Words of Encouragement

In the final chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul moves from theological discussion of the resurrection to the practicalities of daily Christian living. 

He provides us with a roadmap for how to live as a community of faith—marked by generosity, courage, and, above all, love.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Welcome back to the Preacher Man Podcast. I'm your host, Blan Crane, the Preacher Man, and this is episode eleven of our Lessons and Sermons podcast, where we look back from last Sunday and revisit the sermon that was preached, and hopefully you will be encouraged, uplifted, and maybe learn a little something as we go through these sessions. So last Sunday we wrapped up 1 Corinthians. We spent the time in chapter 16 of 1 Corinthians, Paul finishes his letter with uh some encouragement. He writes to them on things that if you look at it the way I was looking at it, it was this is what you're doing well in a situation like this. I mean, Paul has spent the last oh fifteen chapters hammering home and helping them deal with certain issues and correcting what needs to be corrected, getting them to see that they they need to stop doing some things and start doing some other things. But chapter sixteen ends with a I believe uh this is what you're doing well and a reminder that even though there were so many issues happening in the church at Corinth that the love of God and the love for this church family in Corinth has never dwindled or gone away. Paul makes sure to close out the letter with some encouragement and with some rallying of the troops, if you will, to keep doing what you're doing well. You can uh you can you can quickly adjust take care of these problems and and and that's at the same time keep doing what you're doing right. And whatever it is you do, make sure that it is done out of a love that you have experienced from your Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, and let love be the main force into striving into uh uh ke on what you're doing. Specifically, he writes about the collection, the taking up of funds to help with a a situation that's happening in Jerusalem. Obviously, the Corinthian church has the ability and wants the privilege to give and contribute to the needs of other Christians in other places. So Paul writes about that, but he also really gives them a rallying cry, a a shot in the arm. He he coaches them up, if you will. So we're gonna jump into First Corinthians right quick and wrap this up with some closings, and uh maybe and if we have time, I will give you some insight into where we are going next in our uh fix in 2026 uh theme for the year here at North Christ Church of Christ. So here is words of encouragement First Corinthians chapter sixteen take a listen and we'll be back afterwards. Open up your Bibles to First Corinthians chapter sixteen. First Corinthians sixteen. There are many reasons to get to get excited about this kind of this time of year. Um we have um, like I mentioned before in the announcements, Easter's coming up next Sunday. Um a lot of us uh even though our allergies may disagree with us, we have an appreciation for spring. And so uh many of them some of us might be excited about that. But some of us also, as we uh start, as we conclude Corinthians uh today, Lord willing, some of us also are excited about um this favorite pastime. Um I know that I know for a fact that we have many, many baseball fans in here. Now, unfortunately, some of you are are corrupted um Houston Astro fans, and you know what? We love you anyway, but many of us are um are in are fans of God's team, and that's the Texas Rangers. Now, um when um and and and you know baseball it's it's it's a sport in itself, but it going to a baseball game can be as equally exciting. There's so many things that take place. And and and the the people who are in charge of baseball as far as what's taking place in this stadium do their best to keep the attention of the audience on to the the what's taking place out there. And so uh a lot of times, you know, you'll have announcements, you'll hear a guy talking on the radio, talking on the speaker, talking about who's up batting next. But the one thing that um that they can encourage is you know involvement to cheering on your team. And so sometimes during uh the game, you might hear something, make sure my thing's on right. You might hear something like this, charge, right? That's what you're supposed to do. That's what you're supposed to do when when you when you hear that that little organ bump, bump, bump, bump, bum, bum, bump, and then they get you get excited and you get to build up, and then you you yell, charge. That kind of thing. And it's it's not just in baseball. Apparently, they play it, they do it in hockey, uh, they'll do it in some football games every once in a while. And it's meant to rally everybody together, to send out an encouraging an encouragement to your favorite team and the team that you're supporting and rooting for to win. As we wrap up Corinthians today, and we look at this final words of encouragement that Paul provides in chapter 16, I want you to think about this this question. And the and and it the question is this how can we as a church or as a Christian, how can we stand firm in the faith while at the same time ensuring that all we do is done in love? In other words, is it possible for us to be firm without being harsh? So far in this letter, Paul has been providing help with the church in Corinth on multiple issues. We have seen him have discussions in this letter about things such as unity, discipline, marriage, doctrinal issues, worship issues, issues that involve the subject of spirituality. And of course, like last Sunday, there was a one whole chapter, and I know it wasn't written in chapter and verse like we read have we have in our Bibles today, but he spends uh uh a lot of time last Sunday talking about the belief in the resurrection, how you can't have one without the other. If you're gonna believe that Jesus Christ died for you, then you better start believing that he rose for you as well. The the power or the yeah, the power from encouragement, the closing letters of the closing section of the letter in Paul is that he uses this letter in Corinth, uh to descend to Corinth. Paul is he transitions. He transitions from this theological discourse about the resurrection, and he gets into some practical things. He mentions some practical things that involve daily Christian living. It highlights this section highlights um um it highlights leadership. It it highlights and revisits a little bit about unity. It has an anticipation, if you will, of Jesus' return. He in many ways provides a roadmap. A roadmap for how to live in a community of faith that is marked by generosity, that is uh marked by um courage, and it is and above all and most of all, it is highlighted and marked with love. Paul begins by discussing a practical need, a collection for the saints in Jerusalem who are facing hardship. He says, starting off in verse 2, he says in verse 2, um, on the first day of the week, each of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper, so that no collection may be may be made when I come. See, like my a lot like what uh how Rick mentioned in his uh in his in his in his uh uh prayer for the prayer that we offer when we take the collection. When we think about this, we our encouragement is not just done in words. Although we're really good at it, don't get me wrong, but also we need to understand that our encouragement is also done in action. Now, it looks as if you know Paul has been going down one issue after another, boom, boom, boom, hitting all these issues and talking about all these things and offering them tips on how to correct it. But it the I I may be too optimistic about this, but it seems to me that Paul is not criticizing them on their giving. In fact, he is saying, look, I know y'all give. I know that the church wants to help. All I'm asking is that go ahead and get it done now, so that when I come, there won't be this rush for uh what are we gonna do? What are we gonna do? Set aside in advance, be prepared for what's coming in. So when I come, it looks as if the Corinthians had the desire and wanted to give their means. Paul just says, do it in advance. Go ahead and have something ready. He also mentions, and I think this is interesting, he also mentions that you need to have someone who will carry the money with them so that it is not my responsibility. Paul mentions that I want someone, and if I have to have letters to verify him, I want someone to handle the money to come and go with me when we return. In other words, there are honest people in your congregation who have the ability to do this kind of need for the church. And we need to make sure that they are ready to go when the time comes. So Paul is encouraging systematic and thoughtful giving. When we share what God has blessed us with, we remind one another that we are part of a universal family. And I know that sometimes when we talk about communion, we talk about the fact that all over the world, on a time and on a time called, on a day called Sunday, in a time zone of which that that country is in, brothers and sisters all over the world are doing, have done, and are doing the exact, almost the exact same thing we are. And they are taking up a collection for the exact same things that we are taking up a collection for. And we know that giving of our means is a spiritual discipline and a spiritual act of worship. Your generosity is a tangible work or word, excuse me, word of encouragement to those in need. And and you all know, at least I hope you do, you all know what we do with these, with with the funds that are collected. We take care of benevolent needs, we we make sure the bills are paid, we make sure that that those who uh need something specific can have it. We we make sure that we're uh supporting other things in our community as well. And so when you when the plate is being passed, instead of worrying about uh, you know, first of all, I hope that you have planned ahead so that when the time comes, you know I've already got my check written, or I've already got my amount plugged into the Givlify app. I already have the amount set aside that I want to put in the collection plate. When you're when you're passing that plate and back and forth, and that plate's coming around, or when we did it before, where we had a big big uh uh box outside out there where we can put our money in, know that that is encouraging, is seen by others, and it is encouraging to others. And we are grateful. We're grateful to God for those who give as well as the ability to give. Now, Paul does talk about the fact that when he in his travels and in his plans in the future, he mentions some other men who are working in the same field. He mentions Timothy and he mentions Apollos. He says in in uh in 10, verse 10, he says, now if Timothy comes, see that he has, get this, no reason to be afraid while among you. We all know, we we all have a pretty good idea about the the age bracket in which Timothy was in when he started working in the ministry and when Paul started to send him out on his own. And we all know that Apollos was a very, very good speaker, and at the beginning of his time serving the Lord, he had to make some adjustments that were uh helped with by Priscilla and Aquila. But but but I think it's interesting that Paul puts this in here because one, he knows that Timothy is probably gonna be a little nervous. He's probably gonna be a little hesitant. He he has abilities, but the the uh the gumption, if you will, may not be there. But on the other hand, he may also know that the conversation might have gone something a little black, a little bit like this. Hey, Timothy, um, I'm gonna send you to the church in Corinth.

SPEAKER_01 18:39

What? Why?

SPEAKER_00 18:42

Why do you want me to go there? Why do why do I have to go there? Why can't I go to Galatia or Ephesus? Why can't I go to why can't I go to Philippi? They love each other. No, I need you to go to Corinth, but don't worry about it. We're we're the the church there is still good, it's still blessed, they're still a family of God. Yes, they've got some issues, but don't worry. When you get there, you will be in good hands. Do you see how much faith Paul had in this church? Even though they had all kinds of problems and situations and they were considered a hot mess to be a part of, Paul sent Timothy there and he told the church of Corinth, when he gets there, he should have no reason to be afraid while among you. In other words, Church of Corinth, you need to have this young man's back. You need to support him, you need to help him, you need to encourage him, and if whatever he needs, if it's directions to someone's house, then you need to show them how to get there. If it's uh understanding the traditions or or what's going on in not only in the church but in the town, then you need to be helping him do that. Why? Because it has always been and will continue to be about teamwork. I am not in charge of a whole lot when it comes to this congregation. Yes, I have a talent and yes, I have ability, and yes, I am a leader, but it I cannot, I do, I will not, cannot, and should not do my job and feel like it's all on my shoulders. I need you.

SPEAKER_01 20:35

I need the Gallegos.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

I need Ann Nelson. I need Devon's, I need Tim. I need Miss Mary. I need all of us. And you should have that dependency on me as well. Not because I have a I have a sermon in my pocket ready to go anytime I'm getting called up. No, that's not the reason why. We are a family, we're supposed to work together, and if someone new comes in to fill in, work, uh looking for support, if we see that he's a brother in Christ, then yeah, we should be excited and we should be willing to help him. Why? Because just like Timothy, anyone coming in and doing the Lord's work needs to have no reason to be afraid. They need to be able to be strong, brave, and ready to go out there and do whatever the Lord's called them to do. So, so that, and then he says, so don't look down on him, and don't look down on him, anyone, but send him on his way. Send him on his way in peace, so that he may come, so when he comes to me, I fly expect of him with the brothers. Now, did you notice it's this is this by the way, this part's free. This part's free. This is not part of my lesson. Did you notice what when when Paul writes His letter to Timothy. He tells Timothy, make sure no one looks down on you because you're young. And he tells the church in Corinth, don't look down on him. Don't you know, don't treat him any. I mean, he's yeah, he's young. He's wet behind the ears. He might be nervous. I tell you what, he's got the Holy Spirit in him. He has the ability. I've worked with him. He knows what he's doing. It's all about teamwork. It's all about teamwork. Now he also mentions that Apostles might be coming too, and when he gets there, take care of him as well. He says, He says, Don't look down on him. He urges the church to welcome Timothy so that he has no reason to be afraid while doing the Lord's work. And we talked about this a little bit in Bible class this morning in the tweener class or the young adult class. And that is this: we are not meant to do this by ourselves. We're not meant to do this on our own. There is no such thing as a rugged individual Christian. We depend on one another. We need one another. And we need to not only be unafraid to ask for help, but we need to be unafraid to accept help when it comes down the line. Paul highlights that an effective service often comes with many adversaries in verse 9. And so while while so it is important for a church to have the backs of those who are in ministry. It is important for the minister to be supportive and encouraging of the congregation that he works in. Why? Because not only is it part of the family dynamic, but we all know that there are enemies out in the world today, people who do not want the church to exist, who do not want the church to succeed. There are people out there who hate the church, who hate the name of Jesus, and they would love nothing more than to see us fall flat on our faces. We gotta be able to encourage one another. We gotta be willing to stand in the gap. Be tenacious about the reputation. I expect to be held accountable as a leader of this congregation, but I also expect you as members who are as more important than my job. You are far more important to the work of the Lord than what I do on Sunday morning. I will hold you accountable as well. And we're gonna ask another question that kind of relates to this as members taught altogether. So we stand in the gap, we we we protect the reputation of our leaders, but we also need to be remained flexible to God's will. This is not a wash, rinse, repeat kind of religion. Some things are gonna come down the line that we're gonna have to adjust to. You may not know, you the heaven forbid, there might be something tragic that happens in this community, and it's gonna require us to adjust and help to be a part whenever the time comes. Something good might happen to this. Good might happen to this community. It's gonna be our responsibility to be able to come alongside that community and promote that and do that. If your church does not look like the people in your community, your church has a problem. So there's equal work, there's equal need, and there's equal uh desire for all of us to be working together to promote God's will. And this is all part of that encouragement. Paul gives us, Paul gives us a rally cry, just like you would do at the Texas Rangers at the baseball game with the Texas Rangers, ta-da-da-da-da-da, charge, right? Well, he gives them a rally cry. He gives a five-fold challenge that comes from Paul's heart. A rally cry for believers when he says this. He says, be on alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong, and all that you do, be done in love. So, what does he first say? He said, first of all, he says, stay alert, stay spiritually vigilant. Be understanding that just because you have on your Christian t-shirt and you are trying to live like Jesus every day, you're still going to get temptations, you're still going to get distracted. Even though we are Christian, we are still a little bit selfish, self-centered. Sometimes we, yeah, help us, Lord, is exactly right because we are supposed to be on alert, spiritually vigilant. We're supposed to stand firm in the faith. That means you have to root yourself into something. I can't think of a better place to root yourself than into God's word. God's word is all scriptures, God breathe, he tells Timothy. And it's useful for multiple things. The daily dedication of meditation on God's word, reading something from the scriptures daily, being steadfast in your prayer life, being and constantly making sure that your friends are Christian friends who have your best interest at heart because you are going to be the same way to them. There are so many outside influences, there are so many people who we might work with or associate with on a day-to-day basis, and we may think, oh, he's a really nice guy. Great. I hope you are using your influence on this person to find out more about him or her. Are they a Christian?

SPEAKER_01 28:29

If they aren't, then you know what you have to do.

SPEAKER_00 28:35

You share the gospel with them. If they already are Christian, then they already have, then, then there's no need to go, there's no need to worry about anything else other than can I be can we be dependable to one another? We you your influence does not need to be outside in. Your influence needs to be inside out. The things that we do here are important. The relationships that we have with one another are important. That's the whole reason why Paul starts his chapter out with unity. So stand firm, stand firm in the faith, root yourself in the gospel. Don't pay attention, don't worry about what culture or stuff is coming down the line because something new is going to come up every week. This culture can't keep up with itself. They wake up every, it seems like every week you wake up and somebody's got some new idea, as crazy as it is, about what men are supposed to do and women are supposed to do, and how men are supposed to act and women are supposed to act and how society is supposed to evolve and change. And I'm like, I'm still trying to figure out what Paul wants us, what Paul wanted the church and court to do. I don't have time to worry about what the culture's going on. I gotta worry about what God wants me to do. I gotta worry about what Jesus wants me to do. So we so we we we we we we we stand firm regardless of the culture. Now, when he says act like men, you can translate that into be courageous. Move move and transition from spiritual infancy to maturity. Some of us have some of you have been Christians for a very long time. And and I see it in the way you live, in the way you act, and the way you think. Some of us are new to the faith. Our level, different levels are codependent on one another because we require example and we require mentoring for each other. But but make no mistake about it, your Christian walk is to always be advancing forward, not falling back. There are gonna be plenty of times when that happens, don't get me wrong. Life can come up and punch you right between the eyes. And you might feel like, well, you know, if this is the way it's gonna be, and Jesus wasn't there for me in this time period, well, I'm just gonna just I I give up, I quit. No, no, no, no. That's that's where that's where your family comes in. That's where you realize I'm not supposed to be this by myself. I need to, and so you turn to that person and say, Hey, can you help me out? I need I need some strength. That's sharing of the faith, that sharing of stuff. Be courageous, act like men, advance forward in your faith, in your maturity as a Christian. Be strong. What does it mean to be strong? It means to be, that means that means we rely on the Holy Spirit for our strength. The Holy Spirit, he does so much for us. Counselor, comforter. He he helps us with our with our decisions, he helps us interpret the Bible. Then the one thing he also does is he provides us with the strength that doesn't come from ourselves, it comes from our Heavenly Father, and it's not made from our own, it's from Him. And then on top of that, you do everything, everything that's been done is done in love. I would submit to you that after reading chapter 13 a couple of weeks ago and looking at chapter 13 and how he he put 13 right in the middle between 11 and 12 when it comes to spirituality and understanding, Paul is making sure that this is the um this is a critical instruction. Because without love, our strength, our boldness, our knowledge, our anything, if it's not done in love, it's gonna come off as harsh, self-righteous, it's gonna come off as hollow, fake. And I don't know about you, but there's a lot of there's a lot of fake going around. I don't think we need to be a part of that bandwagon. So the rally cry has five points, and all of those center on or apex to this idea of do everything with love on your mind and on your heart, and see how well it helps, or see how successful it is. Another question that you only you can answer. I can't answer it for you, and it's not a question that you just uh you have to bring me an answer to. I want you to think about this. Why why did you come to worship today? My mom made me. If I'm not there, I'm gonna get a phone call. Why'd you come to worship today? You could have done anything today. You don't have to be to work till tomorrow. Why'd you come to worship today? When I was growing up, um, my mom had um we we we had we had a little money saved up, and so mom used that money and she installed a swimming pool, dug it out, found a spot, and the swimming pool was right in the in between the back door to our house and the barn and the lot where we parked all the equipment. And in the summertime, my job was to drive the tractor and plow, plow up the fields. Now I'm the third of I'm the I'm the third of three boys. Terry drove that tractor, Randy drove that tractor, and I drove that tractor. By the time I drove that tractor, the radio didn't work. It was insulated, but the AC wouldn't work. It had some of the windows were busted out. It was leaking, I mean, it was just, it was, it was worn-out tractor. And I would come in from plowing, I would bring the tractor in, I'd park it, and then I would step off that tractor, and when I would jump off that tractor and land on my feet from head to toe, I would cover it in dirt, covered in dust, head to toe. But I had motivation. I would come through that shop door, I would kick off my boots, toss my hat, take off my shirt, and I would jump into that swimming pool as I exited the shop door, swim to the other side, come out, refreshed, feeling good. I could turn around and look, and there was a big old black cloud sitting in the middle of that pool where my dust had come off of me. I would go into the go into the bathhouse, take off my take off my wet clothes, put on some swim trunks, and then I would go hang them on the line and run upstairs and get clean and changed up. About five minutes after I'd be up in the stairs, I would hear my mom holler at me, Bland Crane, get back down there and vacuum that pool. You made the pool dirty because of all the dust you knocked off and just driving the tractor. Relief was found in a swimming pool. On a hot day, driving a busted up tractor, sweating, dirty, grungy. But I knew if I could make it back to that shop, I could park that tractor, I could dive jump in that pool and get some relief. Every Sunday, y'all come and y'all do the exact same thing. You jump in the pool of Jehovah God. You get that dirt washed off of you, you get relief, you get refreshed, you come out on the shallow end, feeling like, oh, I feel so much better. And this what happens? Next week you turn around and you do it all over again. This is, I know some of you see it as a sanctuary. It's a safe place, it's a place where there's there's no fussing and fighting, no yelling and screaming, we're loving one another, we're singing together, we're having a relationship with one another. I know some of you see this as a place where you know I can come and worship and glorify God, which is what we're supposed to be. But why are you here this morning? It's to it, I will, if it, if, if expressing your thankfulness and appreciation to God is one thing, that's true, it's true. But you are also here because you know where the love is. You know where the love is gonna come from. It's gonna come from God and it's gonna come from your spiritual family. And so you're gonna be able to go out this week refreshed. Yes, you have worshiped in spirit and in truth. Yes, you have communed. Yes, you have fellowshiped, but hopefully, why you're here this morning is that so you can go out with that refreshed, clean feeling, knowing that there is someone out there who needs to experience the refreshment that you receive every time you come in and jump into the Lord's swimming pool. So as you go out this week, remember that you are supposed to be refreshing to others. Show mercy, be willing to forgive, express and demonstrate and tell someone, hey, did you know that God loves you? Stand firm, be strong, and above all, everything you do, from the time you wake up in the morning to the time you go to bed at night, understand that it needs to be done with the love of Christ, and it will be powerful and effective. We have a ongoing theme this year at Northcrest, where the theme of our year is going to be looking at the concept of uh fixing the things that we can fix, uh whether it be through something physical or spiritual. So the fix in 2026 has been the theme. And we wanted, and we started Corinthians with this idea of how Paul would suggest fixing some of the problems and some of the issues that Corinth Church was having. And we are definitely going to want to apply not the exact same methods, because let's face it, some churches may not have uh some of the issues that were going on in Corinth, but uh how it's handled and when it's handled, and what the and what our attitude should be when we are fixing a situation, handling a problem, dealing with an issue, uh making a correction all comes from this uh motivation of what Paul writes about in sixteen. Don't forget the the the rally cry, the charge. Um it's a it's a it's a it's a cry out, it's a it's an enc word of encouragement for anyone who is a believer. Be alert, stand firm in the faith. In other words, root yourself in the gospel regardless of what the culture is around you. Be courageous. Yes, he says it, he says it uh act like men, but the idea of having the courage and the spiritual maturity to identify, focus on, and fix the w whatever's and and being able to handle whatever comes our way. Be courageous, be strong, use the power of the Holy Spirit. Our strength comes from the Lord. Uh everything that we do comes from the Lord. And the and if we are um if we are knowing, if we knowingly full well that we have asked the Lord to come and be a part of the fixing solution or the problem or the solution to our problem, then the strength will come from there, and we will have a successful correction or a successful work day, if you will, to help us resolve whatever problems that we're having. And most of all, most of all, this is what we're going to close with today, we do everything in love. Sometimes it's hard to it's hard to see that, it's hard to do that, and it's hard to accept that. I remember I mean and all of us here have r remembered that I mean we we knew full well that our parents loved us. We knew full well that the expressions of their love might be something that, you know, it there's a learning Curve in there, but you know, the you know, they fed us, they clothed us, they took care of us, they were there when we were sick, and those were easy things to pick up on knowing that they loved us. But when we were being punished, and something was said to the point of, you know, this hurts me more than it hurts you, and you're like, oh, I seriously doubt that, or you know, um the the uh I remember uh just you know, every kid's different. And sometimes, you know, uh it's amazing what a word or a certain phrase will do to really, really just bring it home and understand the seriousness of the situation. I remember one time mom said, I am so disappointed in you, and I almost fell to the floor. I mean, the last thing I wanted was to disappoint one of my parents, especially my mother. But even in her disappointment, I knew and I was reminded that Mama still loved me and daddy still loved me, even when I was being punished and disciplined. And that, my friends, I believe is probably one of the hardest things to accept, is that if if someone, if well, I'll just use myself for example, if I am in the wrong and I am and there is a a a desire or a push to help me correct something that I have said or believed or am doing and well, first of all, I think as a Christian I should know full well that what is being done is being done out of love. I need to have that trust. But since I am human, sometimes our a day a defense will go up, we will raise our shields, and sometimes we have to hear, or it will be said, we're doing this because we love you, not because we are picking on you or bullying you or trying to keep our our thumb pressed on you. And I need to re and and so that's why I said sometimes everything being done in love is is uh sometimes the hardest thing to accept, especially when there's correction involved. But I am a firm believer that there are passages and script there are scripture scriptural references to say how you handle conflict, how you correct, how you discipline, how you accept those things. If God and Jesus are in the middle of it, it's gonna work. And it's gonna work every time. If there is a missing piece, though, it's gonna fall flat. And and and that missing piece could be in the hearts and mind of the person receiving the correction, or it could actually be in the hearts and minds of the person or people who are trying to do the correcting. You got both parties, whatever the situation is, has got to have the mindset of everything I am doing, I'm doing in love. I've prayed about this. I've asked God to give us wisdom and strength and and help us with this. And on the flip side, the person who's uh is uh or the or the what whatever is being corrected, and the parties involved have to say, this is being done in love. This is what they're telling me, this is how I'm supposed to believe this. Help me, Lord, accept this, and help me, Lord, if I desire. And and and then of course they have to desire the the the need for correction and and and want to change and want to fix the problem as well. Next Sunday, Lord willing, it'll be it'll be Easter Sunday. Uh I am working on and planning out a sermon um with the example being of Peter and John running to the tomb on the day of the resurrection. I am basing the the the sermon from uh Hebrews chapter 12, the first three verses about running a race. And so the idea for next Sunday, Easter Sunday, is to really look at the idea of what are we running the race for, who is our focus, and why the use of or the example of the and and I know Peter and John, I don't I don't think it was intended to be a race. There was no mark get set go, and there was no uh uh a starting gun shot off, and Peter and John were at starting blocks and they ran off and and John beats Peter. All that that whole story, even when you consider the fact that John is the only one who talked about it, wrote about it, has uh a really big aspect and powerful analogy that we can tie into uh what the Hebrew writer writes about about running with endurance and being surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses and and and having Jesus be the focus because he's the uh the author and perfecter of our faith and all that good stuff that's found in the first three verses of chapter 12 of Hebrews. That's where we're gonna be focusing on next Sunday. So, Lord willing. After that, we will have episode 12. And as always, thank you for listening. Uh happy Easter. Uh, I hope that you have a great resurrection Sunday, and I hope to have you back here for sermons and lessons from the Preacher Man Podcast. And as we close, I just want to remind you uh my uh my email address to contact me is preacherman1178 at gmail.com. That's preacherman1178 at gmail.com for any questions or comments or um show ideas, studies. I am open to whatever or you know, for you know, for the most part, I'm open to hear what you would like to, where you would like to go. Maybe you have a question about something that was already said or you listen to. I'm willing to help out as best I can. Until then, this is the Preacher Man signing off. Hope you have a blessed day and always remember who you are and whose you are.