A Mighty Expectation for His Church

Well, Tommy and Elijah and Annie leading us reminds me of a privilege I had last fall. I went and shared in what we would call revival and renewal services for a friend of mine, pastor friend of mine. This was back in October, so it's been a little more than a year. But the music minister was detained and he was not able to lead. And so one of the deacons led and he got up and he said, "Well, I'm the B team." Well, when I got up, I rebuked him in front of the whole church. I said, "No, you are not the B team. You're the A team." And I meant that because he was and is a faithful servant in the life of that church.

And so when God's people serve, I'm talking about faithful people, faithful brothers and sisters in the life of the church. When God's people step up and serve, they're not the B team or the C team or the D team, they're the A team. So I'm thankful. We've got a lot of A team folks here. I view each and every one of you who serve grace life as A team material. I appreciate y'all filling in for Keith. Well, if you would take your Bible, turn back to Matthew chapter 16. Matthew chapter 16, we read several of those verses there, but we will only be in verse 17 and 18 in the message. I'll mention a few other verses.

You can write those down and make those verses a part of your study. Now I think we all know that we are on the tail end of 2025 and we are right here at the start of a new year. You may be like me. Instead of writing 2026, you might write 2006, but we are right here at 2026. And as a church, we find ourselves at a similar place as last year at this time. Let me explain what I mean. At the end of January of last year, I started the process of appointing two additional elders and through that process as a church body, we unanimously affirmed Jared Walters and Tommy Alderman to serve as deacons.

Of course, serving alongside me as pastor and Keith as an elder as well. And I will tell you church, I've been reflecting on this quite a bit in the past few weeks. This year, our church has been spiritually stronger, healthier, and better equipped with the addition of Tommy and Jared as elders. Keith would agree if he were here. And another thing, adding those two men to serve alongside me has made me better. Those two men serving as elders have made me better as a pastor, healthier as a pastor in many ways.

And in a few weeks, I will be starting the process of leading us to select deacons and to establish, organize deacon ministry in our church. You may say, pastor Chris, shouldn't we have deacons already? Probably so. But honestly, we have had a good hindrance to organizing deacon ministry. We have a church full of servants. We really do have a church full of servants, and because we are so good at serving, I believe we have made it pretty good without organizing deacon ministry. But over the past year, I have seen where our service should be more organized.

I have been seeing that certain events and needs would be better served with organized deacon ministry and deacons in place to serve in that ministry. Also, I believe our church will grow in number and in ministry in the future. And for our church to grow in a healthy way, as it should, we need organized deacon ministry. Let me say it another way. Establishing organized deacon ministry will help us do what we do better. And establishing organized deacon ministry will prepare us for future growth that I believe is bound to come. And our other elders see these things the same way as I do. We discuss them and talk about these things quite often.

Now before I teach on deacons and lead us into the selection process, as I have been studying and praying and meditating over all of these things through the holiday season, I believe there are certain messages from God's word that we need to prepare us for deacon ministry. For me, one of the great things about taking a break from Sunday and Wednesday nights over the holidays is that it frees me up to study and pray and meditate over things in a different way. I am released from being bound to verse by verse study so I can study and pray and meditate in a different way.

To some degree, I can step back from being deep in the trees of verse by verse study and it's good for me. And not only will these messages prepare us for the process of organizing deacon ministry, but these messages are meant to prepare us for certain other ministry opportunities that are before us as well. And these are good opportunities. You may say, "Pastor, what ministry opportunities are you talking about? What ministry opportunities are before us?" Well, on January the 11th in our members meeting on Sunday night, I will be sharing those things and then I'll be sharing them from the pulpit as well after.

So this morning in the next few Sundays, I will be giving us a few messages that are for the purpose of preparing us for the new year and lots of new ministry opportunities before us. And as your pastor, I believe it is critical that we start off by looking at what Jesus says here about His church from Matthew 16 verse 17 and 18. Here in verse 18, Jesus gives us what I have called in the past five essential components for a true church, a healthy church. And these are non-negotiables if we want to be a true church. These are life and death if we're going to be used the way I believe God wants us to be used.

Now, this leads me to the title of the message. This is all about a mighty expectation for His church, a mighty expectation for His church. Now I want us to go back and read just two verses, we know them, verse 17 and 18. And Jesus answered him, "Blaster you, Simon Borgona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." Well, what is he referring to? Well, he's referring to when Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And here's the main verse for the message.

And Jesus says, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell or Hades shall not prevail against it." Now let's take these essential components one at a time. And my purpose in this message is not informational. I have taught on these verses through the years off and on. So we as Grace Life Church should know this information. Now if you're new, you need this information. But my ultimate desire through this message is that God the Holy Spirit will spiritually move upon us and motivate us to have a mighty expectation for our church in the coming new year. Now I need this.

I have needed this over the holiday season. You need this. Our church needs this. And I believe I will hear affirmation from you this morning and in the week to come. So let's get started. Number one, the church has a permanent foundation. Here we have the first component of a true church. And a true church has a permanent foundation which is none other than the person of Jesus who is Lord over his church. And get this. This is a non-negotiable. There is no debate here at all. Let me explain what I mean. This will help us see how critical this is.

We can be in error in certain ways in the life of church and we can still have an acceptably healthy church. Let me explain. We can have a flawed or just an off view of the Second Coming. That would be matters of eschatology. We can have a flawed or an off view when it comes to eschatology and still be a very healthy church. And we can be off on third level doctrines and even second level doctrines and still be a very healthy church. But if Jesus is not Lord over a local church, well you do not have a true church. You have a false church or a church in name only. Let me say it another way.

If someone or something or some movement is Lord over a local church and not Christ, then you simply do not have a church. You have a church in name only. And get this, through the centuries, true churches have replaced Christ Jesus as the permanent foundation of the church and lost it all. But in the case of a true church as opposed to a false church, the first component of a true church is a permanent foundation and that foundation is Jesus. Now to see this permanent foundation, we have to notice two small but big details that are seen here in the language of verse 17 and 18.

First of all, notice that Jesus changed Peter's name and described him as a rock. In verse 17, Jesus referred to Peter's name which was Simon. But in verse 18, Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter in the English name Peter in the original Greek in which this was written is Petros. And Petros actually means rock or a small stone or a small piece of a stone. But then second, Jesus referred to himself as a rock. In verse 18, Jesus says, "And I tell you, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church." Jesus used the word Petros in speaking of himself. And this word Petra has a similar but different meaning.

Petra means bedrock, a large stone or a large rock. And Petra speaks of a large immovable stone, even a permanent stone. So what we have here is this. Jesus was saying and doing two different things here, but they were related. First he was changing Simon's name to Peter which meant rock or stone or a piece of a stone. And he was saying that Peter was and would become a rock of a man but a small stone or a small rock of a man. But then second, Jesus was declaring that he would build his church upon himself. Jesus was saying that he would build his church upon the Petra or the large immovable, even permanent stone.

So this is what Jesus was and is saying. I'm putting this in my words, but it's very accurate. And you confess me as the promised Messiah, which is true. And I am changing your name to Petros because you are and will become a rock of a man, a small piece of the rock. But upon this Petra, Jesus is saying upon myself I will build my church. Contrary to what our Roman Catholic friends may think, Jesus was not saying that the church was to be built on Peter. And we see this fact taught all throughout the scriptures. The Old Testament prophets said that this would be the case. We see this in Psalm 118.22 and Isaiah 28.16.

Isaiah says, "Therefore thus says the Lord God, behold, I am the one who has laid a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation whoever believes will not be in haste." Jesus said this of himself in other places. We see this in Matthew 21.42. Jesus said to them, "Have you never read the scriptures? The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in your eyes." And we see this in the preaching of the apostles in the book of Acts.

In Acts 10.11 Peter says, "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders which has become the cornerstone." And we see this from the apostle Paul as well. In 1 Corinthians 11.13, or excuse me, 3.11 Paul says, "For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus." So what we see here is this. Jesus clearly and emphatically said that he was and is the permanent foundation of his church. The original language tells us this fact. The Old Testament supports this fact and the rest of the New Testament clearly teaches this fact. That is Jesus is the permanent foundation of the church.

And look at the call of God for us today. It is the same as in Peter's day. God's plan and purpose is that we all be small stones in Christ and in his church. Let me restate that. God's plan and God's purpose is that we as Grace Life Church all be small stones in Christ and in his church. Now I'm not saying that we can be apostles like Peter. No. Don't mistake that. Don't make that mistake. God's plan is that we all be built upon the immovable foundation of Christ Jesus who is the Petra or the immovable foundation stone of our church.

And look Grace Life, if we as individuals are not small stones rooted in and resting on the immovable foundation stone of Christ Jesus, we will not make it. Nor will we be usable to God in his church. Let me restate that. Because Grace Life Church, if we as individuals are not small stones rooted in and resting on the immovable foundation stone of Christ Jesus, we will not make it. Nor will we be usable to God in his church. A couple of rhetorical questions for us to think over. How many do not make it because for some reason or some reasons they are not rooted in and resting on the immovable foundation stone of Christ Jesus?

They are rooted in or resting on something or someone else besides Christ. How many are not usable as they should be because they are not as rooted in and resting on the immovable foundation stone of Christ Jesus like they should be? May that not be the case with any of us at Grace Life Church? Look church, I have a mighty expectation for each and every one of you. I do. I see God working in you and you are being rooted deeper in and resting more and more on Christ Jesus, the immovable foundation stone. I'm watching it. Others are watching it. And I'm excited for the new year for you.

I have a mighty expectation for you because I see you being rooted in and resting on this immovable foundation stone who is our Lord. Then next, number two, the church has a mighty expectation. The church has a mighty expectation. Here we see the second component for a true church which is a mighty expectation. And notice this involves the people of the church. In the original this word for church is eclacea or the eclacea simply means a gathering of people or an assembly of people. And in Jesus' day and time and culture this word was used to describe all sorts of gatherings or assemblies of people.

But in the New Testament the eclacea came to mean the assembly of believers in Jesus are the gathering of Christians as they were first called in Antioch. We understand it as the church. But the simple and vital truth here is this, the church is people. The church is people. The church is a gathering of people. And sadly sometimes the eclacea are not as godly as they should be. As a matter of fact sometimes there are even false converts among the eclacea. And we see this all throughout the book of Acts and all throughout the New Testament. We understand that. But here we see a different personal involvement.

Here we see a personal involvement from a particular person. Notice who Jesus referred to after he spoke of Peter. He says, "I," he says, "I," he says, "I will build my church." See who is involved? Now here we see what can seem like a contradiction in our minds but here we see two sides of the work of the church. On one side Jesus calls, he expects, he commands his people to do the work of the church. But on the other side Jesus says he will do the work of the church. Let me explain.

In the great commission found in Matthew 28 verses 19-20 Jesus says to the church, "His disciples by extension to the church go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold I am with you always to the end of the age." Here we clearly see the church's responsibility, the church's personal responsibility in the work of the church. But we see a hint of the work of Christ when he says that he would always be with the church.

But then when we go back to Matthew 16-18 Jesus says, "And on this rock I will build my church." Here we clearly see the work of Christ Jesus in the work of the church. He says that he will build his church. He will build it. So taking a step back notice what we see here. It is Christ Jesus who does the work of the church through his people when certain things are in place and when the church does what Christ calls them to do.

When those who are in the church are truly redeemed, when those who are in the church are filled and guided by the Spirit, when those who are in the work of the church do the work of the church according to what God's Word says, and when all things are done in the work of the church for God in his glory alone, then Christ can work through us and enable us to do the work of the church. So look what happens when the people of the church and the work of the church is done as it should be. We have a mighty expectation. And look church, I have a mighty expectation for Grace Life Church, Brooke Avon. Not because we're perfect, no.

I have a mighty expectation for all of us not because we have a corner market on the work of the church, no. I see Christ working in us and in you to build his church, and I have a mighty expectation when I see what Christ is doing in you. And our other elders see the same thing. I see a body of believers responding to doing the work of the church, and I have a mighty expectation in the new year with this coming new work in you. And then next, number three, the church has a sole owner. The church has a sole owner. Here we see the third component of a true church, which is the church having a sole owner.

Now this is a really sad but brutal fact, but we live in a day when it seems that so many different people or families or groups or movements or causes seem to control and own the church, but that's really been a problem all throughout the ages and the centuries. If we go all the way back into the time of Jesus and study the Gospel of John, we see that in the Jewish and Roman trials of Jesus that the Jewish leaders thought that they own God's work. During the Protestant Reformation that took place primarily in the 16th century, there was a revolt against the Catholic churches' seeming ownership of the church.

But no matter if we are in Jesus' day or in the days of the Protestant Reformation or today, we need to see who the true owner of the church really is. Now there are two passages that will help us here besides what we have in verse 18. In Acts 20 verse 28, Paul gave a farewell address to the Ephesian elders where he told him he would probably never see them again. And Paul reflected on his faithfulness in ministry and he urgently called the elders to shepherd the flock of God, the church with great vigilance. Notice what Paul reminded these elders about, and that was who owned the church, and how he purchased the church.

Paul said in verse 28, "To those elders, pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the church of God which he obtained with his own blood." And this phrase he obtained is in the emphatic in the original language which places emphasis on the fact that he, Christ Jesus, purchased with his own blood on the cross of the church. In Ephesians 5.25, Paul gave instructions to Christian households where he called husbands and wives to live in a manner worthy of the gospel in marriage.

And Paul used Christ's self-giving, self-sacrificing love for the church as the supreme model for how husbands ought to love their wives. And notice what Paul said in instructing Christian husbands. Paul said in verse 25, "Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." Here as Paul was teaching on husbands and wives, he used Christ's purchase of his church as an example for husbands to follow. So here in Ephesians 5, we see the same truth that's taught in Acts 20 verse 28 and the same truth that's taught in Matthew 16, 18. Christ Jesus is the sole owner of the church which he purchased with his own blood.

Giving himself up for her, that is his church. But let's go back to Matthew 16, 18. Jesus says, "And I tell you, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church." And notice what can clearly be seen. Christ Jesus is the paid in full, sole owner of the church. The church is his possession and that is why he said, "My church." I don't know if you write in your Bible, I have certain Bibles I write in and some that I do not. But if you highlight or write in your Bible, circle that word "my" there in verse 18.

Jesus says, "I will build my church, my church." And in case there are any doubts, we see other language and other verses that speak of Christ's ownership of the church. In Corinthians 3, 23 we see Christ as the church's redeemer and Ephesians 1, 22 we see Christ as the head of the church. In John 10, 14 to 15 we see Christ as the chief shepherd. Simply Christ is the owner. He bought the church, he bought us, Christ's life church with his own blood. Now think about this sole ownership along with this mighty expectation through his personal involvement. He owns the church and he declares that he will build it.

So if we as Grace Life Church do God's work, God's way according to what we see in God's word then we should have a mighty expectation. I do, I'm reminded of a little book that I haven't read in a few years. It's on my list to circle back around to. Richard Mayhew wrote a very good book called, "What Would Jesus Say About Your Church?" And he says it in this way, I'm putting it in my words, "Here we have a positive expectation, a powerful advancement because we have a paid in full ownership." You see, and look Grace Life, as the pastor of our church, his church, I am as calm and spiritually assured as I can be.

Grace Life Church is his church, not mine. Grace Life Church is Christ's church, not the elders, not any man's. Christ is the sole owner and all we have to do is do the work of the church his way according to what we see in his word and he will grow his church. So I have a mighty expectation in the new year and the years to come. Then next, number four, the church has a people priority. The church has a people priority. Here we see the fourth component of a true church, but notice there's a shift here.

So far this has been all about Christ Jesus, he is the permanent foundation, he will build his church, he is the sole owner, see, it's been all about Jesus. But now we shift to who the church actually is, now we've touched on this some. Now there are two ways I want to unpack this. First by looking at this word church in verse 18. I've already said this, but here in verse 18 we have this word church and it was used for the very first time right here in the New Testament.

And this word eclacea simply means the called out ones and it can mean a called out assembly and all throughout the New Testament we see the church or the eclacea pictured in two ways. First the eclacea were those who had come to saving faith in Christ, they had been delivered from sin and the kingdom of darkness and delivered to the kingdom of Christ. And not only were they called to Christ, but second the eclacea were ones who were called a one another as an assembly of people.

So all throughout the New Testament the church is seen and described as a called out assembly of the redeemed who had been called to Christ and called to one another. Then second I want us to see this by looking at the entirety of the New Testament. The book of Acts records the birth of the church and the development of the church. We've covered that in our Wednesday night study through the book of Acts. The book of Acts is the history of the first church and how and when the church spread throughout all the world. Well think about it. The book of Romans, who was that letter written to? A local church.

The books of 1st and 2nd Corinthians, who were those letters written to? A local church in Corinth. The Galatians, Ephesians, Ephesians, Colossians, those books. Who were those books written to? Local churches. A church in Galatia, a church in Ephesus, a church in Philippi, and a church in Colossae. Think about 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. In 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus those letters ultimately were written to churches. Simply you cannot understand the New Testament unless you understand the entire backdrop of the New Testament is the local church. Local churches plural. So this is my point. The church is people. They are the called out ones.

They have been called to Christ in the saving faith and as a result they have been called to one another and to the work of Christ Jesus in the church and they understand themselves to be God's people, the ecclesia of God. And look Grace Life, you are the priority. You are the priority. As a pastor of Grace Life Church, besides Christ as my first priority, my wife and my family becoming my second priority, you are my priority, my top priority. And I have a mighty expectation for you as God's people and as your pastor. I call you to renew your priority for one another. The brothers and sisters in our church, you see.

As your pastor I call you to renew your priority for one another. My priority is for the church, one another. May God so work in each of you, in each of us that we all have a mighty expectation for each one of us. You see? And maybe we need to pray and work towards that priority. And as your pastor I have a mighty expectation that God will save others. That's one of the things that we have to turn our attention to more intentionally on Wednesday night and in the life of our church. That is the salvation of our friends and our family members and our loved ones and neighbors.

May God so work in us, in us, that we have a mighty expectation that He will save others and join them with us. You see? I have a mighty expectation for you. You are the priority. You are the priority. And then last, number five, the church has a victorious future. Here we see the fifth component for a true church, the fact that the church has a victorious future. Now, one thing to understand that is very important, if we look at church history, the church does not always look victorious. It was a matter of fact, at times it looks rather defeated throughout church history. We see the ebb and the flow of the church.

We see the struggle of the church and the success of the church. And this reminds us of the fact, of one fact that we must remember. Simply the church here on earth is flawed. The church on earth is comprised of the redeemed, yes, but the redeemed are still sinful people this side of heaven. And on top of that, the enemy finds a way to put the lost in and among the church. Satan puts weeds among the wheat. He puts goats among the sheep. He even puts wolves among the sheep. And while on earth, the church always faces both external struggles and internal struggles. External forces such as persecution in the world always work against the church.

External forces of sin and sinfulness always work against the church as well. And then there are internal struggles such as bad doctrine that may come into the church as well as false converts and false leaders. They get into the church and they disrupt internally. So at times it seems like we have the defeat of the church. But a lot of times we can see the great spiritual success and victory of the church. That's this ebb and flow of the church. And if we look at our church history, we see the same thing. We see an ebb and a flow in the growth of our church. But we must see that overall the church is victorious.

And there are two ways I want us to see this fact. First, Jesus said it. He said, "I will build my church." And notice this is a definitive statement. This is not a maybe or a hope so. That is because Jesus cannot fail. And if Jesus as a person, God cannot fail, well his words cannot fail either. You see? Jesus said that he will build his church so his church will be victorious. Then second Jesus said, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Now what does that mean? And there are certainly many misconceptions and errors here. But in the Old Testament, the term "gates of" was commonly used in connection with Sheol.

And this was tied to the Old Testament understanding of death, punishment, or the realm of the dead. So Jesus was reaching back to this Old Testament language and belief and simply saying, "Death cannot overpower his church." So notice what we have here. Jesus promised victory for his church. Jesus declared, and he still does, that his church has a victorious future. He said that he would build his church and even death and hell will not overpower his church. And this victory is secure because Jesus is Lord. And Jesus is our Lord. And he said it.

And this victory is secure because he personally brings this victory about as he works through his called out people, the ecclesia. So grace life, I have a mighty expectation for our church because if we do the work of God, God's way according to God's Word, for God's glory, he will build his church so our future is a victorious future. And some of you need to recapture that mindset. Some of you need to recapture that way of thinking for the new year. Our future is a victorious future, but there's a but. It depends on our obedience. Look Grace Life Church.

The church at Philadelphia found in Revelation 3, Jesus said they had an open door of ministry and no man could shut it. But they could have. All they had to do was commit some of the horrific sins that those other churches committed. You see, if they fail to do, talking about the church at Philadelphia, the work of God, God's way according to God's Word, for God's glory, then their Lord would have closed that door and I believe he would have opened up another door for some other church. So Grace Life, I have a mighty expectation for our church in the new year and beyond.

We have a victorious future, but we always better hold on to that word if, if we are obedient to do the work of the church, God's way for his glory according to God's Word. Now as I begin to move away from the verse and the teaching that comes out of the verse, I want to share some thoughts just from me and this will turn into a challenge for us all. The church is the only institution that our Lord died and paid for. Let me restate that. The church is the only institution that Christ our Lord died to pay for. He did not die for the earthly family or earthly government. Now he instituted the earthly family.

He instituted earthly government and the church. But notice he purchased the church and only the church with his own blood. So the church is the only institution that he entrusted with kingdom work. Jesus did not commission a denomination or a mission society or a theological movement with kingdom work. He did not commission Christian media or the fellowship of Christian athletes or campus crusade for Christ with kingdom work. In the scripture, Jesus personally handed kingdom work over to the local church and the individual believers and leaders in those churches. Now here is where I'm talking to you, Gross Life, just as your pastor.

For me and my wife and my family, we are living and we're dying by the church. I've said this before many times. I have lived this since I came to faith in Christ in 1989. And what I'm about to say, it will continue to be challenged as it has been challenged and attacked through the years. But I have died to a thousand deaths to a thousand different things on earth. And I have always stayed with the church. As a matter of fact, I've never ever left the church. I've been disappointed by believers in the church. I've been even hurt by some in the church. They were not the church. Those were wolves that got into the church.

But with God persevering in me and with God persevering in my family, in my wife, we have stayed with the church and that has always been a work of God that God has done in me. And here's my challenge for you. We're all different. We all come from different places. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. But in the new year, in the years to come, will you be willing to repent, reorient your life, even make radical changes in your life for the church? And for the new year that is before us and even new ministry opportunities, let me restate that. Will you be willing to repent if need be? To reorient your life if need be?

Even make radical changes in your life if you need to as we face a new year and new ministry opportunities? And specifics? Would you be willing to make changes in your job or your career to be faithful to the church as you should be? I've seen people do that. I've seen people watch promotions pass them by because they knew it would pull them away from the church. Will you be willing to change your family, family structure, even associations in your family for the church? I've watched some of you. You have had to distance yourself sadly from lost family members because they just pulled you away from the church.

Would you be willing to change your philosophy of the church, your view, your expectation of the church? I've seen people come into the life of the church and they had to change the way they viewed the church as they got more in tune with what the scriptures say. Now again, we've not gotten it figured out, no. Would you be willing to give sacrificially for the work of the church? Yes, sacrificially. Would you be willing to give of your money sacrificially for the work of the church? Would you be willing to serve sacrificially for the work of the church? Here's one that I have said before.

Would you be willing to be converted to Christ to be used in the church? You see, sometimes God brings people in and among the church. They're not converted. They feel drawn to the work of the church, but they know they're not converted. They know they're not converted. Those for people to be used in the church, they have to be converted to Christ Jesus. Now look, brothers, look, sisters. It always takes change and death in us to have and to live a mighty expectation for His church. There's no other way. It always takes change and death in us to have and to live a mighty expectation for His church. You need this. I need this. We need this.

We need change and death in us to have and to live a mighty expectation for His church. There is no other way. So this is all about a mighty expectation for His church. May our Lord give us and keep giving us a mighty expectation for His church. Let's pray.