1 00:00:04,300 --> 00:00:07,200 Crossing family. So glad you guys made it today. 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,600 Happy New Year. I know it's some of our 3 00:00:09,607 --> 00:00:11,100 locations. We probably should have had a 4 00:00:11,107 --> 00:00:13,800 little hair of the dog out in the lobby for some of you. 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:19,000 But we are glad you're here and whatever condition you arrived 6 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:22,100 in. Before we get into the sermon, I 7 00:00:22,100 --> 00:00:25,300 want to take just a little bit of time and I just want to pray 8 00:00:25,300 --> 00:00:27,600 for you. I know that right now. 9 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,000 There's some of you you are in the middle of a pretty 10 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,700 challenging season. Some of you are coming. 11 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,000 In out of a pretty challenging season. 12 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:40,700 But I also know that there are some of you all across this 13 00:00:40,700 --> 00:00:49,300 region. Who 20:23 is going to have a lot 14 00:00:49,300 --> 00:00:53,700 of situations and a lot of challenges for you to navigate. 15 00:00:54,800 --> 00:01:00,000 and, Those challenges could be all across the spectrum, they 16 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,400 could be Financial, they could be occupational. 17 00:01:04,500 --> 00:01:06,500 Some of them are going to be relational. 18 00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:11,900 It's going to be Issues going on in your marriage or struggles 19 00:01:11,900 --> 00:01:15,800 inside of your parenting. Some of you you're going to have 20 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:20,600 to navigate the painful loss of loved ones, or the loss of jobs, 21 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,200 or maybe even the loss of dreams. 22 00:01:23,900 --> 00:01:28,100 And in all of those moments, I want to remind you of what I 23 00:01:28,100 --> 00:01:29,400 said. During our Christmas Eve 24 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,500 services, this is something that is Christians. 25 00:01:32,500 --> 00:01:35,500 Not only do we get to cling to you, and we must cling to, but 26 00:01:35,500 --> 00:01:39,300 it's also a truth that we can distribute one of the names of 27 00:01:39,300 --> 00:01:45,000 Jesus is Emmanuel God With Us. If that means is no matter what 28 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,800 you're in the middle of right now, no matter what you're 29 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:53,700 coming out of or going into in fact, no matter what 2023 throws 30 00:01:53,700 --> 00:01:56,400 your way. I want you to have this promise 31 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:02,400 to cling to God is with you. He's not going to abandon you. 32 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,900 He is there to guide you to direct you. 33 00:02:06,100 --> 00:02:09,900 If you have the courage to follow him, And so even though 34 00:02:10,100 --> 00:02:13,200 we don't know what lies ahead we know who's going to be with us, 35 00:02:13,300 --> 00:02:16,600 no matter what we face and I just want to pray that over all 36 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:18,900 of you before we jump into the sermon, would you guys pray with 37 00:02:18,900 --> 00:02:21,300 me? Heavenly father, thank you so 38 00:02:21,300 --> 00:02:27,200 much for hearing us. I am amazed at your ability to 39 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:32,200 simultaneously. Be with all of us who are 40 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:36,300 struggling and hurting and sorrowful and how you are able 41 00:02:36,300 --> 00:02:43,000 to mourn with us as we mourn. And at the same time, you are 42 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,600 able to Rejoice with those of us who are rejoicing and 43 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:50,400 celebrating and in a period of Thanksgiving. 44 00:02:55,400 --> 00:03:00,400 And God I I know that there are thousands of stories and 45 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:04,500 complicated situations represented inside of the sound 46 00:03:04,500 --> 00:03:08,200 of my voice. I know that this upcoming year 47 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:12,700 is going to have mountaintops and it's going to have values. 48 00:03:13,700 --> 00:03:17,700 And God I pray that you would help us to remember that you are 49 00:03:17,700 --> 00:03:22,200 always with us that you would give us the wisdom to seek you 50 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,700 out and the courage to follow your direction. 51 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,100 And God, that we would take the sense of comfort that we have 52 00:03:30,100 --> 00:03:32,200 from you. And that we would Point other 53 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:34,800 people to it and your name, I pray. 54 00:03:35,300 --> 00:03:38,000 Amen. I want to welcome those of you 55 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:43,000 joining here in Quincy, at our 48th Street, and 929 campuses, 56 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,800 those of you in Macomb, and Kirksville, and Pike County and 57 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,900 Hannibal, and Lima Mount Sterling Keokuk, mom, at 58 00:03:49,900 --> 00:03:55,600 Jacksonville online. And inside this, I began last 59 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,500 year with a sermon He's called there has to be a place and I 60 00:03:59,508 --> 00:04:04,400 received a lot of encouraging emails and I got a lot of 61 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:08,300 comments and messages. I even had someone designed, 62 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,400 there has to be a place hoodie and they sent it to a bunch of 63 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:16,200 us and I was going to wear it this weekend, but when I was 64 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:21,000 doing laundry which I do all the time, I may have shrunk it and I 65 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,000 didn't want to be the hairy belly button, mid-drift pastor. 66 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,700 And so I just I decided to Leave that at home, but there were so 67 00:04:28,700 --> 00:04:31,500 many things inside of that sermon series that I didn't get 68 00:04:31,500 --> 00:04:34,800 to say things that I wanted to. We just didn't have time for and 69 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:36,400 so many things that we didn't get it. 70 00:04:36,500 --> 00:04:39,400 That I want to chance for us, just to kind of review that we 71 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,600 decided that we're going to just start off this year. 72 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:43,600 With there, has to be a place 2.0. 73 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:51,700 And for years, our church has been governed and committed to a 74 00:04:51,700 --> 00:04:54,900 series of statements that are very specialist. 75 00:04:54,900 --> 00:04:59,700 We call them our core values. They dictate the sermon series, 76 00:04:59,700 --> 00:05:04,100 we do what we preach, how we preach, what our worship 77 00:05:04,100 --> 00:05:08,600 Services look like how we deploy our resources and engage and 78 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,600 initiatives and how we staff are different environments. 79 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:14,700 And for some of you, this is going to be brand new 80 00:05:14,700 --> 00:05:17,600 information and this is important because it'll give you 81 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,900 a chance to peek Into the Heart of this church. 82 00:05:21,100 --> 00:05:23,700 For some of you you've been here for a really long time, this is 83 00:05:23,700 --> 00:05:27,500 going to be a great opportunity for you to kind of review 84 00:05:27,700 --> 00:05:32,100 reflect and maybe re-engage. And so I want to spend just a 85 00:05:32,108 --> 00:05:33,200 little bit of time with you today. 86 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,900 Kind of talking about the heartbeat of the crossing, one 87 00:05:36,900 --> 00:05:39,300 of our core values. In fact, our first core value is 88 00:05:39,300 --> 00:05:42,900 outward, we will do whatever it takes to reach people who are 89 00:05:42,900 --> 00:05:50,900 far from Jesus. We unapologetically prioritize. 90 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:55,600 Those we are trying to reach over those. 91 00:05:55,600 --> 00:06:02,600 We are trying to keep that is a hard statement to say, because 92 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:08,300 it comes with real pain, casual trip to the grocery store, by 93 00:06:08,300 --> 00:06:12,000 many of our staff and aisle after aisle, you're going to 94 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:16,100 interact with somebody who used to be a part of our church. 95 00:06:18,900 --> 00:06:23,100 And we could have made changes at our church to keep them. 96 00:06:26,500 --> 00:06:29,700 But we unapologetically prioritize. 97 00:06:29,700 --> 00:06:32,100 Those we are trying to reach over those. 98 00:06:32,100 --> 00:06:36,600 We are trying to keep hear me. That does not mean we don't love 99 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:38,300 you. Oh we love you. 100 00:06:40,300 --> 00:06:45,800 We just love your unsaved friends and family more and 101 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,800 there has to be a place. That is committed to the mission 102 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:55,400 of Jesus. Jesus said, I have come to seek 103 00:06:55,400 --> 00:07:00,900 and save that which was lost It's not the healthy who need a 104 00:07:00,907 --> 00:07:05,000 doctor, but the sick there has to be a church. 105 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:10,200 And you're going to be thankful, were this kind of church when 106 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,100 your girlfriend wants to start going to church somewhere or 107 00:07:13,100 --> 00:07:16,600 your grandkids, want to come to church somewhere or your boss is 108 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:18,200 looking for a place to go to church. 109 00:07:18,300 --> 00:07:20,800 You're going to be excited when it's your friend, your family 110 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,900 member sitting next to you. That this place is dedicated to 111 00:07:23,900 --> 00:07:27,300 helping people find that relationship with Jesus Christ. 112 00:07:27,300 --> 00:07:29,900 And a place to point them when they start asking spiritual 113 00:07:29,900 --> 00:07:32,500 questions, second one is downward. 114 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,400 We will gladly give up the things we love for a future 115 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:37,200 generation. We of even more. 116 00:07:37,900 --> 00:07:40,000 In fact, we're so committed to this last year. 117 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:44,100 We revamped our 02:18 Ministries, we rebranded under 118 00:07:44,500 --> 00:07:48,100 this gin. This Jenn is now not next. 119 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,000 We don't want them to get serious about their faith and 120 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:54,600 start participating in the mission of Jesus. 121 00:07:54,800 --> 00:08:00,400 When they're 40, we want them to start when they're four and 14 122 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,000 and 24. And so we are going to 123 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:07,000 strategically aim our church towards Younger people. 124 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:12,500 Now old people. And you you identify okay, you 125 00:08:12,500 --> 00:08:14,900 know, you're old when you start saying, I'm young at heart, 126 00:08:14,900 --> 00:08:18,300 that's when you know your old. Okay, well I'm young at heart. 127 00:08:18,900 --> 00:08:21,000 Hear me. Listen, I got gray in my beard, 128 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:25,700 okay, we're fam, okay? This does not mean we don't love 129 00:08:25,700 --> 00:08:29,500 you. We love you, deeply. 130 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,600 But let me ask you this question, is there anything more 131 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:40,700 important to you than your kids? Is there anything more important 132 00:08:40,700 --> 00:08:44,900 to you than your grandkids? What I'm saying when our church 133 00:08:44,900 --> 00:08:48,300 is downward is we want to come alongside of you to help you 134 00:08:48,300 --> 00:08:49,600 reach. The people that are the most 135 00:08:49,700 --> 00:08:53,300 important to you to help them develop the skills and the faith 136 00:08:53,300 --> 00:08:56,300 for them to be able to navigate the mission of Christ and life 137 00:08:56,300 --> 00:09:00,500 with Christ earlier rather than later how many of you you took 138 00:09:00,500 --> 00:09:06,100 an awful lot of stupid pills between 16 and 36. 139 00:09:06,900 --> 00:09:10,200 We would like to reduce the amount of good pill intake in 140 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:14,500 your family tree, and I think you'd want to partner with us in 141 00:09:14,500 --> 00:09:20,000 that Journey It was Jesus. Who said let the little children 142 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,200 come unto me? And do not hinder them and 143 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,400 sometimes you're going to get frustrated because the way we do 144 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:32,600 Church in the way it manifests itself isn't necessarily always 145 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:37,300 to your liking And you're going to go why can't we, you know, 146 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,200 one of the places where people like to pick at is worship. 147 00:09:40,300 --> 00:09:42,600 Now, let me be clear. I love all of our worship people 148 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,100 at all of our worship, he locations, but I have I have 149 00:09:46,100 --> 00:09:53,500 music preferences, too. and, sometimes we lose people out the 150 00:09:53,500 --> 00:09:57,000 back door of our church because of the worship that we do in our 151 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:04,600 auditoriums and I get it. But there has to be somebody. 152 00:10:06,300 --> 00:10:08,500 Who's willing to try and make sure that there's a worship 153 00:10:08,500 --> 00:10:11,600 service that younger people can engage in. 154 00:10:13,100 --> 00:10:19,100 One of my biggest regrets growing up was my parents didn't 155 00:10:19,100 --> 00:10:23,400 go to a church that had what I would call a staff compliment. 156 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:28,000 And so, I grew up without a Christian Social Network. 157 00:10:28,700 --> 00:10:31,300 I didn't have any, what I would call Christian social peer 158 00:10:31,300 --> 00:10:35,200 pressure. I had more of a drink. 159 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:40,900 This smoke, this crowd, then a read this, pray, this crew, I 160 00:10:40,900 --> 00:10:43,600 think your life and my life would have both been better. 161 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,700 We had some of these people in our lives. 162 00:10:47,700 --> 00:10:49,900 I wish I had somebody. My parents are good godly 163 00:10:49,900 --> 00:10:52,300 people. I wish I had somebody other than 164 00:10:52,300 --> 00:10:54,800 my parents to talk to. Because do you remember that 165 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:56,400 period in your life? When you didn't want to talk to 166 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:58,600 your parents about what was going on in your head and heart? 167 00:10:59,500 --> 00:11:01,500 Yeah, some of your like actually I feel like that's where we're 168 00:11:01,500 --> 00:11:05,200 living right now. Yeah, and sometimes it's nice to 169 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:08,400 have somebody come alongside of you as a parent and help you 170 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:10,900 navigate what's going on in your kids and someone to come 171 00:11:10,900 --> 00:11:13,100 alongside of your kids. When maybe you're not the voice 172 00:11:13,100 --> 00:11:16,900 that they're wanting to lean into, we need to be a church 173 00:11:16,900 --> 00:11:20,200 that creates an opportunity for that to take place in every 174 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,100 single one of us has a part to play whether that's contributing 175 00:11:23,100 --> 00:11:26,400 at a high level on Super Bowl weekend when we open up camp 176 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,500 signups or when we give you guys an opportunity to give 177 00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:32,100 generously to create a scholarship, so that no kid is 178 00:11:32,100 --> 00:11:35,000 turned away. Or whether you come alongside of 179 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,100 our next gen team and you try to become a part of the Pastoral 180 00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:43,300 team to the over, 1,500 kids who walk inside the crossing every 181 00:11:43,300 --> 00:11:46,500 single week. Another one of our core values 182 00:11:46,500 --> 00:11:48,700 is relevant. We will do fresh things in fresh 183 00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:50,800 ways, to reach people. No one else is reaching. 184 00:11:51,300 --> 00:11:53,400 There are going to be times. When we start things up, change, 185 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:57,600 things up, and shut things down. We will do this for the express 186 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,200 purpose of making sure that our church doors. 187 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:04,300 Do not become a time machine where it is 2023 outside and 188 00:12:04,300 --> 00:12:08,900 1983 on the inside. I was talking about worship 189 00:12:08,900 --> 00:12:12,100 earlier and, you know, there's some of you have you have your 190 00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:16,700 opinions on worship. I remember when Andre Harper 191 00:12:16,700 --> 00:12:20,900 who's my my brother-in-law, we met Andre on the mission field 192 00:12:21,100 --> 00:12:23,600 and then my sister just kind of put him in her carry-on, and 193 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:25,700 brought him, brought him back with us. 194 00:12:26,100 --> 00:12:31,300 And so he's sitting up in Macomb front row right next to me and 195 00:12:31,300 --> 00:12:34,000 he's worshiping the music and I mean, he's, you know, he's from 196 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:35,800 Jamaica. So he was clapping on beat which 197 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:42,200 was like, a new thing for me. Macomb and and and we're singing 198 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:44,500 our, you know, white Christian music. 199 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,000 And he's just up there. Getting down with it. 200 00:12:50,100 --> 00:12:52,900 And I turned to him and I'm like, Andre, you don't know a 201 00:12:52,900 --> 00:12:56,600 single one of these songs. How do you guys have heard me 202 00:12:56,608 --> 00:12:58,900 tell the story before? How are you able to worship? 203 00:12:58,900 --> 00:13:00,600 And this was back? When he was way cooler than he 204 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,600 is now because he had like this thick Jamaican accent. 205 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:06,400 Plankton mun. Okay. 206 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,900 He said, he said I'm a Christian I can worship anywhere. 207 00:13:10,900 --> 00:13:17,000 Okay, then that's interesting. Doesn't that make sense that the 208 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:21,000 more mature you are in Christ? The less it has to be about you 209 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:25,400 to be able to worship Him. And maybe our deep affections 210 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:28,500 for our spiritual preferences is actually giving away our lack of 211 00:13:28,500 --> 00:13:35,200 spiritual maturity away. Look, I'm a old school person at 212 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:37,800 heart. My first church, I preached. 213 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:42,100 The sermon I did the communion. I led the worship and I did the 214 00:13:42,100 --> 00:13:45,200 Sunday school class. There's a little old lady with a 215 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,900 humpback. You played the piano and I would 216 00:13:47,900 --> 00:13:50,100 ask her to change the key to put it in my range. 217 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:53,300 She didn't do it or know how to, I don't know. 218 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:55,500 And we just sang what she played. 219 00:13:56,700 --> 00:14:01,500 And I love, I do, I there are certain hymns that mean a great 220 00:14:01,500 --> 00:14:03,300 deal. To me there's times when I am 221 00:14:03,300 --> 00:14:06,900 writing a sermon and I write my sermon with the Gaithers on 222 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:08,400 repeating. Those of you who don't know, the 223 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,200 Gators are, I'm glad you love The Crossing, okay? 224 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,400 That's why we do what we do. Because if we were running my 225 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:17,600 play, listen to me. We would not create an 226 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,200 environment where I would want to bring my own friends. 227 00:14:22,900 --> 00:14:26,400 Right? I want when you get in your car 228 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:28,800 or your listening to music on your phone that what you are 229 00:14:28,900 --> 00:14:31,400 hearing in your car and what you're hearing on your phone is 230 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:35,100 what you are participating with on o on a weekend. 231 00:14:37,100 --> 00:14:39,500 This year, we're going to be doing some things with sermons 232 00:14:39,500 --> 00:14:43,100 and technology and create a greater sense of Engagement and 233 00:14:43,100 --> 00:14:45,900 learning and our time together. And some of these times, we're 234 00:14:45,900 --> 00:14:48,700 going to get it right. And sometimes we're going to get 235 00:14:48,700 --> 00:14:51,000 it wrong. And if we screw it up, I'm going 236 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:55,500 to apologize to you. Sometimes we're going to take it 237 00:14:55,500 --> 00:14:59,600 too far. And I just need you to hear me 238 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:01,300 say this. That way, you're not surprised. 239 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:06,000 I've pre decided I would rather be a church. 240 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,500 That takes it too far. Then a church. 241 00:15:08,500 --> 00:15:13,800 That doesn't take it far enough. That's like in my heart. 242 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:19,800 I got an incredible rebuke email about 3 weeks ago. 243 00:15:20,900 --> 00:15:24,200 I'm going to do a sermon on confrontation, at some point it 244 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:28,600 was the best confrontation ever. And she's like, this is what you 245 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:30,500 did, that was wrong. And you know what I said? 246 00:15:30,700 --> 00:15:32,800 You're exactly right, I'm incredibly sorry. 247 00:15:33,300 --> 00:15:36,400 When we screwed up will admit it, but I just want you to know 248 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,600 that we are predisposed to try and do everything we can to make 249 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:43,500 a difference for Jesus innovate, we will take big faithful to 250 00:15:43,508 --> 00:15:46,400 rest and never insult god with small thinking and safe living. 251 00:15:47,100 --> 00:15:51,400 We've taken some big faithful risk here at the Crossing And 252 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:57,200 we've had unbelievably major wins, like miracles in our 253 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,300 midst. And we've also had devastating 254 00:15:59,300 --> 00:16:01,000 losses. I talked about this last year. 255 00:16:01,700 --> 00:16:04,300 I remember when we shut our Paducah campus down those of you 256 00:16:04,300 --> 00:16:05,800 who maybe haven't been here for a while. 257 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:10,700 We used to have a Crossing location in Paducah Kentucky and 258 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,300 it just wasn't just wasn't working. 259 00:16:14,900 --> 00:16:19,000 We were trying everything we knew how to try and people just 260 00:16:19,100 --> 00:16:24,800 weren't coming and so we shut it down and I remember being 261 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:28,900 catalyzed in my heart that day that I would rather be a church 262 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:34,000 that launches a campus to try and reach people and later has 263 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,500 to shut it down. Then be a church that never 264 00:16:37,500 --> 00:16:41,500 tries never take risks and has a perfect track record. 265 00:16:42,500 --> 00:16:44,500 When we get to heaven, I'm going to be the first one in line 266 00:16:44,500 --> 00:16:46,700 going God. Why didn't this work out? 267 00:16:47,300 --> 00:16:50,000 And there's many times was frustrating because we spent 268 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,800 time and talents, and, and money to make something happen. 269 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:56,700 And I just need you to hear me say when we do something. 270 00:16:58,100 --> 00:17:02,600 My time and my talents and my money will be some of the very 271 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,300 first invested in whatever it is, we're doing. 272 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,000 And if we miss it, when I get to heaven, I'm going to ask him, 273 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,000 why? Just like you didn't, but I 274 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,099 would rather take what I have and try and make his big of a 275 00:17:14,108 --> 00:17:17,400 difference for God, as I possibly can think avoid I just 276 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:22,500 don't know, because not all seed, that is planted takes 277 00:17:22,500 --> 00:17:28,200 root, God has called you. And I to sow seed and to water 278 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:32,400 seed, but we know this. God is the one who supplies the 279 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:34,900 growth. This year, we were able to 280 00:17:34,900 --> 00:17:38,900 partner make it have a strategic partnership with connect. 281 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:40,700 You've heard me talk about this ministry before. 282 00:17:40,700 --> 00:17:43,700 Maybe some of you have bought the sweatshirt, I hope in the 283 00:17:43,700 --> 00:17:46,900 coming years to expand their Ministry offering and become the 284 00:17:46,900 --> 00:17:50,300 go-to, place for people who need help and people who are hurting. 285 00:17:51,100 --> 00:17:53,500 I remember being scared about the sermon series Weeds in my 286 00:17:53,500 --> 00:17:57,100 garden and going we going to preach this church 20 with a 12 287 00:17:57,100 --> 00:18:00,200 weeks on mental health or we can have to shut it down halfway 288 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,700 through. It was a big faithful to risk 289 00:18:02,700 --> 00:18:04,400 for us to step. Up into those Waters. 290 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,300 And on the back side you just see how God moved, in fact, this 291 00:18:08,300 --> 00:18:10,600 weekend across the country. Multiple churches are actually 292 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:13,700 doing the very same sermon series and blessing their 293 00:18:13,700 --> 00:18:16,700 people. We must refuse to have a 294 00:18:16,700 --> 00:18:21,400 scarcity mindset that we should believe that God is worthy of 295 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:26,100 big, beautiful risks. And if we screw it up, I'm going 296 00:18:26,100 --> 00:18:27,100 to tell you. I'm sorry. 297 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:29,900 If we make, if we miss it I'm going to go. 298 00:18:29,900 --> 00:18:31,700 Yep, we could have done that one better. 299 00:18:33,300 --> 00:18:38,300 But I also promised that we will continue to try and take risks 300 00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:41,000 for Jesus. Next one, make leaders, we will 301 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,800 develop leaders who honor God and inspire people and they will 302 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:47,600 change the world. There's so much I want to say 303 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:50,400 about this. I want to exponentially increase 304 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:52,200 this in the future. I want to do more than just 305 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:54,900 double down, triple down or quadruple down, but that's going 306 00:18:54,900 --> 00:18:58,200 to take a lot of time. But in the meantime, we need to 307 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:03,100 give people a place to play and to learn and grow and develop As 308 00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:06,000 Leaders. You guys have done this for me. 309 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:08,600 I mean, I used to be super cool with long hair, and my ears 310 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,400 pierced. Then, I got a speeding ticket. 311 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:15,700 And well, I lost my hair and now my wife won't let me grow back. 312 00:19:16,700 --> 00:19:19,500 You're stuck. Okay, we're neither one of us 313 00:19:19,500 --> 00:19:22,400 are happy with how I look this year. 314 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,600 I'm going to be coaching a group of 20 guys on helping them 315 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:29,000 become even more, strategic leaders and pastors. 316 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:34,100 We're going to continue to give young people a place to lead and 317 00:19:34,100 --> 00:19:36,800 take ground for God. What that means is, sometimes 318 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,000 you're going to be in an environment and you are going to 319 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:40,800 wish that there was somebody older. 320 00:19:41,900 --> 00:19:47,100 Wiser more, put together and someone with more with different 321 00:19:47,100 --> 00:19:50,300 fashion sense than the person that is in front of you. 322 00:19:51,500 --> 00:19:54,000 And I'm right there with you. I wish you guys had that too, 323 00:19:56,700 --> 00:20:01,600 but Where else would you want young people to lead and deploy 324 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:04,100 their talents? Then in the church? 325 00:20:04,700 --> 00:20:10,000 And on behalf of God, Timothy if you're was a young man who was 326 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,700 the pastor in Ephesus and for those of you who are Bible 327 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,600 nerds, you're like yeah that's sketchy for those of you who 328 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:17,200 don't know, let me put it in different terms. 329 00:20:17,500 --> 00:20:20,600 If you like you sending your high school kid to go, be a 330 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:27,500 pastor on, the Las Vegas Strip. And God used Timothy and blessed 331 00:20:27,500 --> 00:20:31,300 Timothy and a beautiful Church grew out of that place. 332 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:36,500 David was just a boy when he killed Goliath we believe that 333 00:20:36,500 --> 00:20:40,900 young people can do great things for God, we believe that people 334 00:20:40,900 --> 00:20:43,500 have a part to play in that you can participate in. 335 00:20:43,500 --> 00:20:46,600 It means you don't have to go to Bible college for four years to 336 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:50,000 be a pastor at our church and that you can learn on the go if 337 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,900 you have a heart, that's willing to be surrendered to the Lord. 338 00:20:52,900 --> 00:20:56,400 And so maybe instead of Thinking we could be a church that is a 339 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:59,400 really good job of coaching and cheering them on. 340 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:03,100 Because they might be the people that reach the people that are 341 00:21:03,100 --> 00:21:07,900 your people. Next one, grow, we will never 342 00:21:07,900 --> 00:21:11,100 stop measuring changing and moving for growth because 343 00:21:11,100 --> 00:21:14,000 nothing matters. More to God than people. 344 00:21:14,500 --> 00:21:17,600 We want to have a laser focus on leveraging, everything in our 345 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,100 power to join God in his saving work. 346 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:24,200 There has to be a place that is committed to reaching growing 347 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,500 baptizing and discipling. The Very people that Jesus died 348 00:21:28,500 --> 00:21:30,800 for. This is why we started a 349 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,400 marriage Retreat Center. Gave away money at our Super 350 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,000 Bowl last year to school activities. 351 00:21:35,100 --> 00:21:39,100 He's expanded our uncommon offering to multiple States for 352 00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:41,800 the last 18 months. We've been working on how to 353 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,400 provide a staff compliment at all of our locations. 354 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,300 To increase our ability, to effectively Pastor our 355 00:21:48,300 --> 00:21:50,700 communities. And that's why we've started to 356 00:21:50,700 --> 00:21:53,200 launch our in your corner initiatives which you're going 357 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,600 to hear way or more about that in the coming weeks. 358 00:21:55,800 --> 00:22:00,700 Last one We Are One The church is the hope of the world, and we 359 00:22:00,700 --> 00:22:03,500 can accomplish infinitely more together than apart. 360 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:09,100 Our locations are where we gather That's where we hang out 361 00:22:09,900 --> 00:22:14,000 but that is not the church. You're the church. 362 00:22:15,300 --> 00:22:18,700 And you're the church and your the church and I'm a part of the 363 00:22:18,700 --> 00:22:22,300 church and when you and I take what we have been given and 364 00:22:22,300 --> 00:22:24,800 collectively put them in the hands of God. 365 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,100 There is no telling what he will do. 366 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,900 We do all of these things because here at the Crossing we 367 00:22:31,900 --> 00:22:37,400 are consumed with this mission statement to help people find an 368 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:40,700 intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 369 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:45,800 This might be the secret sauce of the crossing, this might be 370 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:48,000 the one thing we do, so, right? That God. 371 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:49,800 Blesses. All the other things that we do 372 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:54,500 wrong. That's why in almost every 373 00:22:54,500 --> 00:22:57,700 single sermon you should hear us, talk about it. 374 00:22:59,300 --> 00:23:01,700 That's why when we land the plane which is what we call. 375 00:23:01,700 --> 00:23:04,800 The after we say we're moving to a time of decision, your campus 376 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:08,100 pastors talking to you or I'm talking to you during that plane 377 00:23:08,100 --> 00:23:10,500 landing moment. Every single week, you should 378 00:23:10,500 --> 00:23:15,400 hear a campus Pastor or somebody talked about it and if you don't 379 00:23:15,500 --> 00:23:21,400 call us on it, If you don't hear it, I want you ticked. 380 00:23:23,100 --> 00:23:26,300 I don't want this to be a standard that we as a staff or 381 00:23:26,300 --> 00:23:29,600 we as Elders carry, I want it to be a standard that we as a 382 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,600 church, collectively commit ourselves to that. 383 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,300 We will be a place that talk about the life-saving 384 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:39,500 life-changing gospel work that Jesus did on our behalf. 385 00:23:39,900 --> 00:23:43,200 I don't want you to be going. I'm kind of glad we took a 386 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:47,000 weekend off. Because I know I get it. 387 00:23:48,500 --> 00:23:51,100 Some of you, you've heard it so many times, you tune it out. 388 00:23:52,300 --> 00:23:55,300 And some of you you've heard it so many times you like do we 389 00:23:55,300 --> 00:23:58,800 have to do it every single week? I had a person come up to me 390 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,800 Macomb when I was the campus Pastor there and Sammy, do we 391 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:03,600 have to talk about it every week? 392 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:10,100 And I'll be good answer and I was, you know, I wasn't as wise 393 00:24:10,300 --> 00:24:16,000 as I am now and how I handled it but let me I get it. 394 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:22,100 You've heard it before. And you might have heard it a 395 00:24:22,100 --> 00:24:25,900 hundred times. But what you need to understand 396 00:24:25,900 --> 00:24:32,300 is we've looked at the numbers every single weekend at almost 397 00:24:32,300 --> 00:24:37,700 every single service at almost every single location. 398 00:24:37,900 --> 00:24:41,000 Somebody is hearing it for the first time. 399 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:48,000 And for you it's old hat but for them it is water in the desert. 400 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:52,700 It is good news to their situation. 401 00:24:54,100 --> 00:24:57,500 Furthermore. While you might get tired of a 402 00:24:57,508 --> 00:25:02,300 saying it, you'll be sitting on the edge of your seat, waiting 403 00:25:02,300 --> 00:25:06,300 for us to say it, when you bring your friend and your family 404 00:25:06,300 --> 00:25:10,400 member, and maybe the reason you're getting tired of that 405 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:15,800 three-minute pitch in the sermon is because you haven't brought 406 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,400 someone who needed to hear it in a really long time. 407 00:25:19,700 --> 00:25:22,900 So and I mean you can be a spiritual as you want to be. 408 00:25:23,100 --> 00:25:26,900 I'm gonna love you anyway. Can I encourage you that maybe 409 00:25:26,900 --> 00:25:30,400 instead of being ticked during that part of the sermon and 410 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,100 going, oh my goodness, not the gospel message about Jesus 411 00:25:33,100 --> 00:25:41,500 coming on my behalf again. That's okay that you would maybe 412 00:25:41,500 --> 00:25:45,300 do just pray. God, I remember when I first 413 00:25:45,300 --> 00:25:48,600 heard it and I know what it changed and in my life. 414 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,500 God if there's somebody in this room that has never heard it, 415 00:25:52,500 --> 00:25:54,800 would you give them ears to hear and a heart. 416 00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:58,400 That's ready to receive it. That would be a really good like 417 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:04,000 super mature response. but you do you and you might be going to 418 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:05,700 Clayton. I mean, this is where we live, 419 00:26:05,700 --> 00:26:08,400 you know, how do people, you know, not know Jesus. 420 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,000 But in all of our communities, there are people on this 421 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:18,800 spiritual continuum. - fives all the way to plus 5 S. 422 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:22,800 Like if zeros where you meet Jesus, there's people that we 423 00:26:22,808 --> 00:26:25,200 need to help find Jesus. People who hate God hate Church 424 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:28,300 hate you. They're all on here and then 425 00:26:28,300 --> 00:26:31,800 there's you and your grandma over here on the plus 5 is your 426 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:33,900 like four star Christians. You're getting ready to be, you 427 00:26:33,900 --> 00:26:39,800 know, made a general and we as a church you and and me we have a 428 00:26:39,808 --> 00:26:44,400 responsibility to everybody on the spiritual continuum. we have 429 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:47,200 this responsibility and you might be going but Clayton, 430 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:51,300 there's like, nobody over here in our area and you think that, 431 00:26:53,300 --> 00:26:56,300 you know, Jerry's talked about this before like churches of our 432 00:26:56,300 --> 00:27:01,200 size exist in big cities When you go to hang out with these 433 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:02,600 other pastors, you're talking to them. 434 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:04,500 Like, where you from, like I'm from Nashville. 435 00:27:04,700 --> 00:27:08,000 And where you from, I'm from Chicago, where you from? 436 00:27:08,100 --> 00:27:11,500 I'm from Miami where you from? I'm from Jacksonville, where you 437 00:27:11,500 --> 00:27:12,800 from? I'm from Dallas. 438 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,100 Where you from? I'm from Louisville. 439 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:19,700 Then they go. Where you from Like Quincy. 440 00:27:20,900 --> 00:27:25,700 Kirksville Hannibal become kit gun mount. 441 00:27:25,700 --> 00:27:28,900 So where's that in between Chicago and st. 442 00:27:28,900 --> 00:27:32,100 Louis. Next to the corn and the Chevy 443 00:27:32,100 --> 00:27:33,700 trucks. That's where we're at. 444 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:40,000 And you would think you would think. 445 00:27:42,100 --> 00:27:44,400 That everybody around us knows, Jesus. 446 00:27:46,700 --> 00:27:49,500 You think when there's a McDonald's in every town and you 447 00:27:49,500 --> 00:27:52,800 can get fed through your drive-through window and as long 448 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:58,900 as we've had the gospel message that everybody around us knows 449 00:27:58,900 --> 00:28:02,000 Jesus. But I did some digging in the 450 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:06,700 most recent statistics that I could find is to make it super 451 00:28:06,700 --> 00:28:08,300 clear. Think of it as a, there's a 452 00:28:08,500 --> 00:28:12,600 there's nuns and there's non nuns when I say nuns. 453 00:28:12,700 --> 00:28:15,900 I don't mean little old ladies who work at the Catholic Church. 454 00:28:16,500 --> 00:28:20,700 I mean people who have no religious affiliation at all, 455 00:28:20,900 --> 00:28:25,000 none and then there's not nuns people like you. 456 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:29,300 And when they were identified in our Region's, these are people 457 00:28:29,300 --> 00:28:32,100 who go to the Baptist Church, the Catholic Church, the 458 00:28:32,100 --> 00:28:34,700 Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, the 459 00:28:34,700 --> 00:28:37,100 Christian Church, the Assembly of God Church. 460 00:28:37,100 --> 00:28:41,200 These are all the non nuns. And who knows how many people 461 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:44,000 who go? Yeah, I'm one of those actually 462 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,100 have an intimate personal relationship with Jesus. 463 00:28:46,500 --> 00:28:48,000 I'm not judging. I'm just saying. 464 00:28:49,300 --> 00:28:51,500 Whatever. But then there's a whole group 465 00:28:51,500 --> 00:28:56,900 of people that call themselves nuns, there, none of those. 466 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:04,000 And in Adams County, that's 14,000 people. 467 00:29:05,700 --> 00:29:07,900 Twenty-two percent. That means if you live in Adams 468 00:29:07,900 --> 00:29:11,400 County, and you go to Walmart and you get out of your car, 469 00:29:11,500 --> 00:29:14,800 that's one that's you. And then the person who's 470 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:19,500 pushing the carts that's to and the person checking you out is 471 00:29:19,500 --> 00:29:22,100 3. The next person you run into 472 00:29:22,100 --> 00:29:26,500 does not know Jesus and that happens on every single aisle as 473 00:29:26,500 --> 00:29:33,700 you shop If you're McDonough County, 20,000 people 62 percent 474 00:29:33,700 --> 00:29:36,500 of the population that means that when you're in the 475 00:29:36,500 --> 00:29:41,700 Drive-Thru at Wendy's, every other car does not have a 476 00:29:41,700 --> 00:29:45,700 relationship with Jesus. There, a nun in Adair County, 477 00:29:45,700 --> 00:29:52,800 it's 14,000 people. 57% of the population, Pike County 9,000, 478 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:56,200 people are 58 percent of the population Marion County. 479 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:59,700 Missouri Fort are 11,000 or 40% of the population. 480 00:30:00,100 --> 00:30:05,300 Brown County 4,000 people or 56% of the population, Lee County 481 00:30:05,300 --> 00:30:10,200 Iowa, where I grew up, 17,000, people or 50% of the population. 482 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:15,200 Warren County is 10,000 people or 43% of the population. 483 00:30:15,300 --> 00:30:19,300 And Morgan County is eighteen thousand or fifty-one percent of 484 00:30:19,308 --> 00:30:21,500 the population. And those are just the 485 00:30:21,500 --> 00:30:23,900 communities where we have a Crossing location. 486 00:30:24,100 --> 00:30:27,400 That is not a comprehensive list of all of the counties from 487 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:36,200 where people come to attend, one of our locations. you heard me 488 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:41,600 say this last year, my prayer is to make this all ten thousand, 489 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:46,000 seven hundred, ninety five square miles, the hardest place 490 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:52,600 on planet Earth to get to Hell from And on the average, fifty 491 00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:56,700 percent of the people, in all of our communities, have no hope 492 00:30:57,100 --> 00:31:00,500 for tomorrow. No help for today. 493 00:31:02,700 --> 00:31:08,200 And there needs to be a place that says not on our watch that. 494 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:11,100 There would be kids that would grow up and there's testimony 495 00:31:11,100 --> 00:31:14,500 would be there was this group of people who are a part of this 496 00:31:14,500 --> 00:31:17,700 church that were committed to reaching my parents and 497 00:31:17,700 --> 00:31:21,100 committed to help me grow in my relationship with the Lord and 498 00:31:21,100 --> 00:31:23,600 my family is all the better for it. 499 00:31:24,100 --> 00:31:28,600 And in order to do that there has to be a place that makes 500 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,600 Jesus last words their first priority. 501 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:35,900 They take the last words of Jesus and they make them their 502 00:31:35,900 --> 00:31:39,700 first priority Matthew chapter 28, then Jesus came to them and 503 00:31:39,700 --> 00:31:42,700 said all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me, 504 00:31:43,500 --> 00:31:46,700 therefore, go and make disciples of all Nations, baptizing them 505 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,100 in the name of the father, and of the son and of the Holy 506 00:31:49,100 --> 00:31:51,500 Spirit and teaching them to obey everything. 507 00:31:51,500 --> 00:31:54,700 I have commanded you and surely. I Am With You Always to the very 508 00:31:54,700 --> 00:32:00,700 end of the age. this has to be a place where not just the elders, 509 00:32:00,700 --> 00:32:04,800 not just the pastor's, not just the staff, but all of us make 510 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:12,600 our highest priority Jesus last words that I exist my time, my 511 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:17,000 talents, my resources, exist, to help people begin and live out 512 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:19,900 an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 513 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:24,000 Well, what does it look like when there's a place dedicated 514 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:29,500 to those core values? Well, let me tell you what can 515 00:32:29,500 --> 00:32:33,100 happen. Hello. 516 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:37,100 I was an inmate in Vandalia Missouri. 517 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:41,800 I was released from the Missouri Department of Corrections modok 518 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:45,600 on July 21st 2022. I want to take a little bit of 519 00:32:45,608 --> 00:32:48,300 your time to tell you. Thank you, thank you to the 520 00:32:48,300 --> 00:32:51,600 amazing people who came to Vandalia every Monday night and 521 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:55,100 a lot of us to hear God's word and guidance to the voices of 522 00:32:55,100 --> 00:33:01,400 the pastor's, you all saved my heart mind and soul, you helped 523 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:03,700 me. So very Much by helping me to 524 00:33:03,700 --> 00:33:08,500 reach out to God for help. I was an extremely broken 525 00:33:08,500 --> 00:33:12,300 shattered person from The Life Choices I had made and from the 526 00:33:12,300 --> 00:33:15,800 cards that were dealt to me, I still remember the first time I 527 00:33:15,808 --> 00:33:20,200 went to service in 2019, I like the service so much but was only 528 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:23,200 able to attend to Services because I was transferred to 529 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:26,400 another facility. But when I came back, the fourth 530 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:31,200 time to Vandalia covid-19. Ian and you are not allowed on 531 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:34,600 the campus but in November of twenty Twenty-One they allowed 532 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:37,400 you back. And when I was asked, By another 533 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:41,600 offender about the service, I was like, why not nothing better 534 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:45,400 to do on a Monday night? The first service was and of 535 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:49,400 course, amazing with the music, the sermon and the communion. 536 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:53,100 I liked it enough. I decided that I was going to 537 00:33:53,100 --> 00:33:57,000 keep going to the service on Mondays, because I was always 538 00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,800 told, don't give up on the Miracle because you never know 539 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:03,000 when it will occur. I've had a very rollercoaster 540 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:06,800 relationship with Jesus ever since my mother was murdered in 541 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:11,300 1999 when I was 17 years old at 41 years old. 542 00:34:11,300 --> 00:34:14,000 I made a decision to continue to attend your church. 543 00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:16,800 I have no idea. Exactly when it happened but the 544 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:20,900 band played Battle Belongs and I knew something was happening 545 00:34:21,199 --> 00:34:24,500 because I got cold chills in my eyes, filled up with tears. 546 00:34:25,500 --> 00:34:27,500 Let me explain why that's important. 547 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:31,800 I have not cried tears of any type since 1999. 548 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:35,800 I was hard and when my mother passed away in 99 and 20 years 549 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:40,600 later in 2019, I was completely Frozen my heart and soul ceased 550 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,500 to exist when what? The one person in my life who 551 00:34:43,500 --> 00:34:47,000 had raised me and believed in me, my grandmother passed away. 552 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:51,300 Six days after I was released from the first time from modok, 553 00:34:52,199 --> 00:34:55,199 then in July of 2019, six months after my grandmother. 554 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:57,800 My best friend. Brittany passed away from an 555 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:00,400 overdose. That was the final straw. 556 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:02,000 I froze. Everything in me. 557 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:05,100 So, I would never in my life, have to feel the pain of a truly 558 00:35:05,100 --> 00:35:07,800 broken heart. Obviously, I don't deal well 559 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,400 with emotions. So, what tricks does the devil, 560 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:13,700 give us to stop the feelings of a broken heart. 561 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:15,600 Well, he gave his crystal meth cocaine. 562 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:18,700 Heroin and now, fentanyl, I fell for those tricks. 563 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:21,900 And when my heart broke back in 1999, the devil's tricks 564 00:35:21,900 --> 00:35:26,000 actually worked for the physical pain because I was numb, So my 565 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:29,100 choice every time I was hurting, would be to turn to drugs over 566 00:35:29,100 --> 00:35:31,300 and over. I was definitely living a life 567 00:35:31,300 --> 00:35:35,800 of insanity this past year. When I was locked up, I decided 568 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:38,300 I was done with the drugs and I was finally ready to remove all 569 00:35:38,300 --> 00:35:40,200 the negativity inside my heart and soul. 570 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:44,300 I turned to the crossing sermons on Monday nights, as a stepping 571 00:35:44,300 --> 00:35:46,900 stone. At first, I thought nobody could 572 00:35:46,900 --> 00:35:50,300 possibly understand and relate to the extreme pain and hurt. 573 00:35:50,300 --> 00:35:53,800 That was frozen inside of me screaming to be released but I 574 00:35:53,808 --> 00:35:56,800 had Frozen it. Then all of a sudden, I felt 575 00:35:56,800 --> 00:36:01,400 him. I felt God, run through my veins 576 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:04,600 and my heart started to beat with Hope and Faith and then 577 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:09,600 came the tears. When I realized I had never been 578 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:13,900 alone, he has always been with me the Footprints Prayer that 579 00:36:13,900 --> 00:36:16,000 people talk about it describes me. 580 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:19,600 He has carried me all these years because I didn't, because 581 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:22,700 I couldn't walk on my own because I was so broken and 582 00:36:22,700 --> 00:36:26,000 shattered. Now, at 41 years old, for the 583 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:30,700 first time I picked up a Bible and I read it, I've always heard 584 00:36:30,700 --> 00:36:34,600 of the story of Jesus birth and death, but to actually sit there 585 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:37,100 and read Matthew and Mark, and Luke and John. 586 00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:41,000 On open my eyes and heart to what Jesus really did for me, 587 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:45,100 for all of us, I even watch the History Channel show Easter 588 00:36:45,100 --> 00:36:50,200 weekend called The Bible and I cried, I cried real tears as I 589 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:53,200 watched what he was put through so that my sins could be 590 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:55,600 forgiven, everything that happened. 591 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:58,900 Since I got locked up in 2021. I don't believe would have 592 00:36:58,900 --> 00:37:03,100 happened if I had not decided to go to the sermons in November as 593 00:37:03,100 --> 00:37:07,800 I stated before you and your sermons kicked off my Kicked 594 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:08,800 started. My intimate are. 595 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:11,700 They kick-started my intimate personal relationship with God? 596 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:16,400 I now not only no, but believe 100% that God Is Bigger, that 597 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:19,600 nothing is bigger than God, and that I am never alone, he is 598 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:22,600 always there. I just have to make the choice 599 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:26,000 to listen, to open up my heart and soul, and listen for his 600 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:30,700 guidance and love to embrace me. So, again, thank you. 601 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:36,200 Hopefully, with my openness and acceptance of Jesus as my Lord 602 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:38,700 and Savior. I will never have to go back 603 00:37:38,700 --> 00:37:42,900 through the doors of modok. All I want in life is true, 604 00:37:42,900 --> 00:37:46,400 happiness and peace, and serenity between my ears. 605 00:37:46,700 --> 00:37:51,600 When I close my eyelids, I have faith that we'll all occur and 606 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:55,000 definitely plan to continue watching your services online. 607 00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:57,100 I now live in st. Charles Missouri. 608 00:37:57,100 --> 00:37:59,500 So it's a long drive for me to come to Quincy. 609 00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:03,100 But one day when I have her driver's license and a legal 610 00:38:03,100 --> 00:38:07,100 vehicle, I love that. There's nothing more. 611 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:12,200 Crossing that line right there. I will be there at the Crossing 612 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:15,300 and I'll be baptized declaring my surrender. 613 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:20,000 Love hope faith and belief that Jesus Is My Savior and died. 614 00:38:20,300 --> 00:38:25,600 So I could live in heaven with him, I can almost promise that 615 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:28,400 if it not been for the Crossing in Vandalia, I would have gone 616 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:32,600 back to my old life of drugs misery hopelessness praying that 617 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:36,100 when my eyelids or my eyes shut that they would never open 618 00:38:36,100 --> 00:38:39,600 again. Now, I smile, I'm happy. 619 00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:43,000 I I love life again. I laugh and everything is 620 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:46,400 genuine not fake and it's all because they were brought into 621 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:48,800 my life. I pray that you receive this and 622 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:51,700 it puts a smile on your face because you have helped save a 623 00:38:51,700 --> 00:38:55,400 soul that was lost and dying in Misery all alone. 624 00:38:55,800 --> 00:38:57,800 Everyone. I talked to, since I got out, 625 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:00,000 say they love how happy and full of faith. 626 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,800 I am, which would not have been happened. 627 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:06,900 If you had not guided me back to Jesus and to God, sending you 628 00:39:07,300 --> 00:39:10,000 love and prayers to each of you Crossing. 629 00:39:10,100 --> 00:39:20,000 Family, there has to be a place that takes this seriously. 630 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:26,700 And I say it's here. I say it's with us and I say 631 00:39:26,900 --> 00:39:29,500 it's now we're moving to a time that decision. 632 00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:38,000 So if you're here and you've never started an intimate 633 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:41,400 personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you're going to hear me, 634 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:46,600 say something like this every single week when you come in 635 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:48,600 about every six weeks, I'm going to give you the same pitch. 636 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:51,900 I'm going to give you right now because it's just true for me. 637 00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:57,300 The greatest decision I ever made was making Jesus Christ. 638 00:39:57,300 --> 00:40:00,100 The lord and savior, my life. And my biggest regret is I 639 00:40:00,100 --> 00:40:03,700 didn't do it sooner and that's not just my testimony. 640 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:07,300 That is the testimony of hundreds of people in this room. 641 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:10,600 And I know you might be going to Clayton. 642 00:40:11,100 --> 00:40:13,300 I'm pretty jacked up. I'm pretty messed up. 643 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:18,500 I just want you to know we get it. so, the people that are 644 00:40:18,500 --> 00:40:22,600 sitting in the same row with you, If you knew their story, 645 00:40:22,700 --> 00:40:27,000 you might not want to sit by them. but it's amazing what God 646 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:31,600 can do to a heart into a soul and to a life I know that 647 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:33,400 there's times when you look at yourself in the mirror and 648 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:35,400 you're like me, and why am I still like this? 649 00:40:35,700 --> 00:40:41,100 I still have so far to go. But there are other times when 650 00:40:41,100 --> 00:40:44,500 I, you find yourself and you're going, where did this come from? 651 00:40:44,500 --> 00:40:47,200 This is this is not who I used to be. 652 00:40:48,700 --> 00:40:52,300 It's because not only does he give you a new heart. 653 00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:59,800 But he he introduces things that only God can introduce into your 654 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:04,900 life and some things happen immediately and other things 655 00:41:04,900 --> 00:41:08,500 take time. But we serve a God who 656 00:41:08,500 --> 00:41:12,600 specializes in transforming. People might talk all about that 657 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:18,000 next week. But I believe that there is 658 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:22,700 nobody who's too far gone. And I don't know what situation 659 00:41:22,700 --> 00:41:27,400 you find yourself in today. I just know that God can redeem 660 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:30,300 it. I know that God can redeem you. 661 00:41:31,500 --> 00:41:35,300 That's why he came And maybe today's the day, where you're 662 00:41:35,300 --> 00:41:36,200 finally like. Yep. 663 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:38,100 I'm going to start my intimate. Personal relationship with 664 00:41:38,100 --> 00:41:39,400 Jesus. I'm going to be obedient in the 665 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:42,300 area baptism. Or maybe today's the day where 666 00:41:42,300 --> 00:41:45,500 you're just going to be honest and go I got some questions and 667 00:41:45,500 --> 00:41:47,200 would somebody please answer them. 668 00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:51,300 And you can talk to me, you can talk to the person has to be 669 00:41:51,300 --> 00:41:53,700 right over by the baptistry. If you don't want to take my 670 00:41:53,700 --> 00:41:56,700 word for it, to talk to somebody in this room that you see that, 671 00:41:56,700 --> 00:42:03,000 you know, and say tell me how do I handle this or I've questions 672 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:09,800 about It's just silly to me that you would have those questions 673 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:11,800 and not feel comfortable to at least ask him. 674 00:42:14,700 --> 00:42:19,100 Because I'll just tell you. It was the best decision for me. 675 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:23,700 To the rest of you in the room. The Jesus followers. 676 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:32,600 I just want to love with you on a couple things and this year 677 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:35,300 who are some people that you want to take a spiritual 678 00:42:35,300 --> 00:42:40,100 responsibility for Spiritual ownership of People that you're 679 00:42:40,100 --> 00:42:42,100 going to pray for on a regular basis. 680 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:46,700 People, you're going to invite people that you hope to have one 681 00:42:46,700 --> 00:42:51,000 day sitting next to you. Could we use this first service 682 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:54,000 to the year to commit ourselves to being diligent? 683 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:57,300 In those matters to seeking and saving those who are lost? 684 00:42:57,300 --> 00:42:59,900 Some of you might be going, I don't even have any people who 685 00:42:59,900 --> 00:43:01,300 in my life that don't know Jesus. 686 00:43:01,700 --> 00:43:03,400 Then maybe that's where you start is. 687 00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:05,700 You need to start praying for some lost people. 688 00:43:06,900 --> 00:43:08,900 Maybe you start praying for your boss Clayton. 689 00:43:08,900 --> 00:43:10,700 I don't like my boss. Yeah, maybe you should start 690 00:43:10,700 --> 00:43:13,800 praying for your boss because Jesus liked him so much. 691 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:19,400 He sent his son to die for it. What about my mother-in-law? 692 00:43:19,400 --> 00:43:22,600 Yeah. Even even her. 693 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:31,200 What about my ex-wife even her That we would be a people that 694 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:34,800 would pray and invite. But Clayton, they're gonna have 695 00:43:34,800 --> 00:43:37,400 questions. I don't have answers to read 696 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:41,500 your Bible Google and give me a call, let's not be people that 697 00:43:41,500 --> 00:43:45,600 come up with excuses. Let's be people that come up 698 00:43:45,600 --> 00:43:49,500 with life-changing Solutions which is just pointing people to 699 00:43:49,500 --> 00:43:51,800 Jesus. Maybe you go over to the 700 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:53,200 baptistry, put your hands in the water. 701 00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:55,200 Maybe you go somewhere around one of the walls. 702 00:43:55,200 --> 00:43:58,300 Maybe you want to just get down on your knees where you're at or 703 00:43:58,300 --> 00:44:00,400 maybe you want to come up here to the front, but could we just 704 00:44:01,100 --> 00:44:05,700 Be people who commit to praying and reaching people who are far 705 00:44:05,700 --> 00:44:09,200 from Jesus, that we would, as individuals, hold the banner 706 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:10,600 high. But this will be a place where 707 00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:13,300 people can find an intimate personal relationship with Jesus 708 00:44:13,300 --> 00:44:18,000 Christ. Our communities need it, our 709 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:21,500 families deserve it. Would you stand with me? 710 00:44:23,600 --> 00:44:27,300 Got this year. We want to commit ourselves to 711 00:44:27,300 --> 00:44:31,000 you, to your purposes, to your glory, to your mission. 712 00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:35,700 There's going to be times when we're afraid scared, worried, 713 00:44:35,700 --> 00:44:39,000 frustrated, ticked, mad confused. 714 00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:43,600 And in those moments, God help us to continue to push into your 715 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:47,200 will, and your purposes, and your grace, and your mercy on 716 00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:51,200 our lives. God, give us the courage and the 717 00:44:51,200 --> 00:44:56,100 ability to make decisions today that will reap spiritual fruit 718 00:44:56,100 --> 00:45:01,200 in the future. God hardened our resolve and our 719 00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:05,500 commitment to you. Soften our frustration and our 720 00:45:05,600 --> 00:45:09,200 fears. With others, God, use us in a 721 00:45:09,200 --> 00:45:13,700 mighty and magnificent way. God do something in this church 722 00:45:13,700 --> 00:45:15,800 in all of its different expressions. 723 00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:21,200 In all of its different communities do such a work in us 724 00:45:21,200 --> 00:45:24,500 and around us. And through us that only you can 725 00:45:24,500 --> 00:45:27,400 get the glory. Your name I pray. 726 00:45:27,900 --> 00:45:27,400 Amen. Your name I pray. 727 00:45:27,900 --> 00:45:28,400 Amen.