 Just one small thought before we get into today's lesson, that is from Colossians chapter 4 and verse 2, where we see these words, continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. A lot of instructions Paul gives right from chapter 3 onwards to the church in Colossae and this is what he says, continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Continue, meaning just don't give up, continue. There could be many reasons for giving up but continue. And so some reasons why we give up is because we are discouraged, we haven't seen the answers soon enough or at the time frame that we wanted to see the answers, so we give up. Or somehow there's some reasoning in our minds that maybe this is not God's will, maybe this is not what God wants, something, we just reach that conclusion or maybe somebody tells us you're praying for the wrong thing. So we give up. And sometimes we are so discouraged, we give up. Sometimes we forget, we started out and then there are other things, maybe some worries, some things came up and then we forget, we just give up praying. So Paul is saying continue and he says how should we continue, continue earnestly, which means sincerely, it's like saying diligently, be earnest in your efforts. Let it not be for the sake of doing something, let your heart be in it, continue earnestly. And being vigilant, being alert, it's like a watchman, being vigilant, it's like a watchman nowadays sleep a lot. But he'll say okay, maybe like a soldier at an outpost, there's a small noise and hey, who goes there? Alert. So you see a lot of attributes there, continue, don't give up, don't be discouraged, earnestly, with sincerity, with effort, being vigilant in it, being alert, he says being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. He's reminded of Philippians last chapter where they had instruction of you pray with thanksgiving. Why is there thanksgiving? Because we know that prayers are being heard, we know that he knows our needs, we give thanks because he's the answer. So much is there in that one verse. But I just want to ask us, what are some things that we have stopped praying for? That we gave up praying, maybe because of discouragement, maybe because someone else told us or we ourselves reasoned in our mind, we ourselves put limits on God and say, that's too big, that's too wonderful, that cannot happen. So we ourselves put limits, we closed the gate and said, God, maybe on this part of the thing or my dream or whatever desires, I just want to close it. So what is it that we have stopped? Maybe we stopped praying for our loved ones to be saved. Maybe we stopped praying for our own call that God has for us. We stopped praying for that. Maybe we stopped praying for some breakthrough in some area. It could be for physical healing, maybe something to do with our emotions, maybe something to do with our financial needs. It could be some breakthrough in some area. It could be some legal issue which is spending at court. It could be something that needs to be sold, something that needs to be bought. We gave up because maybe it's been a decade. So what are some things that the Lord is bringing to our mind to continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with Thanksgiving? Can we come back to that place of continuing earnestly in prayer? So let's take some time to pray and maybe each one of us, we might have some needs that we have dropped or we are not continuing earnestly or we are not being alert in it or we are not giving thanks to God. Let's put all these things together and whatever be that aspect of prayer or whatever is it that the Lord, Holy Spirit is teaching us or prompting us right now. Let's go after that. Let's pray. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Yes, Lord, thank you for this reminder, for this exhortation of God. Yes, that we are to continue earnestly in prayer, Lord, being vigilant in it with Thanksgiving. Father God, we pray that, yeah, even right now we pray for those things that we might have left by the wayside. We pick it up again. We pray for those things that we might have given up, Lord, because we haven't seen the answers soon enough or we pray for those things that we sometimes, Lord, think it's too difficult, too big, too marvelous, too wonderful. And so we've put limitations, Lord, we pray for those things again. Yes, Lord, we pray, Lord, knowing that you are the one who hears our prayers. You're the one who receives. You're the one who answers, Lord. You're the God who answers by fire. You're the God who moves mountains, Lord. You're the one who parts oceans, Lord. And so, Lord, we bring these back to you, Father God. We bring these needs back to you, Father God. Yes, Lord, we pray for breakthrough today. We pray for mountains to move. Lord, we pray for supernatural provision, God. We pray for breakthrough, Lord, in various areas of our lives, God, maybe emotionally, physically. Lord, we pray for chains of addictions to break. Father, we pray for revelation and understanding, God, to come through, Father God, in the inner man, Lord. We pray for strength in the inner man. We pray for manifestation of healing, God. We pray for creative miracles, oh, Father God. Yes, Lord, things that need to change inside of us, oh, God, let it change, oh, God, organs function, the way you designed each one of them to function in every single cell and tissue and muscle and bone and joint, oh, God, the finished work of Jesus, oh, God, we just speak that, oh, God, we release that in the name of Jesus. In Jesus' matchless name, we pray, amen, amen, amen. Okay, so, last class, we looked at mechanics of sermon construction, right? And we looked at the title. Okay, we looked at every sermon. It's good to give a title. So, how does it help us? It draws attention to the message, right? It draws attention to what the message is about, gives an idea about what the message is about. Okay, so it gives us, you know, it makes us curious and wants us to listen to the message, you know, and especially today since a lot of messages are online, a good title definitely draws us to the message, right? And so, yeah, let's look at a few things. So, a title should reflect the main theme or content of the message. So, it must not obscure the content in the sense, you know, it's good to have a creative title. It's good to have a title that's, you know, that's, I would say, maybe, you know, it's not the usual, it's very unusual, right? It creates a lot of interest, it's fine, but at the same time, it should be something that talks about the content, okay? And it should be simple and it should serve the purpose of a title, you know? It should also complement the message and what a title does is it really provides a good atmosphere for the sermon, okay? It's like when you have a good title, when you, you know, start with that, it provides a good atmosphere, meaning an environment for the sermon to be preached, right? Because it's, it just creates that kind of anticipation in people's minds and curiosity and maybe, you know, even opens their hearts, right? Expectation, all that comes in a title. So it can be a question, it can be a phrase and, you know, it can be, it can be all that, all of that, right? So a title is different from a topic, okay? So for example, the topic of your sermon could be faith, okay? So it could be faith. Now, the title could be, you know, faith or mountain-moving faith. That could be the title, okay? Or whatever, you know, ocean-parting faith or mountain-moving faith or faith in the midst of fiery trials, depends on what the direction or what the message is about, right? The content of the sermon is about. So the, so the title can be that. So you get the difference, right? So the topic can be faith, but the title can be something to do with faith, you know? It can be, it can say, you know, do you have faith or, or great is your faith, you know, like what Jesus told the Centurion, right? He said, great is your faith, something like that. So, so see, one thing about the title, like, especially in today's times is like a lot of people search, search online, like for the topic, you know, let's say they want to hear a message on, for example, Gifts of the Spirit, they would go to Google and then search, you know, Gifts of the Spirit or Christian message. They will, they will type that out, okay? And what Google does, it is searches, it is a search engine, searches. And so if our message that we put online has something to do with that, you know, do with the search. So that is what they call as SEO, search engine optimization, okay, SEO. So in the message that goes on, have you noticed a lot of hashtags? Okay, so what are those for? You know, one, you know, yeah, how, how does it reach? Yeah, so, so when they search, it actually searches for these, you know, when you put a hashtag, it searches for this. So you have a message like, okay, enduring faith, and you put a hashtag sermon on faith, sermon on faith, or how to increase your faith, you know, so when people search for all these questions, you know, how to increase, what is faith? So you put a hashtag, what is faith, you know, hashtag, how to increase my faith, hashtag, how to, whatever you put all this. So whenever people search for that, it directs them to this content, okay? And of course, the title, you know, you have a title, let's say if you have a very cryptic title, in the sense, what are some interesting titles? I remember we had some, some, some titles, it was I think it was a very, it was a Latin title, okay? So this was for a church service. I remember we had what was called a APC sports day, okay? So the whole church was participating in sports. So that Sunday morning, we met in a ground, okay? So the church service Sunday morning happened on a ground field that is Baldwin boys school ground. So it was outdoors. So we finished the message, this service, it was a short service, and then we had the sports day. So everybody there's a lot of things, this football cricket and everything. So I remember Pastor sharing that message. And it was three Latin words alters, something, you know, it just means faster, higher, greater or something like that. Okay. And now, now Pastor said, actually, he shared about that, because he's, you know, being an IT person, right? So he said, see, now nobody's going to search for that. Nobody will search for alters, whatever, you know, those Latin words, right? But if there is a hashtag there, saying greater higher, or faith in a great God who's greater, or you need to go further, you know, then it'll probably direct to this message. Okay, so the thing is, when we, there's so much about the title, we don't have to spend a lot of time, you know, what should I give them title, but it's good to keep it simple, and good to keep it thinking in mind five years, 10 years from now, because you're putting it, you know, you're putting it online, people will search. If you have a title that is only going to serve that particular Sunday for that particular congregation, it's like an insider joke, right? Only, only we understand, you know, if we say something about something related to BC, something related to, you know, a supernatural hour or something, only we understand it, it's our language. But if we want the world outside to understand, access, search, then the title has to be, you know, in that manner. Okay, so give it some thought. Then what is the next part of it? But did you understand the difference between the topic and the title? Okay, topic is the subject. The title is like the main heading. Main heading, yeah. For example, Sunday's message. Yeah, what is Sunday's message? Last Sunday's message, the power of the gospel. That's the title. That's the title of the sermon. Okay, so what is the subject matter? What is the, what is the topic of the sermon? It's about God, it's about sharing the gospel. So that's the subject, you know, that's, that's what we, the sermon, whole sermon is about. But the title, given to the sermon, is the power of the gospel. The topic is sharing the gospel. Yeah. It's about sharing the gospel because that's what the whole message is about, saying that the gospel, the message of the gospel is the message of the cross. And the message of the cross is the power of God. The way of the cross is the power of God. So that's why Paul says he was not ashamed of the gospel, et cetera, et cetera. And therefore everybody's called to share the gospel. So that's the thing, right? So yeah, so we just need to know the difference between like, for example, okay, the nine gifts. Okay, let's say that's the title. What, what is the topic? The gifts of the Holy Spirit. Okay, so the nine gifts, I could give a title like the nine gifts, or this, these gifts are for you. That could be a title, these gifts are for you, or these gifts are for everyone, that could be a title. But the topic, the subject, what we're going to deal with in the message, the gifts of the Spirit. Right? Okay. Yeah, so that's the thing, right? Okay, so introduction. Okay, the introduction is a process by which the preacher prepares the hearts and minds of people, secures the interest. So it's like the first few words that you as a preacher will actually address and talk to the audience about. Okay, so it's, introduction is, is good. It's essential. If you're a visiting person, you'll probably say a few words about yourself, right? You'll introduce yourself. Okay, I'm so and so. This is what I do. This is where I come from. This is what my family is. And something about yourself, you know, is to say that. And then you move into introducing the sermon. Okay, so it introduces what the sermon is about. Let's say for example, let's look at Sunday's sermon, the power of the gospel. Okay, so if you look at the introduction, what could possibly be an introduction, good way to introduce the message? What do you think? Okay. So what would you want to say to the congregation? I mean, there's, you can approach it different ways, right? So you can, you could, yeah, like you said, okay, let's say you're saying, okay, the commission, great commission. So you could start by saying, hey, we're all commissioned. We're all on a mission. All of us, you know what that mission is, you know, so introduction could start that way, or it could start about the gospel, you know. The gospel, we have, there is this good news, there is this great news. And why is it the good news? Why is it the great news? And also, why is it for everybody? This is, you know, here's a message that is worth reaching the whole world. Why is this message worth reaching the whole world? So your introduction, you know, you could start that way. These are the first few words you're talking about it, right? About the message. So it could be, it could be a question, it could be anything of that matter. Well, some people use humor, right? Some people use statistics to start off with saying, in the world, the population of the world is, you know, you could start that way, saying, okay, this population and, you know, this percentage does not know the gospel, you know, so much, so many people live in the city, so many people, you know, you could start with statistics. Some people use humor, you know, some people use jokes to start off with. And you need to be careful, because suppose people don't understand the joke, they don't laugh. And then they look very serious, then that's it, you know, it's not a good start, right? So, so the thing is that you need to be little, you know, careful, and so on, right? So some people use, I don't remember this preacher, so he, he was actually a professor in Syax, Syax, I say Syax, I think. Yeah, so he, he came to ABC Ones and then he, he started off his message and most of his messages, he starts off with, with this, okay, he starts off with a poem. Let me just see if there is, if I have it. It's really nice. I found it very interesting and it's, it's a poem about the word. Yeah, it's a poem about the Bible, so he's written like several of those, so he starts by reading it, okay? So it's called, excuse me, it's called My Precious Old Book, okay? His name is Dr. Chris Nyanakin, My Precious Old Book, okay? That's how it goes. Though the cover be torn and its pages be worn and places bear, places of tears, yet more precious than gold is this book, worn and old, that can shatter and scatter my fears. As I prayerfully look in this precious old book, many treasures and pleasures I see, many promises of love from my father above, who is nearest and dearest to me. This book is a guide, is a friend by my side. It will lighten and brighten my day and each promise I find soothes and gladdens my mind as I preach it and teach it each day. To this book I will cling of its worth, I will sing, though many crosses and losses be mine, for I cannot despair though surrounded by care while possessing this blessing divine. Okay, so it's about the Bible, so he holds the Bible and he says it and of course he doesn't read it out, he says it from memory. So he wrote it, he composed it. So every time he would start with something like that and then he talks about the importance of the word of God and then gets into the message. So it can be a poem, it can be a song, but if it's related, it's an introduction so it needs to be, sorry, related to the sermon and then it will be good. So then, now this is a, see what I'm suggesting, what we are looking at is a typical outline. It's good if you follow it. The reason being, it's not like it's chapter and verse, the reason being it's a practical thing. It's a practical help for enabling people to receive it. So with that intent, okay, why are we preaching? So that people hear, people listen, people understand and they put to practice the truth, right? Because the truth of God's word is power. So that's the reason, that's the intent of preaching. So with that intent, it's good to follow these kind of outlines. Okay, then there is what we called as a proposition. Now the proposition is the big idea or a big thought about the actual message. I'll just probably go down to, there's something called a proposition and also a transitional sentence, etc. We don't need to go into the details of it. You can read it in the notes. Okay, let's just look at an example of it. Okay, if you go down to page 31, almost at the end of it, right? This is an example. For example, the title of the message is an exemplary ministry and it's from the portion 1 Thessalonians 2 verses 1 to 12. What is the proposition? Okay, so this is the big idea so that you're saying that the servant of God has an exemplary pattern for his ministry. Okay, so that's the proposition. That's the big idea of the message. That is that one thought that's going to go throughout the entire sermon, entire message, right? The servant of God has an exemplary pattern or if you take an example of Sunday's message, the Gospel that has been interested to us has intrinsic power because it is God's word or whatever, something like that. Interrogative sentence and transitional sentence. Now these are also parts of the, what follows the, or what is part of the introduction. Interrogative sentence. What is interrogation? Interrogation means question, right? To interrogate someone is to ask someone question. So interrogative sentence, meaning you make that declaration about the message. This, you know, the servant of God has an exemplary pattern for his ministry. Then the interrogative sentence or a question, what are the characteristics of this pattern for ministry? Okay, so you ask that question. Then that is the transitional, you're answering that question and you're saying according to 1 Thessalonians 2, 1-12, Paul's ministry exemplifies, talks about four characteristics which could be, which should be true in the ministry of a servant of God today. Okay, so the big idea, the question and answering that question which follows into the message, right? So those four things that he is going to talk about that this sermon is going to talk about is actually the four main points of the sermon. Okay, the four main points of the sermon. So we could, we could have a, this is a suggested outline, we could have an outline like this. Okay, so, so what are those four points? You know, those are the main points of the sermon. Okay, so think about it, you know, in whatever sermon that you're going to, that you want to put together, that you want to share, what are those four things, five things, it could be 10 things, whatever, you know, what are those things that you're going to, that you want to highlight? Okay, so I'm sure all of us are used to doing it, right? You're used to leading devotions and you maybe you look at some two things, three things or maybe just one thing during the time of the devotion, right? So in the message, what is it, what are those things that you want to, what are the points, main points that you want to highlight? You're calling them divisions, calling them main points. Okay, there could be that certain points need a little more depth in explanation. So which means that that requires sub points, there could be three or four sub points under a main point. Okay, because the subject matter is so vast, so you need to break it down and have maybe two or three sub points within that, so that's also fine. Okay, so have those, have those main points, have those sub points. Just make sure that the main points are, you know, there is a difference. The point one, point two should not be the same or should not sound the same, right? There should be a very distinctive difference between all these points. What are you saying, right, about the main thing? So there should be a difference, right? So that's something to keep in mind and it's good to have a logical flow. Okay, meaning, you know, when there's, for example, you can use questions like what, when or how, let's say for example, you know, you're talking about the Gospel, you can have a question that one point could be what is it, what is the Gospel? Okay, and then you could have to whom is it directed, right, the whole world. Okay, what is it to whom is it directed and or you could have even thoughts like why do we need to do, why do we need to share, right? These are things that help us. So you see that each of these points are very different from each other, but it will really help us to, you know, go in a logical manner, logical flow. So suppose I'm listening, I'm able to understand, I'm able to recall even, right? Why should I share the Gospel? What is the Gospel or what is the Gospel? Why should I share the Gospel? To whom is the Gospel, you know, relevant measure, you know, and how do I share? You could finish with that four points, you know, how do I go share the Gospel? Simple message, right? So for everybody, it's easier to understand. But suppose you don't have these main points or divisions, just imagine, right? You're just going to talk about things and it's all there, muddled up, but you're not making a distinction, right? So either verbally or even, you know, when you're presenting something, if it's not there, then it's just one thing, right? It's difficult for people to, it's not that people won't be blessed, but it's difficult to retain, recall it, right? Apply it, okay? Some things to keep in mind is, you know, sometimes you might have some good thoughts to share, okay? You have an outline, okay? I have these three things I want to share. Now let me go find some passage where I can fit in. You know, that's not the way to do it, right? You go from the text to what you need to share and not the other way around, okay? Yeah. Okay, there are a few things here you can go through. It needs to have continuity. It needs to be original. You can always, you know, study other sermon outlines, but it needs to be original, okay? So that's about the points, introduction, the outline, the main points, sub points, etc. So it will really help us. The other thing is illustrations, okay? We looked at it earlier. Illustrations. What is an illustration, okay? It is something that gives explanation to a truth that you're sharing, okay? The Lord Jesus used illustrations. We saw parables, we see parables, especially the parable of the lost coin, the lost sheep, the lost son. You know, it was all about, what was the message about? The message about God the Father, the Father's heart, right? The whole, he uses three illustrations to, you know, to illustrate a particular point and it's all about the Father's heart. It's about how the Father comes in search of the ones who are lost, right? And celebrates when the lost are found. So, and if you, if you notice, why does he share those parables? The Lord Jesus is because people are saying, hey, what is this Jesus? He's always spending time with the sinners, right? Look at the kind of people that he's hanging out with, right? So, he, he's actually sharing, illustrating a point that this is actually the Father's heart. The Father's business, or the Father's main intention is to save the lost and that is why he's going there among the lost in order to save. That is why Jesus was sent to save the lost. So, he's just, just sharing that this is the Father's heart, right? And so, especially about the parable of the prodigal son, how the Father runs to the son in order to receive him and so on, right? So, an illustration is something powerful. An illustration gives explanation, right? About the, the truth of the sermon, right? So, it's good. It helps us, you know, we always remember, because as people we always remember a good story, right? Sometimes we forget the point, but we remember the story also. You know, that's also true. You know, sometimes advertisements, you know, you watch an advertisement, but you remember, you don't remember the brand name, what is that product, right? What is it that they're trying to sell, you know, what is the name of the thing you may not, that is also true, where the illustration is so good, but, you know, it doesn't connect with what the main point, you might forget the main point. So, these are things that we need to just keep in mind. So, it should clearly illustrate, it should hold the attention. It should also be something that doesn't tire out the listener, okay? Sometimes illustrations can, we can go into illustrations with so much of detail that people become tired, okay? And I think as, as students we know that just listening ties you out, right? You become tired as much as the people who are maybe sharing, teaching, right? Because listening is tiring. So, think about an illustration, you're giving an explanation about the point, but if you're going to too much details, it can actually tire the person, okay? And main thing, illustration should be relevant to the audience, okay? It should be something that they can understand, they can relate to, right? So, if you're going to talk about cricket to a bunch of people who don't know anything about the game, right? You're saying, okay, it is like, let's say the bowler comes and bowls and then, you know, the batsman hits it, but the fielder says, you know, maybe you're talking about team spirit and unity and all that. The fielder says, why should I feel? You know, this guy, you know, he, he never, when I bowled, he didn't feel properly. Now, he's bowling, I'm not going to feel for something like that. So, all this seems very foreign and strange to someone who does not know cricket, right? For example, if there's thinking batsman, field, he's thinking about the field, right? There's this harvest and, you know, what is this field batsman bought? So, it doesn't make sense at all, right? So, use an illustration where it's relevant for people, where you know the audience. So, if it's going to be an urban audience, if it's going to be a rural audience, if it's going to be children or adults use, you know. So, it really helps, because I remember, and I think this was an STBC and it was in Dhimapur, okay? So, we had a short-term Bible college in Dhimapur and all my sessions were afternoon sessions, okay? So, you can imagine a post-lunch, everybody is. So, every time there was a story, the eyes will open up. Every time we go back to the lesson, eyes will close. Every time we go, getting to the story is it. So, it was very tough, you know, but what you realize is that the story gets the attention of the people, okay? So, use it well, right? Use it to drive home the point, use it to explain the truth, right? At the same time, you know, don't share an illustration because it's your favorite illustration. Oh, I love this story. Let me share it. It should have some connection, right? It should have some connection with the message. It should be relevant to the audience, right? Some things to avoid, don't exaggerate, manufacture, right? Exaggerate means what? You're sharing a story, maybe it's a testimony, maybe it's testimony. Don't add to it. Don't make it bigger than it actually is, right? So, that's the thing. Don't manufacture, don't add details, don't manufacture something if it's not true, right? Don't brag about it. And so, this is especially for, you know, if you're especially talking to a church audience, right? If it's a church, a local fellowship, then the people are more or less going to be the same every Sunday, like there will be new people, but the percentage of old people will be almost 90%, right? 90-95% are. The old as in the regulars, right? So, if you know that you've used an illustration before, don't use it over and over again because people will say, oh, I've heard the story. Pastor's shared so many times, I know the story, I know the story better than him, you know, I can finish this, I can finish the story for him, right? So, what happens is they switch off, right? You're trying to draw them on, you're trying to make it even interesting, but then they are acting, I heard the story, they switch off, right? So, don't use that, keep track of it, don't use it over and over again, okay? It's good to, you know, collect these things, make a note of it, especially, you know, in our own lives, there's something that we learn, something that we understand and the Lord has spoken to us, you know, to just practical things, make a note of it, make a mental note of it, even write it down so that we don't forget, okay? Okay, so this is what, you know, the theologian Henry Ward-Beacher's purpose of translations, this is what they assist the argument, meaning they help put forth a point, clearly, postfully, they help the hearer to remember, right? They stimulate the imagination, so you're, you know, when there's a story, you're imagining, you're right there in the story, right? You're there, you visualize, you see it, it helps stimulate the imagination, right? The whole thing comes alive, it's also a kind of a rest, a mental rest where you relax a bit, you know, especially if you're talking about, maybe you're talking for a bunch of an hour and you're talking about some intense things, right? Intense things which require a lot of concentration and people need to understand really, you know, if they don't, they're going to lose the point and illustration helps to relax, it's like a pause, right? It helps to rest the mind, it's, it doesn't give mental fatigue, right? They provide for various classes of hearers, meaning some people are verbal or visual when it comes to, when they hear and that's how they learn, they don't read, they are, they are, they like to hear auditory kind of learning and also visual, so it provides for different kinds of hearers, builds bridge in difficult places and infos the truth, okay? So, so illustration helps in all this, so use illustration, use illustration where appropriate, use an illustration where you think it's relevant, okay? So, every point need not have a illustration, right? Every point, if you have five points, it doesn't mean that every point you'd go armed with five stories, no, right? And it's best, you know, when it comes to illustrations, best to use, look into the word and see, you know, what stories are there, what real life examples are there in the Bible that I can use, right? You can't go wrong with that, okay? Like for example, I remember we used, we had an outreach and this was in some schools and when we were growing, when we were in our youth group, right? So we had an outreach, the outreach was simple, we used to go to schools and this was around the World Cup cricket time, so we used to go to schools and there was this video that we had which talked about different cricketers who were believers, who were Christians, right? So we used to go to schools and then show them the video of these cricketers. All the kids were very, you know, very, very interested cricket, they were a cricket crazy World Cup was happening, so they were interested. So it talks about the cricketer and how they played and shows footage of all that, then also talks about their life. So they say, you know, this game is big, I give it importance, but there's something which is even more important for me and they talk about how they came to know Jesus and they give there, you know, and at the end of it there is prayer, so that was the outreach. The thing is, that was good, so we found that that was fantastic, so we went to a lot of schools and used it, but we found out later what happened was one of the guys who was in the in the video, right? He backslid, right? So in the sense he was involved in a bribe, he took money and he was involved in match fixing, right? You know, right? He took money and then because of that he did not play well or something happened. He got out at a particular time or he did not, you know, but that was in the paper, but it was, it happened later, but the fact is I was thinking, you know, what would be in the minds of all those guys who are all the school children watch that video, right? They heard this person talk about Jesus and then this match fixing thing. Now, so that is, that's a risk that we are taking, right? When we actually talk about people in the real world and say that this person is a fantastic Christian, great Christian, etc., right? When we talk about that, that's a risk, so we need to be a little careful. We can go into the word and say, you know, first off we can check into the word, are there illustrations there? We can use those stories because it's, what I've got is very real. It talks about the pluses, talks about the negatives of the person, right? We can talk about that. Okay, that's about illustration. Any questions till now? Introduction, title, topic, illustration, these are simple things. Francis, okay. So, first of all, like, my question is from introduction. So, some people will start with the jokes and all. So, what happened is, in Bible college only, one person started with a joke. Okay. All boys know that joke. Okay. Some two or three girls left and what happened is, after that, he got, he lost his conference on the preaching and he came to me and they, Anna, what happened? You guys didn't left and I forgot the question. So, what to preach? So, my question is like, if he's, in case anything happened like this, if you are saying a joke for encouraging people, they are not interested in what we can do after that. Yeah. So, suppose you start like that and it's fallen flat. So, we need to get back. So, we can't just, you know, we can't run away from the scene. You have to somehow put it together. See, if you're a, if you're a person who's used to cracking jokes, you can try another joke. Okay. A good one which you think, if not, it's best to, you know, it's best to explain it and be real and say, okay, some people understood. Some people did not meet me later. I can explain it and then anyway it's not important. No problem, but let's go on and then you just move, you know. So, the thing is, like, for us emotionally, it'll be like, what happened? Right? I thought it'll be, I thought it was a great idea, but it didn't work out. So, for us, it takes us back. You know, it sets us back, but we should, we need to just go ahead. You know, it didn't work. It's fine. No problem. Just go ahead with the rest of the message. Yeah, that's a thing. Any other questions? No. Okay. Okay, so let's look at the next aspect of the sermon, which is the application. Okay, so what is the application? It is the practice of the truth. You shared about it. Now you want people to actually, you're explaining how they can put to practice the truth of what you shared. Okay, or what we preached so far. So it could be about what do you want people to do rather? Okay. So, Sunday's message, the power of the gospel, what do you think is the application for the outreach? Okay. Okay. Hmm. Okay. So what was his intention to share that? What did he want? Exactly. Encrasement for what? Exactly. So that's the thing, right? So objective is at the end of the day, you want people to go out and share the gospel. Because the gospel is powerful, life changing. It's a simple message. It could be foolishness. It could be, you know, people might mock, laugh, whatever. That's expected. But it is the power of God to change for those who receive it, right? So anyway, we want people to do that. So this is a good way where, okay, this is one way you can do it. So did he get into the details of how, what is being done by the public or students? Like the recent one, like book table, etc. Did he share about that or no, did he share about that? He shared. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So things like that. I remember one's, one particular message, again, it was about evangelism. What we did was we said, okay, turn to the person next to you. Okay. And take two minutes to share your testimony. How would you share? So it was in a Sunday morning service, and people could be, you know, sitting different, you know, backgrounds, etc. said, okay, maybe you've used to sharing the gospel. Maybe you've not. Why don't you take two minutes to do this? Okay. We talked about the four spiritual laws, you know, how everybody that campus to say talks about, you know, on way of sharing the gospel said, okay, now why don't you share it? So everybody was like, okay, people were a little nervous. Some people were uncomfortable and awkward. But then everybody got to, you know, share, okay, this is, this is how Jesus touched my life. And so they could hear their own voice, you know, maybe for many, many of them, they've not heard themselves, you know, share the gospel, they did that. So, so the thing is, okay, now you go and do the same thing. So it's a powerful application. Okay. So this is what I can do. This is how I can share. This is how I can share my testimony, etc. So, so the application part is very important. Like if we leave that part, then some will apply it, you know, some will say, okay, I've heard the truth. Now this is, you know, I'm going to ask God, you know, how can I apply the truth and I do it, but then most will just leave it. Right. So, so application part is very important. Okay. So we'll stop here and continue next class. Right. Okay. Thank you. God bless you guys, online students. Those who are unaware will get well soon. Anum. See you later.