This time we'll read in the Bible from Mark chapter 4. Read from verse 1 of Mark chapter 4 to verse 25. And the text for the sermon will be verses 24 and 25, the last two verses of our scripture reading. Begin reading God's word at Mark chapter 4 verse 1 as follows. beginning with the parable of the sower. And he began again to teach by the seaside. And there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship and sat in the sea. And the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things by parables and said unto them in his doctrine, hearken, Behold, there went out a sower to sow. And it came to pass as he sowed, some fell by the wayside. And the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground where it had not much earth. And immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, it was scorched. And because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth some 30 and some 60 and some 100. And he said unto them, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was alone, they that were about him with the 12 asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But unto them that are without, that is outside, all these things are done in parables, that seeing they may see and not perceive. and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them. And he said unto them, know ye not this parable? How then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the wayside where the word is sown. But when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground, who when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness, and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time. Afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the word and receive it and bring forth some 30 fold, some 60 and some 100. And he said unto them, is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed and not to be set on a candlestick? For there is nothing hid which shall not be manifested, neither was anything kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And now the words of our text. And he said unto them, take heed what ye hear. With what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you. and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given, and he that hath not, from him shall be taken, even that which he hath. That's as far as we'll read in God's Word. May he bless us in the reading of Scripture. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the parable of the sower and the soils, Lord has taught us the mystery of the kingdom of heaven regarding the preaching of the word or the sowing of the word through history and its results among the two groups of hearers. Lord instructs us in the parable of the sower that when his word is sown, as pictured by the farmer throwing the seed over the field through which he is walking, that seed will fall on different types of soils, mainly two groups, but in the parable, four different kinds of soil. There's the hard soil, there's the very shallow soil, so that the plants could have not much room to grow and had no depth of root. And then there's the weedy soil. but then also this other amazing soil prepared by the farmer, which is soft and deep and clean. Those soils represent the two different kinds of hearers, those who have faith to hear, prepared by the Holy Spirit to be that ground which is soft, deep, and clean to receive the word and with that word to bring forth much fruit. And then there are the other soils, which manifest themselves also when the word goes forth. There are hearers who reject the word immediately. Those who receive the word for a time until persecution and troubles arise, and then they leave. Christ and his word. They want nothing to do with that. Or those who receive the word, but then after a while, the lusts of this life and the riches of this life and all of the cares of this world that they get themselves involved into choke the word, and they also become unfruitful. It's our prayer that God will make us, by the saving call of the gospel, by the power of his spirit, to prepare us to be those good soil hearers who with steadfastness and constancy bear good fruit through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Then in verses 21 and 22, the Lord gives us another parable. also one that's not very well known, like the text we consider this evening in verses 24 and 25. It's the parable of the candle lamp. In this parable, Jesus teaches us about the power of the word, which he sows in the New Testament history through his church. The word of God, we might think, according to the parable of the sower, is actually like a seed. You put the seed in the ground and there it sits until the sun works on it and the moisture works on it and God, by his providence, causes that seed to sprout. But until then, it appears that the seed doesn't do anything. It's very inactive. And lest we have that impression of the seed which the sower throws out in the parable of the sower, the Lord adds this parable in verses 21 through 23 to make us understand that when Christ casts forth the word, that word of God goes forth as a power, as a lamp, a light of illuminating glory. which brings to light that which is darkness, brings to light that which is the truth, so that the hearers then may respond to the truth which the light makes clear before those who hear the word of God. When the light shines upon the child of God and our darkness is exposed, when the light shines before us and makes known that which is hid from us because of our unbelief, by the working of the Holy Spirit, the child of God repents of his sin. He embraces the truth of Jehovah and Jesus Christ for his salvation. He embraces Christ crucified as his only hope and comfort in this life. And with that light now walks as a child of light in this world. That's the power of that seed which the sower casts forth in the parable of the sower upon the child of God through the working of the Holy Spirit. Now in our text, verses 24 and 25, also following the parable of the sower, the Lord now focuses our attention upon not the word so much, but the hearers of the word. And focuses our attention on their duty towards the word which is administered to them through the preaching of the gospel. What is our duty with respect to the word of God, which we read in the scriptures, but also which is administered especially to us in the means of grace? What is your duty, children, as you begin another season of catechism instruction? You receive your books. Soon you will be under the instruction of the elders for a while, and then Reverend Klein, the Lord willing. What is your duty? Not just in the beginners class and the Bible history classes, but the older classes, essentials. What is our duty before the word that will be administered to us through God's faithful servants this year? This parable by Jesus Christ answers that question. And it helps us to also understand then what our prayer needs to be when we enter into the worship service or before we go to catechism. Helps to answer this question, what should I pray for before the worship service begins? Or what should I, as One who teaches catechism, what should we pray for before we begin the lesson and the word is administered to us? Perhaps you children wonder what should we be praying when the minister comes to the pulpit, he sits down and he begins to pray and the elders and the deacons come into the sanctuary and we begin to pray. You might wonder, well, what should I be praying for? We can close our eyes, what should I say? Should I say the same prayer that I pray at supper time? Well, no, although that's not wrong. What specifically should we be thinking about and asking God to do for us, for Jesus' sake? among many things which you can discuss with your parents later, one thing is this, answered by the parable of our Lord here in verses 24 and 25. Lord, give to me the gift of attentive hearing, so that when the word is administered to me, I may hear faithfully thy word and respond also in that same faith. Let's consider then the truth of the text under this theme, attentive hearing of the preaching of the word. Notice, first of all, and look at the faithful duty, and secondly, the corresponding result that Jesus explains here, and finally, the only possibility that you and I may have attentive hearing of the word, which is administered to us through the preaching of the gospel. Jesus says, verse 24, take heed what ye hear. Listen to what? The object of our hearing must be the word of God. Don't pay attention to what man says. Don't listen to what the world is tempting you to do. or to believe, or to say, or to sing. Take heed to the word of God, the holy scriptures. Remember what Paul wrote to Timothy under inspiration in 2 Timothy chapter three? These are the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Listen to this word of God, inspired by God and preserved for us even to this day. Listen to this word of God. And listen to that word according to what the Holy Spirit has led the church to understand and to confess in the Reformed faith. must listen to that word which is in harmony with the truth, which is that clear, systematic, and also very personal expression of the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the chief prophet and teacher of Jehovah. And that is the word which is proclaimed by Jesus Christ, the sower of the word, through the church, by her faithful ministers of the word. Now the text, as we continue through the sermon, presupposes that the word which is administered to us through the preaching of the gospel will be faithful. A faithful, sound exposition, an antithetical proclamation of the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ, the chief prophet, our chief prophet and teacher. There are other texts in scripture which deal with the duty of the minister of the word to preach sound doctrine and the truth of Jesus Christ. But that's not the burden of this text. The text presupposes that that word must be faithfully proclaimed. And where it is faithfully proclaimed, that word, Jesus says, concerning that, take heed. Don't do then two things. Literally, that word take heed means to see. When the word is preached, Christ is set before us in all his glory, and the light shines. Don't close your eyes to that light. Don't refuse to acknowledge the truth, which is faithfully set before us. Don't look at other things as though they're more attractive than the face of our Lord Jesus Christ and all of his glory and beauty. See, focus. The face of our Lord Jesus Christ set forth in the preaching of the gospel. And then secondly, don't close your ears. Jesus says, hear or hearken, listen, We may not plug our ears when the word is preached by being obstinate. We may not reason away what the word of God brings to us and says, well, and say in response to the word, well, that's too costly for me. I think that's true, but in my circumstance in life, no, that doesn't apply. We may not plug our ears with covetousness, Or in the case of that third kind of soil with all the weeds, have our ears and our mind filled with the cares of the world so that the word is choked. May not reject that word with excuses. Jesus says, hear that word. Take heed, pay attention, see what you hear, Look at the face of the Lord Jesus Christ with full attention as it is set forth in the preaching of the gospel according to the Reformed confessions. Come with a spiritual eagerness, a spiritual appetite. Come fully prepared to see and to listen, not just with our mind objectively and intellectually, but come with heart, a willing heart, and a mind ready to listen, to learn, and to feed on Jesus Christ and the word that is set before us in the preaching of the gospel. That raises the question which is the burden of the text. How shall we take heed and see? How should we listen? And there are two phrases in verse 24 by which Jesus answers that question. First of all, in verse 24, he says, with what measure ye meet? And then number two, unto you that hear, or literally, unto you that are hearing. First of all, regarding that first phrase, with what measure ye meet, There we're confronted with a peculiar phrase, with words we're not accustomed to. What does that mean? The word measure and meet here in verse 24 come from the same word, which both mean measure. It's the same word from which we get the word metric. And you children are familiar with that in school, in science, you deal with liters and centimeters and so on. That's the metric system. That word metric comes from the same word, which here is translated measure and meet. so that we can read the text this way, with what measure ye measure, it shall be measured to you. What does that mean? To help illustrate what this means, think of what happens after a long day. We've been outside working very hard or playing, as the case may be for the children. It's suppertime. Perhaps we haven't had lunch. Now it's suppertime and we are hungry, very hungry. Food has been prepared. It's sitting on the table after devotions. It is time for us to partake of the food. And we announced to our mothers, we're all very hungry, and so what does mother do? According to Our hunger, she takes not a little teaspoon out of the drawer and scoop a little potato, a little bit of beans, and maybe a little bit of meat to us. No. She takes a very large measure, the serving spoon. And with that very large serving spoon, measures out a very large heap of potatoes, a very large heap of vegetables, and a very large heap of meat. Similarly, when you have a birthday party, you share your birthday cake with your friends and family, we take a very large measure, we cut out a very generous piece of cake, and as we measure, so it is measured to our friend, along with the very large piece of ice cream that accompanies our cake at that happy occasion. That's what the Lord is teaching us. Similarly, with what measure do you measure with respect to the Word of God? What is the size of the instrument that you use to measure? What is the size of your scoop? What is the size of the measuring cup? And then number two, also as important, how much do you intend to measure? And those two questions are very important with respect to our lives as pilgrims and strangers in the earth. We know and confess we sojourn through a wilderness in this life of many pains and problems and tribulations that are wearying to the soul. And the Lord, according to his mercy and his faithfulness, every seven days of the week gives to us an oasis of spiritual food for our hungry and thirsty souls. He gives to us an oasis of 70 palm trees and 10 wells of water. After another week of sojourning through this waste-howling wilderness, What is the size of your measuring device? And how much do you intend to measure what God has placed before you in his word? According to the parable, Jesus teaches there are only really two approaches to that feast that the Lord is pleased to administer to us every seven days of our life in this wilderness. There is the approach of, on the one hand, unbelief. Unbelief is like the sojourner in a wilderness who comes to an oasis to his surprise. He's thirsty, he's worn out, he's hungry. and there in the oasis is provided water and food. But this particular sojourner refuses to measure out much to himself or anything at all. He uses a measuring device which is very small, or he intends to measure really nothing at all because he thinks in his self-confidence and strength, I can handle this wilderness on my own. I have food. that'll get me through. I don't need the food of this oasis. I don't need this water. I'll find it out there somewhere perhaps or something else. And so in his foolishness, that sojourner receives either very little or nothing to his ruin. The approach of unbelief and to what the Lord administers to us in his word is to come to that word with a measuring device which is very small or with an intent to measure nothing or very little of that word because in unbelief one doesn't need that much of the word of God and Jesus Christ. Or on the other hand, there's the approach of faith, where the weary and worn out child of God comes to the oasis of the word of God, like a man who is in the wilderness, comes to an oasis of water and runs to the water and drinks deeply of that water to refresh himself and to quench his thirst. and then finds food in the trees and begins to eat the fruit of those trees that are found in the oasis. So also the child of God comes then to the word administered to him on that table in this wilderness with a very large measuring device and with an intent to measure great quantities of food for the satisfaction of his thirst and his hunger. What measuring scoop do you use, beloved? How much do you intend to measure of the food which God provides for us in an abundance in this wilderness? Do we come with a thimble or a sieve? Do we come for just a crumb or two? Or do we come out of faith with a bucket to drink deeply of that water of life and to measure out to ourselves heaps and heaps of the bread of life? The Lord teaches us that's how we must approach the preaching of the word or the word that is administered to us through the preaching of the gospel. with a large measure and an intent to measure greatly. And then number two, regarding how Jesus answers that question, secondly, by saying, unto you that are hearing, that here in the text, or are hearing, is a continual activity. just as God continues, continually gives to us that oasis every seven days of our life. So also we desire to measure to ourselves of the word administered to us as faithfully as God provides it to us in the wilderness. Constantly, with proper spiritual attention, with a voracious appetite for the word of God, paying attention to the word, preparing our hearts and minds to receive that word, studying the word of God, not just on the Lord's day, but throughout the week. Taking heed then to that word and understanding how that word does apply to us in all of our circumstances in life. Constantly, we must be measuring to ourselves large quantities of the word of God. And there is implied that in this parable, what Jesus teaches, take heed what you hear. We are accountable to God, how we behave at the table that he furnishes us in this wilderness. We're accountable to how we listen to the word which is administered to us by the Lord through his church, through the ministers of the word. How have you been hearing the word of God? Has it been attentive? Verse 24, the Lord teaches there will be a corresponding result to our listening. The Lord teaches, with what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you. Very simply, as the parable makes very plain, if one comes to the food that the Lord provides us with a small scoop, with a thimble or a sieve, and with no intention to measure of the word provided, or very little, then that one may expect exactly that to be measured to them. If one, however, comes with a large measuring device, and with the intention not just to scoop once, but many times out of a desperate need, an understanding of the need for that word, well, then that one will receive that measure, that amount, which he has measured out by that measuring device. That is what the righteous Lord does to the hearers of the word which he sows. There's an illustration of that given to us in the scriptures in another parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the book of Luke. You'll recall in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican that the Pharisee came to the temple to worship God. but he didn't come with a device to measure of the word of God. He came to tell God his word, what he had done. I have done this, I have done this, I am not like so-and-so, I have this. He had no intention to measure out to himself of the glorious word of God in the coming Christ. set forth in the temple service, not at all. As he measured, that's exactly what was measured to him. He measured nothing, that's what the Lord gave him, nothing, and sent him home with nothing but his judgment. Meanwhile, the publican at the back of the court not daring to lift his eyes to the Lord because of the shame and the guilt of the knowledge of his own sin, cries out in his understanding for the need of God's mercy, Lord, be merciful to me, the sinner. He came with a very large measuring device, a very large measuring cup. Though he only said just a few words, that he came with the intention to be filled up to measure out repeatedly of the word of God's mercy that he needed for his soul. And as he measured, so the Lord measured out to him an abundant supply of his goodness and mercy and peace in his soul, so that he went home justified before God. He had peace with God in his soul. He went home full. And although that's a parable, that's an example of what was going on in those days in the temple in Jerusalem. And that's still how the Lord works as the sower in his righteousness among the hearers. If one comes to church with a scoop of unbelief, with a thimble, as though that's all that we need, or a sieve, sifting through, according to his desire, what he thinks he needs or doesn't need. The Lord in his righteousness will send that one home with nothing, empty. But if one comes to church in repentance and faith, like the publican, convinced of his nothingness, his emptiness of himself, comes to be filled with the word of the bread and the water of life, hungers and thirst after righteousness, not any kind of righteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and comes to be filled up and measure out of that word heaps and heaps of that truth, the Lord will send him home with a cup that overflows with the goodness of Jehovah. Jesus said in verse 24, and unto you that hear shall more be given. Those that do hear shall be given more. It'll be measured out to them more and more. That implies negatively that to those who do not hear, less shall be given. Those who refuse to listen as Jesus commands us, coming with an evil attitude towards the word, a suspicious attitude towards the sower and his word or the church, to them will be given less. They will wither, word will be removed from them, they will be destroyed for lack of knowledge. But unto those who do hear shall more be given They have heard the word. They desire more of that word. Their appetite for that word continues to grow and to grow and to grow. And they come to church week after week and through their life, heaping more and more and more and more and more of that word of Jesus Christ. To them, Jesus says, to them more shall be given, more doctrine, more wisdom, more riches of his mercy. more understanding, more courage, more strength, more of a depth of the understanding of the riches of God's word, a deeper understanding of our fellowship with the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ alone within the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Beloved, the reason for that corresponding relationship between the measuring and the result of that which is measured out is explained by Jesus in the text when he says, for he that hath, to him shall be given, and he that hath not, from him shall be taken away, even that which he hath. That's in verse 25. That explanation is illustrated in Matthew 25, in the second parable of chapter 25, in the parable of the faithful and then the unfaithful servant. The unfaithful servant did not faithfully manage his talent according to his abilities. And so he had his talent taken away by the Lord. And what did the Lord do with that talent? He gave it to the one who had the most talents and gave him more. to administer in his behalf, and sent the unfaithful servant to prison to receive his judgment. That applies to the hearing of the word by God's people. He that has the word by faith, to him shall be given more. He that walks in unbelief concerning the word comes with little attention little appetite for the word of Jesus Christ. From him shall be taken away. Why does it work that way, beloved? Why? And the answer is in the Lord himself, the sovereign and righteous sower of his word. To the hearers of the word who measure their attention before the word with a little thimble or a sieve, seeking hardly anything of the word or none at all, the Lord in his righteousness, his righteous judgment will have them measure out nothing of the word to their condemnation, to their judgment. For the carnal hearer in the church, in history, Jesus is warning. They will leave God's house empty to their condemnation. And if any of his sheep go on the way of waywardness before the word, the Lord in his righteousness will judge them with a famine. And we'll do that to chastise them, to see that, no, we cannot survive the wilderness of this life on a little thimble full of the bread of life every week. We need a full measure. much as we possibly can have to survive the tribulations and the trials of this wilderness in this life. To the hearers then who come hungry for the word with full attention, the Lord and his righteousness and mercy will satisfy your hunger and thirst. And he will do that not because your attention, your spiritual appetite itself earns that measure or deserves that measure. Or by our attention, we activate something that the Lord must now give to us like turning on a switch and then we receive the light from the light bulb. And so my coming to church does something and it activates the Lord to do his work. No. Lord does this to us as people who faithfully come because of his sovereign, almighty, and wise, gracious work in and through us by his Holy Spirit. He prepares us. He draws us unto himself by his Spirit through faith. coming hungering and thirsting for Him, the bread and the water of life, and that faith which He works in you to have that desire, He will then also satisfy with the full measure being measured out to you by faith. It brings us then again to that question, how have you been listening to the Word? Do you come with a thimble? Thinking, well, this is kind of boring in church to listen to a sermon. There are more interesting things out there in the world. We'll go to that with a large scoop, a large bucket and filled up with the things of the world, but come to church and we sit with a little thimble. No, beloved. If it is true that we come to church with a tiny little scoop and with no desire to measure of the word of God, that bread of life for the survival of our souls in this life, and the Lord will chastise us, to teach us how indispensable the word of our Lord Jesus Christ, the word of the chief prophet and teacher of our salvation, how much we depend upon that word for our life in him as his children. Who, beloved, who of us can possibly come faithfully to hear that word with full attention? Who? You? Me? Those that study these things tell us that after a sermon is preached, most of us won't remember over 90% of the sermon by tomorrow morning. We don't listen and then we don't remember very much, do we? And if we examine very carefully our track record of listening, we'll discover under the light of God's word that when we sit under the preaching of the gospel, it's very easy for us to become distracted. Or we come to church out of custom. My parents told me I had to come. I'm here so that I occupy my place in the pew and then I don't have any trouble in life. Or we come with evil attitudes. Perhaps we have come to measure a lot, but by the time we sit down and see someone else or think of others, then we think of sin. And then soon our measuring device, which began as a cup, turns into a sieve. Because now those thoughts interrupt our listening. Or when we hear the Word of God, we don't take heed. We'll dismiss the Word. Well, that applies to others, but not to me. Or the Word requires too much sacrifice, too much money, too much time. It's not good for me right now at this time in my life. I'll wait till I'm older. Then I will settle down and do the things that are required of the Word of God. Because of our sinful measuring of unbelief, beloved, not just the hearers, but also the minister of the word has the same problem to listen to the very word which he brings and administers to not just the congregation, but also to himself. We all deserve, beloved, to have that word removed. We all deserve, because of our Terrible, terrible track record of listening. It's shameful. We deserve to go home empty. Always. Always. And the fault is not in the word, which the chief prophet and teacher, the sower, brings to us. The fault is in me, you. And so the parable, beloved, points us to Christ. He's the only reason, the only basis that there are those of whom he speaks in the text, those who do hear, who do come to church with a big measure to measure out heaps and heaps of food, and there is measured to them a full measure of the word of God. for the preserving and the sustenance of their souls, that there is measured to God's people in abundances only because of Jesus Christ and His ability to listen to the Word of the Father and to do the Word of the Father. Jesus Christ listened to everything that the Father told him to do and told him to preach and told him to reveal of all of the counsel of God. Everything the Father told him, he listened perfectly. He measured with a full measure everything that the Father revealed to him. And though he listened that with that absolute perfection, Father measured out to him not an abundance of his goodness, but because of our sin, our unbelief before his word, the Father measured out to him an infinite measure of his wrath on the cross, so that Jesus had all things taken from him in the darkness where he was forsaken. Christ fulfills that judgment, which we deserve to receive. because of our sinful listening. But receiving that, he did that to redeem us from that sinful listening. And by his resurrection from the dead, he assures us that as he received in his resurrection an eternal measure of glory with the Father, unending in life and immortality, you also must receive that for his sake. Thus those who by faith in Jesus Christ, by the faith which he works as he has earned it for us, works it in us by his Spirit, we must receive for his sake a full measure of his grace, which he measures out for us by his spirit. Yes, beloved, because of Christ and what he has earned for us on the cross and in his resurrection, there is measure to you. something we don't deserve. And even in our feeble measuring under the preaching of the gospel is far beyond what we ever may have even intended to measure. We receive a cup that isn't just filled up, but as Psalm 23 teaches, it overflows with the goodness of Jehovah at a rate of overflow that cannot be stopped. It keeps going. for the salvation and preservation of your souls. That's the wonder, beloved, that you must believe, that wonder in Jesus Christ, who is the word, which is administered to you through the preaching of the gospel. By that faith in him, come, not with a thimble, not with a sieve, beloved. Come with a large measuring scoop with the intent to fill up with the riches of His mercy, with the truth of the riches of His mercy. Come by faith, expecting that which you do not deserve and you'll never earn and cannot activate, that which the Father freely gives to you for Jesus' sake and by His Spirit. Be filled up with his righteousness, filled up with his holiness, filled up with his truth. Come with the measuring cup of true faith to measure a full measure of the bread of life for the salvation of your souls. He that has ears to hear, beloved, let him hear the parable of the measure of the measuring measure. Amen. Let us pray. Our Father who art in heaven, we give thanks to thee. Thou and thy mercy art pleased to give unto us the faithful administration of thy word and fulfillment of the truth of the parable of the sower. Also in this Lord's day we may receive from thy hand the bread and the water of life. We're thankful thou dost work that life of him in us, thou dost impute his righteousness to us by a true and living faith, as work in us his life of holiness by that same faith, by the working of the spirit that we might bring forth good fruits of thankfulness to thee. Grant that our faith may be fruitful, In this week, as we go out to our different stations and callings in life, preserve and keep our souls through all the pathway thou hast purposed for us in Christ Jesus. Hear us, Heavenly Father. Grant us the attentive ear, the willing heart to hear thy word, and then also, by faith, to walk in thy word and to do it. For Jesus' sake, amen.