1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,140 Well, what is up, Heights? 2 00:00:01,140 --> 00:00:02,360 Good to be with you today. 3 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:03,840 Welcome this morning. 4 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,140 Welcome to those of you in our Prescott Valley location. 5 00:00:06,140 --> 00:00:09,520 So glad that you are with us as well. 6 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:10,960 Man, it is crazy. 7 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,840 The first week of 2025, the first gathering 8 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:18,780 that we have together, I can't believe it's 2025. 9 00:00:18,780 --> 00:00:21,120 It's wild to think that we've made it this far. 10 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,340 But I can't move forward without going back. 11 00:00:23,340 --> 00:00:24,700 I know Bob just celebrated it. 12 00:00:24,700 --> 00:00:26,220 But man, we've got to celebrate. 13 00:00:26,220 --> 00:00:29,520 Can we just celebrate 4,500 people? 14 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:31,920 Come on now. 15 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,920 4,500 people that came to our Christmas gatherings 16 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:37,680 and got to experience that together. 17 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:39,720 And that number fires me up. 18 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:40,480 It fires me up. 19 00:00:40,480 --> 00:00:41,120 And here's why. 20 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,960 It's not just 4,500 people as a crowd. 21 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,140 It's potentially 4,500 people that we're hurting. 22 00:00:47,140 --> 00:00:50,960 It's potentially 4,500 people that we're broken. 23 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:52,920 It's potentially 4,500 people that 24 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,120 needed the hope and love that only comes through a Savior 25 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:58,740 that we got to present to them. 26 00:00:58,740 --> 00:01:00,020 And that fires me up. 27 00:01:00,020 --> 00:01:02,520 That is exciting because we do this 28 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:04,980 so that we can help people live the life that they 29 00:01:04,980 --> 00:01:06,320 were created for in Jesus. 30 00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:07,320 That's why we do this. 31 00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:08,560 That's why we show up. 32 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:10,560 That's why things like Christmas happen. 33 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:12,680 We want to help people live the life that they 34 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:13,840 were created for in Jesus. 35 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:15,480 And that is important. 36 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,200 That is incredibly, incredibly important. 37 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,520 We can't just gloss over that because it is so important 38 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:23,840 that we do that. 39 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:25,620 I hope that you guys had a great Christmas. 40 00:01:25,620 --> 00:01:28,200 I hope the Christmas gatherings were 41 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:29,040 a highlight for you. 42 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,240 But I hope you had a great Christmas with your families 43 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:32,160 as well. 44 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,520 I hope that the gifts that you gave were received well. 45 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,160 Husbands, especially, I hope you honored your wives well 46 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,680 and blessed them and gave them good gifts. 47 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:45,440 And I got to let you know Valentine's Day is coming. 48 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,400 I was at the store two days after Christmas, 49 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:49,320 and they were putting Valentine's Day stuff out. 50 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,440 I was like, are you serious right now? 51 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:53,160 So husbands, that's your reminder. 52 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:54,120 You can't say you didn't know. 53 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,960 I'm telling you, you've got like a month to get ready. 54 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,400 Get ready for it. 55 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:01,320 This year, we usually give things to the kids, 56 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:03,400 but we don't exchange gifts for my wife and I. 57 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:04,360 But this year, we decided we were 58 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:06,840 going to exchange just little things, just small things. 59 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:08,480 We're going to do like stocking stuffers. 60 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,320 And so I'm like, all right, that's good. 61 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:11,800 What do you want? 62 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,960 And my wife goes, whatever you want to get me. 63 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:16,800 I was like, what? 64 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:17,600 Come again? 65 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:18,800 She's like, yeah, whatever you want. 66 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:19,760 I was like, whatever I want. 67 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:21,880 So Reese's peanut butter cups and baseball stuff. 68 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:24,440 That's what you want, right? 69 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:26,080 I'm like, can I get some direction here? 70 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:27,080 I started dropping hints. 71 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:27,840 I was like at the store. 72 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:28,920 I'm like, oh, look at that. 73 00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:30,200 That's pretty cool, huh? 74 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:31,760 She's like, yeah, I don't like that. 75 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,160 I'm like, yeah, who would get some of that? 76 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,240 Why would you do that? 77 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,960 I'm like, can you please just point me in the right direction? 78 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,480 I just need to know which direction to go in, 79 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:42,580 because here's the thing. 80 00:02:42,580 --> 00:02:45,400 Without direction, direction is incredibly, incredibly 81 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,520 important, because when you aim for nothing, 82 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,520 you're guaranteed to hit it. 83 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,440 And when it comes to a gift, direction would be nice. 84 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:56,840 But when it comes to what we do here at Heights, 85 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,520 direction is absolutely crucial, because we can't aim for 86 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,080 nothing and hit nothing, because what we do 87 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:03,800 is way too important. 88 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,600 What we do matters way too much. 89 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:09,200 It's too important what we get to do. 90 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:13,000 And without direction, we can't find our destination. 91 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:14,760 We can't get to the place that we're headed 92 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:16,480 unless we know where it is that we're 93 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,240 headed without direction. 94 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,620 The truth is we have no purpose without direction. 95 00:03:21,620 --> 00:03:25,760 And without vision, we can't have direction. 96 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:29,200 We have to have this, because without our guiding values, 97 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,560 we will never fulfill our mission. 98 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,560 And the mission that we have is too important. 99 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,540 The mission that we have is too critical for not just us, 100 00:03:38,540 --> 00:03:41,280 but for the community that we live in, for the town that we 101 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:43,480 live in, for the state that we live in, for our country, 102 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:45,120 for the world. 103 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:46,520 It is too important to miss it. 104 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:48,480 And so we have to have direction. 105 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:50,600 We have to have guidance. 106 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:51,760 So we're starting this week. 107 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:53,400 We're starting a brand new collection 108 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:54,800 of talks for the next few weeks. 109 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:59,000 We're going to be diving into this idea of taking shape. 110 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:00,680 We want to take shape as a church 111 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:04,200 and figure out what it is the shape that God has for us, 112 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:08,240 because these guiding values shape who we are. 113 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,040 These guiding values that we have for a church, 114 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:12,080 they shape who we are. 115 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,000 And we say, this is who we are. 116 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,400 So if you're new to Heights and you're just showing up, 117 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:18,560 you picked a great week to be here. 118 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:20,320 You should come the next couple of weeks, too, 119 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:22,440 because we're going to tell you, this is who we are. 120 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,400 This is the shape that we take in order to fulfill the mission 121 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:26,420 that God has us on. 122 00:04:26,420 --> 00:04:28,340 And if you've been going to Heights for a while, 123 00:04:28,340 --> 00:04:30,920 this is a great reminder, too, to know this is where we're at. 124 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,920 This is important for us to figure out where we're headed, 125 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,400 because we need to create space for the things that we value. 126 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,040 When you value something, you create space for it. 127 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:43,100 My wife is a avid reader. 128 00:04:43,100 --> 00:04:44,640 She loves to read. 129 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,120 This last year, she read 68 books. 130 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,360 Listen, I haven't read 68 books in my life. 131 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:52,640 She doesn't read the little ones. 132 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:54,360 She reads the 600-page books. 133 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,360 I was like, I didn't even know they made books 134 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:57,960 with that many pages in it. 135 00:04:57,960 --> 00:04:59,520 She loves reading, and she gets done with it. 136 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:00,680 I'm like, you read 68 books? 137 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:01,240 That's crazy. 138 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,000 And she goes, yeah, it wasn't very good. 139 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,320 Next year, my goal is 100 books. 140 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:06,120 I was like, awesome. 141 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:08,560 I'll see you in 2026, because apparently we're not talking. 142 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,720 You're just reading this whole year. 143 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:14,880 But because she reads books so much, she has all these books. 144 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:16,680 Guess what we have in our living room? 145 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:18,680 We have a bunch of bookshelves. 146 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:19,160 You know why? 147 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:23,160 Because you create space for the things that you value. 148 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:24,700 And when it comes to our church, when 149 00:05:24,700 --> 00:05:26,200 it comes to our church family, when 150 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:27,600 it comes to how we run things, we 151 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:31,960 want to create space for the things that we value. 152 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:37,000 Our values help us live, love, and look like Jesus. 153 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:37,840 That's what they do. 154 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:40,880 They guide us to live, love, and look like Jesus. 155 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,560 The problem is the church, for far too long, 156 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:45,640 not just our church, but the church, 157 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:49,280 has been known way too much for what they are against 158 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:51,000 instead of what they are for. 159 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,480 And we want to be a church that is known about what we are for. 160 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:55,960 This is what the church is for. 161 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:57,320 We know this is what they're for. 162 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:58,400 This is what they care about. 163 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,280 This is what they want us to understand. 164 00:06:00,280 --> 00:06:01,920 And so that is why we're here today. 165 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:03,480 So we're going to decide what it is. 166 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:06,240 We're going to talk about this is the thing that we value. 167 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:10,440 This is what shapes us into who we are. 168 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,040 We're going to start in Hebrews chapter 1. 169 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,000 In Hebrews chapter 1, it says this, the Son 170 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,800 is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation 171 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:25,600 of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. 172 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,720 After He had provided purification for sins, 173 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:32,720 He sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven. 174 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:33,960 There it is. 175 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:34,760 What is it? 176 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:36,520 All about Jesus. 177 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:37,040 There He is. 178 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:38,680 Jesus is representation of God. 179 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:39,800 Jesus is the majesty. 180 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:40,680 Jesus is. 181 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:41,440 That's who it is. 182 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:42,440 It's all about Jesus. 183 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:47,080 If you were with us this last year, for 39 weeks, 184 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:50,520 we went through a collection called Sinner of All Things. 185 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:52,520 Sinner of All Things for 39 weeks. 186 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:53,240 It's a short one. 187 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:55,920 39 weeks straight, we walked through the Bible. 188 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:56,880 We started and we were like, we've 189 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:58,480 got to find Jesus in the Bible. 190 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,280 We found Jesus in Genesis, in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, 191 00:07:01,280 --> 00:07:02,600 Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Judges. 192 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,040 I can do all of them in one breath. 193 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:04,680 I'm telling you. 194 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:06,000 It's a talent that I have. 195 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:07,040 I'll spare you from that. 196 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:08,360 You can find me later. 197 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:10,240 But we went through every single book 198 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:12,560 and we went through the Bible as an entirety 199 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:14,240 and found Jesus in all of it. 200 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,000 And because Jesus is the center of all things, 201 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:18,960 it was easy to find Him. 202 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:20,400 We didn't have to look. 203 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:21,600 We didn't have to be like, oh, I don't know 204 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:23,600 if this book's actually about Him. 205 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:25,320 It was easy to find Him because Jesus 206 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,160 is the center of all things. 207 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:29,480 And so that for us, when it comes to what we're 208 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:34,040 going to do as a church, when it comes to who we are, 209 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,080 we are going to first and foremost be for Jesus. 210 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:38,660 If you're taking notes, write that down. 211 00:07:38,660 --> 00:07:41,520 We are for Jesus. 212 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:42,960 We're for Jesus. 213 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:44,680 Some of you are like, wait a second. 214 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:46,520 Duh, you're a church. 215 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:48,000 What else would you be for? 216 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:49,160 That's what you're for, right? 217 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:50,240 Of course you would be. 218 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,040 But the truth is that a lot of churches, 219 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:53,660 they start out saying they're for Jesus, 220 00:07:53,660 --> 00:07:56,440 but they drift away from being for Jesus. 221 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:58,640 And I've seen it and I've been a part of those churches. 222 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:00,880 And you need to know, Heights is not the only church. 223 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:02,640 There are plenty of good churches out there. 224 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:04,520 And we don't say you have to go to Heights. 225 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,680 You can go wherever church you want to go to. 226 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:08,160 But I'm going to caution you this. 227 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:09,960 Whatever church you find yourself at, 228 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:14,240 if they are not for Jesus, that is your cue to run. 229 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:15,920 That is your cue to run. 230 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:18,600 If Jesus is not the number one thing, 231 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,920 if a political agenda becomes more important than Jesus, 232 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:23,480 it's your cue to run. 233 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,120 And if an opinion becomes more important than Jesus, 234 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,320 that is your cue to run. 235 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,000 If a person becomes more important than Jesus 236 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,040 and one person becomes the star of the show, 237 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,880 it is your cue to run. 238 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:37,960 If knowledge about Jesus becomes more important 239 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,440 than a relationship with Jesus, then they are not for Jesus 240 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:42,840 and that is your cue to run. 241 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:45,240 A lot of churches start out and they say, we are for Jesus. 242 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:46,480 This is where we're going to go. 243 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:47,680 And then they drift. 244 00:08:47,680 --> 00:08:49,880 They start drifting away from that. 245 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:52,120 And the truth is that we can have that same drift 246 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,200 because a lot of voices start telling us things. 247 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,120 We start hearing a lot of things in our life. 248 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:59,240 We get a lot of voices from a lot of different directions. 249 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,000 Let me say it this way. 250 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,280 You ever been driving and you're following your navigation? 251 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,900 You got your Siri on and, sorry, I probably just 252 00:09:06,900 --> 00:09:09,240 turned all your phones on right now by saying that word. 253 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,480 I won't say the S word anymore. 254 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:13,080 But you're following the navigation 255 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:15,540 and you're getting there and you get to the last few turns 256 00:09:15,540 --> 00:09:16,760 before you're getting to where you got to go 257 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:18,040 and you got to turn down the radio 258 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:20,280 so you can see where you're going. 259 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:21,720 All right, you know you got to turn down the volume, 260 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:22,600 you got to see where I'm going, 261 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:24,240 you got to tell the kids in the back, be quiet, 262 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:25,640 I got to see where I'm going. 263 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:28,180 And you got that smart kid in the back that's like, 264 00:09:28,180 --> 00:09:29,840 oh, you see with your ears, huh? 265 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,360 You're like, oh, you want to be grounded for life, huh? 266 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:35,760 You're like, be quiet because we got to see 267 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:36,600 where we're going. 268 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:40,520 And the truth is is what we see is connected 269 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:42,960 to what we hear and what we hear starts affecting 270 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:45,440 what we see and if what we're hearing is contradicting 271 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:47,160 what we're seeing, then we're never gonna get 272 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:48,560 to where God wants us to go. 273 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:50,960 And a lot of times we have different voices 274 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:52,680 that are telling us things that are confusing us 275 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:54,240 and we got to be able to tune those out 276 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,040 and put our focus on the thing that matters, 277 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:57,400 which is Jesus. 278 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:01,600 And when we are for Jesus, when Jesus becomes our focus, 279 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,080 it allows us to see the direction that he wants us to go in. 280 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,120 It allows us to see where he has us 281 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:10,660 and the purpose he has us there for. 282 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:15,480 I'm gonna be very blunt though. 283 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:17,560 Be very blunt, might hurt some feelings here. 284 00:10:17,560 --> 00:10:19,920 Some of you though would say you're for Jesus, 285 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,440 but you're for Jesus between the hours of 8 a.m. 286 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:24,800 and 9.30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. 287 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:26,180 And you live the rest of your life 288 00:10:26,180 --> 00:10:27,660 like Jesus doesn't exist. 289 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:31,480 And I think that affects more of us 290 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,680 than we would even like to admit. 291 00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:35,760 You think about that and you're okay, 292 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:37,280 yeah, of course I can say I'm for Jesus 293 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,640 when I'm in this building on a Sunday. 294 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:42,540 I can say I'm for Jesus when I'm listening to a sermon. 295 00:10:42,540 --> 00:10:45,200 I can say I'm for Jesus when I'm in the right place, 296 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:46,320 but when I get outside of that, 297 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:48,920 you live your life like you don't even know he exists. 298 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:51,920 We gotta live our life for Jesus 299 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:53,760 and it needs to be something that doesn't just happen 300 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:56,040 inside of a building on a Sunday morning. 301 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:59,560 It needs to make its way into work on a Monday. 302 00:10:59,560 --> 00:11:03,600 It needs to make its way into your life on a Tuesday. 303 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:05,760 And it needs to make its way into the way that you live 304 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:07,760 and the way that you do that is by continually 305 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:10,680 to be with Christ. 306 00:11:10,680 --> 00:11:13,160 It says this in John 15. 307 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:16,120 John 15 verse five says, I am the vine, 308 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:18,320 this is Jesus talking, Jesus says, I am the vine 309 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:19,960 and you are the branches. 310 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,320 If you remain in me and I in you, 311 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:25,520 you will bear much fruit, 312 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,080 but apart from me you can do nothing. 313 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,620 Apart from me you can live like you don't know I exist, 314 00:11:30,620 --> 00:11:33,320 but if you remain in me you will bear fruit. 315 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,720 If you do not remain in me, 316 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,200 you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers. 317 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,400 Such branches are picked up 318 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:44,160 and thrown into the fire and burned. 319 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:48,120 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, 320 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,240 ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. 321 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,840 This is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit, 322 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:58,720 showing yourselves to be my disciples. 323 00:11:59,560 --> 00:12:02,160 Remain in me. 324 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:03,440 How do you live consistently? 325 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:05,560 How do you not just forget and go, okay, yeah, 326 00:12:05,560 --> 00:12:07,520 I'm for Jesus on a Sunday, but not on a Monday, 327 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,000 it's you remain in him. 328 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,400 Another translation says abide. 329 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:13,080 Abide, stay with him. 330 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:13,980 All right, how do we do this? 331 00:12:13,980 --> 00:12:17,480 We do this through the rhythms in our life. 332 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:19,840 Through the rhythms in our life. 333 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:22,160 Some of you guys, you're five days 334 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:24,240 into your resolution right now. 335 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:25,920 All right, you've made it and you're five days in 336 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:26,980 and you're fired up about it 337 00:12:26,980 --> 00:12:29,120 because you're like, this year is gonna be different 338 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,260 and here's the changes I'm gonna make. 339 00:12:31,260 --> 00:12:32,880 But what you don't realize a lot of times 340 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:34,700 is that your systems are perfectly designed 341 00:12:34,700 --> 00:12:37,260 for the results that you're getting. 342 00:12:37,260 --> 00:12:38,680 The systems that you have in your life 343 00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:40,640 are perfectly designed for the results that you're getting. 344 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:42,400 So here's what this means, is those of you 345 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:43,600 that have made the commitment this year 346 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,620 is the year that you will lose weight, 347 00:12:45,620 --> 00:12:47,340 but I'm not gonna change anything. 348 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:50,560 It's not gonna happen. 349 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:53,560 It's not gonna happen because your systems 350 00:12:53,560 --> 00:12:55,760 are perfectly designed for the results that you're getting 351 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:59,120 and consistency is not the answer, 352 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:00,480 or consistency is the answer. 353 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,760 It's about consistency, it's not about intensity. 354 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:06,200 Because we say, okay, I'm all for it right now 355 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,640 and I just really, really care and I want it really bad. 356 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:09,680 You can want it really bad, 357 00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:11,440 but if you don't have consistency in your life, 358 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,920 if you haven't built in rhythms in your life, 359 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:16,000 it doesn't matter. 360 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,360 What a rhythm is, is it's remaining in him. 361 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:21,840 It's being the branch that remains in the vine 362 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:24,280 saying I am with you, I'm gonna continue to be with you. 363 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:26,880 What a rhythm looks like is setting time aside 364 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:30,880 in your life every day to get into God's word. 365 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:33,920 I had someone come up to me last night after the service 366 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:35,760 and they said, well, now I gotta go rewrite 367 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:37,560 all of my 2025 goals. 368 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:40,680 If that's not on your goal, I'm telling you, 369 00:13:40,680 --> 00:13:42,160 you need to write that right now, 370 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:44,840 that you need to make time every single day 371 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:45,920 to get into God's word. 372 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:47,720 Oh, I just don't have time, I just don't have time. 373 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:49,240 There's a lot of stuff, but you have time 374 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:50,360 to scroll on Instagram. 375 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:53,840 Oh, I just don't have time, I just don't have time, 376 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:57,560 but you have time to watch all of your shows on Netflix. 377 00:13:57,560 --> 00:13:59,440 I just don't have time, my life's too crazy. 378 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:00,760 Yes, you have time for the things 379 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:01,800 that you wanna make time for 380 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:02,720 and I'm telling you right now, 381 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:04,320 if you don't make time to get into God's word, 382 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:05,720 you're not setting the rhythm in your life 383 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:06,800 so that you can remain in him 384 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:08,640 so that you won't be before Jesus. 385 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:12,880 Remain in him, get into word of God. 386 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:15,720 Like, but I don't understand it, that's okay, 387 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:17,880 continue to read it, continue to read it. 388 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:21,960 Get into God's word every single day. 389 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,400 Make time to pray and talk to God. 390 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:26,680 How do you remain with him? 391 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:27,920 Build a relationship with him. 392 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:29,360 How do you build a relationship? 393 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,360 With a conversation, talk to God. 394 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:33,840 Continue to talk to God. 395 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:36,960 Set aside time to say, God, I wanna talk to you 396 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:40,480 and here's the thing, it's not just a prayer before dinner. 397 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:42,320 We're really good at blessing our food. 398 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:44,480 Our food's all been blessed, 399 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:46,520 but the conversation with God stops there. 400 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:49,080 Conversation is not just one thing 401 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,240 that's said before dinner, can you imagine that? 402 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:53,720 Your relationship with your spouse. 403 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,000 Hey, we're gonna talk for about 45 seconds before dinner, 404 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:57,640 that's it. 405 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,400 We're gonna have a great relationship. 406 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:02,600 Make time in your life, this is a rhythm 407 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:05,400 that you put in your life to have a conversation with God 408 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:07,880 so that you can be before Jesus. 409 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,080 And if we're gonna build this rhythm, 410 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:13,200 if we're gonna have these rhythms in our life 411 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:15,320 to make sure that we are abiding in him, 412 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:17,000 that we are remaining in him, 413 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:21,840 we have to fight to keep ourself off center stage. 414 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,160 We have to fight to keep ourself off center stage. 415 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:26,200 What I mean is this, is that a lot of times we say, 416 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:28,720 okay, God, I want you to be on center stage. 417 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:30,480 It's all about you, Jesus, I am for Jesus, 418 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:32,480 and then all of a sudden we creep on. 419 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:34,720 We creep on the stage and it becomes about us. 420 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:37,760 And what you need to know is that whatever you don't 421 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,120 turn into praise turns into pride. 422 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:43,640 You have blessings in your life 423 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:45,720 and whatever you don't turn that into praise, 424 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:47,760 because everything you've been given is from him. 425 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:49,160 Everything that you have is from him 426 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:51,440 and whatever you don't turn into praise turns into pride. 427 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:54,600 And you start putting yourself on center stage. 428 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:57,520 Listen, at Heights, we are for Jesus, 429 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,720 which means everything we do here, we're for him. 430 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:04,920 There's intentional things that we make space for Jesus, 431 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:07,000 which means this, we intentionally do things 432 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,340 to help people encounter Jesus. 433 00:16:10,340 --> 00:16:11,760 We want them to have encounter with Jesus. 434 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:13,360 We want you to have an encounter with Jesus, 435 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:15,680 whether it's the first time or the 100th time, 436 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:18,640 we want you to encounter Jesus. 437 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:20,960 We're intentionally creating space 438 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,960 for you to engage in your faith with Jesus, 439 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:27,000 because Christianity is not a spectator sport. 440 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,240 It's not just to sit there, listen to somebody talk, 441 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:30,600 get up and leave and go on. 442 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:32,640 This is something you need to engage in your life. 443 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:35,000 We do something called life groups. 444 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,040 And life group signups are coming up next week. 445 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:38,600 And some of you guys need to step out 446 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:40,280 and make a rhythm in your life this year 447 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:42,680 to say, I wanna be in life groups. 448 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:44,160 And you need to sign up for a life group. 449 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:45,400 And you're going, I don't know, it's kind of weird, 450 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:46,400 I'm kind of scared about it. 451 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:48,100 I don't care, step out and do it. 452 00:16:49,380 --> 00:16:51,420 Step out and do it, because that rhythm in your life 453 00:16:51,420 --> 00:16:53,380 is gonna help you engage in your faith, 454 00:16:53,380 --> 00:16:55,400 not just be a spectator of your faith, 455 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,480 but be an engager in your faith. 456 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:00,840 We have specific opportunities 457 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:04,000 for you to be empowered to serve Jesus. 458 00:17:05,140 --> 00:17:07,120 We carve out time specifically 459 00:17:07,120 --> 00:17:08,200 to be empowered to serve Jesus. 460 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,160 Every single one of you has been empowered to serve Jesus. 461 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,340 If you haven't heard this yet, and you don't know this, 462 00:17:12,340 --> 00:17:14,760 let me be the one to tell you, here you go, boom, 463 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:16,680 you're empowered, there it is. 464 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:18,000 Not that I have the power to do that, 465 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,040 but I'm just telling you, you're empowered. 466 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,040 As if you needed someone to say it, it's been said, 467 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:25,220 join a serve team, join a serve team. 468 00:17:25,220 --> 00:17:27,280 Be a part of what God's doing. 469 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:29,640 All right, everything we do here is for Jesus, 470 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:31,920 and we wanna help people encounter Jesus, 471 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:33,640 engage in their faith with Jesus, 472 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:38,480 be empowered to serve Jesus, it is all about him. 473 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:40,360 All right, it's not about one person. 474 00:17:40,360 --> 00:17:41,660 In fact, that's why you're not gonna hear 475 00:17:41,660 --> 00:17:44,640 just one speaker on the stage all the time. 476 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:48,680 In fact, if you've been here the last six weeks in a row, 477 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:51,440 you have not heard the same person two weeks in a row. 478 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:54,680 For the last six weeks, you have not heard the same person 479 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:55,560 two weeks in a row. 480 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:57,200 Now listen, there will be times 481 00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:59,560 where you will hear the same person for weeks in a row, 482 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:02,660 for maybe months in a row, but it is not about that person. 483 00:18:02,660 --> 00:18:04,520 It is not about one person, it's about Jesus. 484 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:05,640 We are for Jesus. 485 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:06,520 And you know what that means? 486 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,340 That means not just for what we do, but for you too. 487 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:11,960 It's not about one person. 488 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:13,040 So when you show up and you're like, 489 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,400 oh, that's not my guy speaking. 490 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:18,040 I wanted to hear the gray haired guy that wears sweatshirts. 491 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:19,880 That's what I wanted to hear. 492 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:21,920 Sorry, you got the bald guy, all right? 493 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:27,360 But it's not about one person, it doesn't matter. 494 00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:29,080 We're not gonna make it about that. 495 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:30,800 This is one of the things I love about Heights. 496 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:32,160 I've been to quite a few churches. 497 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:34,360 I've been around the block when it comes to churches. 498 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:37,720 I've worked in different churches in different states. 499 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:38,640 One of the things I love here 500 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:41,280 is that I can preach the best sermon of my life. 501 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:42,780 I can be the preacher, the best sermon of my life. 502 00:18:42,780 --> 00:18:45,040 My ministries can be growing exponentially. 503 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:45,920 It can be incredible. 504 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:47,340 My direct reports are thriving. 505 00:18:47,340 --> 00:18:48,180 Everything's great. 506 00:18:48,180 --> 00:18:50,760 And when I sit down with my bosses, 507 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:52,720 with my one-on-one meetings, my bosses, 508 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:54,120 this is kind of ridiculous, 509 00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:55,960 but my boss is actually Pastor Bob. 510 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,580 I don't know who thought that was a good idea, 511 00:18:58,580 --> 00:19:02,040 but Pastor Bob and Pastor John, those are my bosses. 512 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,080 And when I sit down with them, 513 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:05,280 the first question they ask me is, 514 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:08,160 hey, how's your relationship with Jesus? 515 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:10,080 It's not, man, how many people showed up this week 516 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:11,320 to all the ministries that you run 517 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:12,720 and all the things that you do? 518 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:15,680 Say, is Jesus number one in your life? 519 00:19:17,060 --> 00:19:19,640 Because we have staff values that guide our staff, 520 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:22,440 your staff that serve you here at Heights Church. 521 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,160 There are values that we live by, 522 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:27,720 and those all point us to Jesus because we are for Jesus. 523 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:29,040 We are not for ourself. 524 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:30,960 It is not about one person. 525 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,180 We are for Jesus. 526 00:19:34,580 --> 00:19:38,640 Can you say in your life that you are for Jesus? 527 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:40,720 Can you say that what you are doing in your life, 528 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:42,640 the rhythms that you have in place 529 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:46,480 are helping you live in a way that is for Jesus? 530 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:48,120 We are for Jesus. 531 00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:49,400 But he asks this question then, 532 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,020 if we are for Jesus, what was Jesus for? 533 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:55,680 Because if we're for Jesus, then we're for what Jesus was for, 534 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:56,520 what was Jesus for? 535 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,680 And I think that's answered in the most famous verse 536 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:02,320 in the Bible, in John 3, 16, it says this, 537 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:07,320 for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son 538 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:11,560 that whoever believes in him shall not perish, 539 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:13,000 but have eternal life. 540 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,260 For God did not send his son into the world 541 00:20:16,260 --> 00:20:20,580 to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 542 00:20:22,060 --> 00:20:25,160 God sent Jesus, what was Jesus for? 543 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:26,720 Why did he come? 544 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,200 For the world, and I don't think it was for the plants 545 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,080 and the animals, I think it was for the people. 546 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:32,900 What was Jesus for? 547 00:20:32,900 --> 00:20:35,000 Jesus was for people, and what does that mean? 548 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:36,340 That means that we, if you're taking notes, 549 00:20:36,340 --> 00:20:38,600 write this down, we are for people. 550 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:41,440 We're for people, we are for Jesus, 551 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:44,760 which means that we are also for people. 552 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,200 That means our doors are open wide. 553 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:48,540 All right, everyone is welcome. 554 00:20:48,540 --> 00:20:50,520 There is nobody, you don't have to look a certain way, 555 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:54,720 act a certain way, believe a certain thing to be in here. 556 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,480 Our doors are open wide, everyone is welcome here. 557 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:00,060 And I gotta be honest, that makes some people 558 00:21:00,060 --> 00:21:01,280 a little uncomfortable because they're like, 559 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:02,820 well, why is that person here? 560 00:21:02,820 --> 00:21:05,520 Oh, I know what they did the other day. 561 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:08,720 Oh, you're gonna let them in here? 562 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:10,760 They believe this. 563 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:12,560 All right, we get a little nervous about it, 564 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:15,180 but here's the thing, our doors are open to everyone, 565 00:21:15,180 --> 00:21:17,220 and everyone is welcome, and you know why? 566 00:21:17,220 --> 00:21:18,300 You know why we do it? 567 00:21:18,300 --> 00:21:19,980 Because Jesus welcomed everyone. 568 00:21:21,700 --> 00:21:23,080 You know how I know? 569 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:24,080 Because you're here. 570 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:27,040 Right, you know how I know? 571 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:28,440 Because you're here. 572 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,440 See, I think a lot of times for us, when we get well, 573 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:32,960 we forget when we were sick. 574 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:34,400 We show up sick, and then we get well, 575 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:36,800 and all of a sudden we start judging all the sick people. 576 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:37,640 What's wrong with them? 577 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:38,760 Look at them, they're all bad, 578 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:39,760 and we forgot that we used to be 579 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:41,160 in the same place they were. 580 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:43,800 All right, let me say it this way. 581 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:45,400 Recently I stayed in a hotel, 582 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,280 and I don't love the beds in the hotel, 583 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:52,000 I love my own bed, but what I do love is free breakfast. 584 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,520 All right, and I'm not talking like just a cup of yogurt 585 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,720 and a muffin, like I'm talking like the buffet, 586 00:21:57,720 --> 00:21:58,540 you know what I'm saying? 587 00:21:58,540 --> 00:22:00,880 Like your boy can get down on a buffet, all right? 588 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:02,640 Some of you are like, oh, we can tell. 589 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,200 I don't need that right now, all right? 590 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:06,600 But listen, I love it. 591 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:08,360 Like the ones that where there's a big old spread, 592 00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:10,360 and so I'm at this hotel, and I get there, 593 00:22:10,360 --> 00:22:12,580 and my favorite part, you gotta know, 594 00:22:12,580 --> 00:22:15,840 if you've been to a hotel and there's a buffet, 595 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:17,480 this has gotta be the best part. 596 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:19,720 The ones with the waffle makers, right? 597 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,160 You're like, put it up, you can pour in your own thing, 598 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:23,800 you gotta put it down, twist it. 599 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,620 Like that's how you know you're living in quality 600 00:22:26,620 --> 00:22:27,460 right there. 601 00:22:28,580 --> 00:22:29,680 I saw him at this hotel, 602 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:30,920 and I'm getting ready over here, 603 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,800 and I see this lady going for the waffle maker, all right? 604 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:35,360 And she's about to pour in her batter, 605 00:22:35,360 --> 00:22:37,480 and this lady, I'm like, stop! 606 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:38,320 She's like, what? 607 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:40,520 I'm like, you are about to commit a waffle crime right now. 608 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:41,960 I need to talk to you about this. 609 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:43,760 She's like, what is going on? 610 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:45,040 I was like, you pour that in there, 611 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:45,860 you're gonna have a problem, 612 00:22:45,860 --> 00:22:47,440 you gotta spray it first, right? 613 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:48,560 And I sprayed it first, 614 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:49,800 because I was like, if you don't spray it, 615 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:50,960 you're gonna put the waffle in there, 616 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:52,200 it's gonna beep, you're gonna pull it up, 617 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:53,040 you're gonna be excited, 618 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:54,080 and your waffle's gonna crumble. 619 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:54,920 There's gonna be pieces everywhere, 620 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:56,040 you're gonna kill waffles right here. 621 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:59,880 It's gonna be a heinous crime against waffles, 622 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:00,720 this is gonna be bad. 623 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:02,640 I'm like, we can't do this right now, this is not good. 624 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:04,040 And she's like, oh my gosh, 625 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:05,640 I can't believe that I was about to do that. 626 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,520 I was like, I know, I saved your life, I know, I know. 627 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:09,360 And I start walking away, 628 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:10,280 and she's like, how did you know? 629 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:12,880 I was like, well, I just have superior waffle knowledge, 630 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:16,480 I am just a connoisseur of great waffles. 631 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:18,480 She's like, no, really, how'd you know? 632 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:20,240 And I'm like, because, here's the deal, 633 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:23,040 a lot of times we can act like, oh man, that person, 634 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:24,700 they're the problem when we forget 635 00:23:24,700 --> 00:23:26,240 that we used to be in the same place. 636 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:29,040 And the reason I knew is because I killed some waffles. 637 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:31,720 I killed some waffles. 638 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:32,640 See, when it comes to church, 639 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:34,360 a lot of times we look at the people that are broken, 640 00:23:34,360 --> 00:23:36,440 and we go, oh man, look at them, they're broken, 641 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,640 and we forget that we used to be broken too. 642 00:23:39,780 --> 00:23:41,020 We are four people, 643 00:23:41,020 --> 00:23:44,660 which means that everyone is welcome here. 644 00:23:44,660 --> 00:23:47,000 1 Timothy 1, 15 says this, 645 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:50,160 here's a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 646 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:52,240 All right, let's listen, full acceptance. 647 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,760 Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, amen, 648 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:59,240 absolutely, hallelujah, of whom I am the worst, 649 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,220 hold up, of whom I am the worst? 650 00:24:02,220 --> 00:24:03,240 Who's this Timothy guy? 651 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:04,480 Why is this in the Bible? 652 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:06,440 If he's the worst sinner, wait a second, 653 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:08,720 this letter is actually a letter to Timothy, 654 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:12,120 who's a young pastor, and it's from Paul. 655 00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:15,360 Paul, the guy who wrote most of the New Testament. 656 00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:17,960 Paul, the guy whose theology probably helped many of you 657 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:19,400 become a Christian. 658 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:23,360 Paul, the guy that we look at is this pillar of the faith, 659 00:24:23,360 --> 00:24:24,200 what does he say? 660 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:27,920 He says, of sinners, who I am the worst. 661 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:28,920 Listen, you have to understand, 662 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:32,320 there is no such thing as the perfect church, 663 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:35,040 because there's no such thing as perfect people, 664 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:36,880 and the church is made up of people. 665 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:40,080 If you find the perfect church, don't join it, 666 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:41,480 because you'll mess it up. 667 00:24:43,100 --> 00:24:44,480 There's no such thing as the perfect church, 668 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:46,340 because the church is made of people. 669 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,280 We have this view of what church should be like 670 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:50,440 when you show up to church, it's like, 671 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:51,720 well, this is just a bunch of people 672 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,740 who only watch PG rated movies, right? 673 00:24:54,740 --> 00:24:56,440 This is a bunch of people who, when they stub their toe, 674 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,400 they just say, gosh darn it, right? 675 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:01,640 This is a bunch of people who only have one glass of wine, 676 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:03,040 just one, right? 677 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:04,120 This is a bunch of people who are perfect, 678 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:06,360 no, and that's not the truth, this is a hospital, 679 00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:07,520 and what do you find in hospital? 680 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:11,040 You find sick people, and you were once a sick person, 681 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:12,640 and once you get better, a lot of times, 682 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:14,320 we forget that we were once sick, 683 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:16,000 but you need to realize that you're now a nurse 684 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:19,840 to help point the sick people to a doctor, that's your job. 685 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:21,800 We have a savior, and his name is Jesus, 686 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:23,880 and he came for everyone. 687 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:28,320 He was four people, which means that we are four people. 688 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:33,400 We're four people, which is really easy to say, 689 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:36,760 but it's a lot harder when there's real people involved. 690 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:38,640 It's really easy to say you're four people, 691 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,440 and we are four people, but when there's actual people 692 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,640 involved, that means that we have to love people 693 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:46,680 that are different than us. 694 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:48,320 We gotta love people that are different than us, 695 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:50,040 and loving people that are different than us 696 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:51,520 is pretty difficult. 697 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:53,240 It's easy when they're like us, right? 698 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:54,880 It's easy to like a Padres fan, 699 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:56,720 it's a lot harder to like a Dodgers fan, 700 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:58,920 I'm just saying, I'm just saying. 701 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:02,880 It's easy to like someone who's in the same tax bracket 702 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:04,320 as you, because you can hang out with them, 703 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:05,880 and you're on the same level, and everything's great, 704 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,280 but it's a lot harder when somebody's in a different. 705 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:11,480 It's really easy to love someone who voted 706 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:13,480 for the same political candidate you did. 707 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,560 It's a lot harder to vote, or to love someone 708 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:18,320 who voted for the other person. 709 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:24,800 It's a lot harder to love somebody, or to be four people, 710 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:27,320 when that person is not like you. 711 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:28,640 All right, but here's what it says in Galatians, 712 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:32,520 Galatians three, so in Christ Jesus, 713 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:35,520 you are all children of God through faith. 714 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,840 For all of you who are baptized into Christ 715 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,280 have clothed yourself with Christ. 716 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:42,640 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, 717 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:46,480 neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, 718 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:50,040 for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 719 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:53,840 All people matter to God. 720 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,800 All people matter to God, so they matter to us. 721 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,520 They matter to us, we're four people. 722 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,360 All right, God created space for humans to belong to him, 723 00:27:04,360 --> 00:27:06,080 and so we will follow his example, 724 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:09,640 and we will treat people with the value that they deserve. 725 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:12,560 We will treat people with the value that they deserve. 726 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:16,480 I think a lot of times we think, man, 727 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:18,600 but we gotta just huddle in here. 728 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:19,880 Like the church is the safe place 729 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,040 because the world is difficult. 730 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:25,240 And we read verses like this, it says in Ephesians 5.15, 731 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:27,360 so be very careful how you live. 732 00:27:27,360 --> 00:27:31,760 Do not live like those who are not wise, but live wisely. 733 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:34,040 Use every chance you have for doing good, 734 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,360 because these are evil times. 735 00:27:36,360 --> 00:27:38,600 These are evil times, and church people, 736 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:40,560 we like to focus on the fact that they're evil times. 737 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,280 Oh, these are evil times we're living in. 738 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:45,840 Evil times, oh, the whole world is terrible, 739 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:47,520 it's the worst it's ever been in human history, 740 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:49,640 and that's just not true, first of all. 741 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:51,480 But we like to focus on how evil the times are 742 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:55,280 instead of realizing that we can do good in the times. 743 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:57,000 Doing good in the evil times. 744 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:00,200 Oh, but it's dark out there, it's dark out there. 745 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:01,720 But you know what the cure for darkness is? 746 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:03,720 It's light, and we have a bright light, 747 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:06,920 so why don't we let our light shine, church? 748 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:08,760 Why don't we let our light shine? 749 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:09,840 We are living in evil times, 750 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:11,760 which means that we have more of an opportunity 751 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:14,520 to do good, to show up in a world 752 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,240 that desperately needs Jesus and say, 753 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:18,560 listen, because we are for Jesus, we are for people, 754 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:19,920 which means that you are welcome, 755 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:21,400 and you are loved, and you are cared for, 756 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:22,560 and we want to show up with a gospel 757 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,320 that can change your life. 758 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:28,720 That is why we exist, we are for people. 759 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:36,360 I think that there's people that God has put in your life 760 00:28:36,360 --> 00:28:41,360 right now that you need to step out and you need to love. 761 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:43,680 And they're not the easy to love people. 762 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:44,960 There's somebody in your life right now 763 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:47,880 that is not easy to love, but God has put them in your life 764 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:49,720 for an opportunity for you to love them. 765 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:52,960 So I think that there are people in your life right now 766 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:56,200 that God has put in your life that you need to forgive. 767 00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:59,880 Forgiveness is really hard, because what we like to do 768 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:02,320 is we like to build a wall, we like to cut them off, 769 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:03,800 we like to hold a grudge, we like to say, 770 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:06,280 no, you wronged me, and I'm gonna hold on to this. 771 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:10,720 But being for people is forgiving people. 772 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:12,880 And there's somebody in your life right now, 773 00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:14,720 and the Holy Spirit is bringing them to your mind 774 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:16,680 that you know you need to forgive. 775 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:19,480 Because if you are for people, you need to forgive people. 776 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:21,760 All right, if you are for people, 777 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:23,240 if you would say, yes, I am for people, 778 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:25,760 here's what, what if we just did this year? 779 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:27,960 What if we just assumed the best in people? 780 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:32,000 Why do we always just jump to assuming the worst? 781 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,320 Oh, they meant to do that. 782 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:36,040 Oh, they're out to get me. 783 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:36,880 What if they're not? 784 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:38,280 What if we just assumed the best in people? 785 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:40,880 Listen, I think we could change so much of our culture 786 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:44,040 if we just started assuming the best in people. 787 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,120 What if we were for people enough to do things 788 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:49,620 and do actions to point them to Jesus? 789 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:53,600 What if we pointed people to Jesus? 790 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:56,080 What if we were pushing them to Jesus 791 00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:57,920 in the way that we lived? 792 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:00,700 Well, there's people that God has put in your life 793 00:30:00,700 --> 00:30:02,800 that you can invite, because if you're for people, 794 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:04,840 you want them to know Jesus. 795 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:07,160 There's people in your life that you can invite to church 796 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:09,920 or that you can talk to them about Jesus. 797 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:11,480 I always think it's crazy when someone says, 798 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:13,400 oh, this is my friend, I love them so much, 799 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:14,920 but they've never told them about Jesus, 800 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:17,260 because essentially what you're doing, 801 00:30:17,260 --> 00:30:19,240 you can't love them, you actually hate them 802 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:20,860 if you haven't told them about Jesus. 803 00:30:20,860 --> 00:30:22,880 Because what you're saying is I want you to spend eternity 804 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:24,840 apart from Jesus forever. 805 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:25,680 That's not love. 806 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:30,120 If there's somebody in your life that you say that you love, 807 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:31,960 but you haven't told them about Jesus, 808 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:33,360 you don't actually love them. 809 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:36,960 Who is it that God has put in your life that you can say, 810 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,160 miss, I wanna teach you about Jesus, 811 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:41,680 I wanna invite you to church? 812 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:44,240 Like man, but I invited him and they said no. 813 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,120 That's okay, invite him again. 814 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:48,480 Oh, but they said no again, invite him again. 815 00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:52,960 Invite him again and again and again, 816 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,160 because the Holy Spirit is working on them. 817 00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:57,720 And it's through your invite 818 00:30:57,720 --> 00:30:59,720 that it might change their life forever. 819 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:03,800 And if you're four people, then you're four people 820 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:05,120 knowing about Jesus. 821 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:09,720 And I think if you went to the store right now, 822 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:15,320 and you found these on the wall, 823 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:17,320 you found these on the shelf, you go to the store 824 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:18,760 and you're looking at these at the shelf right now 825 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,080 and you're like, okay, sweet, awesome, look at that. 826 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:23,200 And you saw this hanging up there. 827 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:25,440 You look at this and one of these is a lot more desirable 828 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:26,280 than the other one, right? 829 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:28,680 This one you're like, I don't want your ghetto paper bag. 830 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:30,200 Like I don't even know what's in there. 831 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:32,360 Like what is this? 832 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:34,760 Like that's terrible, I don't want that. 833 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,080 So if you saw this, you'd be like, oh, okay. 834 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:40,520 But you see this and you're like, yeah, all right. 835 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,360 Some of you are five days clean on your diet 836 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:44,480 so far this year. 837 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:46,720 And you didn't know you were gonna get tempted 838 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:48,280 in church this morning. 839 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:50,640 You're like, get that evil away from me, Ricky Bobby. 840 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:52,680 Like I don't need that in my life. 841 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:55,320 Some of you, that's where you're at right now. 842 00:31:55,320 --> 00:31:56,640 But here's the truth. 843 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:59,800 Here's the truth, this is a lot more attractive, right? 844 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:01,800 They both have the same contents. 845 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:04,280 They both have the same contents in these package, 846 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,320 but the packaging matters. 847 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:09,560 The packaging matters. 848 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:12,560 What it's wrapped in is important. 849 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:16,280 And some of you are like, well, God will take care of it. 850 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:18,440 It doesn't matter how I live because it's all about God. 851 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:21,480 No, listen, you might be the only God that they ever see. 852 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,200 They don't know God, they know you. 853 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:24,920 And the way that you live is gonna make them want 854 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:26,520 what's on the inside. 855 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:28,520 And when you wrap yourself in the right kind of packaging 856 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:30,440 and you live in a way that shows the world around you 857 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:31,920 that you are for Jesus and for people, 858 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:34,320 now all of a sudden they wanna be for Jesus too. 859 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:36,320 Because they saw you. 860 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:39,160 Let me ask you this. 861 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:44,080 Would knowing you make someone want to know Jesus? 862 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:46,080 Or not? 863 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,200 Would knowing you make someone wanna know Jesus or not? 864 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:55,120 Are you living in a way that takes the fact 865 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:57,240 that you are for Jesus and makes it for people 866 00:32:57,240 --> 00:32:59,760 and you are attractive enough to make people go, 867 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:01,640 man, I wanna know what's on the inside 868 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:02,960 and I need some of that? 869 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:07,560 When Jesus is the center, 870 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:12,960 when Jesus is the focus, 871 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,000 when you are for Jesus, 872 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,760 then you will live in a way that is for people. 873 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:20,920 So let me challenge you with this. 874 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:25,920 What rhythms do you need to put in your life 875 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:29,320 so you can be for Jesus? 876 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:33,680 What is it in your life that you need to do 877 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:35,520 so that you can be for Jesus? 878 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:38,360 You can say, listen, I am remaining in Him 879 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:40,560 by allowing this rhythm to be something that happens 880 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,360 in my life and pushes me back to the fact 881 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:43,960 that I am for Him and not drifting off 882 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:45,720 and putting myself on center stage. 883 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:50,360 Let me challenge you with this. 884 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:52,480 Who is it that the Holy Spirit has put on your mind 885 00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:53,680 that you need to love? 886 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:57,280 Who is it that you need to love? 887 00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:00,080 Who is it that the Holy Spirit 888 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:02,960 has put on your mind that you need to forgive? 889 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:04,280 Oh, it's not gonna be easy. 890 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:07,040 But who is it right now that the Holy Spirit 891 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:09,280 has put on your mind that you need to forgive? 892 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:13,880 Who is it the Holy Spirit has put on your mind 893 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:15,760 that you need to invite? 894 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:17,960 That you need to invite and say, come on, come on, 895 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:19,520 I need you to know about this Jesus 896 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:21,920 change your life. 897 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:30,760 It starts with this, if you aren't for Jesus, maybe you just show up to church, but you 898 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:33,760 haven't made a commitment to say, Hey, I'm for Jesus. 899 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:35,400 It starts with that. 900 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:38,720 It starts with you today saying, I want to trust that Jesus died on the cross from my 901 00:34:38,720 --> 00:34:42,640 sins so that I can have a relationship with God. 902 00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:48,680 And I want to live in a way that is for Jesus so that I can be for people. 903 00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:49,680 Let's pray. 904 00:34:49,680 --> 00:35:00,080 God, thank you so much that you loved the world so much that you sent 905 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:06,920 your son to make a way for us to have a relationship with you. 906 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:11,160 God, I pray for anyone in here today that needs to make that commitment, that needs 907 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:15,120 to re-up that commitment, that needs to say, Hey, I am for Jesus. 908 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:19,360 And God, I pray that we would live that way. 909 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:21,560 We would be for Jesus. 910 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:29,720 And God, I pray today for the extra difficult task of being for people. 911 00:35:29,720 --> 00:35:36,840 God, that you would give us the strength to be able to be for people, that the overflow 912 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:42,040 of our love for you would make its way to the other, to the people around us. 913 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:45,680 And that through the way we live, it would show them who you are. 914 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:56,040 God, we are so grateful that you welcome everyone, that you welcomed us. 915 00:35:56,040 --> 00:36:03,200 And then in spite of all of our mess-ups, you continue to welcome us. 916 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:05,600 We praise you, Jesus. 917 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:07,600 We pray all of this in your name. 918 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:12,600 Amen.