An exposition of Psalm 25:1-22. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, October 26, 2011.
Marks of Maturity
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Exulting Prayer
1 Samuel #02: An exposition of 1 Samuel 2:1-10. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 23, 2011.
Intro:
Do you ever stop and evaluate your prayers? I don’t mean that you record them and then grade them according to content and delivery. I mean have you given thought to what you pray for and about? Have you considered the aim of your prayers? I’m often convicted by the prayers of others. Their direction and their insight. When I read the prayers of those who’ve gone before whether the prayers of the Puritans or the prayers of Scripture I find their focus often differs radically from mine. My prayers seem so petty. My concerns seem selfish. My prayers are often “local.” I said, “local” not “loco!” My prayers often center on me and mine. Of course it is not wrong to pray about personal needs and concerns. In fact we are command to “cast our cares upon Him.” We are to be anxious about nothing but in everything with prayer and supplication let our request be made known but, at some point, our praying has to move beyond the immediate to the eternal. We must be more concerned about the great issues of the kingdom of God not just our little corner of the world. I guess that’s why I find the first two chapters of 1 Samuel so interesting. In these two chapters are two prayers. Both prayed by Hannah. Both sincere and directed toward God but very different. This evening I want to focus on the second prayer, found in the opening verses of chapter 2.
Text: 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Remember Hannah was heart broken over the fact that she was childless.
Her husband, Elkanah, loved her very much and tried to do all he could for her.
Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah enjoyed tormenting her rival.
Peninnah had many children and constantly threw it in Hannah’s face.
One day while in Shiloh for worship Hannah went to the tabernacle and poured her heart out to God. She knew it was God who had closed her womb but rather than allowing that to embitter her toward God she fled to God as the only means of relief. Only God could change her condition. “O Lord of Host, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life…”
Knowing the character and heart of God based on His past dealings with His people she prayed in confidence. God heard her cry. We read that she went on her way and at, and “her face was no longer sad.”
Shortly thereafter she conceived and in due time gave birth to a son and named him Samuel.
After his birth Elkanah announced to the family it was time to go to Shiloh again and worship.
Hannah said she would not return until the boy was weaned and she would then go and present him to the Lord and he would remain in Shiloh in service to God.
1:24-28 tells of her fulfillment of her vow.
Then with the beginning of verse 1 of chapter 2 she prays.
But this is a much different prayer.
The first was in bitterness of soul – the second with great joy.
The first begged for God’s mercy – the second rejoiced in God’s power and glory.
Here is what I want us to learn…
Thesis: The experience of grace leads to God exulting prayer.
The word “exult” means: to rejoice, be joyful, be happy, be delighted, be elated, be ecstatic, be overjoyed, jubilant, or rapturous
That’s what her prayer is like.
Some read her prayer and conclude that the language is over the top.
That the language is hardly appropriate to the circumstance.
I beg to differ.
There are three things to note as we work through this prayer.
- Exulting prayer stands in awe of God’s incomparable glory and power. (2:1-3)
- Exulting prayer sees beyond the immediate circumstance and glories in God’s sovereign rule over all the earth. (2:4-8)
- Exulting prayer aims towards God’s ultimate triumph over His enemies and the enthronement of His righteous king. (2:9-10)
Conclusion:
Is it wrong to be consumed with our own heartaches?
No.
Is it wrong to plead with God to be merciful and kind?
Of course not.
But when God answers understand that His answers are great.
They move well beyond the immediate to the eternal.
Lift your eyes.
Glory in God’s great work.
The experience of grace leads to God exulting prayers!
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Conversion Means Change
Gospel of John #42: An exposition of John 15:12-17. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 23, 2011.
Intro:
Incredible. Spectacular. Unbelievable. The difference is night and day. That is why it is described as passing from death to life. It is called “the new birth.” To come to faith in Christ is to enter into a completely new kind of life. It means to undergo fundamental change. That is why it bothers me when there is no visible difference between a pagan and one who claims to be a child of God. To be a Christian is to be different. You should not have to have a program to point out the different teams – it should be obvious! Your life, as a Christian, should be distinctly different from the nonbeliever. Yet statistically, in today’s world, there is virtually no difference morally or ethically. I understand that we are all sinners. I know that we are in the process of being made holy. We are not there yet. It is a lifelong process. I get that. But when the divorce rates is the same inside the church as outside the church, something is wrong. When there is little to no difference in lifestyle inside the church, something is wrong. I’m not suggesting that you must trade your SUV for a horse and buggy. I’m not saying that you your wardrobe must be limited to basic black and certain shades of gray and brown. I am suggesting that your lifestyle should differ from your lost neighbor. I am saying that your worldview ought to stand in sharp contrast to that of the atheist. Your values should clash with the secularist. When you read the Gospels you find our Lord talking a lot about character. He makes it clear, in the Sermon on the Mount, that character precedes conduct. What we do flows out of who we are. He said, the Christian is to be “known by their fruit.” A good tree produces good fruit. A bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. In other words a “professed faith” ought to be backed up by a life of faith.
Yes we are saved by grace alone through faith alone but not by a faith that is alone. Genuine faith produces works of righteousness. As Jesus says repeatedly in John 15, and elsewhere, “If you love me you will do what I say.” It is the night of His betrayal. He is in the upper room with His apostles. He is instructing them, equipping them, preparing them for the trial that is to come. He pulls no punches, He refuses to “sugarcoat” it, He speak directly and powerfully to issues central to their survival and their carrying on the work of the Kingdom. Our text this morning is found in John chapter 15 beginning with verse 12.
Text: John 15:12-17
Our Lord is clear…
Thesis: Life in Christ radically alters the believer’s life.
This is basic, or fundamental to the Christian life yet almost forgotten.
For too long we’ve talked of “putting faith in Christ” without stressing what that means.
It has come to mean, “pray a prescribed prayer and then live however you want to live.”
Walk the aisle, get baptized, get your name on the roll – then kick back – you’re done.
THAT’S NOT THE BIBLICAL MODEL!
Scripture talks of “conversion.”
Conversion means change – radical, fundamental, to the core change.
When you come to Christ your life changes fundamentally.
It is not that you become a Christian version of what you were before your faith in Christ. Rather if any man is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has passed away and everything is made new.
Our Lord speaks of three great changes in our text.
- Life in Christ demands a totally new approach to life. (15:12-13)
- Life in Christ enables intimacy with God. (15:14-15)
- Life in Christ grants ambassador status. (15:16)
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Faith in the Fire
From Psalm 44:1-26. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Wednesday evening, October 19, 2011.
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Our Knowledge of God Impacts Our Prayers
1 Samuel #01: an exposition of 1 Samuel 1:1-28
October 16, 2011
Intro:
It is a book filled with political struggle and intrigue. The story of major shifts in the religious and political life of the nation. It contains epoch-making events that will not only shape the nation but impact the world. Yet it begins by calling our attention to a humble woman living in the backwaters of the hill country of Ephraim, weeping over her dead womb. Why? In what possible way does her pathetic tale intersect with this great story? Her name means, “favored one” but her condition betrays her name. How can a “favored one” be barren? Why should we care what happens to this childless nobody? It matters because this is just the kind of place, and just the kind of circumstance that catches the attention of our God. We begin our study of the book of 1 Samuel with a look at the story of Hannah. Our text is found in the first chapter of 1 Samuel.
Text: 1 Samuel 1:1-28
We need to begin with some background.
1st and 2nd Samuel were originally one book.
They along with the book of Kings (now 1st and 2nd Kings) comprised a 2 volume set telling the story of the 500 year period of Israel’s existence under a monarchy. When the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek, in the 2nd century B.C., the 2 scrolls Samuel and Kings were divided into 4 books. Writing Greek took twice the space of writing Hebrew. For convenience the Church has maintained the division.
4 figures dominate – Hannah, Samuel, Saul and David.
The book opens at the end of the Period of the Judges described in Judges 21:25 as a time when – “…there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” You remember the “cycle of the Judges.” There would be apostasy, followed by a foreign oppressor, the people of God would repent and cry out for a deliverer, God would raise up a deliverer, they would be set free, enjoy a time of peace and then start the whole thing over again. This was basically a 200 year period of anarchy.
Dale Ralph Davis provides a helpful outline of the book in broad strokes:
- A Prophet from God’s Grace (1-7)
- A King in God’s Place (8-14)
- A Man after God’s Heart (15-31)
This evening I want us to walk carefully through the 1st chapter. We need to be cautious when dealing with Old Testament narrative. We must do more than simply retell the story. In addition, we also must be careful not to just find moral lessons or examples to follow or avoid. It would be easy to read the first chapter and say, “Hannah is a great example of faith for us to follow; and let’s make sure we’re not like Peninnah or Eli!” I would agree Peninnah and Eli are poor examples while there is much to commend in both Elkanah and Hannah but they are not the point! The story is not primarily about Hannah – but about Hannah’s God.
Here is what I want us to see in this opening chapter…
Thesis: Our understanding of God directly impacts our praying and informs our worldview.
If we really believe there is a God and we believe He has revealed himself to us through the Scriptures, that belief will impact everything in our lives. It will impact the way we think and direct the way we act. It will shape our view of the world around us and how we interpret world events. Genuine belief in God is not relegated to discussions on Sunday morning in Sunday School. He dominates our thinking daily. We see His hand everywhere.
There are three things I want us to see in this text.
- In times of trouble and great distress the righteous have nowhere to turn but to the Sovereign Ruler of all things. (1:1-10)
- Our God’s sovereign and gracious rule inspires honest, transparent and confident prayer. (1:11-17)
- The Righteous respond to God’s good grace in quiet confidence and steadfast obedience. (1:18-28)
Conclusion:
Here is where we must be careful. Are we to assume that Hannah was particularly righteous thus God heard her prayer? Are we to believe that she was extraordinarily fervent in her prayer so God granted her request?
It’s not about Hannah.
I’m sure there were other barren women whose prayers were every bit as fervent.
I’m confident that good and godly women wept daily with no answer, no relief.
Why Hannah?
Because God sovereignly, graciously chose to do something great.
His kindness was not just to Hannah but to the nation and ultimately the world!
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Meaning & Significance in Christ
Gospel of John #41: an exposition of John 15:9-11. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 16, 2011.
Intro:
It is really sad. A pathetic description of life. In fact I hesitate to call it life but one leading social commentator described modern man’s “life experience” with these words: …were the truth to be known most people are born and years later die without really having lived at all…they eat, sleep, they work and reproduce; they study and forget; they play it safe and tip-toe through life with no greater aspiration that to arrive at death safely! To borrow from the Preacher of Ecclesiastes, “Vanity, vanity. All is vanity!” Our culture is infected with a sense of meaninglessness. There is a “deadness” to our world that seems to permeate every area of life. Life, for the most part, is without meaning or purpose. Teenage suicide. Senseless violence. Corruption. Abuse and neglect. They are all the bitter fruit of meaninglessness. Empty lives, restless souls, hopeless futures – where does it end? Where is it we find life and meaning? Where do we go to find a purpose, something worth living for? The answer is found in the Gospel. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and that life in abundance!” On another occasion Jesus said, “This is eternal life, Father, that they know you.” We continue our look this morning at the words of Jesus to His followers on the night of His betrayal. Our text is found in John chapter 15.
Text: John 15:9-11
For three years they have walked with Him.
They have given themselves to Him as Lord and master.
Now he’s talking about death, going away, leaving them.
Their world is about to be rocked.
No amount of instruction will protect them from the sock they are about to experience.
To see your leader arrested, tried, convicted, executed in a matter of hours is too much to bear.
Especially if you believe Him to be Messiah!
How can the Lord’s anointed be slaughtered before establishing the kingdom?
This one whom the winds and waves obey – how can He be “taken?”
Knowing that the events would be overwhelming Jesus gave them teaching designed to encourage and strengthen after the fact. One of the keys is stated in 15:5 – “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
As we explore the words of 15:9-11 we discover that…
Thesis: A life of genuine significance, meaning and purpose can only be found in an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ.
It was Augustine who said, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.”
You will never know joy and lasting peace until you know Christ.
Listen to what I’m saying.
I did not say you can never know joy or peace until you know Christ.
Due to general grace even the unrighteous have moments of joy and peace.
I said you will never know joy and lasting peace until you know Christ.
Joy and peace, meaning and purpose are the fruit of a living, loving relationship with Christ. This is part of what sets our faith apart from the religions of the world. It is about relationship. It is personal and intimate with the person of God. It is a restoring of relationship. It is a return to what God intended from the beginning. Getting back what was lost in the Fall.
There are three things I want to call to your attention.
- This abiding relationship is grounded in an unshakeable love. (15:9)
- That unshakeable love produces loving obedience. (15:10)
- That loving obedience results in resounding joy. (15:11)
“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Conclusion:
Have you noticed there is a progression?
These things are related: they build on one another.
This unshakeable love upon which this relationship is built produces loving obedience which results in resounding joy!
A life of genuine significance, meaning and purpose can only be found in an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ.
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Peace Through His Presence
This is an exposition of Psalm 76:1-12. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 9, 2011.
Intro:
It has been a source of strength and encouragement for believers through the ages. In times of tremendous hardship its words have served to inspire and fortify beleaguered hearts. The embattle Huguenots sang it as they marched into battle against their oppressors. The English Covenanters sang it at Drumclog in 1679 when they defeated the government troops. It was sung as a thanksgiving hymn in 1588 marking the defeat of the Spanish Armada. The Pilgrims loved this psalm and sang it often as they carved a home out of the wilderness of Massachusetts. This “fighting psalm” of Israel has faithfully served the church through the ages and can be of great encouragement to you in times of peril. Our text this evening is the 76th Palm.
Text: Psalm 76:1-12
Life is often overwhelming.
We sometime say, “The Lord is not going to give me more than I can handle.”
There is a sense in which that is true – but you must remember – everything is more than you can handle!
Because God is gracious He allows us to be overwhelmed that it might drive us to His loving arms. What kind of God would allow you to live under the delusion that you can handle things? No, our God shows us our weakness so that in our weakness we can be made strong.
The life of peace and security is not the life that knows God is there for those things I can’t handle. Peace and security is found in understanding our complete dependence upon Him. Do you know when fear entered the world? In Genesis 3 when Adam rebelled against God. When Adam said, “I don’t need God to tell me right from wrong/good from evil – I’ll decide for myself.” He moved from total dependence to independence and it “scared the stuffing out of him!”
Adam said, “We heard you and we hid ourselves for we were naked and afraid.”
To acknowledge your dependence upon God is the first step toward resting in the security of His presence and power. That is the message of this psalm.
This is a psalm of Asaph.
We do not know the specific context – it is not given to us in the title.
It is obviously in celebration of a great victory won by the hand of God.
There is a connection between psalms 74, 75 and 76.
Psalm 74 sees violence and injustice and cries out for God to do something.
Psalm 75 God says at the appointed time he will respond.
Psalm 76 rejoices in God’s miraculous intervention.
James Boice suggests the passage fits with the invasion of Sennacherib – 2 Kings 18-19.
Note 76:5-6 and 2 Kings 19:35-36.
Regardless of the context the message for us is clear:
Thesis: In times of great distress and struggle the righteous find peace in God’s strong presence.
We find a powerful description of God in this psalm.
It is not just God’s presence but His presence in power and glory.
I know that God cannot be present in any other way – God is God – but I think it is important to use the terms of his strength and might. Our comfort and encouragement is in a God who is big enough and powerful enough to handle whatever threatens us. Over and over again in the psalms and elsewhere we read of “God’s right hand,” “God’s mighty arm” etc.
This hymn is divided into three stanzas marked off by the instruction selah meaning, “Stop and meditate on that a minute.” Give some serious thought to what that implies.
Let’s reflect on these three great truths this evening.
- The righteous rest in their knowledge of God. (76:1-3)
- The righteous glory in God’s intervention on their behalf and stand in awe of His justice. (76:4-10)
- The righteous respond to God’s working with acts of worship and service. (76:11-12)
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Fruit-bearing Faith
Gospel of John #40: an exposition of John 15:1-8. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 9, 2011.
Intro:
Something is wrong. I don’t believer there is any question about it. Things simply do not add up. Claims are made that just cannot be substantiated. Many claim a “born-again” experience but their lives produce no evidence of such an experience. There are those who say they believe the Bible to be the Word of God, it is God’s revelation, but turn right around and dismiss what the Bible clearly teaches. Something is wrong. How can we explain the inconsistencies? We start by acknowledging that there a both genuine and false professions of faith within the church. Jesus spoke of wheat and tares growing together in the same field. He also stated that there would be those who would be surprised at the judgement, “Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you.” On the night our Lord was betrayed, He shocked the 12 by announcing there was a traitor in their midst. How could one of them turn on Him? How could they not know one of them was a false disciple? What separates the true from the false? What is the difference between the genuine article and the phony?
Webster defines genuine as, “Actually having the reputed qualities or character of the original; that which is free from hypocrisy or pretense.” As we explore the opening verses of John 15 we are going to consider the marks of genuine faith.
Text: John 15:1-8
We are on the threshold of the holy place.
It is the night of betrayal and our Lord is instructing His disciples.
He is preparing them for what is to come.
Their faith is about to be tested.
Their world is about to be turned upside-down.
In love and grace He is getting them ready.
He wants them to have a “settled heart” in the midst of the chaos.
“Let not your heart be troubled, don’t even let it fear.”
That’s easier said than done!
But He did not leave them without means.
He made them promises, He assured them of provision, He secured a “Helper.”
This is a very familiar passage.
As we work our way through it we discover that…
Thesis: All genuine believers bear the fruit of a relationship with Christ.
There can be no question this passage is focused on fruit-bearing.
It is equally clear that this is not just true for the “elite” or the “extraordinary” but every believer.
Note the language in 15:2 – “every” (2); 15:5 “whoever” (1).
There are three (3) things I want to point out along the way.
- The genuine believer recognizes the absolute necessity of being united with Christ. (15:1, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- The genuine believer humbly yields to the pruning of the Lord. (15:2b, 4)
- The genuine believer lovingly abides in the presence of Christ. (15:4-7)
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Meaning in Spite of Meaninglessness
An exposition of Psalm 39:1-13. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 2, 2011.
Intro:
I like music. In fact I like music of all kinds. Well not every kind. I don’t care for Indie or punk or new wave or rap or any of that weird stuff. But I like to listen to music. But I have to admit some music is just depressing. I’m sure some of the new stuff is really depressing if I could understand the words. See, now I know I’m getting old. I’m well on my way to becoming a curmudgeon! But it’s not just this new stuff that is depressing. I mean if you want to talk about depressing music, we have to talk about country and western music. You know they say if you play rock music backwards you get a message from the devil. You know what happens when you play country music backwards? You sober up. Your wife comes back and your dog rises from the dead! No wonder people drink when they listen to country music!
Now when we think of the Psalms we normally think of praise. And the Psalms are filled with praise but there are also some depressing Psalms. The Psalms run the full range of emotions. And Psalm 39 is a sobering Psalm. It is a psalm that is not easily understood. But I’m convinced that if you wrestle with it you will find that it contains a very encouraging message.
Text: Psalm 39:1-13
This is a Psalm of David.
We are told, in the title, that it is for the director of music. For Jeduthun.
Jeduthun, along with Asaph and Heman, was one of the musicians appointed by David to lead public worship (1 Chronicles 16:37-42; 25:1-8; 2 Chronicles 5:12; 35:15).
Psalm 39 asks us to think about the brevity of life.
That is not a subject our culture is particularly fond of.
We are captivated by youth and vitality.
In fact I would go so far as to say – “We don’t like to think!”
We rush headlong in pursuit of amusement.
Amusement is a compound word.
“Muse” means to ponder, meditate or think.
The prefix “a” is a negative.
So amusement means, “not thinking.”
Most people want to drift through life without giving a lot of thought to anything.
Psalm 39 is a rebuke of that attitude.
The Psalmist calls on us to stop and give some serious thought to this issue.
As we walk through this psalm, here is what we discover:
Thesis: The righteous are characterized by hope in spite of the brevity and the vanity of life.
This psalm has four stanzas each of which provides us with a different characteristic of the righteous and their attitude toward life.
The righteous are characterized by a resolve to remain steadfast in spite of an intense struggle with life’s vanity. (39:1-3)
The righteous are characterized by a determination to live a meaningful life in spite of life’s apparent meaninglessness. (39:4-6)
The righteous are characterized by a desire for relationship in spite of God’s rebuke for sin. (39:7-11)
The righteous are characterized by a recognition that life has a meaning, which is not tied to this world. (39:12-13)
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The Secret to a Settled Heart
Gospel of John #39: an exposition of John 14:18-31. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 2, 2011.
Intro:
Not that I’m cynical, jaded or soured on humanity but when someone says, “Trust me” everything in me screams, “Run away!” Maybe it’s because those words seem to have preceded most disappointments in my life. It has generally been my experience that if someone feels it is necessary to convince me they are trustworthy…they probably aren’t. So I understand the skeptical. I sympathize with those who struggle to believe. That’s under good conditions. That’s when things are going well. What about when things are tough? What about when all hell breaks loose? What about when everything you’ve believed, everything you’ve dreamed of is taken from you? And taken in a violent manner?
They thought he was going to usher in the kingdom of God. By that they meant he would run out the hated Roman occupation army. They meant that a golden age would begin. A time of unprecedented prosperity when Israel would finally get the recognition it deserved. How does his dying serve that end? How does his “going away” fit into that scheme? “Let not your heart be troubled?” Is he kidding? Before you shake your head at their lack of insight or their failure to see the obvious, have you ever questioned the wisdom or work of God? Have you ever looked at the circumstance of your life and wondered if maybe you’ve believed a lie? If you say, “No, I’ve never thought that.” I have to ask you another question – do you lie about other things too? The life of faith is a struggle. Our Lord understood that. As our Creator He knew we are frail children of dust who are victims of the Fall and its curse. That’s why in love and grace He prepared His disciples for what was to come. He instructed them. He told them what was coming. Yet He knew they wouldn’t understand. He knew they would need another teacher to instruct and remind them. In fact, He told them He would send a helper to do just that. Our text this morning is found in John chapter 14 beginning with verse 18.
Text: John 14:18-31
We are in the upper room on the night of His betrayal.
Jesus is talking with the 11 remaining disciples about what is coming.
Judas has already left the group to meet up with his conspirators.
In verse 1 of chapter 14 our Lord sets the tone for this section.
“Let not your hearts be troubled.”
This chapter is taken up with the reasons and means for a settled heart.
He is going to prepare a place – 2
He is coming to take them to be with him – 3
He alone is the way, because he alone has the truth and he alone has the power of life – 6
He and the Father are one – 9-11
As we consider the last half of this chapter I want you to see that…
Thesis: A calm heart, in the face of utter turmoil, demands confident faith in the word of Christ and His gracious provision.
Let’s note three things.
The Lord Jesus promises abundant provision through His abiding presence. (14:18-24)
The Lord Jesus assures us of an accurate and intimate knowledge of God by the work of the Holy Spirit. (14:25-26)
The Lord Jesus guarantees us lasting, eternal peace as His gracious gift. (14:27)
Conclusion:
There is a way to the settled heart. A heart at peace in spite of the storm. A heart at rest though all hell breaks loose. Such a heart demands confident faith in the word of Christ and His gracious provision.
Our Lord promises abundant provision through His abiding presence.
He assures us accurate and intimate knowledge of God through the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
He guarantees lasting, eternal peace as His gracious gift.
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