 Okay. Yeah. So you're good to go? Yeah. So, yeah. So I'll start your time now. Okay. Good morning, everyone. Praise God and thank you, Pastor, and for this opportunity to share God's word. And it's very nice to have classmates as the audience. I'm really glad about that. Okay, what I would be sharing on is on the topic of grace. So that is something that I think all of us have experienced right from the very beginning of our walk with God. And so I would like to touch on, are there ways when we can miss out on that grace in all the beauty and glory of the way that it has been given to us? And what is it that we need to do so that we can really walk in the grace that he has called us to? So the first some things that we'll be sharing, of course, it's all familiar to all of us, but anyhow, I'll just go over that. So what is it that comes to mind when we say grace, undeserved kindness, unmerited favor, getting what we don't deserve? Whereas on the other hand, mercy is not getting what we deserve. And peace is oneness with God. If we look at scripture, especially after the church was established, almost all the episodes begin with grace and peace be to you from God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So this is something that we need to draw from in great measure. Every greeting mentioned that. Let's just look at since when has this grace been with us? Second Timothy 1 9 says, this grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light. So it has been given to us from the beginning of time, but we understand what it is because of the appearing of our Lord Jesus. He personified all that grace is about. I'll go a little more of some more scriptures, which is again familiar. What does it do? Ephesians 2 9 8 9 says, for it is by grace, you have been saved by faith. And this not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast. We have been saved through grace by faith. Another little firm scripture invariably when we talk about grace, it's kind of, okay, you can do anything you want. And if we put that thing and say, okay, it's a grace of God. And sometimes in Jude, it says that it was a license. They use it as a license to do almost anything. Titus 2 12 puts it very beautifully. It says it teaches us to say no to ungodliness, worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and Godly lives in this present age. That is an amazing scripture teaches us to say no to ungodliness, worldly passions. While we wait for the blessed hope, the glory is appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And another one, which is so familiar and so comforting and strengthening that His grace is sufficient for us. And His strength is made perfect in our weakness, no matter where the weakness lies in whatever area. There's always a fresh supply, because that is what He has said, my grace is sufficient. And second Corinthians 9 it says, and God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things and at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. So that's again a bit of the background. So we'll just quickly look now as is it possible to miss out on all this that the Lord has given? Is there other things that we sometimes miss out on doing? Or there are things that we can better do so that we can avail of this. James 4 6 says, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. What is it that we are proud of? Is it they could be different things? Maybe our knowledge or our qualification, maybe our position. Maybe sometimes it could be even our spirituality. So God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Knowing that everything that we receive is but by the grace of God, maybe it will give us a right perspective so that we can receive more of His grace. 1 Corinthians Paul says, 1 Corinthians 15-10, By the grace of God, I am what I am and His grace to me was not without effect, not in vain. Why? I've worked harder than all of them yet not I but the grace of God that was with me. So we could miss out or not avail as much as we can if we are laid back, if we are lazy. So because scripture says whatever we do we do with all our heart as unto the Lord. So let's and Peter again says make every effort to add to your faith, goodness and knowledge, self-control. Make every effort. One more scripture that I'd like to look like us to look at Jonah 2-8. Those who cling to worthless idols, forfeit the grace that could be theirs. When we say idols and I'm sure all of us, I mean we don't, it would not be literal idols that we would be looking to or bowing before but if God is not our God then there are chances that that can become an idol. What do we think of when we go to sleep? What is it that we think of when we awake? Maybe that will give us some kind of an idea if there is anything in that region. So now I will go into what do we do? That how Paul has told Timothy, beautiful instructions that he has given him which we can really learn from and apply. He said 2 Timothy 2 verse 1 season. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. He's asking us to be strong. How? The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. So whatever we are receiving, learning, teaching at any given point of time. Now it is in a proper way in a college set up when otherwise whatever we learn are we able to entrust, we have to be able to entrust it to others. So they in turn will be able to share it to others as well. That is one. The next is end your hardship with us like a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And to explain that Peter, I just looked at Peter a thing. It says it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he's conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable before God. It's a tough call. There's this enduring, endure hardship, but a very important part of our walk with Christ and for which we again need the grace. Then it goes on to say those a few verses below that no one serving as a soldier gets involved in the civil affairs. He wants to please his commanding officer. Sometimes we are so busy with the nitty gritty of everyday life doesn't mean that we refrain or avoid our responsibilities. But are we constantly in that grid of, okay, going on and on in a routine? Said no one serving as a soldier gets involved. I'm talking about the emphasis being involved. We don't keep on doing those things alone. Then similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. If you look at any athlete, I'm sure many of us might be having people whom we look up to. There's so many wonderful sportsmen out there. How do they arrive at what they do, their success and their ability to do and all those accolades that they receive? I'm sure we can all relate to that that it would be a terrific routine morning and night, maybe when you're up or sleeping, it's constantly, that is what they are focused on and working. And they do all this to get a crown that will not last. So we need to compete according to the rules. Then it goes on to say, I think Paul says that how he beats his body and brings it under control, but all that happens only to get a crown that will not last. So towards the last one is the hardworking farmer should be the first to receive, which means that he has to be able to partake of that. Whatever he is going to be, the farmer does not a celebrity like the soldier and athlete and all of that. He just has to work hard and he will not probably get any recognition even, but he would be the first to receive. He will have to be able to partake. He will have to receive from the word himself before he can give it out to others. So let us all decide to be strong in the grace of God. And how can we get this grace and peace and abundance? It says grace and peace be yours in abundance, the knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord. That is what I wanted to share. And I just end with the quote, Oswald Chamber says, to prepare for anything, even for to share something. The time is up, but you can complete that. I'm just closing with the quote. To take on the most difficult task, maybe even hard work or abilities enough, but to be a saint 24-7, you need the grace of God. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you for presenting that. So you've titled it, Perspectives on Grace. Thank you. I just wanted to add a couple of more perspectives. I think it's not time is not enough to add those two perspectives also, but grace being a divine enablement and grace being divine character. You touched upon unmerited favor, but grace being divine enablement and divine character as well. So yeah. Thank you. Okay. So we have Rinchen next. Okay, Shukmar is also ready. So Shukmar can present after Rinchen. So is Rinchen there? She is. Okay. Rinna, are you ready? Are you ready? Okay. Okay. Just check your mic. Can you guys hear me? Can you guys hear me? Can you guys hear me? Can you guys hear me? Okay. Say that again. Say that again. So Rinna, have you logged into two accounts? Maybe that's what it is. Can you hear me? Yeah. Now it's fine. Okay. Okay. So I'll start the timer now. Ten minutes. At the end of ninth minute, I'll put a message on the text. Okay. Start. Your camera is not on yet. Okay. So good morning, everyone. So today I'll be talking about my topic is what you do when God does not respond and the title is when you get no response. So today, yeah, so get into that. The thing is we all are going to come and we all go through in life where we are believing God for something when we are trusting God for something. And we feel like God might not be hearing us, God might not be answering our prayers, or that our faith is not working, or we have to do something more, or that, I mean, we might be having like all these questions, like is God really there? He might be starting to doubt about God's faithfulness and his, if he's like doing anything, if he's working. So I mean, like when you feel like in life, when God is not doing anything, when God is not working, when you feel that way, I mean, that is the time when, that is the time when we have to check, like, are we doing the small things that God has wanted us to do? I mean, like to do his will every single day. I mean, like, even if we go to, in first Samuel chapter nine, it talks about where Saul meets, sorry, where, yeah, where Saul meets Samuel and where, yeah, and he is going to be anointed as a king of Israel by Samuel. But before that, Saul is asked to do something small, something, something not so significant. And, and says in verse three, one day, Kish donkey straight away and he told Saul, take a servant with you and go look for donkey. So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill if frame. Okay. And okay, yeah. So in this story, you saw you'll come across there where Saul will ask, very sorry, where Samuel will ask Saul to do just a small task in order to just see if he can just do the small little thing. And, and so by Saul just doing that thing, I mean, like he is, he's later obviously anointed as king of Israel. And as even though, even in life, we can, so there are things where God just wants us to do the little things in our life. I mean, if you want to know, if you want to see God's answer to our prayers, or if you want to see God moving in our lives, I mean, you just have to do the small things that, that he's asked us to do. I mean, like Elizabeth, like she said, just do the, just do the next right thing, just do the next thing that, that we've got to do. And you'll see the results. And and like in God's word, where it says to never cease in prayer, to continue steadfastly, to not give up. And also God has promised us in this word that in Matthew 21, verse 22, where if we believe, and if he asks him clearly, we shall receive it. I mean, we can continue to stand firm on God's promises, just knowing that God will still remain faithful. God will, God hears our prayers, and that he, he will not feel us. I mean, there is a right time where he will answer. I mean, the kairos moments in our lives, where God will come and intervene and work in our lives. So, yeah, the takeaway today is just continue to trust in God, even when you feel like God is not responding. God is there, he is working. Even when we don't feel like it, even when we are not able to see that God is working, because he is there, he is working. Yeah, that's it. Thank you. Okay, you have lots of time left. So, if you want, you can. Okay. Thanks, Ren. Thank you. Okay, one aspect that I felt that you could have added is, of course, scriptural examples, and also some illustrations, specific illustrations, right? So, okay. So, that always brings out the message. Like, even though it's, it could be a short message, a scriptural, or a personal, or even an everyday example of how, you know, what to do. Now, this is, this is something that is, you know, this is a struggle for most people, right? Most believers. So, a really relevant everyday example, okay, this is what I face, but how do I overcome it? You know, if there are some strong truth, and the everyday, you know, things that challenges, if those are kind of explained, that would really, that would really help, right? So, just wanted to share that. Okay. So, Shiv Kumar is ready? Yeah, just one second. I will see Nina's questions, apart from Devain, I remember. Devain character, Devain character, Devain enablement, and of course, unmerited favor. Those are the three aspects of grace. Okay. Okay. So, Shiv Kumar, if you're ready, then, yeah, you can unmute, switch on the camera. Let me know when you're ready. And then I'll start the timer. Yes, I can start. Okay. So, I'll start the timer. Yeah, go ahead. Hello, everyone. My name is Shiv Kumar. Today, my sermon topic is honor your spiritual leaders. So, today, our focus will be on understanding the need to honor our spiritual leaders and hindrances in honoring them and in various, in some of the ways, how we can honor them. Let us read one scripture, 1st Thessalonians, 5th chapter, verse 12. It says like this, Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. So, many of us in our spiritual life, we have struggled sometimes in honoring our spiritual leaders, or sometimes we are surprised that the way the spiritual leaders are getting honored. Or we may think that how come spiritual leaders are, why we need to honor our spiritual leaders so much. So, scripture has answers for all these things. So, first, we'll see why we need to honor our spiritual leaders. There are five reasons to honor our spiritual leaders. Number one, they watch out our souls and gives account to the Lord. Number two, they work hard among us. 1st Thessalonians, chapter 5, verse 12. Number third reason is they guide us in our spiritual journey. The 1st Thessalonians, 5th one will come across this. Number fourth, they teach us the word of God, Hebrew 13-7. The fifth reason is they are the authorities kept over our soul by God, Romans 13, chapter 1. Let us assume we are a teacher by profession and our students start disrespecting us or they are not listening to us. Does it sound good to us? Definitely no. So, we need to honor our spiritual leaders because it is our primary duty as well as our responsibility. And also, it is the best way in which we can return to our spiritual leaders for their labor. Now, let us see what are the hindrances to honor our spiritual leaders. There are many factors which induce us in honoring our spiritual leaders. The most common among them is the pride. Scripture says in 1 Peter, chapter 5, verses 5, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. And Proverbs 16-18 says, the first step to destruction is having a prideful Lord. So, a prideful person is unprofitable in the kingdom of the Lord. God cannot use a prideful person and thus, it makes him useless in the hands of the God. So, let us not boost ourselves about our talents, about our knowledge, wealth, power, skills, etc. Instead, humble ourselves before the God and our spiritual leaders and honor them. Wait for the appropriate time. Surely, God will bring us and lift us in his appointed time. One example I can tell you is in one of my friends' church, a second-line leader rose against him and he created a lot of disturbances in the church. And ultimately, he left his church and started his own ministry without the approval of his pastor. This has happened because the pastor has given him a full freedom and he has given him a full authority to do things and all. So, that might have brought a pride in his heart and led him to go against his pastor. And in the scripture, if you see, though Joshua led the Israelites to the promised land and Elisha, though doubly gifted than Elijah, when we see Jesus Christ, when he goes onto the mountain, we can see Moses and Elisha over there, not the Elisha and Joshua. So, this confirms us one thing. Always, gurus will be gurus. So, the students, whatever excel, they excel in their spiritual journey. Still, we need to honor our spiritual leaders, those who helped us in our spiritual journey. Now, let us see what are the ways in which we can honor our spiritual leaders. There are so many ways in which we can honor them. One is, we need to love them. First, as long as by the team. Second is, we need to pray for them and it is good in the eyes of the Lord. 1 Timothy chapter 2 was 1 to 3. Third is, we need to support them financially. 1 Timothy 5, 17. Fourth is, we need to follow them and invest in their joy. April 13, 17. Fifth reason is, we need to protect them from the church members or the community whenever they rose against them. 2 Timothy chapter 4 was 14 to 17. And sixth reason is, we need to help them in ministry to lessen their burdens. Acts 6 was 1 to 4. And the seventh reason is, we should not judge them. Romans 14 was 4. Matthew chapter 10 was 42 says, and if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded. If a simple gesture of giving water to his follower can reward us, think how much more God will reward us for honoring his servant. So we need to honor our spiritual leaders. One of the key ways to be blessed or honored in spiritual as well as earthly life is to honor our spiritual leaders. Let us understand that humblest before God and our spiritual leaders open the gates of blessings or honor for us. So let us be watchful for the opportunities to honor our spiritual leaders. Thank you. Thank you, Shukma. Shukma, did you put it together just now because you said the topic was not ready? Actually, I had this topic. I have prepared a several parts, but I was working on the better one. So since today, I would like to say let us present this one itself. Right. So thank you. Thank you for sharing that. That's a very good topic and very useful one and also quite a controversial one in the sense, in the light of today's scenario, church scenario. A lot of questions why when considering the character, considering the abuse that might be there and then people still ask why or how. I just felt one thing that that like instead of putting together a whole lot of information in 10 minutes, what would have been really useful is like, for example, the biblical base for honor that you shared, right? There were four points or four or five points and taking time to really go over the scriptures. You quoted the scriptures, but taking time to go over the scriptures would have helped and then maybe one other point, like what is a practical way to do it? I think those two points would have covered the 10 minutes sufficiently and with the personal examples and illustrations, that would have really helped. So I just wanted to share that. Okay. Thank you. Right. Thanks. Okay. So, okay, I throw it open to anyone. Okay, who puts their hand up first, whether in person or okay, Shira, fantastic. Shira, you have a lot of fans here. Everybody's applauding you. Okay. Okay, Shira, you can go ahead and I hope that's why you put your hand up. Good morning. Good morning. You're ready to share? Okay. I'll start the timer now. Yeah, go ahead, please. Good morning, everyone. It's me, Shira, and my topic, Salman's topic, is right choice will bring God's blessings and my Salman title is choice. So in our daily life, we have, every day we have choice, what to choose or what to not, what to do, what to take or to not. In the morning, when we wake up, we have choice. We'll pray or not and we'll pray or we'll just go for a brassino. Like every day in our life, we have choice, but right choice will bring blessings to our life and wrong choice will delay our blessings in our life. Or in one hand, we can say that in our wrong choice will be, you know, take us into so far from God. And one more thing is, when we take the wrong choice, it will take us into some kind of curse in our life also. So when we see in the Bible, that is one example, very good example I found when we see David's life. So here, when we read Second Samuel 11, 2 to 17 and all, then after 12, 11 to 12. So when we read about David, we see here, like one evening he was walking and he saw Beth Seva, right? She was like taking birth. And that time, he had choice. Like when he saw that Beth Seva, he had choice, can I consistently, I show her and remove or I'll take a choice to avoid her. So at that time, suddenly when we read Bible, we show that one of the wrong choice he made there. And he saw and he, what he did, David, that he called his servant and he asked who is he, like about how he asked. And what David did, he did one wrong choice there. He did miss one wrong choice and he slept with Beth Seva, right? When we read Bible, we get that. So what happened after that, when we read Second Samuel 12, there we see like, you know, Second Samuel 12, 11 to 12 and Second Samuel 13, 1 to 11 and 11 to 15. We see like something happened to David's life. And after that, we know the stories what happened, like everything. But one thing I can like focus here is, because of his one mistake, when we read like 13, 1 or sorry, Second Samuel 12, 11 to 12, there we found that Jesus said, no, through prophets, because of his mistake, what he will do, that he will do something and something happened there. And again, when we see Tamar and Absalom, you know, because of his one mistake, so many things happened there. And then because of his one choice, one wrong choice, so many things happened in the Bible. So our one choice will take us into the blessings and same way, our one choice will take us so far from the God. So my topic and my point is, we have to take right choice through the guidance of God. And one more example I want to focus here from the Bible, when we see the life of Jonah, right? Life of Jonah also. He, God tells him to go in the way and he runs from into the process means God called him and God told him to go in the way and he run after the Lord. And he took one wrong choice there. And what happened? His blessings and his time become delayed. So our one more point is, because of our wrong choice, our blessings and our time will be delayed because of our wrong choice. So it's happened to Jonah's life. The best example we can see from the Bible, the one right choice will be taken into higher blessings or one right choice will be taken close to the God. It is Joseph. When we see the Joseph's life, Joseph's life he took very good choice in his life. When we see Joseph's, what happened? When we read Genesis 39, 1, 2, 2, and Genesis 37, 8, when we read Genesis 39, then we see Patifur's wife, Patifur. Big temptation, big problem, big situation come into Joseph's life. But what he did, because of one thing he was very good to God, his relationship is very good to God. And because of God's guidance and because of his relationship with God, what he did, he took a right decision there. When Patifur's wife, she tried to do something wrong with him, he ran away. He know after that so many things will happen in Joseph's life. But what he did, he took like a risk there. So what he did, he run from the situations when Patifur's wife asked him to do something wrong. When we read Bible, we know everything. He asked Patifur Joseph to sleep with him. But what Joseph did, he run from it. When we see, he took a right decision, right, in front of the eyes of God. And he run from it, Joseph. Or when he run from it, then after what happened in his life, he put into the prison and on. But it's all like, because of his right choice, after one day, God take him higher. What happened? When we read the verse like Genesis 31, we see because of his one good name, God took him and make him the minister, right? We see. The my point is, because of his right choice, what he did there. And because of God guidance was there, because of the good relationship was there with God, because of my point is the right choice. He run and what happened, God took him higher. So today my point is, we have so many choices in our daily life. So many choices. Every second and every time we have choice. So whatever in our life, something happened or when a choice come, like what to do, we have to ask to have to pray to the Lord. And through the guidance of God, we have to take the right choice in our life. And if our relationship, through our good relationship with God, God will help us what to choose, what to not. So one point is, like the relationship will have the relationship with God, it will help us to take the right choice in our life. Because God is there in our life. So now, for example, in my life, if something happened, now what to do? I will go to the ministry or I will go to the, go to out with friends to Rome. It's choice, right? Every second and then we have choice. So if God is with us, if guidance is God's guidance is with us, if our relationship with God is very good, it's good that God will help us to take the right decisions. And in every time, and second point is, in every time in our life, whenever choice come in our life, we have to pray and ask to look and we have to take that decision. Suddenly, if we'll take by our talent, by our imaginations, by our thinking, if we'll take the wrong choice, it will take us, sometimes it will take far from the load and sometimes it will take our blessing. If blessing is on the way, it will take like fun delay. So our right choice will take us into blessings. And our right choice will take us into the little far from the God and delay from the every blessings in our life. So this is my topic. Praise the Lord. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Chira. That was good. So I guess there's one point throughout, right? This is to make a good choice and how to, yeah. So one of the things you can add when it comes to choice is like two things I was just thinking of. One is to be led by the Spirit, right? So one is you emphasized on relationship with God. You have a close relationship. And because of that relationship, you, you know, one turns to God and asks him at every, you know, at every juncture where we need to make the choice. Yeah. The other thing is that, you know, because of Romans 8 talks about holding to 16 that we are led by the Spirit of God. So to make the choice to be led by the Spirit, to continually, you know, be led by the Spirit. And the other thing was that if our mind is renewed to the Word of God, you know, sometimes it's difficult to choose. When it's, when it's a choice between what is good and bad, it's, you know, it's an easy choice in the sense. You know what is, you can discern between what is good and what is bad. But then if it is a choice between something that is good and something that is better, you know, and then what is God's will in that, then one needs to be led by the Spirit, right? And of course, our mind also being renewed to the truth of God's Word, knowing the truth. So, so those are some things that you can add to it. But yeah, thank you. Thank you for sharing that. Okay. Good to see you, Jeera. Have a long time. Okay. So I think we have about four more minutes. So I think we'll stop here. We had no half now, half later, you didn't put your hands up fast enough. So anyway, so we have seven people who shared today. So tomorrow, first hour again, you know, we'll take some time and then we'll just dive right in. And then, but we may not be able to do the second hour because I think there will be your regular classes. Okay, so we'll do it first hour tomorrow. Okay. Thank you. God bless.