Those outside the gay community,

it seems, are uneducated in their understanding.

And they often appear homophobic in their attitudes,

and in the jokes that they share.

But that's my experience.

Let me try and make it a little bit more personal for us.

What would you say, or what would you do,

if your son came home one day from school

to tell you that he was more attracted

to the other boys in his class than the girls?

What would you do if a woman and her gay partner

arrived in church saying,

they follow Jesus, they love reading their Bible,

and they would love to be involved here?

What would you do?

You see, these are no longer questions for others

in another place.

These are questions for us.

And so we come this morning to hear

what the Bible has to say about homosexuality.

Well, I think there are three broad responses

that the church gives

to the change in our culture.

Firstly, there are those in the church

who will say,

condemnation.

Read your Bible, they say,

and they'll quote verses like Romans 1, verse 24.

Romans 1:24

God gave them over in their sinful desires

of their hearts to sexual impurity.

Men committed indecent acts with other men

and received in themselves

the due penalty for their perversion.

Homosexuality, they say,

is God's judgment.

Such people need to be put out of the church.

They need to be reminded

of how they have violated God's commands.

Second, and in response to that attitude,

there are those in the church

who will say, acceptance.

Homosexuality is just as much a part of society

as heterosexuality.

So we need to grow up

and we need to get on with it.

Lisa Miller, who is a theologian

and a commentator said,

speaking about the Bible,

a mature view of scriptural authority

requires us, as we have in the past,

to move beyond literalism.

The Bible was written for a world

so unknown to our own,

it's impossible to apply its rules

at face value to ours.

In other words, it's saying

we can't take the likes of Romans seriously.

Those texts were for another age.

They don't apply to us anymore.

Well, I don't know about you,

but neither of those views settle with me.

I don't think either of those views are an option.

Both are a distortion of Scripture

and both misunderstand how we handle Scripture.

So we need a third way.

And the third way I'm going to call

a gospel way.

And we're going to look under it

in two ways.

First, God's good design

and then God's great hope.

So we start with God's good design,

who we are.

First of all,

we must see ourselves

as human beings

created in God's image.

Back in Genesis 1,

Genesis 1:26–27

verses 26 to 27,

it says this,

Then God said,

Let us make man in our image,

in our likeness.

So God created man

in his own image.

And in the image of God,

he created him.

Male and female,

he created them.

You see,

all too often,

we are grouped or categorized

according to our sexual orientation.

On the one hand,

there is the gay community

and people get lumped there.

And then there are others

who are in the straight community

and they get lumped there.

We find our identity in a group

and with people

who we perceive to be like us.

But that's unhelpful

because we first need to see ourselves,

not how we see ourselves

or how other people might see us,

but how God sees us.

You see,

we were created by God

in his likeness.

We are his image bearers.

So no matter who we are,

what background we come from,

we are his image bearers,

every single human being.

Now as we'll see in a minute,

that image has become distorted

by our choices

and the choices of others.

And it is God's purpose and plan

that that image is restored fully in us.

But as one writer helpfully put it,

God's primary desire

is not that we should become heterosexual,

but that we would become more like Christ.

We were created like God,

we are to become like God,

So it's only by looking to God

and seeing who he is

that I can really understand who I am.

So God views us

and God sees us as unique individuals,

people who are made in his image,

in his likeness,

who are equally loved,

and we must be treated as such.

Our first identity

is that we are made in his image.

So that's who we are.

And second,

well how should we live?

Well God has shown us

how we should live

in relationship with each other.

Because we are made in God's image,

we are relational beings.

God is a relational being.

The Trinity,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

They are at one together,

they relate together.

And we were made

for the same intimacy,

primarily with the triune God.

But also,

with each other.

And we are told

how that should be expressed.

And we've been looking at that

over the last few weeks

in 1 Corinthians chapter 7,

1 Corinthians 7 · chapter mention

as we've been looking at

marriage and singleness.

And in 1 Corinthians 7,

we see God's purpose very clearly.

That marriage

is always between a man and a woman

in an exclusive,

committed relationship.

friendship.

And sexual intimacy

is part of God's

good design for marriage.

And one of the primary reasons

for that

is procreation.

God has designed

the man and the woman

so that they can have

children.

Children who can work together

to grow up

to serve and love God

and live under God.

Man and another man

and a woman

with another woman

can't have children.

It's not part of God's design.

So marriage is very clearly

a part of his

creation order.

Singleness,

on the other hand,

is also encouraged,

as we saw that

in chapter 7,

but without

sexual intimacy.

Relationships

between single people

are to be encouraged

and to be encouraged

across the sexes,

but without

engaging in

sexual activity.

to unite yourself

with someone sexually

outside of marriage

is to be going

against God's

good design.

So God, again,

has not only shown us

who we are

made in his image,

he has shown us

how we should live

in relationship

with each other

and how we should live

in his world.

So for all of us,

whoever we are,

there is either

marriage,

which is always

heterosexual,

always between a man

and a woman.

Or,

there is singleness,

which is either

heterosexual,

you stay in your own,

or homosexual.

Now,

let me try

and explain that

a little bit more

as we think

of homosexual

behavior

and homosexual

orientation.

You can just

go back one,

that's all right,

saviour.

You mightn't have

this on your notes,

it's just an extra

homosexual behavior

and homosexual

orientation.

We've got to

distinguish

between the two.

Homosexual orientation

is to be

attracted to

someone of the

same sex.

Homosexual behavior

is to be

sexually active

with someone

of the same sex.

Now,

as we have seen,

sexual intimacy

is only to be

expressed

within the context

of God's

design

for marriage.

So the Bible,

we discover,

is always

negative

to homosexual

behavior,

but it never

condemns

or judges

homosexual

orientation.

Because the issue

in Scripture

is not

homosexuality,

but purity.

The Bible

does not

say

straight

sex

is

good,

but gay

sex

is bad.

It doesn't

say that.

Now,

what the Bible

says is,

in Ephesians 5,

Ephesians 5:3

verse 3,

there must

not be

a hint

of sexual

immorality.

You see,

whatever our

orientation,

we are all

called

to purity.

So if you

are married,

listen to this

from Hebrews

Hebrews 13:4

13,

verse 4.

Marriage

should be

honored by

all,

and the

marriage bed

kept pure,

for God

will judge

the adulterer

and the

sexually

immoral.

If you

are single,

whatever your

orientation,

listen to this

from 1 Timothy

5.

Treat younger

men as

brothers,

and younger

women as

sisters,

with absolute

purity.

You see,

to be made

in God's

image is

to reflect

God's heart

for purity.

Behavior

is what the

Bible talks

about,

not

orientation.

So we've

got to be

very clear

about the

differences

there.

But let's

move on

as to

why we

struggle.

struggle.

And that's

a sensible

question to

ask.

Why do we

struggle with

our sexuality?

Christians who

have a

homosexual

orientation

often talk

about unwanted

desires and

share of their

struggles to

remain sexually

pure.

Richard Kirker,

who was part

of the gay and

lesbian Christian

movement in

Britain,

he said

this,

it would

be very

cavalier and

capricious of

God who

created people

in a certain

way and

then instructed

them that

they are

forbidden from

fulfilling all

the potential

they have been

given.

In other words,

he was saying,

if God made

me this way

with homosexual

feelings,

then I must

be able to

express it

sexually.

Well,

I don't think

God has made

us that way.

apart from

scripture,

scientific and

medical research

has shown that

homosexuality is

not genetically

or biologically

determined.

You see,

we all live in

a fallen world

and as a result,

all of our

sexuality,

whoever we

are,

is all

flawed.

None of us

relate to each

other the way

that we ought

to,

we don't live

the way God

intends,

and we don't

behave according

to God's

word.

The Bible

is crystal

clear that

while we have

all been made

in the image

of God,

that image

has been

distorted.

And a

distorted

sexuality can

be put down

to,

very simply,

our wrong

choices on

our own

part,

but equally,

our sexuality

can be

distorted

because of

another person's

wrong choice

towards us.

So if

people have

suffered

sexual abuse,

it is going

to have an

effect on

their behavior

and their

outlook on

their relationships.

It's also

true that for

those who

have grown up

within a

family where

there has

been one

parent or

there's been

people coming

in and out

of the

relationship,

that that

also creates

behavior.

Contrary to

common thought,

there is

not a

gay gene.

Homosexuality

is a

choice within

our control

or it's

a learned

behavior

outside of

our immediate

control.

I have a

book here

and as

we are

stuck for

time,

we could

take a

long time

to look

at those

issues.

This one

is called

Walking

with Gay

Friends

and there's

a very

helpful

chapter on

here called

Nature.

Nature.

Or nurture

which will

take that

whole issue

through a

little bit

more.

Did God

make me

this way

or is it

because of

outside influences

and experiences

that makes me

the way that

I am?

So I just

hold that up

as something

that you

want to

have a

read of.

So I

think this

will help

us better

understand

homosexuality,

who we are,

we're made

in God's

image,

how we live,

the relationships

that he has

given us,

but why we

struggle.

We live

in a

fallen

and broken

world,

and we

make choices

ourselves,

but because of

others' choices

towards us,

it can have an

effect on our

behavior and

our thinking.

So what is

God's great

hope?

Well, I think

there are three

ways that we

can respond

equally to

this.

things.

And the

first is

this.

First, we

are not

called to

stamp out

homosexual

behavior.

We are

called to

preach

Christ.

Paul has

made it very

clear that it

is God's

business to

judge those

who are

outside the

church.

Have a look

at 1

1 Corinthians 5:9–10

Corinthians

chapter 5,

verses 9

to 10.

Chapter 5

starts out

where it

says in

verse 1,

it's actually

reported that

there is

sexual immorality

among you.

And we

continue in

verse 9.

He says,

I have

written to

you in

my letter

not to

associate

with

sexually

immoral

people,

not at

all meaning

the people

of this

world who

are immoral.

In other

words,

not meaning

those who

are not

Christians,

or the

greedy,

or swindlers,

or idolaters.

In that

case,

you would

have to

leave this

world.

Verse 12,

what business

is it of

mine to

judge those

outside the

church?

You see,

it is not

our calling

as Christians

to enforce

a certain

moral behavior

and to

remove

ourselves

from people

who engage

in immoral

practices.

If that

were the

case,

he is

saying,

we would

just have

to leave

the planet.

We'd

have to

go and

live on

planet

Mars or

something.

Rather,

what our

concern should

be as

Christians is

not the

behavior of

those who

are not

Christians,

but the

behavior of

those who

are Christians.

We should

be concerned

about the

calling of

the Christian.

And the

primary calling

of the

Christian is

to reach

out with

the gospel.

And Paul

made it very

clear in

chapter 1

verse 17

that God

had sent

him primarily

to preach

the gospel.

That was

why he was

here.

One writer

put it like

this,

people need

a reason to

live a changed

life,

and we can

give them

that reason.

God has

not called

us to be

the moral

police for

this world.

He has

called us

to preach

the good

news about

his son.

The biggest

problem that

the non-Christian

world has

is the fact

that they

are not

Christians.

Their

behavior is

a secondary

issue.

The real

problem is

that they

don't know

Jesus.

Therefore,

we can say,

the gospel

is central.

so often,

we can

focus on

the external.

We can

see people's

behavior,

and we

want to

change their

behavior.

We want

to make

them different

kind of

people.

But the

real issue

is the

internal.

It's the

heart,

and it's

only the

gospel that

can penetrate

deep into

people's

hearts and

bring about

the change.

Unless people

are changed

on the inside,

they're never

going to change

on the outside.

So our

first response

as Christians

is always

to be

introducing

people

to Jesus.

The second

response,

then,

is this.

We are not

called to

ignore

homosexual

behavior.

We are to

seek ongoing

transformation.

Now,

when Paul

wrote to

the Christians

at Corinth,

and we

must remember

that this

is a letter

written to

a church,

to those

who are

Christians,

and we

see all

the behavior

that was

going on,

and he

was aware

as he

wrote the

letter that

there was

sexual

immorality

of all

kinds that

was going

on at

the church.

But look

at the way

in which he

starts his

letter.

Go back

to chapter

one,

verse

two.

You

think of

all the

issues that

we've

looked at

that were

in the

church,

and all

the problems,

and this

is how he

starts in

verse two.

He says,

to the

church of

God in

Corinth,

to those

sanctified in

Christ Jesus,

called to be

holy,

together with

all those

everywhere who

call on the

name of our

Lord Jesus

Christ,

their Lord

and ours.

I find it

quite incredible

that he doesn't

just launch

into a big

tirade,

condemning

every immoral

behavior.

Instead,

he starts

off by

reminding them

of the

gospel.

He starts

off by

reminding them

of their

life with

Christ.

He's telling

them that

you've been

sanctified,

which means

you've been

set apart

for Christ.

You belong

to Christ.

You were

called to

be holy.

you're

different.

In other

words,

because of

who you

are,

because of

what Christ

has done

in your

life,

this is

how you

should

live.

And that's

where he

starts his

letter.

So when we

get into

the nitty-gritty

of the

issues in

chapter 5,

he gives

very clear

instructions

that the

Christian,

the believer

who persists

in sexual

immorality,

the Christian

who is

unrepentant,

that person

should not

be ignored.

So in

chapter 5,

verse 11,

he says,

but now,

well, let's

pick it up

from verse 9,

just so you

get the flow

of thought

again.

He says,

I have

written to

you in

my letter

not to

associate

with

sexually

immoral

people,

not at

all meaning

the people

of this

world who

are immoral

or the

greedy,

the swindlers

or idolaters.

In that

case,

you would

have to

leave this

world.

But now

I am

writing to

you that

you must

not associate

with anyone

who calls

himself a

brother,

calls himself

a Christian,

but is

sexually

immoral

or greedy,

an idolater

or a

slanderer,

a drunkard

or a

swindler.

With

such a

person,

do not

even

eat.

Verse 13,

God

will

judge

those

outside,

expel

the wicked

man

from among

you.

In other

words,

you have

a

responsibility

to the

believer

in the

church

who is

unrepentant.

And it's

saying here,

I think,

in a wider

context,

that Christ

is not

content to

leave us

where we

are.

We have

to take

our sins

seriously,

whatever that

is,

and we

are to

seek

ongoing

transformation.

So with

that in

mind,

grace is

required.

When we

become

Christians,

our

behavior

doesn't

change

overnight.

As soon

as you

turn to

Christ,

it doesn't

mean to

say that

you are

now a

perfect

person.

Our

position

before

God

changes.

He

now

sees

us

as he

sees

Christ,

blameless

and holy

in his

sight.

But the

transformation

of our

lives is

ongoing.

And so

often we

seem to

get it

round the

wrong way.

We say,

change your

behavior and

then come

to Christ.

Get your

life sorted

and then

you can

come to

Jesus.

That's

wrong.

It's

terribly

wrong.

We come

to Christ

first as

we are,

whether we

are homosexual

or heterosexual.

And God

in his

goodness

will bring

about the

change in

our lives.

We are

all sinners.

We all

fail and

we all

fall.

Therefore,

we need to

be able to

extend God's

grace to

one another

as we

seek the

transformation

of our

lives.

So

behavior

doesn't

change

overnight.

There is

a process

and therefore

grace needs

to be in

operation.

third

then,

we are

not

called to

make

homosexual

behavior

the worst

of sins.

We are

to welcome

all

sinners.

Look at

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:9–10

6,

verses 9

to 10.

Let's

read from

there.

chapter 6,

verse 9.

Do you

not know

that the

wicked

will not

inherit

the kingdom

of God?

Do not

be deceived.

Neither

the sexually

immoral,

nor idolaters,

nor adulterers,

nor male

prostitutes,

nor homosexual

offenders,

nor thieves,

nor the

greedy,

nor drunkards,

nor slanderers,

nor swindlers,

will inherit

the kingdom

of God.

Now,

can you see

that list

that is there

before us?

Homosexual

behavior

is just

one in a

list

of sexually

immoral

sins.

It's not

the only

one.

And then

when we

look at

the sexually

immoral

sins,

that is

in a

broader

list

of other

sins,

of slanderers,

of swindlers,

and drunkards,

and greedy.

There's a

whole lot

of behavior

that is

contrary to

God's

good design.

Not being

generous

with your

money

is just

the same

as sleeping

with someone

of the

opposite

sex.

Speaking

against

somebody

else's

character

is the

same

as looking

at porn.

God

doesn't

distinguish

things here,

and nor

should we.

They are

all grouped

together.

Cy Rogers,

who is a

Christian

teacher,

somebody who

seeks to

help and

encourage

those who

struggle with

homosexuality,

he says

this,

it's not

heterosexuality

that gets

us into

heaven,

it's a

relationship

with Jesus.

When we

stand before

God,

he's not

going to

ask you,

are you

heterosexual,

or are you

homosexual?

He's going

to ask,

do you

love Jesus?

So it's

not about

avoiding

particular

sins,

it's about

coming as

sinners the

way we

are to

Christ,

which is

what Paul

seems to

be applying

in verse

11.

He says

to them,

of all the

people that

were made,

this is what

the church

was made

up of,

all these

kinds of

people that

we read

in verse

9.

And he

says in

verse 11,

that is

what some

of you

were.

This is

the way

you used

to live.

But when

you came

to Christ,

something

happened.

Finish off

verse 11,

but you

were washed,

you were

sanctified,

you were

justified in

the name of

our Lord

Jesus Christ

and by the

Spirit of

our God.

You see,

we are not

told to

come to

Christ with

our lives

sorted out.

We are to

come to

Christ so

that our

lives can

be sorted

out.

And he

explains how

the gospel

begins to

take effect

in people.

He reminds

them,

he says,

look,

you were

washed.

In other

words,

you have

been given

a new

purity.

Christ has

come to

you,

he has

cleaned

you,

he forgives

you of

your sin,

and in

place of

that,

he gives

you the

purity of

Christ.

Our

sexual

impurity

is

replaced

with

Christ's

purity.

You

are

washed,

you're

clean.

And then

he tells

them,

you are

sanctified.

We've

been given

a new

purpose in

life.

Christ has

come to

you so

that you

can finish

your old

life and

you can

begin a

new kind

of life.

We're set

apart,

that's what

sanctified

means.

You've

got a new

purpose in

life.

You now

follow God's

design for

sexuality,

sexuality,

not your

own.

Now start

living it.

And he

says you

were justified.

In other

words, we

have a new

position.

Christ has

come to

us.

He has

exchanged

places with

us.

He's taken

on all

our sexual

immorality,

every thought

and every

word and

every deed,

and he

suffers the

penalty that

we deserve,

and in its

place, we

are given a

new standing

before God.

We are

not

homosexual

or

heterosexual.

We are

children of

God.

That is our

true identity,

loved and

treasured by

him.

So you

can see

here that

he's reminding

them that

you are

welcomed as

sinners.

You are

welcomed with

all your

immoral

behaviour.

You were

introduced to

Jesus who

gives you a

new purity,

a new

purpose,

and a

new

position in

life.

That means

that all

hate-speak

is out.

We are

not to be

people who

walk around

with placards,

as is seen

on the news

from time

to time,

shouting,

God hates

fags.

We are

not to be

people who

look down

and feel

superior to

those with

a homosexual

orientation.

what about

the jokes

you make

amongst

your

friends?

What about

put-down

comments that

you may say

to your

classmate,

you're

gay?

For the

Christian

community,

that is

unacceptable.

There is

no room to

reject or

isolate

anyone.

We are

called to

welcome

everyone,

just as

Christ has

welcomed us.

so I'd

like us

to think

through

a couple

of things

and I

just leave

these comments

with you.

What is

there within

your sexuality

that you

struggle with?

Is there

anybody that

you know

who is

gay?

Do you

know anybody

who struggles

with homosexuality?

how do you

relate to

them?

What do

you say?

How do

you behave?

Is there a

different way

in which you

can approach

the person?

How can

you help

them?

Just as

much as

Christ has

come to

us to

help us.

May God

help us

to apply

his word

as we

seek to

live as

his people

in this

world.

Let's pray

together.

We've been

talking

through a

number of

issues over

these past

weeks and

so I just

want to say

if there is

anybody here

who wants

to talk

through further

any of

these issues

in a more

private manner

either with

myself or

with Kirstie

then please

do speak

to us and

it will be

held in

complete

confidentiality.

Our

Father God

we thank

you so

much that

we are

your

creation.

we are

part of

your

wonderful

design.

We are

your

image

bearers.

We were

made

like

God

and it

is your

desire

that we

would become

more and

more like

Christ

and thank

you that

one day

if our

trust is in

the Lord

Jesus

we will

become

like Christ

we will

be like

him.

we will

struggle no

more.

We won't

struggle about

our sin.

We won't

struggle with

our sexuality.

Everything

will be put

in order

and your

design will

be stamped

across our

lives and

across our

world.

Please help

us to live

as your

people.

Help us to

submit to the

authority of

your word.

Help us to

bring grace

to one

another.

Help us

not to

ignore the

sin that we

see around

us.

Help us to

bring forgiveness.

Help us to

speak Christ

into each

other's lives.

To help

each other

to go on

living the