100:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,000The heart very simply is the command and control center of your life. Your heart is the deepest200:00:10,000 –> 00:00:17,000thing about you. Where your heart is is always the central question where your heart is today300:00:18,059 –> 00:00:22,719will be a predictor of where your life will be tomorrow.400:00:22,719 –> 00:00:27,400Welcome to open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick, glad you could be with500:00:27,400 –> 00:00:33,020us today. And Colin, if someone asks that question of themselves, where is my heart600:00:33,020 –> 00:00:36,959and they’re not happy with the answer, how can they change that?700:00:36,959 –> 00:00:43,959Oh, well, it is the work of God to transform the human heart. And that is the great promise800:00:44,020 –> 00:00:50,939of the gospel, that he’s able to take away a heart of stone and give a heart of flesh.900:00:50,939 –> 00:00:54,240And where we’re going in the message today is really the hardest, the most important1000:00:54,240 –> 00:00:59,380thing about you and at the end of the day, it’s not how much, you know, it’s not even1100:00:59,380 –> 00:01:05,320a matter of your behavior. That’s the ultimate thing about you. It’s what’s in your heart.1200:01:05,320 –> 00:01:10,199That’s why the scripture says, guard your heart. It’s the fountain of life. And we’re1300:01:10,199 –> 00:01:14,940looking at the words of Solomon today, where he says to his son, give me your heart, because1400:01:14,940 –> 00:01:19,900even if his son’s well behaved, even if his son’s super well educated, if the heart is1500:01:19,900 –> 00:01:23,540in the wrong place, it doesn’t matter how much the boy knows, he’s gonna end up in the1600:01:23,540 –> 00:01:28,099wrong place if his heart isn’t in the right place. That’s where the action is. The gospel1700:01:28,099 –> 00:01:34,559speaks to the heart. So join us if you can today in proverbs 23, as we begin the message1800:01:34,559 –> 00:01:40,099the heart gone wrong here is Pastor Colin. Now, what we have in this verse that’s before1900:01:40,099 –> 00:01:49,180us today then is obviously a father speaking to his son, my son, give me your heart, it2000:01:49,279 –> 00:01:56,500could of course equally well be a father speaking to his daughter or it could be a mother speaking2100:01:56,500 –> 00:02:02,820to a daughter or a mother speaking to a son. So we can hear these words in all of these2200:02:02,820 –> 00:02:10,300ways in their different applications to each of us. But in this case, that is before us2300:02:10,380 –> 00:02:18,259today in Proverbs chapter 23. It is a father who is speaking to his son and he says, my2400:02:18,259 –> 00:02:26,300son, give me your heart and I want over these two weeks then for us to hear these words2500:02:26,300 –> 00:02:33,139first in the voice of a father speaking to his son or to his daughter and then I want2600:02:33,220 –> 00:02:39,279us to hear these words in the voice of God, our heavenly Father speaking to us.2700:02:39,279 –> 00:02:46,759Now let’s begin here with the question who then is the father? Most of the Proverbs,2800:02:46,759 –> 00:02:53,100as many of you know, are credited to Solomon, the son of King David, who was given a very2900:02:53,100 –> 00:02:56,699special gift of wisdom from the Lord.3000:02:56,699 –> 00:03:01,539There are a few Proverbs towards the end of the book that are by other authors, a King3100:03:01,539 –> 00:03:08,759Lemuel and a man by the name of Agur, but most of the Proverbs were either written by3200:03:08,759 –> 00:03:14,919or collected by King Solomon and how appropriate that he should be the one to do this because3300:03:14,919 –> 00:03:21,660he was given particular wisdom and this book of Proverbs is a collection of wisdom for3400:03:21,660 –> 00:03:22,559our lives.3500:03:22,559 –> 00:03:31,259So if Solomon was the father, who is the son? Now Solomon, of course, was infamous for having3600:03:31,300 –> 00:03:39,139had many wives and so we must assume that over the course of his life he had many sons3700:03:39,139 –> 00:03:48,059and daughters as well, but here’s a kind of Bible trivia question. How many children of3800:03:48,059 –> 00:03:55,160Solomon are named in the Bible? You see the Sons of David, many sons of David are mentioned3900:03:55,179 –> 00:03:59,919and in the genealogies, you know how often, multiple offspring are mentioned, but in the4000:04:00,279 –> 00:04:09,839the case of Solomon, only one son is mentioned, no daughters mentioned, only one offspring4100:04:09,839 –> 00:04:17,660and his name was Rehoboam, you can read about him in First Kings 11-14, he was the successor4200:04:17,660 –> 00:04:26,200to Solomon, of course, and reigned for 17 years after his father’s death. So I think4300:04:26,200 –> 00:04:32,540it is very reasonable therefore for us to hear these verses that are before us today.4400:04:32,540 –> 00:04:43,480First as the passionate plea of King Solomon to his own son, Rehoboam, the only one to4500:04:43,480 –> 00:04:52,019be named in the Bible. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king when his father died.4600:04:53,019 –> 00:04:57,940We are to picture then that the father was speaking to the son at an earlier stage, maybe4700:04:57,940 –> 00:05:06,980in his teenage years, maybe in his twenties or maybe in his thirties, and he sits down4800:05:06,980 –> 00:05:13,119with his son in bringing collected wisdom to bear that we have preserved for us by the4900:05:13,119 –> 00:05:18,019Holy Spirit in the verses that have been read. He says Proverbs 23 and verse 26,5000:05:18,880 –> 00:05:26,359give me your heart. So these are the words of a wise father, that’s the first thing to5100:05:26,359 –> 00:05:33,779know, a good father who loves his son. These are not the words of an emotionally needy5200:05:33,779 –> 00:05:38,459dad who’s sort of saying, oh love me, love me. Please, I need you to love me. There’s5300:05:38,459 –> 00:05:46,779nothing like that at all. These are the words of a good father, and he is seeking the good5400:05:46,820 –> 00:05:58,200of his son, and what he says is, my son give me your heart. That’s the focus of his concern.5500:05:58,200 –> 00:06:02,279Now I want to focus on three things today. We’ll spend most of our time on the first5600:06:02,279 –> 00:06:07,779two. Let’s begin here. Why the heart matters? Why does he say give me your heart, why is5700:06:07,779 –> 00:06:16,480the heart so important in the Bible? As indeed it is. Well the heart very simply is the command5800:06:16,480 –> 00:06:23,200and control center of your life. Your heart is the deepest thing about you. Where your5900:06:23,200 –> 00:06:30,500heart is, is always the central question. Where your heart is today, will be a predictor6000:06:30,500 –> 00:06:36,160of where your life will be tomorrow. Let me give you just very briefly six scriptures6100:06:36,160 –> 00:06:41,459that point in different ways to the importance of the heart. First, the Bible makes clear6200:06:42,320 –> 00:06:49,320direct your life. Proverbs 4 and verse 23. Keep your heart with all vigilance for from6300:06:49,320 –> 00:06:57,559it flow the springs of life. Notice keep your heart. You have brother, sister, a responsibility6400:06:57,559 –> 00:07:03,119for your own heart. God says to you, you’ve got to guard your heart. You’re going to keep6500:07:03,119 –> 00:07:08,920your heart. If your heart is cold, there’s a reason why your heart is cold. If your heart6600:07:09,019 –> 00:07:13,540is all over the place today, there’s a reason why it’s become distracted and why it’s all6700:07:13,540 –> 00:07:18,399over the place. Why is your heart like that and someone else’s is in a different place?6800:07:18,399 –> 00:07:23,500You have a responsibility for your own heart. And here’s why it matters. Because from your6900:07:23,500 –> 00:07:28,559heart, flow the springs of your life. The whole trajectory of your life. Where you will7000:07:28,559 –> 00:07:33,100be tomorrow springs from where your heart is today.7100:07:33,600 –> 00:07:41,579Second, the heart is a mystery. Jeremiah chapter 17 verse 9. The heart is deceitful above all7200:07:41,579 –> 00:07:47,480things and desperately sick. We’ll come back to that in a moment but notice the last part7300:07:47,480 –> 00:07:58,859of the verse. Who can understand it? Who can understand it? Can you explain your own heart?7400:07:58,899 –> 00:08:05,440Can you explain why you are as you are? Why you feel what you feel? Why you’re drawn7500:08:05,440 –> 00:08:13,459to what you are drawn to? Someone may say, well Pastor, if you knew what had happened7600:08:13,459 –> 00:08:20,339to me in my life, that would explain why I am. But here’s the thing. Other people have7700:08:20,339 –> 00:08:26,339experienced something very similar to what you have experienced in your life, and they7800:08:26,359 –> 00:08:35,159may be in a very different place. So how are you going to explain that? The heart is a7900:08:35,159 –> 00:08:41,559mystery. And that’s why Paul speaks in Romans, in chapter 7 about his own heart. He says,8000:08:41,559 –> 00:08:49,739I don’t understand it! What I want to do, I end up not doing, and what I don’t want8100:08:49,739 –> 00:08:54,780to do, I end up going there. Why is that? It’s a mystery to me. I seem to be a mass8200:08:54,799 –> 00:09:03,179of contradictions. Third, the heart is sinful. We already saw that from Jeremiah, but look8300:09:03,179 –> 00:09:08,340at it in the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 15, in verse 19. He says this.8400:09:08,340 –> 00:09:18,979From out of the heart come evil thoughts and murder and adultery and sexual immorality8500:09:19,059 –> 00:09:28,559and theft and false witness and slander. Now of course, we like to think that bad things8600:09:28,559 –> 00:09:33,219are all out there and come to us from outside. But the Bible won’t let us get away with8700:09:33,219 –> 00:09:42,640that. No, the Lord Jesus says very clearly that it comes from inside, it’s out of8800:09:42,739 –> 00:09:52,020the heart that these sins and these evils flow. Now, of course as parents, we rightly8900:09:52,020 –> 00:09:58,520feel a responsibility to do whatever we can to protect our children from the many, many9000:09:58,520 –> 00:10:05,020evils that are indeed in the world out there. But of course, when we take to heart what9100:10:05,020 –> 00:10:10,340we learn in the Bible, we understand that the greatest danger not only to our children,9200:10:10,380 –> 00:10:15,159but indeed to all of us, is not in fact the evil that is out there, but the evil that9300:10:15,159 –> 00:10:24,659is in here, in our own hearts. Now this actually is very important for parents9400:10:24,659 –> 00:10:31,679to grasp, particularly parents who grieve over a rebel son or a rebel daughter.9500:10:31,679 –> 00:10:37,880Let me quote to you from John White, a Christian psychologist and counselor and speaker who9600:10:37,960 –> 00:10:44,960a very helpful book called, Parents in Pain. He talks in that book about the theories of9700:10:46,280 –> 00:10:53,280raising children that are widespread in our culture, that simply assume that children9800:10:54,299 –> 00:11:01,299are the product of their upbringing period. He says this, that these theories assume that9900:11:01,880 –> 00:11:08,880children come into the world, and I quote, as clean slates for their parents to write10000:11:13,880 –> 00:11:20,200on. If the parents write properly, says John White describing these theories, if the parents10100:11:20,200 –> 00:11:26,840write properly what they ought to write, that is if they rear their children properly, they10200:11:27,239 –> 00:11:32,359will then produce well-adjusted, outgoing, morally upright and self-reliant children.10300:11:33,880 –> 00:11:42,359And, therefore, any defect in the final product must reflect parental mismanagement. Now that’s10400:11:42,359 –> 00:11:49,640his description of widespread child raising theory in our world, that we are simply the10500:11:49,640 –> 00:11:56,440product of our environment and so forth and so on, and therefore, that anything that is produced,10600:11:56,440 –> 00:12:01,080that is amiss in a child, is to be blamed at the mismanagement of the parents.10700:12:02,520 –> 00:12:06,440Now here’s what John White is saying, he’s making this point,10800:12:08,280 –> 00:12:16,679child rearing theories may say that children come into the world as a clean slate10900:12:17,479 –> 00:12:24,599for parents to write on, but the Bible, if we understand it, is saying to us something very11000:12:24,599 –> 00:12:30,679different, the Bible is saying children do not come into the world as a clean slate for11100:12:30,679 –> 00:12:37,000parents to write on, children come into the world with sin written on their hearts already,11200:12:37,000 –> 00:12:43,479the slate is already graffitied. And that is how it has been down through the generations since11300:12:44,200 –> 00:12:50,119Adam and Eve were ejected from the garden of Eden, sin is already11400:12:50,119 –> 00:12:52,760scrawled on the slate, the heart is sinful.11500:12:53,960 –> 00:12:58,039And that is something very fundamental we need to understand about. That’s why it is11600:12:58,039 –> 00:13:00,760a mystery to us. That’s why we don’t even understand ourselves.11700:13:20,119 –> 00:13:37,880Fourth, God looks at the heart. 1Samuel 16 verse 7,11800:13:37,880 –> 00:13:42,760The Lord sees not as man sees because man looks on the outward appearance,11900:13:42,760 –> 00:13:46,599but God the Lord looks on the heart Jan Sikora 14, keyword Proverbs 212000:13:47,000 –> 00:13:48,039Here’s what this means,12100:13:50,119 –> 00:13:59,880That God looks into your life more deeply than anyone else ever can or ever will.12200:13:59,880 –> 00:14:05,559God looks into your life more deeply. Other people just see you on the outside.12300:14:05,559 –> 00:14:08,520They hear your words and they see your expressions,12400:14:08,520 –> 00:14:13,080they look on the outward appearance, but God alone is able to look on the heart.12500:14:13,080 –> 00:14:17,880He sees into you and what is going on inside you right now12600:14:17,880 –> 00:14:22,919more deeply than any other person ever can or ever will.12700:14:25,000 –> 00:14:28,599And you may not understand your own heart.12800:14:28,599 –> 00:14:30,440Why do you love what you love?12900:14:31,400 –> 00:14:33,719Why do you think and feel as you do?13000:14:33,719 –> 00:14:35,479But you can be sure of this that13100:14:36,359 –> 00:14:41,239while you may not understand your own heart, God surely and certainly does.13200:14:43,080 –> 00:14:45,400Fifth, the heart is very important for this reason13300:14:45,400 –> 00:14:49,000that the heart actually often contradicts the mouth.13400:14:49,000 –> 00:14:50,919Jesus says in Matthew 15,13500:14:50,919 –> 00:14:57,320this people honours Me with their lips but their heart is far from Me.13600:14:59,080 –> 00:15:05,320Now of course it is true that what we say is often the overflow of our heart.13700:15:05,320 –> 00:15:08,520That’s why what we say is often very revealing about us.13800:15:09,479 –> 00:15:11,640Our Lord Jesus makes this clear doesn’t he?13900:15:11,719 –> 00:15:15,239He says, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.14000:15:15,239 –> 00:15:17,159That’s Luke 6 in verse 45.14100:15:18,200 –> 00:15:21,799But here Jesus is making clear that that is not always the case14200:15:21,799 –> 00:15:27,479and it is possible for the heart to become disconnected from the mouth.14300:15:28,840 –> 00:15:31,000In other words, it is possible to be in church14400:15:31,000 –> 00:15:33,159and to say the right things and so forth14500:15:33,159 –> 00:15:36,840but actually for your heart to be in another place14600:15:38,520 –> 00:15:41,000and very far from God indeed.14700:15:42,359 –> 00:15:43,880Which is why Jesus says,14800:15:43,880 –> 00:15:49,239Why do you call me Lord, Lord and you don’t do what I command you.14900:15:51,719 –> 00:15:55,080Remember Jesus told a story about two sons,15000:15:55,080 –> 00:15:58,599not the prodigal son this is another story that was making this point.15100:15:59,799 –> 00:16:03,559A certain man had two sons and he said to both of these sons,15200:16:03,559 –> 00:16:05,719go work in my vineyard.15300:16:06,679 –> 00:16:07,559And the first one said,15400:16:07,559 –> 00:16:08,440yes I will.15500:16:09,080 –> 00:16:09,960But he didn’t go.15600:16:10,440 –> 00:16:11,960And the second one said,15700:16:11,960 –> 00:16:13,159no I’m not going to do that.15800:16:13,159 –> 00:16:15,320But then he changed his mind and he did go.15900:16:16,840 –> 00:16:17,960I think about this,16000:16:17,960 –> 00:16:23,559in both cases the heart was in a different place from the mouth,16100:16:23,559 –> 00:16:24,440in both cases.16200:16:26,239 –> 00:16:27,159Sixth,16300:16:27,159 –> 00:16:31,559the roots of unbelief actually lie not in the head but in the heart.16400:16:32,840 –> 00:16:34,440Psalm 14 and verse one,16500:16:34,440 –> 00:16:36,440where God says what only God can say,16600:16:36,440 –> 00:16:44,200the fool says in his heart there is no God.16700:16:45,880 –> 00:16:50,039Now the person who does not believe may also say in their head,16800:16:50,039 –> 00:16:51,400there is no God.16900:16:51,400 –> 00:16:53,719But you see the point that is being made here,17000:16:53,719 –> 00:16:58,599unbelief has a deeper root than in the intellect.17100:16:59,320 –> 00:17:04,119The fool says in his heart there is no God.17200:17:04,119 –> 00:17:08,040Now it is a very simple fact, is it not,17300:17:08,040 –> 00:17:12,199that there are people who are of great intellect17400:17:13,239 –> 00:17:16,680who are Christians and there are people of great intellect17500:17:16,680 –> 00:17:18,119who are not Christians.17600:17:18,760 –> 00:17:24,839That’s because faith and unbelief both have a deeper root17700:17:26,119 –> 00:17:27,239than the intellect.17800:17:27,239 –> 00:17:31,400It does not depend upon knowledge or upon intelligence.17900:17:32,280 –> 00:17:36,920Here we’re being told, in fact, that unbelief is visceral18000:17:39,079 –> 00:17:41,319at its root rather than intellectual.18100:17:43,000 –> 00:17:47,400That it arises at its root from a hidden resistance18200:17:47,400 –> 00:17:51,000towards God that lies deep in the human heart18300:17:51,000 –> 00:17:52,920that the person who does not believe18400:17:52,920 –> 00:17:55,959may not even recognize or fully understand themselves.18500:17:56,920 –> 00:17:59,160It’s in the heart it comes out of this18600:17:59,160 –> 00:18:00,520there is no God.18700:18:02,760 –> 00:18:06,280Why is it that two people18800:18:07,959 –> 00:18:11,079can go through exactly the same experience18900:18:12,920 –> 00:18:15,560and one comes out praising God19000:18:16,839 –> 00:18:19,239and the other comes out blaming God?19100:18:21,400 –> 00:18:24,439Two people experience a terrible loss19200:18:26,680 –> 00:18:31,719and one comes out with a testimony to God’s help in the trouble19300:18:33,880 –> 00:18:38,280and another comes out with another reason not to believe19400:18:40,599 –> 00:18:42,199it was the same experience19500:18:44,280 –> 00:18:45,239Why the difference?19600:18:47,959 –> 00:18:50,040Well the difference you see lies in the heart19700:18:51,239 –> 00:18:55,400that’s taking a person in a different direction19800:18:56,920 –> 00:18:58,439Why the heart matters?19900:18:58,439 –> 00:19:03,079Once you ponder the command and control center20000:19:03,079 –> 00:19:05,719of your own life and the mystery that it is20100:19:05,719 –> 00:19:08,920you will see why the bible again and again and again20200:19:08,920 –> 00:19:11,079comes back to speak about your heart20300:19:11,079 –> 00:19:13,319and why God says to you today20400:19:13,319 –> 00:19:16,760my son, my daughter, give me your heart20500:19:20,040 –> 00:19:21,880Now let’s turn to a second thing20600:19:21,880 –> 00:19:24,359because i want us to see in these verses here20700:19:24,439 –> 00:19:27,000where the heart goes wrong20800:19:27,880 –> 00:19:30,520When Solomon says to Rehoboam20900:19:31,160 –> 00:19:34,680my son, give me your heart21000:19:34,680 –> 00:19:37,319it seems very clear just from that statement21100:19:37,319 –> 00:19:41,319that this is a father who has some anxiety21200:19:41,319 –> 00:19:43,560over where his son’s heart is21300:19:44,920 –> 00:19:46,680Now remember as we think about this21400:19:46,680 –> 00:19:49,640that Solomon was famed for his wisdom21500:19:50,599 –> 00:19:52,920and so here is a wise father21600:19:52,920 –> 00:19:56,599who is discerning his son’s heart21700:19:58,040 –> 00:20:00,040Now remember especially in the early years21800:20:00,040 –> 00:20:01,560when Solomon would have collected21900:20:01,560 –> 00:20:03,560and spoken these words of wisdom22000:20:04,280 –> 00:20:06,599that Solomon followed the best22100:20:06,599 –> 00:20:09,319of his father David’s example22200:20:10,760 –> 00:20:13,319But remember also that Solomon22300:20:13,319 –> 00:20:15,479see these are real life stories22400:20:15,479 –> 00:20:16,920Solomon had a brother22500:20:17,400 –> 00:20:21,959whose path went in a very different direction22600:20:22,839 –> 00:20:24,760the brother’s name was Absalom22700:20:25,719 –> 00:20:27,959and Absalam raised a rebellion22800:20:27,959 –> 00:20:29,880against his father David22900:20:30,839 –> 00:20:33,560and that rebellion led his life23000:20:33,560 –> 00:20:35,880on a sorry path that had23100:20:35,880 –> 00:20:38,520a very miserable end indeed23200:20:40,040 –> 00:20:41,319and so here is Solomon23300:20:41,319 –> 00:20:42,839who at this point in his life23400:20:42,839 –> 00:20:44,760is following in the path23500:20:44,760 –> 00:20:48,119of the best example of his own father David23600:20:48,119 –> 00:20:49,959and he’s looking at his son and saying23700:20:49,959 –> 00:20:51,400I wonder where your heart is23800:20:53,800 –> 00:20:56,280will my son be like my rebel brother?23900:20:58,040 –> 00:20:59,160that’s the question here24000:21:01,560 –> 00:21:03,079and so here’s Solomon’s fear24100:21:04,359 –> 00:21:07,000he has a son who professes faith24200:21:07,959 –> 00:21:11,239he professes to believe the faith24300:21:11,239 –> 00:21:13,719that was handed down from his grandfather David24400:21:13,800 –> 00:21:15,640and now his father Solomon24500:21:17,560 –> 00:21:20,680but there seems to be in this son24600:21:20,680 –> 00:21:22,520a secret longing24700:21:23,800 –> 00:21:25,719an attraction of his heart24800:21:25,719 –> 00:21:27,560a drawing of his heart24900:21:27,560 –> 00:21:30,439to move in a different direction25000:21:31,719 –> 00:21:33,239Such a practical message there25100:21:33,239 –> 00:21:34,680from pastor Colin Smith25200:21:34,680 –> 00:21:36,599it’s the reality of where25300:21:36,599 –> 00:21:39,079many fathers and sons find themselves25400:21:39,800 –> 00:21:42,520look at Solomon and his son Rehoboam25500:21:43,160 –> 00:21:44,280If you tuned in late25600:21:44,280 –> 00:21:45,719or if you had to leave early25700:21:45,719 –> 00:21:47,160or if you ever want to go back25800:21:47,160 –> 00:21:47,959and listen to one of25900:21:47,959 –> 00:21:49,800pastor Colin’s messages again26000:21:49,800 –> 00:21:51,400you can do that by coming online26100:21:51,400 –> 00:21:52,280to our website26200:21:54,359 –> 00:21:55,319openthebible.org.uk26300:21:55,319 –> 00:21:56,760or find us as a podcast26400:21:56,760 –> 00:21:58,680on our main podcast sites26500:21:58,680 –> 00:22:01,079search for Open the Bible UK26600:22:01,079 –> 00:22:02,920or follow the link from our website26700:22:03,719 –> 00:22:05,000Don’t forget also about26800:22:05,000 –> 00:22:06,359Open the Bible Daily26900:22:06,359 –> 00:22:07,959that’s our series of short27000:22:07,959 –> 00:22:10,3592-3 minute daily reflections27100:22:10,359 –> 00:22:12,199based on pastor Colin’s teaching27200:22:12,280 –> 00:22:13,319you can find it at27300:22:13,319 –> 00:22:15,800openthebible.org.uk27400:22:16,839 –> 00:22:17,800For any listeners27500:22:17,800 –> 00:22:19,160in Northern Ireland27600:22:19,160 –> 00:22:20,359there’s an opportunity27700:22:20,359 –> 00:22:22,359to see pastor Colin Smith27800:22:22,359 –> 00:22:24,280in person when he teaches27900:22:24,280 –> 00:22:26,359his Fly Through the Bible28000:22:26,359 –> 00:22:30,520on Wednesday 25 March 202628100:22:30,520 –> 00:22:32,839at Hamilton Road Baptist Church28200:22:32,839 –> 00:22:34,599Bangor Northern Ireland28300:22:34,599 –> 00:22:36,040it’s a rare opportunity28400:22:36,040 –> 00:22:37,400to see and meet28500:22:37,400 –> 00:22:39,640Pastor Colin Smith in the UK28600:22:39,640 –> 00:22:41,319so if you’re in Northern Ireland28700:22:41,319 –> 00:22:43,000I hope you’ll take the opportunity28800:22:43,000 –> 00:22:44,439of going along to that meeting28900:22:44,439 –> 00:22:46,760it’s sure to be a tremendous occasion29000:22:46,760 –> 00:22:50,680Again, that’s on Wednesday 25 March 202629100:22:50,680 –> 00:22:52,920at Hamilton Road Baptist Church29200:22:52,920 –> 00:22:54,439Bangor Northern Ireland29300:22:55,319 –> 00:22:56,680Open the Bible is supported29400:22:56,680 –> 00:22:58,680financially by our listeners29500:22:58,680 –> 00:23:00,199it’s donations from people29600:23:00,199 –> 00:23:01,160just like you29700:23:01,160 –> 00:23:03,000which keeps Open the Bible29800:23:03,000 –> 00:23:05,239on the air and on the internet29900:23:05,239 –> 00:23:06,280so if you already give30000:23:06,280 –> 00:23:07,560to support the work30100:23:07,560 –> 00:23:09,160thank you so much30200:23:09,160 –> 00:23:09,959If that’s something30300:23:10,040 –> 00:23:11,479you’ve been thinking of doing30400:23:11,479 –> 00:23:13,079either with a one-off gift30500:23:13,079 –> 00:23:14,920or as a regular donation30600:23:15,479 –> 00:23:16,760we’d love to say thank you30700:23:16,760 –> 00:23:18,839by offering you a free gift30800:23:18,839 –> 00:23:20,040Here’s Open the Bible’s30900:23:20,040 –> 00:23:20,920Amanda Cunningham31000:23:20,920 –> 00:23:22,280to tell us about it31100:23:22,280 –> 00:23:23,800I don’t know about you, David31200:23:23,800 –> 00:23:25,640but I cannot walk into a shop31300:23:25,640 –> 00:23:27,560at the moment without being reminded31400:23:27,560 –> 00:23:29,640that it is Valentine’s season31500:23:30,199 –> 00:23:32,359cards, chocolates and love31600:23:33,000 –> 00:23:34,839However, I have been really struck31700:23:34,839 –> 00:23:36,839this month by a deeper31800:23:36,839 –> 00:23:37,880better love31900:23:37,880 –> 00:23:39,880the kind we see in the Gospels32000:23:40,439 –> 00:23:42,119Here at Open the Bible UK32100:23:42,119 –> 00:23:44,040we’re reading Gospel Stories32200:23:44,040 –> 00:23:45,880by Andrew Wilson32300:23:45,880 –> 00:23:48,599and I found it such a helpful book32400:23:48,599 –> 00:23:50,439In the Gospels, Jesus often32500:23:50,439 –> 00:23:51,880teaches through stories32600:23:51,880 –> 00:23:53,560and real encounters32700:23:53,560 –> 00:23:55,239so Andrew Wilson helps you32800:23:55,239 –> 00:23:57,400slow down and really see32900:23:57,400 –> 00:23:59,160what those moments reveal33000:23:59,160 –> 00:24:00,520about who Jesus is33100:24:01,160 –> 00:24:02,280Why he came33200:24:02,280 –> 00:24:04,839and the kind of love that he offers33300:24:04,839 –> 00:24:06,520A love that pursues us33400:24:06,520 –> 00:24:07,640forgives us33500:24:07,640 –> 00:24:08,680restores us33600:24:08,680 –> 00:24:09,800and never lets go33700:24:10,599 –> 00:24:11,880I think it’s a wonderful book33800:24:11,880 –> 00:24:13,640to use in your own quiet time33900:24:13,640 –> 00:24:15,160or to share with a friend34000:24:15,160 –> 00:24:17,400or even to read in a small group34100:24:17,400 –> 00:24:19,400And especially this February34200:24:19,400 –> 00:24:21,160It’s been a reminder to me34300:24:21,160 –> 00:24:22,599that the truest love34400:24:22,599 –> 00:24:24,920isn’t something we achieve or buy34500:24:25,479 –> 00:24:27,560It’s something we receive in Christ34600:24:28,439 –> 00:24:29,479Gospel Stories is34700:24:29,479 –> 00:24:31,000our free thank you gift34800:24:31,000 –> 00:24:33,000when you give a one-off donation34900:24:33,000 –> 00:24:34,040of at least £5035000:24:35,000 –> 00:24:37,400or when you set up a new direct debit35100:24:37,400 –> 00:24:39,000of just £5 a month35200:24:39,640 –> 00:24:41,400but please do remember35300:24:41,400 –> 00:24:43,560to include your name and address35400:24:43,560 –> 00:24:44,760when you donate35500:24:44,760 –> 00:24:47,319so we can send your copy out to you35600:24:47,319 –> 00:24:49,000So that offer is available35700:24:49,000 –> 00:24:50,119all this month35800:24:50,119 –> 00:24:51,319and you can find35900:24:51,319 –> 00:24:53,079full terms and conditions36000:24:53,079 –> 00:24:54,520and you can give online36100:24:54,520 –> 00:24:55,719at our website36200:24:55,719 –> 00:24:58,760openthebible.org.uk36300:24:58,760 –> 00:24:59,400And again,36400:24:59,400 –> 00:25:01,160if you give through the website36500:25:01,160 –> 00:25:02,359please remember to give36600:25:02,359 –> 00:25:03,560your full name and address36700:25:03,560 –> 00:25:05,079so we can send you your gift36800:25:05,959 –> 00:25:07,400For Pastor Colin Smith36900:25:07,400 –> 00:25:08,599and Open The Bible37000:25:08,599 –> 00:25:09,640I’m David Pick37100:25:09,640 –> 00:25:11,880and I hope you’ll join us again next time