WEBVTT 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:12.300 Thank you for listening to this message from 00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:37.880 Lifehouse Church. God's good. It is so good to 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:40.380 have my daughter Jenna here. For those of you 00:00:40.380 --> 00:00:41.820 who don't know, might be a little bit newer, 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:45.200 we were on staff together here at Lifehouse, 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:47.200 well, way back actually since the beginning, 00:00:47.240 --> 00:00:49.840 since we planted the church, but really eight 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:53.219 years we spent together. She put up with me for 00:00:53.219 --> 00:00:55.479 eight long years. I've put up with you my whole 00:00:55.479 --> 00:00:58.420 life. This is true. Much longer than eight years. 00:00:58.539 --> 00:01:01.899 So I'm celebrating today, but I'm so glad to 00:01:01.899 --> 00:01:04.200 have her here. She's bringing the word. She's 00:01:04.200 --> 00:01:07.519 a credentialed minister and God has gifted her 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:10.000 in so many ways and so many fashions. And my 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:11.540 mind was racing a hundred mile an hour about 00:01:11.540 --> 00:01:13.280 all the things that we've walked through together 00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:16.099 over the years. But I'm glad she got the whole 00:01:16.099 --> 00:01:18.280 way back from Atlanta and got the opportunity 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:20.620 to be here and just to bring the word of God 00:01:20.620 --> 00:01:22.780 to you today. So if you would just give her a 00:01:22.780 --> 00:01:29.180 hand this morning and thank you. Good morning. 00:01:29.420 --> 00:01:33.040 How's everyone doing? It is so good to be here. 00:01:33.099 --> 00:01:35.819 This is my first time, well, my second time in 00:01:35.819 --> 00:01:38.239 this building, but I love this space. What an 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:40.540 answer to prayer. There's so much more room for 00:01:40.540 --> 00:01:43.420 more of you. This is so good. But we are so glad 00:01:43.420 --> 00:01:46.159 to be here. So if you haven't met me, my name's 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:48.939 Jenna. I hope I get the chance to meet you today. 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:51.180 My husband, Brad, is the bald guy on the front 00:01:51.180 --> 00:01:54.109 row there. Wave. He loves when I'm pointing him 00:01:54.109 --> 00:01:56.890 out. And then our two little girls, Maisie and 00:01:56.890 --> 00:01:58.969 Mia, you probably saw them running around in 00:01:58.969 --> 00:02:02.090 pink somewhere, are here with us. And we're just 00:02:02.090 --> 00:02:05.090 glad to be back with our church family at LifeHouse 00:02:05.090 --> 00:02:07.689 and just spend time with our family this week. 00:02:08.030 --> 00:02:10.770 We're grateful. For those of you that don't know, 00:02:10.870 --> 00:02:13.650 we, for about a year, a little over a year, we've 00:02:13.650 --> 00:02:18.599 been in Atlanta, Georgia. The Lord... called 00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:20.620 us to move and be a part of what's happening 00:02:20.620 --> 00:02:23.259 at Passion City Church in Atlanta. And it has 00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:26.139 been nothing short of incredible over this last 00:02:26.139 --> 00:02:29.460 year. We've had challenges, we've had lots of 00:02:29.460 --> 00:02:32.800 growth, lots of amazing things, but God has been 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:36.460 so faithful. And so I just wanna say thank you 00:02:36.460 --> 00:02:39.360 to those of you that sent us off in prayer and 00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:42.180 continued to pray and are still praying and reaching 00:02:42.180 --> 00:02:45.250 out. God is moving. all over the world. He's 00:02:45.250 --> 00:02:47.849 moving in Atlanta. He's moving in Carlisle. And 00:02:47.849 --> 00:02:49.789 it's just a, it's a joy to be a part of it. So 00:02:49.789 --> 00:02:52.969 glad to be here. Go ahead and grab your Bible. 00:02:53.050 --> 00:02:54.729 If you brought your Bible with you today, go 00:02:54.729 --> 00:02:56.669 ahead and grab it. We're going to be, which I 00:02:56.669 --> 00:02:58.770 love this. God was already moving before we got 00:02:58.770 --> 00:03:00.710 here. We're going to be in Ephesians, just like 00:03:00.710 --> 00:03:03.490 Beth started us off so beautifully this morning. 00:03:03.710 --> 00:03:05.169 So if you just want to get ready, we're going 00:03:05.169 --> 00:03:07.289 to spend a lot of time in Ephesians two through 00:03:07.289 --> 00:03:09.710 five. So, so that you're ready to jump in, it'll 00:03:09.710 --> 00:03:13.250 be on the screens or you can follow along as 00:03:13.250 --> 00:03:16.379 we read in Ephesians. While you're turning there, 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:18.439 I wanna give you just a little bit of context. 00:03:18.620 --> 00:03:20.500 How many know it can be helpful to have some 00:03:20.500 --> 00:03:22.580 context around the scripture that you're reading? 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.800 So if you're not familiar with the book of Ephesians, 00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:28.819 it's a pretty small book. It's about six chapters, 00:03:29.020 --> 00:03:31.860 more like a letter. So it was written by the 00:03:31.860 --> 00:03:35.639 apostle Paul, who was a church planner. He planted 00:03:35.639 --> 00:03:38.379 some of the very first churches. And Paul's kind 00:03:38.379 --> 00:03:40.759 of rhythm with church planning was he would come 00:03:40.759 --> 00:03:42.560 to a place that the Lord was calling him to. 00:03:42.780 --> 00:03:46.020 He would plant a church. get them set, get everything 00:03:46.020 --> 00:03:48.259 started and rolling. And then he would move on 00:03:48.259 --> 00:03:50.419 to the next place that God was calling him to. 00:03:50.599 --> 00:03:52.960 And the way that he would continue to mentor 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:55.919 over time, pour in and encourage and correct 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:59.280 these churches were through letters. And so that's 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:01.159 actually what makes up a lot of the New Testament 00:04:01.159 --> 00:04:04.039 are the letters that Paul's writing back to these 00:04:04.039 --> 00:04:06.560 churches that he's mentored. So that's exactly 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:09.840 what's happening here in Ephesians. In fact, 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:12.479 this letter in Ephesians that we're reading today 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:17.279 is about eight, to 10 years after Paul was physically 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:19.800 there with the church of Ephesus, getting them 00:04:19.800 --> 00:04:23.120 started, getting them just established as a church. 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:26.379 And when Paul is writing this, he is in prison. 00:04:26.500 --> 00:04:29.220 So that's a really interesting perspective to 00:04:29.220 --> 00:04:31.339 just keep reminding yourself of as we're reading 00:04:31.339 --> 00:04:34.660 this. He is writing everything he says in Ephesians 00:04:34.660 --> 00:04:38.100 from the Roman prison. So say there if you're 00:04:38.100 --> 00:04:40.639 there. Are you in Ephesians? All right, good 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:43.699 stuff. We're going to read in Ephesians 2. We're 00:04:43.699 --> 00:04:47.779 gonna start in verse four. But because of his 00:04:47.779 --> 00:04:50.519 great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 00:04:50.740 --> 00:04:53.540 amen, we just sang about it, made us alive in 00:04:53.540 --> 00:04:56.180 Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions. 00:04:56.180 --> 00:04:59.740 It is by grace you have been saved. And God raised 00:04:59.740 --> 00:05:02.860 us up with Christ and seated us with him in the 00:05:02.860 --> 00:05:06.379 heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. In order that 00:05:06.379 --> 00:05:09.019 in the coming ages, he might show the incomparable 00:05:09.019 --> 00:05:12.480 riches of his grace expressed in his kindness 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:16.879 to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace that 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:19.600 you have been saved. Through faith, it is not 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:23.199 of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not by works 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:27.620 so that no one can boast. I love that we started 00:05:27.620 --> 00:05:29.860 off this morning and we're coming back to be 00:05:29.860 --> 00:05:34.370 reminded God who is rich in mercy. has made us 00:05:34.370 --> 00:05:38.829 alive in Christ. This is exactly what happens. 00:05:38.910 --> 00:05:41.709 So when Paul was writing this letter to the church 00:05:41.709 --> 00:05:44.550 of Ephesians, he essentially broke Ephesians 00:05:44.550 --> 00:05:46.949 down into two major themes. And the first... 00:05:47.389 --> 00:05:50.089 half of Ephesians was Paul reminding the church 00:05:50.089 --> 00:05:53.829 of the gospel. So he reminded them, hey, it's 00:05:53.829 --> 00:05:55.550 been eight to 10 years since I've been here and 00:05:55.550 --> 00:05:57.670 we've started this thing, but don't ever forget 00:05:57.670 --> 00:06:01.129 for one second the power of the gospel and what 00:06:01.129 --> 00:06:03.209 God has done for you and what he's pulled you 00:06:03.209 --> 00:06:06.589 from. And then the second half of Ephesians is 00:06:06.589 --> 00:06:08.730 all about how that intersects with our life. 00:06:08.850 --> 00:06:10.290 So that's what we're gonna talk about today. 00:06:10.370 --> 00:06:14.430 What happens when the gospel story meets our 00:06:14.430 --> 00:06:17.480 story? And so you see, we just read that exactly 00:06:17.480 --> 00:06:20.139 what happens when the gospel story meets our 00:06:20.139 --> 00:06:23.100 story. We're made alive. We sing about it, right? 00:06:23.180 --> 00:06:25.420 We rejoice. Did you rejoice this morning? We 00:06:25.420 --> 00:06:28.959 are made alive. We go from death to life. So 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:31.860 Paul's words weren't just for the church of Ephesus. 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:35.860 They're every bit as relevant to you and me to 00:06:35.860 --> 00:06:39.970 be reminded. Because when we were raised, to 00:06:39.970 --> 00:06:42.769 life in Christ, we weren't just, before Christ 00:06:42.769 --> 00:06:44.649 came into our life, we weren't just bad, right? 00:06:44.750 --> 00:06:47.329 We weren't just bad people who needed to be turned 00:06:47.329 --> 00:06:51.990 good. We were dead, spiritually dead, lost in 00:06:51.990 --> 00:06:56.470 darkness, hopeless. And Christ came in and made 00:06:56.470 --> 00:06:58.709 us alive. That is something to celebrate. And 00:06:58.709 --> 00:07:01.029 Paul's saying, don't forget it, guys. It's been 00:07:01.029 --> 00:07:03.790 eight to 10 years, but don't forget, Christ has 00:07:03.790 --> 00:07:06.529 made you alive. And what does that look like 00:07:06.529 --> 00:07:08.949 in your life, right? And the beauty of all of 00:07:08.949 --> 00:07:11.649 it too, he reminds them, is that it's nothing 00:07:11.649 --> 00:07:13.829 you did. This wasn't because you did anything. 00:07:14.029 --> 00:07:17.529 This wasn't because you deserve it, right? Can 00:07:17.529 --> 00:07:21.110 a dead person earn anything? Can a dead person 00:07:21.110 --> 00:07:25.529 do anything? No, right? This was a gift freely 00:07:25.529 --> 00:07:29.230 given. From Jesus. And so Paul's reminding them, 00:07:29.269 --> 00:07:31.689 and I want to remind us this morning, that we're 00:07:31.689 --> 00:07:33.910 alive and that is something to celebrate. We 00:07:33.910 --> 00:07:36.050 have a gift that was freely given and we got 00:07:36.050 --> 00:07:38.769 to walk away from darkness and walk towards light. 00:07:39.589 --> 00:07:42.269 That's something to celebrate. A few months ago, 00:07:42.389 --> 00:07:45.790 our pastor at Passion City in Atlanta, he shared 00:07:45.790 --> 00:07:49.009 this powerful story with us about a girl who 00:07:49.009 --> 00:07:51.470 had an encounter where she came face to face 00:07:51.470 --> 00:07:53.850 with death. And I want to share this story with 00:07:53.850 --> 00:07:55.889 you. I'm going to read. I'm going to read you 00:07:55.889 --> 00:08:01.769 her story. On a bright June day in 2024, 15 -year 00:08:01.769 --> 00:08:04.649 -old Lulu Gribbon was swimming off Seacrest Beach 00:08:04.649 --> 00:08:08.250 in Florida. What started as a normal, carefree 00:08:08.250 --> 00:08:12.050 day turned into a moment of sheer terror when 00:08:12.050 --> 00:08:15.569 a shark suddenly attacked her in the water. In 00:08:15.569 --> 00:08:18.329 those critical moments, Lulu suffered severe 00:08:18.329 --> 00:08:21.269 injuries, losing part of her left arm and part 00:08:21.269 --> 00:08:24.100 of her right leg. It was a life -threatening 00:08:24.100 --> 00:08:28.439 situation that could have ended in tragedy. But 00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:32.000 then, a bystander on the beach, just an ordinary 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:34.639 man, a father, who happened to be there with 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:38.659 his kids, saw what was happening. Without a moment's 00:08:38.659 --> 00:08:41.700 hesitation, he rushed into the waves. He fought 00:08:41.700 --> 00:08:46.440 off the shark and pulled Lulu to safety, carrying 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:50.960 her back to shore. His quick and selfless action 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:54.659 was the difference between life and death for 00:08:54.659 --> 00:08:57.159 Lulu. I think we have pictures of Lulu. Actually, 00:08:57.220 --> 00:08:59.279 I don't know if you've heard Lulu's story, but 00:08:59.279 --> 00:09:01.559 she kind of went viral on Instagram for just 00:09:01.559 --> 00:09:03.820 this incredible rescue. This is Lulu after her 00:09:03.820 --> 00:09:06.000 accident. I think we've got some pictures of 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:08.179 her after her accident. And the third picture 00:09:08.179 --> 00:09:12.080 that we have is actually her and Stephen, the 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:14.000 man who rescued her, the father that was at the 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:16.139 beach that day that rescued her. They got to 00:09:16.139 --> 00:09:19.639 reunite. a little while after the accident and 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:23.080 just celebrate the rescue of what happened. Can 00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:25.419 you just imagine as I was hearing this story 00:09:25.419 --> 00:09:28.620 and I was thinking about being in Lulu's position, 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:31.639 can you imagine? Has anybody endured a shark? 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:33.379 Maybe somebody has in here. Has anybody endured 00:09:33.379 --> 00:09:36.330 a shark attack? You wouldn't have. Okay, so none 00:09:36.330 --> 00:09:38.350 of us have. So just imagine it with me for just 00:09:38.350 --> 00:09:41.009 a moment. Just imagine being in her position. 00:09:41.149 --> 00:09:42.929 You're swimming in the ocean. It's a beautiful 00:09:42.929 --> 00:09:46.429 day. You're having a great time relaxing on vacation. 00:09:46.590 --> 00:09:49.990 And then all of a sudden, the worst fear, the 00:09:49.990 --> 00:09:53.450 absolute worst possible thing happens. And you're 00:09:53.450 --> 00:09:55.909 all of a sudden faced with death, right? Face 00:09:55.909 --> 00:09:57.970 to face. Can you imagine just being locked? I 00:09:57.970 --> 00:10:00.809 can only imagine how hard she was fighting to 00:10:00.809 --> 00:10:03.440 get loose from the grip of that shark. She was 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:05.100 probably fighting and fighting, and then she 00:10:05.100 --> 00:10:07.679 started seeing blood, and then she probably got 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:09.980 really hopeless. She probably started thinking, 00:10:10.059 --> 00:10:12.460 you know what? This could be the end for me. 00:10:12.700 --> 00:10:16.519 And then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a father 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:19.899 comes and pulls her, fights off a shark, fights 00:10:19.899 --> 00:10:22.299 the fins of the shark, pushes the shark off of 00:10:22.299 --> 00:10:24.720 her, and literally pulls her from the mouth of 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:28.100 the shark. Can you just imagine? Can you imagine 00:10:28.100 --> 00:10:31.929 what was happening in the water that day? Can 00:10:31.929 --> 00:10:38.389 you imagine being Lulu? Lulu's story is my story. 00:10:38.889 --> 00:10:43.309 Lulu's story is your story. Lulu's story is our 00:10:43.309 --> 00:10:46.629 story. Friends, we were drowning. We were in 00:10:46.629 --> 00:10:48.809 the mouth of the shark. Before Christ came into 00:10:48.809 --> 00:10:52.990 our lives, we were in the death grip of darkness 00:10:52.990 --> 00:10:56.220 and devastation. And Christ just reached out 00:10:56.220 --> 00:10:58.440 and he pulled us from the mouth of darkness. 00:10:58.700 --> 00:11:02.480 That is us. That is the gospel. It never gets 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:05.740 old, right? It never gets old. It's new. It's 00:11:05.740 --> 00:11:08.559 exciting. I don't know about you, but I wanna 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:11.379 wake up every day and I just wanna be in awe. 00:11:11.580 --> 00:11:15.159 I don't ever wanna, and do I? No, but I want 00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:18.679 to. I wanna strive every morning to wake up and 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:21.460 just be in awe. Thank you, God. Thank you every 00:11:21.460 --> 00:11:25.190 single day. that I was headed to death and you 00:11:25.190 --> 00:11:28.450 just pulled me out. I can imagine Lulu every 00:11:28.450 --> 00:11:31.110 day is probably grateful. Probably at one point 00:11:31.110 --> 00:11:34.450 in her day, she gets faced with a reminder of 00:11:34.450 --> 00:11:36.990 how she was saved, a reminder of how her life 00:11:36.990 --> 00:11:40.590 could have been over and ended. But because somebody 00:11:40.590 --> 00:11:42.450 saved her, she was rescued and the trajectory 00:11:42.450 --> 00:11:44.990 of her life was changed. And that's exactly what 00:11:44.990 --> 00:11:49.320 Christ did for you and me. After Paul beautifully 00:11:49.320 --> 00:11:51.940 sets up this reminder in the beginning of Ephesians, 00:11:51.980 --> 00:11:55.000 he continues to go on through Ephesians 4 and 00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:57.899 Ephesians 5, and he really explains what it looks 00:11:57.899 --> 00:12:00.779 like to live in response to the gospel. So now 00:12:00.779 --> 00:12:03.860 we're reminded, we know, we understand this beautiful 00:12:03.860 --> 00:12:06.159 thing that God's done for us. How does it affect 00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:08.320 our lives? And so he really lays it out. So we're 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:09.919 going to jump back. If you still have your Bible 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:11.759 open, we're going to jump back into Ephesians 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:17.279 4, and we're going to start in verse 1. As a 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:19.740 prisoner of the Lord, so remember Paul's in prison 00:12:19.740 --> 00:12:21.960 when he's writing this. As a prisoner of the 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:26.539 Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of 00:12:26.539 --> 00:12:29.080 the calling you have received. Be completely 00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:33.899 humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one 00:12:33.899 --> 00:12:37.539 another in love. Make every effort to keep the 00:12:37.539 --> 00:12:39.840 unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. 00:12:40.840 --> 00:12:43.279 Then jumping all the way down to verse 21, Paul 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:45.820 really starts to lay out what it looks like to 00:12:45.820 --> 00:12:48.820 reflect the gospel. Verse 21, when you heard 00:12:48.820 --> 00:12:52.100 about Christ, you were taught in him in accordance 00:12:52.100 --> 00:12:55.000 with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:57.960 with regard to your former way of life, put off 00:12:57.960 --> 00:13:00.720 your old self, which is being corrupted by its 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:04.240 deceitful desires and to be made. new in the 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:07.220 attitude of your minds and to put on the new 00:13:07.220 --> 00:13:10.279 self created to be like God in true righteousness 00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:13.899 and holiness. He goes on to explain, therefore, 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:16.299 each of you must put off falsehood and speak 00:13:16.299 --> 00:13:18.879 truthfully to your neighbor for we're all members 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:23.559 of one body and in your anger, do not sin. Do 00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:25.879 not let the sun go down while you're still angry. 00:13:26.490 --> 00:13:28.909 And do not give the devil a foothold. He continues 00:13:28.909 --> 00:13:31.269 to instruct them. Anyone who has been stealing 00:13:31.269 --> 00:13:34.250 must steal no longer, but must work. Do something 00:13:34.250 --> 00:13:36.549 useful with their hands that they might have 00:13:36.549 --> 00:13:39.289 something to share with those in need. Do not 00:13:39.289 --> 00:13:42.470 let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, 00:13:42.529 --> 00:13:45.149 but only for what is helpful for building up 00:13:45.149 --> 00:13:49.669 others according to their needs. And do not grieve 00:13:49.669 --> 00:13:52.049 the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed 00:13:52.049 --> 00:13:55.820 for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, 00:13:56.279 --> 00:14:01.279 rage, anger, brawling, and slander, along with 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:06.120 every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate 00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:09.960 to one another, forgiving each other just as 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:16.570 in Christ God forgave you. Paul is urging the 00:14:16.570 --> 00:14:19.789 church, let your life be a beautiful reflection 00:14:19.789 --> 00:14:23.149 of what God has done for you. Don't ever forget 00:14:23.149 --> 00:14:25.809 it and then let your life reflect it in every 00:14:25.809 --> 00:14:29.029 moment. He lays out all through that passage 00:14:29.029 --> 00:14:32.149 some ways that we can reflect Christ. And he 00:14:32.149 --> 00:14:34.370 continues on. We're going to take a closer look 00:14:34.370 --> 00:14:37.509 in Ephesians 5 in just a second. A closer look 00:14:37.509 --> 00:14:39.769 at some of those parallels. Paul literally makes 00:14:39.769 --> 00:14:41.649 almost like a chart in just a minute. We'll look 00:14:41.649 --> 00:14:44.460 at that. where he parallels what it looks like 00:14:44.460 --> 00:14:47.419 before Christ and then what it looks like after 00:14:47.419 --> 00:14:52.039 Christ. But I think if we're not careful, I think 00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:54.460 we can look at this passage and maybe even in 00:14:54.460 --> 00:14:55.960 a minute when we look at those charts, I think 00:14:55.960 --> 00:14:58.120 we can look at those parallels that Paul makes 00:14:58.120 --> 00:15:00.259 and we can almost see a lot of rules and regulations, 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:03.009 right? Sometimes we can see that. when we look 00:15:03.009 --> 00:15:05.610 at scripture. But that's why I love Paul's intention 00:15:05.610 --> 00:15:08.809 here. He starts the entire book off reminding 00:15:08.809 --> 00:15:11.909 us of the good news of the gospel. This isn't 00:15:11.909 --> 00:15:15.169 rules and regulations, right? This is a story 00:15:15.169 --> 00:15:18.070 of rescue. And this is what it looks like to 00:15:18.070 --> 00:15:21.269 reflect the gratefulness of what God has done 00:15:21.269 --> 00:15:26.600 for us. You know, he also, even in the second 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:29.440 part of Ephesians, he weaves all through, when 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:31.820 it's primarily instruction like we just read, 00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:34.159 he still weaves through the reminders of what 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:37.259 Christ did, his sacrifice, and his love for us. 00:15:37.620 --> 00:15:40.820 You know, when we fix our hearts and our minds 00:15:40.820 --> 00:15:44.500 on the gospel, our only appropriate response 00:15:44.500 --> 00:15:48.279 becomes to desire everything of Jesus. You know, 00:15:48.279 --> 00:15:51.679 it kind of becomes like a lot less of I can't, 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:55.840 or we shouldn't, or we won't, and more of there 00:15:55.840 --> 00:15:59.259 is nothing I desire more in this world than to 00:15:59.259 --> 00:16:02.820 align my life with Jesus in every way. You know 00:16:02.820 --> 00:16:05.590 what that reminds me of? Any parents in the room, 00:16:05.669 --> 00:16:08.090 especially parents of little kids, but parents, 00:16:08.269 --> 00:16:10.769 yes. It reminds me of when Brad and I became 00:16:10.769 --> 00:16:14.610 parents, right? So before kids, we didn't realize 00:16:14.610 --> 00:16:17.389 it at the time. We certainly do now. We didn't 00:16:17.389 --> 00:16:20.570 realize it at the time, but we had so much time 00:16:20.570 --> 00:16:23.590 before kids, right? There was so much time. It 00:16:23.590 --> 00:16:25.649 was just endless. There was time after time after 00:16:25.649 --> 00:16:28.309 time. Before kids, I was thinking about this, 00:16:28.370 --> 00:16:30.289 you know, we used to be able to just be like, 00:16:30.370 --> 00:16:32.330 hey, let's just go somewhere. And then we just. 00:16:32.669 --> 00:16:35.009 Went somewhere. Like we just got in the car and 00:16:35.009 --> 00:16:37.029 we just left and we just went to that place and 00:16:37.029 --> 00:16:38.870 there was no planning and there was no, we just 00:16:38.870 --> 00:16:43.009 went, right? Before kids, we could plan a vacation. 00:16:43.129 --> 00:16:46.809 We could plan a trip and we could pack up like 00:16:46.809 --> 00:16:49.110 maybe a bag, maybe like a bag and a backpack, 00:16:49.330 --> 00:16:53.429 get in the car and go. Now, after kids, our entire 00:16:53.429 --> 00:16:56.070 house goes into the Subaru, like the whole thing. 00:16:56.370 --> 00:16:59.149 And then as if that's not enough, we've got this 00:16:59.149 --> 00:17:02.580 big like black. box that goes on the top, and 00:17:02.580 --> 00:17:05.059 it's full of snacks, like just millions of snacks. 00:17:05.220 --> 00:17:07.319 Because before kids, we did not need snacks. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:10.779 We need so many snacks, right? Before kids, this 00:17:10.779 --> 00:17:12.660 is the last one. Before kids, I was reminded 00:17:12.660 --> 00:17:14.779 of this this morning, actually, right when we 00:17:14.779 --> 00:17:17.700 walked in here. Before kids, I used to be able 00:17:17.700 --> 00:17:20.000 to go to the bathroom completely alone, like 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:22.700 just by myself. It was just me, right? There 00:17:22.700 --> 00:17:26.420 was a lot of things that I could do before kids 00:17:26.420 --> 00:17:29.180 that were convenient. I liked them. They were 00:17:29.180 --> 00:17:32.660 nice, right? But it didn't take long when Brad 00:17:32.660 --> 00:17:34.559 and I became parents, it didn't take long for 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:38.019 those things to feel so much less valuable in 00:17:38.019 --> 00:17:40.500 comparison to this new life with our amazing 00:17:40.500 --> 00:17:45.500 kids, right? Right, because before kids, I never 00:17:45.500 --> 00:17:48.519 knew what it was to look at someone or to know 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:51.480 someone was coming into existence and fall immediately 00:17:51.480 --> 00:17:54.630 and unconditionally in love with them. Now I 00:17:54.630 --> 00:17:58.549 fell in love with Brad deeply over time, but 00:17:58.549 --> 00:18:02.309 to immediately, I just, I had to make sure over 00:18:02.309 --> 00:18:05.089 time, right? It was quick, it was quick, but 00:18:05.089 --> 00:18:09.069 it wasn't immediate, right, right? Before kids, 00:18:09.210 --> 00:18:12.089 I didn't know what immediate unconditional love 00:18:12.089 --> 00:18:14.470 was. The moment that I found out there was a 00:18:14.470 --> 00:18:18.170 being inside of me, mamas, you know this, unconditional, 00:18:18.390 --> 00:18:20.269 the moment you find out you're gonna be a parent. 00:18:21.980 --> 00:18:24.140 Unconditional, it's like nothing you can explain. 00:18:24.279 --> 00:18:28.119 It's unreal, right? Before I was a parent, before 00:18:28.119 --> 00:18:32.539 kids, I didn't know how much joy would just come 00:18:32.539 --> 00:18:35.000 from the smallest things, right? How much joy 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:37.940 would come from pointing them to Jesus? How much 00:18:37.940 --> 00:18:39.720 joy would come the first time that you hear that 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:42.640 little crackly voice just whisper a prayer or 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:46.039 say the name Jesus? I didn't know how much joy 00:18:46.039 --> 00:18:48.680 would come from little handprints that are just. 00:18:49.069 --> 00:18:51.150 whether they're made of paint or dirt, all over 00:18:51.150 --> 00:18:53.309 the house, right? I didn't know the joy that 00:18:53.309 --> 00:18:55.430 would come from a hug from behind that almost 00:18:55.430 --> 00:18:59.289 knocks you over or a little whisper of, I love 00:18:59.289 --> 00:19:04.190 you, mommy, at night. It became my joy to step 00:19:04.190 --> 00:19:07.170 into my new life with my kids and leave my old 00:19:07.170 --> 00:19:11.390 life behind. It became my joy to love and serve 00:19:11.390 --> 00:19:15.779 my kids, to teach them and walk with them. When 00:19:15.779 --> 00:19:18.519 we live in response to the gospel, it becomes 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:22.299 our joy to set aside the old life, to set aside 00:19:22.299 --> 00:19:24.960 the things that were all about us. It becomes 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:28.079 our joy to set those aside and walk in our new 00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:31.299 life with Jesus. Say it with me, out with the 00:19:31.299 --> 00:19:34.619 old, in with the new. Say it. Out with the old, 00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:37.279 in with the new. It's a joy to walk in this new 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:40.819 life. And Paul instructs in chapter four that 00:19:40.819 --> 00:19:43.990 the believer is to take off. the old self that's 00:19:43.990 --> 00:19:46.549 being corrupted by deceitful desires and put 00:19:46.549 --> 00:19:50.450 on the new self created to be like God in true 00:19:50.450 --> 00:19:52.569 righteousness and holiness. And here's where 00:19:52.569 --> 00:19:54.450 we jump into those charts that Paul literally 00:19:54.450 --> 00:19:56.750 lays out for us. And I just wanted to share a 00:19:56.750 --> 00:19:59.869 couple of the examples that Paul shares in chapter 00:19:59.869 --> 00:20:02.990 five. He really lays it out. It's literally like 00:20:02.990 --> 00:20:05.319 a chart. Yeah, we have it up there. On one side, 00:20:05.380 --> 00:20:07.380 there's all of these things that our old self 00:20:07.380 --> 00:20:09.599 takes off and that our new self walks in, right? 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:14.000 Our old self takes off lies and anger. Our new 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:18.900 self in Christ puts on truth and peace. Our old 00:20:18.900 --> 00:20:22.200 self takes off theft and revenge and puts on 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:26.380 generosity and forgiveness. Our old self takes 00:20:26.380 --> 00:20:33.210 off gossip and foolish talk. Our new self walks 00:20:33.210 --> 00:20:35.990 in encouragement and thanksgiving. And I can 00:20:35.990 --> 00:20:39.329 imagine for a lot of us, this list goes on and 00:20:39.329 --> 00:20:41.849 on. There's more and more. Maybe for you, your 00:20:41.849 --> 00:20:45.210 old self was gripped by fear and anxiety. And 00:20:45.210 --> 00:20:47.269 then Jesus came into your life and now you walk 00:20:47.269 --> 00:20:51.190 by faith and you're rooted in peace. Maybe our 00:20:51.190 --> 00:20:54.130 old self was bound to idols, but now in Christ, 00:20:54.130 --> 00:20:58.230 we put him above everything else. Maybe our old 00:20:58.230 --> 00:21:01.380 self was walking with pride. and selfishness. 00:21:02.180 --> 00:21:06.259 But now our new self puts on humility and we 00:21:06.259 --> 00:21:09.940 love people well, right? Everything in Christ 00:21:09.940 --> 00:21:12.119 is made new. And it might look different for 00:21:12.119 --> 00:21:14.900 you. Fill in the blank. We were all walking in 00:21:14.900 --> 00:21:18.240 some kind of darkness before Christ and he's 00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:20.920 made us new. Raise your hand. Anybody in the 00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:25.299 room ever have a new car? Anybody? Okay. So a 00:21:25.299 --> 00:21:27.460 good bit of you know, if not, you can just imagine. 00:21:28.259 --> 00:21:30.519 Think about that moment that you had a brand 00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:34.180 new car, right? And I'm not talking new to you, 00:21:34.220 --> 00:21:36.980 which absolutely, that's amazing. I'm talking 00:21:36.980 --> 00:21:39.619 brand new, has a new car smell, like that new 00:21:39.619 --> 00:21:41.880 kind of car. You have that new car, you get in 00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:44.009 the car. You're feeling on top of the world, 00:21:44.069 --> 00:21:46.170 right? You get your shades out. You put the window 00:21:46.170 --> 00:21:48.789 down. You crank the music. You are checking out 00:21:48.789 --> 00:21:51.910 all the controls. You're like realizing you at 00:21:51.910 --> 00:21:54.210 your seat not only gets hot, but it gets cold. 00:21:54.390 --> 00:21:56.410 Your steering wheel gets hot. Like there's all 00:21:56.410 --> 00:21:58.990 the cool things, right? It's exciting. It's new. 00:21:59.130 --> 00:22:01.210 You're feeling on top of the world. And then 00:22:01.210 --> 00:22:03.390 if you're anything like me, not if you're a car 00:22:03.390 --> 00:22:05.250 person, but if you're anything like me, maybe 00:22:05.250 --> 00:22:08.630 four or five months goes by and all of a sudden 00:22:08.630 --> 00:22:10.369 it doesn't really smell like a new car anymore. 00:22:10.609 --> 00:22:13.450 All of a sudden there's like, wrappers and water 00:22:13.450 --> 00:22:15.589 bottles on the ground. I know this is not you, 00:22:15.630 --> 00:22:17.250 Brad. Stop looking at me like that. He's very 00:22:17.250 --> 00:22:20.569 clean with his car. But for me, you know, it 00:22:20.569 --> 00:22:23.069 just, it ends up like kids are throwing backpacks 00:22:23.069 --> 00:22:25.970 and bags and toys and all of the sudden over 00:22:25.970 --> 00:22:29.170 time, it just becomes this means of transportation. 00:22:29.740 --> 00:22:31.519 right? All of a sudden, this thing that was so 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:34.200 new and so exciting, it's just getting me from 00:22:34.200 --> 00:22:37.200 place to place. It wears off, right? Or maybe 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:39.359 this one is really me. I had to put the car one 00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:41.599 in there, but this is really me. Brad tells me 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:44.700 that I have a little bit of a problem with water 00:22:44.700 --> 00:22:46.720 bottles. I don't know if you can relate, but 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:49.559 I feel that if you buy a new water bottle every 00:22:49.559 --> 00:22:53.519 month, you will in fact drink more water. I tend 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:55.380 to do that, right? You get a new water bottle. 00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:57.640 It's exciting, right? We should be drinking so 00:22:57.640 --> 00:23:00.079 much water. So to do that, we get a new water 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:02.460 bottle. It's the perfect one, right? Like if 00:23:02.460 --> 00:23:05.039 it fits perfectly in your hand, it doesn't get 00:23:05.039 --> 00:23:08.559 stuck in the cup holder, clear straw, so no surprises. 00:23:08.700 --> 00:23:11.819 Like it is, it's the perfect water bottle. It's 00:23:11.819 --> 00:23:15.160 so exciting. And for like a full week, your water 00:23:15.160 --> 00:23:18.359 intake is perfect, right? You are doing good. 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:21.319 Like, and then maybe a week, a week and a half, 00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:24.500 two weeks goes by. maybe three weeks if you're 00:23:24.500 --> 00:23:26.799 lucky, and that water bottle is on the top shelf 00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:29.019 behind all of the other water bottles and all 00:23:29.019 --> 00:23:31.119 of the other cups, right? It wears off or it 00:23:31.119 --> 00:23:33.400 breaks. That happens to me. It breaks. It wears 00:23:33.400 --> 00:23:36.740 off. The newness and the excitement wears off. 00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:41.480 Can I tell you something? Christ, our life with 00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:46.329 Christ, the gospel is new every day. day it doesn't 00:23:46.329 --> 00:23:49.109 wear off the gospel doesn't get put to the back 00:23:49.109 --> 00:23:51.750 shelf of the cabinet the goodness and the newness 00:23:51.750 --> 00:23:53.650 and the mercy and the forgiveness and the grace 00:23:53.650 --> 00:23:57.250 of the gospel does not lose its new car smell 00:23:57.250 --> 00:24:00.430 it is fresh and it is new and the scripture reminds 00:24:00.430 --> 00:24:03.089 us all throughout scripture we're reminded we 00:24:03.089 --> 00:24:04.849 can see this i want to share quickly a couple 00:24:04.849 --> 00:24:07.589 with you in second corinthians it says therefore 00:24:07.589 --> 00:24:10.410 we do not lose heart though outwardly we are 00:24:10.410 --> 00:24:13.430 wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed 00:24:13.430 --> 00:24:41.039 day Colossians says, Lamentations says, Romans 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:43.339 says, do not conform to the patterns of this 00:24:43.339 --> 00:24:47.099 world, but be transformed by the what? The renewing 00:24:47.099 --> 00:24:50.700 of your mind. Then you will be able to test and 00:24:50.700 --> 00:24:53.799 approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing 00:24:53.799 --> 00:24:59.380 and perfect will. Wouldn't it be beautiful if 00:24:59.380 --> 00:25:02.480 the longer we were walking with Jesus, the more 00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:06.839 we looked like him? Think about that for a minute. 00:25:07.339 --> 00:25:10.019 If we're being honest, maybe some of us who have 00:25:10.019 --> 00:25:13.420 been walking with Christ for a long time, if 00:25:13.420 --> 00:25:15.740 we're being honest on the weekends, maybe we're 00:25:15.740 --> 00:25:17.339 still sitting around with friends and we're still 00:25:17.339 --> 00:25:19.779 in that gossip circle, right? We're sitting around 00:25:19.779 --> 00:25:21.880 with our friends and we're still just engaging 00:25:21.880 --> 00:25:24.799 in every bit of that conversation about other 00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:27.140 people. Or maybe some of us have been walking 00:25:27.140 --> 00:25:30.910 with Christ for a long time, but we have... We're 00:25:30.910 --> 00:25:33.170 still that sarcastic person that we were before. 00:25:33.230 --> 00:25:35.750 And we end up tearing down more people than we're 00:25:35.750 --> 00:25:37.509 lifting up, right? If we're honest, like, let's 00:25:37.509 --> 00:25:39.390 be honest. Let's not just say, yeah, I'm new 00:25:39.390 --> 00:25:41.289 and I never do that stuff anymore. Let's be honest. 00:25:41.670 --> 00:25:49.309 Take a real look inside. The gospel is not meant 00:25:49.309 --> 00:25:52.509 to be relevant only on the day that you place 00:25:52.509 --> 00:25:55.410 your faith in Christ. The gospel is meant to 00:25:55.410 --> 00:25:59.950 be relevant every moment of every day. It's pertinent. 00:26:00.539 --> 00:26:02.559 It's not just the good news that we share and 00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:04.519 hope somebody puts their faith in Jesus. It is 00:26:04.519 --> 00:26:06.900 the message of our lives as Christ followers. 00:26:07.119 --> 00:26:09.339 It is the lens that we should see everything 00:26:09.339 --> 00:26:11.599 through. It is the lens we should make decisions 00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:13.960 through. It is the lens we should conversate 00:26:13.960 --> 00:26:17.039 through. It's the lens that we live our lives 00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:21.660 through. Now, I don't know about you, but I want 00:26:21.660 --> 00:26:23.799 to look in the mirror every morning and see just 00:26:23.799 --> 00:26:26.380 a little bit more of Jesus. Are you with me? 00:26:26.990 --> 00:26:30.289 When the gospel story meets our story, everything 00:26:30.289 --> 00:26:34.789 changes. We go from death to life. We live in 00:26:34.789 --> 00:26:37.430 response to that good news and to the freedom 00:26:37.430 --> 00:26:41.789 and the grace that's been extended to us. And 00:26:41.789 --> 00:26:44.390 then we walk in our new life that's rooted in 00:26:44.390 --> 00:26:48.079 God. One of the very first friends that I met 00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:51.059 in Atlanta that Brad and I met actually was a 00:26:51.059 --> 00:26:53.460 friend named Sarah and her husband Bryson. They 00:26:53.460 --> 00:26:55.420 were the very first people before we even moved 00:26:55.420 --> 00:26:57.839 to Atlanta that we connected with. And Sarah 00:26:57.839 --> 00:27:01.160 and Bryson. are just this amazing couple who 00:27:01.160 --> 00:27:04.200 love the Lord. They made our transition to moving 00:27:04.200 --> 00:27:07.559 to Atlanta so smooth. They welcomed us into Passion 00:27:07.559 --> 00:27:11.160 City Church. And Sarah in particular has just 00:27:11.160 --> 00:27:14.839 become a dear friend to me. Sarah is somebody 00:27:14.839 --> 00:27:18.359 who exudes the love of Jesus. She's that person 00:27:18.359 --> 00:27:20.460 that opens the door and you're meeting her for 00:27:20.460 --> 00:27:23.099 the very first time. And it's like you've known 00:27:23.099 --> 00:27:24.619 each other your whole lives and it's Christmas 00:27:24.619 --> 00:27:27.680 and she welcomes you in. That kind of joy exudes 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:33.519 from her. incredible person. And she has an amazing 00:27:33.519 --> 00:27:36.299 story of what God has done in her life. And so 00:27:36.299 --> 00:27:39.460 I want to share my friend Sarah's story with 00:27:39.460 --> 00:27:41.380 you this morning. So if you just turn your attention 00:27:41.380 --> 00:27:44.099 to the screens, you can see what God has done 00:27:44.099 --> 00:27:47.619 in Sarah's life. Honestly, the majority of my 00:27:47.619 --> 00:27:56.279 childhood before 18 is loneliness. Always felt 00:27:56.279 --> 00:28:02.740 lonely. I felt like no one was for me. My parents 00:28:02.740 --> 00:28:09.539 divorced when I was 11. There was abuse within 00:28:09.539 --> 00:28:13.099 our family and it was just dark. It was a dark 00:28:13.099 --> 00:28:18.529 place. I started having anxiety attacks and depression 00:28:18.529 --> 00:28:21.930 by the time I was 16. I mean, I turned to alcohol 00:28:21.930 --> 00:28:27.269 early. I turned to partying early. And when I 00:28:27.269 --> 00:28:29.910 went down that path in middle school and high 00:28:29.910 --> 00:28:34.630 school, it was just darker and deeper. I sat 00:28:34.630 --> 00:28:36.710 in that loneliness, and it just became home. 00:28:38.690 --> 00:28:42.569 And so a week before I graduated high school, 00:28:42.730 --> 00:28:45.750 I had gone to the church. And I remember that 00:28:45.750 --> 00:28:49.670 youth pastor, Reed Hughes, talking to me about 00:28:49.670 --> 00:28:52.849 Jesus. And so I talked to him about my feelings 00:28:52.849 --> 00:28:56.869 and everything I was struggling with. And he 00:28:56.869 --> 00:29:02.289 led me to the Lord, May 10, 1987. And I knew 00:29:02.289 --> 00:29:07.269 then that I was making a 180 -degree turn. I 00:29:07.269 --> 00:29:19.700 knew that night. So I grew up in a pretty violent 00:29:19.700 --> 00:29:21.920 household that had a lot of alcoholism in it. 00:29:22.019 --> 00:29:24.339 It was a very lonely home because they were so 00:29:24.339 --> 00:29:26.480 busy fighting that I just didn't really matter. 00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:29.359 And they fought on and off until I was 16. And 00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:31.400 my dad finally got arrested and he got pulled 00:29:31.400 --> 00:29:33.839 out of the home. And at that point, my mom transitioned 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:37.220 into being an abuser. One night when I was 16, 00:29:37.460 --> 00:29:41.019 my mom's dog. bit me because my mom and I were 00:29:41.019 --> 00:29:43.180 fighting we got him off and I was laying in the 00:29:43.180 --> 00:29:45.019 yard bleeding waiting for the ambulance to come 00:29:45.019 --> 00:29:47.259 in she came out there and told me that she hated 00:29:47.259 --> 00:29:49.480 me and she would rather keep the dog and that's 00:29:49.480 --> 00:29:53.500 when I decided to leave so when I moved out I 00:29:53.500 --> 00:29:55.700 started living with a boyfriend and it just started 00:29:55.700 --> 00:29:58.539 this whole trajectory of just bouncing from relationship 00:29:58.539 --> 00:30:01.799 to relationship I would just define myself by 00:30:01.799 --> 00:30:03.480 whatever that they would say about me and however 00:30:03.480 --> 00:30:06.480 long I could hold a relationship but I didn't 00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:07.859 have any worth, and I didn't have anybody telling 00:30:07.859 --> 00:30:11.599 me I was worth anything. So I was just empty. 00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:20.000 I spent a season in my early 20s in church, and 00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:23.859 through that I met some people and just ran into 00:30:23.859 --> 00:30:25.779 some situations with them where I was really 00:30:25.779 --> 00:30:28.980 in need, and they kind of turned me away and 00:30:28.980 --> 00:30:32.440 almost shamed me. Because I had had those interactions, 00:30:32.599 --> 00:30:35.460 it was really easy for me from that to then just 00:30:35.460 --> 00:30:38.140 generalize that Christians were hypocrites. But 00:30:38.140 --> 00:30:39.680 yeah, they just didn't seem like they at all 00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:41.200 cared. They only seemed like they cared about 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:43.480 themselves. I mean, when you already believe 00:30:43.480 --> 00:30:45.960 that you're worthless, and then you go to a place 00:30:45.960 --> 00:30:47.599 that's supposed to tell you that you're worth 00:30:47.599 --> 00:31:05.130 something, and the people don't. It really only 00:31:05.130 --> 00:31:14.849 dug that hole deeper for me. So in 2014, I started 00:31:14.849 --> 00:31:16.809 going back to college at the University of North 00:31:16.809 --> 00:31:19.410 Georgia for science. And through science, I just 00:31:19.410 --> 00:31:21.470 felt totally empowered. I could understand the 00:31:21.470 --> 00:31:23.710 concepts like it was nothing. It was easy for 00:31:23.710 --> 00:31:25.630 me. It came natural to me. And it was the first 00:31:25.630 --> 00:31:27.470 time I really felt like I had worth because I... 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:30.839 I felt smart, and nobody had ever told me I was 00:31:30.839 --> 00:31:33.279 smart or capable my whole life. And so as I learned 00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:37.019 about science, man, just the rage against Christians 00:31:37.019 --> 00:31:39.619 was just fueled in me. Christians are hypocritical, 00:31:39.640 --> 00:31:43.779 and they're repressive. It was just like normal 00:31:43.779 --> 00:31:50.079 to just slam Christianity. And I was in this 00:31:50.079 --> 00:31:51.900 class called The Mechanisms of Disease. There 00:31:51.900 --> 00:31:53.420 we're talking about white blood cells and the 00:31:53.420 --> 00:31:56.259 way that your body knows the specific type of 00:31:56.259 --> 00:31:58.880 infection. that it needs to respond to, whether 00:31:58.880 --> 00:32:01.319 it's a parasite or a pathogen. And it's super 00:32:01.319 --> 00:32:04.220 specific, and it's very intricate. And I just 00:32:04.220 --> 00:32:07.259 had this moment when I thought, oh no, oh no, 00:32:07.380 --> 00:32:09.960 oh no. You can't tell me that billions of years 00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:12.839 of chance have gotten us here. I think it's from 00:32:12.839 --> 00:32:16.339 a higher power. And in that moment, it was just 00:32:16.339 --> 00:32:18.720 full -on panic, because everything that I thought 00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:22.529 I knew about... Christianity and God and science, 00:32:22.529 --> 00:32:25.430 it just all collided and I had just shattered 00:32:25.430 --> 00:32:30.730 my identity again. In the same semester, I was 00:32:30.730 --> 00:32:32.730 teaching organic chemistry and there is another 00:32:32.730 --> 00:32:35.529 TA with me teaching organic chemistry. And it 00:32:35.529 --> 00:32:38.289 just grew this really sarcastic friendship. And 00:32:38.289 --> 00:32:39.950 over time, I started to realize that he wasn't 00:32:39.950 --> 00:32:42.230 just like this sarcastic man. He was actually 00:32:42.230 --> 00:32:46.849 really gentle and kind and steady. And then I 00:32:46.849 --> 00:32:49.529 realized that he was a Christian. And I was like, 00:32:49.690 --> 00:33:00.450 oh, no. I was really diving deep into young adults 00:33:00.450 --> 00:33:02.990 at Passion City Church, and I was just really 00:33:02.990 --> 00:33:04.890 trying to focus on my faith with God at that 00:33:04.890 --> 00:33:08.309 point. Along that same timeline, it was down 00:33:08.309 --> 00:33:10.589 in my basement with my mom and my sister. We 00:33:10.589 --> 00:33:12.549 were watching a show, and then after the show 00:33:12.549 --> 00:33:14.269 ended, I kind of just turned around, and I was 00:33:14.269 --> 00:33:17.240 like... Hey, I'm dating this girl that is like 00:33:17.240 --> 00:33:19.299 six years older than me, and she's not a Christian, 00:33:19.380 --> 00:33:23.279 and I'm just confused. And I kind of had this 00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:25.680 sense and feeling that I needed to try to step 00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:29.339 in and talk to Janelle. I really had this expectation 00:33:29.339 --> 00:33:31.339 that she was going to reject me or not think 00:33:31.339 --> 00:33:33.599 that I was good enough for her son, just based 00:33:33.599 --> 00:33:35.240 on what I had learned from other Christians, 00:33:35.299 --> 00:33:38.500 feeling like I had no worth or value. And it 00:33:38.500 --> 00:33:41.759 was not that way at all. She accepted me wholeheartedly, 00:33:41.799 --> 00:33:45.319 and she... made me feel and know that I had value. 00:33:45.819 --> 00:33:48.960 And that was easy for me to say because I had 00:33:48.960 --> 00:33:53.519 come from that broken place. I was that broken 00:33:53.519 --> 00:33:57.180 girl. And I'm like, this may be her one chance 00:33:57.180 --> 00:34:02.200 to see grace, to see love like she's never experienced 00:34:02.200 --> 00:34:07.440 before. And I had had that. And she was accepting 00:34:07.440 --> 00:34:11.030 and she was kind. You could just tell that she 00:34:11.030 --> 00:34:13.010 was generous, and I don't mean financially. I 00:34:13.010 --> 00:34:14.809 mean with her time and with her love and with 00:34:14.809 --> 00:34:19.210 her space. And she sat with me in those hard 00:34:19.210 --> 00:34:21.230 conversations a lot because I still was pretty 00:34:21.230 --> 00:34:23.329 unsure about Christians and what it meant to 00:34:23.329 --> 00:34:25.309 be a Christian. I had a lot of questions, and 00:34:25.309 --> 00:34:27.170 I had done a lot of things that I didn't think 00:34:27.170 --> 00:34:29.070 allowed me to be a Christian. I thought I was 00:34:29.070 --> 00:34:32.949 kind of disqualified at this point. And she modeled 00:34:32.949 --> 00:34:34.809 that idea that, like, you can never be too far 00:34:34.809 --> 00:34:40.400 gone for God's love. It's just amazing to see 00:34:40.400 --> 00:34:43.980 both of my parents, specifically my mom, just 00:34:43.980 --> 00:34:47.360 be loving and graceful and gentle towards Sarah. 00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:51.280 And she was just such a gift of generosity in 00:34:51.280 --> 00:34:54.639 that for me. I just started attending Passion 00:34:54.639 --> 00:34:56.639 to see where my relationship with God could go. 00:34:57.420 --> 00:35:00.400 And every time I saw her at church, she was becoming 00:35:00.400 --> 00:35:04.519 someone different. And then in 2017, Janelle 00:35:04.519 --> 00:35:06.639 invited me to Passion Conference for the first 00:35:06.639 --> 00:35:10.679 time. Jesus was already working in her life in 00:35:10.679 --> 00:35:14.199 turning her heart toward him. And at the very 00:35:14.199 --> 00:35:17.139 end, it was the year that Sean debuted Worthy 00:35:17.139 --> 00:35:19.039 of Your Name. I remember the purple cross and 00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:21.659 just closing my eyes and just having this full 00:35:21.659 --> 00:35:25.380 revelation of how beautiful God was. She starts 00:35:25.380 --> 00:35:29.940 worshiping with such abandon, tears flowing down 00:35:29.940 --> 00:35:33.039 her face. And just listening to when Sean is 00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:35.780 singing, you're my author, you're my maker. You 00:35:35.780 --> 00:35:37.579 know, my Redeemer, all of those things, and thinking, 00:35:37.679 --> 00:35:41.139 oh, like, you really are that for me. She said, 00:35:41.139 --> 00:35:44.219 and it was literally like a veil was lifted in 00:35:44.219 --> 00:35:47.260 that moment. And the beauty of Jesus that had 00:35:47.260 --> 00:35:50.679 never been there before. And I was like, that's 00:35:50.679 --> 00:35:54.280 it. And that moment at Passion Conference, that 00:35:54.280 --> 00:35:57.119 was really the liftoff for me. That really pushed 00:35:57.119 --> 00:35:59.539 me forward into a wholehearted pursuit of Jesus. 00:36:05.579 --> 00:36:08.920 That is what happens when the gospel story meets 00:36:08.920 --> 00:36:13.139 our story. I don't know where you're at this 00:36:13.139 --> 00:36:15.599 morning. I know some of you. I don't know a lot 00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:17.300 of you. And I don't know where you walked in 00:36:17.300 --> 00:36:19.380 today. I don't know if you're finding yourself 00:36:19.380 --> 00:36:22.039 more like maybe Janelle. Maybe you've been walking 00:36:22.039 --> 00:36:25.079 with the Lord for a long time. And this morning, 00:36:25.099 --> 00:36:29.300 you need reminded of the goodness and the mercy 00:36:29.300 --> 00:36:31.880 and the grace. How easy it can be for us to just 00:36:31.880 --> 00:36:34.380 get used to life, right? We can just move on 00:36:34.380 --> 00:36:36.460 with our days and life gets busy and it can be 00:36:36.460 --> 00:36:40.960 so easy to just downplay the goodness and the 00:36:40.960 --> 00:36:44.639 power that the gospel has in our life every single 00:36:44.639 --> 00:36:47.719 day. Maybe for you, maybe you've been walking 00:36:47.719 --> 00:36:50.739 with the Lord for a long time and you have just 00:36:50.739 --> 00:36:52.940 got comfortable, right? You just got comfortable. 00:36:53.119 --> 00:36:56.019 If you're being honest, if you look maybe over 00:36:56.019 --> 00:36:59.179 the last year or the last two years, Not a whole 00:36:59.179 --> 00:37:01.340 lot has changed. You know, you've got, you hit 00:37:01.340 --> 00:37:03.940 that age where everything's going good and not 00:37:03.940 --> 00:37:05.659 a lot has changed. And if you're honest, you're 00:37:05.659 --> 00:37:08.760 not seeing the fruit that comes from continually 00:37:08.760 --> 00:37:12.769 walking and growing with Jesus. And in a moment, 00:37:12.789 --> 00:37:14.210 we're going to pray if you guys want to begin 00:37:14.210 --> 00:37:16.789 to play. I just want to encourage you to reflect. 00:37:16.949 --> 00:37:19.269 Take this next few minutes. We're going to sing 00:37:19.269 --> 00:37:21.789 and we're going to worship together in a moment. 00:37:21.889 --> 00:37:23.389 But I just want to encourage you, would you just 00:37:23.389 --> 00:37:25.869 take these next few moments and just reflect. 00:37:25.929 --> 00:37:29.389 Look at your life and be honest. If you've been 00:37:29.389 --> 00:37:32.010 walking with the Lord for any amount of time, 00:37:32.070 --> 00:37:35.269 years, like Janelle, or maybe a few years, or 00:37:35.269 --> 00:37:37.630 maybe even a year. Are you seeing a difference 00:37:37.630 --> 00:37:40.269 from the moment you said yes to where you are 00:37:40.269 --> 00:37:42.289 now? Are you seeing fruit? Are you seeing growth? 00:37:43.309 --> 00:37:46.750 There is so much goodness that comes from walking 00:37:46.750 --> 00:37:50.989 with Jesus. Maybe this morning you're like, no, 00:37:51.090 --> 00:37:53.389 I can actually do really a lot more with Sarah. 00:37:54.289 --> 00:37:56.570 Maybe this morning you're coming from a place 00:37:56.570 --> 00:38:01.489 of darkness. Maybe you have, like Sarah, experienced 00:38:01.489 --> 00:38:06.099 brutal. abuse and difficulties and challenges 00:38:06.099 --> 00:38:09.900 and struggles your whole life. Or maybe it's 00:38:09.900 --> 00:38:12.139 a season you've just walked into and things are 00:38:12.139 --> 00:38:16.000 hard and they're tough. And maybe you haven't 00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:19.000 officially made the decision. Maybe you're hesitant 00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:21.019 like Sarah and you haven't made the decision 00:38:21.019 --> 00:38:23.800 to put your faith in Christ. Can I just urge 00:38:23.800 --> 00:38:27.139 you this morning? There is no better decision 00:38:27.139 --> 00:38:29.960 that you will make in your life than to turn 00:38:29.960 --> 00:38:33.699 it over to Jesus. There is no place on this earth 00:38:33.699 --> 00:38:36.920 or in your own will that you can find the peace 00:38:36.920 --> 00:38:40.179 and the joy and the freedom and the growth that 00:38:40.179 --> 00:38:43.579 comes from a life with Jesus. And so I could 00:38:43.579 --> 00:38:46.019 not leave this place this morning without giving 00:38:46.019 --> 00:38:48.599 you the opportunity. If you cannot say, you know 00:38:48.599 --> 00:38:51.480 what? I don't think I've ever actually confessed 00:38:51.480 --> 00:38:53.960 my faith in Jesus. I don't think that I've put 00:38:53.960 --> 00:38:56.519 it or I've been hesitant, but I feel this pulling 00:38:56.519 --> 00:38:58.820 and I want to walk away from it. I don't wanna 00:38:58.820 --> 00:39:01.610 be stuck in the jaws. death. I want to walk in 00:39:01.610 --> 00:39:04.710 the freedom. I want to walk in newness. I want 00:39:04.710 --> 00:39:07.750 to be made new. That can happen this morning. 00:39:08.510 --> 00:39:10.110 We're going to pray in a minute, and it's not 00:39:10.110 --> 00:39:13.409 a magical prayer. The power comes from you making 00:39:13.409 --> 00:39:16.050 the decision to walk away from your old life 00:39:16.050 --> 00:39:19.170 and to step into this newness of God. Your life 00:39:19.170 --> 00:39:21.889 will never be the same. And there is a church 00:39:21.889 --> 00:39:24.869 full of people and a staff team here that is 00:39:24.869 --> 00:39:28.219 just... eagerly waiting to walk beside you to 00:39:28.219 --> 00:39:30.179 show you what it looks like to open the bible 00:39:30.179 --> 00:39:32.559 to show you what it looks like to actually get 00:39:32.559 --> 00:39:35.480 something from scripture and and see god in every 00:39:35.480 --> 00:39:37.940 part of scripture and understand what it's saying 00:39:37.940 --> 00:39:41.079 there's there's an entire team waiting to pray 00:39:41.079 --> 00:39:43.679 for you and teach you how to get on your knees 00:39:43.679 --> 00:39:47.820 and pray living for jesus isn't a magic pill 00:39:47.820 --> 00:39:50.099 it doesn't make everything better immediately 00:39:50.099 --> 00:39:53.199 but i can tell you it is a hope that you will 00:39:53.199 --> 00:39:56.170 find in no other place And it is life -changing. 00:39:56.269 --> 00:39:57.630 I'm gonna ask you if you would stand with me 00:39:57.630 --> 00:40:01.389 this morning. And we're gonna pray and for privacy 00:40:01.389 --> 00:40:03.210 of others. And just so we can focus, would you 00:40:03.210 --> 00:40:06.989 just bow your heads with me? And as I talk and 00:40:06.989 --> 00:40:09.630 as I pray, and even in a minute as I sing, can 00:40:09.630 --> 00:40:13.070 you just block everything out? Every distraction 00:40:13.070 --> 00:40:15.210 from the morning, every distraction that's beside 00:40:15.210 --> 00:40:17.809 you, every just thought that's going on of what's 00:40:17.809 --> 00:40:19.469 happening up in the week. Would you just lay 00:40:19.469 --> 00:40:22.500 it right now at the feet of Jesus? When you take 00:40:22.500 --> 00:40:24.559 a moment of inventory, if you were in that first 00:40:24.559 --> 00:40:26.739 group and you've been walking with the Lord for 00:40:26.739 --> 00:40:29.260 a while, take a look. What has the fruit been 00:40:29.260 --> 00:40:33.000 like? When's the last time you were in awe, on 00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:36.500 your knees, just praising him for saving you 00:40:36.500 --> 00:40:40.199 from death? And if you're in that second group 00:40:40.199 --> 00:40:43.559 this morning with every eye closed this morning, 00:40:43.619 --> 00:40:45.480 I just wanna ask you, would you take a step of 00:40:45.480 --> 00:40:47.719 boldness? If that's you this morning and you 00:40:47.719 --> 00:40:51.050 wanna say, you know what? I'm done living in 00:40:51.050 --> 00:40:54.050 the darkness. I'm done having no hope. I want 00:40:54.050 --> 00:40:55.829 to put my faith in Jesus. Would you just raise 00:40:55.829 --> 00:40:57.329 your hand this morning? Because I wanna pray 00:40:57.329 --> 00:40:59.769 with you and I wanna encourage you this morning 00:40:59.769 --> 00:41:02.789 that there is so much more in a life with Jesus. 00:41:03.349 --> 00:41:05.949 So I'm gonna give you just a moment. I wholeheartedly 00:41:05.949 --> 00:41:08.530 believe that someone is sitting here this morning 00:41:08.530 --> 00:41:13.480 and you related so much to what Sarah said. And 00:41:13.480 --> 00:41:16.139 I can tell you, Sarah is full of life and is 00:41:16.139 --> 00:41:18.519 life easy for her? No, but she's full of life 00:41:18.519 --> 00:41:21.780 and hope and joy. Her life drastically changed 00:41:21.780 --> 00:41:26.199 coming to know Jesus. I wanna give you just one 00:41:26.199 --> 00:41:28.820 more moment. Is there anyone this morning that 00:41:28.820 --> 00:41:31.340 wants to be bold, raise your hand and say, I 00:41:31.340 --> 00:41:34.079 want that freedom. I wanna walk like Sarah. I 00:41:34.079 --> 00:41:38.460 wanna walk in the freedom of Jesus. Thank you, 00:41:38.460 --> 00:41:42.329 Jesus. Thank you, Lord. I'm gonna pray over us. 00:41:42.429 --> 00:41:45.369 Father, I thank you. Thank you for those that 00:41:45.369 --> 00:41:47.710 just rose their hands. God, thank you that in 00:41:47.710 --> 00:41:50.869 this very moment, as I speak, you are changing 00:41:50.869 --> 00:41:54.090 lives. God, I thank you that you have rescued 00:41:54.090 --> 00:41:58.210 us. God, that you cared so deeply about every 00:41:58.210 --> 00:42:01.150 single person. God, that you sent your son to 00:42:01.150 --> 00:42:04.710 die a brutal death. God, so that we could live 00:42:04.710 --> 00:42:08.849 in freedom and hope with you. And God, I just 00:42:08.849 --> 00:42:10.809 pray for those that just rose their hands so 00:42:10.809 --> 00:42:13.449 boldly to put their faith in you. God, I just 00:42:13.449 --> 00:42:14.989 pray right now that they would have a moment 00:42:14.989 --> 00:42:17.250 between you and them. God, where they would confess 00:42:17.250 --> 00:42:19.969 and say, Lord, you are my Lord and I believe 00:42:19.969 --> 00:42:23.449 and I trust in you. Lord, I pray that in this 00:42:23.449 --> 00:42:26.659 moment they would confess their sin. And they 00:42:26.659 --> 00:42:28.119 would lay it at your feet and they would walk 00:42:28.119 --> 00:42:29.840 away from their sin. God, they would walk away 00:42:29.840 --> 00:42:32.679 from their old life and turn and walk toward 00:42:32.679 --> 00:42:35.420 you, Lord. That is how we come to salvation in 00:42:35.420 --> 00:42:37.579 you. And I thank you, Jesus, that it is attainable 00:42:37.579 --> 00:42:41.260 to us right in this moment. I thank you, Father. 00:42:41.920 --> 00:42:43.940 I thank you for your freedom. I thank you for 00:42:43.940 --> 00:42:46.519 your goodness. God, I thank you for LifeHouse 00:42:46.519 --> 00:42:49.900 and a body of believers who is so rooted in your 00:42:49.900 --> 00:42:53.500 word. God, who desires to come up beside one 00:42:53.500 --> 00:42:55.920 another and walk with one another and point each 00:42:55.920 --> 00:42:59.400 other to your word and to your freedom in you, 00:42:59.500 --> 00:43:03.260 Lord, to growth in you, to the things of your 00:43:03.260 --> 00:43:06.840 word and who you are, God. I thank you, Jesus. 00:43:07.610 --> 00:43:10.349 I thank you for a new life in you. God, I thank 00:43:10.349 --> 00:43:12.829 you for pillars that are standing in this church 00:43:12.829 --> 00:43:15.329 that have been walking with you for years and 00:43:15.329 --> 00:43:17.369 years. God, I pray that they would leave this 00:43:17.369 --> 00:43:20.170 room this morning strengthened. Lord, I pray 00:43:20.170 --> 00:43:22.090 that they would leave this room this morning 00:43:22.090 --> 00:43:25.130 humbled. Lord, just brought back to that moment 00:43:25.130 --> 00:43:27.929 when they put their faith in you, God, and in 00:43:27.929 --> 00:43:30.469 the all that they stood in, God, that you, a 00:43:30.469 --> 00:43:34.750 God of the universe, would look at a sinful, 00:43:35.110 --> 00:43:39.429 messy person like me. And you would choose to 00:43:39.429 --> 00:43:42.170 sacrifice and save me and then continue to grow 00:43:42.170 --> 00:43:44.829 me and walk with me and be in relationship with 00:43:44.829 --> 00:43:49.090 me. God, bring us back to being in all of who 00:43:49.090 --> 00:43:53.150 you are and what you've done for us. Father, 00:43:53.309 --> 00:43:55.570 we love you and we worship you and it is only 00:43:55.570 --> 00:43:58.989 in your name, God, that we seal all of these 00:43:58.989 --> 00:44:01.909 things. God, yes and amen. Thank you, Jesus. 00:44:12.750 --> 00:44:16.210 to this message from Lifehouse Church. We pray 00:44:16.210 --> 00:44:18.750 that you were impacted powerfully by this message. 00:44:19.070 --> 00:44:22.090 If you have been personally affected by our ministry 00:44:22.090 --> 00:44:24.869 and you would like to partner with us as we love 00:44:24.869 --> 00:44:27.989 God, love people every day, visit our website 00:44:27.989 --> 00:44:28.429 at