Man crossing family, it is so good to be with each and every
single. One of you this week, before I
get in the message, I have an unimportant announcement.
At 39 years and a half of age 285 pounds, six foot six father
of three husband of one. I dunked it. 10 feet this week.
Yeah, I don't do basketball on a 10 for your RAM in the fact.
There you go. Thank you.
You've never had a senior pastor
who could dunk. So this is a big moment for all
of us. Anyhow, it really what?
It's a. It's an issue.
How excited I am about that because my kids saw it, which
means they'll remember it. And then I went back out after I
ate like a two pieces of KFC, chicken, and dunk, It's like you
get it on video so I can remind them that their dads cooler than
them. That being said, I want to
welcome you all to our brand new sermon series to Week. 1 of
weeds in my garden, a sermon series, about being honest,
about mental health, and I want to welcome you joining from all
of our different locations. Those of you watching online and
inside, I am so glad that you are with us today.
I want you to know that God loves you and this church loves
you. And if you are new to the
crossing right on the front end this mess, Feel free to take out
your phone and scan that QR code, on the seat in front of
you and raise your hand. Just said, hey, I'm here.
There's different ways for you to connect to our church or if
you want, before you leave connect with one of our campus
pastors staff, members, or incredible difference makers.
During the pandemic, I was regularly on a zoom call with
pastors across the country. And one of the zoom calls that I
was in, was hosted by the Solomon Foundation, our dear
Partners in Ministry and And the president are the CEO of tsf
Doug Crozier, when the pandemic started the very first thing he
did was he put on retainer a counselor by the name of dr.
Wes Beavis. And during the pandemic every
single week, when we would have those Zoom calls at the end of
the zoom call. Dr. West would give everybody on
the call some mental health tips.
He would give everybody on the call a little bit of Hope, and a
little bit of help. And then I began reading reports
on mental health issues that were on the rise, in pastors
across the country. And then I came across this
statistic that in the last 12 months 38% of pastors had
contemplated quitting the ministry, citing mental health
issues, and I was going, if pastors, I'm not saying were the
most spiritual people But if pastors, who should have a
pretty decent relationship with Jesus probably have a pretty
decent amount of faith. If pastors are struggling with
mental health issues at an alarming rate, what is it like
for other people? Recently Ben kuchera is the lead
minister of Mountain. Christian Church wrote in the
Christian standard. These words, we have a problem.
Emotional well-being is in serious decline, it is a
palpable crisis, that was bad before the pandemic, the
isolation, the social upheaval polarization and massive changes
with work school and life have exacerbated the crisis creating
Extended ambiguity and heightened stress.
That is a perfect cocktail for Burnout and emotional struggle.
No wonder the World Health organization's.
Recent scientific a brief states that the global prevalence of
anxiety and depression has increased 25% since the
pandemics early arrival in 2020. Recent surveys reveal a radical
downturn in attitudes and soaring levels of anxiety.
And worry on all fronts, hear me anxiety is now the number one
issue for women. And it's number 2 for men.
Behind alcohol and drugs for men which may be because they are
men are going to say that they're anxious.
They're just going to Simply hide it or mask it behind we'd
booze or something. Worse.
Mental disorders are now the leading cause of disability
worldwide. According to a 2014 article in
the international Journal of epidemiology there such
disorders. Now Effect one.
In five adults and the percentage is growing.
Generation Z those born between 1999 and 2015, raise your hand,
if you have a kid or grandkid in that age bracket Is the most
stressed out generation ever. In recent years, the share of
high school students. Who say they experience
persistent feelings of sadness, and hopelessness Rose from 26%
to 44 percent. The highest level of sadness,
ever recorded. so, almost half of our kids feel hopeless, And
fifty percent of parents of teens, raise your hand.
If you're a parent of a teen report worsened or new mental
health problems in their teens, since the beginning of the
pandemic most times, it's depression and anxiety, many
children, and young adults are fearful sad and struggling with
life. As a result suicide has become
an epidemic. It is now, the second leading
cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 24.
Eventually I got to the point where I was compelled for us as
a church to speak about this growing issue and I start to put
the weeks together then I realized that we'd be looking at
like 12 weeks of sermons. And I got pretty uneasy.
It's a big commitment on an incredibly touchy subject matter
and I did not have a sense of Peace about it at all.
In fact, I was extremely nervous, would people leave this
church during the sermon series? Because they're like, this is
not my jam, would people get frustrated because they felt
like we were just giving lip service to real issues that they
were navigating. Can Gerry and I talked about
these things and actually provide hope.
When we're not counselors or therapists.
What is it going to do to the influx of ministry at our
church? And we're not even necessarily
prepared to handle it. Say the least I was becoming a
bit of a head case, about a sermon series, about mental
health, and that's not necessarily a good thing.
So, I went away on a conference with Jennifer and Jerry and
Allison, and we hung out on the beach for a couple of days while
we were there at the conference, and I just kind of let myself
forget about it. And then I came back and you
know how it is when you get back from a trip, you start to feel
the weight of everything that you left behind.
And so my kids are in bed, I get into my office late at night,
and I just start cranking on this sermon series and I get
more and more agitated and more and more frustrated.
And so I just get up, turn off the lights and I with a, you
know, angry Clayton version of myself.
I go into bed, are going to my bedroom.
I get ready for bed. I pull the covers up and I do
something. I almost never do.
I hopped on Instagram and started just scrolling through,
you know stupid bill. You guys have done that but I
almost never do it and like three Scrolls in.
I found this video. And I watched it.
And I watched it again, and I watched it again and I watched
it again. And I said, Jennifer put down.
You're crocheting, needles. Needles, and watch this.
I know she's super cool. And I'm like, you have to watch
this and then she watched it and then I watched it again.
By the time I was done watching this video, my my frustration
was replaced with excitement. And my fear was replaced with
peace, and that is how this sermon series was born.
Here is the video. It's called being honest.
I tell you that I'm happy but I'm grieving that I was a
fighter I went.
I'm not one to preach that sermon to wanted to preach that
sermon that night. And I was all in.
I was sharing this with our media team and they actually
tracked her down. We brought her up to our church,
a couple of weeks ago. How to spend the weekend with
us. She did some songwriting with
our with our, with our worship team.
We got to go out for dinner and hear a little bit more of her
story found out that she was actually on the 17th season of
NBC's, The Voice and was on team Gwen Gwen Stefani.
And then on Sunday while I was preaching about help, she was
actually at a multi-site offices recording.
A testimony video about what God had been doing in her life and
what actually was the events that were surrounding her life
on the day that she wrote this song.
And I want to take a little bit of time and give you a chance to
hear her story. It's condolence.
Keep um, I live in Nashville Tennessee and I'm a
singer-songwriter for, for example, and crying music.
There's a lot of hurt. There's a lot of pain that is
deep rooted in my story, ended up kind of rebelling when I was
late. Teenager.
I was so angry. At God, I knew he was there but
I had never had a relationship with him.
I was at the Point in my life, where I did not want to be here
anymore, my family, I hadn't talked to them and probably a
year, they're like, okay, you need help.
So, I went to a facility for two months and I started journaling
to Jesus and I had read this journal entry to one of my
friends and I read her this journal entry.
We prayed about it. We asked Jesus to just remove
this from Kindle, then I felt this Overwhelming, peace and
joy. That is the day that Jesus met
me. Where I was song house.
Is this collaborative workshop for Tick-Tock Instagram?
Social media platforms. The founder is Tyler word.
We all go into this Loft on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
We repaired into random groups and we have 30 minutes to write
a pre-chorus and chorus. So the day we wrote honest, I
was just getting out. Other really bad Funk and my
passions and my desire to do the things that I love just kind of
we're just depleted, I felt defeated.
And so I called Tyler that day and I was like, I'm not coming
in I'm I'm not going to write anything good.
Just totally line the enemy to get to me.
He's like, Kendall, you're going to put two feet on the ground,
you're gonna get your butt up and you're going to come into
song house today. So I get there.
We have around or whatever. I asked him to leave again.
Like I'm crying every 10 second like I'm just like a mess.
But mess has become messages, you know, he's like, no, you're
staying. And then we get into the room
and we're all going through, the same thing in different ways.
And the concept was honesty. And we're like, What?
If we're being honest, about not being honest with ourselves.
And it was like, boom. And we wrote this song in.
Like, I'm not even kidding, probably 15 minutes that raw
emotion that you might see in the video.
That was Exactly how I was feeling that day.
Turns out a lot of other people were feeling.
I think, you know, one of the ones that everybody tends to go
to is the I'll give you roses, just hoping you don't see the
weeds in my garden, it made me stop in my tracks because it was
like, if you can't even be honest with yourself, how are
you being honest with the Lord. So that's not very authentic to
our relationship. And how are you going to be able
to fix me if I don't? And give you those pieces.
And so it was a moment of surrender to anybody going
through a season of defeat allow yourself to feel it, but do not
allow you allow that specific pain or suffering to determine
your future. Your pain will be turned into
something beautiful. Your weeds will be turned into
roses at some point. Point.
So keep faith in that and know that, because she or he, who
believes that, the Lord will fulfill his promises, his
blessed. That's incredible story.
So here's one of the things I've been wondering, if we as a
church, could relate to the lyrics that were written that
night. We're running through them.
I tell you that I'm whole but I'm still healing.
I tell you that I'm happy. But I'm grieving I thought I was
a fighter who's still in the fire, wonder?
How many people in our church but if I'm being honest, I'm not
being honest. I'll give you roses.
Just hoping you don't see the weeds in my garden.
If I'm being honest, I'm at my darkest.
I'm sitting here waiting and praying for someone to show me
what love is. I'm just being honest.
Hundreds perhaps thousands of people who call The Crossing
home and watch online. Could identify with the lyrics
of that song If you were being honest.
You're not being honest. So we did a survey and almost
2000 of you responded. 24 percent were male and 76 percent
were female. This didn't bother me or
surprise me. Men don't tap out on this sermon
series. Don't you dare?
because if you like women, And I'm a huge fan.
Chances are a woman birth. You married, you or you will
hope will marry you one day. Listen to me.
You have a Biblical obligation. To love your wife, the way
Christ. Loved the church.
And you need to be prepared to provide hope to provide help.
Hear me means that your daughter or granddaughter or sister may
very well be struggling. Probably some of you who are
going Clayton. This is a sermon series just for
younger people. You could be right if we hadn't
done a survey because this is how you guys answered.
Ten to nineteen eight percent. If you're in your 20s 18%, in
your 30s, 26% 40s, 20% 50s, 15% 60s. 10%, Fisk gets a little
skewed because, you know, the whole thing was online and I
don't know how much to trust you 70 and olders, but God love you.
And we're so thankful. You're part of the church?
I mean, it listen, we had an eight year old and an 80 year
old fill out this survey. Three crazy average age 40.
So what is our church struggling with?
How did you guys answer? What's going on in the hearts?
And the minds of people that you serve with are in life group,
with sing next to sit next to at church greet, as they're walking
in, and you say, how are you doing?
And they say, fine and they hand you roses.
Because if they are being honest, they're not being
honest. Because this is what's going on
in our church. Only six percent of the people
filled out, the survey said none, none of these things are
affecting them. They're hunky-dory.
Eighty-two percent of us are dealing with anxiety and worry.
71% of us are burnt out and stressed out, 48 percent of us
are dealing with depression. That number would have gone
higher. If we do use keywords, like
you're experiencing seasons of sadness, self-esteem issues 51%.
Suicide and self-harm is it nine percent?
Trauma. This numbers artificially low is
that 19 percent? At your campus.
Chances are there are 10 people in your row.
One of them is struggling with suicide and self-harm.
And you ask them, how are you doing?
And they gave you roses. I showed the video of Kendall to
the worship team and Amanda will bring car our worship leader at
our 9:29 campus, and she serves in our preschool here, at our
48th Street campus. She said, I am amazed at.
How much are people are able to keep hidden?
If our church was being honest, we are not being honest.
We're giving each other roses just hoping you don't see the
weeds in our garden. This sermon series is going to
be similar to a 11 chapter book. This is I guess technically
chapter 1, this is the intro and you're going to have to go on
this entire Journey for the series or the book to make
sense. And you're going to need each
chapter because the chapters are going to build on one another,
the next three weeks we are going to attack and address,
three lies that we tend to believe.
And three truths that God wants to speak into every heart.
Once we have built that platform, we are going to spend
five weeks talking about very specific issues.
And every single one of you will need to be a part of it, because
there are people that you love that are going through a very
specific. Shoe and I want you as a Jesus
follower to be there to provide help and Hope.
And some of you, you are dealing with that specific issue.
And I want you here, experiencing The Hope and able
to receive that help. Then we are going to bring in
for two weeks, dr. Wes Beavis, and he is going to
be on our stage and I can tell you he is going to be an
absolute Delight for absolutely. Every single person that comes
and every single person that you bring for those two weekends, he
is an unbelievably gifted communicator and is able to take
complex These and make them simple and actionable.
And then we're going to finish up the sermon series with hope
weekend. Now, as we're getting ready to
start this sermon series, there are some principles that I want
to guide us. And this first principle is for
those of you who deal with mental illnesses, or if you are
a person who loves somebody, who's dealing with mental
illnesses, is I want you to avoid being narrow-minded, in
your view, about mental health issues, We need to destigmatize
mental health because people will never start being honest if
the worried about being judged. And being ashamed.
When we talk about mental health issues, we can become incredibly
narrow minded, and perhaps the most narrow-minded group of
people are Christians. because mental health issues flow from
for buckets, Imagine, there are four big buckets.
The first one is situational, it's just life, you're going
through and stuff, just happens and that can have an impact on
you. Some of it is biological, it's
how you're hardwired. It's how you were put together
by God and in a fallen world. There's some of you
biologically, you have a really great metabolism.
God loves you. But I don't.
And so you are able to navigate a cheeseburger drastically
different. Than people who don't have that
kind of metabolism. You were hardwired built
differently. And so there are going to be
biological issues at play at times in your wrestling, through
mental health issues. Some of them Some of them are
going to be clinical. Medical.
You're gonna need someone to help you process and sift and
navigate, and treat, and diagnose and prescribe, And some
of them. Our spiritual.
And what can happen? Is, you can go, man.
I'm feeling this way and you can come to a really well-meaning
person, like me, and which bucket do you think I'm trained
to navigate. The spiritual one.
And so you come in. And you know what's going on and
what do you think all of my advice is going to center
around? Spiritual issues.
What if it's not spiritual? You come into my office and I go
well you should just need to pray more.
You seem to have more faith. And well-meaning, good
Christians can give absolutely horrible advice.
Cuz you've never run me up. Said, Clayton, I woke up this
morning with a rash. What do you think I should do?
Never got that call. Pray more.
Rashy. How come?
Nobody calls up the church. Hey, Having issues.
With my kidneys. Should I come to your office and
should I go get dialysis? and you notice that nobody gets
frustrating when a person is going to get dialysis And going.
Where's your faith? Are you reading your Bible
enough? Nobody says that.
But a different organ in your body.
Is giving you a run for your money.
And instead of going, maybe it's situational.
Instead of going, maybe it's biological and maybe it's
clinical or medical. We go, it's spiritual.
And accidentally as well. Meaning good Christian people we
can start driving a wedge in their relationship with God.
When they are going to need to cling to him the hardest.
They're not just dealing with mental shame.
Now they're dealing with spiritual chain. and at the same
time, There are perhaps some of you listening to this message
and you are trying to medically treat an issue that you need to
repent of. That there is actually a sin
that is driving your, your challenges.
And no counselor and the world and no medicine is going to
undo. The fact that there is an area
of your life where you are wrestling with either a lack of
faith or an unrepented sin. So how do you navigate it?
I like to think of it as going to the Lake of the Ozarks and
being out on the lake. Hopefully most of you have been
in the water before. That's not a pool and you decide
to go out and you decide to sit in the water and just have a
blast and all of a sudden these waves start hitting you and some
of the waves are because boats are driving way too close in
your brothers on the jet ski in he keeps trying to Splash you
and that is trauma. That is happening to you.
Others of you you're getting hit by waves and the waves that are
hitting. You are not from other people.
It's just life the wind blows. And some of us are picking up
really big rocks and throwing them into the water right next
to us. And going where are these waves
coming from? And then some of us grew up on
different parts of the lake. Some of us grew up in the no
wake zone and some of us grew up on the point.
If you grew up on the point, all you've ever known his ways, you
don't go out for a swim. You don't put out one of those
really nice expensive, mats where you can just lay on the
water but not get in the water. You can't it's there's too many
ways. And some of you, if you grew up
on the point and all you've ever known as the waves inside of
you, it built up some incredible resilience.
You can navigate a lot of what life throws at you because
you've been navigating life your whole life.
But in some people, it's created an entire life where they have
not experienced peace. Don't even know what calm waters
are like. And then you go over and you
hang out with somebody who's grown up in the no wake zone.
And they're experiencing waves for the first time and they're
not necessarily sure how to handle it.
Think of it this way. Some of us as parents, we grew
up on the point and then we have that desire inside of us to give
our kids, the better life than we have.
How many of you guys have that desire and you will be talking
to your kids and they'll be complaining about how bad their
life is. And then you're like, oh, shut
up kid. If what you what you call it
Tuesday, I called vacation, right?
Because inside of us, all of us as parents have decided that we
want to move our kids from the point into the no wake zone.
Which could impact on some level, how they navigate the
challenges of life. And I know the older generation
likes to talk about how, you know.
Well, it's just it's it was never there Generations.
Always been the younger generation.
Yeah. Be careful about that because I
also hear a lot of the older generation talked about the fact
that Dad was distant and lacked emotion and drunk all the time.
You might have struggled the exact same stuff that you're
struggling with, he just wasn't going to talk about it, he was
just going to drink about it. The Privileges that we've given
could impact our level of resilience, or the level of
resilience in our kids. Second thing I want to talk to
you guys about do not underestimate the value of
community, we have become so busy that we don't have time for
the very things that could have a massive effect on our Mental
Health. For instance, studies show that
people who attend church regularly have a decrease in
mental health concerns. I've said this before as a
staff, we want good things for you, not from you, we exist to
serve God and serve others and we say it is good for you to
come to church and be around other people and worship God,
and that it has a positive effect on you at a chemical and
spiritual and psychological level.
We mean it. And those of you watching
online, you do not share the same benefits.
In fact, Satan can dupe you into thinking that you're getting the
help you need. When he's actually keeping you
isolated. Furthermore, we can become so
busy in our relationships that we are no longer in meaningful
relationships. When you were put together by
God, you were made for Community for people to come alongside of
you Journey with you through challenging Seasons, give you
perspective and provide you with care.
The problem is is we can end up in Shallow online relationships
and become too busy to invest in the people that used to care
about us. That when we fall down, there is
no one to pick us up. We talked about this a couple
weeks ago, Ecclesiastes for two are better than one because they
have a good return for their labor.
If either one of them falls down, one can help the other up,
but pity anyone, who falls and has no one to help them.
The Bible has this command in Galatians to carry one another's
burdens. The problem is, if you are not
invested in relationships, when Satan strikes or mental
illnesses strike, you can find yourself alone and isolated.
Invulnerable. And then you're going to try and
start your relationships. And if you ever noticed, it's
really hard to start your relationships with an I want
list. The biblical command is not to
pass off your burdens to other people.
The biblical command is to carry one another's burdens that you
enter into a relationship. Not with an I want list but with
an I'll take list you come alongside people and say how can
I help I care about you? I value you.
I want to serve you and in that Community relationships is built
up, an internal spiritual safety, net for you.
When mental illness illness or Satan strike?
Next thing, hear me, watch your intake, fill your hearts and
your minds with what Paul would say in Philippians are
praiseworthy and excellent things.
Make sure you are spending time in your word and be careful
about your social media intake. Hear me.
Everything in life is spiritual on some level.
And if you're not allowing the word of God and the truth of God
to fill your life up, you are building your life on a Sandy
foundation. And when the Winds of mental
illness, blow and the waves come crashing.
I preached about this a while back.
The facts are in social. Media does not improve your
mental health. It makes it worse period.
If you're going, I'm addicted. And I have to be on there.
Be very careful about how long you are on and who you follow.
Because social media is excellent at two things.
Depression and anxiety. You might be going to Clayton,
how come your church is always posting stuff on social media
because we're trying to reach people who are on social media,
which is everybody. But if you're asking me to wave
my magic, Harry Potter wand here is what I would wish for people
to find our church online and get off.
And that's it. In a nutshell.
I want you to find our church online, find a sermon series
online. Get invited online.
Show up for church and then eventually peel yourself off.
I mean, it, I mean, it it's like having a pet bear, like it's
cute and eventually it eats you? Do you like I do want to have a
tough conversation to my kid about how big the Bears getting?
Because, I mean, she loves the bear, like, you on the bears
looking Pretty stinking hungry. Got to be honest with you, it's
going to eat somebody. I might be a little bit too
redneck for you but it's honest, okay?
listen to me, next one here at the Crossing It is okay to not
be okay. The thrust of the Gospel message
is that Jesus came to a broken and Fallen World.
Jesus came to heal and save and that means that people that look
just like us are broken. And in Peril, it is the sick
that need a doctor and that is why the doctor came.
Jesus came for all of the areas of your life that you are not
being honest about He sees it and he cares about it.
And what we as a church need to do is we need to create a safe
space for people to be honest. How many of you have been in the
situation, where you wish somebody would have been honest
with you? Oh, my goodness.
I hear this all the time. Well, I just wish you just call
me up and tell me. I wish you would just tell me
what's on her mind. I can't believe she's going
through that. Why didn't she call?
And let me know, I wish that they would just be honest with
me about what they're going through.
We have this incredibly high standard of honesty for
everybody else but ourself You want everybody else to tell you
what they're wrestling with? But when was the last time you
popped off about what you were wrestling with?
Sometimes the very best way to give people hope is to say me
too. I wrestle two.
I struggle to weird verse in the Bible.
Jesus calls it. The second greatest commandment
The second is this. Love your neighbor as yourself.
There's no commandment greater than these you and I have a
god-ordained mission to love people.
The way we wish we were loved. If you were wrestling with a
mental health issue, how would you want people to come along
side of you? That's your marching order.
Listening loving caring, encouraging gently coaching
prodding going with you as you try to figure out how to
navigate these things. And one of the lies that Satan
will try to tell you in the middle of all this is that the
church is not a safe place. And what I want to tell you is
there may have been church people that have not been a safe
space for you, but the church has never let you down because
the church is the bride of Christ.
It is not a building. It is a People who believe that
God can change anything and you should be able to go to any
God-fearing serious Christian and be honest about what you're
going through and they should be prepared to go through it with
you. Now hear me, you might be
tempted to say, but Jesus can't even figure out what I'm going
through. And I love it when people say
well meaning wrong things. Because it makes the truth.
So beautiful. Look what it says in Hebrews
4:15. For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses but we have one
who has been tempted in every way.
Just as we are yet, he did not sin and you're going no way
Clayton. There's no way Jesus is going
through what I'm going through. All right.
Eric Raymond says it this way. Jesus was homeless.
Matthew chapter 8, his family thought he was crazy.
How many of your parents have ever thought you were crazy?
Jesus been there? That's Matthew.
Chapter 12 Mark, 3 in John 7, his best friends, turn their
back on him. That's Matthew 26.
His closest friends, sold him to be killed for money.
You haven't even been through that.
That's Matthew 26. He stood face-to-face with the
devil and endured all of his demonic tricks.
That's look for you might be going, but Satan's really taking
it out on me, not harder than Jesus.
He dealt with death John chapter 11 he endured gossip and
slander. How many of you ever get
frustrated? What people are saying about
you? How many of you the reason
you're not being honest? Because you don't want people to
talk about you, Jesus went through that Matthew chapter 4,
John chapter 8, he endured suffering for righteousness.
Sake, John 15, he was shamed publicly Mark 14.
The reason I'm not being honest is because the last time I was
honest, people made a mockery of Me, Jesus, like I get it.
We always there. He endured periods of hunger.
Mark chapter 11, he received criticism of his ministry.
Couldn't do anything, right? That's John 5, Matthew 12.
We've been there. His theology was mocked pick a
verse. His message was rejected, pick a
verse. His preaching was critiqued, his
preaching. I mean, you think mines bad?
Mine gets critique. Can you imagine critiquing his
touch Luke 4. And his disciples didn't get
him. His closest friends didn't
understand. I'm not going to make you raise
your hand. But how many you're going out?
Yeah, that's me to look what it says in Hebrews 2:17 for this
reason, he had to be made, like them fully human in every way,
in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high
priest in service to God. And that he might make For the
sins of the people because he himself suffered when he was
tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted,
Crossing family at all of our locations.
We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus and go through whatever
you are going through with you but it'll never happen. if we're
not going to be honest, About being honest.
Remember the time of decision? So, this doesn't always happen,
but it happened. It's happening this weekend as I
get the privilege of Landing, the plane at all of our
locations and so wherever you are watching from.
I am so glad that I get this moment with you for just a
second at the beginning of the year.
When I was casting vision for our church, I preached a sermon
series called there has to be a place.
And if I was going to pick my biggest regret so far this year,
is that one of my sermons? Wasn't there has to be a place
where it's okay to not be okay. So, stay tuned.
But what I want you to hear me say is if you are at one of our
locations, and if you were being honest, you're not okay.
I want you to know that this place is for you.
It is filled with some of the very best people I know on
planet Earth. I want you to know that you are
not alone. You saw the statistics people
who are sitting next to, you are wrestling with the very same
thing that you're wrestling with.
And you have already made a fantastic decision by being a
part of a church service this weekend.
And what I want to tell you is that while Jesus may not fix
every issue you face here on Earth, he will eventually fix
it. All if you are in an intimate
personal relationship with him. And if you have never started
that intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ,
if you haven't turned over the lordship of your life, You don't
stand a chance. You don't stand a chance when it
comes to pay for your sins and you don't stand a chance when it
comes to fight Satan and his demons and you don't stand a
chance when it comes to fight the war that is taking place in
your mind. It also means that you don't
stand a chance. To love the people in your life
that are hurting and broken and depressed and anxious and
worried because the help and the hope that they need, and the
strength that you are going to need to walk through those
moments, you will not have unless you are in that
relationship with Jesus Christ. And he gives you the power of
His Holy Spirit. So if you have questions about
what it means to start an intimate, personal relationship
with Jesus Christ. There is a campus Pastor or
staff member or difference-maker at all of our locations.
And when the people around you, stay in and start singing, you
can go by where the baptistery is at your location, and you can
have that conversation and I want to tell you don't put it
off. and to those of you at all of our different locations, Who
are struggling? And you have your faith.
Are you trying to figure out? How are you going to navigate
tomorrow? And if you were being honest,
you don't have the energy to take care of dinner tonight and
you don't have enough energy to get up for work tomorrow.
And if you are just being honest, you're just hanging on I
want to let you know, you can let go.
Because Jesus never will he will hold you when you can't.
Hold yourself. Just don't quit on him.
Don't stop, don't walk away from him.
If some church people said some stuff that Twisted you up that
she's dumb church people. One of these days you'll be a
dumb Church person to and you'll want some Grace people may have
let you down but Jesus never has.
And while it's not, the only solution, it is a great solution
to regularly, get down on your knees and pray to God and beg
him for help in the Bible says that he is a good gift giver.
And if a kid asks for a fish, he does a good father Doesn't give
them a snake. If you come to your heavenly
father and say I'm wrestling and I'm sad and I'm hurting and I'm
broken and I can't even articulate all that.
I'm going through the Holy Spirit.
Intercedes on your behalf with words and groans, that no one
can understand. And he intercedes directly to
the father. And if you're going, you know
what? I just need to get down on my
knees and just kind of recenter myself around Jesus and his
cross. And his love, I want to
encourage you to do that. And if you're a person, our
church who loves people who are going through something, I want
to challenge you to spend some time whether you do it in the
back of the auditorium at the front, whether you do it over by
the baptistery and put your hand in the water or you you get down
on your knee right, where you're at and whatever row you're in.
I want you to get down on your knees and say, God used me to
love the people that are hurting around me.
God, help me to be the kind of person who creates space where
people can be open and honest and God give me Words and wisdom
to love them and care for them the way you would have me too.
Because this world needs a place like that.
And this church could be it would you join with me in
prayer? Would you stand up?
God used this time right now at all of our locations to do a
mighty and miraculous work started.
God, I'm not asking you to take all the ground.
Just take some of it. Got to leave.
No doubt in every mind in every heart, all across this region.
Sure alive. That you're real.
But you have hope and help to offer your name.
I pray. Amen.