WEBVTT 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:14.160 Welcome to Hub City Vineyard. To get connected 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:17.760 or to give online, please go to hcv .church slash 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:21.960 connect or hcv .church slash give. If at any 00:00:21.960 --> 00:00:24.179 point during this message you feel called to 00:00:24.179 --> 00:00:27.019 make a change in your life, text CHANGEME to 00:00:27.019 --> 00:00:32.000 97000. Now enjoy the message. So good to gather 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:33.799 and laugh together. If you're joining us from 00:00:33.799 --> 00:00:36.320 home, thank you for welcoming us into your space. 00:00:36.460 --> 00:00:38.960 We are so excited that you're here and that you 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:41.439 are a part of our community of faith. So I'm 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:44.600 going to be addressing a topic today that impacts 00:00:44.600 --> 00:00:47.560 all of us and is rampant throughout our nation. 00:00:47.640 --> 00:00:49.280 I'm just going to invite the Holy Spirit to come. 00:00:50.270 --> 00:00:53.729 Open in prayer and ask him to prepare our hearts 00:00:53.729 --> 00:00:57.149 to receive all he has for us. Let's pray. Come, 00:00:57.229 --> 00:01:00.530 Holy Spirit. Jesus, we are just so thankful that 00:01:00.530 --> 00:01:03.570 we can gather together, that we can worship you, 00:01:03.630 --> 00:01:07.049 that we can point others to you. Move in this 00:01:07.049 --> 00:01:09.290 place this morning, God. Soften hearts. Prepare 00:01:09.290 --> 00:01:15.129 hearts. Open our minds to be changed, to be challenged, 00:01:15.290 --> 00:01:18.409 and to move forward in our relationship with 00:01:18.409 --> 00:01:22.930 you. In Jesus' name, amen. Just want to remind 00:01:22.930 --> 00:01:26.390 everyone real quick, today and next Sunday, we 00:01:26.390 --> 00:01:28.930 are collecting gently used shoes for our Souls 00:01:28.930 --> 00:01:32.209 for Souls that we partner with every single year. 00:01:32.450 --> 00:01:34.829 So clean out your closets. If you have those 00:01:34.829 --> 00:01:37.189 shoes, you can bring them in this week. Later 00:01:37.189 --> 00:01:40.069 today, you can bring them in next Sunday. Last 00:01:40.069 --> 00:01:43.269 year, we sent nearly 2 ,000 pairs of shoes all 00:01:43.269 --> 00:01:46.170 around the world to make a difference in people's 00:01:46.170 --> 00:01:51.629 lives. So on Wednesday, I received an email that 00:01:51.629 --> 00:01:55.689 I can pre -order my new iPhone 17, which will 00:01:55.689 --> 00:02:00.510 release later this month. I got to thinking how 00:02:00.510 --> 00:02:05.069 much the world has changed since this phone was 00:02:05.069 --> 00:02:07.790 created. Think about it. We are literally walking 00:02:07.790 --> 00:02:12.090 around with the internet in our pockets. We have 00:02:12.090 --> 00:02:14.610 the ability to connect with anyone at any time 00:02:14.610 --> 00:02:18.889 all around the world. I now use these devices 00:02:18.889 --> 00:02:22.330 all the time. I'm preaching from an iPad. I use 00:02:22.330 --> 00:02:25.349 an iPhone to connect with all of you. My whole 00:02:25.349 --> 00:02:27.289 life, or at least everything that's important 00:02:27.289 --> 00:02:31.090 to me, is stored in an iCloud. Well, at least 00:02:31.090 --> 00:02:34.110 I think it is. It's up there somewhere, hopefully. 00:02:34.990 --> 00:02:38.250 Android people, I get it. You don't like the 00:02:38.250 --> 00:02:40.689 iPhone, don't want an iPhone. Your phone is better. 00:02:40.969 --> 00:02:46.699 I get it. But, let me throw out a but here. you 00:02:46.699 --> 00:02:50.580 still remember the first time the iPhone was 00:02:50.580 --> 00:02:53.000 released. So just go with it, okay? Just go with 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:56.919 it. The iPhone's name and list of products comes 00:02:56.919 --> 00:03:01.680 from the simple word I, which stood for Internet 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:06.280 Individual Instruct, Inform, and Inspire. I, 00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:11.439 I, I, I, I. And I think what it did over time, 00:03:11.560 --> 00:03:15.639 whether Steve Jobs intended it or not, gave way 00:03:15.639 --> 00:03:19.680 to another I word that is now gripping our society, 00:03:19.819 --> 00:03:23.840 and it's the word isolation. Now, I am in no 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:26.319 way blaming Apple or technology creators and 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:29.159 inventors. I just believe that when humanity 00:03:29.159 --> 00:03:32.759 is given the chance, all of us will move towards 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:37.060 individualism and isolation. And in today's world, 00:03:37.219 --> 00:03:40.860 this has been made so possible and is so prevalent 00:03:40.860 --> 00:03:45.520 that many people, simply stated, are stuck. Here's 00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:48.340 the current reality in the United States of America. 00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:52.340 We are struggling with a pandemic of loneliness. 00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:56.419 According to the U .S. Surgeon General, 50 % 00:03:56.419 --> 00:04:00.240 of adults in the United States that's 18 and 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:04.080 older report being lonely. Friends, that's a 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:07.639 crazy number. That means all of us gathered here 00:04:07.639 --> 00:04:11.159 together watching online have either felt it 00:04:11.159 --> 00:04:14.699 or are feeling it. Or know someone that is currently 00:04:14.699 --> 00:04:18.980 struggling with loneliness. According to this 00:04:18.980 --> 00:04:21.920 report, people that struggle with loneliness 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:26.879 typically move more often. They relocate. Social 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:30.720 media usage and doomsday scrolling has increased 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:34.980 significantly. One in three adults 18 and over 00:04:34.980 --> 00:04:39.220 report they are online almost constantly unable 00:04:39.220 --> 00:04:46.699 to unplug from their devices. In just 2005, 5 00:04:46.699 --> 00:04:50.220 % of adults reported they used social media for 00:04:50.220 --> 00:04:52.519 a large portion of their day. Fast forward to 00:04:52.519 --> 00:04:57.500 2020, it was up to 80 % of adults reported high 00:04:57.500 --> 00:05:03.160 use of social media. Now, 2025, moving into 2026, 00:05:03.560 --> 00:05:08.459 it's 85%. According to the American Journal of 00:05:08.459 --> 00:05:11.139 Medicine, the more time we spend on social media, 00:05:12.009 --> 00:05:15.410 the more people report they are lonely. And what 00:05:15.410 --> 00:05:19.389 is interesting about this stat is that many people 00:05:19.389 --> 00:05:21.310 get on social media hoping for the opposite. 00:05:22.230 --> 00:05:24.529 They want to connect. They want to meet people. 00:05:24.629 --> 00:05:27.149 But statistically, the more time spent online, 00:05:27.290 --> 00:05:31.170 the lonelier we get. The consequences of loneliness 00:05:31.170 --> 00:05:36.610 are increased risk of premature death by 26%. 00:05:38.099 --> 00:05:40.939 Loneliness has that type of physical effect on 00:05:40.939 --> 00:05:43.879 our bodies. Now, in this same article, it is 00:05:43.879 --> 00:05:46.220 reported that a person can be in the best shape 00:05:46.220 --> 00:05:48.920 of their life, exercise daily, eat right, take 00:05:48.920 --> 00:05:52.699 vitamins, but if they're experiencing loneliness, 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:56.060 the negative impact on the body is the equivalent 00:05:56.060 --> 00:06:01.759 of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And please understand, 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:05.079 it's not just the physical effects. Loneliness 00:06:05.079 --> 00:06:08.860 causes major depression disorders like anxiety 00:06:08.860 --> 00:06:13.899 and suicide. We can be famous and be lonely. 00:06:14.100 --> 00:06:16.740 We can be rich and be lonely. We can be married 00:06:16.740 --> 00:06:19.540 and be lonely. We can be single, dating, working 00:06:19.540 --> 00:06:22.100 our dream job, have over a million followers 00:06:22.100 --> 00:06:28.579 online and still be lonely. Church, this is not 00:06:28.579 --> 00:06:31.879 God's plan for our lives. In fact, at the very 00:06:31.879 --> 00:06:33.980 beginning of the Bible, God addressed this issue 00:06:33.980 --> 00:06:38.079 by saying, it is not good for man to be alone. 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:42.439 In Genesis 2, verse 18, it is not good for a 00:06:42.439 --> 00:06:47.019 woman to be alone. So we're in the middle of 00:06:47.019 --> 00:06:49.600 our series, We Are Family, and last week we discussed 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:53.600 the calling that God gives us once we start following 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:57.850 Him. Part of that calling is to go and share 00:06:57.850 --> 00:07:00.410 the good news, to build his church, which we 00:07:00.410 --> 00:07:03.709 learn the powers of hell will not stop or conquer 00:07:03.709 --> 00:07:08.569 it. And in doing this, we build community with 00:07:08.569 --> 00:07:11.790 one another that fights off the effects of loneliness. 00:07:13.329 --> 00:07:17.110 See, God desires that we, the church, live differently. 00:07:17.889 --> 00:07:21.029 That we live in an uncommon way that helps people 00:07:21.029 --> 00:07:23.949 to connect with something much bigger than themselves. 00:07:25.550 --> 00:07:27.569 Now, to understand this point, we have to go 00:07:27.569 --> 00:07:29.709 all the way back to the start of the church, 00:07:29.870 --> 00:07:34.350 which is coming up on nearly 2 ,000 years, theologians 00:07:34.350 --> 00:07:36.970 tell us, which leads us to our first thought. 00:07:37.209 --> 00:07:42.389 See, God desires his church to grow. God desires 00:07:42.389 --> 00:07:46.069 his church to grow. Jesus dies on a cross, paying 00:07:46.069 --> 00:07:49.769 the price for all of our sins, releasing this 00:07:49.769 --> 00:07:53.220 uncommon grace into our lives. He is buried and 00:07:53.220 --> 00:07:55.699 on the third day is resurrected back to life. 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:59.560 Over 500 people witnessed and connected with 00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:02.959 the resurrected Jesus, declaring him to be the 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:05.639 one and only Son of God, to be the Savior of 00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:08.600 the world, the way, the truth, and the life. 00:08:09.300 --> 00:08:12.720 After 40 days, he ascends back into heaven and 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:16.560 tells his followers to live on mission, to go 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:20.209 and wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. So 00:08:20.209 --> 00:08:23.089 there's 120 followers of Jesus that's about to 00:08:23.089 --> 00:08:26.490 become the first church we read in Acts 1 verse 00:08:26.490 --> 00:08:29.769 15. During this time when about 120 believers 00:08:29.769 --> 00:08:32.429 were together in one place, Peter stood up and 00:08:32.429 --> 00:08:35.690 addressed them. At the beginning of Acts chapter 00:08:35.690 --> 00:08:39.009 2, the Holy Spirit falls on this 120 followers. 00:08:39.370 --> 00:08:43.490 Peter stands up to preach the very first sermon 00:08:43.490 --> 00:08:46.759 ever spoken. And the first church is about to 00:08:46.759 --> 00:08:50.299 be born, Acts 2, verse 41. Those who believed 00:08:50.299 --> 00:08:53.240 what Peter said were baptized and added to the 00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:58.460 church that day, about 3 ,000 in all. So from 00:08:58.460 --> 00:09:02.320 day one, we have this church in Jerusalem, and 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:05.580 it's a megachurch from the very start. So many 00:09:05.580 --> 00:09:09.320 people are down on megachurches, but God designed 00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:12.600 and blessed and started the first church as a 00:09:12.600 --> 00:09:16.509 megachurch. By chapter 4, the church continues 00:09:16.509 --> 00:09:19.730 to grow, Acts 4, 4. But many of the people who 00:09:19.730 --> 00:09:22.309 heard their message believed it. So the number 00:09:22.309 --> 00:09:27.269 of men who believed now totaled 5 ,000. Now historians 00:09:27.269 --> 00:09:29.269 will tell us they were only counting men at that 00:09:29.269 --> 00:09:32.429 time. So if you add women and children, the first 00:09:32.429 --> 00:09:35.470 church at this point, Acts chapter 4, is close 00:09:35.470 --> 00:09:41.909 to 20 ,000 people. God's church is growing real 00:09:41.909 --> 00:09:46.809 fast. God's church is growing in Jerusalem. And 00:09:46.809 --> 00:09:49.850 two chapters later in Acts 6 we read. So God's 00:09:49.850 --> 00:09:52.889 message continued to spread. The number of believers 00:09:52.889 --> 00:09:56.269 greatly increased in Jerusalem. And many of the 00:09:56.269 --> 00:09:59.710 Jewish priests were converted too. So remember 00:09:59.710 --> 00:10:04.289 we had 20 ,000 people. But now chapter 6 more 00:10:04.289 --> 00:10:06.470 and more people are hearing about Jesus. Beginning 00:10:06.470 --> 00:10:09.230 a relationship with him. The church is exploding. 00:10:10.929 --> 00:10:15.419 25 years later. Paul comes to visit this same 00:10:15.419 --> 00:10:19.120 church in Jerusalem and listen to what they say 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:23.379 to him, Acts 21, 20. After hearing this, they 00:10:23.379 --> 00:10:26.559 praise God. And then they said, you know, dear 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:29.980 brother, how many thousands of Jews have also 00:10:29.980 --> 00:10:32.639 believed and they all follow the law of Moses 00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:35.960 very seriously. Now that word thousands written 00:10:35.960 --> 00:10:39.299 here in the Greek is the Greek word myrios, which 00:10:39.299 --> 00:10:44.289 is defined as tens and tens of thousands. So 00:10:44.289 --> 00:10:47.230 historians and scholars all agree and tell us 00:10:47.230 --> 00:10:50.250 that the church at this point, one church in 00:10:50.250 --> 00:10:55.429 Jerusalem 25 years in is right around 100 ,000 00:10:55.429 --> 00:10:59.509 people. And as I was reading that and studying 00:10:59.509 --> 00:11:02.970 that this week, I'd be, wow, I think our church 00:11:02.970 --> 00:11:07.009 is big. So I asked the question to myself, how 00:11:07.009 --> 00:11:10.590 are they pastoring this church? Because we have 00:11:10.590 --> 00:11:14.460 a few people. But we don't have those kinds of 00:11:14.460 --> 00:11:17.460 numbers. And here's your answer, which leads 00:11:17.460 --> 00:11:21.100 us to our next thought. The church practiced 00:11:21.100 --> 00:11:24.460 the theology of love. The church practiced a 00:11:24.460 --> 00:11:28.519 theology of love. Acts 2, 42 and 44, all the 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:30.080 believers devoted themselves to the apostles' 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:32.620 teaching and to fellowship and the sharing of 00:11:32.620 --> 00:11:34.679 meals, including the Lord's Supper, and to prayer. 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:37.860 And all the believers met together, verse 44, 00:11:37.980 --> 00:11:39.919 in one place and shared everything they had. 00:11:41.129 --> 00:11:44.289 The people were devoted. They devoted themselves 00:11:44.289 --> 00:11:46.629 to one another. And last week, I challenged all 00:11:46.629 --> 00:11:49.649 of you to be devoted to our community of faith, 00:11:49.769 --> 00:11:54.049 whether you're here or watching online. So we 00:11:54.049 --> 00:11:56.649 need you. Get involved. Plug in. Get on a team. 00:11:56.730 --> 00:11:59.610 Join a growth group. Whatever it takes, be connected. 00:11:59.750 --> 00:12:05.370 Today happens to be Team Up Sunday. Every month, 00:12:05.370 --> 00:12:08.110 we do Start With Why and Team Up. And my wife, 00:12:08.169 --> 00:12:10.090 Jess, shares with you the opportunities to get 00:12:10.090 --> 00:12:13.019 involved. As I was praying about Team Up this 00:12:13.019 --> 00:12:16.000 week, I felt like and was challenged that Team 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:18.039 Up shouldn't be, hey, go find Jess at the Welcome 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:20.200 Hub. She'll get you plugged in. No, if you're 00:12:20.200 --> 00:12:22.919 not on a team, Team Up will be right here directly 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:25.440 after this gathering. You don't even have to 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:28.000 leave. She'll come up on the stage. She'll share 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:29.659 with you all the opportunities to get involved, 00:12:29.899 --> 00:12:32.259 and you have an opportunity to plug in and join 00:12:32.259 --> 00:12:34.320 a team. So don't leave if you're not on a team. 00:12:35.220 --> 00:12:39.100 Get connected. But it doesn't stop there. Acts 00:12:39.100 --> 00:12:42.840 4, 33 -35, the apostles testified powerfully 00:12:42.840 --> 00:12:45.299 to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and God's 00:12:45.299 --> 00:12:48.120 great blessing was upon them all. There were 00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:51.779 no needy people among them because those who 00:12:51.779 --> 00:12:54.360 owned land or houses would sell them and bring 00:12:54.360 --> 00:12:56.480 the money to the apostles to give to those in 00:12:56.480 --> 00:13:00.360 need. So notice, we have this church with hundreds 00:13:00.360 --> 00:13:03.519 of thousands of people. They're meeting all over 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:06.909 the city in the temple courts. Different temple 00:13:06.909 --> 00:13:09.809 courts. They were gathering to worship together. 00:13:10.129 --> 00:13:12.450 Then they would meet in different houses for 00:13:12.450 --> 00:13:14.850 smaller gatherings for fellowship and connection. 00:13:15.529 --> 00:13:18.289 Right? The people met together at different times 00:13:18.289 --> 00:13:21.309 for all different reasons. What was the central 00:13:21.309 --> 00:13:26.190 focus? Jesus. And we read here, no one was needy. 00:13:26.710 --> 00:13:29.470 Everyone was taken care of physically, spiritually, 00:13:29.809 --> 00:13:33.490 emotionally. Right? This church was not struggling 00:13:33.490 --> 00:13:37.200 with loneliness. They were connected. They were 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:40.940 literally a family as God calls us to be family. 00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:44.639 And it doesn't stop there. Acts 9, 36. There 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:46.820 was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha, which 00:13:46.820 --> 00:13:50.440 in Greek is Dorcas. She was always doing kind 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:53.659 things for others and helping the poor. And notice, 00:13:53.720 --> 00:13:57.360 always doing kind things. Tabitha was known for 00:13:57.360 --> 00:14:01.100 extensive acts of charity and kindness, particularly 00:14:01.100 --> 00:14:04.159 in providing garments for widows and the poor. 00:14:05.100 --> 00:14:08.000 I mean, fast forward to today, in an HTV, we 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:13.539 have a knitting group. A knitting group. And 00:14:13.539 --> 00:14:15.399 this group, this very group, you're going to 00:14:15.399 --> 00:14:17.620 realize we have a knitting group. They are knitting 00:14:17.620 --> 00:14:23.899 me a shirt to wear on Sunday mornings. I don't 00:14:23.899 --> 00:14:26.220 know how excited I am about wearing said shirt, 00:14:26.340 --> 00:14:30.419 but obviously you are. And I've already committed 00:14:30.419 --> 00:14:36.740 to it, so I will. Thank you. So if you like to 00:14:36.740 --> 00:14:39.940 knit, join our knitting group on Friday. I never 00:14:39.940 --> 00:14:41.559 thought that would come out of my mouth when 00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:43.919 pastoring the church. Join our knitting group. 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:59.220 And crochet. Must be a member. See? Oh. Unfortunately, 00:14:59.539 --> 00:15:04.320 Tabitha became sick and died. The community, 00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:06.440 though, sent for Peter. Peter prayed over her. 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:08.539 She was miraculously healed by the power of the 00:15:08.539 --> 00:15:10.919 Holy Spirit, brought back to life. Her resurrection 00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:14.120 was a significant event in the early church because 00:15:14.120 --> 00:15:18.519 many in the entire town believed in Jesus. Again, 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:20.320 this story highlights the importance of what? 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:24.139 Good works and compassion in the lives of Jesus' 00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:27.620 followers. See, the church was simply practicing 00:15:27.620 --> 00:15:32.039 a theology of love. They were loving each other. 00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:35.120 And unfortunately, I believe the American church 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:38.059 has gotten away from this simplicity. How do 00:15:38.059 --> 00:15:40.360 I know that? I was having a cup of coffee with 00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:44.440 several pastors. this week, and I was becoming 00:15:44.440 --> 00:15:46.899 a part of a new organization in Hagerstown so 00:15:46.899 --> 00:15:49.679 that we can further connect and empower churches 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:53.139 to love others. And they asked me a simple question, 00:15:53.559 --> 00:15:55.960 Chris, all of the churches that I know about 00:15:55.960 --> 00:15:58.500 are closing the doors, dying, have no new people 00:15:58.500 --> 00:16:01.720 coming. Why is it you have no room in your church 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:04.440 for new people to fit? Because it seems like 00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:07.580 new and new people are always coming. My response 00:16:07.580 --> 00:16:13.769 was simple. We love people. We love people right 00:16:13.769 --> 00:16:17.470 where they are. We welcome them in. You are welcome 00:16:17.470 --> 00:16:20.250 here and are welcome to become a part of our 00:16:20.250 --> 00:16:29.730 family. But I also want you to recognize that 00:16:29.730 --> 00:16:33.389 the early church grew not just because they took 00:16:33.389 --> 00:16:35.750 care of the poor, the forgotten, and the marginalized 00:16:35.750 --> 00:16:40.389 in their society. They challenged one another 00:16:40.389 --> 00:16:44.250 to grow. They looked at one another inward and 00:16:44.250 --> 00:16:47.029 they challenged one another to grow in here so 00:16:47.029 --> 00:16:50.029 that out there we will do those things. Acts 00:16:50.029 --> 00:16:55.690 2, 42 and chapter 4, 32. All the believers devoted 00:16:55.690 --> 00:16:57.970 themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, 00:16:58.149 --> 00:17:00.610 to sharing in meals, including the Lord's Supper, 00:17:00.669 --> 00:17:03.230 and to prayer. And then in chapter 4, all the 00:17:03.230 --> 00:17:05.970 believers were united in heart and mind. Notice 00:17:05.970 --> 00:17:09.309 they devoted themselves to the Bible and applying 00:17:09.309 --> 00:17:12.009 it to their lives. In other words, they pushed 00:17:12.009 --> 00:17:16.089 one another closer to God. They wanted to see 00:17:16.089 --> 00:17:19.509 the church grow spiritually. While at the same 00:17:19.509 --> 00:17:22.049 time, they were practicing fellowship. What does 00:17:22.049 --> 00:17:25.049 fellowship mean? It means they were helping one 00:17:25.049 --> 00:17:27.170 another in their time of need. They were picking 00:17:27.170 --> 00:17:30.990 one another up. And see, if we put these principles 00:17:30.990 --> 00:17:34.910 into practice and live this way, I believe we 00:17:34.910 --> 00:17:37.190 can begin to defeat the negative impacts of loneliness 00:17:37.190 --> 00:17:41.240 and isolation. That it can happen in here and 00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:43.680 then pour outside of these walls so that we're 00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:47.680 making an impact in our culture. But we must 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:50.460 see that God desires that we, HTV, are united 00:17:50.460 --> 00:17:53.440 in heart and mind. That we're first focused on 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:56.000 one another. We're caring for one another. We're 00:17:56.000 --> 00:17:59.160 reaching out to one another. While at the same 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:02.259 time, then reaching out to our local community 00:18:02.259 --> 00:18:04.640 that is struggling with isolation, loneliness, 00:18:04.779 --> 00:18:08.279 and depression. Which leads us to our four simple 00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:12.299 action steps defeating loneliness. I believe 00:18:12.299 --> 00:18:14.900 that if we put these steps into practice in here, 00:18:14.980 --> 00:18:17.559 in our community faith, and outside of these 00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:21.299 walls, we will defeat the enemy's lies that we 00:18:21.299 --> 00:18:24.599 are all alone. That no one cares about us. That 00:18:24.599 --> 00:18:28.440 we are forgotten. And the first is, church, we're 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:32.059 called to encourage. We are called to encourage. 00:18:32.200 --> 00:18:36.079 Hebrews 10, 25. And let us not neglect. are meeting 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:38.839 together as some people do, but notice, encourage 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:41.519 one another, especially now that the day of his 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:44.039 return is drawing near. Now that word encourage 00:18:44.039 --> 00:18:48.259 in the Greek is the word parakaleo. And when 00:18:48.259 --> 00:18:50.559 we break that down and we separate the two words, 00:18:50.599 --> 00:18:53.859 it's defined as first para, which means make 00:18:53.859 --> 00:18:56.980 a call, and then kaleo, which means being close 00:18:56.980 --> 00:19:00.819 and personal. So you put them together. God desires, 00:19:00.940 --> 00:19:03.720 HCV, that we have relationships with one another 00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:07.319 that are close and personal, connected. That 00:19:07.319 --> 00:19:09.799 we reach out and we make a call to one another 00:19:09.799 --> 00:19:15.039 to determine how our family is doing. God wants 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:18.480 us to be vulnerable and honest. He desires that 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:20.880 we share openly about our needs and our struggles 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:24.160 and receive encouragement in return. 1 Thessalonians 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:26.819 5 .11 says, encourage each other and build each 00:19:26.819 --> 00:19:31.079 other up. just as you are already doing. But 00:19:31.079 --> 00:19:33.740 to do that, everyone hear this, we have to learn 00:19:33.740 --> 00:19:36.559 to be real and authentic with one another. We 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:40.019 have to reach out and ask for help. Did everyone 00:19:40.019 --> 00:19:44.160 hear that? We have to reach out and ask for help, 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:47.759 while at the same time, we have to reach out 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:51.900 and help and encourage others. Right? I pointed 00:19:51.900 --> 00:19:53.660 to you last week and challenged you. We have 00:19:53.660 --> 00:19:55.779 our growth groups they just launched. We have 00:19:55.779 --> 00:19:58.480 over 30 groups that meet all throughout the week. 00:19:58.559 --> 00:20:02.079 We need 60 groups. We need new people to launch 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:05.019 new groups so that more people can what? Connect 00:20:05.019 --> 00:20:08.960 and be connected. And please understand, when 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:11.940 it comes to growth groups, if you're not in a 00:20:11.940 --> 00:20:14.000 growth group, chances are someone's not going 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:16.180 to randomly call you and invite you to a group. 00:20:16.940 --> 00:20:19.559 You've got to put in the work. You've got to 00:20:19.559 --> 00:20:21.460 search the different groups. You've got to attend 00:20:21.460 --> 00:20:24.359 different groups. You may not like one, two, 00:20:24.500 --> 00:20:27.279 or three, but find that four fits you. But it 00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:30.119 takes effort. It's a two -way street. Listen, 00:20:30.299 --> 00:20:32.779 I've been pastoring this church for coming up 00:20:32.779 --> 00:20:35.019 on 20 years this spring. We will celebrate our 00:20:35.019 --> 00:20:37.980 20th anniversary as a community of faith, which 00:20:37.980 --> 00:20:39.559 don't worry, we're going to have a big party. 00:20:39.720 --> 00:20:42.779 It will be a lot of fun. HTV does know how to 00:20:42.779 --> 00:20:46.480 party, so that's coming. I've been pastoring 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:48.539 this church for nearly 20 years, and I know what 00:20:48.539 --> 00:20:52.160 it means to not receive encouragement. On any 00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:55.559 given week, I may receive one word of encouragement 00:20:55.559 --> 00:20:58.440 from thousands of you that call this place a 00:20:58.440 --> 00:21:02.960 community of faith. One. If I receive one. Why? 00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:05.839 Because everybody expects the pastor to do the 00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:09.420 encouraging. But the last time I checked, I'm 00:21:09.420 --> 00:21:13.069 in this church too. We all need encouragement. 00:21:13.150 --> 00:21:16.869 It's a two -way street, right? There's hundreds 00:21:16.869 --> 00:21:19.430 of you, thousands, in fact, that gather every 00:21:19.430 --> 00:21:22.589 single Sunday. I high -five you on the way out. 00:21:22.609 --> 00:21:25.670 You all know my first name. Chances are I don't 00:21:25.670 --> 00:21:29.849 know 70 % of your first names. Why? You've never 00:21:29.849 --> 00:21:33.470 introduced yourselves. See, it's a two -way street. 00:21:34.029 --> 00:21:36.710 We have to learn to be open and honest because 00:21:36.710 --> 00:21:39.589 Galatians 6 .2 tells us, share each other's burdens 00:21:39.589 --> 00:21:42.549 and in the way you obey the law of Christ. If 00:21:42.549 --> 00:21:47.230 you think you are too important to help someone, 00:21:47.369 --> 00:21:51.230 you are fooling yourself. So I love how Paul 00:21:51.230 --> 00:21:55.069 challenges all of us, get over yourself. You're 00:21:55.069 --> 00:21:57.490 not that important. It doesn't matter who you 00:21:57.490 --> 00:22:02.079 are. Encourage, man. has to become a part of 00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:03.920 our relationships with one another in the church. 00:22:04.779 --> 00:22:07.539 And with our friends and our family that are 00:22:07.539 --> 00:22:10.880 not in the church. The problem is, many of us 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:12.740 don't like to share our hurts and our struggles. 00:22:13.500 --> 00:22:16.720 The problem is, we hold on to our hurts, our 00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:19.200 habits, you know, our hang -ups like a badge 00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:21.019 of honor. We stomp them on our chest and say, 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:26.160 yes, I was abused. That's not something we should 00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:30.509 champion. But yet, that's how we live. Yes, I'm 00:22:30.509 --> 00:22:34.990 an addict. No. God doesn't want you to be an 00:22:34.990 --> 00:22:39.529 addict. He wants you to be free. We can't hold 00:22:39.529 --> 00:22:41.309 on to these things like a badge of honor. They 00:22:41.309 --> 00:22:44.769 destroy us. See, statistics tell us that people 00:22:44.769 --> 00:22:47.369 genuinely share about 90 % of who they are with 00:22:47.369 --> 00:22:51.650 other people that they trust. However, they hold 00:22:51.650 --> 00:22:54.690 on to about 10 % and never let it out because 00:22:54.690 --> 00:22:58.150 of embarrassment and shame. And listen, embarrassment 00:22:58.150 --> 00:23:02.000 and shame. Our tactics of the enemy that wants 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:04.920 to destroy us. Because in the back of our minds, 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:07.480 there's this fear that if we are honest and open 00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:09.779 with others, they'll no longer want to be my 00:23:09.779 --> 00:23:11.819 friend. They'll no longer respect me. They'll 00:23:11.819 --> 00:23:14.599 judge me. And what does that lead to, church? 00:23:15.259 --> 00:23:19.980 Isolation. Loneliness. Or if it's not that, if 00:23:19.980 --> 00:23:21.700 it's not fear and shame, we believe people are 00:23:21.700 --> 00:23:24.240 too busy. Oh, they're just too busy. They have 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:29.619 so much to do. Or they don't care about me. Right? 00:23:29.660 --> 00:23:32.940 All lies to the enemy. And I want to challenge 00:23:32.940 --> 00:23:35.980 you this morning. Stop making excuses and plug 00:23:35.980 --> 00:23:39.559 into community. We have to get real. We have 00:23:39.559 --> 00:23:42.940 to begin to share our pain. Because when we share 00:23:42.940 --> 00:23:45.920 our pain, we will quickly realize that everyone 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:49.900 struggles. All of us have temptations. All of 00:23:49.900 --> 00:23:54.569 us make mistakes. All of us sin. See, there was 00:23:54.569 --> 00:23:57.009 only one perfect person in this world that ever 00:23:57.009 --> 00:24:02.190 walked this earth, and his name is Jesus. And 00:24:02.190 --> 00:24:04.690 that's why we gather to celebrate and sing praises 00:24:04.690 --> 00:24:08.210 back to him. Friends, we have to first encourage 00:24:08.210 --> 00:24:10.329 one another, which leads us to our next step. 00:24:10.390 --> 00:24:13.890 We have to involve scripture. 2 Timothy 3, 16 00:24:13.890 --> 00:24:16.569 -17, all scripture is inspired by God and is 00:24:16.569 --> 00:24:19.650 useful to teach us what is true and make us realize 00:24:19.650 --> 00:24:22.890 what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when 00:24:22.890 --> 00:24:25.269 we're wrong, teaches us to do what is right. 00:24:25.369 --> 00:24:28.849 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to 00:24:28.849 --> 00:24:33.230 do every good work. Church, we have to be sharing 00:24:33.230 --> 00:24:36.470 scripture with one another. We have to be sharing 00:24:36.470 --> 00:24:38.829 scripture with those that are not a part of the 00:24:38.829 --> 00:24:41.400 church. Because here's the reality. If we're 00:24:41.400 --> 00:24:43.700 not sharing the Bible, if we're not talking about 00:24:43.700 --> 00:24:46.059 the Bible with one another, you know what that 00:24:46.059 --> 00:24:48.859 means? We're just hanging out. And it's good 00:24:48.859 --> 00:24:51.960 to hang out. It's good to high five. But why 00:24:51.960 --> 00:24:54.880 not encourage one another to change? We have 00:24:54.880 --> 00:24:58.099 to get the Bible. We have to get the truth into 00:24:58.099 --> 00:25:01.099 our hearts. When we're in our growth groups, 00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:02.599 we need to be sharing the Bible. When we're on 00:25:02.599 --> 00:25:04.920 our sports teams and playing softball, we need 00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:07.400 to be sharing the Bible. It's got to become a 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:10.740 part of... Who we are. Now some of you are thinking. 00:25:10.740 --> 00:25:12.839 But Chris you said. Share scripture with those 00:25:12.839 --> 00:25:15.579 that aren't in the church. That's right. It's 00:25:15.579 --> 00:25:18.799 an open door. To destroy their loneliness. Well 00:25:18.799 --> 00:25:20.500 Chris how do I do that? Well first you listen. 00:25:22.099 --> 00:25:24.059 See quite often in our society. We don't know 00:25:24.059 --> 00:25:26.119 what it means to listen. Listen to each other. 00:25:26.829 --> 00:25:30.490 You first listen, then you encourage, then you 00:25:30.490 --> 00:25:33.650 speak a simple verse that speaks to their struggles. 00:25:33.809 --> 00:25:36.710 But Chris, I haven't read the Bible. I don't 00:25:36.710 --> 00:25:43.990 understand it. Come on, man. Excuses. We have 00:25:43.990 --> 00:25:48.549 to stop. making excuses. We live in 2025. We 00:25:48.549 --> 00:25:51.450 all have phones in our pockets. Download the 00:25:51.450 --> 00:25:54.069 YouVersion Bible app. Get on a devotional plan 00:25:54.069 --> 00:25:56.269 and learn what the Bible is all about. It's real 00:25:56.269 --> 00:26:00.029 simple. You're like, Chris, I don't want to use 00:26:00.029 --> 00:26:02.410 my phone. I don't want to go digital. Okay, do 00:26:02.410 --> 00:26:04.109 you have a bulletin? Does anybody have a bulletin? 00:26:04.589 --> 00:26:06.730 Wave it. Make some noise with it. Look at them. 00:26:06.809 --> 00:26:10.650 There you go. Yeah, get crazy. Yeah, you have 00:26:10.650 --> 00:26:13.170 a bulletin. Good. Did you know on the back of 00:26:13.170 --> 00:26:16.470 that bulletin, is a devotional plan for you to 00:26:16.470 --> 00:26:20.390 follow that follows up my teaching from Sunday 00:26:20.390 --> 00:26:24.029 all week long. It challenges you to read different 00:26:24.029 --> 00:26:26.630 verses. It challenges you to think about those 00:26:26.630 --> 00:26:32.589 different verses. You can choose one verse to 00:26:32.589 --> 00:26:35.490 focus on this week, read it, study it, and apply 00:26:35.490 --> 00:26:38.289 it, then use that verse to encourage others. 00:26:39.410 --> 00:26:43.650 That's how it works. The Bible changes lives 00:26:43.650 --> 00:26:47.049 because the Bible is truth. But church, we have 00:26:47.049 --> 00:26:49.650 to make a choice to want to grow. We have to 00:26:49.650 --> 00:26:51.710 make a choice to want to grow. So we've got to 00:26:51.710 --> 00:26:55.170 encourage scripture, which moves us to our next 00:26:55.170 --> 00:26:59.829 step, prayer. Acts 2, 42, all the believers devoted 00:26:59.829 --> 00:27:01.950 themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, 00:27:02.170 --> 00:27:03.890 to sharing a meal, including the Lord's Supper, 00:27:03.950 --> 00:27:08.789 and to prayer, exclamation point. James 5, 16, 00:27:09.009 --> 00:27:11.829 confess your sins to each other. Pray for each 00:27:11.829 --> 00:27:15.849 other so you may be healed. The earnest prayer 00:27:15.849 --> 00:27:18.069 of a righteous person has great power and produces 00:27:18.069 --> 00:27:22.089 wonderful results. See, God challenges us. If 00:27:22.089 --> 00:27:25.410 we need to be forgiven of our sins, then we go 00:27:25.410 --> 00:27:29.609 and talk with him. But when we have a sin in 00:27:29.609 --> 00:27:31.690 our life that's causing us all kinds of issues 00:27:31.690 --> 00:27:34.630 and problems, then we need to go and talk with 00:27:34.630 --> 00:27:38.359 a brother or a sister. We need to talk to a Jesus 00:27:38.359 --> 00:27:41.380 follower that you are sharing life with and receive 00:27:41.380 --> 00:27:44.460 the prayer that you need. Why? I just read to 00:27:44.460 --> 00:27:47.319 you why. The earnest prayer, listen to this, 00:27:47.480 --> 00:27:51.220 of a righteous person has great power. That means 00:27:51.220 --> 00:27:54.259 the Holy Spirit empowers us and produces wonderful 00:27:54.259 --> 00:27:57.500 results. That means prayer is answered. I don't 00:27:57.500 --> 00:28:00.240 know about you, but I want great power and wonderful 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:03.740 results flowing out of my life. I desire that. 00:28:07.529 --> 00:28:10.630 And listen, if you're not in a relationship with 00:28:10.630 --> 00:28:13.529 other Jesus followers, I need you to commit to 00:28:13.529 --> 00:28:16.710 start doing that today. You know, jump on a group. 00:28:16.930 --> 00:28:19.289 Get in a growth group. Challenge yourself to 00:28:19.289 --> 00:28:22.730 change. Because that's where the rubber meets 00:28:22.730 --> 00:28:24.730 the road. That's where you meet others. That's 00:28:24.730 --> 00:28:27.410 where you rub shoulders. And it's so, so important. 00:28:27.569 --> 00:28:31.470 Now, a couple quick thoughts about prayer. We 00:28:31.470 --> 00:28:33.990 have to begin to ask one another what they need 00:28:33.990 --> 00:28:37.250 prayer for. Just simply share, how can I pray 00:28:37.250 --> 00:28:40.670 for you? It doesn't take that long. When we gather 00:28:40.670 --> 00:28:43.109 on Sunday, simply saying, how can I pray for 00:28:43.109 --> 00:28:44.970 you, should become an important statement that 00:28:44.970 --> 00:28:49.009 all of us make. But it's life -changing. And 00:28:49.009 --> 00:28:51.569 listen, if you ask someone, how can I pray for 00:28:51.569 --> 00:28:54.430 you, and their response is, pray for my coworker, 00:28:54.450 --> 00:28:56.890 pray for my neighbor. Say, okay, what is their 00:28:56.890 --> 00:29:00.869 name? Get their name. But don't allow them to 00:29:00.869 --> 00:29:03.109 leave without asking, how can I pray for you? 00:29:03.950 --> 00:29:07.789 Because too often we push off, right, out of 00:29:07.789 --> 00:29:09.589 nobility. I'm going to be noble. It's not about 00:29:09.589 --> 00:29:13.009 me. I'm going to humble myself. Pray for my neighbor. 00:29:13.289 --> 00:29:16.589 Listen, that's great that you want to pray for 00:29:16.589 --> 00:29:18.170 your neighbor, and I want to pray for your neighbor 00:29:18.170 --> 00:29:20.410 by name. I need their first name. But I also 00:29:20.410 --> 00:29:22.009 want to pray for you because the most likely 00:29:22.009 --> 00:29:24.690 person to reach your neighbor is you, and you 00:29:24.690 --> 00:29:26.549 need to get healed, and you need to be open and 00:29:26.549 --> 00:29:27.910 honest about your struggles so you can reach 00:29:27.910 --> 00:29:35.720 your neighbor. We have to be willing to share 00:29:35.720 --> 00:29:40.720 the needs that we have with others. Don't avoid 00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:44.680 the question. Respond to the question because 00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:46.400 there isn't a day that goes by that we don't 00:29:46.400 --> 00:29:50.559 need prayer. Number two, the prayer hands emoji 00:29:50.559 --> 00:29:57.880 is not prayer. Just saying. Prayer hands emoji 00:29:57.880 --> 00:30:02.099 is not prayer. Everyone just nod. Yeah, you're 00:30:02.099 --> 00:30:06.500 right. It's an excuse. It's a cop -out. Like 00:30:06.500 --> 00:30:08.980 if you say, hey, pray for me. I need this prayer. 00:30:09.079 --> 00:30:10.599 And you list. And all of a sudden you get prayer 00:30:10.599 --> 00:30:12.359 hands emoji back. Be like, bro, you didn't pray. 00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:14.660 Call them out. You didn't pray for me. You just 00:30:14.660 --> 00:30:19.640 sent me in a picture. Like if you're going to 00:30:19.640 --> 00:30:22.400 respond with a text, type out your prayer. And 00:30:22.400 --> 00:30:25.160 send it to them in Jesus' name. Or better yet, 00:30:25.180 --> 00:30:27.460 call them and speak it to them over the phone. 00:30:28.189 --> 00:30:32.930 Prayer hands emojis, let's get rid of them. Finally, 00:30:32.930 --> 00:30:37.210 if you're with someone, like we are right now, 00:30:37.390 --> 00:30:40.789 or you're out in the cafe, and someone needs 00:30:40.789 --> 00:30:44.009 prayer, don't high -five them and be like, I'm 00:30:44.009 --> 00:30:47.349 praying for you this week. Don't do that, because 00:30:47.349 --> 00:30:49.470 you know why? Because you're going to watch football 00:30:49.470 --> 00:30:51.670 today, your team's going to lose, and you're 00:30:51.670 --> 00:30:52.910 going to forget you're supposed to be praying 00:30:52.910 --> 00:30:54.700 for Fred. And then you're going to get to work 00:30:54.700 --> 00:30:56.380 tomorrow, and you're going to get overwhelmed 00:30:56.380 --> 00:30:58.339 and stressed with all the work that's in your 00:30:58.339 --> 00:30:59.960 life, and you're going to forget about Fred, 00:31:00.059 --> 00:31:08.700 and Fred's not getting prayed for. Stop for a 00:31:08.700 --> 00:31:11.119 minute, place your hands on their shoulders, 00:31:11.160 --> 00:31:16.740 and pray. Pick up the phone, make a phone call, 00:31:16.980 --> 00:31:20.720 and speak into their life. Better yet, we're 00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:22.480 the richest nation in the world. We all have 00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:25.839 cars. Jump in your car. Go to their house. Open 00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:28.160 up their door and pray on the front doorstep 00:31:28.160 --> 00:31:31.640 for them. That's what prayer should look like 00:31:31.640 --> 00:31:35.559 in the church. Which leads us to our final step. 00:31:35.660 --> 00:31:39.059 We've got to encourage, right? Scripture, prayer. 00:31:39.660 --> 00:31:42.960 Number four, next. Hebrews 10, 24. Let us think 00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:46.940 of ways to motivate one another to acts of good 00:31:46.940 --> 00:31:50.559 love and good works. Motivate simply means to 00:31:50.559 --> 00:31:54.279 challenge. Think of a spur on the boot of a cowboy. 00:31:54.720 --> 00:31:58.039 See, spurs aren't designed to hurt the animal. 00:31:59.079 --> 00:32:02.319 Spurs are used to push the animal to do what 00:32:02.319 --> 00:32:04.099 they're already designed to do, right? The bull 00:32:04.099 --> 00:32:07.240 is already going to buck because they don't want 00:32:07.240 --> 00:32:11.619 someone on their back. Who does? The spur simply 00:32:11.619 --> 00:32:13.819 gives them a little nudge to make it happen. 00:32:14.319 --> 00:32:16.319 We need to do the same with one another. We need 00:32:16.319 --> 00:32:18.259 to push one another in our relationship with 00:32:18.259 --> 00:32:21.839 Jesus. Because if we don't, listen, we become 00:32:21.839 --> 00:32:28.160 stagnant and we fall away from God. That is why 00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:31.240 next or what's next is so important. Proverbs 00:32:31.240 --> 00:32:36.400 27, 17. As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens 00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:38.799 a friend. You say, Chris, what does that mean? 00:32:38.839 --> 00:32:41.720 What does that look like? How about this? How 00:32:41.720 --> 00:32:43.440 about being around people and asking them a simple 00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:45.259 question? Have you been reading the Bible lately? 00:32:46.500 --> 00:32:50.079 Why not? Why haven't you? Start a plan. Let's 00:32:50.079 --> 00:32:51.980 read it together. I'll start a plan with you. 00:32:52.259 --> 00:32:56.460 What's your prayer life like? What prayers do 00:32:56.460 --> 00:32:58.160 you need? Do you need me to pray for you? Who 00:32:58.160 --> 00:33:00.339 have you been praying for? How about this one? 00:33:01.000 --> 00:33:04.960 Why haven't you been baptized? And if they say, 00:33:05.059 --> 00:33:07.259 oh, well, I'm waiting to get baptized in the 00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:14.160 river, say, Come on, man. Do you realize we can't 00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:16.420 even eat fish to come out of the Potomac River? 00:33:18.299 --> 00:33:21.940 And some of you are making the excuse that you're 00:33:21.940 --> 00:33:23.680 not getting baptized until you get in the Potomac 00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:26.440 River. I mean, God bless you and all, but there's 00:33:26.440 --> 00:33:31.279 a lot cleaner water around. Like, if God's calling 00:33:31.279 --> 00:33:32.980 you to get baptized, take a step of faith and 00:33:32.980 --> 00:33:36.740 get baptized. Stop making excuses. Why haven't 00:33:36.740 --> 00:33:39.900 you been in church? I've missed you. You haven't 00:33:39.900 --> 00:33:42.119 been regular. Where have you been? Are you too 00:33:42.119 --> 00:33:45.460 busy? Let's make God a priority. Because God 00:33:45.460 --> 00:33:49.619 has so much more for us. We need to ask one another, 00:33:49.759 --> 00:33:54.480 how's your marriage? How's your kids? Stop making 00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:58.519 excuses. We have got to become a people that 00:33:58.519 --> 00:34:01.559 come together as a family and connect with one 00:34:01.559 --> 00:34:05.180 another in fellowship. Stop using, I'm too busy. 00:34:05.339 --> 00:34:09.030 I don't need it. I'm just as busy as all of you. 00:34:09.090 --> 00:34:14.170 We're all busy. I get it. But God has more for 00:34:14.170 --> 00:34:17.690 us. But the most professional excuse, oh, Chris, 00:34:17.909 --> 00:34:22.050 I tried it. It didn't work. So many people use 00:34:22.050 --> 00:34:24.929 that same phrase over and over again. I tried 00:34:24.929 --> 00:34:27.789 it, Chris. It doesn't work. Oh, okay. If you 00:34:27.789 --> 00:34:29.929 tried it and it didn't work, tell me why I just 00:34:29.929 --> 00:34:31.949 read scripture after scripture after scripture 00:34:31.949 --> 00:34:34.630 after scripture of the church trying it, living 00:34:34.630 --> 00:34:40.550 it, and it working. Come on, man. Now, some of 00:34:40.550 --> 00:34:44.090 you get what I'm saying. Come on, man, was a 00:34:44.090 --> 00:34:47.110 common saying from Randy Moss on episodes of 00:34:47.110 --> 00:34:50.250 SportsCenter. And the premise of these episodes 00:34:50.250 --> 00:34:53.730 is they find an athlete every week that makes 00:34:53.730 --> 00:34:56.489 a boneheaded play, makes a mistake that they 00:34:56.489 --> 00:34:59.769 should have learned in Little Lake. And now they're 00:34:59.769 --> 00:35:01.750 professional athletes getting paid millions of 00:35:01.750 --> 00:35:04.130 dollars. And they make these boneheaded mistakes. 00:35:04.409 --> 00:35:07.030 And then the reporters get together. They find 00:35:07.030 --> 00:35:09.869 these little clips. They show it. Everyone laughs. 00:35:10.090 --> 00:35:14.329 And then they go, come on, man. Essentially saying, 00:35:14.650 --> 00:35:20.170 you know better. You are better than that. Church, 00:35:20.170 --> 00:35:24.420 we know better. We know we need each other. We 00:35:24.420 --> 00:35:26.820 know we need to be connected. We know we need 00:35:26.820 --> 00:35:29.139 encouragement and prayer. And we know we need 00:35:29.139 --> 00:35:31.500 to be sharing scripture and challenging people 00:35:31.500 --> 00:35:35.460 to grow in their next steps. Simple truth. True 00:35:35.460 --> 00:35:38.960 or false? Well, I've made it real easy for you 00:35:38.960 --> 00:35:43.980 to remember. Are you ready? Check this out. E 00:35:43.980 --> 00:35:55.909 -S -P -N. Hey, guys! When you're watching ESPN 00:35:55.909 --> 00:36:01.369 later today, allow that to remind you, wait a 00:36:01.369 --> 00:36:05.409 minute, who am I encouraging? Who am I sharing 00:36:05.409 --> 00:36:08.949 scripture with? Who am I praying for? What's 00:36:08.949 --> 00:36:12.849 next in my life? Ladies, when that song goes 00:36:12.849 --> 00:36:15.929 off and you get chills down your spine because 00:36:15.929 --> 00:36:23.780 you hate it, allow that to remind you. Who am 00:36:23.780 --> 00:36:26.679 I encouraging? Who am I sharing scripture with? 00:36:26.900 --> 00:36:32.820 Who am I praying for? What's next? One final 00:36:32.820 --> 00:36:36.159 verse to close our talk. Ecclesiastes 4, 9 through 00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:42.960 10. Two people are better off than one. For if 00:36:42.960 --> 00:36:46.920 they help each other succeed. If one person falls, 00:36:47.219 --> 00:36:51.139 the other can what? Reach out and help. But. 00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:56.900 Someone who falls alone is in real trouble. And 00:36:56.900 --> 00:36:59.960 there's too many people in the church that are 00:36:59.960 --> 00:37:04.000 in real trouble. And God desires that we be the 00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:08.039 church and we come together and see lives changed 00:37:08.039 --> 00:37:13.340 here so that we then go out there and watch a 00:37:13.340 --> 00:37:15.519 move of God like we've never seen before. Amen? 00:37:16.019 --> 00:37:24.349 Will you stand with me? So listen. Listen, this 00:37:24.349 --> 00:37:27.969 is a special time. This is an intimate time. 00:37:28.349 --> 00:37:31.570 This is a time of life change. But at the same 00:37:31.570 --> 00:37:33.489 time, I'm going to ask all of you to be real 00:37:33.489 --> 00:37:37.110 bold and be real honest right now. If you're 00:37:37.110 --> 00:37:39.650 here this morning or you're watching online, 00:37:39.750 --> 00:37:42.809 it makes a difference to me. And you're struggling 00:37:42.809 --> 00:37:46.369 with loneliness, being lonely, or some form of 00:37:46.369 --> 00:37:48.010 isolation, I need you to put your hand up real 00:37:48.010 --> 00:37:51.210 high like this. Like reach for the sky. Reach 00:37:51.210 --> 00:37:54.210 for the sky. As high as you can. There's a lot 00:37:54.210 --> 00:37:56.530 of people in here. I need you to reach for this 00:37:56.530 --> 00:37:58.289 guy. Reach for this guy. Put your hand up. There 00:37:58.289 --> 00:38:00.469 you go. Thank you. Thank you. Be honest. Who 00:38:00.469 --> 00:38:02.489 cares? We're just going to pray for you. It's 00:38:02.489 --> 00:38:06.110 not going to hurt you. Okay, here we go. Don't 00:38:06.110 --> 00:38:09.769 put your hand down until someone is praying with 00:38:09.769 --> 00:38:12.869 you. Do you understand? Go. Men with men, women 00:38:12.869 --> 00:38:16.110 with women. Now. Quickly. I need every hand down. 00:38:17.710 --> 00:38:19.730 My friend John back there needs prayer. Men, 00:38:19.869 --> 00:38:24.050 get around him. Let's go. I have a lady up here 00:38:24.050 --> 00:38:26.090 in the front. I need a woman right here in the 00:38:26.090 --> 00:38:30.750 middle. Come on. Be the church. Be the church. 00:38:33.090 --> 00:38:36.750 Anybody else? Are all hands covered? Got it, 00:38:36.769 --> 00:38:38.710 got it. Now, hold on. Don't start praying yet. 00:38:39.130 --> 00:38:43.570 Don't start praying yet. Wait. Jeez. Listen, 00:38:43.769 --> 00:38:46.909 I need to give you instructions. Okay, everybody's 00:38:46.909 --> 00:38:50.699 covered. If you're praying with someone, I need 00:38:50.699 --> 00:38:53.380 you to introduce yourself to them by first name. 00:38:55.340 --> 00:38:59.420 Introduce yourself. I need you to ask them why 00:38:59.420 --> 00:39:01.139 they need prayer, what they need prayer for. 00:39:01.219 --> 00:39:03.599 Obviously being lonely, but what is the cause 00:39:03.599 --> 00:39:07.500 of it? And then number three, I need you to get 00:39:07.500 --> 00:39:12.539 their digits so you can call them, text them, 00:39:12.639 --> 00:39:14.519 and pray for them this week. Do you got that? 00:39:15.599 --> 00:39:19.519 Do you got that? Okay, go. All right, now for 00:39:19.519 --> 00:39:21.739 the rest of us, listen, just a word of encouragement. 00:39:22.960 --> 00:39:25.739 Last Sunday, I beat myself up because I didn't 00:39:25.739 --> 00:39:29.579 close our gathering by praying for people that 00:39:29.579 --> 00:39:31.260 are distant and far from God. I don't know if 00:39:31.260 --> 00:39:32.760 you noticed that or not. That's probably the 00:39:32.760 --> 00:39:35.440 first Sunday since we've opened this building 00:39:35.440 --> 00:39:37.699 that I didn't pray that prayer. I was beating 00:39:37.699 --> 00:39:40.019 myself up. I was negative. I was like, God, forgive 00:39:40.019 --> 00:39:42.260 me. I'm sorry. I forgot. I got all excited about 00:39:42.260 --> 00:39:47.179 20 -somethings. Four people gave their life to 00:39:47.179 --> 00:39:49.409 Jesus last Sunday. Even though I didn't pray 00:39:49.409 --> 00:39:52.369 the prayer. It was almost like God's little way 00:39:52.369 --> 00:39:57.190 of saying, it's all good. It's all good. I got 00:39:57.190 --> 00:39:59.289 it covered. But I'm going to pray that simple 00:39:59.289 --> 00:40:01.010 prayer now. And listen, if you're distant and 00:40:01.010 --> 00:40:03.909 far from God, this is your opportunity to come 00:40:03.909 --> 00:40:06.590 home into his family. Amen? Let's pray. Jesus, 00:40:06.949 --> 00:40:12.050 I'm broken. I'm full of doubt, shame, regret, 00:40:12.369 --> 00:40:18.309 sin. Change me. Forgive me. I believe. You're 00:40:18.309 --> 00:40:23.090 God's son. I believe you died for me. Make me 00:40:23.090 --> 00:40:28.590 new. Set me free. Fill me with your spirit. Empower 00:40:28.590 --> 00:40:33.349 me to serve others. In Jesus' name, amen. If 00:40:33.349 --> 00:40:34.809 you prayed that prayer today, listen, we're not 00:40:34.809 --> 00:40:36.469 done. If you prayed that prayer today, see me. 00:40:36.550 --> 00:40:38.070 I want to encourage you and give you next steps. 00:40:38.409 --> 00:40:39.949 There was a couple words of knowledge I want 00:40:39.949 --> 00:40:42.329 to share. Our prayer team's here on my right 00:40:42.329 --> 00:40:47.110 to pray for you. You have left knee pain. You're 00:40:47.110 --> 00:40:49.650 struggling with emotional pain from your past. 00:40:50.070 --> 00:40:53.389 You have arthritic pain in your left hip. You 00:40:53.389 --> 00:40:56.150 have pulsating pain in the tip of your fingers. 00:40:56.710 --> 00:41:01.829 And one more, listen. For those of you that are 00:41:01.829 --> 00:41:04.269 here this morning and you're currently in a recovery 00:41:04.269 --> 00:41:09.349 house, you know who you are. God is challenging 00:41:09.349 --> 00:41:13.409 you to put these steps into practice so you can 00:41:13.409 --> 00:41:16.929 walk free from your addiction. No more struggling 00:41:16.929 --> 00:41:22.190 with a substance that is tearing you down. Get 00:41:22.190 --> 00:41:24.769 real and make Jesus a priority in your life. 00:41:24.849 --> 00:41:27.210 Amen? Alright, so if any of those are here, our 00:41:27.210 --> 00:41:29.210 prayer team will be here to pray with you. Next 00:41:29.210 --> 00:41:31.190 week we're going to close with Moses lifting 00:41:31.190 --> 00:41:33.789 his hands in worship. And it's going to be an 00:41:33.789 --> 00:41:36.889 incredible Sunday. Listen, don't leave if you're 00:41:36.889 --> 00:41:40.699 not on a team. Team up happens right here, right 00:41:40.699 --> 00:41:43.460 now. Just sit back down. Kelsey and my wife will 00:41:43.460 --> 00:41:46.079 be out to teach it. I'm going there. Brian's 00:41:46.079 --> 00:41:47.840 keeping that door shut till I get there. God 00:41:47.840 --> 00:42:04.019 bless you guys. Have a great Sunday. But back 00:42:04.019 --> 00:42:07.059 then, I was deep I was deep, I was deep, I was 00:42:07.059 --> 00:42:09.059 I was deep in the dark, he didn't leave me there 00:42:09.059 --> 00:42:11.199 Now I step in the light, I don't need a fear 00:42:11.199 --> 00:42:13.980 Had to die to myself just to see it clear All 00:42:13.980 --> 00:42:15.539 life in its hands, I'ma leave it there, yeah