100:00:00,320 –> 00:00:10,980If only I didn’t have this illness. If only I had a believing wife. If only the circumstances200:00:10,980 –> 00:00:17,820of my life were different, then I could be so useful to God. And it’s all an illusion300:00:17,820 –> 00:00:22,059cause’ the only life that you have to offer to God is the life that he has given to you400:00:22,059 –> 00:00:23,139right now.500:00:23,139 –> 00:00:27,719Welcome to Open the Bible, with Pastor Colin Smith. I am David Pick. Glad you could join600:00:27,719 –> 00:00:32,799us today. Colin, those kinds of thoughts you just said there, often come to us, and700:00:32,799 –> 00:00:36,060it’s tempting to believe them, but you’re saying that it’s just a lie.800:00:36,060 –> 00:00:41,259Yeah, I really can. There’s only one life that I can offer to Christ, and that’s the900:00:41,259 –> 00:00:46,599life that I’m actually living now. No human life is perfect, no life is as a person would1000:00:46,599 –> 00:00:51,560want it to be, this side of heaven, so it’s this life with all of the problems that you’re1100:00:51,560 –> 00:00:57,320facing, all of the difficulties that are on your plate today. This is the life that you’re1200:00:57,320 –> 00:01:01,880able to offer Jesus Christ, not some ideal life that you’d like to have but don’t actually1300:01:01,880 –> 00:01:07,239have, the real life with all of its troubles, that’s what Christ is laying claim to. I find1400:01:07,239 –> 00:01:10,980that really helpful. This is what I have to offer to Christ.1500:01:10,980 –> 00:01:14,419And He’s going to accept that? I mean some of us have some pretty messy lives.1600:01:14,419 –> 00:01:19,639He certainly is because He’s the Redeemer. He takes us as we are, and He leads us in1700:01:19,639 –> 00:01:25,000the difficulties that we face. And we offer ourselves as we are to Him now.1800:01:25,419 –> 00:01:31,040So, join us today, if you can, in Romans chapter 6, as we continue the message Giving as Much1900:01:31,040 –> 00:01:34,919as You Know of Yourself. Here is Pastor Colin…2000:01:34,919 –> 00:01:41,279Romans chapter six and verse 13, and that verse will be our focus throughout this morning.2100:01:41,279 –> 00:01:45,000Romans chapter six and verse 13.2200:01:45,900 –> 00:01:58,879Offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life.2300:01:58,879 –> 00:02:02,300I want to draw your attention to something I find fascinating, and I think is2400:02:02,300 –> 00:02:09,479very significant in this verse. Look at it from the beginning of verse 13.2500:02:09,559 –> 00:02:16,240Do not, here’s the negative, offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments2600:02:16,240 –> 00:02:22,380of wickedness. Now Paul here is talking about your abilities, your capacities,2700:02:22,380 –> 00:02:26,639what you can do with the skill of your hands, the power of your mind and so2800:02:26,639 –> 00:02:31,279forth. This is the negative dimension of repentance, and now Paul is going to go2900:02:31,279 –> 00:02:35,580on and state the positive. So the negative is do not offer the parts of3000:02:35,880 –> 00:02:40,720your body to sin as instruments to righteousness. So if that’s the negative,3100:02:40,720 –> 00:02:45,559you would expect him to say as the positive, instead, offer the parts of your3200:02:45,559 –> 00:02:49,320body to God as instruments of righteousness. That would be the natural3300:02:49,320 –> 00:02:54,520parallelism, wouldn’t it? Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments3400:02:54,520 –> 00:02:58,759of wickedness, but rather offer the parts of your body to God as instruments3500:02:58,759 –> 00:03:03,979of righteousness. That would be beautifully parallel. But notice that3600:03:04,160 –> 00:03:13,080not what he says. That is something else that you have to do first before you3700:03:13,080 –> 00:03:20,759offer your abilities, your capacities, your talents, and your gifts to God.3800:03:20,759 –> 00:03:26,500Notice the verse carefully. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as3900:03:26,500 –> 00:03:34,380instruments of wickedness but rather offer yourselves to God as those who4000:03:34,380 –> 00:03:38,979have been brought from death to life and offer the parts of your body to him4100:03:38,979 –> 00:03:43,580that’s to God as instruments of righteousness. Now you see, the very4200:03:43,580 –> 00:03:50,259important point that’s contained in this verse, before you offer your gifts you4300:03:50,740 –> 00:03:57,399have to offer yourself. It’s a critical principle, and if we4400:03:57,399 –> 00:04:01,059do not grasp it we will come to grief at some point in the Christian life.4500:04:01,059 –> 00:04:06,539You offer yourself before you offer your gifts and only when you’ve offered4600:04:06,539 –> 00:04:14,479yourself is it safe for you then to offer your gifts. It’s the only way in which we4700:04:14,479 –> 00:04:18,339can serve the Lord effectively, individually and together. Here’s the4800:04:18,359 –> 00:04:24,200second thing this morning. Offer yourself in your present circumstances.4900:04:24,200 –> 00:04:27,540Now I think the best way to get at this is to look at some examples from the Bible5000:04:27,540 –> 00:04:33,679together. Take the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. Now what a gifted guy he5100:04:33,679 –> 00:04:42,320was, and God had remarkable purposes for Joseph. And Joseph knew that right from5200:04:42,320 –> 00:04:46,760early in his life because God gave him a vision that indicated that he would have5300:04:46,779 –> 00:04:53,320a special calling and a very special ministry indeed. But what happens to him?5400:04:53,320 –> 00:04:59,619Well he ends up getting beaten up by his brothers. And being left for dead in a5500:04:59,619 –> 00:05:06,040pit, is carted off to Egypt where he gets a job and works hard and pursues5600:05:06,040 –> 00:05:10,640integrity. But in the course of pursuing integrity he ends up with a woman5700:05:10,640 –> 00:05:16,500telling lies about him, and so he finds himself in the end in prison.5800:05:16,679 –> 00:05:25,040But you see what Joseph did? He offered himself to God in the prison just where5900:05:25,040 –> 00:05:35,140he was. And Joseph was used to save his entire family. You see the pattern. You6000:05:35,140 –> 00:05:40,820offer yourself to God in your present circumstances. Think about Moses. Here’s6100:05:40,959 –> 00:05:48,420another very very gifted and godly man. And he has a vision. He has a burden.6200:05:48,420 –> 00:05:52,940He has a passion for the oppressed people of God. And he is one of them6300:05:52,940 –> 00:05:59,059himself. What happens to him? Man, with a vision, gets betrayed by its own people,6400:05:59,059 –> 00:06:03,980finds himself looking after sheep in the back side of the desert. That’s Exodus6500:06:03,980 –> 00:06:12,459chapter 3 and verse 1. But Moses offered himself to God in the desert. He honored6600:06:12,459 –> 00:06:19,579God as a shepherd. Nothing much happened for 40 years. And then God steps in. And6700:06:19,579 –> 00:06:26,040Moses, in the last years of his life, becomes the shepherd of God’s people.6800:06:26,040 –> 00:06:32,540Think about the New Testament. John is called to be an apostle, serving the6900:06:32,559 –> 00:06:39,480churches of Asia. What a task, what a calling. And what happens to him? He ends7000:06:39,480 –> 00:06:44,299up on an island called Patmos, essentially imprisoned there. What kind7100:06:44,299 –> 00:06:50,399of ministry can you have to the churches, when you’re stuck on a little island?7200:06:50,399 –> 00:07:01,339Well, John offered himself to God. He was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. And God7300:07:01,480 –> 00:07:06,640gave to him a vision of Heaven, which became the last book of the Bible, which7400:07:06,640 –> 00:07:11,940has brought strength and hope and comfort and courage to the churches7500:07:11,940 –> 00:07:19,820across the world for the last 2,000 years. Offer yourself before you offer7600:07:19,820 –> 00:07:29,059your gifts. Offer yourself in your present circumstances. Thirdly, offer7700:07:29,260 –> 00:07:36,100yourself in all that you do, in all that you do. Now let’s take a quick7800:07:36,100 –> 00:07:41,100look at the regular routine of a typical day. Yours may be somewhat7900:07:41,100 –> 00:07:45,660different, but it’ll be framed something like this 24 hours in a day and let’s8000:07:45,660 –> 00:07:50,739suppose you spend 8 of them sleeping. I know many are saying, as I’m saying, I8100:07:50,739 –> 00:07:54,299wish I did spend 8 of them sleeping, but let’s just take that for a start.8200:07:54,299 –> 00:07:57,700And let’s suppose that you spend 8 of them at work and some of you are saying8300:07:57,739 –> 00:08:01,059I wish it was only 8 that I spent at work, but let’s just take that for a8400:08:01,059 –> 00:08:05,500start, as well. That’s 16. Now let’s suppose that you eat 3 meals a day and8500:08:05,500 –> 00:08:09,660that with one thing another you take an hour with each of them, a lunch and8600:08:09,660 –> 00:08:12,980breakfast and so forth that’s another 3 hours of eating. And let’s suppose that8700:08:12,980 –> 00:08:14,179you have an hours commute and so that’s 28800:08:15,100 –> 00:08:20,260hours of traveling, which gets us up to 21 hours, which leaves you with 38900:08:20,260 –> 00:08:23,899and hopefully if you have a family, you’ll be spending a couple of hours9000:08:23,899 –> 00:08:26,619with them which leaves just one hour and then you’re tapped out for the day.9100:08:27,179 –> 00:08:34,700Now many people have the idea that9200:08:34,700 –> 00:08:39,380offering yourself to God means getting involved in a ministry in the Church9300:08:39,380 –> 00:08:41,799which is a wonderful thing to do.9400:08:41,799 –> 00:08:45,299The work of the church only happens because people give themselves to9500:08:45,299 –> 00:08:51,239ministry but if what you offer to God is limited in your mind to being involved9600:08:51,239 –> 00:08:54,619in some ministry in the church then what you’re offering to God is only going to9700:08:54,619 –> 00:08:59,419be a tiny tiny tiny fraction of your life.9800:08:59,419 –> 00:09:02,479And when Paul says offer9900:09:02,479 –> 00:09:06,780yourselves to God he clearly is not referring to a small fraction he’s10000:09:06,780 –> 00:09:10,140referring to the whole of your life which has to include the sleeping the10100:09:10,140 –> 00:09:13,200eating the working and the traveling.10200:09:13,200 –> 00:09:16,979The principle here is clearly stated in10300:09:16,979 –> 00:09:23,8801st Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 31 where Paul says whatever you do10400:09:24,679 –> 00:09:28,960do it to the glory of God it’s a wonderful principle whatever10500:09:28,960 –> 00:09:31,159you do do it all to the glory of God.10600:09:31,159 –> 00:09:36,8401st Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 31.10700:09:36,840 –> 00:09:39,679We’re talking here about a pattern of10800:09:39,679 –> 00:09:45,280faithfulness and obedience and of thankfulness and of praise that runs10900:09:45,280 –> 00:09:51,059throughout life and glorifies God in all things.11000:09:51,059 –> 00:09:53,119Now think about this Jesus spent11100:09:53,460 –> 00:09:57,140three years in the public ministry of preaching and11200:09:57,140 –> 00:10:00,900teaching and healing.11300:10:00,900 –> 00:10:05,260Before that he spent 20 years thereabouts11400:10:05,260 –> 00:10:15,559as a carpenter and during that time we know that he cared for his mother.11500:10:15,559 –> 00:10:21,219Now I want to affirm as clearly as we possibly can today that Jesus Christ11600:10:21,460 –> 00:10:28,840offered himself to God as much in his carpentry and caring for his mother as11700:10:28,840 –> 00:10:34,219he did when he preached the gospel and performed the miracles. Do you believe11800:10:34,219 –> 00:10:42,159that? Or you’re not sure or you’re asleep. Do you believe that Jesus Christ11900:10:42,159 –> 00:10:48,020offered himself as much to God in his carpentry and in his caring for his12000:10:48,340 –> 00:10:51,979as he did in his preaching and in his teaching and even in his dying and in12100:10:51,979 –> 00:10:55,940his rising. Do you believe that? See, you’ve got to believe that, because12200:10:55,940 –> 00:11:00,820otherwise Jesus didn’t live a perfect life. If you don’t believe that what12300:11:00,820 –> 00:11:04,140you’re saying is that he lived a perfect life for three years but not for 3012400:11:04,140 –> 00:11:08,419before that. And the Scripture makes absolutely clear that Jesus Christ12500:11:08,419 –> 00:11:12,979lived the perfect life. In him was no sin. What that means is that he offered the12600:11:12,979 –> 00:11:17,179totality of himself to God throughout the entire course of his life. That’s12700:11:17,179 –> 00:11:20,239encouraging for all the carpenters and for all the people who are looking12800:11:20,239 –> 00:11:25,960after a mother. And everything else that goes into the ordinary routine of life.12900:11:25,960 –> 00:11:29,000We had someone from the church here. Won’t mention his13000:11:29,000 –> 00:11:32,679name but we had someone from the church do some electrical work in our house13100:11:32,679 –> 00:11:40,359recently and when I got the bill I noticed that at the top it had the13200:11:40,419 –> 00:11:49,059contractors name and at the bottom it said a company desiring to bring honor13300:11:49,059 –> 00:11:57,919to Jesus Christ through service. See that’s what Paul is talking about here.13400:11:57,919 –> 00:12:08,400You can install lighting to the glory of God. You offer yourself in all that you13500:12:09,320 –> 00:12:15,919do and in this way you live for and honor the name of Jesus Christ.13600:12:16,719 –> 00:12:21,039You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and we have to pause13700:12:21,039 –> 00:12:24,799the message briefly there but we’ll be back very shortly. So I hope you’ll stay13800:12:24,799 –> 00:12:30,799with us. A lot of us want to change but making real and lasting change is a13900:12:30,799 –> 00:12:36,039struggle. How do you make that happen? Repentance might be the key you’re14000:12:36,440 –> 00:12:40,880looking for and that’s what this series is all about. The series is called14100:12:40,880 –> 00:12:45,320Repentance- the hidden path to a transformed life and this message is14200:12:45,320 –> 00:12:50,440giving as much as you know of yourself. If you ever miss one of the messages in14300:12:50,440 –> 00:12:54,119the series don’t forget you can always catch up or go back and listen again by14400:12:54,119 –> 00:12:59,159coming online to our website www.openthebible.org.uk . Also 대세14500:12:59,159 –> 00:13:03,619find us as a podcast on all the main podcast sites our search for Open the14600:13:03,739 –> 00:13:09,059Libel-UK or follow the link from our website. Back to the message now here14700:13:09,059 –> 00:13:14,400again is pastor Colin. So we’re trying to get a handle on what it really means to14800:13:14,400 –> 00:13:19,340offer yourself to Jesus Christ. You offer yourself before you offer your gifts14900:13:19,340 –> 00:13:23,700that’s crucial. You offer yourself in your present circumstances you don’t15000:13:23,700 –> 00:13:27,580spend the rest of your life saying oh if only it was different how useful I could15100:13:27,580 –> 00:13:32,320be you offer yourself in the position God has placed you right now and you15200:13:32,700 –> 00:13:38,820yourself in all that you do. The last thing is simply this that you offer15300:13:38,820 –> 00:13:45,479yourself just as you are. Now let’s come back to the definition of repentance one15400:13:45,479 –> 00:13:50,059more time today. Repentance means turning from as much as you know of your sin to15500:13:50,059 –> 00:13:56,200give as much as you know of yourself and what we’re learning I think in this15600:13:56,200 –> 00:13:59,960series is that the Christian life is really a life in which we continue to15700:14:00,059 –> 00:14:04,619learn more about our sin, more about ourselves and more about God. That’s what15800:14:04,619 –> 00:14:10,020growing as a Christian looks like. Now that reminds us something that we can15900:14:10,020 –> 00:14:14,440easily forget. That actually knowing your self is a very very difficult business.16000:14:14,440 –> 00:14:22,219It was Calvin who said that all true wisdom is really in two parts. It’s all16100:14:22,219 –> 00:14:25,880about knowing God and knowing yourself and he said you can never know the one16200:14:26,020 –> 00:14:29,820without the other. Which is very fascinating to think about. You see if16300:14:29,820 –> 00:14:34,619you want to understand yourself you really have to know God because you’re16400:14:34,619 –> 00:14:38,299made in his image. And if you don’t know the one in whose image you are made how16500:14:38,299 –> 00:14:42,219can you possibly know who you are? You want to know yourself.16600:14:42,219 –> 00:14:46,559You have to know God but on the other hand if you want to know God. You have to16700:14:46,559 –> 00:14:50,400know yourself because you will never draw near to Him in repentance and faith16800:14:50,799 –> 00:14:56,659until you come to humbly see your own need of him. So these two things always16900:14:56,659 –> 00:15:00,179go together and the way that we have light on both is of course as we saw17000:15:00,179 –> 00:15:05,200last time through the Word of God. Knowing yourself is a difficult17100:15:05,200 –> 00:15:12,500business and it is a lifelong journey to discover the strange movings of one’s17200:15:12,500 –> 00:15:19,479own heart keeps taking you by surprise. Jeremiah said the heart is deceitful17300:15:19,799 –> 00:15:27,299all things and who can understand it? Who can understand his own heart?17400:15:27,299 –> 00:15:36,760Psalm 19, David cries out, who can discern his errors. Psalm 139, David prays, Lord you17500:15:36,760 –> 00:15:42,179need to search me and know me. Why does he pray like that? Because he knows how17600:15:42,179 –> 00:15:46,880difficult it is for a man or a woman to know their own heart. You see, only God17700:15:47,200 –> 00:15:53,960can fully understand the heart. Know God more and you will come to know yourself17800:15:53,960 –> 00:16:01,880more. One day of course you will know even as now you are known by God, and17900:16:01,880 –> 00:16:07,280then when you know yourself fully you will be more grateful for God’s grace18000:16:07,280 –> 00:16:13,700than you ever have been before. But what you can do right now is to offer18100:16:13,979 –> 00:16:21,039yourself to God just as you are, and because he is gracious he will receive18200:16:21,039 –> 00:16:26,539you. I think it’s caught well in the hymn that’s familiar to many, the hymn18300:16:26,539 –> 00:16:31,500just as I am that expresses how we come to the Lord. And one of the verses says18400:16:31,500 –> 00:16:41,179just as I am though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt18500:16:41,219 –> 00:16:48,679fighting’s within and fears without, Oh Lamb of God I come with all the stuff18600:16:48,679 –> 00:16:54,419and all the struggle that’s going on within me. I come just as I am to you.18700:16:54,419 –> 00:17:00,739It’s the only way you can come to the Lord, and look to him to to work by his18800:17:00,739 –> 00:17:05,819grace in your life to to move you forward in a way that otherwise would18900:17:06,000 –> 00:17:13,619not be possible. You offer yourself as you are. The reason you can do that is19000:17:13,619 –> 00:17:17,300that as a Christian believer, Paul says, you’ve been brought from death to life.19100:17:17,300 –> 00:17:21,500Isn’t that a beautiful statement in verse 13. Offer yourself to God as those19200:17:21,500 –> 00:17:26,979have been brought from death to life. You may have all kinds of struggles and19300:17:26,979 –> 00:17:32,260fears, but you belong to Christ, and his resurrection life is in you. His spirit19400:17:32,319 –> 00:17:37,219is in you, so give yourself to him because you are his. That’s what he’s19500:17:37,219 –> 00:17:47,540saying. One man who struggled to know himself perhaps more than most was19600:17:47,540 –> 00:17:54,339Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was one of the German Christian leaders who19700:17:54,339 –> 00:18:00,579stood against the Nazi regime. It took great courage to do what he did. As a19800:18:00,680 –> 00:18:05,500result he was imprisoned and eventually was executed he became a martyr for his19900:18:05,500 –> 00:18:13,380faith and Bonhoeffer was an inspiration to many and still is through his20000:18:13,380 –> 00:18:19,540writings today. People admired him for his courage. People look to him for the20100:18:19,540 –> 00:18:26,300strength of his testimony. This man was a leader but when Bonhoeffer looked into20200:18:26,979 –> 00:18:34,099his own he wasn’t quite so sure and he wrote a wonderful poem with which I20300:18:34,099 –> 00:18:41,540want to conclude this morning and it’s simply titled, Who am I? And in it he20400:18:41,540 –> 00:18:46,260struggles with how people see him on the one hand they think is such a marvellous20500:18:46,260 –> 00:18:49,439strong person and then when he looks into his own heart he has all of these20600:18:49,819 –> 00:19:00,020writing to express his struggles and he writes these words, who am I? They often20700:19:00,020 –> 00:19:06,020tell me that I would step from myself confinement, calmly, cheerfully, firmly20800:19:06,020 –> 00:19:16,420like a squire from his country house? Who am I? They often tell me I would talk to20900:19:16,560 –> 00:19:23,119freely and friendly and clearly as though it were mine to command? Who am I?21000:19:23,119 –> 00:19:29,619They also tell me that I would bear the days of misfortune equably, smilingly,21100:19:29,619 –> 00:19:38,079proudly, like one accustomed to win. Am I really all that which other men tell21200:19:38,560 –> 00:19:47,040of, or am I only what I know of myself? Restless and longing and sick like a21300:19:47,040 –> 00:19:53,560bird in a cage, struggling for breath as though hands were compressing my throat,21400:19:53,560 –> 00:19:58,939hungry for colors for flowers and for the voices of birds, thirsty for words21500:19:58,939 –> 00:20:06,619of kindness for neighborliness, trembling with anger at despotisms and petty21600:20:06,800 –> 00:20:13,680humiliation. Caught up in expectation of great events, powerlessly grieving for21700:20:13,680 –> 00:20:20,239friends at an infinite distance, weary and empty at praying and thinking,21800:20:20,239 –> 00:20:31,119at making, faint and ready to lay farewell to it all. Who am I? This or the21900:20:31,339 –> 00:20:41,819other. Am I one person today and another tomorrow? Am I both at once a hypocrite22000:20:41,819 –> 00:20:49,719before others and before myself, a contemptibly woe-begone weakling? Or is22100:20:49,719 –> 00:20:54,979there something within me still like a beaten army, fleeing in disorder from a22200:20:55,020 –> 00:21:07,579victory already achieved? Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine,22300:21:07,579 –> 00:21:19,619Whoever I am, thou knowest, O God, I am thine. Now, you see, that’s where he finds22400:21:19,619 –> 00:21:27,619his peace, in the middle of this extraordinary struggle. Whatever you are22500:21:27,619 –> 00:21:38,140facing right now, here is the one thing that matters, you belong to Christ, so22600:21:38,359 –> 00:21:46,400offer yourself to God, as one who has been brought from death22700:21:46,400 –> 00:21:51,979to life. Good to be reminded that if we belong22800:21:51,979 –> 00:21:56,739to Christ, we’re called to offer ourselves to God, wherever we are, and22900:21:56,739 –> 00:22:02,119just as we are. You’ve been listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith23000:22:02,119 –> 00:22:07,319and a message called Giving As Much As You Know of Yourself. Part of the series23100:22:07,319 –> 00:22:12,300is Repentance The Hidden Path to a Transformed Life, all about how to make23200:22:12,300 –> 00:22:18,020repentance central to your Christian experience. If you’ve missed any of the23300:22:18,020 –> 00:22:22,260series or if you miss any in the future, it’s very easy to catch up or go back23400:22:22,260 –> 00:22:25,619and listen again because all of the messages that have already been23500:22:25,619 –> 00:22:30,339broadcast are available on our website that’s at openthebible.org.uk23600:22:30,339 –> 00:22:34,859and they’re also available as a podcast on all the main podcast sites.23700:22:34,900 –> 00:22:39,479You can find them by searching for Open The Bible UK or follow the link23800:22:39,479 –> 00:22:44,920from our website. On our website you’ll also find Open the Bible Daily, our23900:22:44,920 –> 00:22:50,339series of short 2-3 minute daily reflections. That’s Open The Bible Daily.24000:22:51,079 –> 00:22:55,079Open The Bible is supported by our listeners, it’s people just like you, who24100:22:55,079 –> 00:23:00,079keep open the Bible on this station, on the internet, and on all the podcast24200:23:00,079 –> 00:23:03,000sites. So if you already give to support the24300:23:03,000 –> 00:23:07,979work, thank you so much. If supporting Open The Bible financially is something24400:23:07,979 –> 00:23:12,000that you’d like to begin to do, this month we’d love to say thank you by24500:23:12,000 –> 00:23:17,040sending you a free gift. If you’re able to begin a new direct debit of five24600:23:17,040 –> 00:23:22,400pounds per month or more, or a one-off gift of sixty pounds or more, we’d love24700:23:22,400 –> 00:23:27,920to send you a copy of Nancy Guthrie’s book I’m Praying For You24800:23:27,920 –> 00:23:32,47940 Days of Praying The Bible For Someone Who is Suffering. Colin, who would you say24900:23:32,619 –> 00:23:33,780this book is for?25000:23:33,780 –> 00:23:39,420Well, it’s for anyone who has ever said to someone I’m praying for you, and that25100:23:39,420 –> 00:23:44,619surely is every Christian. We’ve all said to someone who’s in need, or perhaps a25200:23:44,619 –> 00:23:49,660loved one in our family, I’m praying for you. But here’s the challenge. How do you25300:23:49,660 –> 00:23:54,339keep your prayers fresh, when you’ve been praying for someone for some time?25400:23:54,339 –> 00:23:58,219Perhaps even for many years. I mean, what are you gonna do, just keep saying God25500:23:58,219 –> 00:24:03,459bless them, God bless them. How do you keep your prayers fresh? And Nancy25600:24:03,459 –> 00:24:08,280Guthrie has done a wonderful job in putting together a book that draws25700:24:08,280 –> 00:24:14,979deeply from Scripture, so that we are given forty practical suggestions as to25800:24:14,979 –> 00:24:19,219how you can pray for a friend, a loved one or someone who’s going through a25900:24:19,219 –> 00:24:24,400really difficult time. It’s a marvelous resource and I think folks are gonna26000:24:24,400 –> 00:24:26,239find it very, very, helpful.26100:24:26,260 –> 00:24:29,199Well, we’d love to send you a copy of Nancy Guthrie’s book, I’m26200:24:29,199 –> 00:24:33,380Praying For You. When you begin a new direct debit to the work of Open the26300:24:33,380 –> 00:24:38,219Bible, of five pounds per month or more, or a one-off gift of sixty pounds or26400:24:38,219 –> 00:24:42,800more. You’ll find full terms and conditions online at our website26500:24:42,800 –> 00:24:48,939openthebible.org.uk. And, you can also give online. If you want us to send you26600:24:48,939 –> 00:24:53,339this free gift, please don’t give anonymously and don’t forget to leave26700:24:53,359 –> 00:24:58,420your full name and address so that we can send you your gift. For Open the26800:24:58,420 –> 00:25:02,939Bible and Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick, thanks for being with us today and26900:25:02,939 –> 00:25:06,579I hope you’ll join us again next time.27000:25:10,160 –> 00:25:19,260A father asks his two sons to go and do something for him. One son says yes the27100:25:19,280 –> 00:25:25,760other says no way which of the two sons actually did what the father asked? find27200:25:25,760 –> 00:25:29,560out next time on Open the Bible