Where you go, how are you doing Crossing Church?
You doing all right. Oh, you can do better than that.
How are you doing? Crossing jerk.
Oh, so good to be in the house of the Lord with a people of the
Lord. I don't know how many of you
were here last night, but it was not.
It was incredible. Seeing this place completely
compact people standing there. No sir in this front section
here. Oh, it was, if you miss this
not, you got to wait next night of worship.
You need to have that experience because it was a, is an
incredible incredible experience.
I want to welcome all of our campuses.
We got a chance to have some of those campuses here.
Yes, at 48th Street, all of them represented last night, but we
welcome you today if you're inside online, think thankful
for you as well gods. Is doing incredible things at
and all the tribes, right? All the tribes at all the
locations tribes. We're excited about that.
And how many of you did an NCAA bracket?
Raise your hand if you did a bracket?
Yeah, a lot of hands up. So I was talking to my son Joey
and he said his small group was doing a bracket.
Yep. And so they've been doing that
and I have a three-year-old grandson.
Alex his One. And they decided to do it with
their three-year-old grandson, as well.
And so, how do you do a bracket if you're a three-year-old?
Well, what they would Mom, and Dad did, was came up with the
mascots of all the teams, and then just said, would you rather
have a blue devil or a pig, you know, or would you rather have
a, you know, and he picked his bracket based on mascots and
he's doing better than anybody else in this group better than
me and I'm in the group, you're in the group had a throwaway.
The whole thing. Yeah, so so I don't know how
you're doing with your bracket, but I can tell you what, the
series better has been incredible for a lot of people.
Yes. And I, you know, sometimes I'll
hear something when I'm out in the community and someone will
say, hey, it was great or, but I can't tell you how much of that
has saturated into all of our communities.
And I'm hearing that from the staff, that it's really.
I mean, the things that we're doing the challenges,
everything, You're really making a difference in the lives of
families and this week is no different under.
It's no different because in some ways it's because we're
talking about something that we've never talked about or
preached about before and it's a scientific and psychological
truth that explains what's going on in a person's brain from
birth to adolescence Essence and it's called synaptic pruning.
So you're going to learn about that today.
And I know it sounds kind of highbrow, you know, but it
really isn't and you're going to really appreciate what what you
hear today. And then we're going to be able
to apply that to God's word. But before we do that, you know,
I'm sharing the stage with my brother Andre and give it up for
Andre Harper up here that you Andre does.
He does the student. Here and does a lot of
leadership with the student Ministry Crossing wide at all of
our locations. And Alison, and I were
traveling, and we are on our way home and she paired the phone to
the radio and the in the car. And so, we're listening to her
play a playlist. And one song came on.
She started to cry and, you know, she was having an
emotional moment with that song and we talked about it
afterwards and she goes, you know, last time I remember, Over
here, in that song, I was in Jamaica and it was a quite a
while ago. And she goes, I was on top of a
mountain and I was looking out this Vista values Beauty and the
place and this is back, when Clayton and Jenny were dating
and this was like, the this was like the trip to see what I, you
know, like is this, you know? What's that?
What's that And Kristin and Andre were flirting, that's
right at that time and yeah and she was praying for both of
those couples. I'm telling you my wife's
prayers work they work because he's our to successful marriages
God's doing incredible great, great things.
And I'm really thankful to have Andre here to share with you.
Or we're going to talk about today.
We can do that together. So Andre, go ahead.
Yeah, thank you. Jerry, it is, Is a huge honor to
be here in front of you and thank Jerry, queued.
We're going to be talking about something called synaptic
pruning and you probably have no idea what that even means.
Just real quick just say synaptic pruning synaptic
pruning. There we go.
And so you might be tempted over the next couple of minutes to
think that we were watching some episode of Magic School Bus with
Miss. Fred says, we talked about this
concept, but what we're going to talk about has every bearing to
do with the rest of the sermon, So let me set it up in case you
have no idea what synaptic pruning even is so synaptic
pruning is the process by which the brain removes synapses or
connections between brain cells. And this process helps to remove
the rarely used connections with their rarely used.
Synapses to ensure that there's enough capacity in the brain for
the more frequently used connections.
And so the number of synapses that you should know this in a
baby or in children is about double.
The amount in adults, making it so much easier for babies to
rapidly learn as they develop rapidly learn task, which is why
you've probably heard the saying before that babies are like
sponges, right? Because it just soak up.
They absorb so much, you're always learning something new.
They're always surprising you. And so the pruning process, like
I said starts when they were baby continues through
Adolescence, and, and it continues actually all the way
up to about early 20s. Sometimes late 20s for some
people and this makes the adult brain more able to focus on
in-depth tasks and in-depth conversations because there are
fewer connections and changes taking place in their brain.
One way to think about it is to imagine that you move into a new
neighborhood recently and as you in this cul-de-sac, you go on
walks and you start meeting the neighbors, you know, and what
happens over time as you spend time with your neighbors, is you
begin to form stronger. Connections with some versus
others and then what happens is you start to have some of your
neighbors over for dinner or you have conversations longer or
your kids start playing with with their kids, right?
And so soon you're sharing More and more experiences together
and what happens to the other neighbors, the ones that you
don't see and talk to us, much. Yes, the relationship the
connection dies, there's there's no relationship.
Just, you know, a friendly way every once in a while or a
forced or fake interaction at best.
And so this is what's happening in the mind and the brain of a
child all the way up into adulthood into their early 20s.
There's a lot of things are dying.
Yeah. And this is Not a small thing
know so you know you might be hearing this and going okay.
There's some things that are changing no between the ages of
11 and 17 those adolescents lose 40% of their memory.
I mean that's a scientific fact. They lose 40%.
So you know a lot of you that are here that are adults that
have kids this age you're going I think Mike is lost his mind.
No just 40% of their mind, literally 40 percent of their
money because you really are the total of your memories, right?
That's his makes you who you are and imagine what they're
actually going through in this Miss of this process.
To help us understand that, you know, there's there's some easy
ways to understand that. How many of you seen the movie
Inside Out? Raise your hand allocations.
If you see an inside out. If you haven't, this needs to be
a challenge your challenge. Yeah.
This needs to be a challenge at the end of the service.
You can't do anything else to watch.
It just watch inside out. Okay, it's a Disney Pixar movie.
It's seven years old and it's an incredible.
It's actually a movie about About this very thing.
It's about synaptic pruning pruning.
It has talking about the aspects that we have in our human
personality and the characters in the movie are joy and sadness
and anger and fear and disgust, and the movie is set up about an
adolescent named Riley. Who's in the process of moving
from Minnesota to San Francisco and what that actually is
producing in her brain and you're kind of looking at inside
of her inside of her brain and inside of her reality and how
difficult it is for her. And all these things that are
being pruned and one of the saddest Parts.
Listen. I, if you watch this movie, you
will definitely cry. You will so just be prepared
specially when bing bong with Bing Bong.
Yeah. Well, she's don't tell him that
because that does the spoiler. Anyway, anyway, it's powerful
because In the sea, whole sea of these memories and memories are
portrayed as like little orbs or they look like marbles that kind
of glow different colors if there are sad memory or a
disgusting memory and they're just they all turn black when
they're gone and they're just they're standing in the sea of
discarded memories. And that really, I mean, that
kind of upsets me because I think of my four kids and how
many of those things when they were little you know, that that
I thought was there were so precious and so powerful, they
get proved I know things are really hard for us to imagine,
imagine that this is the reality that they are going through.
In that in that age range and not only are they going through
that, they're going through a hormonal storm.
Now, you think I'm just trying to say that with, I'm kind of
being a little hyperbolic, you know, hormonal storm.
How do you remember a term that was used early in covid-19
called a cytokine storm? Some of you remember that, well,
this is what they were discovering at the beginning of
covid-19, that the when the human body for some people over
other people were different, would have this really powerful
reaction to covid-19. Virus and it would create all
these antibodies and the antibodies were so powerful
inside their, their body, that it was killing the patient.
Some of you may remember that they came up with a thing called
proning where they actually laid a person's stomach down so that
they could actually breathe through it.
And it had to do with this psyching storm, that was
happening in them. Imagine your adolescent, having
all of this synaptic pruning losing forty percent of their
memory at the same time. I'm going through this hormonal
storm. That's a powerful thing to
consider, what they're going through.
Andre it is, as you're talking about this, I kept asking myself
the question. You know, why would God do that
to us? That like a scene out of a
hormonal storm? This doesn't go on your Bray.
Like there's so much that kids and adolescents go through.
But what's happening is your their prefrontal cortex is
developing and as As the pruning process is happening.
It's happening in here. And what's developing is empathy
that as they go through this phase and become adults to
develop empathy, and they're not self-focus or self-centered
anymore, because if you have kids, if you have any experience
with kids, you know, kids can be all about me.
Me me what, or what I want, it's everything focuses and revolves
around me. And as they get older, they
start thinking about others which is how we can.
Begin to embrace the, the great commandment to love God, with
all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your
neighbors as yourself. That's the only way we can
really understand what that really looks like.
And so I keep thinking, this is amazing.
It's amazing how we go through this process so we can get to
know God, more and love him more and love others more.
And here is a verse that sums it up in 1/3.
Psalm 139 verse Teen says, thank you for making me so
wonderfully. Complex, not complicated.
We're not complicated people. We're wonderfully complex.
We are special. We are your workmanship and he
says your workmanship is marvelous how well I know it.
And so what you need to know about how complex and how
wonderful we were made is that during the pruning process,
things that are repeated are strengthened things that are
continue to be be implemented over time gets stronger and
stronger, things that are important to you, become
important, to them, to your kids, to those who you
influence. But the opposite is also true.
Now, the things that you don't value the things that you don't
place a high importance on, they won't be adopted by those who
you influence. And so, if you're here, if
you're hearing me, if you have any influence, whether as a
parent, a grandparent Parent and add an uncle in a teacher, a
coach, a mentor. If you have any influence over
some 10 through 18 or 20, you need to know that you are
assisting in the pruning process of their brain and most times
you don't even notice it. Did you hear that the biblical
connotations of Psalm 139? That actually God is
accomplishing this wonderful thing because marvelous thing.
Yep. And So you're you may think that
well we're not talking about a Biblical concept but more of a
scientific one know it's a Biblical thing God.
Spun us up for this. He's taught us.
This and is it in just in Psalm 139?
Look at Deuteronomy chapter 6, talking about loving God and
loving one. Another says these are the
commands, the decrees and laws, the Lord, your God directed me
to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the
Jordan to possess. So, That you your children and
their children after them, they fear the lord your God as long
as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give
you and so that you may enjoy a long life, love the Lord, your
God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
strength, these Commandments, that I give you today are to be
on your hearts now. Look at this.
Was this is where what Andre said about the things that were
repeated are strengthened. It says, impress them on your
children, talk about them. When you sit at home and when
you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you get
up, there's four times a day, every day that these need to be
completely reinforced that helps that memory to be a core memory.
Yes, it doesn't get discarded. It doesn't get And and it
becomes the core of that person's life.
So what does this really look like?
It's as often as you do anything with your kids, as often as you
Mentor, someone in this gen. You need to be intentional about
speaking and living out God's truth.
I can tell you that in my family, with my kids, those
things that have been repeated and repeated, they pay you back,
they pay you back. Incredible dividends as they
grow up and as they start raising their children, you see
this? Multi-generational blessing
happening. When those, those core values
are instilled, when you prioritize pursuing an intimate
personal relationship with Jesus Christ over all else, it is
likely that your child or an adolescent that you can
influence will too. But the opposite is also true if
you fight and yell and speak harsh words in front of the kids
or other young people, all those traits will be adopted as well.
You see this generation is learning from us.
Adults have the most influence in the lives of this gym.
And you know what? We may not even realize it but
it's the truth. Yeah, we don't realize it.
Another passage that I appreciate and really ties in
what we're talking about. Is Proverbs 22 verse 6.
He says start children off on the way they should go.
And even when they're old, they will not turn from it.
Powerful passage profitable for something.
I remember eyes going to VBS is a kid and there's different
versions to this. There's some versions,
obviously, that's a start, but there's one that says train up
and I like the idea of training up versus start or teach because
the difference between training up and, and, and training, you
know, like teaching and training is to completely different
concept when I think about this. I think about the Olympics.
Yeah, you know, I grown up. In Jamaica, we're known for our
athletes or sprinters to be specific and a bobsled team and
a bobsled team. That's right.
Saying Cool Runnings. All right, you should watch
that, you but but, but the idea of these athletes these
sprinters, if they are serious about making it to the Olympics,
it starts when they're, you know, so small and they're like
four years old and as they continue their working on, on
their speed, they're working on their technique there.
Practicing how to be still in the starting blocks and how to
accelerate and get through that dry phase the to reach that top
end speed. So Usain Bolt's like Usain Bolt.
Yeah, fastest man, ever, and no one will ever top him either,
but that's the idea or talking about is, is training for
something and doing it consistently over time.
The same can be said about shooting 100 free throws a day.
You know, one day, you might become the next Steph Curry or
if you continue to, you know, do these Things.
It's muscle memory. It's like riding a bike.
You never forget. And so, if you're a parent, if
you're a caregiver, you're switching from caregiver to
coach and every good coach knows, that drills are vital.
Yes, for game time that you have to drill in over and over the
plays, or the rules, or just different steps in order to
prepare your team, prepare your players for the big game moment.
Prepare them for, what's next. And so that's why Believe
Solomon. What was what he was saying.
Was absolutely right that he was onto something and Proverbs 22.
And what he's saying is don't don't allow don't don't allow
their faith in God. Their relationship with Jesus to
be pruned simply because we weren't intentional with our
time and our influence with them.
See from my experience, it is so much easier to get it right in
the beginning. In the beginning stages, when we
actually have influence and we can help the pruning process
then to fix it later. That's why Solomon, whose the
wisest men. Born of natural.
Birth said, even when they're old, they will not return.
Our will not turn away from it and so, Jerry, synaptic.
Pruning. It's real real, it's real for
kids. It's real for our students, and
they have no control over it. If you're here and you're under
the age of 20, you have no control.
What's going on. You might not even know it's
happening, simply because it happens in your subconscious
mind. Yeah.
However, we, the adults in all of our locations are the
determining Factor. We can help shape this
generation. What they value and we can
evaluate by our actions what we've been communicating and
make intentional changes to how we live our lives to that end.
Yeah, it's on. Us, you know, when I was going
through this transition process with with Clayton, where he
became the senior pastor and I'm working for him, I saw a lot of
advice for mentors. I had all over the country and
there was one particular guy, Don Wilson, who was pastoring
the largest Christian Church in the country about 38,000 a
weekend and was talking to him on the phone.
And this is what he said to me as he was coaching me.
He said in the transition Jerry you Older, 100% of the
responsibility. Clayton has 0%.
He had to say that a few times because I'm kind of going that's
not fair, you know, Clayton, these two have some of this
responsibilities as know, that responsibility Falls solely on
you, kids are losing forty percent of their mind.
They're in the middle of a hormonal storm.
The responsibilities on you. It's on you.
You know why? Because your mind has been
pruned and your hormones. Should hopefully hopefully be
under control. So how do we do this?
How do we walk this out? As a practical reality?
I was looking at something that a guy named Tyler MacKenzie's
been here. And preach before said gave 15,
really, really good things pertaining to Tech and since
we're on the heels of Clayton preaching on technology and how
that relates, I want to give you some practical ways, Andre, and
I want to give you some practical ways on how those two
things work together in this whole process of synaptic
pruning. And how we Can repeat the right
things and eliminate the wrong thing.
So, hold on for these 15 out and they may not all apply.
He's like some of them. You may go, I can do that one.
Yeah but but there's some ideas here that you need to grab a
hold of it. Here's the first one.
How about a 30 day? This is about you guys.
How about a 30-day digital detox?
Thirty days off all technology except what is essential to keep
your job. What if you were to do that?
How would that affect you? I mean it is a technology
cleanse and it would be a good thing.
Yeah it wouldn't be or the 111 rule.
It's phone free for one hour. That's a breeze, right?
One hour day and then one day a week also doable.
Yeah. But then one week a year when
you go on vacation with your family what would it look like
for you to just turn your phone off?
Completely and just be present in the moment with those people.
Here's number three, how about no screens when you eat How
about you just have like a basket on your table and you
just put them in the basket or or you put them face down.
So you can't see whatever's popping up on the screen that
you're actually present in that moment to have the conversations
that might change the trajectory of an entire life.
Yeah or no screens when you worship when you come to church
don't you know get on the Bible out, bring it out a physical
Bible actually had a 7th. Grade student was talking about
earlier this morning she had her Bible.
She's Planning on opening that when she's back in fuse.
But she's just gonna, you know, open if the physical one, not
not the app because you can get distracted.
So many times when you just start looking at this
notifications popping and next thing you know you're thinking
about something else versus what God wants you to hear in that
moment or no screens that big life events like when you're at
at something where your family is gathering like a Thanksgiving
meal or a wedding or something like that, that you're actually
present in that moment and and your exampling In front of your
kids. Absolutely.
Or what it would look like. If we shape the space around
conversations and not the TV. If you look in your living room
are all the furniture facing towards the television, or is it
facing towards having conversations with the people in
your family or spouse has listen to this access to passwords that
spouses have 100% unfettered access at there's, what they're
all their spouses passwords and that parents have Total Access
All their kids devices. How about that?
When you guys like that? You like that parents.
Argh laughing. Yeah, kids are like stop talking
or what it look like to have screen time limits for everyone.
You know, Clayton refer to this last week that on Sunday, for
many of us who are iPhone users, we get a screen time report and
he was kind of bragging, how his was like down to like seventy
seventy nine percent, which is, which is pretty big.
That's pretty cool. But you can limit access you can
you can set limits for yourself or your family and just say, hey
for 2 hours a day. That's all I can be on my phone
for and that's probably a lot for some people and you start
there and work your way down how about putting your phone on do
not disturb stuff. Phone stays on do not disturb
except for like critical people that and you need to
communicate. You know, you can actually
customize that on your phone. How much that would put you in
the Situation better than if you were always being interrupted.
Yeah, something that goes hand in hand.
With that is to have notification, stay off.
That means you're turned off your notification for any social
media app and any messaging app and just completely turning
those officer. Again, you're not seeing stuff
pop up on your banner on your lock screen and being tempted to
go. See what that is.
Yeah. And dovetailing with that.
How about no social media apps on your phone?
Just having them on your computer.
It's a little Harder to get to write and so you'll have a
little bit of space if you keep those social media apps off your
phone, some you're going to. I don't know about that one.
Right? That's a hard one.
Yeah, here's one that I personally struggle with and
it's don't start the day off on your phone.
Don't let that be the first thing you're looking at to see
if you got a missed call or text or you missed something, or you
want to play a game or watch something on your phone, start
on your knees. Start with a conversation with
One in your family, leave the glowing rectangle for later or
just limit unnecessary, phone usage.
A lot of our usage is completely unnecessary and when we're on
our phones as adults, and our kids are right there.
What they're seeing is that they're being replaced at,
they're not as important to you as the time that you're spending
on the phone. It's like someone cutting in
line. Yeah, for them.
So what if we just eliminate that unnecessary, phone usage?
Each. Here's another one, one screen
at a time rather than having, you know, I know, it might be
convenient sometimes to have kids teens on a device.
That way you can be doing something different odor, look
like to just put all the devices that way.
If there's going to be any device on, it's just one and you
you sent her a moment around that, that one device and make
something intentional. With that time, the last one is
only quality television. And I know that really drops
down On what you're gonna be watching.
But I mean we should consume entertainment for art and
learning and formation and fun, but we need to stay away from
all that gratuitous sex and violence that we see in so many
things that they, you know, it just draws us into the more, the
baser nature of ourselves and we want things that appeal to our
higher nature, right? Yeah.
I hear all of this and I can't help but ask myself the
question. What would it look like?
You know if we started a streak with our kids, what would it
look like if we Decided to, you know, we're going to take a
challenge and we're going to make a streak of it.
And so for you and say when you use that term, I'm from the 70s.
So not not that kind of Street, okay?
Okay, yeah, yeah, clarify, that. Okay.
Do not do any sort of streaking? Well, let me let me clear that
up, but there is a social media app called Snapchat.
And if you are on Snapchat, you know, I'm talking about Is this
phenomenon called call a snap Snap Chat streak we're going to
try to make as many connections with one person daily and if you
miss a day, you break the streak.
And so people boast about how they have a streak of, you know,
over a thousand days with with someone just because they've
continued, either sending one word or a picture or having some
conversation. So, that's this.
The idea of his tree block, everything else out.
Okay. Okay.
All right. What would it look like if you
started a streak to read the Bible with your kids, no matter
what like you just start with with one verse like one verse
today, we're going to do that or or start a prayer streak with
your kids before they leave school or when he first schooler
on their way in the cars are dropping them off.
Like what would it communicate to the brain of that child if we
do stuff like that? Or what have you decided to
always be a part of Body of Christ.
Yeah, even if you're out of town, when you're out of town
for vacation or you're, you're traveling because of a sporting
event. What would it look like if you
prioritize getting online and being a part of the body of
Christ or finding a local church somewhere that's close to you
that you can be a part of again what does that communicate to
the brain of your kids? You know, over the last few
weeks we've been giving you challenges and from the feedback
that we're getting? We can tell that many of you
have embraced the challenges and I've tried them and you're
seeing fruit. You're seeing how it's helping
your family when at home. And so we have a few more
challenges for you. What if you were to start a
Godly habit, start a habit to reinforce a Godly or Christian
value there. So many of them out there,
decide amongst yourself, which one you want to pursue and try
that for 30 days or what it look like.
If you started a prayer streak with In this Jen, mmm, that you
message them in the morning and you say, hey how can I be
praying for you? And you actively pray for those
needs or what would it look like if you decide to start a bible
plan with someone in this Jen you're not just going through
one scripture but you're actually looking at how it
applies to you and how it applies to them and having
deeper conversations about that text or maybe for you, parent is
going to be to have a weekly date night.
Awesome with your kids. Yeah.
You know, spend some quality one-on-one time with them, try
to discover what their love language is, our figure out how
God wired them, how they feel loved.
So that way you can love them exactly how God wired them.
And there's a love language test online that you can fill out as
you get to discover what that looks like.
Or for some of you it's simply find a service project.
Find a service project in your community that you can again
find someone in this gen to serve alongside.
I'd wear maybe it's a need in your at your campus at your
local campus, that you can serve them of the Ministries there.
Again, what would that look like?
I can't help but wonder that us as adults embrace the idea that
we do have influence that we can help cultivate the brains of
this generation. And we decided to be intentional
with their time. Be intentional.
With the example that we are setting how much of a difference
that would make as they continue to go through this prunings
process. As they continue to become young
men and young women, young women of Jesus, how big could that be?
So, we need to think about that as we move into this time of
decision. Amen.
So just to reiterate to this
service, like I had to do with the 9:00 a.m. service the
challenge today is not to go in your community and go streaking.
I don't want to see any of our people on the news, saying our
Pastor said this but we do want you to take a step A big one.
One of the things that I want you to capture, I want you to
kind of capture this phrase that you can't give what you don't
already have. You can't give to your kids, you
can't give to your family, you can't give to your co-workers,
the people you love what you don't already have.
And so you're like, well, what what is that mean?
If you don't have an intimate personal relationship with Jesus
Christ, you've never stepped into that that walk with him.
You've never said yes to him to make him Lord and savior of your
life, you can't give that to your kids.
You can't give that gift to the people, you love, they won't
experience it from you. They're looking to you then
looking to me. and if you don't have that part, they're going to
look elsewhere. And so, if you've never started
that relationship with him, if you've never accepted him as
Lord and Savior here in this room or online.
Listen, that is the step today. Simply laying down your own
desires. And trust in Jesus and starting
that walk and getting in that Waters today just 9:00 a.m.
service. We had incredible young man.
Who meant he? He had a he could have gone a
couple of different ways. He had a couple different
options growing up. He had a grandparents who share
Jesus with them, and he had a mom and a dad that was was
Muslim. And it took him a while.
But today he put his feet in the sand.
He said, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and he
declared that his faith is in Christ and In Christ Alone.
And listen, I'm not talking about religion, I'm not talking
about anything other than a personal relationship with Jesus
and you all every single individual in this room.
Listen, you get to make that decision for yourself.
So, if you want to do that today, it's the very best
decision. You could possibly make.
And in just a little bit we're going to start singing some
songs. And here in this room there's
going to be a pastor by the baptistry that would love to
walk with you and help you. Maybe discern what that next
step for you. Is if it's A water today, we're
ready. If it's online, you just click
that button and I'm ready to start that intimate personal
relationship with Jesus. And let's get on that Journey.
That is the very first step. But it also goes further, you
can't give what you don't have. I mean, if you're if you're
consumed with technology, if you're, if you're consumed with
the world, if you're consumed with sin, your kids are seeing
those things. Your grandkids are seeing those
things. They're seeing what priorities,
you put yourself in the word that I kept hearing today, in
this message. And I heard it.
This is the third time is in being intentional.
Being intentional with your time, being intentional with the
what you do with your actions. There's a lot of steps you could
take today, but here's the thing Church.
You just got to take one and that step may look different for
every single person in here. There may be a challenge that
resonated with your heart with your soul and your spirit,
confirmed the the Holy Spirit confirmed, it inside of you and
just a moment. Maybe you're just like I still
have no idea. There's so much listen as a dad.
I'm sure my daughter's in here right now which makes us human
harder. Because I get to stand up here
and tell you, this is how you should live when I'm also
confronted with it. And it's hard going home with
these challenges is hard. It's tough work.
But when we leaned in and when we take steps, we're trusting
the faithfulness of God and we know we're doing it, not for
ourselves, but we're doing it because of the relationship with
Jesus and we're doing it because of the betterness of this
generation that we are trying to raise up to know when it gets
tough lean in. Take a step and so when just a
little bit in this song Start for you, maybe you just come up
and you just humble yourself before the Lord and you say God,
I don't know where to start. I don't know where to go.
I don't know how to move. What is my step?
He's faithful, he will provide that for you and he'll give you
the tools to take that step because we are a church that
moves. That's what decision time is
about. That is why every single week we
have a moment such like this because we believe you can
either go forward. You can go out the same person
or sometimes you can even go backwards, but our prayers that
we are a church that stink and moves moves closer to Jesus.
So that We can make a bigger difference in this world, so if
you want to be that church man, it starts right here.
Let's get on our knees humble ourselves before God.
And let's move, would you stand with me?
Heavenly Father God, I'm so thankful to be a part of a
church that actively puts their faith in motion that we don't
stand still. We don't stay in the same place,
we don't go backwards. We are a church that moves
forward moves forward with your help.
Your holy spirit is inside of us.
God, I pray that you just move and you make yourself known to
every single person. In this room because every
single individual has a step. They have a step online and God
I pray that in this moment you reveal what it is and we just
take it. God, we trust you.
We love you and God I pray that in every moment along the road
when we get up, when we lie down and we're sitting in our homes,
we take this challenge seriously to impress upon our kids, your
love, and our love for the people around us.
Lord, let us be a church that moves in this moment in Jesus
name. Amen.