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Grace, mercy, and peace

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be to you from God, our Father and our Lord, and our savior Jesus, the

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Christ.

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Amen.

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When I first got news that I was going to be preaching on this text

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and after reading the first few verses, I was pretty sure I knew

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right, where I was going.

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It all seemed pretty laid out to me.

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God sent the son into the world to become sin for us.

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And so that we might become the righteousness of God.

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The son, then sends his ambassadors.

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His disciples, his preachers to proclaim

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the good news. Behold now is the day of salvation.

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When I first read the text articles four on five of the Augsburg

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Confession, seem to be jumping right off the page. Article 4 human

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beings, cannot be justified by their own power strengths or works, but

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they are freely justified as a gift on account of Christ through

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faith.

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Article 5.

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So that we might obtain that Faith, the office of preaching the gospel

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and administering the sacraments was instituted.

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And with that I was taken back to my first semester of my first year

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to Intro to Systematics.

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You remember that class

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don't you? Your first pass fails.

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Your first case studies. That class may have left you a little

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perturbed and maybe even a little distraught maybe even haunted your

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Daydreams in your other classes but then it began to make sense.

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One lecture at a time, one.

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One

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plenary, at a time. In that class

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we learned that the story of the scriptures.

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The story of everything is a story of God speaking to and through his

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people. We learned that God's baptized people or deputized.

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They've been given the content of the Christian witness and are called

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to make that witness to the world.

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And that all of God's people, especially his pastors

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have been authorized deputized to speak

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on behalf of God. And here's where the rubber meets the road.

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We don't just talk about God, we talk for God. We make promises in

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God's name, and with God's authority, and God's people, especially his

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pastors have been given the task to not just talk about the gospel

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but to do the gospel to people full blast.

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So it all seemed pretty laid out to me, but then I kept reading

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because Paul kept writing.

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Paul begins to talk about obstacles about suffering and weakness and

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how appearances aren't always what they seem.

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Paul had a long and challenging relationship with the Corinthian

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congregation.

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By the time, he wrote first Corinthians 

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it seems that his Apostolic legitimacy was already being questioned by

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the church.

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By the time, he wrote second Corinthians

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the matter had gotten far worse. Between the writing of the two letters

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that we have in the New Testament

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Paul had a painful visit to Corinth where one individual openly

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resisted his authority publicly.

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He had planned another visit to Corinth, but he canceled those plans

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and sent his co-Apostle Titus

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instead.

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It seems that the church had tentatively reconciled with the apostle.

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But from what we learn in 2nd Corinthians about all of Paul's

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justifications of his ministry, it seems that people there were less

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than trusting of him.

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To make matters worse

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some so-called super Apostles, had risen up to invalidate Paul's

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Ministry.

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They actually saw in his suffering, a sign of God's Divine, rejection

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and judgement.

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In our text this morning Paul and his Co apostles see themselves as

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imposters as unknown as dying and as being disciplined by God. Four

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times in his letter, he gives examples of his Apostolic suffering.

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So in a sense, can you blame these so-called super Apostles?

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Paul's Apostolic resume reads like the diary of a common criminal.

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Imprisoned, flogged, starved made to do hard labor.

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But appearances aren't always what they seem. Hidden in

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Paul's cruciform weakness and witness was God's powerful presence and

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peace.

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Paul's cruciform life was not a result of a Divine curse, but a clear

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example of how God makes his power known through his weak and

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suffering, disciples.

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And Paul was no exception.

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In fact, Paul would boast in nothing less than his weaknesses.

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He recounts the time when he was caught up into the third heaven,

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whether in the body or out of the body, he does not know and to keep

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him from becoming conceited.

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A thorn was sent to him in the flesh.

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A messenger of Satan. Three times

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he pleaded that it might be taken away.

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But God's reply was clear.

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My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in

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weakness.

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God makes his power known through his weak and suffering, disciples

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and Paul like his Lord was no exception.

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And this is where you and I come in as you and I are called to imitate

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Paul just as he imitates Christ.

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It is, though, always a perennial temptation to want to rise above

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that cruciform, weakness, and witness.

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We're just fine with the fact that Jesus went to the Cross.

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We're actually profoundly thankful that he did.

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We would just rather not.

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Peter's temptation is like ours as well.

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We went to stay on the mountaintop making tents for Moses and Elijah

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and shirk our responsibilities to come down and bear and go the way of

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the cross.

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I think this temptation is especially present in this community, as we

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draw closer and closer to Call Day. One Theologian brings us to the

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very heart of this temptation for pastors.

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But I think what he says, for pastors, applies to all of us here,

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those training, for the office of the ministry, for those soon-to-be,

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Vicars for the soon-to-be deaconesses, and the support staff and

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professors here as well.

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He writes do not let the Pastoral Ministry morph into simple

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leisurely professionalism.

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The proclaiming task with all that, it entails cannot be forsaken

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for God.

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This text from Paul awakens us, from our daydreams, as Call Day

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approaches. You know, some of those Daydreams, right?

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The daydream of that giant parsonage that you get to change what you

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need as you need without much help or assistance from the trustees, or

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property board. Or not too picky

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how about just a hefty housing allowance in a not so hot market.

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The daydream of finally sitting down on call night and opening your

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call documents

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so quickly that you get to the most important page of all compensation

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information.

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That you pass over the first two pages that describe and define what

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you're actually called to do in this office

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and in this context. Or maybe for you soon-to-be Vicars, the day

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dream of being the vicar that

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every other vicar before-and-after is compared to. Being the vicar that

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everyone keeps mentioning for years to come.

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Or maybe that daydream were the words that you crave for validation

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and approval

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finally get spoken. Vicar,

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I think you're a better preacher than the pastor.

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You and I all day dream of simple, leisurely professionalism of making

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a name for ourselves of developing an enviable blossoming resume.

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But Paul chastens

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these desires.

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Imitate me as I imitate Christ.

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Cross comes before resurrection and suffering comes before glory.

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But if this is all the case, why bother?

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For those of you planning on entering into the office of the Holy

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Ministry.

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Why do you say here

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am I send me? To a world that finds your cruciform weakness and witness

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foolishness and backwards.

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For those of you training to be deaconesses,. Why train to bring acts

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of mercy and care and love and support to a world filled

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with unending violence, destruction, and pain that has no desire to

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change?

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For those of you who work on behalf of this, Seminary, professors and

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staff.

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Why do you give of your time, your talents, your efforts and your

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gifts?

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For what some of our friends in the world, might just call a

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faith-based fraud.

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You know why?

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You know it well.

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Because there are actually things that matter.

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Christ his Gospel, his church,

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his world.

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There are actually things worthe suffering for.

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And there are actually things worth dying for because there are things

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that need to be said and things that need to be proclaimed to the

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world.

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And so it's our job now, actually our joy to proclaim and live out his

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truth.

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His law and his gospel, his commands and his promises with courage,

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charity and love no matter what comes. Whether it be sadness or

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loneliness loss of reputation and honor both outside and even inside

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the church.

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Loss of membership and fighting with your ministry

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team. Maybe even imprisonment or just a resume that leaves much to be

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desired.

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You do it all because hidden ain your cruciform weakness

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and witness is your God's powerful presence and peace.

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So this morning, I promise you in the name of Jesus, he who knew no

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sin became sin for you, so that you might be declared the

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righteousness of God.

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I promise you that God in Christ is still reconciling this world to

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himself even now when the groans of this creation seemed to be echoing

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and reverberating all the more loudly every day.

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I promise you God in Christ has made you his own, he forgives you all

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of your sins.

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He loves you more than you could even ever love yourself.

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He will be with you.

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He will strengthen you.

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He will equip you.

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He will listen to you and help you in every time of need.

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Trust these promises cling to them, live them proclaim them, do them

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to a broken world filled with shattered lives and hurting hearts.

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I'll give you one last promise to accompany you on your Lenten journey

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and your journey home.

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I promise you, that appearances aren't always what they seem.

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Hidden in your cruciform weakness and witness is your God's powerful

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presence and his abiding in his gracious.

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Peace in Jesus name.

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Amen.