Awesome across in church. How are you doing today?
Yeah, come on, now. Look out there, John.
It's beautiful. So good to be in the house.
The Lord, with the, with a people of the Lord experience in
the presence of the Lord. And we welcome, you welcome all
of our campuses that are joining all across this region, how good
it is when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity.
There is nothing quite like it and really Joy in the series
that we've been in better how to win at home.
And I know that there's been a lot of really good things that
have come out of that, that you guys are personally doing in
your own lives. And it's translating all the way
across the board and your families and and that's awesome.
It's just awesome when great things are going on.
There's great things going on inside and online to.
So, thankful for each and every one of you being a part along
with all of our local Locations. And it is an awesome time to be
part of the family of Believers got Easter coming up in a couple
of weeks, going to be a big day. It's going to be awesome.
Can't wait for that last week. Just incredible being able to
preach with Andre. Did he bring the word or not?
But you know, Lawson how he brought the word.
So I was there, you know, after the, the preaching time was over
and sit in the front and enjoying the worship and
participate in the worship, like everybody else.
And I'm thinking about what's coming, I'm thinking about the
Next week. And and we're going to be
talking about balance today and what that means.
And so in my mind I'm thinking, you know, I need a, I need an
example for balance. I need some way of a detaching
that and who would do I know that really lives out a balanced
life. I want you to think about that
yourself right now who do, you know, that's around you that you
have a pretty close relationship with it.
You could say that person really lives a balanced life and maybe
you don't know exactly what I'm saying.
But but I'm talking about a christ-centered balanced life.
Who do you know like that? So I'm thinking about that and
realized while I was thinking that in worship, but I was
staring right at the guy. Because this is John, I mean, I
know that John actually lives that and I'm not saying that
just to Puff you up that I've known you for 16 years in this
role. I've actually knew before that
but on staff at The Crossing for 16 years and it's been an
amazing ride. He has great parents that raised
him up that had a lot to do with balance in your life.
He is always had this really deep love for the church and the
church can be difficult sometimes.
And I know you've experienced some difficulty there but you've
loved the church all the way through that.
He went to Bible College and then he served he served at
9:29. Can I hear it for 929?
He served at Lima? Can I heard for a while?
He served at 48th Street, you know, he's dead.
Yeah, he's been the campus pastor at 9:29.
And now he leads worship and media Ministries for all of our
campuses all of our locations. So if you want to know like
where I began on this idea of balance, there's really this is,
this is really how I judge you more than anything else.
He married way way over his head, pretty.
Okay, this like I got on even know, you know, Gary Shawna his
wife came from a great Christ committed, family parents and
they were both committed to sexual Purity from the beginning
of their relationship with started when they were like two
or something. I don't remember.
It's like been a while. And, and, and I remember I was
at their wedding and part of their wedding, ceremony was
white roses and it was white roses commemorating that sexual
Purity. And after the wedding, I mean,
that impressed me. And after the wedding, they had
all these white White roses and they didn't know what they were
going to do with them and I was going to preach a sermon and I
decided that I would use those as an illustration of sexual
Purity. People that wanted to take that,
that step that day and say, I want to commit myself to sexual
Purity and we started handing out those white roses for that
and that was so well, received so many people wanted to commit
to that, that I had to quit giving roses and what I ended up
doing. We ended up tearing the white
petals off and we were giving everyone white petals.
That was that we're making that commitment and me think about
the power of that. The value of that, well, John's
a committed to cycler. If you don't believe me, just go
to Qdoba Tuesday. Thursday.
Yeah. And and you'll see him.
There was somebody pouring into somebody being in relationship.
He's a he loves discipleship. He's a fierce friend, sometimes
even more Fierce than I like. Because He will fight for
relationship to The Bitter End. I mean, he just won't give up
and I see him in those environments, regularly, they
opened their home to people that have a need for a place to stay.
They've done that multiple times and he and Shauna are no
strangers to hardship, pain and Challenge and you're going to
hear about their twins today. Because that was about what 12
years ago. And a lot of You don't know that
they have four children here on Earth.
They have three in heaven. And I've seen their balance
tested and tried, and it's endured enough to say that when
we worship with John that there's no guile in him, I mean,
he's not trying to fake you out. That's really how he feels.
And it's and that it's that Honesty that I think captures
many of our hearts, in our Our scripture today that we're going
to be referring to there's a section about following good
examples. And I just want to tell you, I'm
excited to be up here with John because John is a good example.
Give my welcome. Well, to be honest, I had a
slightly jaded view of what I think of the word balance and
when it's associated with the church growing up, I've been in
part of different conversations and balance.
The conversation went like this, they would come talk to me and
they would say, well I have this career, I have these Hobbies, I
have this relationship here and I have this, and I have this.
And then another piece was I have my relationship with
Christ. And to me, when we were talking
about, It was more like fitting pieces into a pie and trying to
balance all those things. Just balance them and then when
something would happen such as a career move, someone would climb
the ladder and a career, or maybe their relationship with
their girlfriend or boyfriend would get more serious.
What would happen was the pie, the balance would shift and all
sudden they. Usually the first thing to go
would be the Peace of Jesus. And so I've always had a jaded
view because I'm thinking about the church and balance, there
really is no balance. When you talk about your
relationship with Christ, but I'm thankful to say today that's
not the balance. We're talking about, we're
talking about the balance of contentment, the one in the
peace, in the midst of Life, the type of balance you and I want
for my family, you have goals, you have desires for your life
and family, but sometimes we struggle to see a path to get
there. We're hope the book of
Philippians. Does this a good job of kind of
giving us insight and direction towards that?
So if you have your Bibles with you, open up to Philippians,
chapter 4, if you don't, that's all right, we're going to have
it on the screen. I'm going to read it along
rejoice in the lord. Always, I will say it again.
Rejoice, let your gentleness be evident to all the Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything.
But in every situation by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving,
present your requests to God and the Peace of God, which
transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your
minds in Christ. Jesus, finally, brothers and
sisters. Whatever is true.
Whatever is Noble, whatever is pure, whatever is right?
Whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is
excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things, whatever you
have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me,
put into practice and the God of Peace will be with you.
I Rejoice greatly in the Lord that at the last year, renewed
your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned CERN,
but you had no opportunity to show it.
I'm not saying this because I am in need for.
I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances, I
know what it is to be in, need, I know what it is to have
plenty, I've learned the secret of being content in any and
every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in
plenty or in one you know this I can do all this through him who
gives me strength. Now let's break that down so we
can get a grip on what God is teaching us through Paul and
maybe we can find that And our lives and our families will be
better for it. Balance requires an attitude.
An attitude begins with a choice.
You know, Joshua said in the Old Testament as they were taking
the promised land as for me and my house, we will serve the
Lord. What's Joshua saying?
They're he's saying I'm making a choice, I'm making a choice for
myself and I'm making a choice for my family that we are better
better because we're going to let Christ or God in the Old
Testament be at the very center place of my my home.
My life, you know, Jesus said this in Matthew 6:33 said, but
seek first, his kingdom, and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.
Same thing all of our decisions in life need to flow out of that
truth. And so our attitude in the
choices we make for that, attitude are critical to this.
So, let me say it this way, just with a slogan, okay.
Direction determines Owens destination.
The direction you said in your life will determine where you
end up the destination of your life.
Let's say it together. Ready Direction?
Determines destination. So, Paul at in the scripture in
Philippians 4, He commands us, it's in the imperative He
commands us to Rejoice because to Rejoice is a choice.
Really, it is. Now, I know that a lot of us we
just want to be carried along. We just want to be in an
environment circumstances, everything around just just kind
of forces it out of us, but that's not what Paul is saying
here. He's saying to Rejoice is a
choice. How many times have you been in
an environment like a church environment and you're supposed
to be praising and worshipping? And you just don't feel like it,
come on moment of honesty. How many of you would times
you've done it. You just don't feel like it in
the rest of you are lying lying. That's what these steps are.
For later on how many times are you called on to rejoice and you
sing the words but you really feel like you're forcing it.
How about that? You feel like you're forcing it?
Yeah. Why is that?
Well, because rejoicing is a discipline.
It really is. You have to make a choice to
Rejoice, you know, there's a lot of things in life that we either
do, or don't do we, because we'd rather do something else.
That doesn't make this fake. It doesn't make rejoicing fake.
You're just admitting that. It's a choice.
You're making a choice. And you got to decide whether or
not you're going to do that many years ago.
I was in a quartet men's quartet.
And we were asked to sing. And I was asked to preach at the
Indiana State Farm, which is a prison.
And so we went in there and they had a praise band.
And these guys were actually very good and then we got up and
we did our stuff. And then when they were does
about 500 inmates, In that in that room and when they were
done, everybody clears off the stage and and I come up on the
stage to preach except for one guy and he was a big big guy.
He was over 7 foot tall, he just towered over me and he was as
wide as he was tall. He was just a big dude and he
didn't leave. The state's matter of fact, he
brought out a stool and sat it behind me and Sat down on it.
So I start preaching my sermon. Let me tell you, it was weird.
It was intimidating that I had this giant man behind me sitting
on a stool while I was preaching.
So I start preaching and I'm talking and I said something
that obviously agreed with him because he went, mmm.
Mmm. It's making sure everything's.
Okay, kept going priest. Little bit more.
He went. Mmm.
Like, he just had a bite of dessert.
And without really recognizing it, I started to feel better.
I started to feel good and the more I preach, the more he would
respond as matter. Of fact, I found out the whole
reason he was there up. There was to encourage me that
was his gift to just encourage me and he was mmm, you know, and
so I mean I'm giving it more. I'm starting to sweat, you know,
a little bit and I'm preaching harder because he's encouraging
me and a little bit further into it.
I said something, I remember what I said but he knows Say it
again. I went.
I said it again. Anyway, then he went.
Mmm well a little further in the sermon and I said something
else, he goes say it again and I go I'm gonna say it again.
But that time I'm screaming, the sermon sweats pouring down my
face, and it felt so good. You know, he was making a
choice, he was making a choice to Rejoice.
He was making a choice and he was helping me to make a choice
as well. And it makes all the difference
in your attitude. John, it does, I want to talk
afterwards about joining a quartet with you.
I think that would be a great idea.
Okay. Yeah, right.
You can be my Jerry tone. You guys got that, right?
Baritones. You're okay, that's good.
Alright we got something later. Go say it again.
I will Mi jere tone. I'll just be the big guy.
You're my tiny. That's right.
People who are happy. Especially those who are happy
in the Lord are not apt to either give offense or take
offense. And you know the people that I'm
talking about, right? Those who just walk with a nice
steady Pace. Those always have a smile upon
them. Those always have, Good
encouragement. They give you those that know
that their life. Even when people try to knock
them off balance, they just stay steady.
Their life is just one. Beautiful balance.
Walk, those are the people, those our minds, our minds are
sweetly occupied with higher things and they're not easily
distracted by the little troubles, which naturally arise
in such imperfect creatures like us, right.
Joy in the Lord is the cure for disc whom say it again.
John, say it again. Brother joy, and the Lord is
cure for Discord. Can I get a witness?
Amen. Amen.
I believe it. I believe it's joy and the Lord
can cure all kinds of things. Then it goes on to say this,
that let your gentleness be evident to all.
Evident means what it needs to be seen, right?
Like this gentleness, that's inside of you.
This attribute of God. Isn't something that just stays
in here, know, like when you go to work, like people should say,
there's gentleness about you, At home, they should recognize your
gentleness or wherever you go especially at Walmart, they
should have recognized your gentleness, right?
This isn't something that we just keep inside.
Right. Man, I think of other words like
this, I think of mildness. I think of patients, I think of
Mercy. I think of moderation, I think
of the unwillingness to litigator can't end like this
describes, the heart of a person who will let the Lord fight his
battles, right? It's right.
Romans 12:19 says this, he knows that vengeance.
Is mine says the Lord. It describes a person who is
really free to let go of his anxieties and the things that
caused some stress because he knows the Lord, Take up his
cause. Then it says, the Lord is near
and I love. It's kind of twofold for me.
It says, the Lord is near the Lord is coming back soon.
Jesus Christ, one day, we'll come back soon.
And at that time, he will take care of all the injustices, he
will make every wrong. He will make right Cummings, let
him fight the battles. It also says this Lord is near
right. So, he's with us.
He's watching us, this part can fix me because my wife would
probably say I'm a gentle person to a lot of people, but around
9:00, Night, my gentleness goes, when the kids are trying to go
to bed, right? So when you look at your spouse,
what do they see? Do they see gentleness as a part
of, you forget the rest of the world.
Maybe just start in your home. Does your spouse recognize this
gentleness? Do your kids, recognize this
gentleness students kids, do your parents recognize this
gentleness of knowledge. You so what have we talked
about? We talked about rejoicing,
right? Say it again, rejoice We've
talked about gentleness. How are you doing?
How are you doing, honestly? Because I can tell you right
now, I'm not doing very well. It's easy for me to stand up
here and tell you how to be. But listen, I struggle with
this. I struggle.
Sometimes I just don't feel like it sometimes.
I don't want to do it sometimes. I don't want I want to fake it.
Here are you are you? Are you agreeing with me?
Here? Is there some truth in that?
Sometimes I'm not. You could use a lot of different
pronouns but gentle Jerry probably not.
No. You know, and that's something
to be proud of because my gentleness is supposed to be
evident to all. So maybe like me, you're feeling
a little defeated right now. You're saying, why did I come
here to hear this? Because this is not encouraging.
Listen to me, you're not alone. If you have Jesus Christ in your
heart, you have the holy spirit to guide you and you're never
alone in men. He's going to be there with you.
He's going to help you, he's going to strengthen you, he's
going to uphold you, he's there, and he's not just there for the
victories. He's not just there when the
weather's good, he's there for every failure.
He's there for every hardship. He's there for every difficulty.
So balance requires a joyful attitude and it requires a
gentle disposition. So great, that's true.
How do I actually make that happen in my life?
Let me give you one way that that really happens and that is
praying being a person who prays a person who talks to the Lord,
you're not alone and what prayer is there to for you to do is to
have a talk with Jesus have a conversation.
With God to be reminded. Remember, it's not there to
change God's mind prayers. Never been there to change,
God's mind, it's there to change hours and make our minds more
like his. And when we, when we talked to
the Lord, that begins to happen and you need to, you need to
because, how many of us are struggling with anxiety right
now? The challenges that you face in
life, they can shred us on the inside.
Right? Right.
And that's what that is. That's that's anxiety.
And some of those challenges they seem overwhelming but Jesus
is never overwhelmed. If the cross couldn't overwhelm
Jesus, then your problems won't overwhelm Jesus.
Amen! Amen.
He'll give you a piece. Now, the Apostle, Paul said a
peace, that passes understanding, you know what
that means means a piece. That makes no sense.
That isn't based on the circumstances, right?
And that piece, he said, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus. And if you're saying heart,
that's emotions. If you're saying mine, that's
thoughts your emotions and your thoughts.
Let me ask you a question. Where does your anxiety come
from? If it doesn't come from your
emotions and your thoughts and he says, balance comes from
peace. Balance comes from peace.
Now, the kind of Peace he's talking about it passes
understanding, which means does it make sense, which means it
isn't based on how good your life is the circumstances of
your life? It's not the absence of
difficulty but he's giving you peace right in the middle of
difficulty. John talk to us some more about
that. So if our hearts and our minds
are being emptied of these things of anxiety, and stress,
and what do we fill them with? God's word tells us, right?
It says true things Noble things.
Right things pure things, lovely things.
Excellent and praiseworthy things.
Just pause there for a moment. If those things were to fill
your mind, if you were to think only of true pure and lovely
things. Excellent, and praiseworthy
things. What would your life?
What would your day look like? I'd be hard to find it a tad.
Be filled with chaos. I bet there'd be a lot more
peace and balance in your life. Well, how do you, how do you get
some of those things? How do you, how do you see
lovely things in pure? Well, it's the examples around
you. Who are you putting yourself
around? Do you have good examples in
your life are the examples in your life?
Good ones? That are bringing these things
or are they once filling of chaos and maybe unbalanced do
your kids do your spouse? Do they have these circles are
they? In close proximity. 72, these
good environments where they're seeing these lovely things.
He's praiseworthy and excellent things.
How about your example to the people you care about most?
Are you being this to them? See, right now many of you like
me are feeling the burden of how far are you away from anything
that could be called balance, but Paul talks about what it's
like knowing, knowing in the best of circumstances and the
worst of circumstances. Our first pregnancy was awesome
to say the least. It was, it was interesting.
We'd been trying for several years and we found out that we
were pregnant. We were thrilled.
We are excited. Not only to find out that we
were pregnant with one but two Then to find out that they were
in the same sack, okay? They're not defined that just
that but also that they are conjoined at the belly.
Okay, excited. Yes, nervous.
You better believe it. Through this, through this
pregnancy we came up right from the very beginning after finding
out all this news in a matter of couple weeks.
We decided to vary from the beginning this motto for the
glory of God like no matter what throughout the whole pregnancy
that for the glory of God, whatever may happen for God's
glory. I remember a specific prayer
now. There were many, many prayers
lifted to the heavens, but I remember this one specific.
It was in their Nursery as we were prepping for the nursery I
got down on my knees during the day and I remember crying out to
God. God this would be awesome for
you. God, do a miracle, this would be
great for your kingdom. This would be great if they were
to live and be separated what a testimony that they would have
do the things that they would tell.
God, how do you receive so much lower?
Your kingdom would continue to advance an incredible things
would happen. All For Your Glory, God.
Also think of all the people during during this time the
church family, they're a beautiful thing.
The bride of Christ, how they came along and send up prayer
after a prayer petitions after petitions that people would
Journey as they fasted and pray for our twins that they lifted
up for are saying God, let a miracle happen.
Let incredible things happen. Now throughout the months
because it was such a high-risk surgery.
We had been part of many ultrasounds, we would be in
there for hours upon hours, they want You know every angle,
everything about our boys, they wanted to make sure that they
knew before the surgery. What they were going into and
what they knew how to do that, what to do to separate it.
So we knew what an ultrasound was all about at 32 weeks.
We headed out to Philadelphia. That was where they have great
success and separating conjoined twins.
So we wanted nothing but the best.
So we flew out to Philadelphia and we're going to stay there
till the duration. Well, I remember being a Monday
morning and we had another doctor's appointment.
We went it to it just like all the rest of them went to the
South into the room and started take the ultrasound.
Except this one was different. Instead of seeing all the
colors, the blues and the Reds, and the beeps, and the
movements, we find ourselves staring at a black and white
screen. The nurse left to go, get the
doctor only to come back in confirming.
What Shawn? I already knew.
That the boys were gone. That it was over.
I remember them taking us to another room where we had to
call our parents and our close friends and explained that it
was over the boys were gone. For the glory of God.
Only a week later being in this room celebrating their life and
then burying them all in a week's time.
I don't know if I will ever have on this side of Heaven.
The answer that I'm looking for or even when I get to heaven, if
I will get the answer for. Why?
Because still to this day, I think they would have an
incredible testimony. My 12 year old boys will be
preaching, Jesus left and right. I have wonders.
I have wise. I have concerns.
I still have doubts, why? It had to be this way.
I'm here to tell you this, my God is good, hmm, he's faithful.
Yes, I jesus never left me, nor forsake me in the best of
circumstances, he is with me, but in the lowest of lows of my
life, I had a piece that passed it past.
All understanding Jesus was my strength.
He was my wife and I strength during that time.
All praise be to Jesus for the glory of God.
See, sometimes we misunderstand what Paul means when he says he
can do. All things strength is me
through Christ, Jesus. He isn't saying how hard you can
hit. But how hard you can be hit and
still keep moving forward. Because the direction determines
destination, it's the choice. You make about your attitude.
And not just what, but who you're putting your trust in.
I know that what John just shared with you about his life
overlays A lot of challenges that you all are facing it all
of our locations in your life. And so this idea of balance is a
critical idea. How do I do it?
How do I put Christ first in my life, even when I don't have all
the answers and I feel all that frustration, what what we want
to do in This Bitter series, John and I want to give you some
practical ways that you can Embrace today.
So that you can move forward. In those challenges, one of them
being this are this gen team, the kit, the The staff that
pours into our kids week in and week out.
They do a great job of teaching. Our kids scripture coming
alongside us as parents and grandparents and showing them
what it is to love. Jesus to learn scripture.
One of those things they give us a resource because I know
sometimes when we leave here, we maybe can feel a little bit
inadequate. Like, how do I actually do this?
That, you guys do a great job, but how do I actually have
conversations with my kids? Or how do I teach some
scripture? Well, let me show you this.
It's called the parent Q app. And this is an awesome resource
that I love. Like I have all my Kids on your
Thea, Jadwin Clark and Milo. What this does, is it a
resource? So now I know what fee is
learning back there. She's learning about hope she's
learning about scripture, John 16:33 and what was he died was
opening this app last week and I was talking about the scripture.
And as I was saying the scripture, she finished it for
me. Mmm, how encouraging that is, it
shows what we can do during morning, X Dr. X mealtimes, and
even bedtime. So as a parent, this is a great
resource that helps come alongside me and helps equip me
and gives me the right. Things to say and hopefully lock
in with what they're teaching them in the back and I can
continue to reinforce that here. So I want to encourage you if
you don't have this app and you have a child back to or
grandchild, download this app, go to this QR code here,
download the app or if you can't get the qr-code parent, Q dot
org, /the app, and let that be a great resource for you with
regard to prayer. Some of you may remember I
preached a sermon a while back and I said, I have a
prescription. I take every day, one in the
morning and one in the evening, not a pill, but a Spiritual
prescription. I called it my to 92s from Psalm
92. And what it says in Psalm 92 is
I Proclaim your love and the morning and your faithfulness at
night. What I'd like to do is establish
a discipline in my life where every morning before I really
get started with my day, I Proclaim his love like
regardless of what happens regardless of what I faced
circumstances situations? I know if God.
Keeps his word and he always does.
He loves me, amen. He loves me, and it'll never
change. I need to be reminded of that,
every day. It changes my attitude.
It's a choice. I make in the evening, I take
the second one, which is, and his faithfulness at night.
So when I look at the day I evaluate the day, I think about
the day was God, Faithful the answers.
Yes. He was faithful that day and I'm
reminded that my God not only loves me but he is faithful to
me install that as part of your prayer time, it makes a
difference. The other one is this is have
good examples. I believe I have the life that I
have now because of the men and women that I've surrounded
myself with. It's so important that we have
good examples and I encourage each of us to have those people
that you can learn from people that you can walk this life with
maybe you don't have anybody look around you.
If you see someone a lady or a gentleman in this church that
you admire, you think, man, they just always seem to walk and it
look like to have a balanced life.
How about you go up to them and say let's go get some coffee
sometime. Commit to follow them, commit to
learn from commit to do life with, I can think of 10 men, I
can call right now and they would stop whatever they're
doing and they would help me. How important it is to know that
you don't have to Journey this life alone.
Maybe you're a couple or a family you need to other other
influences with you that had maybe have kids with you.
I encourage you to join a life group do life with them get into
their home, watch how they raise their kids, look at the good
examples around you. The worst thing you could do is
not do that. I encourage you to find an
example and you're never too old to have those examples or
mentors. I know I have mentors in my life
that I allowed to speak into my life.
They were Credible help to me in the last year as Alison and I
were going through this transition, both for her and for
me so give people permission people that are those goods
examples to just speak into your life.
And if you're eliminating, some things in your life to fill
them, with other things, fill those spaces with the very best
of things. And here's, here's the Easy
Button, here's the easy thing to do.
Are you ready? It's profound.
Go to church, say it again. Go to To church.
Okay, okay. Okay listen, listen, why that's
seat, you know, we're in tested those seats.
They're comfortable at all of our locations.
Right? It's not that hard, it's not
that hard to go to church and this is what happens when you go
to church. If you have kids they're here in
the word of God. Yeah, they're developing.
You have a partner in ministry, right?
You sit in here and you hear the word you hear God's word.
You stand up. You begin to praise and worship
and your problems get smaller and God's power gets bigger,
because you're realizing that, right?
And you leave encouraged, not discouraged in courage to make
the right decisions and the Right Moves.
It's not that hard. You need to go to church and I
don't mean once a month. I mean consistently.
That's a great place to start John last.
Is that he meant that no Katie. That finally, Mark 8:36.
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world yet?
At their soul. What do you want for your life?
What do you want for your kid's life?
What I want for my kids, I want them to love the Lord, their
God, with all their heart, mind, soul and strength.
I want them to love the church. I want them to love the people
of God, the bride of Christ, the hope of the world.
I want them to know that the church will stand and they will
play a major part for the rest of their lives in the bride of
Christ. I want them to know that in
whatever, career path, wherever they go, that the foundation of
who they are. Their identity is found only in
Christ and everything else. They do flows from that, amen.
Today, may be the last thing you need to do, or the only thing
you need to do today is this is put a stake in the ground and
say as for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord.
Alright, amen. The definition of insanity is
this and, you know, it doing the same thing over and over and
over. But expecting a different
result, if we're going to make that declaration as for me and
my house, we're going to serve, maybe there are going to be a,
to, some changes, put something break up your routine and put
something Godly in there. Something to reinforce what
we're talking about. I'm thankful what Jesus has
done. So finally, as for me and my
house, say it with me, we will serve the Lord.
What you think about this? As we moved to a time of
decision so you're thinking something while I'm walking down
the stairs like that, Because I have a new respect for stairs.
Because on Wednesday, I was coming down my stairs at my
house and my stairs have a 90 degree so they go down like
dominoes 67 steps, there's a landing and in 67 steps the
other way. And we're doing some remodeling
its time because that the carpet there Shag.
And and there's been a lot of drywall dust it's come up.
And so there was kind of a it was early in the morning and I'm
coming down that second part of stairs and I lost my footing and
I did a slide in home, you know what I'm saying?
Except for it wasn't on nice flat, Sandy ground it was on
those steps and it was boom, boom boom.
And it really hurt. And my wife is doing our
devotions at our table and of course, she heard that every
people, the next block heard that and are you okay?
And there's a ton of emotions happening simultaneously in my
head. Like number one, am I dead?
Number two. How bad is it?
Like how much damage have I done?
And but one of the big ones that kind of rose up was just
embarrassment. You know, old people fall down
the steps. Not me.
You know. And I know my kids are looking
for the, you know, the quick ride for me, to the nursing
home. So I'm not, hey, So I was
embarrassed and then, you know, the fact that the guy that was
helping me upstairs was asking if I was all right.
Now send was asking if if I was all right.
Actually, it had a weird impact on me.
I got mad because I was embarrassed and, and they were
kind of pointing it out to me. And I didn't know how to
respond. And I was just like, just give
me a minute, you know? But it was not nice, it didn't.
If it's not let your gentleness be evident to all.
Really frustrated. You know why?
Lack of balance. Lack of balance.
In my head, I could remember when I could fly them down those
stairs. My feet would barely touch.
I could go two steps at a time. If I wanted to and some were in
my head, I still think I can do that.
But my body isn't agreeing with me anymore.
Right. You suffering with a lack of
balance. Maybe you don't realize it and
you think you can manage something on your own that you
really can't. How many of you right now are
carrying around the bruises and the scars of times, you thought
you could hold things in Balance when you really couldn't and
what happened to you. You got hurt.
You felt embarrassment. Some of you may have even gotten
angry, Some of you maybe even blamed God because as I was
assessing that pain. I was kind of mad at God, I'm
going, I gotta preach this week. This mad at my wife, just for
caring, you know why? Because she was safe.
Because I know she could take that and that wasn't right of
me. and I think when you deal with stuff like this, that's how
I think you feel you're embarrassed.
You're angry, you're angry at yourself.
But you kind of want that let that spill out on other people.
Probably the ones you think are safe.
Because you thought you had balance.
But you didn't. It's exactly what John said,
it's not a part of your life. Jesus and our intimate personal
relationship with him is not a part of your life.
It has to be the overpowering part of your life.
So here's what I'm saying. Some of you right now, you need
to do a little business with God.
You need to have a conversation with god.
That's what these steps are for right now.
You have a relationship with Christ but you need to deal with
some balance issues. Here's an opportunity right now.
To just go to God with it. Let him have it.
It's thing. I love about him.
Is that he's there we never take a spill or he's not right there.
Even when we don't want him and we haven't invited him, he's
still right there, to pick us up to love us through it.
To help us get back up on her feet again.
If you're here today and you don't have an intimate personal
relationship with Jesus Christ. I don't care what you tell me.
I know something's true about you and it's this, you don't
have balance because there is no balance.
Unless Jesus Christ is on the throne of your heart.
And if he isn't and today is the day, he becomes king of your
heart and sits on the throne of your heart.
There's a be someone right over there by the baptistry that
would love to talk to you about your next steps online.
There be somebody there to talk to you right now in the chat.
Whatever. God is laying on your heart
right now. Let him have it as you stand
with me. Let's pray together in Jesus
name. We come to you.
Father, and I pray that you will make us aware.
That all the defense mechanisms of come down.
All of the self-sufficiency would go away.
And we would just recognize how desperately we need you in order
to have that balance. I pray.
Father, you would accomplish a Great and Mighty thing in this
place right now in this moment, in Jesus name, amen.