1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,000 Welcome Crossing family. I am so excited that you've 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,800 decided to join us for this incredible weekend. 3 00:00:06,900 --> 00:00:09,000 I want to welcome those of you at all of our locations. 4 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,500 Those of you who are part of the crossing inside, and those of 5 00:00:11,500 --> 00:00:15,600 you who are joining us online for probably some beach or some 6 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:17,600 fantastic time delay. God bless you. 7 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:22,400 We wish we were you next week. We are starting something great 8 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:24,700 here at the crossing at all of our different locations that 9 00:00:24,700 --> 00:00:26,800 will take us all the way through the summer. 10 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:29,900 And we believe here at the Crossing that this could be one 11 00:00:29,900 --> 00:00:34,600 of the Best seasons of spiritual growth in your life and I'm 12 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,200 hoping that you will join us. You're going to get more 13 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:39,800 information about that at the end of the service but I really 14 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,200 am hoping that you will join Jennifer and I on this journey. 15 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:48,000 But today I am excited to welcome, one of our Premier 16 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,600 Mission Partners to the crossing Lucas R ugly started. 17 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:56,600 Love the loo a Ministry that specializes in doing physical 18 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:01,000 and spiritual work in neighborhoods to bring about Out 19 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,200 healing his brother. Actually, attends our Keokuk 20 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,100 location with his family and they are dear friends, too many 21 00:01:07,100 --> 00:01:10,900 who call The Crossing home. In fact, many of you have gone 22 00:01:10,900 --> 00:01:13,200 on mission trips to partner with them in St. 23 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,900 Louis as a part of the great work that they're doing and I am 24 00:01:17,100 --> 00:01:21,400 hoping that many more of you will choose to do the same. 25 00:01:21,700 --> 00:01:24,400 One of the many things that I love about Lucas is that he is 26 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:28,000 not doing Ministry in the Inner City from a house in the 27 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,200 suburbs. Instead he moved Get him himself 28 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,300 and his wonderful wife and they are raising their four kids 29 00:01:34,300 --> 00:01:36,700 right on. And right Street. 30 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,500 He has brought with him a dear friend and partner in Ministry 31 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:41,800 from love, the loo to share with us today. 32 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:45,700 So here's what I need after this video that you're going to see 33 00:01:45,700 --> 00:01:48,600 it's a short video. I would love for you to give one 34 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,000 of the warmest. Crossing, Welcome to our 35 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,300 partners and dear friends in Ministry. 36 00:02:23,700 --> 00:02:29,200 At one point, I felt like we had a shooting death every weekend. 37 00:02:30,300 --> 00:02:32,300 Yeah. And it was so fresh. 38 00:02:32,300 --> 00:02:41,200 It was the fear was just like, I mean, you could just feel it. 39 00:02:43,900 --> 00:02:47,300 well, I don't like hearing the sirens and I you know some of 40 00:02:47,300 --> 00:02:49,800 the best come up with a you know when the sirens when the 41 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:56,800 ambulance comes If I hear gunshots, I can say, oh, that's 42 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,800 two blocks away, half the time now, I don't even go inside 43 00:03:00,300 --> 00:03:01,800 because I'm like, that's a block away. 44 00:03:01,900 --> 00:03:06,300 We'll be fine. You don't get your faith. 45 00:03:06,300 --> 00:03:11,800 Like to me. Get yellow tape for a murderer, 46 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:13,600 some bait, but shooting with that. 47 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:20,600 It really saw somebody die. Doesn't that mean teletype mean? 48 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:21,900 Somebody's death? Yeah. 49 00:03:25,300 --> 00:03:29,300 So my family has lived in North st. 50 00:03:29,300 --> 00:03:31,800 Louis all the and write for 11 years now. 51 00:03:32,300 --> 00:03:38,300 And I've always wanted to make a difference in God's kingdom and 52 00:03:38,300 --> 00:03:42,000 so moving into the neighborhood. I felt like was just a real 53 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:47,000 tangible way to do that, but I was really surprised when the 54 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:52,300 script got flipped and I was the one who was learning all the 55 00:03:52,300 --> 00:03:56,600 lessons. I guess I was just surprised at 56 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,000 the amount of work, he was going to do in my life. 57 00:03:59,700 --> 00:04:05,700 So this is a story of a White Guy, moving into a black 58 00:04:05,700 --> 00:04:09,900 neighborhood hoping to do good. But then finding out that I'm 59 00:04:09,900 --> 00:04:16,000 the one who needs got, this is heavy stuff, but even in the 60 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:22,300 heaviness There's Hope. and so, today we want to share with you 61 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:28,300 not a story of loss but that story of redemption 62 00:04:42,300 --> 00:04:46,400 So, what happens is, you'll hear a siren off in the distance and 63 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:48,300 you won't necessarily pay attention to it. 64 00:04:49,300 --> 00:04:50,500 And then you'll hear a second one. 65 00:04:50,500 --> 00:04:53,900 And it's usually coming from the opposite direction and the third 66 00:04:53,900 --> 00:04:57,100 one. And then by the time you hear 67 00:04:57,100 --> 00:05:00,800 the ambulance wine and the low Rumble of a fire truck, you 68 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,800 begin to realize that all of these Sirens are converging onto 69 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:10,700 one spot where you are and they get louder and they get louder, 70 00:05:10,900 --> 00:05:14,600 and they get louder and then the sirens stop. 71 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,100 And when the sirens stop, you know, that distress is on the 72 00:05:19,100 --> 00:05:21,200 doorstep. When the siren stop. 73 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,400 You know, you shouldn't watch the news that night because 74 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:25,600 you're not going to just know the story. 75 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,900 You're going to know the names attached to the story. 76 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:35,200 There Are Places. In America, where the sirens are 77 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,300 stopping every night and it's the scene of trauma where trauma 78 00:05:39,500 --> 00:05:43,100 becomes just the normal reality that we live through. 79 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,300 Places of suffering places of grief. 80 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:53,000 My daughter told me that, as she's falling asleep, she's 81 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:57,600 learned how to time the sirens once every 10 minutes, there's a 82 00:05:57,608 --> 00:06:01,000 siren going off in North st. Louis on, in Wright Avenue, 83 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:07,100 which means that, as kids are falling asleep, On in, right? 84 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:11,100 They're not counting sheep. Accounting sirens. 85 00:06:13,100 --> 00:06:15,900 And guys, I could stand up here Keyshia and I could stand up 86 00:06:15,900 --> 00:06:17,300 here. And we could tell you story 87 00:06:17,500 --> 00:06:21,500 after Story of grit. We could tell you of the trouble 88 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,700 that we've seen, but that is not the story. 89 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,700 Actually got good news. You guys ready for it? 90 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,900 Okay, here's some good news. Jesus is putting North City back 91 00:06:31,900 --> 00:06:34,300 together again and he's not going to stop until he's 92 00:06:34,300 --> 00:06:39,000 finished. He's not quittin, he's not. 93 00:06:39,100 --> 00:06:42,600 He's just getting started. And in some of the hardest 94 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,900 places, some of the hardest environments is where, where God 95 00:06:45,900 --> 00:06:51,300 likes to do his best work and so if you've walked in these doors 96 00:06:51,300 --> 00:06:54,600 and you're suffering and you're struggling and you're depressed 97 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,400 and you're down and out, and you're broken and you don't even 98 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,200 know why you're here is a really great Sunday. 99 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:05,600 Because we can relate, we know what that's like. 100 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,200 I've got one scripture to share with you guys this morning. 101 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:16,800 This is in Philippians 3:10. It's actually just one verse and 102 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:20,900 Paul writes this as he is in Chains and so if you would, I 103 00:07:20,900 --> 00:07:29,000 just want you to picture Paul in prison in chains for just a 104 00:07:29,008 --> 00:07:32,800 second. And he writes this. 105 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:39,200 He says, I want to know Christ. Yes, to know the power of his 106 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,700 resurrection and participate with him in his sufferings, 107 00:07:42,700 --> 00:07:50,000 becoming like him in death. Paul isn't writing from 108 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:54,100 Starbucks, he's not journaling, he's not doing his personal 109 00:07:54,100 --> 00:07:57,900 devotees, I'm with the, with a Bible study, he's in Chains and 110 00:07:57,900 --> 00:08:01,900 he says, I want to know Jesus the power of his resurrection to 111 00:08:01,900 --> 00:08:05,100 participate with him in suffering. 112 00:08:07,300 --> 00:08:12,500 Becoming like him in death. And so, Paul equates suffering 113 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:19,000 with Jesus, To knowledge to a mental assent. 114 00:08:20,700 --> 00:08:24,100 And he kind of likes it. He's looking forward to those 115 00:08:24,100 --> 00:08:27,900 times where we're all of his flesh can be stripped away, and 116 00:08:27,900 --> 00:08:31,700 he can know what it's like to be with Jesus, to suffer, like 117 00:08:31,700 --> 00:08:37,900 Jesus, to suffer with Jesus. Like I said, there are places in 118 00:08:37,908 --> 00:08:40,799 the United States. Like North st. 119 00:08:40,799 --> 00:08:43,500 Louis. Our people have suffered. 120 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:48,300 It's become a reality. And the thing that I've learned 121 00:08:48,300 --> 00:08:54,000 in 12 years of ministry, is that God has not left the city. 122 00:08:55,700 --> 00:08:59,700 He's actually forging and forming through this refining, 123 00:08:59,700 --> 00:09:02,300 fire. Some of the best faith that 124 00:09:02,300 --> 00:09:05,900 you're ever going to see. And for those of you who are on 125 00:09:05,900 --> 00:09:08,500 the mission field where you're at and you're in, you're serving 126 00:09:08,500 --> 00:09:12,200 and you're you're with the poor, you know that it's not it's not 127 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,900 a Poverty of the wallet. It's a, it's a Poverty of the 128 00:09:15,900 --> 00:09:20,000 mind that Jesus can can take and transform in a heartbeat, and 129 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,500 he's doing it. And so, because that is the case 130 00:09:23,500 --> 00:09:26,400 I get too. And it is my honor to hand. 131 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:31,200 This microphone over to a dear friend, a neighbor a CO minister 132 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:40,800 in the gospel Keisha Williams. Good morning. 133 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:46,800 I always after have to come after Lucas, I like what am I 134 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:50,800 supposed to say? Oh my God, so I have had the 135 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:52,900 unique ability to live in the city of St. 136 00:09:52,900 --> 00:09:57,300 Louis my entire life, right? Except for two years, why 137 00:09:57,300 --> 00:09:59,600 ventured off? And I thought I was an adult and 138 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:05,100 I went out and lived in Pacific and Eureka and I have to tell 139 00:10:05,100 --> 00:10:07,700 you it was nice. It was quiet like it is around 140 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:10,700 Quincy and I was like, this is nice. 141 00:10:10,700 --> 00:10:14,300 This is nice. But unfortunately because As I 142 00:10:14,300 --> 00:10:18,700 have been in the city, all of my life it was too quiet. 143 00:10:19,100 --> 00:10:24,700 I'm used to you know the sirens I'm used to the No, that was, 144 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:29,000 that was, that was until my street so it became too quiet 145 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,700 for me. And I love the neighborhood, you 146 00:10:31,700 --> 00:10:36,500 know, I had the ability to forget my keys in the door, and 147 00:10:36,500 --> 00:10:41,900 the car was still there in the morning, and we were still there 148 00:10:41,900 --> 00:10:44,700 in the morning. So that, you know, all of those 149 00:10:44,700 --> 00:10:47,800 things were nice when I lived out in Pacific in Eureka. 150 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:53,700 But what I missed the most about living in the city, when I moved 151 00:10:53,700 --> 00:10:55,700 out. Of it was the sense of 152 00:10:55,700 --> 00:10:58,500 community. Like there is a sense of 153 00:10:58,500 --> 00:11:00,600 community in the city of st. Louis. 154 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:04,100 And I'm sure you guys probably have it here, but in the city of 155 00:11:04,100 --> 00:11:07,100 st. Louis, we watch out for each 156 00:11:07,100 --> 00:11:09,600 other. We are concerned about each 157 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:11,100 other. Sometimes, you can even say that 158 00:11:11,100 --> 00:11:14,700 we're nosy about each other, right? 159 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,600 I'm reminded of a story of a woman that I've come to find to 160 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:26,600 know And she reminds me of all of the reasons, why the city of 161 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:31,800 st. Louis is like Ground Zero for me 162 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,800 because first of all, there's a lot of gyms there, there's a lot 163 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,800 of Legacy there, there's a lot of generational work wealth 164 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:44,800 there, on top of death Calamity. You know all of that is true but 165 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,500 I promise you it's true. We do have a lot of that, but we 166 00:11:47,500 --> 00:11:50,800 also have hidden gems. We also have life. 167 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:54,000 We also Have wealth inside the city of st. 168 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:56,300 Louis that the news is not talking about. 169 00:11:56,700 --> 00:12:00,500 So it takes us as individuals of the Gospel to come and bring 170 00:12:00,500 --> 00:12:03,900 forth what God is doing. So, the young lady that I was 171 00:12:03,900 --> 00:12:08,700 speaking about, she was a product of her environment, her 172 00:12:08,700 --> 00:12:11,000 mother died at the age of nine of disease. 173 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,700 Her father was an abusive alcoholic her older siblings 174 00:12:15,700 --> 00:12:19,200 because she was the youngest of five were already, you know, 175 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:21,200 doing life. They were out in the streets. 176 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,600 They were Adapting to their environments. 177 00:12:23,900 --> 00:12:27,300 So it left her being taught by the streets. 178 00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:31,400 It left her being taught and Trauma it left her being 179 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:36,000 self-raising self-taught, which is not always a good thing 180 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,200 without the rearing of an adult's, right? 181 00:12:38,900 --> 00:12:42,300 So she went on to high school and before she graduated, she 182 00:12:42,300 --> 00:12:45,300 had three children. Her teachers and the peers kind 183 00:12:45,300 --> 00:12:47,000 of told her. Hey, you know what you've done? 184 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,500 All you were going to do might as well drop out. 185 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:51,300 You know, just just be a baby mama. 186 00:12:51,300 --> 00:12:53,700 That's what You're going to do, you're really good at it, you 187 00:12:53,700 --> 00:12:56,500 know, do that. She had already became a 188 00:12:56,500 --> 00:12:59,800 statistics by everybody's concept, right? 189 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:05,000 But then, she had a community of people around her, the community 190 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:08,300 made sure that they were empowering her with love. 191 00:13:08,500 --> 00:13:12,400 They were empowering her, letting her know that you can do 192 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:16,400 anything, you set your mind to, not only do they Empower up 193 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:19,700 Empower her with their words, they put their words into 194 00:13:19,700 --> 00:13:23,100 action, they watched her kid. They made sure that she had 195 00:13:23,100 --> 00:13:25,700 enough to eat. They made sure that her children 196 00:13:25,700 --> 00:13:28,800 were clothes, they made sure that she was on her way to 197 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,100 school. She had time to do her homework 198 00:13:31,100 --> 00:13:34,900 so that she can Excel. So she does not have to be what 199 00:13:34,900 --> 00:13:40,200 they called her. Tom passes on, she graduates. 200 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,100 High school with honors. All three of her children in 201 00:13:43,100 --> 00:13:48,300 attendance. Comes up out of that at the age 202 00:13:48,300 --> 00:13:51,200 of 25. She moved back into the same 203 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:53,000 neighborhood, one of the roughest in St. 204 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:58,100 Louis buys a house. Becomes a pillar in the 205 00:13:58,100 --> 00:14:01,200 community. She drives out the drug dealers. 206 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:03,400 This is my house. This is where I live. 207 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:07,600 You guys can't do this here. She starts a neighborhood of 208 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,800 watch, not only for her, three children, but for the children 209 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:15,600 in the community at Large, when they were hungry, she made sure 210 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:19,500 that her doors were open when they needed somewhere to stay. 211 00:14:19,500 --> 00:14:23,700 She made sure that they had a place and it became a safe haven 212 00:14:23,700 --> 00:14:26,400 for the community. She walked up and down the 213 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:29,500 streets, cleaning up, the alleys cleaning up the streets. 214 00:14:29,700 --> 00:14:34,400 Making sure that her community was beautiful, regardless of 215 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:36,300 what they heard about it. On the news. 216 00:14:36,500 --> 00:14:40,400 Regardless of we seen someone dying on the street next door to 217 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,600 her, she made sure that she was taking care. 218 00:14:43,700 --> 00:14:47,500 Care of her community. Not only did she engage and be 219 00:14:47,500 --> 00:14:50,300 impactful on contact. She engaged the neighbors to 220 00:14:50,300 --> 00:14:54,100 also do the same things. Those are the hidden gems that 221 00:14:54,100 --> 00:14:56,500 are within the city of st. Louis that the news is not 222 00:14:56,500 --> 00:14:59,200 talking about. Those are the people that we 223 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:02,100 stand on their shoulders saying that yes we can. 224 00:15:02,100 --> 00:15:04,900 God is still working. God is still doing the thing and 225 00:15:04,900 --> 00:15:07,900 he's going to do it through us. Thank you. 226 00:15:15,100 --> 00:15:19,000 So, I'm from Jackson Missouri, which means that my neighbors 227 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:23,800 were cows and we didn't have streets. 228 00:15:23,900 --> 00:15:27,800 Where I grew up. We had roads and you were lucky. 229 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:32,800 If yours was paved moved, my family, like it's been 230 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:34,400 mentioned. Move my family on to end right 231 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:39,100 Avenue about 12 years ago and God's just done this work in my 232 00:15:39,100 --> 00:15:43,500 life and it's frustrating. Because I moved to help all 233 00:15:43,500 --> 00:15:46,100 these people. And God says, you're the one 234 00:15:46,100 --> 00:15:48,400 that needs help. And he keeps showing me all 235 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:51,700 these ways that I need to grow. I want to share with you just 236 00:15:51,700 --> 00:15:55,100 some, some of those ways that God is has grown me. 237 00:15:55,100 --> 00:16:00,000 When we moved on to Enright Avenue, I saw, I saw poverty, up 238 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:08,200 close and personal, we met kids like day one who didn't have 239 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,600 beds, who would roll up a sweatshirt sleep in the kitchen. 240 00:16:12,300 --> 00:16:16,200 There was a partment across the street from my house where we're 241 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:19,500 neighbors would pack in, you know, 12 or so. 242 00:16:19,500 --> 00:16:24,200 Into a one-bedroom apartment, I would meet kids that would steal 243 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:26,900 from the grocery store, not because they were devious and 244 00:16:26,900 --> 00:16:28,700 destructive but because they didn't know what they were going 245 00:16:28,700 --> 00:16:33,300 to eat that night. And and so my view pretty 246 00:16:33,300 --> 00:16:35,800 quickly was man. I need to help these poor kids. 247 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:40,900 I need to help these poor kids and it and I inadvertently I 248 00:16:40,900 --> 00:16:44,500 went from looking at them as like, Hey, we're all in this 249 00:16:44,500 --> 00:16:53,400 together to us helping them me coming in to them. 250 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,800 And this was the same time that the term white savior, 251 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:00,000 industrial complex was being coined. 252 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:05,099 It was the Same year that the book when helping hurts came 253 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:07,800 out. And I was doing that, 254 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:10,500 inadvertently, not not intentionally, I love Jesus. 255 00:17:10,500 --> 00:17:14,400 I want to go where the need is, but I at different points failed 256 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:20,300 to recognize that I had the same need In 2014, there was a kid 257 00:17:20,300 --> 00:17:26,700 that was shot on our block. And it set off a gang war where 258 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:34,400 the neighborhood kids 15 16 year old children not thugs. but 259 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:39,600 these kids didn't know what to do with their grief and so they 260 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:47,300 formed this group that would Kind of mourn together every 261 00:17:47,300 --> 00:17:49,800 evening and I would go over and I would hang out with them and I 262 00:17:49,900 --> 00:17:53,300 take bottled water and and pray and ask him to come over to my 263 00:17:53,300 --> 00:17:56,200 house and charge their cell phones and and so I got pretty 264 00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:59,100 tight with these guys. And after a few months they 265 00:17:59,100 --> 00:18:03,700 still didn't know what to do with the the inside pain. 266 00:18:03,700 --> 00:18:09,700 And so one of them went and got revenge on somebody up the 267 00:18:09,700 --> 00:18:13,200 street and then I was back and forth for two years of drive-by 268 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:16,700 shootings. Until every single one of those, 269 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:20,400 those kids was either dead or in jail. 270 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:25,200 We lost an entire generation to gang violence. 271 00:18:26,300 --> 00:18:29,100 Just like that. And if you would ask me at that 272 00:18:29,100 --> 00:18:30,900 time, like like, how are you doing? 273 00:18:30,900 --> 00:18:33,700 What's going on? I don't know that I had any good 274 00:18:33,700 --> 00:18:37,800 news. There's a felt like everything 275 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:42,100 was death around us and all of the neighbors, were were scared. 276 00:18:42,100 --> 00:18:44,400 We were holding on for dear life. 277 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:46,300 It felt like the prayers were hitting the ceiling, and I don't 278 00:18:46,300 --> 00:18:48,900 know if you've ever had those times in your life or in your 279 00:18:48,900 --> 00:18:52,000 ministry but he just felt like God, where are you? 280 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,400 It was a weekend where we took the younger brothers and sisters 281 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:04,400 of those gang members and we started taking vacant lots and 282 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:10,000 turning them into Gardens and and I remember back then saying 283 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:14,600 to them and we can either go death or we can go life. 284 00:19:15,100 --> 00:19:18,500 We can keep going this wide Road where where it's easy but 285 00:19:18,500 --> 00:19:20,000 everybody's dying all around this. 286 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,300 Or we can try a different way and narrow road. 287 00:19:22,700 --> 00:19:25,100 Every single one of those kids chose that. 288 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:30,600 Narrow road that path to life. And at the time, I thought path 289 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,200 to life meant, let's just get these kids some jobs. 290 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,800 Let's get them, different trajectory where they can make 291 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,000 some money and have some opportunities and have some 292 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:45,500 resources. Jesus says, you can gain the 293 00:19:45,500 --> 00:19:52,000 whole world and lose your soul. And wouldn't it be a shame if if 294 00:19:52,100 --> 00:19:57,100 our whole Ministry was just to get kids, a couple bucks. 295 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:03,800 So they could what, Be rich. Is that our purpose? 296 00:20:04,700 --> 00:20:06,400 Is that our call? Is that what we're trying to 297 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:07,700 lead? People to know. 298 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:11,900 And I know we're trying to lead people to Jesus, but there's 299 00:20:11,900 --> 00:20:16,400 been times in my life where I thought, man, we just we just 300 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,500 need resources. We just got to get some better 301 00:20:19,500 --> 00:20:25,900 education, and that's true. We're at a point now with our 302 00:20:25,900 --> 00:20:29,400 work. And I know there's more lessons 303 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:34,100 coming, but, but a few weeks ago, I sat down with 15, boys. 304 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:42,000 Age is 12 to 23, bunch of young uns compared to, I'm not going 305 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:43,600 to tell you that, it's getting bad. 306 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:48,000 My back is, you know, given out and and so everybody's young 307 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:51,200 compared to me. Now, I'm looking at these kids 308 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:55,900 and, and And I wasn't getting through to him. 309 00:20:57,500 --> 00:21:00,400 I don't know why, you know, but it just wasn't Landon. 310 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:06,000 And finally I said, How many of you should not be alive to this 311 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:07,100 day? Like what? 312 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,500 Like you, none of like, like you shouldn't be here. 313 00:21:11,700 --> 00:21:15,200 And every single one of those kids raised their hand from 12 314 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:21,700 to 2 about 21:15 kids, all raise their hand believing that they 315 00:21:21,700 --> 00:21:28,900 should not be alive. And that's, that's the reality. 316 00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:35,500 That's true. so, I followed it up and I said, What are you 317 00:21:35,500 --> 00:21:38,900 alive for? Why are you here? 318 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:43,000 We got into some good stuff that night. 319 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:49,700 Because God has them alive, not just to survive. not just to get 320 00:21:49,700 --> 00:21:54,300 rich, not just to get some education or have some power 321 00:21:54,300 --> 00:22:02,400 here on Earth, but to have abundant thriving life in 322 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:21,100 Christ. Wow look it's a it's crazy to 323 00:22:21,100 --> 00:22:22,400 me, right? Because I live in that 324 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:26,200 neighborhood and I see those same kids right into know that 325 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,900 that is their reality not knowing you know what, tomorrow 326 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:36,600 holds but the difference is we have the ability to Know Who 327 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:41,400 Holds Tomorrow. And so with that it's it 328 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:44,900 changes. Our perspective, it changes how 329 00:22:44,900 --> 00:22:48,200 we do things. And it just it's I think God 330 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:51,800 forgot, that's all I can say. But the woman that I was 331 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:59,300 speaking about earlier I know her intimately, right? 332 00:22:59,300 --> 00:23:03,100 Because she was my mother growing up. 333 00:23:03,100 --> 00:23:08,200 We didn't have a lot. There are times that we may have 334 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,900 went to sleep with, you know, by choice. 335 00:23:10,900 --> 00:23:14,500 Because there's always peanut butter and jelly to eat, right? 336 00:23:14,500 --> 00:23:19,200 Like you have that no matter what we weren't raised up on 337 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,300 steaks and shrimp and lobsters and things like that, but we 338 00:23:22,300 --> 00:23:25,900 never had an opportunity where we you missed a meal. 339 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:32,100 But what I could say is that we were able to engage our 340 00:23:32,100 --> 00:23:37,100 community in such a way, that it made such an impact on us as 341 00:23:37,100 --> 00:23:42,000 adults, right. And I love my mother so much 342 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:47,000 because even though we didn't have a lot, she gave out of what 343 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,700 she had. That's where that wealth came 344 00:23:49,700 --> 00:23:52,100 from. That's where she took on the 345 00:23:52,100 --> 00:23:55,800 principles of what God said, if they're hungry, I'll feed them. 346 00:23:56,500 --> 00:23:59,400 If they're without clothes, I'll make sure they're fed. 347 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,700 If they are hurting, I'll bandage their rooms. 348 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:07,500 I think she took the heart, the parable of the Good Samaritan. 349 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,300 And if you don't know that, I'm going to give you the real 350 00:24:10,300 --> 00:24:13,800 quick, Keisha version, it is in Luke. 351 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:15,700 You can go ahead and find it for yourself. 352 00:24:15,700 --> 00:24:18,300 It's a really good read. It really helps you to 353 00:24:18,300 --> 00:24:22,400 understand who your neighbor is. Sometimes we have a question 354 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:24,000 about. I don't know if those people are 355 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,000 my neighbors because we don't Look alike. 356 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,300 We don't share the same things, but I'm here to tell you that we 357 00:24:30,300 --> 00:24:33,000 all go through the same things. There's different seasons of our 358 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,500 lives and we all come out different, depending on the 359 00:24:35,500 --> 00:24:37,800 lesson that we've learned, right? 360 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,900 So, Jesus is talking a synagogue. 361 00:24:40,900 --> 00:24:44,600 And someone asks, hey so what who do, who is my neighbor? 362 00:24:44,700 --> 00:24:48,800 Like, who am I supposed to take care of God, said, I'm glad you 363 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:52,600 asked. So, he gave them a parable of a, 364 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:56,100 man, a Jewish man walking, and he was beaten he was robbed, and 365 00:24:56,100 --> 00:25:00,400 they left him for dead. And as I'm telling this story, I 366 00:25:00,408 --> 00:25:03,700 want you to kind of put in your mind, the things that Lucas and 367 00:25:03,700 --> 00:25:05,900 I are saying that happens in the city of st. 368 00:25:05,900 --> 00:25:08,900 Louis, we've been broken, we've been robbed. 369 00:25:08,900 --> 00:25:11,700 We've been kind of Left 4 Dead. No one wants to bother with us. 370 00:25:11,700 --> 00:25:13,800 We're sitting in despair. We're sitting in tragedy. 371 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:17,900 We're sitting income Calamity and Chaos, so then the priest 372 00:25:17,900 --> 00:25:21,700 came by and he seen the man. He was like, nope, not me. 373 00:25:21,700 --> 00:25:23,600 Today, I'm busy. I got to get this sermon. 374 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:25,600 I got to do this. So we just kept on walking not 375 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:28,400 only to keep walking. He removed himself from the The 376 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:33,600 situation and he left. Then came a levite. 377 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:36,400 He seen the man, the man seen him. 378 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,200 He said not my problem. Somebody else behind me that 379 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:43,900 somebody else is going to see him so that will let them take 380 00:25:43,900 --> 00:25:46,400 care of it. Let it be someone else's 381 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:51,600 problem. So he kept moving then came a 382 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:55,700 Samaritan man. Him and his donkey their walk 383 00:25:55,700 --> 00:25:57,100 in. They see the man and they took 384 00:25:57,100 --> 00:26:00,700 pity on him. They seen him they'd seen him 385 00:26:00,700 --> 00:26:03,200 better. They seem him near death, they 386 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:08,800 seem them bruised. They seen him without hope and 387 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:13,600 he stopped to take care of him. Not only, did he see about him, 388 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:17,800 he used his oil and back then, you know, oil was priceless. 389 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:21,200 They needed that. That was a part of their living. 390 00:26:21,700 --> 00:26:25,600 He used his oil to minister to his wounds. 391 00:26:26,700 --> 00:26:31,500 He didn't know this man. All he seen was someone who is 392 00:26:31,500 --> 00:26:35,500 considered God's child. He didn't see that, you know, 393 00:26:35,500 --> 00:26:40,600 maybe they were he didn't take no thought of what could have 394 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:45,500 happened to him. But all likewise he ministered 395 00:26:45,500 --> 00:26:48,000 to the man. He did not leave him there. 396 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,000 He picked him up. He put him on his donkey he took 397 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,200 him to the end. Told the Cake, The Innkeeper. 398 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,400 Hey so I found this man, I need you to minister to this man. 399 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:02,900 I need you to make them. Well, I have to leave but on my 400 00:27:02,900 --> 00:27:05,800 way back, I'm going to check back in to make sure that he's 401 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:09,400 okay. And he's on his way the man that 402 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,400 the Jewish man that was hurt was full of gratitude. 403 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:18,900 What I love about this is that that is what God is calling us 404 00:27:18,900 --> 00:27:23,200 to do. He's calling us to remove 405 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:26,900 ourselves from us. Like, we're so stuck in our own 406 00:27:26,900 --> 00:27:30,600 way, sometimes that were not able to see the need of those 407 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:34,400 around us. I get to see the need because 408 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:38,400 his smack dab in my face, but sometimes the need is not always 409 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:41,700 present, right? Like we have so much trauma in 410 00:27:41,700 --> 00:27:46,300 our lives that again, we all are suffering from the same. 411 00:27:46,300 --> 00:27:49,700 Trauma, abandonment. Disapproval, shame. 412 00:27:49,700 --> 00:27:51,600 Guilt. That's the city of st. 413 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:55,400 Louis, the difference is someone walked alongside you. 414 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:59,200 All walked alongside me and gave me direction. 415 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:04,600 They gave me Jesus who gives me strategy G for tomorrow. 416 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:11,100 How he teaches me, that I can use my time, my talent, and my 417 00:28:11,100 --> 00:28:16,900 treasures, for my neighbors. And not keep it all to myself. 418 00:28:18,100 --> 00:28:20,900 I'm like my mother. I don't have a lot of anything. 419 00:28:21,100 --> 00:28:25,200 But what I do have I give freely because I know that there's a 420 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,700 God who sits high and looks low and he's going to take care of 421 00:28:28,700 --> 00:28:34,300 my household because I'm taking care of his God is amazing. 422 00:28:34,300 --> 00:28:39,600 He is putting the city of st. Louis back together again, bit 423 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:44,600 by bit, he is strategically placing individuals like myself 424 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:48,500 and Lucas and some of you who have come down and volunteered 425 00:28:48,500 --> 00:28:53,100 your time your talent and your Treasures to build up. 426 00:28:54,600 --> 00:29:01,300 A seemingly forgotten community. God deals in broken things. 427 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:05,200 I'm a witness. He deals in batter. 428 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:07,200 That's where he does his best work. 429 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,200 He said those who are well do not need a physician. 430 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:15,400 There are already. Well, I come to seek those who 431 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:23,400 are lost. that is our job as people go, ye therefore Preach 432 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,700 and teach to All Nations. The city of st. 433 00:29:25,700 --> 00:29:28,200 Louis is a nation. Quincy is a nation. 434 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:33,800 It is our responsibility. It is our reasonable response. 435 00:29:35,100 --> 00:29:39,400 To get in the trenches and to help pull someone else out. 436 00:29:40,300 --> 00:29:49,300 Thank you. Want to give you some more good 437 00:29:49,300 --> 00:29:54,900 news this morning. This is a weird statistic but we 438 00:29:54,900 --> 00:29:59,700 haven't had a shooting death on our block in over six years. 439 00:30:05,700 --> 00:30:08,900 I know that's strange but the sirens are literally stopping 440 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:12,300 you guys. This is what Jesus does when 441 00:30:12,300 --> 00:30:16,700 Jesus hangs on the cross. He is saying he's proclaiming an 442 00:30:16,700 --> 00:30:20,400 end to suffering when he raises from the dead. 443 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:25,300 He's saying, hey those those places those environments he has 444 00:30:25,300 --> 00:30:28,100 power and dominion over any of that. 445 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:33,400 His perfect love drives out fear. 446 00:30:35,300 --> 00:30:39,900 When I tell you one quick story, I think it'll be quick, we'll 447 00:30:39,900 --> 00:30:45,500 see the video that you saw. There's a woman in that video. 448 00:30:45,500 --> 00:30:48,900 She's older, her name is tuwana, she'll never be on this stage. 449 00:30:48,900 --> 00:30:50,400 She'll never be a keynote speaker. 450 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:54,900 She doesn't want any of that when I met to wanna and she's 451 00:30:54,900 --> 00:30:57,800 allowed me to share her story. When I met her, she might have 452 00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:02,100 been labeled as homeless She's amazing. 453 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:04,800 And over the years, we've gotten to know her to bring her on 454 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:07,600 staff. She's that incredible of a 455 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:11,100 minister. Last year, I was sitting with 456 00:31:11,100 --> 00:31:14,000 her and, and it was all of our staff at love to Lou. 457 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:17,000 And I said, twanna, what is it that keeps your heart healthy. 458 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:19,900 How do you keep going? She's been through a lot. 459 00:31:20,700 --> 00:31:25,800 She's seen it and she goes, she was well, every morning I pray 460 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:27,300 and I read my Bible with my auntie. 461 00:31:28,700 --> 00:31:30,600 And that's a really sweet Sunday school answer. 462 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,600 And so I said that's great and I was getting ready to move on and 463 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:36,500 so I was like, no, no. You guys need to hear this 464 00:31:36,500 --> 00:31:39,200 story. And and she's not boasting, 465 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:42,300 she's not bragging in herself, but she told us the following 466 00:31:42,300 --> 00:31:44,700 story. She said her aunt and her used 467 00:31:44,700 --> 00:31:48,600 to be really close. We used to be best friends, had 468 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:52,000 a falling out because Tawanna got pregnant. 469 00:31:52,700 --> 00:31:55,100 And this is, this is you know decades ago. 470 00:31:55,600 --> 00:32:01,500 Towanda got pregnant and the father to her children cheated 471 00:32:01,500 --> 00:32:05,200 on her, with several women but one of them including her 472 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:08,300 auntie. And her auntie got pregnant. 473 00:32:08,700 --> 00:32:12,100 They're pregnant at the same time and they became very 474 00:32:12,100 --> 00:32:15,100 distant. The Auntie didn't want the baby 475 00:32:15,100 --> 00:32:18,000 and Towanda said, at some point, I'll take that baby. 476 00:32:18,500 --> 00:32:23,600 And she did and she raised two girls on her own. 477 00:32:24,900 --> 00:32:28,600 Turned out the the father of the children was was abusing the 478 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:31,900 kids and Tawana spoke out against it to the family and the 479 00:32:31,900 --> 00:32:33,900 family said we should. We should just solve this in 480 00:32:33,900 --> 00:32:37,000 house and Towanda said, no, we have to go to the authorities 481 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,200 and she turned him in. He went to prison. 482 00:32:40,500 --> 00:32:42,400 And everybody turned their back on Tawana. 483 00:32:42,500 --> 00:32:48,400 And for 20 years they hated her They said all kinds of terrible 484 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:52,800 things about her, the whole family was ripped apart, covid 485 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:59,200 happened, and the Auntie walked into a situation where there's a 486 00:32:59,208 --> 00:33:01,500 robbery and she got shot in the face. 487 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,000 Towanda came to me at that point. 488 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:09,500 And and and she said, hey Lucas. I feel like I might have caused 489 00:33:09,500 --> 00:33:13,200 this because I prayed for Revenge, You know, those psalms 490 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,100 where, like David goes off and he's just praying against his 491 00:33:16,100 --> 00:33:19,400 enemies twanna. Had prayed that this is a little 492 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:24,500 prayer challenge for, I guess, I know now that she, she she had 493 00:33:24,500 --> 00:33:28,800 prayed this prayer that that God would get even in. 494 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:32,200 And her enemy got shot in the face and lived. 495 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:35,100 And to want to then was guilty. And she's like, what do I do 496 00:33:35,100 --> 00:33:38,400 with this? We talked about it and I guess 497 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:42,700 the only church answer I had was something about forgiveness and 498 00:33:42,700 --> 00:33:44,200 so she took that and she ran with it. 499 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:50,100 And she she said I this is after about a week of praying, God Has 500 00:33:50,100 --> 00:33:53,900 Lifted it off of me. I forgiven her She told me about 501 00:33:53,900 --> 00:33:58,300 how she was going to go to the hospital and to tell her and she 502 00:33:58,300 --> 00:34:02,200 did Tawana went to the hospital reconnected with her. 503 00:34:02,300 --> 00:34:07,700 Her Aunty said I forgive you. It's all, it's all behind us. 504 00:34:08,100 --> 00:34:12,300 They cried, they prayed. They started reading their Bible 505 00:34:12,300 --> 00:34:16,300 and every morning to wanna reads her Bible and praise. 506 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:23,199 With her auntie. God is doing some really cool 507 00:34:23,199 --> 00:34:29,300 stuff in the city. And he continues to do this work 508 00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:32,900 and we're here to share a lot but there's really just to 509 00:34:32,900 --> 00:34:37,900 prayers that I have today. The first one is that if you're 510 00:34:37,900 --> 00:34:41,900 suffering. If you're struggling, if you're 511 00:34:41,900 --> 00:34:47,400 in it. So is God. 512 00:34:49,500 --> 00:34:52,900 And I'm praying that he would reveal himself to you today and 513 00:34:52,900 --> 00:34:55,900 that the suffering can be used for his glory. 514 00:34:56,699 --> 00:35:00,400 The second prayer. Is that God? 515 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:04,000 We are asking. That on each campus. 516 00:35:05,700 --> 00:35:08,500 You would be raising up your people. 517 00:35:10,100 --> 00:35:15,900 To be connections. To be Bridge Builders into these 518 00:35:15,900 --> 00:35:21,800 pockets, in our society, that are broken, Jesus, we absolutely 519 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:26,700 need you to lead us. Give us an identity of Truth. 520 00:35:26,700 --> 00:35:33,300 Tellers of bold, Proclaimers to go into places and to be with 521 00:35:33,300 --> 00:35:38,100 people, where might seem crazy. God, we need you. 522 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:41,200 We pray all of this because of you and your name. 523 00:35:41,900 --> 00:35:51,600 Amen. There is hope because there are 524 00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:56,700 still people that want to see in our city Drive. 525 00:35:58,900 --> 00:36:02,500 Because we live here. The what I see a community want 526 00:36:02,500 --> 00:36:08,700 to see, he is playing us and I we always got to come together 527 00:36:08,700 --> 00:36:13,600 and make it happy. That's witnessed a lot so I'm 528 00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:21,700 saying like so hope you think Dom was you serve when you don't 529 00:36:21,700 --> 00:36:28,000 like it you give up time and energy and effort supposing. 530 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:31,000 You don't know you feel the void. 531 00:36:31,900 --> 00:36:34,300 I don't know for what that person is missing, they could be 532 00:36:34,300 --> 00:36:40,000 missing my mom uncle and we helped by filling that void. 533 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:44,500 Yeah. And anyway, I saying nice things 534 00:36:45,500 --> 00:36:50,100 compliments, even smiling. I think this probably the 535 00:36:50,100 --> 00:36:54,100 biggest thing is just the parent for your nasal. 536 00:36:55,100 --> 00:37:02,000 I'm still able to love and I'm still able to smell I believe 537 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:04,000 that st. Louis will be changed when we 538 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:08,000 just all learn to love each other and be more neighborly. 539 00:37:08,500 --> 00:37:13,400 I think the biggest meet in St. Louis is love. 540 00:37:14,100 --> 00:37:17,600 I know, there is hope for St, Louis, because Jesus is not done 541 00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:19,900 with this city yet. There's a lot of good here. 542 00:37:19,900 --> 00:37:22,700 There's a lot of talent in St.Louis, there's a lot of 543 00:37:22,700 --> 00:37:24,400 smiles. There's a lot of Joy. 544 00:37:24,700 --> 00:37:27,300 There was hope for st. Louis because of the people who 545 00:37:27,300 --> 00:37:31,200 are in it and it starts here, it starts now And I just thank God 546 00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:35,200 for his people. The good outweigh the bed 547 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:41,100 because it's not every day, it's not every hour. 548 00:37:42,500 --> 00:37:47,500 Like I have a lot to be thankful for and the things that God has 549 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:53,800 helped me through, I think it's really important for people to 550 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:59,800 understand that God hasn't left the city and in fact, he's doing 551 00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:03,500 really Cool stuff here. This is God's work. 552 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:09,200 He takes death and turns it into life, and we're literally seeing 553 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:14,500 that on a regular basis, the sirens stop when Jesus enters 554 00:38:14,500 --> 00:38:21,400 the story, it's when the kid gets fed or learns to read where 555 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:23,200 the neighbor is helped with their house. 556 00:38:23,900 --> 00:38:27,200 It's win. The vacant lot goes from being 557 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:30,000 overgrown and kind of like a jungle. 558 00:38:30,500 --> 00:38:34,300 And turned into a garden like it's really tangible stuff. 559 00:38:34,300 --> 00:38:37,200 It's not rocket science. This isn't something you need a 560 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:42,300 degree for like this is like very practically showing love. 561 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:46,600 It's loving actions that are going to transform our city. 562 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:50,500 And our DNA is the church. Is that love? 563 00:38:51,700 --> 00:38:55,700 You want to know where the hope is right here with us? 564 00:38:57,400 --> 00:38:59,900 This is a story of when the siren. 565 00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:05,400 Top and it's a story of Hope and it's a story that I want to 566 00:39:05,408 --> 00:39:13,600 invite you into tomorrow might be different. 567 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:35,200 But today right now we do Have you listened just a little 568 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:38,800 bit closer? You may hear some Sirens having 569 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:46,900 to this place right now. They may be heading to this. 570 00:39:46,900 --> 00:39:49,700 This room, they may be heading to maybe wherever you're 571 00:39:49,700 --> 00:39:52,300 watching online right now. And you have to ask yourself. 572 00:39:52,300 --> 00:39:54,400 Why? Why are the sirens heading here 573 00:39:56,000 --> 00:40:01,500 is because some people That people and and even myself we 574 00:40:01,500 --> 00:40:03,300 love dearly. They are in need of some 575 00:40:03,300 --> 00:40:07,200 immediate help, they are in need of some immediate attention, 576 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:11,800 they're needing rescued. And even though we may not be 577 00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:15,500 able to right now to hear you verbally or vocally screaming 578 00:40:15,500 --> 00:40:19,500 out, help help help. And your lives. 579 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:24,800 Your lives are crying it out. The situations that you are 580 00:40:24,808 --> 00:40:28,100 currently in and they're crying out. 581 00:40:28,500 --> 00:40:33,200 The looks on some of your faces scream, that you are needing 582 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:35,900 help and you don't know where to turn. 583 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:41,300 And their situations and in this world that we live, in this 584 00:40:41,300 --> 00:40:46,900 reality that we have is this state of being separated from 585 00:40:46,900 --> 00:40:50,100 God and almighty God, because of the sin that exists in our 586 00:40:50,100 --> 00:40:55,600 lives. and for some of you what you've been trying to do, you've 587 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:58,300 been trying to do in your own power, you've been trying to do 588 00:40:58,300 --> 00:41:01,700 in your own strength, you've been trying to rescue yourself 589 00:41:04,500 --> 00:41:10,800 But there's good news. There's help available to you. 590 00:41:12,100 --> 00:41:15,200 This is happens when, when you start an intimate, personal 591 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:19,800 relationship with Jesus, you no longer have to do it within your 592 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:22,000 own strength. You no longer have to do it with 593 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:26,400 your own power. You've been walking around 594 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:28,900 outside of relationship with Jesus, with this kind of this 595 00:41:28,900 --> 00:41:32,500 homemade first aid kit, you've been, you've been hurt. 596 00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:34,800 So you put a bandage on yourself. 597 00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:39,400 You can't walk. So you get your own crutches and 598 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:41,500 you try to do things your own way. 599 00:41:41,500 --> 00:41:47,800 But again, when you're doing things on your own, It doesn't 600 00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:54,500 last, it's not possible. So the hope that we have and the 601 00:41:54,508 --> 00:41:57,400 hope that we get to share every single time that we get the 602 00:41:57,600 --> 00:42:02,100 opportunity to do it is that help is here and it's found in 603 00:42:02,100 --> 00:42:05,500 the person. It's found in the name of Jesus. 604 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:10,900 He's our rescuer. He's Our Redeemer. 605 00:42:11,300 --> 00:42:15,100 He is the one that saves us that that pulls us from the pit. 606 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:18,000 He's the one that takes our homemade bandages and he gives 607 00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:22,300 us something new. What I love about Romans Romans 608 00:42:22,300 --> 00:42:28,500 10 it says this that everyone Every single person. 609 00:42:28,500 --> 00:42:31,800 Anyone and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be 610 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:34,400 saved. Anyone who calls on the name of 611 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:37,800 Jesus will be saved and I'm encouraging for those of you, 612 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:40,800 you've not started that relationship with Jesus In This 613 00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:46,700 Moment, call on the name of Jesus, throw away that first aid 614 00:42:46,700 --> 00:42:48,700 kit. Bring him your pain, bring him 615 00:42:48,700 --> 00:42:52,300 your shame, bring him, the sins that have kept you separated 616 00:42:52,300 --> 00:42:54,600 from God. And you say, Jesus, I'm turning 617 00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:57,500 away from those sins and I'm turning NG to you. 618 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:02,800 Put your life In His Hands today. 619 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:08,000 Let him transform you. Let them take this old heart. 620 00:43:09,700 --> 00:43:12,200 Let them do surgery to it. Let him give you a new one. 621 00:43:13,700 --> 00:43:16,600 I'm encourage you in this moment, start that relationship 622 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:20,600 with Jesus right now and just a little bit. 623 00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:24,400 We're gonna sing some songs couple songs and just we're 624 00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:27,300 going to worship, we're going to just celebrate all that he's 625 00:43:27,300 --> 00:43:30,100 done for us. And and if you are in that spot 626 00:43:30,100 --> 00:43:32,200 where you're just like, I've been doing this for too long on 627 00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:36,300 my own and I need Jesus, I need to transform my heart and I 628 00:43:36,308 --> 00:43:38,700 don't want to do it myself. I need him to do it. 629 00:43:38,700 --> 00:43:40,400 There's going to be someone right by the baptistry that 630 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:42,500 would love to help you walk through what it looks like to 631 00:43:42,508 --> 00:43:44,500 have. A relationship with him to take 632 00:43:44,500 --> 00:43:48,000 that next step to get into the Waters of baptism and and really 633 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:51,000 declared you are made new. You are a new creation. 634 00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:53,600 The old has gone. The new has has come. 635 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:56,500 You can start that relationship with Jesus today. 636 00:43:57,600 --> 00:44:04,000 For the rest of us in this room. All of us who have said, yes to 637 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:06,100 Jesus. All of us who are pursuing 638 00:44:06,100 --> 00:44:09,100 Jesus. We're trying to do this thing as 639 00:44:09,100 --> 00:44:12,000 a Christian and it's hard. But one of the parts in that 640 00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:14,900 video that I heard that stuck out to me, just the one we just 641 00:44:14,900 --> 00:44:17,500 watch, you may have missed it, but it said this, it says it 642 00:44:17,500 --> 00:44:22,000 starts here. And it starts with us 643 00:44:22,700 --> 00:44:28,400 Christians, it starts here in this moment and it starts with 644 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:31,300 us and love the loo and credible. 645 00:44:31,500 --> 00:44:34,800 Incredible things that God is doing in and through them. 646 00:44:35,100 --> 00:44:37,700 There they are committed to reaching people in the greater 647 00:44:37,700 --> 00:44:39,000 st. Louis area and their 648 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:43,100 neighborhoods all around them men but our call and our 649 00:44:43,100 --> 00:44:47,700 commission right here is to reach as many people as possible 650 00:44:47,700 --> 00:44:50,900 to tell them the good news that I just shared with you to the 651 00:44:50,900 --> 00:44:54,100 whole world whether that's in Quincy Illinois, whether that's 652 00:44:54,100 --> 00:44:56,400 in the surrounding area, maybe you're in Liberty, maybe you're 653 00:44:56,400 --> 00:44:58,300 in Camp point, maybe you're in mended, maybe you're in 654 00:44:58,300 --> 00:44:59,400 Hannibal. Maybe. 655 00:44:59,400 --> 00:45:02,200 I don't know where you're at. Maybe, Um we're in Missouri, 656 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:04,300 somewhere in Iowa, maybe somewhere in Indiana. 657 00:45:04,300 --> 00:45:06,100 Maybe you're about to travel to Florida. 658 00:45:06,100 --> 00:45:07,700 You're going to Hawaii on vacation. 659 00:45:07,700 --> 00:45:09,300 It doesn't matter where you're at. 660 00:45:09,300 --> 00:45:10,700 Where ever? Your feet are hitting the 661 00:45:10,707 --> 00:45:13,800 ground. The our mission doesn't change. 662 00:45:14,800 --> 00:45:18,400 We Can't Stop. We won't stop as Christian 663 00:45:18,400 --> 00:45:22,600 because it starts here and it starts now, we got to tell 664 00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:26,700 people how they can be rescued And so my personal burden and I 665 00:45:26,707 --> 00:45:30,000 know so many of you Christians, your personal burden is the 666 00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:32,700 same. It's how do we reach more people 667 00:45:32,700 --> 00:45:35,400 for Jesus? And a question. 668 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:40,300 I keep asking myself. the thing that breaks my heart the most 669 00:45:41,300 --> 00:45:45,600 Is, what am I doing about it? Like today, what, what am I 670 00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:48,300 doing about it to share with someone that they need? 671 00:45:48,300 --> 00:45:52,900 Jesus, because we are called to be missionaries for him. 672 00:45:53,700 --> 00:45:56,700 Everywhere we go. And so in this time of decision 673 00:45:56,700 --> 00:46:02,500 for you as a Christian is a simply just come up here in a 674 00:46:02,500 --> 00:46:05,000 humble way. And the way that we humble 675 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:07,700 ourselves, as we get down on our knees and we just enter into a 676 00:46:07,700 --> 00:46:11,800 time of prayer and we say, God, I need I need boldness. 677 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:16,200 I need, I need you to use the words that are going to come out 678 00:46:16,200 --> 00:46:18,400 of my mouth. I need you to use the actions 679 00:46:18,500 --> 00:46:20,300 that happened through my fingertips. 680 00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:24,600 Gotta pray that as a people that come into my path that you would 681 00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:30,500 soften their hearts. I pray God that you can and that 682 00:46:30,500 --> 00:46:34,000 you will use me and that he will and he can use you. 683 00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:39,900 There is hurt and there is pain all over this world. 684 00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:45,100 But we have the greatest news. We have the greatest hope. 685 00:46:45,800 --> 00:46:48,100 So why should we keep that to ourselves? 686 00:46:50,300 --> 00:46:53,700 And I don't think we should and the way we do that, is it starts 687 00:46:53,700 --> 00:46:55,700 right here in this moment. So if you would stand with me, 688 00:46:55,700 --> 00:46:58,300 let's go to him in prayer. Let's go to him. 689 00:46:58,300 --> 00:47:02,300 As we humble ourself, let's go to him as we asked him to come 690 00:47:02,300 --> 00:47:04,200 with us. In this moment to give us the 691 00:47:04,200 --> 00:47:08,300 direction we need. Jesus, we are so thankful God 692 00:47:08,300 --> 00:47:10,700 for this time. So, thankful for these moments, 693 00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:14,400 maybe to be just re-centered to your gospel, to be re-centered 694 00:47:14,400 --> 00:47:16,900 to the call that you you put on our lives. 695 00:47:16,900 --> 00:47:20,900 God, the way that you call us to go out into the The world. 696 00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:29,500 To reach people for you. To tell them about you to not 697 00:47:29,500 --> 00:47:32,100 stop until this whole world knows about you. 698 00:47:32,100 --> 00:47:35,400 God, that our personal burden. God, this is that more people 699 00:47:35,400 --> 00:47:37,300 would know you. And God, I pray that because of 700 00:47:37,308 --> 00:47:40,300 this moment right here, because it starts right here and it 701 00:47:40,300 --> 00:47:44,100 starts with us, God, I pray that you would do something in the 702 00:47:44,200 --> 00:47:46,300 parts of the people. Listen, you do something in my 703 00:47:46,300 --> 00:47:49,300 heart. God, that would make your 704 00:47:49,300 --> 00:47:52,600 kingdom grow. That would bring hope to someone 705 00:47:52,600 --> 00:47:57,500 who doesn't have hope that lives would be turned around in this 706 00:47:57,500 --> 00:47:59,500 moment. Jesus, we love you. 707 00:47:59,500 --> 00:48:01,500 We pray all this your name. Amen.