100:00:00,000 –> 00:00:08,860Do you have times when you look at your life and the flame of God’s Grace seems to be very200:00:08,860 –> 00:00:18,400little in you and the smoke of your own failure seems to be very obvious to you and it seems300:00:18,400 –> 00:00:21,340as you look at your own life that there’s more smoke than fire and400:00:21,340 –> 00:00:25,080sometimes you wonder is there actually any fire in their at all?500:00:25,080 –> 00:00:29,000Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick I’m glad you600:00:29,320 –> 00:00:32,360could join us today and Colin can you help us with this a bit you’re talking700:00:32,360 –> 00:00:35,439about smoke and fire what’s going on?800:00:35,459 –> 00:00:37,439Oh Isaiah in chapter 42 it’s one of my favorite900:00:37,439 –> 00:00:41,660verses in the Bible speaks about the Lord Jesus it says there a bruised reed1000:00:41,660 –> 00:00:47,660he will not break and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out so take that1100:00:47,660 –> 00:00:51,439picture here’s the smouldering wick and you say is there any fire there it’s1200:00:51,439 –> 00:00:55,919just smoke and you think of a fire that’s dimmed down and you wonder if1300:00:56,000 –> 00:01:00,000there really is any fire there well it’s a wonderful picture sometimes we look at1400:01:00,000 –> 00:01:04,279our own lives and we say is there any real work of the Spirit of God that’s1500:01:04,279 –> 00:01:08,760going on it it just seems the smoke of my own failure seems to be more than the1600:01:08,760 –> 00:01:15,000the blazing fire of God’s spirit working within me today’s message speaks to the1700:01:15,000 –> 00:01:19,540discouraged heart to the person who feels I don’t know am I getting anywhere1800:01:19,540 –> 00:01:24,000and I want to point you today to the Savior and to the way in which he’s not1900:01:24,000 –> 00:01:27,940going to snuff out the smoldering wick he’s going to fan you back into flame2000:01:27,940 –> 00:01:32,180there’s great hope encouragement and comfort in the Scripture that we’re2100:01:32,180 –> 00:01:36,720looking at today well join us today if you can in Isaiah chapter 42 as we2200:01:36,720 –> 00:01:41,199continue the message the bruised read and the broken heart here is pastor2300:01:41,199 –> 00:01:49,680Colin why is it that in the Bible our hearts are described as hard ground and2400:01:49,779 –> 00:01:57,480God’s Word is described as a plow that plows up hard ground why is it the2500:01:57,480 –> 00:02:06,239conversion is compared to the grafting of a tree as a very powerful picture2600:02:06,239 –> 00:02:13,179you see when you graft a stem onto a root I used to watch my grandfather2700:02:13,179 –> 00:02:18,240doing this in his allotment he would take roots of roses and stems and he2800:02:18,240 –> 00:02:22,600would hybrid them together and so forth and the way you do it as many of you2900:02:22,600 –> 00:02:27,679know better than I do you cut into a part of the root and you cut into part3000:02:27,679 –> 00:02:32,139of the stem and then you bind these open wounds that you have created together3100:02:32,139 –> 00:02:37,059and then you plant the root in the stem so bound and then the character of the3200:02:37,059 –> 00:02:41,860root then flows into the stem and if the the root is for a red rose then that the3300:02:41,860 –> 00:02:47,740stem will bear a red rose and so forth but the key thing is the cut you wound3400:02:47,740 –> 00:02:56,699the stem you wound the root and you bind them together and when wounded root and3500:02:56,699 –> 00:03:01,979wounded stem are bound together and planted then the SAP from the root3600:03:01,979 –> 00:03:10,399penetrates the stem bringing it life and imparting its character now if you just3700:03:10,559 –> 00:03:17,860take a stem and a route unwound it and bind them together nothing happens no3800:03:17,860 –> 00:03:27,139life nothing grows and you know I think that helps us understand why some people3900:03:27,139 –> 00:03:36,320profess faith and have no spiritual life in them we have reduced conversion to a4000:03:36,399 –> 00:03:46,479human decision we live in a world of accepting Jesus we have become used to4100:03:46,479 –> 00:03:54,339professions of faith without repentance and that is unbiblical isn’t it what4200:03:54,339 –> 00:04:00,259that’s like is it’s like binding an uncut stem to an uncut root digging a4300:04:00,259 –> 00:04:03,360hole in the ground and sticking them there and you know what happens4400:04:03,380 –> 00:04:09,300absolutely nothing you end up with people who think themselves Christians4500:04:09,300 –> 00:04:15,020and yet have no awareness of sin in their lives no sorrow over it no great4600:04:15,020 –> 00:04:22,019sense of gratitude to God in worship no evidence of the presence or the life of4700:04:22,019 –> 00:04:28,440God within them or the fruit that comes from that life now friends this is not4800:04:28,440 –> 00:04:36,579true Christianity is it and that’s not where one of us wants to be the broken4900:04:36,579 –> 00:04:42,820heart is an excellent thing in the eyes of God it is the wound into which new5000:04:42,820 –> 00:04:55,079life can flow and without it our faith will always be artificial so if your5100:04:55,119 –> 00:04:59,820heart has been broken over your own sins if you are seeing a sense of your own5200:04:59,820 –> 00:05:06,200need and feeling that far from discouraging you I want to say that is a5300:05:06,200 –> 00:05:12,200sure evidence of God’s grace in your life thanking for it if God does not5400:05:12,200 –> 00:05:18,200despise the broken heart neither should you neither should I neither should we5500:05:18,980 –> 00:05:28,000God lives in you Christ is sent for you and heaven belongs to you and when your5600:05:28,000 –> 00:05:35,299heart is broken then you have found the hidden path to a transformed life this5700:05:35,299 –> 00:05:41,239is so much of the Christian faith is just the opposite of the wisdom of the5800:05:41,239 –> 00:05:46,880world it is counterintuitive and yet it’s so clear and so plain right there5900:05:47,079 –> 00:05:55,320scriptures God will not despise a broken heart second God will not break a6000:05:55,320 –> 00:06:02,920bruised reed now we’re looking here at Isaiah chapter 42 and verse 3 and6100:06:02,920 –> 00:06:07,739you’ll notice that the chapter begins with God speaking about the character6200:06:07,739 –> 00:06:12,700and work of the Messiah who will be God’s servant God’s chosen one God’s6300:06:13,019 –> 00:06:17,260delight he will be filled with God’s Spirit and he will bring justice to the6400:06:17,260 –> 00:06:27,700nations then Isaiah says in verse 3 a bruised read he will not break and a6500:06:27,700 –> 00:06:39,579smoldering wick he will not snuff out God will not break a bruised reed now6600:06:39,579 –> 00:06:44,299will you think with me for a moment about this picture walking along the6700:06:44,299 –> 00:06:51,820side of a river and on the bank that are tall reeds and they have been blowing in6800:06:51,820 –> 00:06:58,220the wind and you notice that some of these reeds have been bent over a strong6900:06:58,220 –> 00:07:05,660wind has caught them or people have trampled on them and these reads are7000:07:05,660 –> 00:07:11,799bruised they are weakened they do not support their full height they are bent7100:07:11,799 –> 00:07:19,799over and another trampling another gust of wind and they could easily be gone7200:07:19,799 –> 00:07:26,019now maybe you can relate to that picture this morning7300:07:26,040 –> 00:07:36,059you have been trampled you have been bruised you have been wounded strong7400:07:36,059 –> 00:07:41,019winds that have blown into your life have taken the strength from you you7500:07:41,019 –> 00:07:46,179don’t feel you’re able to stand up as it were and now you feel vulnerable like a7600:07:46,179 –> 00:07:50,459bruised reed one more trampling one more gust of wind and you think I could7700:07:50,459 –> 00:08:01,339easily be gone now that’s the picture and here’s the promise a bruised reed7800:08:01,339 –> 00:08:09,820he will not break we had a group of women in the church I served in London7900:08:09,820 –> 00:08:17,339who for some time met to talk and to sow and to prepare banners which were hung8000:08:17,660 –> 00:08:21,959the church they depicted various scenes from the Scriptures and one of them my8100:08:21,959 –> 00:08:28,679favorite actually was based on this verse it showed a stock that was bent8200:08:28,679 –> 00:08:39,020over and almost broken but it did not break because a hand held its weight and8300:08:39,020 –> 00:08:45,419that I think catches exactly what is being said here that the bruised reed8400:08:45,419 –> 00:08:52,099that otherwise would be broken and trampled over and finally gone is8500:08:52,099 –> 00:08:58,580sustained because of the hand of the Lord Jesus Christ on it and around it a8600:08:58,580 –> 00:09:07,479bruised reed he will not break now that is a wonderful promise and will you8700:09:07,840 –> 00:09:16,760allow the Holy Spirit to settle it in your mind and in your heart your life is8800:09:16,760 –> 00:09:23,340in the hands of Christ and with all the bruising that you have experienced he8900:09:23,340 –> 00:09:30,659will hold you in your weakness not only is your life in his hand but even the9000:09:30,659 –> 00:09:36,840winds that blow our in his hands and the people who walk on the path at on his9100:09:36,919 –> 00:09:41,179hands he’s not only in control of you he’s in control of everything that9200:09:41,179 –> 00:09:46,640happens to you and everything that will happen to you9300:09:46,640 –> 00:09:51,960and he gives you this promise that he will not allow you to be tested beyond9400:09:51,960 –> 00:09:56,719what you can bear but he will make a way for you so that you can stand up under9500:09:56,719 –> 00:10:05,440it a bruised reed he will not break so you may be bruised but the promise of9600:10:05,760 –> 00:10:10,960Christ to you as his child as you will not be broken you may be wounded but the9700:10:10,960 –> 00:10:15,159promise of Christ to you as his child is you will not be destroyed9800:10:15,159 –> 00:10:19,880Paul one of the greatest Christians surely who has ever lived knew all about9900:10:19,880 –> 00:10:24,460this in his own life do you remember how he expressed it we are hard-pressed on10000:10:24,460 –> 00:10:30,580every side but we’re not crushed we are perplexed but we’re not in despair we10100:10:30,580 –> 00:10:35,140are persecuted but we are not abandoned we are struck down but we are not10200:10:35,140 –> 00:10:40,400destroyed we always carry about in us the death of Jesus in our body so that10300:10:40,400 –> 00:10:46,179the life of Jesus may be revealed in our body also there’s a beautiful statement10400:10:46,179 –> 00:10:53,559in psalm 103 where we’re told that God knows our frame and he remembers that we10500:10:53,559 –> 00:11:01,280are dust God knows the limits of our own strength he he knows the kind of reads10600:11:01,340 –> 00:11:08,200we are we are reads not trees we and we’re bruised reads at that and the10700:11:08,200 –> 00:11:12,840Savior not only knows that we are dust he he has entered into human experience10800:11:12,840 –> 00:11:19,059he knows what it is to be tired he has experienced what it is to be10900:11:19,059 –> 00:11:25,840misunderstood and lonely he knows what it is to be tempted and wounded he11000:11:25,840 –> 00:11:38,000knows what it is to be think about this abused horribly abused he has been11100:11:38,000 –> 00:11:55,020wounded he has been bruised and so he has a special sensitivity to bruising11200:11:55,840 –> 00:12:05,719a bruised read he will not break now your accuser Satan may come to you when11300:12:05,719 –> 00:12:10,719you begin to be stirred up by the Spirit of God to some kind of hope and he will11400:12:10,719 –> 00:12:16,780say to you oh your wounds are too deep the hidden path to a transformed life11500:12:16,780 –> 00:12:21,619it’ll remain hidden to you it’s well beyond what you confined in your life11600:12:21,760 –> 00:12:27,559after all that has happened to you and you need to say to him no not true11700:12:27,559 –> 00:12:33,820because of Jesus. You’re listening to open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith11800:12:33,820 –> 00:12:37,479and we have to pause a message briefly there but we’ll be back very shortly so11900:12:37,479 –> 00:12:42,479stay with us if you can. The message is called the bruise read and the broken12000:12:42,479 –> 00:12:46,820heart and it’s part of our series called repentance the hidden path to a12100:12:46,820 –> 00:12:51,020transformed life. We’re nearly at the end of this series so if you’ve missed any12200:12:51,020 –> 00:12:54,739of the series it’s very easy to catch up and listen again to any of the12300:12:54,739 –> 00:12:59,500messages in the series by coming online to our website openthebible.org.uk12400:12:59,500 –> 00:13:04,059You can also find them on a podcast site if that’s a preferred12500:13:04,059 –> 00:13:08,419way of listening. Search for open the Bible UK and subscribe if you want to12600:13:08,419 –> 00:13:13,539receive regular reminders. Back to the message now. Here again is Pastor Colin12700:13:13,580 –> 00:13:23,559God will not despise the broken-heart, and God will not break the bruised12800:13:23,559 –> 00:13:34,859reed. Ready for one more? God will not snuff out a smoky fire. Phrase that’s12900:13:34,859 –> 00:13:40,960used here is a smouldering wick. I’m gonna refer to it as a smokey fire which13000:13:40,960 –> 00:13:46,960I think catches best the picture that Iziah is using. The authorized version13100:13:46,960 –> 00:13:52,419says a smoking flax, he will not quench, the NIV a smoldering wick. He will not13200:13:52,419 –> 00:13:59,479snuff out. Now the picture here is very simply the picture of starting a fire13300:13:59,479 –> 00:14:04,520and imagine yourself out camping or remember a time when you’ve been out13400:14:04,520 –> 00:14:10,760camping, and you have to start a fire using only a few leaves and twigs and a13500:14:10,760 –> 00:14:16,359damp box of matches. You know that deal? You’ve got this little pile of twigs and13600:14:16,359 –> 00:14:19,840of leaves and a couple of bits of straw and whatever. The problem is that they13700:14:19,840 –> 00:14:24,679seem to be a little damp and so as you begin to get the fire going, what’s it13800:14:24,679 –> 00:14:34,880like? There’s more smoke than fire. And you look at this smoking, smoldering kind13900:14:34,880 –> 00:14:38,919of pile of twigs and you don’t want to poke it or disturb it but you’re saying14000:14:38,940 –> 00:14:44,760to yourself, I’m not sure if there’s any fire going in there at all. And that’s14100:14:44,760 –> 00:14:50,280the picture here and it is a wonderful picture of what we sometimes feel about14200:14:50,280 –> 00:14:55,679God’s work in our own lives. And let’s face it, when we look at our own14300:14:55,679 –> 00:14:59,400lives sometimes, even after all the years that you may have been a Christian, don’t14400:14:59,400 –> 00:15:03,280you have times when you look at your life and the flame of God’s grace14500:15:04,239 –> 00:15:10,820be very little in you. And the smoke of your own failure seems to be very14600:15:10,820 –> 00:15:16,859obvious to you, and it seems as you look at your own life that there’s more smoke14700:15:16,859 –> 00:15:23,640than fire and sometimes you wonder is there actually any fire in there at all.14800:15:23,640 –> 00:15:28,479Now, using that picture, I think it’s helpful to remember that smoke and14900:15:28,479 –> 00:15:33,200fire always exist together in the life of a Christian believer in differing15000:15:33,239 –> 00:15:37,719degrees, but in the life of a Christian believer, they always exist together.15100:15:37,719 –> 00:15:41,179You see it all the way throughout the bible as well as in our own experience.15200:15:42,520 –> 00:15:51,400Peter says to Jesus, you are the Christ, the son of the living God, that’s fire.15300:15:51,400 –> 00:15:54,000Then Jesus says, well, just so you know, I’m going to go to the cross.15400:15:54,000 –> 00:15:55,880Not so, Lord.15500:15:55,880 –> 00:15:57,580That’s smoke, right?15600:15:58,260 –> 00:16:07,700Thomas, unless I see the nail prints in his hand and put my fist into his side, I15700:16:07,700 –> 00:16:09,859will not believe.15800:16:09,859 –> 00:16:11,760That’s smoke.15900:16:11,760 –> 00:16:17,380And he sees Jesus and he falls on his face, my Lord and my God.16000:16:17,380 –> 00:16:19,179That’s fire.16100:16:19,179 –> 00:16:23,340The man comes to Jesus and he says, Lord I believe.16200:16:23,340 –> 00:16:25,299That’s fire.16300:16:25,299 –> 00:16:28,900But my unbelief, smoke.16400:16:28,900 –> 00:16:32,039The spirit is willing.16500:16:32,039 –> 00:16:33,039That’s fire.16600:16:33,039 –> 00:16:34,479The flesh is weak.16700:16:34,479 –> 00:16:36,979There’s the smoke.16800:16:36,979 –> 00:16:40,760O-wretched man that I am, who will deliver me?16900:16:40,760 –> 00:16:44,140There’s the smoke.17000:16:44,140 –> 00:16:47,940Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ.17100:16:47,940 –> 00:16:51,299There’s the fire.17200:16:51,299 –> 00:16:56,979Back in the 17th century a man called Richard Sibbes wrote a whole book on this one verse17300:16:56,979 –> 00:17:00,780in Isaiah and he called it the Bruised Read.17400:17:00,780 –> 00:17:04,500It’s a wonderful and very insightful book.17500:17:04,500 –> 00:17:07,959And he says that, I want to quote one or two things that he says that I find so very helpful.17600:17:07,959 –> 00:17:15,199He says, Grace does not do away with corruption all at once in the Christian believer.17700:17:15,199 –> 00:17:18,640Some is left for believers to fight with.17800:17:18,640 –> 00:17:25,280From this mixture, he says, arises the fact that God’s people have different judgments17900:17:25,280 –> 00:17:29,859of themselves, because we’re fire and smoke together, you see, we have different judgments18000:17:29,859 –> 00:17:37,219of ourselves, looking sometimes at the work of grace and sometimes at our remaining corruption.18100:17:37,219 –> 00:17:42,780And when we look upon that, we may think that we have no grace at all.18200:17:42,780 –> 00:17:45,420Do you know that experience?18300:17:45,599 –> 00:17:50,439You look at the smoke and you say, I really, really wonder if there’s any fire.18400:17:52,280 –> 00:17:59,219It follows, he says, and this, I think is brilliant, that Christians must have two eyes,18500:17:59,219 –> 00:18:03,380one to see imperfections in ourselves, and the other to see what is good.18600:18:03,380 –> 00:18:09,579See, don’t be a one-eyed Christian who only sees smoke and cannot detect the evidence18700:18:09,579 –> 00:18:14,180of God’s grace, or who only sees that, oh, God’s doing wonderful things in my life, but18800:18:14,180 –> 00:18:16,979cannot really see what remains yet to be changed.18900:18:16,979 –> 00:18:18,920Too many one-eyed Christians.19000:18:18,920 –> 00:18:20,739You never grow that way.19100:18:20,739 –> 00:18:22,380No, we must have two eyes.19200:18:22,380 –> 00:18:26,619One to see the imperfections in ourselves, the others to see what is good, and we must19300:18:26,619 –> 00:18:34,500beware, he says, of false reasoning such as, because our fire does not blaze as others,19400:18:34,500 –> 00:18:38,900therefore we have no fire at all.19500:18:38,900 –> 00:18:44,140We must look to grace in the spark, as well as in the flame.19600:18:45,079 –> 00:18:52,040Learn to discern the fire in the smoke.19700:18:52,040 –> 00:18:58,380And you know, isn’t it an amazing thing that the Holy Spirit would start His fire in smoky19800:18:58,380 –> 00:18:59,939souls?19900:18:59,939 –> 00:19:05,180Indeed, there is no smoke without fire.20000:19:05,180 –> 00:19:12,839And when you see and feel your own failure, you can be confident that the spark of God’s20100:19:13,020 –> 00:19:21,079grace is present in your life and here’s the promise—God will not allow it to be extinguished.20200:19:21,079 –> 00:19:24,900He will not allow the smoldering wick to be snuffed out.20300:19:24,900 –> 00:19:33,140He will not allow the smoky fire to come to nothing, because even the spark is the spark20400:19:33,140 –> 00:19:40,800of His Holy Spirit and what His Holy Spirit does is never abandoned and never ultimately20500:19:40,800 –> 00:19:41,800fails.20600:19:41,900 –> 00:19:43,599I love this from Sibs.20700:19:43,599 –> 00:19:46,099These guys could really write with style.20800:19:46,099 –> 00:19:51,260Oh what a confusion is this to Satan.20900:19:51,260 –> 00:20:00,760That he should labor to blow out a poor spark and yet should be unable to quench it.21000:20:00,760 –> 00:20:07,400That a grain of mustard seed should be stronger than the gates of hell.21100:20:07,400 –> 00:20:10,400Don’t you thank God for that?21200:20:10,400 –> 00:20:15,479This little fire that sometimes seems so pathetic to you, and it’s such a big frustration for21300:20:15,479 –> 00:20:22,280Satan because he cannot blow it out because it is ignited by the Spirit of God.21400:20:22,280 –> 00:20:28,079And the commitment of Jesus Christ is that every spark in the human soul will be fanned21500:20:28,079 –> 00:20:29,079into flame.21600:20:29,079 –> 00:20:33,640Every work of God’s grace begun will be brought to completion.21700:20:33,640 –> 00:20:35,420One more quote from Sibs.21800:20:35,420 –> 00:20:44,380He says, ”Learn to see a flame in the spark and a tree in the seed.’21900:20:44,380 –> 00:20:48,619See great things in little beginnings.22000:20:48,619 –> 00:20:55,859Look not so much to the small beginning but to the perfection of that which is completed.22100:20:55,859 –> 00:21:05,380And so we shall be in some degree joyful in ourselves and thankful to Christ.’22200:21:06,380 –> 00:21:14,400Now, when you look at your Christian life you will all often feel, as I often feel,22300:21:14,400 –> 00:21:20,900that you are not what you ought to be, that you are not what you want to be, it’s good22400:21:20,900 –> 00:21:24,180to remember then that you’re not yet what you will be.22500:21:24,180 –> 00:21:27,300What we will be is yet to be made known.22600:21:27,300 –> 00:21:33,939And, in the grace and mercy of God, you’re not what you used to be, either.22700:21:34,119 –> 00:21:42,219And when the accuser tells you that your sins are too great, you tell him that God will22800:21:42,219 –> 00:21:46,140not despise a broken heart.22900:21:46,140 –> 00:21:53,260And when the accuser tells you that your wounds are too deep, tell him that God will not break23000:21:53,260 –> 00:21:55,319a bruised reed.23100:21:56,319 –> 00:22:04,760And when the accuser tells you that your faith is too small, tell him that God will not quench23200:22:04,760 –> 00:22:07,819a smoky fire.23300:22:07,819 –> 00:22:15,800And may God strengthen our hearts as we pursue the hidden path to a transformed life.23400:22:17,000 –> 00:22:20,900What a great way to finish our message today, and indeed the entire series.23500:22:21,140 –> 00:22:26,500The message was called The Bruce Reid and the Broken Heart and the series Repentance23600:22:26,500 –> 00:22:29,199The Hidden Path to a Transformed Life.23700:22:29,199 –> 00:22:33,359Don’t forget, if you missed any of the series, you can catch up or go back and listen again23800:22:33,359 –> 00:22:38,979by coming online to our website that’s at openthebible.org.uk23900:22:38,979 –> 00:22:43,239You’ll find all the messages which have already gone out on air on our website, and24000:22:43,239 –> 00:22:47,599also available as a podcast by searching for Open the Bible UK.24100:22:48,459 –> 00:22:50,959Open The Bible is supported by our listeners.24200:22:50,959 –> 00:22:56,520We’re able to bring you Pastor Colin’s teaching on radio, internet and podcasts as24300:22:56,520 –> 00:22:59,819a result of the generosity of listeners like you.24400:22:59,819 –> 00:23:04,900So if you already give to support our work, thank you so much, we do appreciate it.24500:23:04,900 –> 00:23:09,339This month, when you begin to support Open the Bible for the first time, we’d love24600:23:09,339 –> 00:23:14,339to say thank you by sending you a copy of Pastor Colin’s brand new book, Grow in Faith.24700:23:14,699 –> 00:23:20,300This devotional book is not yet available in the UK so our offer is very exclusive.24800:23:20,300 –> 00:23:23,040Colin, why did you write this book?24900:23:23,040 –> 00:23:29,380Well the Bible speaks to us repeatedly about the central importance of faith and of hope25000:23:29,380 –> 00:23:30,380and of love.25100:23:30,380 –> 00:23:34,959At the end of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul speaks about everything else is going to pass away25200:23:34,959 –> 00:23:39,459– but these things are going to remain – faith, hope and love.25300:23:39,560 –> 00:23:44,319So they’re of central importance and of course they speak to the needs of our world25400:23:44,319 –> 00:23:45,319today.25500:23:45,319 –> 00:23:51,660I mean we’re living in days where so many people experience fear and a sense of gloom25600:23:51,660 –> 00:23:53,420and where there’s so much conflict.25700:23:53,420 –> 00:23:55,699We need faith, hope and love.25800:23:55,699 –> 00:24:02,000And so Grow In Faith is actually the first of a series of three books that are coming25900:24:02,000 –> 00:24:06,219out beginning this month and in the two months that follow.26000:24:06,500 –> 00:24:10,160I’m very excited and grateful for the opportunity to do this.26100:24:10,160 –> 00:24:18,280If God’s people can grow in faith, grow in hope and grow in love, then the world is going26200:24:18,280 –> 00:24:23,739to see something distinct about us that’s very powerfully attractive.26300:24:23,739 –> 00:24:27,939And so I hope that these books are going to be a means of God’s blessing and encouragement26400:24:27,939 –> 00:24:29,060to many.26500:24:29,060 –> 00:24:34,140Start this month with Grow In Faith and follow up next month with Grow In Hope and the month26600:24:34,140 –> 00:24:36,020after that with Grow In Love.26700:24:36,020 –> 00:24:41,079Well, Pastor Colin’s book, Grow In Faith is our special offer to you this month when26800:24:41,079 –> 00:24:46,219you support Open the Bible Financially for the first time, with a one-off gift of £6026900:24:46,219 –> 00:24:52,079or more or a monthly direct debit of £5 per month or more.27000:24:52,079 –> 00:24:59,540Full terms and conditions are on our website at openthebible.org.uk, and you can give online.27100:24:59,540 –> 00:25:04,020Please do remember to leave your full name and address when you set up your payment so27200:25:04,020 –> 00:25:05,939we can send you your free gift.27300:25:07,020 –> 00:25:11,140For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick, and I look forward to you27400:25:11,140 –> 00:25:17,020joining us again next time on Open the Bible.27500:25:17,020 –> 00:25:25,8595 You’re in a dry or dark place, and you take it to the Lord in prayer, but God still seems27600:25:25,859 –> 00:25:27,339far away.27700:25:27,339 –> 00:25:30,260Find out why next time on Open the Bible.