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Thank you very much, Brother Frank. He's taken about five minutes of my time. So I'll take five minutes from him when he comes back. I'd like to express our appreciation to you for considering us and inviting us to your conference as one of the speakers. Although we love to come to the conference, whether we are speaking or not, but for the special invitation, we are deeply grateful and trust that our small contribution would be a source of encouragement and help to all who might hear. I'd like to read with you this evening, or rather this morning, from Colossians chapter one.
Colossians chapter one, and for the sake of time, we shall read from verse nine of Colossians chapter one. For this cause, we also, since the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and a spiritual understanding, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness, giving thanks unto the Father who hath made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
I'm sure the Lord would bless to our hearts public reading of his word. My traveling in the ministry, especially in these islands, and listening to some of the radio programs have created a great concern in my heart, uh, in relation to the many emphases that are being made today. There are those that, uh, are emphasizing that we need more than we have as Christians if we are going to be real Christians.
There are those who say you have to be baptized, uh, or be, uh, believe plus baptism. Others say you have to believe plus keep the Sabbath. And others have any number of, uh, additions to, uh, our believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as a means of, uh, full salvation. You hear expressions today, the full gospel, and these are not just idle terms. They all have a meaning, a particular emphasis, uh, that's being made. And, uh, I am concerned about this, especially when it comes to young Christians, because there's a lot of exposure now, more than when I was young as a believer.
Uh, especially today too, we have a lot of people have satellites, and there are any number of programs with these varied emphases, and unless there's a clear understanding of the teachings of the Word of God, then there could be, uh, many problems realized in one's Christian experience. And our burden then is to emphasize, uh, in our ministry those things that are, uh, emphasized in the scriptures, which has to do with our being complete in the Lord Jesus Christ, which I believe is the theme of the book of Colossians.
When the writer wrote, when Paul wrote, his concern was to get the Colossian Christians to realize that all that they needed, they had. All that was necessary, uh, for salvation, all that pertains to life and godliness, they had. Therefore, they did not have to look for something else. Now, during, uh, this particular time in which this epistle was written, there were a number of teachings going around. In Colossian, in Colossae, rather, there was a combination of Eastern philosophy and Jewish legalism, and they emphasized, uh, that, uh, you had to have a certain kind of knowledge in order to be spiritually perfect and, uh, and to have full knowledge in God.
And legalism said, of course, uh, circumcision is helpful, very necessary to spiritual development. And there were those who said that you need to observe the dietary laws, that is, you don't eat this, you don't eat the, uh, the other thing, and so forth. This will help you in your spiritual perfection. Now, Paul writes, and he tries to set the record straight, and he says to them in chapter two that ye are complete in the Lord Jesus Christ. And all that I believe he is saying in the book of Colossians, uh, uh, he's saying it with this in mind, the Christian is complete in our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, as we come then to our message this morning, we deal with Paul's prayer, the things he's concerned about in his prayer, and in his prayer he is touching on these things that I've mentioned to you. He's alluding in one way or the other and seeking to encourage God's people to rest, uh, unreservedly in the sufficiency of the Lord. When we, uh, notice prayer, we know the urgency, uh, of this prayer. When Paul heard about the Colossian Christians and what was happening there, he became very concerned. As our brother intimated this morning, when we think of Christians being in trouble, whether they're going on or in a backslidden condition, we should be concerned.
There should be a deep stirring in ourselves, not a rejoicing, not a rejoicing, but a concern, uh, for those persons who are in need. And Paul was concerned, and he says in verse nine that since we heard it, we have not ceased to pray for you. It's been a heavy burden upon our hearts because we know, uh, the inevitable, inevitable results of this evil teachings. If it gets a hold of the assembly, if it gets a hold of the believers, it will destroy the testimony, as it will undermine the teachings of the Word of God concerning the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so we have the urgency of Paul's prayer since the day we heard. And when you read Paul's prayer, you will note that Paul is concerned about spiritual growth. Because, you see, spiritual growth is indeed the antidote to the effect of evil influences. If you want to be victorious, if you want to live a life that is fruitful, then grow in the Lord. If you want to have victory over temptation, then grow in the Lord. And this is Paul's concern that they might grow, because he knows if the Christian grows, if the Colossians grow, then the evil influences and doctrines will not affect them as it would those Christians who don't grow in the things of Christ.
And so he is praying then, uh, for their spiritual growth. Verse six, he says, which is common to you as in all of the world, and bringing forth fruit as it doth also in you since the day ye heard of it and knew the grace of God in truth. He's concerned about their spiritual growth. Now, as he deals, of course, with this particular, uh, interest, he uses words in this epistle, filled, all, every, complete. And these are to, uh, indicate what is true of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, the false teachers were using the same terms. They were saying too that if you, if you, uh, become involved in these extraterrestrial, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, teachings and all the rest, you will become more complete. If you, if you delve in the knowledge of the supernatural, then you will become more filled with the wisdom. You see, the devil uses the same vocabulary, but not the same dictionary. The same vocabulary, yes, they use the same words, and if one is not careful, if one is not careful, they would be easily influenced and led away.
And so Paul is telling us that, listen, you are already complete in Christ, and the way to grow in the things of Christ is not by addition, but by, my friends, nutrition. You don't grow by adding to what you have. You are complete, but you grow by, uh, by feeding, uh, and being, being, being, uh, uh, nurtured in the things of Christ, the things that you are, that's already true of you as a person who has committed your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so he is saying, as he is concerned about their spiritual growth, don't look for something new.
Now, we're living in an age of new things. Every time you turn on the television, something new comes out in one, uh, one way or the other, and we find that in the Christian circle, people are looking for something new. I remember, uh, we had a crusade over here in, in Lower Bog, uh, oh, some three, four years ago, and the young fellow, uh, stayed behind, uh, to be counseled. And I remember the various ones dealt with him, and uh, uh, he- they just couldn't get anywhere with him, and so they asked if I would come and have a final word, perhaps a new approach might help.
And so I asked him, what was the problem? And he told me in so many words that he did not see any light. He wanted a flash of light like the Apostle Paul had experienced on the road to Damascus. Now, of course, he was not saved, and he wanted some spectacular thing to happen to convince him that he was Christ or he would be saved. But there are Christians who are looking for spectacular lives. There are Christians who are looking for something new. And unfortunately, the things that they're getting into are leading into confusion and frustration.
Do you know we have more frustrated and confused Christians today than ever before? And those of us who are ministers are continually counseling with people, trying to bring them out of the mess, and it's all because they've been looking for something new. Not dwelling upon those things that God has, uh, laid down in his word, but new experience. And so Paul is saying to them, do not look for something new, continue to grow in what you have. You see, in Ephesians chapter three, in ver- uh, chapter one verse three, it says we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.
In second Peter chapter one and verse three, easy to remember, Ephesians chapter one verse three, second Peter chapter one verse three, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. All things that pertain to life and godliness, all blessings, Ephesians chapter one. And when you come to Joshua, uh, uh, chapter one verse three, the Bible says that every place you put your feet upon, it shall be yours. Now, that was the word of God to a people to whom he said, the land is yours. You see, the land was given to the people of God, to the Israelites.
The whole of Canaan was theirs, but only what they appropriated contributed to their rest and blessing. And the same is true in the spiritual. All the blessings are ours, but only what we appropriate, which comes through spiritual, uh, involvement in the word of God. The urgent prayer, Paul is praying then that they might grow in the things of the Lord. But also we note very quickly, we note very quickly Paul's attitude in prayer. Not only the urgency aspect, the urgent aspect of it, but we're thinking now, as we have in verse twelve, giving thanks unto the Father.
Verse, uh, three also says, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, uh, of verse three, we give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, and so forth. And so Paul, as he prays for them, and to me this is very interesting. This is very interesting. He is giving thanks for them. He's giving thanks, uh, for their faith in the Lord. He's thanking God for their faith, because, you see, in Colossae, all of these evil doctrines, he knew that it was an outstanding experience for them, uh, to commit their faith in Christ with so many other things around, and he thanked God that they saw sufficient in Jesus Christ.
They saw sufficiently, uh, in Christ that, uh, uh, was necessary in meeting their dire need, and they trusted in Christ rather than. And so he thanks God for their faith in the Lord. He thanks God also for their love to all the saints. He thanked God for their love to all the saints. Uh... You know, it's, it's interesting to realize that when Paul prayed, he prayed for and gave thanks for all the saints. As he said to the Colossians, I thank God for your, your love to all the saints.
And I often emphasize when I, I mentioned this, that, uh, although we all are different in many respects, and we are not all what, uh, we should be, yet there is something in us for which to give thanks. Every Christian in the body of Christ, in the local assembly, has something for which we could give thanks. And, uh, uh, there might be those who are agitative or difficult to get along with, but there is something to give thanks, and uh, Paul is giving thanks for all, and he's saying, he's thanking them for their love to all the saints.
Now, you see, this was an evidence of spiritual life. The Bible says in First John chapter three and verse fourteen concerning this, that uh, by this we know that you are born again, you are saved if you have loved, uh, one for another or if you love the brethren. Uh, this is evidence of one's spiritual life. One cannot say they love, uh, they do not love the brethren and say they are saved. It's impossible to, uh, to not to love the brethren or love other Christians and say you are saved.
This is an evidence. And beloved, let me encourage you to allow this to be manifested day by day, that the world might know, my friend, that you belong to Christ. A s- um, an evidence of spiritual life, loving each other. They loved each other. Now they had problem. And it is evident from the writings of this epistle that the, uh, evil teachings already, uh, took root in some respects in the local assembly, but they loved each other as they tried to get help for each other. It's an evidence of spiritual life. Also, it was a manifestation, or is a manifestation, of discipleship.
Uh, was a manifestation for them. This is to the world now, and it is a manifestation, uh, to the world, uh, of our discipleship. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another. Now, beloved, listen to me very carefully. If you do not manifest love for each other, then the world will not believe that you are Christ's disciples. I dread when elections come, don't you? I know some assemblies today haven't gotten over the last one. And I was saying to someone not very long ago, I said, you know, after everything is finished, you're going to have to go home to that house, you're going to have to go back to that church, you're going to have to go back to that job, and you are going to have to live in that community, and you're going to have to be together.
And listen, if you have not manifested this love before, the people with whom you live, the people with whom you work, the people with whom you worship will have no confidence in your faith, in your testimony. And beloved, out of love, let me encourage you, whatever your persuasion, remember you are first a Christian, and you are to love the brethren. And you are to manifest this day by day, that people will know that you belong to Christ. For by this, by love, all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have loved one for another, and it is a fulfillment of God's law.
You remember that as the, uh, the Pharisees asked Jesus, which is the greatest commandment? Jesus says to love the Lord thy God with all your heart, with all your soul, and so forth and so on. When Paul wrote to the Romans, he said, love is the fulfillment of the law, and, uh, Paul thanks God for their love to all the saints, and also, uh, we note also as giving thanks not only for their faith and for their love, but also for grace, for the grace of Christ. Verse twelve, giving thanks unto the Father who hath made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
He gives God thanks, uh, for the grace of Christ, because it was the grace of Christ that brought them into the kingdom of God's dear Son, that delivered them from the kingdom of darkness. And you and I have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness, not on the basis of anything that we have done, not on any merit of ours, but on the basis of the grace of God. And the Bible says this grace had appeared unto all men, and these people had, uh, experienced the fact of the delivering grace of God, and Paul is rejoicing.
He's giving thanks that the grace of God reached their lives and brought them out of the kingdom of darkness. I have been rejoicing with you, those of you here who have committed to life to Jesus Christ in recent weeks, as we heard the news. Wherever we've been, we kept in touch, and we heard of the various ones getting saved, and we have been rejoicing in what the grace of God has wrought in your life. And we shall continue to rejoice, and of course, uh, to give thanks and to encourage you the best we know how. And so he gives thanks for the grace of Christ, for deliverance from darkness, for giving entrance into the kingdom of Christ, and also for making them fit for the inheritance, all on the basis of the grace of God.
And he gives thanks also for the hope that is in heaven. Note, he gives thanks for their faith. He gives thanks for the grace of Christ, and he for the love of, for the love that they have to the saints, and for the grace of Christ, and for the hope that is in heaven. Verse five, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel. Now, what is he saying? Paul is saying to those, uh, Colossian Christians in face of the evil teaching that were going on. He says, your faith was sufficient in Christ. Your faith brought you into a relationship with Christ, in a relationship with God.
Your faith, through the grace of God, has brought deliverance from you from the kingdom of darkness, and the picture is he's taking them out of darkness, removing them from that environment, and taking them across and putting them into the kingdom of his son. Now, in order for you and I to have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness, then Jesus had to overpower the strong man, as he gives the illustration in the Gospels. He had to overpower the strong man and plunder his good. That's what he did. Took us out of the kingdom of darkness and took us over and placed us into the kingdom of his dear son.
Now, the only way that we could get out of that, the only way that we could get out of the kingdom, the kingdom of the son of his love, is if the strong man, who is Satan and was overpowered by the stronger man, in turn now comes and overpowers the stronger man and then deliver and take us out. You think that's possible? The strong man could never overpower the stronger man, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. And that speaks, beloved, tonight or this morning, of your security in Christ. And Paul is saying to the Colossian Christians, listen, when you open your heart to Jesus Christ, when you receive him by faith, he gave you a complete deliverance.
You are complete in him. You and I must ever remember this and not be driven about with every wind of doctrine. Paul says, as he gives thanks that the hope is laid up for us in heaven. I'd like to see the devil take it out of there. That's where it is, in glory. And I tell people, you see, one of the, one of the facts of the gospel is eternal rest in glory. That's one of the effects of the facts of the gospel, because whenever you preach the gospel, uh, the contents of the gospel, uh, lays a, a declaration to that fact that all who trust Christ will one day be with Christ.
And you cannot preach the gospel without bringing out that fact, because eternal life means not only to have it here, but to enjoy it with him in glory. So that's one of the facts of the gospel, and the moment you give your life to Christ, I tell people you're earmarked for glory, and nothing could change it. I told someone, it might sound kind of, as we say in the Bahamas, brethren, biggity. You don't use that in the States. Uh, I said it might sound a little biggity. That's kind of proud. That's a, a synonym for pride. To say that I know I am going to heaven.
I am so sure of going to heaven. It's like I'm just, I'm, I'm already there. Because of the word of God. You see, it's laid up, the hope is laid up in heaven, and so Paul gives thanks. He is so thrilled as he remembers the Colossian Christians, and he's giving thanks, but he's letting them know, he's letting them know that their faith in Christ was in the right place, and it's a- it- it brings not only deliverance, but security, and eternal security by personal commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. And also, very quickly, uh, we note the substance of his prayer.
The substance of his prayer. They are to be filled with the knowledge of his vi- will, verse nine, Filled with the knowledge of his will. You know, beloved, God's will for our life is to be the supreme subject. God's will is to be the supreme subject of every Christian. Your first and foremost interest must be God's will for your life. Everything else is to be secondary. We are to be totally absorbed with the will of God for our life, whatever that is, my friends.
And so Paul prays that they might be filled with the fullness of the knowledge of God's will for their life. That's the important thing. Get to know his will in your life. And we can know that will. We can know that will. And the Bible says, if any man wills to know his will, he shall know. He shall know of the doctrine. The Holy Spirit is in us for that purpose, to lead us and to guide us into all truth, into the truth of the will of God. Those of us who are ministers of the gospel may know God's will. We are to know God's will. Even the ministry have, uh, Paul and those knowing God's will.
They wanted to go one way, and the Spirit said no, they want to go another way, and the Spirit said no, and they rested, and they says, well, now we might as well wait until God says move and where. And then the answer came, and they were convinced. Paul says, we assuredly gathered that it was the Lord. The will of God. It is so important in each of our lives, beloved. The will of God in sanctification, verse ten, that we might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. Oh, Christian, your walk is going to be tested in these days. Your walk is going to be tested not only in these days of national interest, but the your walk is going to be, uh, tested in all walks o- o- of our world.
No matter where you go, no matter what you, uh, where you work or what you do, your walk is going to be tested, and the Bible says we must know God's will in our walk. How we live, how we conduct ourselves, and we are to walk unto all pleasing. Pleasing to others, pleasing to the Lord. We must be absorbed with the fact of the will of God. You see, we are to be filled, that means totally controlled, totally obsess- obsessed in sanctification, in service.
In Ephesians chapter five verse 17, we're told we are to redeem, we are to redeem the time of speaking of service, for the days are evil. Oh, beloved, redeeming the time, the will of God in service. And we are told how to exercise or to be exercised in this will. It is to be in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Let me just say this. You know, sometimes there are those of us who are convinced that we are in the will of God, but the way we exercise that is very offensive in many respects.
Oh, we say God says this, and we don't stop to consult and to, to, uh, have dialogue. We just, like a bulldozer, we just move on and we crush in the process. And you know, although sometimes we might be in the will of God, we lose the fellowship of the God's people. And my friends, if you're in the will of God, and because of our own lack of wisdom and knowledge, you lose the fellowship of God's people, that's trouble. You won't be able to exercise and fulfill the will of God as you should if you do not have the fellowship of God's people.
That is, if the lack of their fellowship has been caused by your own willful belligerence as a child of God or even as a servant of God. It's very, very important, my friend, listen to me. It's very, very important how we ex- be exercised in this, the will of God. It has to be in all spiritual wisdom, or wisdom and spiritual understanding. God gives us wisdom, and he wants us to use it. Substance of his prayer is that they be filled with the knowledge of God's will.
Do you know God's will for your life today? Are you convinced of God's will for your life? Are you living according to God's will for your life? Is the will of God motivating what you do, where you go, what you say? Is the will of God motivating your decisions, my friends? Are you living in God's will? Paul said to the Colossians, or prayed for them, that they might be filled with the knowledge of God's will, also that they might walk worthy of the Lord, to be pleasing to him. First Thessalonians chapter four and verse one says, furthermore, then we beseech you, brethren, exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
And so we are to walk worthy of the Lord by being pleasing to him, by being pleasing to him, by being fruitful for him. Verse ten says, being fruitful in every good work. And of course, the way to be fruitful is to abide in the, in the Lord. John chapter fifteen verse four. if we abide in him, the Bible tells us we would bear fruit. Back over in Psalm one and verse three, it says they that, uh, bring forth fruit are the ones who are planted by the rivers of water and meditate upon the word of God day and night. These are they that bear fruit, and he prays that they might walk worthy of the Lord by being pleasing to him, by being fruit, bearing fruit for him, and uh, by being knowledgeable of him.
And the only way we could be, we could increase in the knowledge of God is through attendance to the word of God. Our brother touched on that this morning, uh, the fact of the importance of spending time in the Word of God, meditating upon the Word of God. Whenever I counsel with people who have backslidden, often in meetings we have people coming forward for dedication or, uh, recommitment of their lives to Christ. In dealing with them, we normally try to find out why they went the way they went. And, uh, almost in, uh, uh, almost in every case, we've discovered that it began through a lack of meditation upon the Word of God, reading and meditating upon the Word of God.
Well, I used to have Bible reading constantly. Then I got so busy I could only do it once in a while, and then the time came when I just stopped. And they continue to drift. Beloved, meditation upon the word of God, studying and reading the word of God, spending time in prayer is very important to one's fruitfulness in, uh, the Lord and for the Lord. And so, uh, we are to walk worthy by being knowledgeable of him. Also, uh, uh, Paul prays not only for their walk, but he also prays that they be strengthened with all might, uh, as we have in verse eleven, strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness.
They be strengthened with all might. Now there is the need for strength. I, I know all of us would feel the need for this, uh, one time or some time or the other, for there's always, uh, that need for more strength to face life and its many problems. Well, Paul prays that the, that the Colossian Christians be strengthened with all might, be strengthened. It was necessary as they faced, uh, uh, the problems that they were facing. He prayed for spiritual strength, and also he reminded them of the source of the strength, uh, uh, that they might be strengthened according to his glorious power, not theirs, but his, God's power.
That's where our strength lies, beloved, never in ourselves. One has to be very careful in trusting in our own abilities, in our own achievements. Listen, it will not work. The only strength that will make us overcomers and victorious and cause us to walk as God would have us to walk, to cause us to live as God would have us to live, will be the strength that we get from him. He is to be the source of our strength. Paul said to the Philippians, he can do all things through Christ who gives the strength, and the same will be true of you.
You will be do all, you'll be able to do all things, beloved, through him who gives you the strength. They that wait upon the Lord shall have their strength renewed. God wants us to be strengthened with this strength, and then not only do we note the need and the source, but he speaks of the manifestation of the strength. You see, it's to be manifested in patience, in patience. Someone has said that patience is endurance when circumstances are difficult. That's patience. Endurance when circumstances are difficult.
The soldier on the battlefield, he sticks it out. He sticks it out when the going gets tough. That's patience. Standing when no one else is there to stand with you, but you stand right on. You don't follow the crowd, you follow the Lord, and you are passionate. And Paul is praying that they be strengthened, and the strength to be manifested in patience and long suffering. Patience have to do with circumstances, and long suffering has to do with people. We are to be long suffering with each other.
We are to recognize the deficiencies in each other and love them and embrace them and care for them just the same. A brother mentioned earlier, and I thought of an incident when he mentioned, uh, concerning the attitude of some of us when, when, uh, a person, uh, backslides or, or, or gets away from the Lord. It seems to be an attitude of rejoicing, you know? And, uh, it reminded me of the man who gave a lot of trouble in this assembly, and the saints prayed that something would happen that he'll get out of the assembly. Could you, could, could you, uh, understand? They prayed, they prayed that something would happen, that God would move him out the assembly, and you know God answered their prayers?
God answered their prayers. Something happened. He got a job, and he had to move to another community, and he went to a church there. And some months later, uh, some of the brethren from the assembly or the church from which he left, uh, asked, uh, some of the brethren from the church to which he went and said, what about brother so and so? Oh, he says, he's keeping us on our knees. He was a blessing. Made him pray more. Huh? Yeah, made him pray more. They were more tolerant, more long suffering, I'm sure.
Patience has to do with circumstances. We plot on, although we might seem alone, although the going might be tough, we move with patience, we stand firm, we stick it out. Then we are to manifest this strength and long suffering with each other, just like a parent does with a child or their child. When, as a lady the other day went home, when she got home, she met the detectives at the house, searching the house. And she said, calling her son by name, it ain't you again, it ain't you again.
But my friends, she stuck with him. That's a s- that was her son, that was their son. Patience or endurance, long suffering, rather, with him. And that's the kind of thing we are to manifest with each other as Christians. Long suffering. Paul's prayer for the Thess- for the Colossian Christians in the face of this terrible heresy that was being propagated, seeking to influence them and undermine their faith in Christ. Paul prays that they might be, to sum it up in one word, steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of God.
I trust that as the many, many ideas and doctrines and teachings continue to be, uh, propagated around our islands and coming through the television. You, my friends, might not be influenced, but that you would stand fast in the teachings of the scriptures, that you might be grounded to the glory of God, and your life would be a blessing to others. Shall we pray? Our Father, we pray thy blessings upon thy word, and we ask that you would be pleased to use your word to stabilize thy people in the face of so many, uh, evil teachings and doctrines and philosophies that are filling the airwaves and, and, uh, uh, uh, many churches.
We pray, Lord, that you would cause thy people to be grounded, to be, uh, stabilized in the things of thyself. We pray for the young believers, our Father, who recently committed their lives to thee. We ask that you'll be pleased to, uh, hedge them about, that they might not be driven about with these, uh, various teachings, but that they might, uh, uh, be grounded in thy word and go on to greater heights, to the glory of thyself, and, uh, to the fruitfulness of service for thee. For we pray as we give thee thanks, in Jesus' name, amen.