WEBVTT 00:00:09.259 --> 00:00:12.720 is all about pruning the plants. What do I mean 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:15.339 by that? Becoming more like Christ after we are 00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:17.539 saved because that is the ultimate goal that 00:00:17.539 --> 00:00:19.480 God has in mind for us while we're on earth. 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:24.039 So our first scripture today is Galatians 2 verses 00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:27.719 20. It says, I have been crucified with Christ. 00:00:27.899 --> 00:00:30.800 It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:33.820 in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I 00:00:33.820 --> 00:00:37.179 live by the faith in the Son of God. who loved 00:00:37.179 --> 00:00:40.560 me and gave himself for me. So what does it mean 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:43.079 to be crucified with Christ? Well it means that 00:00:43.079 --> 00:00:46.479 we need to die to our sin and rise as new people 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:49.520 in Christ. All throughout everything that Paul 00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:52.280 writes he always says in Christ. That is because 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:56.500 if we try to be devoted to God in our own strength, 00:00:56.700 --> 00:00:59.500 it's not gonna work because our flesh wants to 00:00:59.500 --> 00:01:02.460 do what the flesh wants. But our spirits, when 00:01:02.460 --> 00:01:04.819 they're overtaken by Christ, wants to do what 00:01:04.819 --> 00:01:07.560 God wants for us. That means changing our friendships, 00:01:07.939 --> 00:01:10.159 what we watch, what we read, and how we speak, 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:12.379 that we're giving Him glory and we're growing 00:01:12.379 --> 00:01:17.379 in Christ. Our second scripture today is 1 John 00:01:17.379 --> 00:01:21.439 chapter two, verse six. It says, Whoever says 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:24.299 he abides in him ought to walk in the same way 00:01:24.299 --> 00:01:29.159 in which he walked. To be like Christ means we 00:01:29.159 --> 00:01:31.620 need to walk with him. When we start praying 00:01:31.620 --> 00:01:35.400 and reading the Bible, our mindset changes. Now, 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:38.400 we also have to remember that when we are saved, 00:01:38.599 --> 00:01:40.480 it doesn't mean we will always be perfect because 00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:44.359 we do still have the flesh. But God wants to 00:01:44.359 --> 00:01:47.599 make us more like Christ every single day. Our 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:51.319 last scripture today is Ephesians 4 verses 22 00:01:51.319 --> 00:01:54.640 through 24. It says, to put off your old self, 00:01:54.799 --> 00:01:57.379 which belongs to your former manner of life and 00:01:57.379 --> 00:02:00.719 is corrupt through deceitful desires and to be 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:03.480 renewed in the spirit of your minds and to put 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:06.659 on the new self created after the likeness of 00:02:06.659 --> 00:02:10.060 God and true righteousness and holiness. We need 00:02:10.060 --> 00:02:12.699 to change our attitude like you change your clothes. 00:02:13.659 --> 00:02:17.409 Take off your old dirty clothes and put on the 00:02:17.409 --> 00:02:20.509 new and washed clothes. Your new self through 00:02:20.509 --> 00:02:23.650 Jesus. See, true holiness only comes from God. 00:02:24.150 --> 00:02:26.830 It is so important that we do everything through 00:02:26.830 --> 00:02:29.409 Christ. We get weary, but God is everlasting. 00:02:29.870 --> 00:02:34.110 God will replenish our souls. So our points today 00:02:34.110 --> 00:02:37.770 are one, take off your old clothes and let go 00:02:37.770 --> 00:02:40.650 of the dirty laundry. Old attitudes, old habits, 00:02:41.030 --> 00:02:44.370 old friends, emotional baggage. It can be mental 00:02:44.370 --> 00:02:46.900 baggage. But we need to let go of it because 00:02:46.900 --> 00:02:50.020 if we keep it and try to walk out the Christian 00:02:50.020 --> 00:02:52.840 life, it's not going to work. We need to surrender 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:55.599 ourselves to God. We need to give it to God and 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:58.439 he will take care of us. Our second point today 00:02:58.439 --> 00:03:01.280 is we need to die to sin and lay down our evil 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:04.280 desires. In our human strength, we don't have 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:06.800 any strength to fight off the evil. Instead, 00:03:07.060 --> 00:03:09.659 what we need to do is make sure we're surrendered 00:03:09.659 --> 00:03:11.840 to Christ instead of trying to do it through 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:14.120 our own strength, which leads me into our third 00:03:14.120 --> 00:03:17.780 point, which is through Christ and no one slash 00:03:17.780 --> 00:03:20.800 nothing else. Nothing else and no one else can 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:23.699 fulfill us the way Christ does. Christ made us 00:03:23.699 --> 00:03:26.509 with a yearning for him. That's why before we 00:03:26.509 --> 00:03:29.330 find Christ, we always feel empty. But when we 00:03:29.330 --> 00:03:32.590 do have Christ, we never will ever again. So 00:03:32.590 --> 00:03:35.189 if you do have a personal relationship with Christ, 00:03:35.469 --> 00:03:38.009 this message will help you. But if you don't 00:03:38.009 --> 00:03:40.669 have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, 00:03:40.949 --> 00:03:43.129 then I invite you to give your heart to the Lord 00:03:43.129 --> 00:03:45.729 today. To receive him into your heart, go to 00:03:45.729 --> 00:03:49.610 Romans 10, 9 -10. It says that if you confess 00:03:49.610 --> 00:03:52.370 with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in 00:03:52.370 --> 00:03:54.289 your heart that God has raised him from the dead, 00:03:54.509 --> 00:03:57.409 You will be saved. For with the heart one believes 00:03:57.409 --> 00:03:59.650 unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession 00:03:59.650 --> 00:04:02.810 is made unto salvation. If you said this prayer 00:04:02.810 --> 00:04:05.949 with sincerity, you are saved and now have eternal 00:04:05.949 --> 00:04:09.030 life with Jesus. You are saved from all your 00:04:09.030 --> 00:04:11.830 sins, past, present, and future sins you may 00:04:11.830 --> 00:04:15.009 commit. This truth is not a free past to sin 00:04:15.009 --> 00:04:18.449 any time. Instead, Jesus gives you power over 00:04:18.449 --> 00:04:20.709 all wrong choices and empowers you to spread 00:04:20.709 --> 00:04:24.220 the gospel to others. You are saved forever and 00:04:24.220 --> 00:04:26.220 your name is written in the book of life!