100:00:00,920 –> 00:00:14,540Faith grows by looking at Christ. Fix your eyes on the mountains and you’ll200:00:14,540 –> 00:00:21,420grow in worry. Fix your eyes on yourself and you’ll either grow in pride or else300:00:21,420 –> 00:00:22,639you’ll grow in despair.400:00:22,639 –> 00:00:25,559Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith.500:00:26,059 –> 00:00:30,379I’m David Pick, glad you could be with us today. Colin sometimes, we’re looking600:00:30,379 –> 00:00:35,000at those mountains, those things that seem overwhelming and it can be hard to700:00:35,000 –> 00:00:40,520tear yourself away from that and focus on Jesus. You say faith grows by looking800:00:40,520 –> 00:00:45,240to Him, but when you have a mountain right there in front of you that’s hard900:00:45,240 –> 00:00:49,880yeah, well I think that that’s where our series on the Psalms is really helpful.1000:00:49,880 –> 00:00:54,919These Psalms of assent that we’re following through, they’re the songs that1100:00:54,919 –> 00:01:00,939were sung progressively as people made their way from places very distant from1200:01:00,939 –> 00:01:04,879Jerusalem where God’s presence was especially known and so there’s real1300:01:04,879 –> 00:01:10,339progress. So in Psalm 121 that many people will know well, I lift up my eyes1400:01:10,339 –> 00:01:16,239to the hills which of course speaks of all the problems and where does my help1500:01:16,239 –> 00:01:21,000come from that’s the question. We’re today in Psalm 123, where there’s some1600:01:21,000 –> 00:01:26,459real progress. I lift up my eyes to the Lord there’s movement there from1700:01:26,459 –> 00:01:30,720I’m looking at all my problems and I don’t know where to go to I do know1800:01:30,720 –> 00:01:34,680where to go. I have to turn to the Lord and I have to get my eyes fixed on him.1900:01:34,680 –> 00:01:38,879So when you’re facing an overwhelming problem, something you just can’t let go2000:01:38,879 –> 00:01:43,160of, is there a particular passage in scripture you might go to, to help you2100:01:43,160 –> 00:01:45,500fix your eyes on Him? Yeah well I think that this would be2200:01:45,500 –> 00:01:51,620exactly one example of a place to go. Anything that gets our minds on how2300:01:51,620 –> 00:01:56,180great God is. Because as you say you know the mind goes round and round on2400:01:56,180 –> 00:02:00,300the problem. And so what I’ve got to do is to get my mind fixed on a God who is2500:02:00,300 –> 00:02:04,220greater than the problem. And their faith begins to nourish itself2600:02:04,220 –> 00:02:08,419and their strength begins to find a footing. Otherwise I’m going to slide2700:02:08,419 –> 00:02:14,000into despair. So join us if you can today in Psalm 1 2 3 as we begin a message2800:02:14,600 –> 00:02:19,300from asking to receiving. Here’s Colin. Our series moving in the right2900:02:19,300 –> 00:02:24,919direction is all about experiencing more of the presence of God in our lives.3000:02:25,399 –> 00:02:29,000And we’ve been seeing together that that journey begins when we move3100:02:29,000 –> 00:02:35,320from delaying to deciding. Then we saw last time that in this journey we need3200:02:35,320 –> 00:02:40,559to move from seeing to believing. Now today we take the third step in3300:02:40,559 –> 00:02:44,899our journey and we’re thinking about moving from asking to receiving.3400:02:44,899 –> 00:02:51,779And I hope you have your Bible open at Psalm 123 and 124, two Psalms that open3500:02:51,779 –> 00:02:57,100up these themes for us. Now I’m excited about the opportunity for us to reflect3600:02:57,100 –> 00:03:02,779together on these Psalms today, because more than any other in the series,3700:03:02,779 –> 00:03:10,179these Psalms teach us about the holy art of prayer. And if you’re to move in the3800:03:10,179 –> 00:03:14,559right direction in your life, to move to the place where you will experience more3900:03:14,559 –> 00:03:20,800of the presence of God, then a major part of that journey will be to learn to pray.4000:03:20,800 –> 00:03:26,520Now the book of Psalms is not so much like a textbook as it is like a4100:03:26,520 –> 00:03:34,639photograph album. What we have here very simply are snapshots of great men of God4200:03:35,240 –> 00:03:41,580praying in the Holy Spirit. And just like you look through a photograph album what4300:03:41,580 –> 00:03:47,399we’re able to do here is to discover what praying in the Holy Spirit actually4400:03:47,399 –> 00:03:52,039looks like. And when we know what it looks like, we will be able to go and to4500:03:52,039 –> 00:03:57,399practice it ourselves. Now these two Psalms taken together, and I think that’s4600:03:57,399 –> 00:04:02,940very important, really demonstrate two dimensions of prayer that will keep us4700:04:03,119 –> 00:04:08,740moving in the right direction. The first is to ask for what you need, and the4800:04:08,740 –> 00:04:13,960second is to affirm what God has done. And I want us as we learn from these4900:04:13,960 –> 00:04:19,320Psalms together and want to be very practical as they are today, for us to5000:04:19,320 –> 00:04:26,220see how we can do a better job of asking God for the things that we need. And at5100:04:26,220 –> 00:04:32,100the same time a better job of affirming the things that God has done. And if5200:04:32,100 –> 00:04:36,380we’re able to grow on these twin tracks we will move forward in the right5300:04:36,380 –> 00:04:40,519direction and we will discover more of the presence and the blessing of God in5400:04:40,519 –> 00:04:47,200our lives. So, first ask for what you need then second affirm what God has5500:04:47,200 –> 00:04:55,260done. That’s where we’re headed today. Ask for what you need. Now we begin with5600:04:55,359 –> 00:05:02,480Psalm 123, which is a psalm full of asking. This is the prayer of a believer5700:05:02,480 –> 00:05:07,739who is finding it difficult to sustain his faith in the pressure of an5800:05:07,739 –> 00:05:12,959unbelieving world. People around him are treating him with contempt. You see that5900:05:12,959 –> 00:05:17,619there at the end of the psalm? They’re patronizing towards him. Verse three,6000:05:17,619 –> 00:05:22,920We have endured much contempt. We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much6100:05:23,679 –> 00:05:28,500contempt from the arrogant. He’s in an environment in which unbelieving people6200:05:28,500 –> 00:05:36,420despise his faith, and he’s feeling the pressure of living as a believer in an6300:05:36,420 –> 00:05:42,040unbelieving world, and feeling this pressure he knows that he needs the help6400:05:42,040 –> 00:05:49,320of God. Now very simply, then, the question is how do you go about asking for God’s6500:05:49,959 –> 00:05:57,720help? How do you, in a practical way when you’re feeling under pressure, how do you6600:05:57,720 –> 00:06:03,880ask God for what you need? And it seems to me that there are four very practical6700:06:03,880 –> 00:06:08,519things that we learn from the Psalm. I found all of them to be profoundly6800:06:08,519 –> 00:06:13,679helpful in my own life. Two of them are negative and two of them are positive,6900:06:13,679 –> 00:06:18,220and I hope you have your Bible open as we follow them together. How am I to go7000:06:18,399 –> 00:06:23,179about this business of asking of God? Like the Psalmist, I find myself under7100:06:23,179 –> 00:06:34,519many pressures. How am I to bring my needs to him? Number one, don’t stare at7200:06:35,160 –> 00:06:43,179the mountains. Don’t stare at the mountains. First principle to learn if7300:06:43,179 –> 00:06:48,899we’re to grow in asking of God. Now I say this because there is an obvious7400:06:48,899 –> 00:06:54,980contrast between the beginning of Psalm 123 and Psalm 121, which we looked at7500:06:54,980 –> 00:07:02,440the other week. Notice Psalm 121, begins by saying, I will lift up my eyes to the7600:07:02,440 –> 00:07:11,140hills. Psalm 123 says, I will lift up my eyes to you. They’re so close together7700:07:11,260 –> 00:07:16,640and the difference is so small that you can hardly but notice it. When we were7800:07:16,640 –> 00:07:21,239looking at Psalm 121 we suggested that when he says, I lift my eyes up to the7900:07:21,239 –> 00:07:27,100hills, he was looking at the difficulties of the journey ahead. Remember these are8000:07:27,100 –> 00:07:32,920all songs of a sense, they are sung on a difficult journey that pilgrims made on8100:07:32,920 –> 00:07:37,500the way up to Jerusalem. And we suggested that as this believer moved from8200:07:37,500 –> 00:07:41,700delaying to deciding, he stepped out on the journey to the place of God’s8300:07:41,700 –> 00:07:46,260presence, he looked up and saw the hills that he had to climb and he said where8400:07:46,260 –> 00:07:54,239does my help come from? He sees the mountains, that’s how Psalm 1218500:07:54,239 –> 00:08:01,380begins and eventually he comes to the answer my help comes from the Lord. But8600:08:01,380 –> 00:08:06,140in Psalm 123 it’s distinctly different. You see he doesn’t begin here by8700:08:06,179 –> 00:08:10,600looking at the problem, he doesn’t begin here by looking at all that lies ahead8800:08:10,600 –> 00:08:17,899of him and how difficult it all is. Here he says I lift up my eyes to you and he8900:08:17,899 –> 00:08:24,399begins by fixing his mind and his heart on God. That’s progress9000:08:24,399 –> 00:08:34,640that’s part of his ascent in prayer. Don’t stare at the mountains. If you want9100:08:34,640 –> 00:08:40,260to learn to ask of God make sure that you don’t reduce prayer to a shopping9200:08:40,260 –> 00:08:47,640list of items. See there is a kind of prayer that amounts to nothing more than9300:08:47,640 –> 00:08:55,440worrying on your knees you ever done this? All you’re doing is adopting a9400:08:55,440 –> 00:09:01,960posture of prayer and staring at the mountains. You said dear God at the9500:09:02,760 –> 00:09:08,280beginning. And you said Amen at the end. And you spent five minutes worrying in9600:09:08,280 –> 00:09:15,739the middle and that ain’t prayer. All it is, is an exercise that’s in staring at9700:09:15,739 –> 00:09:20,640your own problems. And of course five minutes staring at your problems will9800:09:20,640 –> 00:09:25,760only have the effect of making you feel worse. Even if you happen to do it on9900:09:25,760 –> 00:09:30,539your knees saying dear God at the beginning and Amen at the end.10000:09:30,859 –> 00:09:36,760So the Psalmist is moving in the right direction here. He’s facing great10100:09:36,760 –> 00:09:42,539pressures. But when he comes to God he begins by looking away from them and up10200:09:42,539 –> 00:09:47,000to the throne and the face of God. So here’s the first step it’s very10300:09:47,000 –> 00:09:51,080important some of us don’t get started with prayer because we’ve got stuck in10400:09:51,080 –> 00:09:56,299the middle of the mountains. If you want to grow and asking God for what you need10500:09:56,739 –> 00:09:58,640you want to stay at the mountain.10600:09:58,640 –> 00:10:00,659You’re listening to Open the Bible10700:10:00,659 –> 00:10:05,719with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called From Asking to Receiving based on10800:10:05,719 –> 00:10:10,440Psalm 123. It’s part of our series Moving in the10900:10:10,440 –> 00:10:14,080Right Direction and if you ever miss one of the series don’t forget you can11000:10:14,080 –> 00:10:17,679easily go back and catch up by coming online to our website11100:10:17,679 –> 00:10:23,400openthebible.org.uk or you can find them as a podcast and those are on all11200:10:23,539 –> 00:10:28,900the main podcast sites, simply search for Open the Bible UK, or you can find a link11300:10:28,900 –> 00:10:33,900on our website. Back to the message now, here again is Colin.11400:10:33,900 –> 00:10:37,539If you want to grow in asking God for what you need don’t stare at the mountain.11500:10:37,539 –> 00:10:45,520Second, get your eyes off yourself. One of the great teachers of the early11600:10:45,520 –> 00:10:49,880church, as many of you will know, was an African Bishop by the name of Augustine11700:10:49,960 –> 00:10:56,239Augustine wrote a wonderful commentary on the book of Psalms. And he makes the11800:10:56,239 –> 00:11:03,799point here, in his comments on Psalm 123, that if we are to ascend in prayer we11900:11:03,799 –> 00:11:09,760need to get our eyes off ourselves. You can think of prayer as being like a12000:11:09,760 –> 00:11:14,820narrow path. It fits the image that we’re using of a journey. It’s like a narrow12100:11:15,299 –> 00:11:24,640path with a ditch on either side. The ditch on one side is called pride, the12200:11:24,640 –> 00:11:29,900ditch on the other side is called despair. All of us are in danger from12300:11:29,900 –> 00:11:35,299both ditches but most of us will have a tendency to lean and to fall one way or12400:11:35,299 –> 00:11:41,299the other. The interesting thing is that the answer to both problems, pride and12500:11:41,299 –> 00:11:46,539despair, the ditches on either side of us, the answer to both these problems is to12600:11:46,539 –> 00:11:54,780get your eyes off yourself. Here’s how Augustine puts it, we ascend to heaven he12700:11:54,780 –> 00:12:03,380says if we think of God.’ If people take pride in their progress, their very12800:12:03,380 –> 00:12:07,979assent will bring them tumbling down again.12900:12:07,979 –> 00:12:14,900how are they to conduct themselves in order to avoid pride, let them lift their13000:12:14,900 –> 00:12:21,760eyes to him who dwells in heaven and not focus on themselves. See he’s saying13100:12:21,760 –> 00:12:27,460that’s how you keep out the ditch of pride, you get your eyes off yourself and13200:12:27,460 –> 00:12:32,580you see there is a subtle danger isn’t there and becoming preoccupied with our13300:12:32,580 –> 00:12:36,340own spiritual progress or even preoccupied with our own lack of13400:12:36,400 –> 00:12:41,280spiritual progress, we heard the story about the gardener who planted tulips13500:12:41,280 –> 00:12:48,280and after he planted them he wanted to be really sure that they were growing so13600:12:48,280 –> 00:12:54,919every week he dug them up in order to have a look at the roots, now you see13700:12:54,919 –> 00:13:01,679nothing will grow if every week you’re digging it up to look at the roots and13800:13:01,739 –> 00:13:07,739and you see that is the danger with becoming preoccupied with our own13900:13:07,739 –> 00:13:15,780selves, it’s the danger quite honestly of an over-emphasis on analyzing the life14000:13:15,780 –> 00:13:21,780and health of the church, we live in an age of surveys and assessments and they14100:13:21,780 –> 00:13:28,140have some value but you don’t make a church healthy by analyzing the health14200:13:28,159 –> 00:13:33,520of the church, you make a church healthy by focusing the attention of the church14300:13:33,520 –> 00:13:40,799on Jesus, get your eyes off yourself, that’s how you avoid on the one hand the14400:13:40,799 –> 00:13:46,059ditch of pride and on the other hand the ditch of despair, Augustine has a14500:13:46,059 –> 00:13:50,700wonderfully pithy comment when it comes to despair, he’s talked about the danger14600:13:51,219 –> 00:13:59,000of pride and when he talks about despair he says, if you find yourself unpleasant14700:13:59,000 –> 00:14:02,599it’s not a bad beginning for a sentence isn’t it, you know, I mean some of us14800:14:02,599 –> 00:14:05,859struggle with that oh, I really don’t like the way I am, I don’t like the way I14900:14:05,859 –> 00:14:13,700look, I don’t like the way I feel, if you find yourself unpleasant take your eyes15000:14:13,820 –> 00:14:20,280off yourself, pretty good for the fifth century, isn’t it15100:14:21,059 –> 00:14:25,460if you find yourself unpleasant take your eyes off yourself why do you focus15200:14:25,460 –> 00:14:31,820there, he asks, this can be a liberating word for someone today, your mind keeps15300:14:31,820 –> 00:14:38,219going round and round on what you don’t like about yourself, if you find yourself15400:14:39,119 –> 00:14:43,979unpleasant take your eyes off yourself and you will find that it will free you15500:14:43,979 –> 00:14:50,979to lift your eyes to God so if you want to grow in this whole ministry of prayer15600:14:50,979 –> 00:14:55,380and what it means to ask and to bring your needs to God number one don’t stare15700:14:55,380 –> 00:14:58,859at the mountains number two get your eyes off yourself that’s15800:14:58,859 –> 00:15:03,500the two negatives here we now go positive number three take the position15900:15:04,500 –> 00:15:11,340of servant if you want to learn the art of prayer this is the posture you must16000:15:11,340 –> 00:15:20,619assume verse 2 as the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master as the16100:15:20,619 –> 00:15:26,140eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress so our eyes look to the Lord16200:15:26,140 –> 00:15:32,000our God till he shows us his mercy now the Psalmist is not a slave of course16300:15:32,280 –> 00:15:37,900and he’s not endorsing slavery either what he’s doing is very simply using a16400:15:37,900 –> 00:15:46,099picture and he’s saying as I come to ask Lord this is how I’m coming to you I’m16500:15:46,099 –> 00:15:52,380approaching you in the same way as a slave comes to his master or a maids to16600:15:52,380 –> 00:15:59,320her mistress in other words I’m looking to you to direct me I’m looking to you16700:15:59,960 –> 00:16:05,599for me because a slave can’t provide for his or herself I’m looking to you to16800:16:05,599 –> 00:16:11,119protect me that’s how a slave comes to his master how I made comes to her16900:16:11,119 –> 00:16:14,919mistress now the point here that’s important is17000:16:14,919 –> 00:16:19,960that I am in the position of the slave and God is in the position of the master17100:16:19,960 –> 00:16:24,460and the difficulty for many of us in prayer of course is that we get it17200:16:24,460 –> 00:16:31,940precisely the wrong way around when we pray it’s as if it said as the eyes of a17300:16:31,940 –> 00:16:38,179master looked to a slave so our eyes are looking to you O God and then we begin17400:16:38,179 –> 00:16:44,919our prayer Lord do this and why haven’t you done that and how long is it going17500:16:44,919 –> 00:16:50,859to take you to do the other we come as if we were trying to give direction to17600:16:51,299 –> 00:16:59,520that’s how a master speaks to a slave no no no says this harvest when I come to17700:16:59,520 –> 00:17:03,219ask it’s entirely or the other way around I come in the position of the17800:17:03,219 –> 00:17:11,260slave coming to the master that’s why he says I lift my eyes up to you did you17900:17:11,260 –> 00:17:16,920notice that up not down you’re gonna come to God in prayer you18000:17:17,520 –> 00:17:27,119to him you don’t look down on him prayer can never be a way of manipulating God18100:17:27,119 –> 00:17:35,300so if we want to cultivate the art of asking let’s humble ourselves and take18200:17:35,300 –> 00:17:42,400the position of a servant don’t stare at the mountains get your eyes off18300:17:42,400 –> 00:17:50,880yourself adopt the position of a servant and forth fix your eyes on the throne18400:17:50,880 –> 00:18:02,479and the hands of God I lift my eyes to you whose throne is in heaven but the18500:18:02,479 –> 00:18:06,719way do you notice the parallel between the opening of the psalm and the Lord’s18600:18:06,819 –> 00:18:13,000prayer remember that the disciples asked Jesus how they should pray as this sum18700:18:13,000 –> 00:18:17,540is also teaching us how to pray and Jesus said well here’s how you pray and18800:18:17,540 –> 00:18:25,599he began this way our father in heaven and Psalm 123 is beginning the same way18900:18:25,599 –> 00:18:34,119I lift my eyes to you whose throne is in heaven I find it especially helpful that19000:18:34,119 –> 00:18:43,040this sound directs our attention to the throne and enter the hands of God I lift19100:18:43,040 –> 00:18:49,400up my eyes to you whose throne is in heaven the throne of course speaks of19200:18:49,400 –> 00:18:55,599God’s power and his authority the best way to get your mind off the19300:18:55,599 –> 00:18:58,959mountains you’re saying how am I to do that they seem so big19400:18:59,040 –> 00:19:04,319The best way to get your mind off the mountains is to get it on to the throne19500:19:04,319 –> 00:19:10,099of God his power his authority his eternity19600:19:10,260 –> 00:19:17,219We had family here for Christmas and they enjoyed some great time in Chicago19700:19:17,239 –> 00:19:22,520Usual routine we’ve got it down to a fine art now. They started at Navy Pier looking19800:19:22,660 –> 00:19:29,819up at the Ferris wheel. That Ferris wheel looks enormous standing at the bottom on19900:19:29,819 –> 00:19:38,520Navy Pier then we go for lunch to the top of the Hancock Tower the Ferris wheel20000:19:38,520 –> 00:19:47,140looks rather ordinary from the 95th floor right. My problems sometimes looks20100:19:47,140 –> 00:19:52,780so enormous towering above me but they must look very different from the throne20200:19:52,780 –> 00:19:59,719of God. I lift my mind, I lift my eyes to your throne,20300:19:59,719 –> 00:20:07,420oh God that’s where Jesus is but it’s not just the throne of God in his20400:20:07,420 –> 00:20:13,099awesome power it is the hand of God. Look at verse 2, as the eyes of the slave20500:20:13,520 –> 00:20:17,859to the hand of the master or the eyes of the maid looked to the hand of the20600:20:17,859 –> 00:20:24,819mistress. Look at God’s throne, he says, but not just that look at God’s hand20700:20:24,819 –> 00:20:30,439and I cannot think about the hands of God without remembering that when he20800:20:30,439 –> 00:20:38,020came to us in Jesus his hands were pierced. I look at the hands of Jesus I20900:20:38,339 –> 00:20:44,479wounds as the disciples did even up to the resurrection. God’s throne speaks to21000:20:44,479 –> 00:20:53,699me of his awesome power his hands speak to me of his amazing love. Look at his21100:20:53,699 –> 00:21:00,400throne look at his hands you will find that your faith begins to grow and as21200:21:00,400 –> 00:21:06,280your faith grows you will find a freedom within you to begin to ask for what you21300:21:06,640 –> 00:21:20,920need. Faith grows by looking at Christ. Fix your eyes on the mountains and you’ll21400:21:20,920 –> 00:21:28,319grow in worry fix your eyes on yourself and you’ll either grow in pride or else21500:21:28,520 –> 00:21:37,280you’ll grow in despair, fix your eyes on Jesus and you will grow in faith. You21600:21:37,280 –> 00:21:43,160will discover what it is as the psalmist did to be able to ask for what you need21700:21:43,160 –> 00:21:49,119as your mind is fixed on him. By the way that’s why we need to nourish ourselves21800:21:49,119 –> 00:21:53,500in the Word, isn’t it? Because that’s where we find Christ he’s the bread of21900:21:53,780 –> 00:21:56,479life. That’s why Christ needs to be always the22000:21:56,479 –> 00:22:01,140centre of our worship because we don’t come here to congratulate ourselves or22100:22:01,140 –> 00:22:06,599commiserate ourselves, we come here to celebrate Christ and we’re strengthened22200:22:06,599 –> 00:22:12,280as we come to him. So here’s the first dimension of prayer asking for what you22300:22:12,280 –> 00:22:19,239need. Don’t stare at the mountains, get your eyes off yourself. Adopt a position22400:22:19,439 –> 00:22:27,160of a servant, fix your mind on the throne and on the hand of God.22500:22:27,160 –> 00:22:33,579Helpful reminder there from Pastor Colin about how we can deepen our prayer life.22600:22:33,579 –> 00:22:38,400That was the first half of our message from Asking to Receiving and you can22700:22:38,400 –> 00:22:43,040hear the second half tomorrow. The messages are from our series Moving in22800:22:43,040 –> 00:22:47,020the Right Direction, and if you’ve missed any of the series so far or if you ever22900:22:47,280 –> 00:22:51,439do, or if you want to go back and listen again, you can do that online at our23000:22:51,439 –> 00:22:56,839website openthebible.org.uk, and don’t forget you can also find Pastor23100:22:56,839 –> 00:23:01,300Colin’s messages as a podcast, and those are on all the main podcast sites.23200:23:01,300 –> 00:23:05,880You can search for Open the Bible UK or follow a link from our website.23300:23:06,459 –> 00:23:10,739Fly Through the Bible is available in a number of different formats, and in the coming days23400:23:10,739 –> 00:23:15,560we’ll bring news of some exciting ways that you can use this material.23500:23:15,560 –> 00:23:20,439Colin Smith’s original book Fly Through the Bible is our gift to you this month if you’re23600:23:20,459 –> 00:23:25,040able to begin a new direct debit to the work of Open the Bible in the amount of23700:23:25,040 –> 00:23:30,400five pounds per month or more. Or a one-off gift of fifty pounds or more.23800:23:30,599 –> 00:23:33,959If you’re able to do that, we’d love to send you a copy of the book.23900:23:34,160 –> 00:23:39,819If you want to receive the book, don’t give anonymously and please remember to leave your address.24000:23:40,000 –> 00:23:44,359Colin, why did you use the flying metaphor to describe this book?24100:23:44,400 –> 00:23:49,160Well, suppose you were making a visit to the Grand Canyon and exploring it for the first24200:23:49,160 –> 00:23:53,579time. I mean, I guess you could hike down and you’d get a sense of the depth of the24300:23:53,579 –> 00:23:57,739canyon. You could drive around the rim, you’d get a sense of the length of it.24400:23:58,199 –> 00:24:03,319But perhaps the best way to get an overall sense of the vastness and beauty of the24500:24:03,319 –> 00:24:06,359Grand Canyon would be to take a flight over it.24600:24:06,579 –> 00:24:12,579Now, when it comes to the Bible, to get a high altitude overview of what the24700:24:12,800 –> 00:24:17,160Bible’s story is all about seems to me to be the best place to begin.24800:24:17,479 –> 00:24:19,219The Bible really is one story.24900:24:19,219 –> 00:24:23,099It begins in a garden, ends in a city and all the way through its about the Lord25000:24:23,099 –> 00:24:24,040Jesus Christ.25100:24:24,540 –> 00:24:29,079Fly through the Bible is kind of cookies on the bottom shelf to change the analogy.25200:24:29,420 –> 00:24:34,420It gives an overall picture and introduction to the scripture that I hope25300:24:34,699 –> 00:24:39,420will help and encourage people to want to explore more when they get on the ground.25400:24:39,739 –> 00:24:40,040Well,25500:24:40,040 –> 00:24:42,380we’d love to send you a copy of Colin’s book.25600:24:42,380 –> 00:24:47,300Fly through the Bible to say thank you for setting up a new direct debit to the25700:24:47,300 –> 00:24:47,640work of,25800:24:47,640 –> 00:24:52,640open the Bible in the amount of £5 per month or more or a one-off gift of £5025900:24:53,400 –> 00:24:54,599or more this month.26000:24:55,140 –> 00:25:00,920Full terms and conditions are on our website at openthebible.org.uk26100:25:01,280 –> 00:25:03,180and you can give online.26200:25:03,420 –> 00:25:07,180Don’t forget to leave your address so that we can send you the free gift.26300:25:07,900 –> 00:25:10,099For open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,26400:25:10,359 –> 00:25:13,420I’m David pick and I hope you’ll join us again next time on,26500:25:13,459 –> 00:25:14,300open the Bible.26600:25:21,359 –> 00:25:23,239What’s your prayer life like?26700:25:23,640 –> 00:25:25,579Is it more of a duty than a blessing?26800:25:26,000 –> 00:25:29,400Find out why that may be next time on open the Bible.