Letters: 1 Thessalonians 3 & 4

Some Sundays don’t feel like inspiration, they feel like endurance. We start with a simple but challenging truth from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians: trials aren’t a glitch in the Christian life, they’re part of it. Angie Ortiz shares how sickness, financial pressure, family burdens, and the battle in our minds can either shake our faith or strengthen it, and why God’s presence matters more than a painless path. If you’ve been asking where God is when life gets heavy, you’ll hear a steady answer: He’s faithful in the middle of it.

From there, we dig into 1 Thessalonians 4 and talk sanctification, becoming more like Jesus with real choices in the real world. That includes sexual purity, self-control, and the uncomfortable reality that holiness won’t always match the crowd. We also talk about the Holy Spirit’s conviction as a gift, guidance that keeps us from drifting into consequences, and brotherly love as the everyday proof that Jesus is changing us.

Then Sarina brings a vivid image that lands in the heart: the empty chair. Maybe yours is a person you lost, a relationship that ended, a dream that never came, or a prayer that still feels unanswered. Paul doesn’t tell us not to grieve; he tells us not to grieve without hope. Because Jesus died and rose again, the tomb is empty, and that reshapes how we carry sorrow, how we wait, and what we believe about reunion and restoration.

We close with a clear invitation to say yes to Jesus and step into a living relationship with God, plus prayer for anyone walking through trials or loss. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find hope that holds.

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Transcript

Letters As A Manual For Life

Jason Brown 0:00

Well, good morning. You know, it's a blessing to be able to be a part of this uh theme that we're talking about letters this summer. Today is a unique one and that we're gonna get to hear from several different voices sharing on the word of God. We talked about how the word of God to us is so precious, and especially in these epistles that are written from Paul and from Peter and others, we see them as writing to the church instructions on how to live for Christ. And that's something that's important to us because we see an alignment with the Word of God as being paramount for us. How many people they have their Bible with them? Do you have your Bible with you? We've been talking about it. And it's been one of these things that is a nice thing to hold on to is your paper Bible. I use my digital Bible every day, but I also love having my paper Bible. And I love putting margin notes. I love highlighting verses that speak to me. Don't be afraid of writing in your Bible. Uh, if you are afraid of writing your Bible, put that one down. Go get another one that you can write in, and then you can go ahead and take notes. Okay. So that's what I want to encourage you is that this is very much uh a letter from God. It's a love letter to us, but it's also beyond just that love letter, it's instructions for life and for living for Christ. And so those are important pieces of what we're talking about as we live for God. It's that manual for life, as we said. We see ourselves very much on that journey and following Christ. We use this imagery of following Jesus all the time. And we do so because that's how we envision ourselves. That none of us have arrived anywhere, that we're still following Jesus where he's leading us to go. So our heart is to be more like Jesus. Say with me. Be more like Jesus. It's why we do what we do, it's why we love God, it's why we make disciples, it's why we reach the world. And today, as we get into this, it's a part of our collective that we want people to connect and grow and serve and connecting with the Lord. And so today we get to hear from different voices about what this means. And looking to the Word of God today, we actually see that this is set, the setting is there in Thessalonica. We see the setting that's coming from Paul. And we saw the picture in the diagram of this last week of Paul's missionary journeys. If you guys have that image for us, and you see his different path as it goes through these different places. And so we pick up here where he's instructing the church and telling them how to live for God. Today, our the first person speaking is Angie. Angie has her second level of credential with the assemblies of God as a minister of the gospel. She's a life group leader here. She's also who heads up our Spanish translation ministry, and we're very thankful for that and for the word of God going out to heart language for people. And so today we invite Angie to come, Angie Ortiz to come and share with us this morning. Welcome over to this age. Praise the Lord.

Trials Are Part Of The Walk

Angie Ortiz 3:01

Good morning. So, have you ever been not feeling well and your list was double what it usually usually is? So, about two weeks ago, I got a really bad cold. My head was pounding, my nose was stuffy, and I was feeling horrible. When I woke up in the morning, I couldn't even think about brushing my teeth. But I knew that we had a conference to get ready for that week, and we were hosting it here at the church. And um I had to prepare for this message. I was like, really, God? Are you serious? Where are you? This was really testing my faith. Have any of you ever felt like this before? Many believers are surprised when suffering comes. We assume that if we are walking with God, we will be, it will, life will be easier. But Paul tells the Thessalonian church something different. He tells them that trials are not interruptions to our Christian life, but a part of it. You see, the Thessalonian believers were young in faith, facing pressure and persecution. Paul was concerned that these hardships might shake their faith. So he reminded them of a truth every Christian must understand. God has not promised an easy walk with him, but he has promised his presence and ultimate victory. Believers should not be shaken by trials because suffering is expected, temporary, and used by God to strengthen our faith. 1 Thessalonians 3, 3 and 4. No one be moved by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. Trials are a reality for every believer. For you know quite well that we are destined for them, Paul says. Paul does not say that they might come, he says they will come. You might ask, how will they come? So trials will come in many ways. They can be financial, you can lose a job unexpectedly and get mad at God if you're not careful. Blaming God because you can't provide for your family, but we gotta remember God will provide all our needs. I remember one time um my husband lost his job, and it was like, oh God, what are we gonna do? Because my husband is the main financial provider for us. And um I remember God saying, Don't worry about it because I will provide everything. You just continue giving what you give, and I will provide for you. So I continue to gave faithfully. I gave our tithes and everything, and God provided, he gave my husband a job that is more than he was making at his other job. So he did provide. And that's something that we do gotta remember, he will always provide for us, no matter what, as long as we're faithful to him. I remember back a few years ago also um praying for my kids to come to church. And I prayed and prayed um because sometimes we don't see that, you know, um, because trials come in different ways. It's not just um financially, it could be, like I said, in different ways. Um, so I prayed and prayed for my kids to come, and my kids are here right here now. So trials can come in sickness, and um, I've seen many a lot of sickness in my family also. And there's times I go to the doctor with my dad, and my dad, he will say to me, Oh, today's gonna be the day that the doctor tells me I have no more cancer. And that that little bit of faith that my dad has, it's it's amazing, you know, and every day, every time we go to the doctor, it's that they're like, Oh yeah, his levels are going lower and lower. So it's those things right there. So we need to remember that. We need to withstand the test of times. God will use us through hard times. We also need to remember just because we are going through something bad doesn't mean we're being punished. Those are not punishments, those are just trials. Jesus even taught the same truth. In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the world. John 16, 33. The Christian life is not an escape from suffering. When we follow Christ, we will have problems. God has not abandoned you. Sometimes suffering is evidence that you are faithfully following Him. We gotta remember that. Trials can shake faith if we are not prepared. Paul understood that suffering can produce doubt, discouragement, fear, and temptation to give up. When you go through things as an unbeliever, you feel like there's no hope. You feel like throwing in the towel. Even as a believer, you can feel that. But you have but you can, but you have someone who has your back. God always has your back. Have you ever experienced any of that? Um I know that the enemy, he plays with my mind a lot. And um he'll tell me, like, you're not good enough. What are you even getting starting to prepare a message for? Nobody wants to hear what you have to say. And those are things that we gotta fight back. That's why Paul taught so much about persecution before it arrived. We need to remember persecution back then is different than persecution now. Um, sometimes our family can even tell us, like, oh, you think you're too good to hang out with us anymore. Even your friends can tell you that. Um, but it's not true. We gotta choose what we're gonna stand for. We gotta choose if we're gonna stand for the lies of the enemy or if we're gonna choose for to stand for Christ. Um, many Christians even struggle not because suffering is too great, but because they expect Christianity to prevent them from suffering. And that's not true. Because one of the hardest things is standing, being a believer. Um it was easy for me to live for for um when I was living in the world. Um, that was one of the easiest things to do. It was easy for me to to walk um in a worldly life. But walking in a Christian life is very, very hard. I um because I I find it really difficult to be a Christian. You gotta pick up your cross daily and you gotta say, you know what, today, Lord, I'm gonna walk for you. I'm gonna live for you. And um, but when I was living for the world, it was like, oh, whoo, I'm gonna just I'm gonna live my life how I want to live it. But it's really hard to live for Christ because a lot of people they do judge you. They're like, oh, look it. She thinks she's she's all that, but it's not true. It's it's something I choose to do. So Satan often whispers, if God loved you, this wouldn't be happening. God has forgotten you. Your faith isn't working. But those are lies. We all know those are lies. The word of God teaches us that trials are not evidence of God's absence, it is where we see God's faithfulness the most. I have walked through some hard seasons in my walk with God where my faith has really been tested. But I chose to put my faith in Jesus, my firm foundation. And that's what we all need to do. We need to put our trust in Him. Um, it's not gonna be easy. I'm not up here saying it's gonna be an easy thing, but if we trust Him, it'll be easy. Trial should not surprise us. In verse 4, Paul says, We kept telling you that we would suffer. So he tells us we're gonna suffer. Even Jesus said we're gonna suffer, even he suffered. Paul repeatedly warned them so they would be ready. And how do you get ready? You pick up your word, you pray daily, you you get on your knees if you have to, and you fight. Um, salvation does not stop trials. God remains faithful in trials. Persecution cannot stop God's kingdom. When suffering comes, don't ask why is this happening? Ask how. How does God want to use this in my life? Through every test, there can come a testimony we can use to minister to somebody, let them know. But God, God did this for me. God took me out of that. God showed me this, God can do this for you. We all have those God moments that can tell people what God has done. I've been in so many places, banks, elevators, stores, where I have been able just to share my testimony with people. In elevators, with going to the doctor with my dad, with my mom, where I've just had a couple minutes and I'm able to share what God has done for me. I mean, I even think about it sometimes, and I'm like, there has to be a reason why my kids come because they have to see, God, look at God is doing something for my mom, or it wouldn't be true. She's she's gone through all this stuff. God's taken me out of a 20-year drug addiction. He healed me instantaneously, and so it has to be, they've seen me at my worst, and now they they're seeing me at my best. So there has to be something true to this God. You know, so it's it has to be true. God is doing something in her life, so they they're seeing all this unfold in front of their eyes. I mean, so what what's left? What else can they do? God uses trials to make us stronger. That is something we have to remember. We go through things so we don't rely on our own strength, but so we can learn to lean on God. What the enemy intends to destroy us, God uses to build us up. Paul's message to the Thessalonians is for us today, because trials are a part of the Christian walk. Trials should not surprise believers. Trials can strengthen faith when viewed through God's promises. Trials are temporary, but God's promises and God's glory is forever. My question for you is not whether you are facing a trial today. The question is whether you will allow the trial to shake your faith or strengthen it. God never promised the road would be easy. He promised that we would walk, he would walk with us on it. And if God has brought you through trials before, trust him in the present one if you are entering a season of difficulty. Then hold on to his promises. Your trials won't last forever, but God's faithfulness does.

Sanctification And Sexual Integrity

Jason Brown 14:47

It says, not just to walk with God in a way where we're trailing him. No, we want to please God. We want to be in alignment with what he's calling us to do and walking in the way of God. And it starts to really challenge us in some of those things that Angie was just sharing about how we get drawn in our heart to go and do these other things. And he's saying, No, come and live in the way that I've asked you to live. And so it gives us an example of one aspect of our lives that we need to put into alignment here. And it picks up in verse 3, it says, For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God. Friends, this is something in our own culture that we still battle both in and out of the church. How many people know what I'm talking about? This is one of those things that we have to go and give to the Lord every day, that we wouldn't live full of lust or full of these other kind of driving desires in our sexual immorality, but instead that we would live with our sexuality according to the Lord and his holiness in a way that is honorable as unto God. And that's not something that's a popular opinion kind of thing. We're not going to check in with the government on what they think our holiness is. No, we live to God and what he says about it. And so our the word of God becomes what we have an alignment with. It is the holiness that we want to live for, it is the honor that we want to live towards God. It continues in verse 7. It says, For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this disregards not man, but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. We've been talking about Holy Spirit, talking about what it means to be empowered by him to walk where he's leading us to go, to listen to his conviction as he guides us so we don't fall into error. People felt convicted on that one, so they didn't want to give the amen. That's okay. I'm gonna back it up and say it again for you. What I said was we need to listen to Holy Spirit so that we can live the way he's directing us to go so we don't fall into error. Because what happens when we disregard him, he will continue, but then he'll pull back and he'll let you go and have your consequences. And then sometimes we complain, like, God, why are you letting this happen to me? He's like, I don't know why. You think it's because I asked you not to do it or you did it anyway? And you're getting your consequences instead of what I had for you? Jay Brown? I'm like, yes, Lord, I hear you. I'm so sorry. That we would listen to the Holy Spirit, what he's guiding us, where he's guiding us to go. This last piece of this is in first is in uh 1 Thessalonians 4 9. It says, now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. As we talked about last week, this is the example that Paul is writing to this church saying, Listen, in the midst of everything, like Jason putting himself on the line and his pe his people in his community and his city taking him out because he was caring for others, because he was looking after Paul and Silas, after Timothy, and protecting them, he was showing the love of Christ. What does it look like for us to show the love of Christ to our neighbor? What does it look like for us to show the love of Christ to our colleague at work, our colleague at school? What does it look like for us to share the love of Christ with a person we don't like so much? Maybe that person is the person you look at in the mirror. Friends, in all these things, that we would show the love of Christ in and through our character to him. Because he is faithful in every trial. So we should trust him and walk where he's leading us to go. Somebody say amen to that. Today we have Miss Sarita, she's our children's director. She's gonna come and share the word of God, our third voice this morning. Welcome her this morning. Yes, ma'am.

Grief With Hope And The Empty Chair

Sarina Bittle 18:47

I remember the first family gathering after we lost a loved one. Everything seemed normal. Food was on the table, conversations filled the room, people were laughing, but there was something different. There was an empty chair. Nobody planned it. Nobody talked about it. But every time we looked across the room, there was that empty chair. My eyes were drawn to the chair, and it was a silent reminder that we were missing someone. Everyone has an empty chair. If you've ever lost someone, you know what it feels like. Sometimes the grief isn't loud. It's just an empty chair at Thanksgiving. A birthday that feels different. A favorite song that suddenly brings tears to your eyes. A voice you wish you could hear one more time. Grief has a way of reminding us of absence. For some people, that chair represents a person. A spouse, a parent, a grandparent, a friend, someone whose absence is felt every single day. For others, it represents a dream. Something you hoped would happen, something you believed that God would do, something that never came to pass. Maybe it's a relationship, a marriage, a friendship, a family relationship, something that changed, something that ended. Maybe it's a prayer. A burden you've carried for years, a prayer you've prayed over and over, yet the chair still feels empty. See, the truth is that everyone here knows what it feels like to look at an empty chair. Everyone here knows what it means to grieve. And that's exactly where the believers in Thessalonica were, and it's where they found themselves. They were grieving. People they loved had died, and they were asking questions. So today I want to ask you guys what's missing from your chair? Maybe it's a person, a dream, a relationship, a prayer. What's missing from your chair? 1 Thessalonians 4 13. Paul writes and talks about the grief. He says, but we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. Paul isn't saying don't grieve. He doesn't say don't cry. He doesn't say don't hope. He doesn't say don't grieve. He says, He says do grieve. Grief isn't the enemy. Hopelessness is. Paul isn't correcting their grief. He's correcting their hopelessness. He says, don't grieve without hope. And there's a difference. See, we as Christians, we can grieve, but we got to grieve with hope. Jesus grieved. He stood at Lazarus' tomb and he wept. Our faith doesn't eliminate tears, but our faith gives meaning to those tears. Today I want us to see three truths from this passage today. Empty chairs remind us that loss is real. Paul acknowledges the pain of loss. The Thessalonians were hurt because the people they loved were gone. When the chair is empty, life changes. Conversations change, family gatherings change, church changes, everything feels different. Sometimes grief comes from more than just the death, but from broken relationships, lost opportunities, disappointments, unanswered prayers. But that grief is evidence that we loved deeply. Grief doesn't get the final word. Because Christians possess something that the world cannot offer. And that's hope. We have hope. When we look at the Bible, we see that Jesus wept. And so that gives us the right to weep as well. Jesus knew the miracle was coming. He knew that death would not have the final word. He knew Lazarus was about to walk out of the grave. He knew that hope was standing right there, but he still wept. Because faith is not the absence of tears. Hope is not the absence of pain. Jesus teaches us that we can know God is going to bring us through what we're going through, but still feel the weight of what we're walking through. We can hold on to hope with one hand and wipe the tears away with the other hand. The empty chair is not the end of the story. The empty chair is not the end of the story. In verse 14, Paul says, For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so through Jesus, God will bring him with him those who have fallen asleep. Everything hangs on that truth. Because Jesus died, Jesus rose, and Jesus reigns. When Jesus died, Friday said that it's over. The cross looked like defeat, the grave looked permanent, the story looked like it was finished. The chair was empty. The chair in your life may still be painful. That grief is still real. The loss may still hurt. But for the Lord Himself, for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with a voice of an archangel, with the sound of a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. See, Jesus won. And so Sunday said, think again. Our hope is in that Sunday. That Sunday changed everything. The stone was rolled away, the grave was empty, death was lost, and Jesus won. The chair that you have is empty, and so is that tomb. The chair that you have is empty, but so is that tomb. Think about what Paul is saying. The grave seemed final that day. One day Jesus will call his people from the grave, and something incredible happens. That story moves from resurrection to reunion. Because hope sits in every empty chair. Because Jesus lives. Despair is never the Christian's destination. The story isn't over, God is still writing it. Verse 17 says, Then we who are alive who are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and we will always be with the Lord. We will be with the Lord forever. That is the promise. Not just a reunion, but a restoration. The greatest promise is this is that we will be with Jesus forever. So your chair is not the end. Whatever your chair represents, person, dream, relationship, prayer, whatever that is, it's not the end of your story. So think about what your chair represents. Bring that before the Lord. What does your chair represent? Because the chair is empty, the tomb is empty, and Jesus is coming back. As you look at your empty chair today, know that every person sees something different. But hear Paul's words today grieve, but do not grieve without hope. Cry, but do not cry without hope. Wait, but do not wait without hope. Because our hope is not found in our circumstances. Our hope is not found in this world. Our hope is found in a risen savior who conquered death, defeated the grave, and promised to return. Because Jesus lives, every empty chair is only temporary. One day, faith will become sight, sorrow will become joy, every tear will be wiped away, and we will be with the Lord forever. Jesus is coming back, and that changes everything.

God’s Word Overrules Our Circumstances

Jason Brown 28:11

Amen. Amen. Great word. Praise the Lord. Aren't you encouraged by those words today that we got to hear from our sisters in the Lord? Praise God. You know, we heard from Angie the idea that God, He's with us in every single trial. And though it might not be easy, it's worth it because He is faithful to us. Even when we're not faithful, He's still faithful. And He calls us to that faithfulness that we would walk in the way of God. But He doesn't call us to do it by ourselves. He empowers us by His Spirit. He gives us Holy Spirit that we're not alone. And so as we go through these trials, as we go through this loss, and we will and we have, that the empty chair is not the end of the matter. But because, as Serena pointed out, the tomb is empty too, our hope is in Jesus and our resurrection is in him, and our reunion with those we love is with him as well. And so we walk in the peace of God, we walk in the promises of God, and we see that his word is what's final on the matter. Not how we feel, not even our current circumstances, but his word is final on the matter.

Invitation To Follow Jesus

Jason Brown 29:23

Today, as we come to this altar, we do so with this opportunity for you to respond to God. And maybe you're here and you've never answered that question of have you embraced Jesus, today is your opportunity to do so. For each one of us, we see the symbol of the cross as something so pivotal because Jesus, as he comes, he abandons all his glory and comes down in the form of the very creation he made. And as Jesus lived this life out, he did so perfectly, not sinning the way we all have. But instead, as Christ goes to the cross, he takes all of our sin and all our shame and all of our brokenness and all of our mistakes. He takes it upon himself. And he pays with it with his own life the highest cost that could ever be done. And he takes all that sin as he takes it to himself and he dies with it, all of that sin is paid for. And so as he is resurrected, we too have that opportunity for a living, a living relationship with God, that we get to connect to our Creator directly to him in our faith in him. And we say, Jesus, I believe you are who you say you are. The Apostle Paul later he writes this to the church at Rome. He says, Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Friends, today is your opportunity to say yes to Jesus. To invite him into your heart and life. You've heard from our sisters today, you've heard this challenge of what it means for God to be faithful, for God to bring someone out of addiction, to have a whole new life, a whole new trajectory for what God has done in her story. We hear the same from Serena and dealing with loss and navigating that thing that God does not leave her alone, but Holy Spirit's with her every step of the way. And then the same thing is for you today that He does not want to leave you alone, but instead invites you to a relationship with Him. But not just some kind of fire insurance against hell, but instead of a living relationship with God. That we say, Lord, I want you to be my Savior and Lord. Lord, I want to walk in the way that you have for me. That I wouldn't live according to these other things in culture, but God, I want to give my heart to you. Today I'm gonna ask if you're here in the room, of you to stand to your feet where your hours Christians are praying and everyone's bowing their head. Friends online, wherever you are, take a moment for what God wants to do in your story. For each one of us, that's a huge decision. It's the one to invite Jesus into our heart and life. So many of us here have made that exact same commitment to God. We ask you today that you would do the same, that you would give your heart to Jesus. Heads are bowed here in the room. If you'd say, Pastor, that's me. I just want to join in that prayer today. I want to ask Christ into my life. If that's you, maybe for the very first time, or possibly needing to recommit your heart to God. If that's you, if you just raise your hand right where you're at, we won't embarrass you. Just want to indicate that you're making that prayer today. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. As people are making commitments for God today, we see hands that are raised. Thank you, Jesus. See that hand and that hand and that hand. Thank you, Lord. Others, friends, wherever you are, we agree with you as

Praying The Salvation Prayer

Jason Brown 32:47

well. I'd ask if everyone would pray this prayer out loud after me. Lord, thank you for loving me. Thank you for sending Jesus. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I believe he rose again. Forgive me of my sins. I surrender my life to you. In Christ's name I pray. Amen. Amen, friends. We rejoice with you. Made a decision to follow Jesus today. Praise the Lord. Man, if that is you and you made a decision to follow Christ today, let me encourage you that you would take a moment, take a snap at this QR code and follow it. We want to put resources into your hands so you can live this life victoriously after Christ. Today, as we come to this altar, we do so seeking more of God, more of his presence. And we're asking the Lord to pour his spirit out upon us. Maybe you're someone you're going through a trial right now and you just need more of his presence. I'd encourage you to come and find an altar with God. We'll have those come alongside and pray with you in agreement. Maybe you're here today and you would say that you're far away from God and you want to draw near to him, that you would come and make an altar with God. Maybe you're someone that you're battling that out of how to live the way of Christ and you want victory over something. Come and let us agree with you in praying over those things. Or maybe you're battling in a season of loss, in a season of that empty chair. You just need to feel God's comfort and peace. That we'd encourage you to come and make an altar with God. Lord, we thank you so much for these words today. Lord, we thank you for your word, Lord, that speaks to us the truth of the gospel. Lord, we thank you, Lord, for Paul and others as they write to encourage us, even today, these years later, Lord, that the church, it's still relevant. Your word speaks to us. And so, Lord, as we come to your altar, we do so with hearts that want to draw near to you. Lord, in the middle of every trial, Lord, you are with us, and we come, Lord, seeking more of your spirit. Lord, that we would walk in the way of God and that we would listen to your voice as you guide us. Lord, as those who are suffering loss or those who are suffering difficulty, Lord, we know that you are with us in the middle of that situation. And we pray for your peace that passes all understanding, Lord, to reach upon and lay upon each one of us. As we come to this altar, we do so, asking for an impartation in your presence. We pray this in the precious name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Next Steps Announcements And Blessing

Celeste Brown 35:18

We are having party with the pastor immediately following this service. So if you have been a guest of ours over the last few months and we have not had a chance to meet you, or our team has not met you, we would love to get to say hello. Um, if you have children, we ask you to go and get them first. And then if you meet us to the east side of the building down the hallway, there's a conference room. We will be there for you. And we want to be able just to share a little bit about the church and what and what we do here and just um get to say hello and get to know you.

Jason Brown 35:46

And as we're hosting the World Cup as part of the host of this country, we want to pray for all those that are coming that they would encounter the living God and that we'd have those divine appointments to be able to share the hope of Christ with them. Amen. Before we go, I want to pray this blessing over us. The Lord bless you and keep you. Lord, make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. Lord, lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Lord, I pray a blessing upon your church, your people. Lord, you empower us by your Spirit to live your love unto those around us. Pray all this in the powerful name that is Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Know this. We love you very much here at Cornerstone. God bless you and have a great week.