A Heart Gripped by the Gospel

6 · Statement of the sermon's thesis connecting the passage to the theological point about gospel grace

That's what we're gonna see in Romans chapter 1, verses 8 to 15 today. And I hope that by God's grace we can see that God's grace grips our hearts and drawing us into the life of his people and sending us out to make Christ known.

7 · Diagnostic claim identifying a common distortion of Christian faith — treating it as primarily individual rather than corporate and missional

See, the challenge is that we can tend to turn inward, treating our relationship with Jesus as primarily an individual matter rather than embracing the people God has joined to us and turning towards those who need the gospel. And I think this passage like this would exhort us to embrace the grace of God not only as recipients of salvation but as members of his people who gladly strengthen one another and make Christ known.

8 · Structural transition orienting the listener to the sermon's approach

So what does it look like when grace gets a hold of your heart? Paul gives us a picture right here in our text today. And what I love about this passage is that before Paul gets into all the great theology that he's going to get into And my goodness, again, this is a monument in the Scripture of theology. The theology he's going to get into here is so necessary, so important. All of Romans, I'm so glad we're going to be here. There's pastors that have been in it for years and years to preach Romans. So glorious. But before he gets to building the doctrine of sin and all about the Gospel and suffering and the Holy Spirit and faith and grace and works and all those, the law and what that role that played in Israel and all kinds of things. Before he does that, he says he wants us— I think this is here so we can see that it's not just a head full of theology, but it's a heart that's been gripped. The, the head full of theology and the heart are connected here, and we get to see a picture of where his theology is coming from— his heart.

9 · Close reading of Romans 1:8, focusing on Paul's phrase 'I thank my God through Jesus Christ

So let's look at his heart. Let's look at verse number 8. The first section I want to see is verses 8 to 10, and I'll use Paul's language. I think God's grace makes us grateful for his work in others. Verse number 8: First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. There's a lot of theology packed even into the smallest details of Paul's wording. Notice that he says he thanks God through Jesus Christ. And this is not his point, okay? He's not trying to make a theological point here. He's just speaking theology. He's loaded with it, right? He says, I thank my God through Jesus Christ. Paul understands his relationship with God as coming through Christ our mediator. Even in a simple expression of thanksgiving, we're reminded that we come to God through Jesus, and may we never forget that. What a beautiful privilege that we can run straight to Jesus. But I mean, straight to God, but it's through a mediator, right? No one comes to the Father except through me.

10 · Structural orientation to the themes of Romans (faith, grace, gospel, obedience) that recur throughout the letter

And as we work through Romans, I want us to pay attention to some of the themes that you're going to hear throughout the letter, that it should be something that kind of kicks off as we study. You're going to hear the word faith a lot. When you hear the word faith as Romans is preached, that should trigger something to pay attention. When you hear grace, that should be another one. When you hear the gospel, that should be another one that triggers— pay attention because it's a major player in the book of Romans. When you hear obedience, obedience is there several times in the book of Romans. It should trigger something to pay attention to. Just in chapter 1, these main characters have been introduced, and he'll develop these themes throughout. But for now, notice that Paul begins by thanking God for the faith of these Roman believers. Remember what Paul said back in verse number 5? He said he received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among the nations, right? And now in verse 8, he thanks God for the faith of these Roman believers.

11 · Exposition of the phrase 'your faith is proclaimed in all the world' from Romans 1:8

He thanks God for people. So Paul is not only just grateful for faith, right, but he's grateful for the people that possess the faith that God has given them, right? Think about that for a moment. Paul's writing to Christians he hasn't even met yet, and he's thanking God for what he sees happening in their lives. Their faith has become known. The news of their, their faith has spread throughout the Gentile world. And faith is invisible. I can't see your faith and you can't see mine, the actual faith, the actual gift of it. But you see the outworking of it when it's grasped your heart. When it's gripped your heart, you see the outworking of it, right? James talks about this, that a real vibrant, healthy faith that's alive is a faith that has works to it. And that's how their faith is proclaimed throughout the world, that whatever was happening among them wasn't perfect. It doesn't have to be perfect, perfect obedience or perfect faith. But it's real and vibrant enough that the word of their faith is being proclaimed throughout the world.

12 · Theological claim derived from the exposition of Romans 1:8: Paul's thanksgiving is directed to God because faith is evidence of God's grace at work

Now, what Paul isn't saying is that every Christian in Rome is perfect, right? But that something real is happening. So do you see where Paul directs his gratitude? He thanks God because he recognizes that the faith he sees in these believers is evidence of God's grace at work. Apart from God's grace, we will not have faith, right? We won't believe. So when somebody has faith, it's not something we can just easily discount because it is, it is a gift from God. It's evidence of his work.

13 · Exposition of the theological implications of faith as God's gift, correcting the temptation to measure faith by method or articulation

And sometimes we can tend to think, man, well, if they didn't come to faith through the Romans Road, or if they didn't say it like this, or they didn't say it like that, or don't know, you know. If somebody has faith, it is a gift from God, and Paul thanks God. Paul understands that when faith is present in someone's life, we are seeing God's grace at work. Remember, Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that we are saved by grace through faith and that this is not our own doing, it is the gift of God, so that no one may boast about Our faith isn't something we use to congratulate ourselves, even as our salvation leaves us with no grounds for boasting in ourselves. But you know what's good about that? Maybe sad for some of us, but you know what's good about that is that all the glory belongs to God. And when we understand that, it changes the way— when we understand that, it changes the way we respond to God's work. It other people, because we understand it's God's work. We celebrate that.

14 · Direct application of the principle established in the exposition

Let me ask you something. When you see someone's— someone else's faith flourishing, whether they're just a brand new believer or they've been in the Lord for a while, when you see someone else's faith flourishing, what rises up in your heart when you see that, when you observe that? Maybe even someone surpassing you in sanctification or in areas that you wish you could grow in? Is it comparison, or is it gratitude? Or even in our culture, in our day, is it apathy? I don't care what God's doing. Paul is moved to gratitude. I'm grateful because it's God doing it, not because of them. And I do love them. I love the Roman believers. And yes, we love the actual individual people, but even more with that, we love what God is doing. God's doing that. Of course I'm going to rejoice. Of course I'm going to thank him. The gospel frees us to celebrate God's work in others rather than compare ourselves with them. It's evidence of God's grace. That's what Paul does. He sees their faith and he thanks God.

15 · Exposition of Romans 1:9-10 focusing on Paul's prayer life and his emphatic appeal to God as witness

Paul also wants the Romans to know what he— that he's praying— what he's praying for them. Look at verses 9 and 10. It says, for God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, which I love— Ricky mentioned that last week. This is not the gospel of some church or any one group or culture that could say it's mine. It's the gospel of his Son. The that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. Paul is so earnest about this that he calls God as his witness. And so I don't know exactly why Paul is being so emphatic and saying, I'm eager, I long, I this and that, like, God's my witness. Like, it's like if you missed on Sunday and you text today, I, I'm sorry I didn't make it to church, like, God's my witness, I wanted to be there, you know. Why is he having this necessity to call God as his witness, right? To put that in the letter. And part of it, I think, is because his love for them is reflected through his prayers. And I don't know your secret prayer life, you don't know my secret prayer life, but the only one who could come to bear witness of that is God himself. And I think Paul here is saying, man, God's my witness that I do want to come to you. So I don't know if they maybe thought Maybe they had some impression that he didn't want to visit them, or he didn't think they were important or legit believers. I don't know. Or maybe somebody's putting that in their ear. That's all theory. But Paul's being really emphatic. God is my witness. God knows how regularly Paul is praying for these believers, even though he hasn't met most of them. They're on his heart, and he brings them before the Lord. And Paul is asking God for something specific. He wants to come to Rome. He's been wanting to visit these believers and he keeps praying that God would make a way for him to get there. And at the same time he recognizes that it's in God's hands. He wants to go and he's asking God to make it happen according to his will. Paul really wants to get to Rome. And in the next couple of verses he tells us more about what he's hoping will happen when he finally gets to Rome.

16 · Exposition of Romans 1:11-12 emphasizing the personal nature of Paul's language ('I long to see you')

So let's look at the next section. Verses 11 to 12. I'll use Paul's language again. First we saw, I thank, and now we're going to see, I long. God's grace moves us toward one another in mutual encouragement. Look at verse 11: For I long, I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. Both yours and mine. That is personal language. Paul doesn't just want to visit Rome or carry out some ministry assignment, right? I'd love to preach in Rome so I can go check out the Colosseum and the catacombs, and I'd love to preach in Rome, but that's not why Paul wanted to be in Rome, right? Just to get a tour, to get a cool stop, check out the eats, or some ministry assignment. I got apostolic tasks, man. I have an agenda of things I need to cover with this Roman church as an apostle, and the grace that I have to knock this out. He longs to see these peoples. I want to see your face. I long to see you.

17 · Pastoral application of Paul's affection for believers he has not met, contrasting his longing with contemporary excuses for avoiding physical gathering

He has a real affection for these believers, most of who he's never met, and he wants to be with them. Imagine how much this helps us cut against the culture of like I can watch a preaching, I can listen to a preaching from home, I could do this, I could do that. Yeah, you could do all that, but where is what the grace of God has done in your heart to where you've been moved to long to see the other believers, to see other people with the same gift that God has blessed you with?

18 · Exposition of Paul's stated purpose in Romans 1:11: to impart a spiritual gift to strengthen the Roman believers

And pay attention to why he says he wants to strengthen them. He wants to see them grow in their faith. They have faith. But he wants to see their faith strengthened, and he has a grace to do that. He wants to see them grow in their faith. He wants God to use his ministry to help them.

19 · Exposition of Romans 1:12, highlighting the mutuality Paul introduces: 'we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith

But look at how he explains and expands on that, that in verse 12: That is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. Paul wants to strengthen these believers, but he also expects that he will be encouraged by through them. And remember who is writing this letter. Remember who's speaking. This is Paul, an apostle who has preached the gospel. He's planted churches. He has seen the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. Yet he doesn't approach these believers as though he has everything to give them. Nothing to receive. He knows God can use their faith to encourage his own.

20 · Theological claim derived from Romans 1:12 about the nature of Christian community: maturity does not eliminate the need for encouragement

That's an important picture of the Christian life. Maturity doesn't mean we outgrow our need for encouragement. God encourages us through other believers, and you can— he can use our faith to to encourage them too. And I was thinking about this. We tend to land in 2 categories, right? Some of us are much better at giving than receiving. We love being useful, but we don't like admitting that we too need encouragement. That's me. I fall in that category. Others are happy to receive. They're happy for people to be praying for them and strengthening their faith and fasting for them and giving them counsel, but rarely consider how God might use their faith to strengthen someone else. Because what matters is not the strength of our faith, but the object of our faith, right? Some of us have weaker faith, some of us have stronger faith, but what holds it all together is Christ of the gospel.

21 · Theological claim with pastoral urgency: the gospel creates mutuality (glad giving and receiving), and isolation from community constitutes cutting oneself off from grace

The gospel creates a people who gladly give and gladly receive encouragement. We aren't merely people who minister to others. We also receive God's grace through others. So when we're not in community, brothers and sisters, you know what we're doing, right? When we're not in community, seriously, and we don't see things this way, we're cutting ourselves off from that grace that God has for us. We're, we're cutting ourselves off of that.

22 · Personal testimony illustrating the principle of mutual encouragement established in Romans 1:12

I want to share a personal testimony with you about how I came to Cross of Grace. I first heard about the church through the radio program. If you don't know, Ricky's preaching is on the radio at 1590 KELP, Better News Radio, and he used to come around my lunch hour. Probably heard it at the outlet shops a few times. As I listened to Ricky preach, I noticed something beyond the faithful teaching of Scripture, because definitely faithful teaching of Scripture. And that's why I loved it. I love listening to it. This is probably 2012, 2013, a long time ago when I first heard of Cross of Grace. That's when I first heard of this dear church. And I could hear the life of the church coming through the messages that he preached. And that's what really caught my attention— not only his faithful teaching, but I could hear some of what life was like there. He would talk about the people and what God was doing among them, and it sounded like a vibrant, healthy church. I wanted to visit and see whether what I was hearing was real. I hadn't seen many examples of that kind of church, and I wanted to experience it firsthand. And I remember I probably— I didn't pray, but I said, Lord, I wish I could, I wish I could visit one day. Years later, many years later, fast forward to 2022, a decade later, God brought me here, and I found that it was real. Over the years, I've received so much from the people of this church and from the pastoral team as of late, who's invested in me greatly. God has used their faith and encouragement and servant service to strengthen me in ways that I am deeply grateful for. Thank you, Cross of Grace. Thank you.

23 · Doctrinal claim summarizing the theological principle illustrated in the preceding testimony: the local church is a gift from God precisely because he uses the faith of believers to strengthen one another

And that's one of the gifts of the local church. God brings us together and he uses the faith of other believers to strengthen our own.

24 · Concrete application calling the congregation to intentionality in Sunday gatherings

But this, this gives me a burden, a pastoral burden that I would like to call you guys to. I want us to think about what that means for the way we relate to one another when we gather on Sundays. Of course we're gonna talk about work, family, sports, and what's happening in our lives, and those conversations matter. Those conversations matter. We talk about the Cowboys and their record, those things matter. Okay, but let's also be intentional. Let's be intentional about strengthening one another's faith when we gather on Sundays. What happens before the service? What happens after the service? Ask someone how they're doing and take the time to hear the real answer. Ask what God has been teaching them, where they're struggling, or how you can pray for them. Now let's call the pastor. No, you pray for them. And look for opportunities to remind one another of what's true about God and the hope we have in Christ. Okay? And many times we get half of the equation. We talk to each other, we talk about life, we talk about all these things. We finally get to God and we talk about all the need and all the suffering and all the sin and everywhere we're stuck. And but we got to counterbalance that And remind ourselves of the hope that we have in Christ. Insert that part. I'm suffering, I need this, I'm stuck. But, you know, remind them of God's grace. Remind them of the hope we have in Christ.

25 · Personal example of Mike Greenland as a living illustration of mutual encouragement

And I want to just acknowledge Brother Mike Greenland and his wife Donna that have been faithfully serving, teaching the How People Change class, Instrument in the Redeemer's Hand. He lives this out, and he does that because he wants to equip the church to be able to do this, to strengthen each other's faith. And he's such a faithful example of that. Sometimes he's faithful in the way he responds when I ask him how he's doing, and it strengthens— his response strengthens my faith. And sometimes he asks me, how are you really doing? He's an expert at it. You can't have a conversation with Mike And not have your faith strengthened. Amen. So today after the service, there might be a line with Mike there, right? You get your faith strengthened. How are you doing, brother? Better than I should be. Better than I should be. Why is that? Because of the grace of God.

26 · Application extending the call to intentional encouragement beyond Sunday gatherings to home groups

May we be intentional in the service to do this. And that's part of what our home groups are for too. We don't gather simply to attend another meeting. Let's get— I got 2 religious meetings in my week now. Sundays and the home group. Aren't I holy? We gather to share life, bring God's truth to bear on one another's lives, and help one another, help one another keep trusting Christ. We need help, not just when we enter into the faith. We need help through the faith to help keep trusting in Christ.

27 · Urgent pastoral charge to guard the mutuality God has built at Cross of Grace

Church, this is something we have to guard, and this is my calling. We don't want to lose what God has graciously built among us. We want to— we don't want to ever become consumers who simply attend services and pursue our individual relationship with Jesus. We want to be the kind of people whose faith strengthens somebody else.

28 · Structural transition marking the shift from mutual encouragement among believers (verses 11-12) to Paul's missionary obligation toward unbelievers (verses 13-15)

Grace doesn't just move us toward one another as believers, but it also turns our heart toward people who need to hear about Jesus. Let's look at this 3rd section, verses 13 to 15. To use Paul's words again, I am under obligation. I thank, I long, and I am under obligation.

29 · Exposition of Romans 1:13 focusing on Paul's desire to 'reap some harvest' among the Roman believers

Verse 13, I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you but thus far have been prevented in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation. Both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. Paul says he has often intended to come to Rome because he wants to see a harvest. He wants to see a harvest among them just as he have— has among the Gentiles. And again, this is interesting. Imagine we sometimes want to go to church. I want to see the preacher. I want to see the building. Right? Where are these guys— where are these Romans meeting at? But he wants to go because he wants to see a harvest. He wants to see the gospel bearing fruit in their lives. Fruit is so important. Before Jesus went on the cross, in John 15, we see a parallel to this, right, where he says that we have been appointed to bear fruit. We've been appointed to bear it. And why would that be? The Father says that those who bear fruit, he prunes that they may bear even more fruit, because that brings glory to God. And this is what it's all about. And that's one of the central themes of Romans— the glory of God. It's for his name's sake I want the the gospel to be preached in all the world for his name's sake. When obedience surges out of a heart that's been gripped by the gospel, God gets the glory. Doesn't that sound like Christ on the Sermon on the Mount? Let your light so shine before men that when they see your good works, they may— what? They may glorify your God, may glorify your Father who's in heaven, that the Lord may receive glory.

30 · Exposition clarifying what Paul means by 'harvest' in Romans 1:13 — it includes both conversion and sanctification

And notice that he's writing to people who already believe. He's not just hoping to see people converted. That's one of the pieces of fruit in the harvest that he wants to see. He wants to see new people come to Christ, absolutely. That's why he wants to see people come to Christ. But also, he wants to see more fruit. He also wants to see these believers strengthened in faith. He's eager to preach the gospel to these believers too. Paul knows that the gospel continues to bear fruit in the lives of those who have already come to Christ. The gospel is not for new people. The gospel is for everyone. The gospel is for the new believer. The gospel is for the mature believer. The gospel is for the believer who's about to meet Jesus. The gospel is for the person who's never heard of Jesus. We never graduate from the gospel. Christ continues to use the good news to strengthen his people and produce fruit in them. Faith comes by hearing, by hearing the word of God, the gospel.

31 · Exposition of Romans 1:14-15 focusing on Paul's language of obligation ('I am under obligation' = 'I am a debtor')

But Paul also explains why he feels such urgency in verse 14. He says, I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both the wise and the foolish. He's kind of given us the scope of his apostolic ministry and the grace that he's been given, Paul sees himself as a debtor. When he says, I am under obligation, he's kind of saying, I am under debt. That's the actual word. He has been entrusted with the gospel, and he recognizes an obligation toward the people who need to hear it. The good news he has received isn't something he intends to keep to himself. He wants to make it known, and that obligation leads him to an eagerness in verse 15. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

32 · Theological claim interpreting the connection between obligation and eagerness in Romans 1:14-15

And I absolutely love that connection. I love it. He's under obligation and he's eager. This isn't Paul dragging himself into a responsibility he resents. He wants to preach the gospel. His sense of obligation and his eagerness go together. I preach the gospel because I have to, I've been commanded to. My heart's been gripped by the grace of God, and I am eager to preach the gospel. That gives us something else to consider. We know we're called to make Christ known, but we want more. We want more than just a sense of duty. We want to grow in our desire for others to hear the good news. As we, brothers and sisters, understand more deeply the grace we've received in Christ, we want others to know that same grace too. That's something we need to see.

33 · Doctrinal assertion summarizing the missionary implication of gospel grace: the gospel creates 'glad obligation' — duty that is simultaneously joyful

The gospel places us under a glad obligation to make Christ known to others. When we understand the grace we've received, we begin to care about the people who have yet to hear that good news.

34 · Brief transition pivoting from exposition of Paul's example to a direct summary of the gospel message

So what does that have to do with a heart gripped by the gospel? Well, think about the gospel itself.

35 · Concise gospel presentation summarizing the human condition (sinners separated from God, unable to reconcile ourselves) and God's solution (sending his Son to live the righteous life we couldn't live, die the death we deserved, and rise again)

We were sinners who could not reconcile ourselves to God. There's a great chasm between us and God. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We couldn't live the righteous life God requires, and we couldn't bear the judgment our sins deserve. But God sent his Son. Jesus lived the righteous life we couldn't live, died the death our sins deserved, and rose again. Through faith in Christ, we are forgiven and reconciled to God, and we've been brought into his family.

36 · Theological claim about the implications of gospel grace: it transforms how we see our lives, moving us from a 'private' faith to a corporate and missional identity

And that grace changes the way we see our lives. We don't just receive Jesus and go on living as though our faith were a private matter. And don't mix privacy with individual. God is so personal. He knows the number of hairs on our head. He reached us in such a unique way, precisely how our heart and soul needed it. But that is not the same as privacy. We're brought into a family. We have brothers and sisters whose faith strengthen ours, and God uses our faith to strengthen them. And the good news that brought us to Christ is now a message we gladly make known to others, that cuts against the Jesus and me version of Christianity that comes so naturally to us.

37 · Diagnostic claim identifying the reductionistic tendency to treat Christianity as 'my relationship with Jesus' focused on individual spiritual disciplines and needs

We can think Christianity is primarily about my relationship with Jesus, my Bible reading, my Bible study, my prayer life, my growth, and my needs. And those things matter. They matter so much. But Paul's vision is far bigger. The grace that reconciles us to Christ also binds us to Christ's people and sends us towards people who need to hear about him. We've been blessed to be a blessing. We've been saved to take this gospel message of reconciliation.

38 · Theological claim connecting the sermon's central metaphor ('gripped by the gospel') to the practical shape of the Christian life

What grips our hearts, brothers and sisters, is going to shape our lives. It shapes what we love, what we pursue, and how we relate to the people around us. Paul's life has been gripped by the grace of God, and that same grace is meant to shape our lives too. Not because we're trying to prove ourselves to God, but because we've begun to understand the grace we've received in Jesus.

39 · Doctrinal summary of the gospel's effects: believers have been loved, forgiven, and brought near to God through Christ, and this grace produces transformation in how we live

We have been loved, we've been forgiven, we've been brought near to God through Christ, and that grace begins to reshape how we live.

40 · Evangelistic application addressed to those who do not yet know Christ

Maybe you're here today and you don't know that grace for yourself. The invitation of the gospel is to turn from your sin, turn away from it, and turn to Christ. Not my way, my way. I know I've got this, I know I've got this. This is what's bringing temporary happiness. Repentance— turn away from that sin, look away from it, and run to Christ. You don't have to earn his grace. You need to receive the Savior who gave himself for sinners and welcomed us into his family.

41 · Application addressed to believers, calling them to prayer for Spirit-enabled sight — to see Jesus more clearly and understand grace more deeply

And for those of us who have trusted in Christ already, let's ask the Holy Spirit to help us see Jesus more clearly and to understand more deeply the grace we've received in him. As we see more clearly what God has done for us, may that grace and increasingly shape the way we live.

42 · Final restatement of the sermon's thesis, bringing the argument to closure

Because when God's grace, brothers and sisters, when it grips our heart, it doesn't leave our lives unchanged. It draws us into the life of his people and sends us out to make Christ known.

43 · Closing prayer addressing specific pastoral concerns arising from the sermon: encouragement for prayer warriors, a call for those who are not praying for others to begin, a petition for gratitude for God's work in others, healing for those hurt by church relationships, humility to engage in community despite difficulty, and a final plea that the congregation never move beyond the gospel

Let's go to the Lord in prayer this morning. If you stand to your feet and join me, I have a couple of particular categories I want to pray for just briefly. I want for the prayer warriors who take time to pray for other saints, I want to thank you for your prayers. I want to thank you for your faithful prayers. Thank you so much. We have prayer warriors who pray before both services for us. The prayer team that's on the side, I just want— I pray that they be encouraged to continue praying for the faith of other believers. I pray that those who haven't even been praying for other believers and thinking about faces, that they would long to see those faces and pray for those believers as well. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, we just come before you this Afternoon now. I pray that you would encourage those who are praying to continue praying, Lord. I pray that you would move us through your grace for those of us who have not been praying, Lord, for others, that your grace would grip their hearts, that you would move us towards that posture. Lord, I pray that we would be stirred to gratitude for God's work in the lives of others. I pray that you would help us focus on the evidences of your grace in others. We need to do that in order to be able to be grateful. Lord, I also pray for all those who've had bad experiences in relationships or are discouraged with church life and relationships in the church. I pray that they would be healed and moved towards forgiveness and reconciliation. Lord, I pray that you would grant us humility to be part of a community, humility to lean in even in the difficult relationships. And Lord, I pray in Jesus' mighty name, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that we would never move on from the gospel. Amen.