WEBVTT 00:00:07.880 --> 00:00:11.099 Hey guys, this is Tracy. If at any time you'd 00:00:11.099 --> 00:00:15.019 like to connect with HCV, go to hcv .church forward 00:00:15.019 --> 00:00:18.100 slash connect. If you feel called to give, go 00:00:18.100 --> 00:00:21.980 to hcv .church forward slash give. And if at 00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:23.920 any time you feel called to make a change in 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:29.399 your life, text change me to 970 -00. Enjoy the 00:00:29.399 --> 00:00:33.659 message. Wow, big crowd. Good job. You just realized 00:00:33.659 --> 00:00:36.920 it was white rain, right? Good job. If you're 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:38.539 joining us from home, thank you for welcoming 00:00:38.539 --> 00:00:43.000 us into your space. So yesterday, I was at my 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:46.820 son Phoenix's basketball game. And while there, 00:00:47.020 --> 00:00:51.079 an alert came through my phone from Isaac. And 00:00:51.079 --> 00:00:54.979 Isaac is my 27 -year -old oldest son who is currently 00:00:54.979 --> 00:00:58.479 in Kenya. And he sent me a few photos that I 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:00.539 want to share with you. So if you take a look 00:01:00.539 --> 00:01:04.079 at the screen, our shoes have been delivered. 00:01:06.859 --> 00:01:09.319 And not only were they delivered, but they were 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:13.299 taken by motorcycle to the school where Isaac 00:01:13.299 --> 00:01:18.079 works. And now they're using your sneakers to 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:24.849 play basketball. So little be known that... Here 00:01:24.849 --> 00:01:27.030 we are in Hagerstown, Maryland, and we're making 00:01:27.030 --> 00:01:30.030 a difference all around the world. So a big thank 00:01:30.030 --> 00:01:34.469 you to everyone that gave your shoes. Currently, 00:01:34.469 --> 00:01:38.269 we've sent 200 pairs to Kenya. You gave us 1 00:01:38.269 --> 00:01:43.609 ,000, so we can't send that many to Kenya. It's 00:01:43.609 --> 00:01:46.010 a little pricey, but we are going to use them 00:01:46.010 --> 00:01:48.769 for the backpack giveaway and Souls for Souls, 00:01:48.930 --> 00:01:53.090 so your shoes will not go without being used. 00:01:54.019 --> 00:01:56.540 Another testimony I want to share, I received 00:01:56.540 --> 00:02:00.200 this email this week from Christy, and it shared 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:02.840 this. Just wanted to give you an update from 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:05.379 my yellow post -it note that I placed on the 00:02:05.379 --> 00:02:08.180 cross last year. So we have two crosses in the 00:02:08.180 --> 00:02:10.039 back with post -it notes on it. If you have a 00:02:10.039 --> 00:02:12.580 prayer request or a need that you want someone 00:02:12.580 --> 00:02:15.900 to pray for, put a post -it note on that cross. 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:18.199 And you may be thinking, well, Chris, why would 00:02:18.199 --> 00:02:20.879 I do that? Well, let me continue. I had my MRI 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:23.319 at Mercy in Baltimore this week for my breast 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:26.439 cancer check. Got results back last night, all 00:02:26.439 --> 00:02:34.759 clear, no cancer. So if you've happened to have 00:02:34.759 --> 00:02:38.620 been praying for someone to be healed from cancer 00:02:38.620 --> 00:02:41.759 or not have cancer, your post -it note that you 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:44.680 are praying for has been answered. And I want 00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:47.919 to continue to encourage you. God is moving in 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:50.659 our community of faith. If you have a need, ask 00:02:50.659 --> 00:02:52.680 someone to pray for you. Put it on a post -it 00:02:52.680 --> 00:02:56.500 note. Whatever works because God wants to set 00:02:56.500 --> 00:03:01.199 you free. So let's open in prayer. As we conclude 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:04.159 our February series, check up. Holy Spirit, come. 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:07.219 God, we are just thankful and grateful for what 00:03:07.219 --> 00:03:10.340 you're doing in our midst. I just pray, God, 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:12.340 that you would silence distractions. God, you 00:03:12.340 --> 00:03:15.300 would unclog our ears, open our minds, open our 00:03:15.300 --> 00:03:17.240 hearts to receive your truth this morning, God, 00:03:17.340 --> 00:03:20.539 that we would be supernaturally changed, empowered, 00:03:20.759 --> 00:03:24.500 and that, God, we would live on purpose to change 00:03:24.500 --> 00:03:30.430 our community. In Jesus' name, amen. So we are 00:03:30.430 --> 00:03:33.110 concluding our series, Check Up, which has led 00:03:33.110 --> 00:03:35.530 us through the book of Colossians for the month 00:03:35.530 --> 00:03:38.689 of February. We remember that Paul wrote this 00:03:38.689 --> 00:03:41.370 letter while he was in prison to the church in 00:03:41.370 --> 00:03:45.569 Colossae with the idea of helping them to navigate 00:03:45.569 --> 00:03:48.469 through some difficulties they were having as 00:03:48.469 --> 00:03:51.030 a church. You may remember they had begun to 00:03:51.030 --> 00:03:54.590 mix some things from the world, ideas from culture, 00:03:54.889 --> 00:03:58.250 things from the state or political views into 00:03:59.180 --> 00:04:02.060 Their relationship with Jesus. Things like Gnosticism, 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:05.900 legalism, and local superstitious practices. 00:04:06.460 --> 00:04:08.979 And as they were mixing that into their faith, 00:04:09.300 --> 00:04:14.000 Paul writes them this letter and says, No! Let's 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:18.019 get back to what matters most. Let's get back 00:04:18.019 --> 00:04:22.850 to the basics and shift our focus back. on Jesus. 00:04:23.110 --> 00:04:26.930 We don't need anything else. We just need him. 00:04:27.129 --> 00:04:30.550 Now, I was driving my wife's car yesterday, and 00:04:30.550 --> 00:04:33.449 there was a slight right -handed turn in the 00:04:33.449 --> 00:04:37.170 road ahead. And as I began to make that turn, 00:04:37.509 --> 00:04:39.910 the steering wheel began to shake violently, 00:04:40.149 --> 00:04:43.449 and the word brake appeared on the dashboard. 00:04:43.769 --> 00:04:46.430 And it kind of freaked me out for a second. And 00:04:46.430 --> 00:04:50.050 then I realized, oh, it's the lane warning system 00:04:50.050 --> 00:04:54.050 of the car. The car had assumed that I was traveling 00:04:54.050 --> 00:04:57.069 out of my lane because of the slight angle in 00:04:57.069 --> 00:05:00.870 the road, and another car was coming at me. But 00:05:00.870 --> 00:05:03.910 I just thought, wow, how amazing that we now 00:05:03.910 --> 00:05:07.370 have vehicles that assist us in remaining in 00:05:07.370 --> 00:05:09.850 the center of our lane while we are driving. 00:05:10.189 --> 00:05:12.529 Now, I don't know about you, but it used to be 00:05:12.529 --> 00:05:15.970 my wife that would tell me, hey, Chris, get in 00:05:15.970 --> 00:05:20.279 the lane. Pay attention. And now she just says, 00:05:20.339 --> 00:05:24.720 hey, Chris, listen to the car. See, this letter 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:27.220 from Paul is similar to that automotive feature 00:05:27.220 --> 00:05:31.220 now in our vehicles. It's a readjustment of our 00:05:31.220 --> 00:05:35.199 hearts so that we get back to Jesus at the center, 00:05:35.319 --> 00:05:40.000 that we live a Jesus -focused life. Now today 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:43.220 we'll be discussing Colossians chapter 4, and 00:05:43.220 --> 00:05:46.680 it's a challenge for the church. I will be specifically 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:49.240 focusing on five verses that are some of the 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:53.040 most challenging verses in the entire Bible on 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:56.740 how we as followers of Jesus are called to live 00:05:56.740 --> 00:06:00.800 a Jesus -focused life. So I would like us all, 00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:03.529 invite us all to close our eyes. And I want to 00:06:03.529 --> 00:06:06.629 read these words over you now. And I'm asking 00:06:06.629 --> 00:06:08.310 you to close your eyes simply so that you're 00:06:08.310 --> 00:06:11.430 able to focus on hearing the words being spoken. 00:06:11.949 --> 00:06:15.470 Colossians chapter 4 verses 2 through 6. Devote 00:06:15.470 --> 00:06:18.129 yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a 00:06:18.129 --> 00:06:21.009 thankful heart. Pray for us too that God will 00:06:21.009 --> 00:06:23.670 give us many opportunities to speak about his 00:06:23.670 --> 00:06:26.769 mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why 00:06:26.769 --> 00:06:29.329 I'm here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim 00:06:29.329 --> 00:06:33.050 this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely 00:06:33.050 --> 00:06:35.629 among those who are not believers and make the 00:06:35.629 --> 00:06:39.089 most of every opportunity. Let your conversation 00:06:39.089 --> 00:06:42.329 be gracious and attractive so that you will have 00:06:42.329 --> 00:06:46.829 the right response for everyone. Five verses 00:06:46.829 --> 00:06:50.550 that I believe can be summarized into one phrase 00:06:50.550 --> 00:06:54.589 and it's simply this. How to live like Jesus. 00:06:55.110 --> 00:07:01.560 How to live like Jesus. In our world today. We 00:07:01.560 --> 00:07:03.959 need a group of people that are willing to live 00:07:03.959 --> 00:07:07.560 like Jesus. And I get it. Well, Chris, that's 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:10.439 setting the bar real high for us to follow. When 00:07:10.439 --> 00:07:12.879 the author of our faith, who was absolutely perfect, 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:16.300 lived a life for us to pattern our lives after. 00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:19.279 I get it. Many times we're not going to reach 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:21.620 the goal. We're going to fall short. However, 00:07:21.819 --> 00:07:25.819 it's important for us to read this passage and 00:07:25.819 --> 00:07:28.990 motivate ourselves to be a better person. to 00:07:28.990 --> 00:07:31.850 pattern our life after the one that changed the 00:07:31.850 --> 00:07:36.129 world for all eternity. It's hard to live in 00:07:36.129 --> 00:07:39.670 this world that's fallen and full of broken people 00:07:39.670 --> 00:07:42.569 that suddenly are riding your bumper while you're 00:07:42.569 --> 00:07:45.110 driving on the interstate, only to move quickly 00:07:45.110 --> 00:07:47.889 into the right -hand lane past you and then squeeze 00:07:47.889 --> 00:07:50.629 into the space that you are allowing for safe 00:07:50.629 --> 00:07:53.029 traveling distance between the car in front of 00:07:53.029 --> 00:07:55.410 you. I don't know about you, but when that happens 00:07:55.410 --> 00:08:00.639 to me, I don't want to live like Jesus. I want 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:03.680 to live like Chris. But let me challenge you. 00:08:03.899 --> 00:08:07.500 Our world needs representative Jesus more than 00:08:07.500 --> 00:08:11.279 ever before. The world is hungry for truth. They're 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:15.220 hungry for Jesus. And if you look around, Jesus 00:08:15.220 --> 00:08:18.220 is actually very popular in our culture today. 00:08:18.379 --> 00:08:21.160 And people need to see a group of followers that 00:08:21.160 --> 00:08:25.300 will say, you can follow my life as I follow 00:08:25.300 --> 00:08:29.240 Jesus. I might not be perfect, which we all aren't. 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:32.620 But I'm going to live a life that honors Jesus 00:08:32.620 --> 00:08:39.080 in what I say, what I do, and how I live. Hear 00:08:39.080 --> 00:08:43.340 me out. This is very significant for our lives. 00:08:43.899 --> 00:08:48.220 The greatest threat to God's kingdom isn't those 00:08:48.220 --> 00:08:52.120 who openly oppose Jesus. The greatest threat 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:55.919 to God's kingdom... is for those who are following 00:08:55.919 --> 00:08:59.080 Jesus or say they're following Jesus, but don't 00:08:59.080 --> 00:09:01.919 live like that. And that is what is happening 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:04.299 in our world today. See, the enemy isn't worried 00:09:04.299 --> 00:09:06.919 about those who openly oppose Jesus. He's already 00:09:06.919 --> 00:09:10.220 got them. His focus is on those that say they 00:09:10.220 --> 00:09:12.799 follow Jesus, but actually don't live like him 00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:15.179 in their actions, in their attitudes, and how 00:09:15.179 --> 00:09:17.840 they respond to others. And we are called to 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:21.100 represent Jesus well. And I want to tell you 00:09:21.100 --> 00:09:23.919 right now, the world is hungry for truth. They're 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:26.500 hungry for authenticity. They're hungry for community. 00:09:26.820 --> 00:09:30.299 They're hungry for purpose. And let us not miss 00:09:30.299 --> 00:09:33.899 out on this moment that God has given us to show 00:09:33.899 --> 00:09:38.679 Jesus to a lost and dying world. But unfortunately, 00:09:38.759 --> 00:09:42.120 over many years, the church has complicated this 00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:44.659 relationship with Jesus. So I want to present 00:09:44.659 --> 00:09:48.580 to you today a few simple truths on how to live 00:09:48.580 --> 00:09:52.220 a life that honors God with our lives that leads 00:09:52.220 --> 00:09:56.240 us to our first thought this morning. See, hypocrisy 00:09:56.240 --> 00:10:00.730 deceives others and ourselves. Jesus was very 00:10:00.730 --> 00:10:03.730 clear that he opposed people who were hypocrites 00:10:03.730 --> 00:10:06.610 when we read in Matthew 23. What sorrow awaits 00:10:06.610 --> 00:10:09.350 you, teachers of religious laws and you Pharisees? 00:10:09.990 --> 00:10:13.190 Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, 00:10:13.190 --> 00:10:15.490 beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside 00:10:15.490 --> 00:10:18.809 with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. 00:10:19.470 --> 00:10:21.710 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but 00:10:21.710 --> 00:10:24.470 inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy 00:10:24.470 --> 00:10:27.850 and lawlessness. See, that word hypocrisy there 00:10:27.850 --> 00:10:31.490 comes from the Greek term meaning actor or someone 00:10:31.490 --> 00:10:34.690 that wears a mask. Kind of like this bowl of 00:10:34.690 --> 00:10:37.350 fruit. When we look at this basket of fruit, 00:10:37.490 --> 00:10:39.730 we may receive one during the holidays, it looks 00:10:39.730 --> 00:10:42.690 beautiful until I say, hey Bill, give a bite 00:10:42.690 --> 00:10:45.669 of that to me. Oh my gosh, the second person 00:10:45.669 --> 00:10:50.269 this morning that can't catch an orange. No wonder 00:10:50.269 --> 00:10:54.669 I'm a baseball coach. Bill, how's that orange 00:10:54.669 --> 00:11:03.330 taste? Oh, it's plastic. Oh, that's right. That's 00:11:03.330 --> 00:11:08.110 not a real orange. That's a fake fruit. See, 00:11:08.190 --> 00:11:12.929 hypocrisy, hypocrisy looks spiritual but has 00:11:12.929 --> 00:11:16.970 no nourishment. It has nothing to offer. Luke 00:11:16.970 --> 00:11:20.090 chapter 11, verse 39. Then the Lord said to him, 00:11:20.149 --> 00:11:22.750 you Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside 00:11:22.750 --> 00:11:25.870 of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy, 00:11:26.070 --> 00:11:30.080 full of greed. and wickedness. Jesus would go 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:32.600 on to say to the same people you honor me with 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:35.860 your lips but your hearts are far from me. See 00:11:35.860 --> 00:11:38.820 hypocrisy is pretending to be spiritually alive 00:11:38.820 --> 00:11:42.139 while inwardly you're disconnected from God. 00:11:42.500 --> 00:11:44.980 And when followers of Jesus say one thing and 00:11:44.980 --> 00:11:47.000 live another you know what happens? Well the 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:49.440 results are people begin to question the good 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:53.200 news. Well if Jesus is so good then why do you 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:56.960 live a life of compromise? Hypocrisy causes God's 00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:00.360 name to be dishonored because it misrepresents 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:04.100 who he is. When people claim to belong to God 00:12:04.100 --> 00:12:07.600 but live in contradiction to his character, others 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:10.480 then associate that contradiction with God himself. 00:12:10.940 --> 00:12:12.580 And they say, well, if you're living that way, 00:12:12.620 --> 00:12:16.539 why can't I? Religious hypocrisy causes the church's 00:12:16.539 --> 00:12:19.740 credibility to suffer. It creates stumbling blocks 00:12:19.740 --> 00:12:22.919 for others to enter the kingdom. It hardens an 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:26.399 already unbelieving heart. And he gives skeptics 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:29.620 justification to reject Jesus and challenge his 00:12:29.620 --> 00:12:33.200 truths. See, many people don't reject Jesus. 00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:37.820 They reject inconsistent followers. And they 00:12:37.820 --> 00:12:41.080 say, I want nothing to do with church. And it's 00:12:41.080 --> 00:12:43.820 not just our witness to others. Please hear me 00:12:43.820 --> 00:12:47.139 out. James 1 .22 reminds us, don't just listen 00:12:47.139 --> 00:12:51.279 to God's word. Do what it says. Otherwise, you're 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:54.460 only fooling yourself. And see, this is the most 00:12:54.460 --> 00:12:57.779 dangerous part of hypocrisy. We begin to believe 00:12:57.779 --> 00:13:00.899 our own act. We begin to believe that we're in 00:13:00.899 --> 00:13:03.960 this relationship with Jesus on Sunday. We play 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:06.279 the part. We listen to the sermon. We quote scripture. 00:13:06.500 --> 00:13:09.740 We attend church. We worship with our arms raised, 00:13:09.820 --> 00:13:13.039 but we don't live it out. And this leads to self 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:15.419 -deception that we slowly become spiritually 00:13:15.419 --> 00:13:18.399 numb to the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:22.039 And listen, followers of Jesus aren't perfect. 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:26.320 We're just in the right pursuit. We're pursuing 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:29.600 God. We're in the pursuit of living a life that 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:33.220 honors God in everything that I say and do. And 00:13:33.220 --> 00:13:36.159 see, I want to live like Jesus with my family, 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:40.389 in my marriage, in my workplace. That we would 00:13:40.389 --> 00:13:44.269 be representatives of Jesus everywhere we go 00:13:44.269 --> 00:13:47.029 and we would represent him well. And that is 00:13:47.029 --> 00:13:49.409 my challenge to you this morning, which leads 00:13:49.409 --> 00:13:53.009 us to our action steps. How to live like Jesus. 00:13:53.129 --> 00:13:55.649 Four simple steps that will be applied to our 00:13:55.649 --> 00:13:58.429 lives. We will be supernaturally changed. And 00:13:58.429 --> 00:14:02.169 the first is this. We are devoted to prayer. 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:05.840 Colossians chapter 4 verse 2, devote yourselves 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:10.240 to prayer, being watchful and thankful. See, 00:14:10.299 --> 00:14:12.120 if the church should be known for one thing, 00:14:12.460 --> 00:14:16.039 it should be known for prayer. That we get to 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:20.379 actively talk to God. Now think about that truth 00:14:20.379 --> 00:14:23.679 just for a second. We have access to the God 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:26.519 of the universe that we can communicate with 00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:31.980 on a daily basis. Not just on Sundays, not just 00:14:31.980 --> 00:14:36.240 when we choose to, any time, any day of the week. 00:14:36.299 --> 00:14:37.960 Does anyone remember the show, Who Wants to Be 00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:39.740 a Millionaire? Does anyone remember that show? 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:42.700 It's a little old, it's a little dated, but in 00:14:42.700 --> 00:14:46.419 that show, there was a lifeline where the contestants 00:14:46.419 --> 00:14:50.620 could phone a friend. They could phone a friend 00:14:50.620 --> 00:14:53.610 if they became stuck on a question. Now, I would 00:14:53.610 --> 00:14:55.509 always think when I watched that show, who would 00:14:55.509 --> 00:14:58.070 I call? And back then, years ago, I didn't have 00:14:58.070 --> 00:14:59.830 anyone to call because I didn't really have that 00:14:59.830 --> 00:15:03.470 many smart friends. Fast forward to today, dude, 00:15:03.529 --> 00:15:06.009 if I was going to phone a friend and ask a question, 00:15:06.190 --> 00:15:09.769 I'm calling Jeff France. Okay, Jeff France is 00:15:09.769 --> 00:15:11.549 a part of our community of faith here. Shout 00:15:11.549 --> 00:15:15.179 out to him. He leads our... HHC, our Hagerstown 00:15:15.179 --> 00:15:17.659 Healthcare Ministry team. He's actually there 00:15:17.659 --> 00:15:21.759 right now leading, teaching, and sharing with 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:24.679 the residents at Hagerstown Healthcare. And let 00:15:24.679 --> 00:15:27.379 me just tell you, if you have a question, Jeff 00:15:27.379 --> 00:15:30.080 is the man. He is smart. He is intelligent. He 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:32.720 gets it done. But here's the good news if you're 00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:35.110 in a relationship with Jesus. Whenever you're 00:15:35.110 --> 00:15:37.809 in crisis, whenever you're struggling, you don't 00:15:37.809 --> 00:15:39.850 know what to do, you don't know which path to 00:15:39.850 --> 00:15:43.049 take, you have the ultimate lifeline. You can 00:15:43.049 --> 00:15:46.769 go to God who hears us, responds to us, and guides 00:15:46.769 --> 00:15:51.169 us in guidance. Right? He leads us through life. 00:15:51.389 --> 00:15:55.250 Prayer is the lifeline to the Jesus follower. 00:15:57.529 --> 00:16:02.590 Are you using it daily? Reflect on that. Do you 00:16:02.590 --> 00:16:08.299 daily? Use and implement prayer. Paul says it 00:16:08.299 --> 00:16:11.019 this way in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. Rejoice 00:16:11.019 --> 00:16:15.240 always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:18.340 circumstances for this is God's will for you 00:16:18.340 --> 00:16:22.399 in Christ Jesus. So Paul tells us what to do 00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:25.860 in your difficult situations. Paul tells us what 00:16:25.860 --> 00:16:29.559 to do when you're celebrating life. Right? Whether 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:32.259 difficult or not, you pray. You give thanks. 00:16:32.830 --> 00:16:37.590 You live a life of prayer. Our prayer life demonstrates 00:16:37.590 --> 00:16:41.049 our level of dependence on God. Those who pray 00:16:41.049 --> 00:16:44.429 a lot demonstrate a dependence on God. Those 00:16:44.429 --> 00:16:47.870 who pray a little, they demonstrate a great dependence 00:16:47.870 --> 00:16:51.850 on their self. They care for their self and they 00:16:51.850 --> 00:16:54.649 focus on their self. And in your current situation 00:16:54.649 --> 00:16:59.230 this morning, you may be worried about it. You 00:16:59.230 --> 00:17:01.490 may be wondering about it. My question is, are 00:17:01.490 --> 00:17:04.200 you praying about it? Have you given it to God? 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:06.880 See, prayer is the difference between the best 00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:10.539 we can do and the best that God can do. And it's 00:17:10.539 --> 00:17:13.519 in the everyday things. It's not just, hey, God, 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:16.099 who should I marry? It's now that you're married, 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:18.640 are you praying for your spouse? It's not just 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:21.619 what college should I go to or do I want to go 00:17:21.619 --> 00:17:25.039 to? It's now that I am college, am I living a 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:28.200 life that honors God? Do people see Jesus in 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:30.759 my life while I'm in school? It's not just the 00:17:30.759 --> 00:17:33.779 career you want to pursue. It's am I representing 00:17:33.779 --> 00:17:38.079 God on the job? See, we are called to pray without 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:41.319 ceasing because we are constantly depending on 00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:44.680 God. And he is available to us in the good times, 00:17:44.819 --> 00:17:48.940 the bad times, and the ordinary times. And church, 00:17:48.980 --> 00:17:51.559 if we want to live like Jesus, we have to pray 00:17:51.559 --> 00:17:53.339 more than we're praying right now, and I firmly 00:17:53.339 --> 00:17:56.240 believe that. Because Jesus set the example for 00:17:56.240 --> 00:18:00.039 us, Luke chapter 5, verse 16. But Jesus, notice, 00:18:00.589 --> 00:18:05.089 Often. Everyone say often. He often withdrew 00:18:05.089 --> 00:18:10.569 to lonely places and prayed. And if Jesus, who 00:18:10.569 --> 00:18:14.650 was all God, demonstrated for us the significance 00:18:14.650 --> 00:18:17.529 of getting away and depending on God in prayer, 00:18:17.750 --> 00:18:21.470 then we should follow his example. We need to 00:18:21.470 --> 00:18:24.170 live a life where before you make a decision, 00:18:24.309 --> 00:18:26.710 you pray about it. Let me give you a little advice. 00:18:27.029 --> 00:18:31.019 If you're single, before you go on a date, Pray 00:18:31.019 --> 00:18:33.500 about it, because it will help you through a 00:18:33.500 --> 00:18:36.500 lot of problems. Before you respond to that email, 00:18:36.700 --> 00:18:38.839 that text, or that post you're about to make, 00:18:39.059 --> 00:18:43.059 pray about it. Before you go into that meeting, 00:18:43.380 --> 00:18:46.339 into that test, into that presentation tomorrow, 00:18:46.619 --> 00:18:50.079 pray about it. Before you worry about the doctor's 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:52.039 report that you're about to receive next week, 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:57.019 pray about it. We have a lifeline to the God 00:18:57.019 --> 00:18:59.220 of the universe, and he is waiting to hear from 00:18:59.220 --> 00:19:03.099 you. And we need to become a people of prayer. 00:19:03.420 --> 00:19:05.839 And notice Paul even takes it a step further. 00:19:05.940 --> 00:19:08.920 He challenges us, hey church, be watchful and 00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:11.299 thankful when you pray. And what did he mean 00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:14.059 by that? Well see, when we are watchful in prayer, 00:19:14.299 --> 00:19:17.559 that means we are aware and alert to what God 00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:21.079 is doing all around us. To what God is doing 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:23.980 in our sphere of influence as we move through 00:19:23.980 --> 00:19:27.339 the everyday life. We are asking God, hey God, 00:19:27.380 --> 00:19:30.150 what are you doing in my life? In this situation, 00:19:30.470 --> 00:19:33.650 what can I learn from it? Who do you want me 00:19:33.650 --> 00:19:37.950 to reach today? But also, we have to be aware 00:19:37.950 --> 00:19:40.049 of what the enemy is trying to do in my life. 00:19:40.670 --> 00:19:42.329 And you know what the enemy is trying to do in 00:19:42.329 --> 00:19:45.329 your life? He's trying to distract you. He's 00:19:45.329 --> 00:19:48.130 trying to make you divided from your spouse in 00:19:48.130 --> 00:19:51.150 the church. He's trying to tempt you and lead 00:19:51.150 --> 00:19:55.869 you away from God's best in making a bad decision. 00:19:57.319 --> 00:20:01.980 We need to be watchful when we pray. Watchful 00:20:01.980 --> 00:20:05.440 and listening. But not just that, Paul says be 00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:07.500 thankful. And when we're thankful in prayer, 00:20:07.559 --> 00:20:09.559 it means that I'm content no matter what the 00:20:09.559 --> 00:20:13.799 outcome. See, that's where the rubber meets the 00:20:13.799 --> 00:20:16.720 road. I am grateful for who God is and what he's 00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:19.619 already done in my life, even if he doesn't do 00:20:19.619 --> 00:20:23.160 anything else in my life. What he did on the 00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:26.619 cross allows me to connect with a living God. 00:20:27.019 --> 00:20:31.400 And that is sufficient for my life. Are you willing 00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:34.960 to practice gratitude in prayer? Because that's 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:38.960 a step in pursuing and living like Jesus, which 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:40.960 leads us to our next step, number two. We're 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:44.119 focused on mission. Paul continues in chapter 00:20:44.119 --> 00:20:47.400 four, verses three through four. Pray for us, 00:20:47.420 --> 00:20:49.880 too, that God will give us many opportunities 00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:52.960 to speak about his mysterious plan concerning 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:56.940 Christ. That is why I'm here in chains. Pray 00:20:56.940 --> 00:20:59.400 that I will proclaim this message as clearly 00:20:59.400 --> 00:21:03.319 as I should. So notice, Paul says you start in 00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:06.539 prayer, but we aren't going to just remain inside 00:21:06.539 --> 00:21:09.380 of our houses, sheltered from the world, praying 00:21:09.380 --> 00:21:11.819 from the world. No, we're going to be sent out 00:21:11.819 --> 00:21:15.779 on mission. And we have a clear mission from 00:21:15.779 --> 00:21:17.720 God on our lives if you're in a relationship 00:21:17.720 --> 00:21:20.900 with Jesus. There is an assignment from God on 00:21:20.900 --> 00:21:23.680 your life. And my question to you today is, are 00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:27.700 you living on mission? What is the mission for 00:21:27.700 --> 00:21:29.859 your life? And some of you may be thinking, well, 00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:31.420 I don't really understand this term, mission 00:21:31.420 --> 00:21:33.779 for my life. In other words, how about this? 00:21:34.019 --> 00:21:37.599 If your life was a movie, would it be worth watching? 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:41.519 If your life was a movie, would it be worth watching? 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:43.039 Now, let's have some fun this morning. Is it 00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:45.259 okay to have fun in church? Let's have some fun 00:21:45.259 --> 00:21:47.500 this morning and discuss a few possibilities 00:21:47.500 --> 00:21:52.420 of your life as a movie. Some of you, you're 00:21:52.420 --> 00:21:55.019 living Groundhog Day. It's just the same day 00:21:55.019 --> 00:21:58.599 over and over and over again. Nothing ever changes. 00:21:59.539 --> 00:22:02.720 Some of you, just being honest, you're the Titanic. 00:22:03.940 --> 00:22:06.299 You're a disaster and a lot of people are freezing 00:22:06.299 --> 00:22:09.660 all around you. It may be time to pay attention 00:22:09.660 --> 00:22:12.519 to what God's doing in your life. Some of you 00:22:12.519 --> 00:22:15.000 who are parents raising little children, you're 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:19.210 living in Jurassic Park. I mean, you're feeding 00:22:19.210 --> 00:22:21.990 and raising these little six -year -old creatures 00:22:21.990 --> 00:22:26.009 that are eventually going to destroy you. I'm 00:22:26.009 --> 00:22:30.569 in it with you, baby. Some of you, you're living 00:22:30.569 --> 00:22:34.009 in inception. You're dreaming. You're dreaming 00:22:34.009 --> 00:22:36.789 some more. You're going deeper in your dreams, 00:22:36.950 --> 00:22:39.490 but you're never doing anything with your life. 00:22:40.509 --> 00:22:43.670 Some of you, just being honest here, you're living 00:22:43.670 --> 00:22:47.950 how to lose a guy in 10 days. I mean, you can't 00:22:47.950 --> 00:22:50.130 keep a meaningful relationship for the life of 00:22:50.130 --> 00:22:52.569 you, and it only takes about a week and a half, 00:22:52.569 --> 00:22:55.470 and you're moving on to someone else. Some of 00:22:55.470 --> 00:22:57.710 you in this difficult season of our country, 00:22:57.829 --> 00:23:01.390 you think you're Braveheart, right? I'm going 00:23:01.390 --> 00:23:06.710 to change the United States. Watch out. While 00:23:06.710 --> 00:23:10.849 others of you, you're living the hangover. You're 00:23:10.849 --> 00:23:13.549 35 going on 40, and you needed several Advil 00:23:13.549 --> 00:23:17.789 to get into these doors this morning. God is 00:23:17.789 --> 00:23:22.950 welcoming you to change. The point is, we need 00:23:22.950 --> 00:23:26.910 to live on mission. And Paul describes for us 00:23:26.910 --> 00:23:28.849 what that mission is in 1 Corinthians chapter 00:23:28.849 --> 00:23:32.150 15. I passed on to you what was most important 00:23:32.150 --> 00:23:35.210 and what had also been passed on to me. Christ 00:23:35.210 --> 00:23:37.950 died for our sins, just as the scripture said. 00:23:38.210 --> 00:23:40.450 He was buried, he was raised from the dead on 00:23:40.450 --> 00:23:44.299 the third day, just as the scriptures said. See, 00:23:44.339 --> 00:23:48.539 Paul's prayer is that he proclaims this truth 00:23:48.539 --> 00:23:52.019 clearly and that others understand what great 00:23:52.019 --> 00:23:55.019 lengths God took to be in relationship with you 00:23:55.019 --> 00:23:58.039 and me. And for those of us in relationship with 00:23:58.039 --> 00:24:01.819 Jesus, the message of Jesus is the mission for 00:24:01.819 --> 00:24:04.660 our lives. It's about letting people know the 00:24:04.660 --> 00:24:08.880 good news is for everyone. It changed me and 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:12.039 it can change them. It's not good news we keep 00:24:12.039 --> 00:24:15.259 to ourselves. It's good news to be shared with 00:24:15.259 --> 00:24:18.559 clarity to a world that desperately needs its 00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:22.859 truth. It's good news for our homes. It's good 00:24:22.859 --> 00:24:25.019 news for our children. It's good news in our 00:24:25.019 --> 00:24:27.660 workplace, in our schools. Dare I say it's good 00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:29.900 news at the golf course and the baseball fields. 00:24:30.660 --> 00:24:34.420 Everywhere we go, we should be watchful for opportunities 00:24:34.420 --> 00:24:38.420 to share this good news. And listen, I'm going 00:24:38.420 --> 00:24:41.230 to tell you right now. This good news will cost 00:24:41.230 --> 00:24:44.690 us something. Paul is writing this letter from 00:24:44.690 --> 00:24:48.289 prison, yet he is still looking for opportunities 00:24:48.289 --> 00:24:51.470 to share the good news while in prison. And we 00:24:51.470 --> 00:24:54.950 have to be willing to step out and be used by 00:24:54.950 --> 00:24:59.549 God. 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 reminds us, for 00:24:59.549 --> 00:25:02.549 we speak as messengers approved by God to be 00:25:02.549 --> 00:25:05.430 entrusted with the good news. Our purpose, church, 00:25:05.710 --> 00:25:10.470 is to please God, not people. He alone examines 00:25:10.470 --> 00:25:14.509 the motives of our hearts. Our faith will cost 00:25:14.509 --> 00:25:18.950 us something. You may lose friends. You may have 00:25:18.950 --> 00:25:21.950 to change your opinions. You might lose influence. 00:25:23.369 --> 00:25:27.569 You may not make as much money. But not everyone 00:25:27.569 --> 00:25:30.049 is going to be happy with us when we're living 00:25:30.049 --> 00:25:35.390 on mission. If everyone loves you, if everyone 00:25:35.390 --> 00:25:38.430 wants to be around you, Chances are you're not 00:25:38.430 --> 00:25:41.670 doing everything right. Because this good news, 00:25:41.910 --> 00:25:46.690 it can challenge people. And they may not necessarily 00:25:46.690 --> 00:25:51.150 want to be our best friend. Think about it practically 00:25:51.150 --> 00:25:55.049 this morning. Who is impacted because of your 00:25:55.049 --> 00:26:00.009 life? Who is getting drawn closer to Jesus because 00:26:00.009 --> 00:26:05.349 of your example? Is this world a better place? 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:08.980 Because of the way you're living? Or are you 00:26:08.980 --> 00:26:12.339 just actively passing through it? So church, 00:26:12.420 --> 00:26:14.480 we're devoted to prayer. We live on mission, 00:26:14.660 --> 00:26:16.960 which leads us to our third step. We're wise 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:20.380 in action. Paul continues in verses five through 00:26:20.380 --> 00:26:23.119 six, live wisely among those who are not believers 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:26.180 and make the most of every opportunity. Let your 00:26:26.180 --> 00:26:29.019 conversation be gracious and attractive so that 00:26:29.019 --> 00:26:31.180 you will have the right response for everyone. 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:37.059 See, our actions are wise. Meaning, we don't 00:26:37.059 --> 00:26:40.220 respond the way the world responds. We don't 00:26:40.220 --> 00:26:43.440 post the way the world posts. We don't react 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:47.680 the way the world reacts. We live with wisdom. 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:51.039 And we're living in a world that has an abundance 00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:55.759 of knowledge, but a scarcity of wisdom. See, 00:26:55.839 --> 00:27:01.059 knowledge is knowing information. Wisdom is applying 00:27:01.059 --> 00:27:05.349 that information to our lives. Knowledge is knowing 00:27:05.349 --> 00:27:09.589 what diet to follow. Wisdom is not going to Krispy 00:27:09.589 --> 00:27:16.750 Kreme. Knowledge is setting a budget. Wisdom 00:27:16.750 --> 00:27:21.569 is brewing coffee at home. Knowledge built the 00:27:21.569 --> 00:27:27.299 Titanic. Wisdom is avoiding the iceberg. And 00:27:27.299 --> 00:27:29.559 see, in our world today, there's an abundance 00:27:29.559 --> 00:27:32.839 of knowledge available to us at the tip of our 00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:35.200 fingers. In fact, we're in information overload. 00:27:38.119 --> 00:27:40.720 But we do not have a lot of wise people walking 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:44.559 around. Proverbs chapter 4 verse 7 tells us, 00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:47.759 getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do. 00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:51.359 And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. 00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:54.619 See, in every situation, God gives us wisdom 00:27:54.619 --> 00:27:58.599 to live and understand his will for our life. 00:27:59.319 --> 00:28:02.960 It should be our daily prayer. God, give me wisdom. 00:28:03.700 --> 00:28:07.500 Give me understanding. And some of you are like, 00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:10.920 well, Chris, I'm not sure. I'm living with wisdom. 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:15.480 James 1 .5. If you need wisdom, ask our generous 00:28:15.480 --> 00:28:21.039 God and he will give it to you. We don't have 00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:23.220 to go very far. Because we already learned in 00:28:23.220 --> 00:28:26.420 step one that we have the attention of God and 00:28:26.420 --> 00:28:29.880 we can talk to him at any point. Now by show 00:28:29.880 --> 00:28:32.519 of hands, how many of us lack wisdom? I'm first, 00:28:32.720 --> 00:28:36.480 right? Should be every hand, dude. All of us 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:40.160 lack wisdom. We all make bad choices. We all 00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:44.140 don't listen to God. It's part of living in a 00:28:44.140 --> 00:28:49.039 fallen world. But we need to change that idea. 00:28:49.960 --> 00:28:52.980 Because the world is watching us. And we need 00:28:52.980 --> 00:28:55.319 to live in such a way that we are clear in mission 00:28:55.319 --> 00:29:01.819 and wise in action. Think about this. Our lives 00:29:01.819 --> 00:29:07.440 may be the only sermon a person hears. Our lives 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:13.440 may be the only gospel that a person reads. Our 00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:16.839 lives may be the only church a person attends. 00:29:17.660 --> 00:29:19.480 I want to challenge you, if you're in a relationship 00:29:19.480 --> 00:29:23.579 with Jesus, live like him. Which leads us to 00:29:23.579 --> 00:29:26.599 our final step. You have to make it personal. 00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:30.960 Now, if you read through the book of Colossians, 00:29:31.019 --> 00:29:32.960 you will notice at the very end, there's all 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:36.200 these names that Paul is writing to and referencing 00:29:36.200 --> 00:29:39.559 to. And some of you think, why are all these 00:29:39.559 --> 00:29:42.740 names in this letter? And what does it mean to 00:29:42.740 --> 00:29:45.440 me? Well, those names are in this letter because 00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:49.200 it's a letter. Paul is writing this letter from 00:29:49.200 --> 00:29:52.279 prison, and he's acknowledging all the people 00:29:52.279 --> 00:29:55.240 and friendships that he has in these people that 00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:58.579 he loves. And as he's writing this, you can see 00:29:58.579 --> 00:30:00.259 he's writing it to them, but he's also writing 00:30:00.259 --> 00:30:04.160 it to us. It's a letter. It's not a bunch of 00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:06.940 rules to follow. It's a love letter to us that 00:30:06.940 --> 00:30:09.279 we then can apply to our lives, Colossians 4, 00:30:09.319 --> 00:30:13.059 7. Tychicus will give you a full report about 00:30:13.059 --> 00:30:16.019 how I am getting along. Notice what he writes 00:30:16.019 --> 00:30:18.700 about him. He is a beloved brother and a faithful 00:30:18.700 --> 00:30:21.980 helper who serves with me in the Lord's work. 00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:26.839 See, Paul is making it personal. He's referencing 00:30:26.839 --> 00:30:29.339 these people that are helping him, that are praying 00:30:29.339 --> 00:30:32.200 for him, that are encouraging him. And he mentions 00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:36.660 these names because he wants to encourage them 00:30:36.660 --> 00:30:39.240 and love on them. Are you doing it in your own 00:30:39.240 --> 00:30:42.900 life? See, God works and moves in the personal. 00:30:43.590 --> 00:30:46.930 We experience the love and power of God in community 00:30:46.930 --> 00:30:51.210 with others as we're loved, as we're challenged 00:30:51.210 --> 00:30:55.069 to grow and change, to live like Jesus. I want 00:30:55.069 --> 00:30:58.750 to challenge you young people, 20 to 30s, young 00:30:58.750 --> 00:31:01.630 adults. We now have a Friday night group in the 00:31:01.630 --> 00:31:04.789 A -frame. Get in there. Pray for one another. 00:31:04.930 --> 00:31:08.470 Encourage one another. Right? You need it. I 00:31:08.470 --> 00:31:11.470 get it. Well, then get out there and show up 00:31:11.470 --> 00:31:15.180 and make it. personal. But Paul even takes it 00:31:15.180 --> 00:31:16.960 a step further. He closes the letter with these 00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:20.980 words, Colossians 4 .18. Here's my greeting in 00:31:20.980 --> 00:31:25.200 my own handwriting, Paul. Remember my chains. 00:31:25.759 --> 00:31:29.000 May God's grace be with you. Remember, Paul is 00:31:29.000 --> 00:31:31.759 writing from prison, and he's telling the church, 00:31:31.940 --> 00:31:34.299 remember what I went through to give you this 00:31:34.299 --> 00:31:37.920 message. Paul's life was not easy. He didn't 00:31:37.920 --> 00:31:41.809 have it made. Many would not even consider Paul 00:31:41.809 --> 00:31:45.470 successful. After all, we learn in 2 Corinthians, 00:31:45.890 --> 00:31:48.950 he worked harder, was put in prison more often, 00:31:49.150 --> 00:31:52.809 whipped times without number, faced death again 00:31:52.809 --> 00:31:55.309 and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders 00:31:55.309 --> 00:31:58.369 gave me 39 lashings. That's the same thing that 00:31:58.369 --> 00:32:00.230 Jesus went through, except Paul went through 00:32:00.230 --> 00:32:02.710 it five times. Three times I was beaten with 00:32:02.710 --> 00:32:05.349 rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. 00:32:05.390 --> 00:32:08.920 Once I spent a whole night. In a day adrift at 00:32:08.920 --> 00:32:11.880 sea, I've traveled on many long journeys. I've 00:32:11.880 --> 00:32:14.279 faced danger from rivers and from robbers. And 00:32:14.279 --> 00:32:16.599 isn't it crazy in the American church, we get 00:32:16.599 --> 00:32:23.500 upset with God because of a hangnail. Paul went 00:32:23.500 --> 00:32:27.700 through all these negative, heart -wrenching 00:32:27.700 --> 00:32:30.039 struggles in his life. Then a year and a half 00:32:30.039 --> 00:32:32.440 after writing these letters, he would be executed 00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:35.539 for his faith. This man did not have an easy 00:32:35.539 --> 00:32:37.460 life still at the end of his life. His challenge 00:32:37.460 --> 00:32:39.420 to the church was this, remember my chains. You 00:32:39.420 --> 00:32:42.039 know what he was saying to us? He's saying, you're 00:32:42.039 --> 00:32:46.339 going to have difficulties in this life. Jesus 00:32:46.339 --> 00:32:50.119 told us, you will have trouble. But Paul is reminding 00:32:50.119 --> 00:32:52.660 us that in those seasons, our faith will get 00:32:52.660 --> 00:32:55.660 us through. Walking through our struggles with 00:32:55.660 --> 00:32:59.539 Jesus is living like Jesus. Because it's in those 00:32:59.539 --> 00:33:02.779 seasons. That we're not going to be perfect. 00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:05.960 And then Paul says, church, may God's grace be 00:33:05.960 --> 00:33:07.740 with you. It's not a way of him saying goodbye. 00:33:08.680 --> 00:33:11.759 It's a way of Paul reminding us that we need 00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:15.079 the grace of God on our lives. As we walk through 00:33:15.079 --> 00:33:19.140 these difficult seasons. The grace of God is 00:33:19.140 --> 00:33:21.480 not a freedom for us to live however we want. 00:33:22.339 --> 00:33:26.400 The grace of God is the ability for us to go 00:33:26.400 --> 00:33:29.299 beyond our current situation. Our current struggles. 00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:33.640 And gives us the abilities to walk in the purpose 00:33:33.640 --> 00:33:37.119 that God has for us. We don't live like Jesus 00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:40.460 in our own strength. We live like Jesus in our 00:33:40.460 --> 00:33:43.720 weakness. Because then he gives us supernatural 00:33:43.720 --> 00:33:47.200 strength. 2 Corinthians 12. Each time he said, 00:33:47.259 --> 00:33:49.539 my grace is all you need. My power works best 00:33:49.539 --> 00:33:52.700 in weakness. So now I'm glad to boast about my 00:33:52.700 --> 00:33:55.539 weakness. Notice, so the power of Christ can 00:33:55.539 --> 00:33:58.410 work through me. See, Paul mentions the word 00:33:58.410 --> 00:34:02.450 grace more than 110 times in the letters he wrote 00:34:02.450 --> 00:34:07.750 to us. Paul knows that life can be hard. And 00:34:07.750 --> 00:34:10.210 living like Jesus doesn't happen in our own strength. 00:34:10.730 --> 00:34:14.869 It happens by being full of the Holy Spirit. 00:34:15.630 --> 00:34:25.239 Will you stand with me? We're going to close 00:34:25.239 --> 00:34:28.139 by praying a simple prayer, then singing a bold 00:34:28.139 --> 00:34:31.639 song. Many of you know that every single Sunday, 00:34:31.760 --> 00:34:33.579 every single gathering, we pray a simple prayer 00:34:33.579 --> 00:34:36.219 because I believe that people distant, far from 00:34:36.219 --> 00:34:38.099 God, or have walked away from God are here in 00:34:38.099 --> 00:34:40.340 these seats. We're all going to pray this prayer 00:34:40.340 --> 00:34:42.260 together because I believe someone's going to 00:34:42.260 --> 00:34:46.679 come home today. Let's pray. Jesus, I'm broken. 00:34:47.219 --> 00:34:52.860 I'm full of doubt, shame, regret, sin. Change 00:34:52.860 --> 00:34:58.199 me. Forgive me. I believe you're God's son. I 00:34:58.199 --> 00:35:02.679 believe you died for me. I believe you're alive 00:35:02.679 --> 00:35:08.239 today. Make me new. Set me free. Fill me with 00:35:08.239 --> 00:35:12.980 your spirit, God. Help me to serve others. In 00:35:12.980 --> 00:35:15.920 Jesus' name, amen. If you prayed that prayer, 00:35:16.039 --> 00:35:19.400 see me, hug me, text me, do something now. Listen, 00:35:19.639 --> 00:35:23.159 before we sing. There were several words of knowledge. 00:35:23.280 --> 00:35:25.639 Our prayer team will be on my left and my right. 00:35:25.699 --> 00:35:28.320 As we sing, you can come up and receive prayer 00:35:28.320 --> 00:35:32.940 for these. Painful right wrist. Pain in the deltoid 00:35:32.940 --> 00:35:36.000 of the left shoulder. Multiple people with heart 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:40.940 conditions. Sensitive fingertips. Painful outer 00:35:40.940 --> 00:35:44.599 side of the left knee. Pain in the lower back 00:35:44.599 --> 00:35:48.150 that extends into the buttocks. If any of those 00:35:48.150 --> 00:35:49.730 are you, we want to pray for you. Our prayer 00:35:49.730 --> 00:35:51.510 team will believe that you will be set free and 00:35:51.510 --> 00:35:55.969 healed. Now listen. Everyone look at me. As I 00:35:55.969 --> 00:36:00.070 was praying for you this week, I felt challenged 00:36:00.070 --> 00:36:03.289 to challenge you that some of you have never 00:36:03.289 --> 00:36:05.969 even spoken the name of Jesus other than just 00:36:05.969 --> 00:36:09.210 quietly under your breath in prayer. I'm specifically 00:36:09.210 --> 00:36:12.949 speaking to you men. This is your opportunity 00:36:12.949 --> 00:36:18.139 as we sing. To declare Jesus over your families. 00:36:18.239 --> 00:36:21.739 Over the city. Over your workplace. That God 00:36:21.739 --> 00:36:25.260 would move and change. And for those of you that 00:36:25.260 --> 00:36:27.519 haven't spoken this name. I want to challenge 00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:31.320 you. Sing it boldly. Because God will fill you 00:36:31.320 --> 00:36:33.940 with his plan and his purpose. And set you free. 00:36:34.019 --> 00:36:35.659 Amen. Let's sing.