There is Nothing Better Than a Good Name, Part 1

There is nothing better than a good name. Nothing better. And my challenge to you in the new year is that you develop a good name. I'm not talking about a great name. I'm not talking about a famous name. I'm not even talking about a popular name. And I'm certainly not talking about a well-liked name because Jesus said, beware of all men speak well of you. So not interested in a well-liked name, a popular name, a great name, or a famous name. I'm just talking about a good name. Because if you have a good name, there's nothing better than that.

And I want to explain that to you this week and next week. To help you understand as you embark on a new year, how you can have a good name. Now, when you talk about name in the scriptures, you're talking about the character of a person. You're talking about the quality of a person. You're talking about the attributes of a person. For instance, the Bible says that the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

That doesn't mean that if you put a Jesus bumper sticker on the back of your car, that everybody's going to bow down at the name of Jesus. It means that because of who he is, the power of his name, the quality of his name, one day, every knee will bow in subjection to the King of glory. Like the Bible says in Acts 4.12, there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved.

Well, that is the name of Jesus. Just because you have the name Jesus on a necklace doesn't mean you're saved. But the fact of the matter is that there's power in the name of Jesus. There's power to forgive your sins. There's power to save you from damnation. There's power in that name because that's the quality and character of the name of the Lord. The Bible says in Proverbs 18.12, the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.

It doesn't mean that if there's a tower with the name Jesus on it, that that's a protective place. It means simply that God is a protector of his people. Because he's all powerful, he's the God of the universe. He is the only one who can protect us efficiently and sufficiently. And so we run to him because in him, there is safety. It's like Yahweh Yireh. The Lord is our provider or Yahweh Shalom. The Lord is our peace. It is the name of God, the quality of God, the character of God that makes him who he is.

So when we talk about a good name, we're talking about the quality of an individual. But the unique thing is, is that it's a good name. Why is that important? Well, the Bible tells us in the book of Ecclesiastes that a good name is better than a good ointment. Ecclesiastes 7 verse number 1. And that the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth. There are two significant days in your life. The day you're born and the day you die. Your birthday and your death day bracket your life. And what happens in between those two significant brackets determines whether or not you leave behind a lovely fragrance or a foul stench.

So you need to have a good name. That's important. In fact, the Bible tells us in the book of Proverbs, the 22nd chapter, the first verse, a good name is more desired than great riches.

A good name is more desired than great riches. Why? Well, remember, it's a good name because God himself is a good God. We talked about that last week. He's the good shepherd. He was called the good teacher. Everything about him is about his goodness. Psalm 119.68. God is good and doest good. And all throughout the Old Testament, it speaks to the fact that God himself is a good God. So a good name then is a God-like name. Make sense? Because God is good. His name is good. To have a good name means you have a God-like character quality.

You have a God-like name. That is very, very important. Now, we also know the Bible says in John 1.12 that to as many as received him, to them give you power to become the sons of God.

So to be a son of God means that you automatically are in the realm of God's goodness. The Bible says we're to walk as children of the light.

Why? Because we are sons of the light. That's John 8.12 and Ephesians 5.8. So therefore, because we are sons of the light, we walk as children of the light. Why? Because we are children of the God who is light. So in order to be a person with a good name means that I have a God-like name. That means I am a child of God. I am a son of God. That's very, very important. Growing up, I told our children these words quite frequently. I would say to them, when you leave the house, when you play on your sports teams, when you go to school, when you go to work, when you drive your car, whatever you do, don't defame the name.

Don't defame the name. Don't do that. And for years, a lot of them thought it was a Sparks name. But it's not the Sparks name. It's God's name. Don't defame God's name. In your relationships, don't defame the name of God. In the workplace, don't defame the name of God. In your family, don't defame the name of the living God. Live a life of exalting the name, not defaming the name. So how do we live in that realm? Let me give you several principles.

Principle number one is this. A good name is conceived in spirituality. It's conceived in spirituality. In other words, you must be born again. You must be a son of the living God. You must be a child of the living God, or you'll never have a good name. You might have a popular name. You might have a great name or a famous name. But all that's temporary. All that's going to pass away. The memory of the righteous will be remembered forever. Psalm 112 tells us. And therefore, you want to have a good name.

Because a good name is a God-like name. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse number 10. 10. For to us, God revealed them through the spirit. For the spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, the thoughts of God no one knows except the spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.

Which things we also speak not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the spirit combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things. Yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord that he will instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

In other words, the natural man doesn't understand the things of the spirit of God. They don't grasp it. They can't grasp it because it's on a different plane. It's on a spiritual plane. And yet we who have the spirit of God can know the mind of God. And therefore, because of that, we can have his name. For instance, the Bible says in the book of Revelation, these words.

Revelation 2 verse number 17. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna. And I will give him a white stone and a new name written on that stone. A new name written on that stone. Now in ancient days when there was a trial and there was a verdict to be given, the person offering or giving the verdict would hold in his hand one black stone, one white stone. If the hand with the black stone was open, that means you were guilty.

If the hand with the white stone was open, that means you were pardoned. You were innocent. You were set free. Christ says to the overcomer, to the one who is the victorious warrior, to the believer, I will give him a white stone and on that white stone a new name.

A new name. It says this, which no one knows but he who receives it. What's that name? I don't know. It's a new name and no one knows except the one who receives it. But then you go to Revelation chapter 3 and it says this, he who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments and I will not erase his name from the book of life. I will confess him before my father who's in heaven. In other words, whatever the new name is, is a new name that is written down in the book of life. And the book of life, our names are written, Revelation tells us, before the foundation of the world.

And then it says in Revelation chapter 3 verse number 12, he who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God and he will not go out from it anymore and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God and the new Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from my God and my new name. In other words, there is nothing better than a good name. Because a good name is a God-like name. It's a God-given name that God himself gives you once you become a son of his, a child of his.

Because now you are no longer sons of disobedience but sons and children of obedience. So a good name is conceived in spirituality. Number two, a good name is characterized by integrity.

A good name is characterized by integrity. That the word integrity, this is another word for wholeness or completeness. It's a word that says that whatever is within is without. In other words, whatever is on the inside is on the outside and they're equal. If what is on the inside is not equal to what's on the outside, that's called hypocrisy or duplicity. But if everything on the inside is equal to that which is on the outside and vice versa, that's what the Bible calls integrity. And so what you have is that a good name is a name that truly is characterized by integrity.

In other words, you're faithful, you're trustworthy, you're true. What you say is what you mean and how you live is who you are. Job was that way. He was a blameless man, upright, fearing God, turning away from evil. That's how the Lord God himself characterized Job. And God said that Job was the greatest man on the planet. Not just in the east, but on the planet. There was no one greater than Job. Why? Because he had a good name. A name that was blameless, upright, God-fearing, and constantly turning away from evil.

Evil. Daniel, he had a good name. In Daniel chapter 6, when they tried to find things against him, they couldn't find anything about him on the outside, nor could they find anything about him on the inside that would cause the king to come against him. Because he was a man of integrity. Because everything about Daniel, everything about Job was equal in weight. That's what the Bible says in Ephesians 4, 1, walk worthy of your calling.

In other words, walk exactly as you were called. That means that there needs to be equality in your position as well as your practice. Positionally, you're saved. Practically, you need to act like you're saved. And demonstrate the fact that you've been saved by the grace of Almighty God. And that's what a man of integrity does. The Bible says in Psalm 15, verse number 1, O Lord, who may abide in your tent?

Who may dwell in your holy hill? He walks with integrity and works righteousness and speaks truth in his heart. That's the one who can dwell in God's holy hill. One who walks in integrity. So over in Psalm 26, the psalmist says, Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Examine me, O Lord, and try me. Test my mind and my heart, for your loving kindness is before my eyes. And I have walked in your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor will I go with pretenders.

I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked. That's a man of integrity. Who do you sit with? Who do you associate with? Do you associate with men of truth or men of lies? You say, well, I work with people of lies. Well, that's one thing. To work with them, to associate with them is something else. He says, I have walked in truth. I don't even sit with deceitful men. Do you sit with deceitful people? Do you associate with deceitful people? The man of integrity doesn't do that.

Why? Because he doesn't want any mark upon his life. He doesn't want any compromise to come into his life. Why? Because he wants to remain true and pure to the name of Almighty God. He wants to be the kind of person who truly exemplifies Christ. He wants to have a good name. He wants to have a godlike name, a name that's a godlike character. And so, therefore, he truly is the kind of person that understands that a good name is conceived in spirituality and truly is characterized by integrity. Number three, a good name is committed, committed to purity, committed to purity.

Paul told Timothy, let no man despise your youth. Let no man look down on your youthfulness. But you need to be example in your speech, your life, your love, your faith, and your purity. Timothy, you need to set an example. How you speak to others, how you conduct your life, whether or not you truly live a life of faith and walk by faith and not by sight, that you truly love the Lord, and that you live a pure and holy life. Our Lord is characterized by the fact that he is holy, holy, holy. And so, if we're going to have a good name, a godlike character quality, we must live a pure and holy life.

We must live what the Bible calls a sanctified life. You know what sanctification is, right? The word sanctification means to be set apart. What do you set apart from? Two things. You're set apart from corruption and you're set apart from creation. That's what it means to be sanctified. You're set apart from all kinds of corruption because our Lord is holy, holy, holy. He is the ultimate one who is set apart from any kind of evil, any kind of sin, any kind of corruption, and he has set apart uniquely and distinctly from his creation.

He's not a better brand of us. He's completely different than us. That's why the Bible calls us aliens and strangers in a foreign land. Why? Because that's who we are. We are aliens in this land. This is not our home. We're strangers just passing through. And therefore, we are separate from creation and separate from corruption if we want to live a sanctified life, if we want to live a holy life, if we want to live a pure life. But a good name is committed to purity. If you got your Bible, turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

1 Thessalonians chapter 4. This is the next book we're going to cover, by the way, in the new year after we're done with our study of the church. We're going to go through the book of 1 Thessalonians because the Thessalonians were the model church. They were the model people. And therefore, we're going to examine our lives in light of those in Thessalonica and see if what Paul says about them can be said about us. It's a great book to study. And that will be our study after our study of the church in the new year.

But the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4, verse number 1. Finally, then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that as you receive from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God, just as you actually do walk, that you excel still more.

For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not a lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God, and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger of all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

So he rejects this, is not rejecting man, but the God who gives his Holy Spirit to you. Three times Paul uses the word sanctification because he wants those in Thessalonica to know that they need to be set apart. Uniquely set apart from the world and from any kind of sinful attitudes or behaviors. So the question comes, how does one live in sanctification? How does one truly live a life committed to purity? I'm going to give you several principles that will help you. In our last men's study in November on Monday nights, I gathered the men around and there was about 40 of them in attendance that night.

I said, okay, I want you guys to tell me how you would instruct someone who is having trouble with purity. How would you instruct someone to live a pure and holy life? Maybe it's your son, maybe it's your daughter. Maybe it's a friend of yours at work, maybe it's someone in the church. They're struggling with sexual sin, they're struggling with pornography, they're struggling with immorality, they're struggling with all kinds of sin. How would you instruct them? How would you help them through the process?

Give me some principles that would help them live a pure and holy life. They came up with some incredible principles. So I'm going to give you 10 of them this morning. Most of them are from what the men told me on Monday evening. They were able to articulate what it would take to live a pure and holy life. So let me give you those principles to you.

Some of them are mine, some of them are theirs. But you combine them all together, what you have are very simple principles that will help you refrain from any kind of immoral behavior, okay? And this applies to all of us, right? Number one, a pure life is reproduced by obedience.

You understand that, right? A pure life is reproduced by obedience to the Lord. Psalm 119 verse number 9, How shall a young man keep his way pure? By taking heed to the word of God. Very simple verse, very significant statement. How does one keep his way pure? By taking heed to what God says.

A pure life is reproduced by obedience. The Lord said in John 17, sanctify them in truth for your word is true. Set them apart by truth. May your word separate them from corruption and separate them from creation so they would be a uniquely distinctly different group of people. God's word is powerful enough to do that. But if you're not in the word, if you're not memorizing the word, if you're not reading the word, then it's difficult to live a pure and holy life. Paul says in Romans chapter 6, these words, verse 12, Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so you may obey its lust.

And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace. Verse 17, Thanks be to God that through though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Other words, you submit the members of your body. Paul talks about it, 1 Thessalonians 4, how to possess your vessel in sanctification. How to possess your body in sanctification. How does one do this? By abstaining from sexual immorality. It begins because a pure life is reproduced by obedience to God. I want to do what God says, but what flows from that's very important.

Why? Because a pure life is reproduced by obedience, but a pure life, number two, requires making the tough decision.

A pure life requires making the tough decisions. Every decision you make determines your tomorrow. The decisions you make today will determine your life tomorrow, the quality of your life tomorrow. Make bad decisions today, you reap the consequences tomorrow. Maybe not immediately on the next day, but eventually you will reap the consequences of the bad decision that you make. Every decision that you make has consequences. You understand that, right? So a pure life requires that you make the difficult decision.

Why? Because whenever you come to a point of temptation, there are two paths you can take. You can take the path of obedience or you can take the path of disobedience, right? Two paths. The path of obedience is what we'll call the path of temporary pain. The path of disobedience is the path we call the path of temporary pleasure. How do we know that? The Bible says in Hebrews 11 that Moses, right, chose to suffer or to endure ill treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin for a season.

So Moses chose the path of obedience, the path of temporary pain to endure ill treatment with the people of God versus the path of temporary pleasure, which is the path of disobedience because he didn't want to enjoy the pleasures of sin for how long? A season. It's only for a season. It never lasts. And so the end of the path of temporary pleasure is death. For the wages of sin is death. But the end of the path of temporary pain and the path of obedience is pleasure. Why? Because at their right hand are pleasures forevermore.

So every day you will come to a crossroads to make a decision. Will you choose pain or pleasure? Make the difficult decision to choose pain because from pain comes pleasure. But from pleasure comes pain. For the wages of sin is death. So you need to understand that. So Paul says to Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 2, these words, verse number 22, he says, Flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. From a pure heart. Flee youthful lusts.

In 1 Timothy 6, he said this, Flee from these things. What things? The love of money, you men of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. In other words, it requires making the tough decision. Joshua said in Joshua 24, verse number 15, Choose you this day whom you will serve. But for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. A pure life requires making tough decisions. But it goes way beyond that. Remember back early in the fall, I told you about 10 frogs on a log.

There were 10 frogs on a log. Three decided to jump off. How many frogs remain in the log? Answer, 10. Just because you decided to jump doesn't mean you do jump. A lot of people have great decisions. I decide in the new year, I'm going to join the gym, or in the new year, I'm going to lose weight. In the new year, I'm going to read through the Bible entirely twice. In the new year, I'm going to do this or I'm going to do that. We decide to do something really grandiose, but do you actually do it?

You see, a pure life requires making the difficult decision. But just once you make the decision, then you must follow through on the decision, right? That's very, very important. Why? Because if you don't follow through, you're just a frog in a log. You don't want to be that, do you? No, you want to follow through. And so a pure life is reproduced by obedience, requires making the tough decision. And number three, runs away as fast as you can.

That's doing something. Runs away as fast as you can. Joseph was that way. Book of Genesis, 39th chapter. Potiphar's wife, come lie with me. Who's going to know? Just Potiphar's wife and Joseph. But God knows. So what's he do? All heels and elbows. All just running away. It cost him. He chose the path of temporary pain. He went to prison. But the pleasure he received after that was great because the choice he made was one to honor the Lord. He could have chosen the path of temporary pleasure and engaged in immorality with Potiphar's wife.

That would have been sinful behavior. That's not what a good name does. A good name makes the proper decision and runs away as fast as you can. Jerry Bridges in his book, The Pursuit of Holiness, the book our ladies studying the women's Bible study this past semester said this. He says, one day I was studying in the scriptures and I realized that my personalized objective regarding holiness was less than that of the authors. He was saying in effect, make it your aim not to sin. As I thought about this, I realized that deep within my heart my real aim was not to sin very much.

Can you imagine a soldier going into battle with the aim of not getting hit very much? We can be sure if that is our aim, we will be hit. Not with bullets, but with temptation. Over and over and over again. He's true, he's right. We don't want to sin that much. Really? How about, I don't want to sin at all. I want to follow the Lord. So a pure life reproduced by obedience requires making the tough decision, runs away as fast as you can. And number four, removes anyone or anything that hinders my pursuit of purity.

It removes it. It takes it away. For instance, it was what our Lord said in Matthew chapter five. We said these words, verse 27, you have heard that it was said you should not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust in her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out. Throw it far from you. For it's better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right eye, your right hand, excuse me, makes you stumble, cut it off.

Throw it from you. For it's better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. Strong words. He's not saying you literally need to pluck out your eye and cut off your hand. He's saying take the drastic measures, do whatever you have to do to remove anything or anyone that hinders your pursuit of holiness, your pursuit of purity. Can you do that? It's one thing to say that a pure life is reproduced by obedience, but that requires making a difficult decision.

Once the decision has been made, I need to run away as fast as I can. All the while removing anything that will be a hindrance to an impure life or anyone. That's very important. If you're in a relationship with somebody and you're not married and that person is hindering your pursuit of purity, you need to remove that person from your life. If you're in a relationship with an unbeliever, that goes against God's word. You got to remove that person from your life. You see, it requires making the difficult decision, but not only must you run away as fast as you can, you must remove anything in your life that hinders your pursuit of holiness.

If you have things on your phone that you can easily tap into that cause you to compromise your purity, you need to delete that app, get a new phone, get a dumb phone, not a smartphone. Get a flippy up. You know, one of those things. Will you take the drastic measure? Will you remove anything or anyone that's in your life that's hindering your progression spiritually that keeps you from fulfilling a pure and holy life? Bible says in Hebrews 12 verse number one, we're to lay aside every sin and every encumbrance that weighs us down.

In other words, not just the sin, but anything that's a weight, anything that keeps me from progressing spiritually, anything that says, you know what? This individual, this situation, this circumstance is not healthy for me spiritually, does not help me live a pure life. It needs to be removed now.

So you remove it so that it does not become a part of the temptation in your life any longer. See, it's one thing to say I'm committed to purity. It's another thing to say I'm going to conduct myself in a pure and holy manner. We can say a lot of things, right? A lot of people said they want to follow Jesus. Lord, I'll follow you wherever you go. Luke nine, Jesus said, well, foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head. That guy said, nope, that's not for me.

But he made the decision to follow Jesus until Jesus explained to him the requirements of following him. He said, that's not for me. Jesus said, you follow me. Well, let me first go bury my father.

Let the dead bury the dead. You follow me. He wanted to follow the Lord, but he wanted to gain his inheritance first.

Did he really want to follow the Lord? See, we can decide in the new year, I'm going to live a pure and holy life. But until you do something about it, you're just another frog in a log. You need a good name. The good name is reproduced by obedience, requires making the tough decision. It runs away as fast as you can from sin. It removes anything and anyone that hinders my pursuit of holiness. It results in looking to Jesus and his return. It results in looking to Jesus and his return. What does 1 John 3 tell us?

1 John 3, verse number one. Paul says these words, or excuse me, John says these words. 1 John 3, verse number one.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God. And such we are. For this reason, the world does not know us because it did not know him. Beloved, now we are children of God and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him just as he is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on him, purifies himself as he is pure. Fixing your eyes upon Jesus. If you have the hope of the return of Christ and you fix your eyes upon him, it is a purifying aspect to your life.

All through the book of Daniel, we told you, the clearer you see the future, the cleaner you stand in the present. If you're able to see the future, knowing about the return of Christ, the cleaner you will stand in your present life because you want to be like your Lord. When you see him, you'll be like him for you'll see him as he is. Pure life recognizes the consequences of sin. Recognize the consequences of sin. Be not deceived, God's not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. 1 Corinthians 10, Paul says, I write these things for your instruction, how those in Israel were laid low in the wilderness.

Why? Because they committed immorality. They committed idolatry. They grumbled and complained and God killed them. They're written for your instruction. Purity was not part of their lives. But Paul says, I want you to live a sanctified and pure and holy life. A pure life, number seven, renews the mind. Be not transformed, be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12, verse number two.

A transformation of the mind, a renewing of the mind comes because I spend time in the word of God. How about this? A pure life reveals my commitment to glorify God. 1 Corinthians 6, verses 18 and 20 says, we're to flee immorality. Why? Because you want to glorify God in your body. So you flee sinful behavior because you're committed to glorifying God in your body. A pure life is reproduced by obedience, requires making the tough decision, runs away from sin as fast as you can, removes anything or anyone that hinders my pursuit of purity.

It results in looking toward the return of Christ. It recognizes the consequences of sin. It renews the mind. It reveals my commitment to glorify God. Oh, by the way, a pure life resolves to give thanks. Did you know that? Listen to Ephesians chapter five. But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you as is proper among the saints. And there must be no filthiness and silly talk or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. Do you know that when you resolve to give praise and thanks to God, it is a way in which cause you to live a pure and holy life.

Why do people engage in immorality? Why do they engage in coarse jesting? Why do they engage in idolatry? Why? Because there's something that serves them. They do it for selfish reasons. But a person who gives thanks does it because he lives an unselfish life. He realizes he deserves nothing. He gives all that he has to God. Realize that what he has is given to him by God. He recognizes he deserves nothing and just offers up thanksgiving to God. When you resolve to give thanks, it's one of the ways you are committed to living a pure and holy life.

And lastly, a pure life remembers 1 Samuel 2, verse number 30. He who honors me, I will honor. If you honor the Lord, he will honor you. This year, make it your challenge, your pursuit to have a good name. A good name can only be conceived in spirituality. You must be born again to have a new name, the name that God gives you on a white stone because you've been cleansed from your sin. That new name is characterized by integrity. It's committed to purity. And next week, I'll give you the rest of the principles.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you, Lord, for today. We thank you, Lord, for the opportunity you give us to worship you. Lord, may our hearts be in tune with you. May our hearts be soft toward the truth of the word of God. May we make it our ambition to live a life well-pleasing to our God. Oh, Lord, go before us. Our prayer is that we have a godlike name, a name that represents Christ and his kingdom, that truly glorifies the name of our God. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.