The Rock of My Salvation - 06.07.2026

The foundation of our faith , obedience, and commitment in Christ: 

*Provides Kingdom purpose and perspective to our living 

*Gives Godly wisdom for our actions and choices in life 

*Protects and provides Godly blessings for our needs throughout life 

Walk in wisdom today! 

Congregational scripture: Prov. 2: 6-8 

Trinity Baptist Community Church International is shepherded under the direction of Bishop Dr. Michael J. Love. Trinity is a preaching, teaching, and reaching church. Under the direction of Bishop Love, Trinity has over 100 ministries, as well as global expansion, church planting in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and 37 churches in India. Please come out and join Bishop Dr. Michael J. Love as he critically imparts the Word of God at Trinity Baptist Community Church International www.trinitybcc.org

Copyright @ 2026 TBCCIdrloveministries. All rights reserved. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 4:07

Good morning, Trinity family. Psalm ninety-six opens up by saying, Oh, sing unto the Lord a new song. Sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord and bless his name and show forth his salvation from day to day. And declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all God. Welcome you on this first Sunday in June. What a wonderful time it is. The Lord has blessed us with another beautiful day. And we are so glad to be in the Lord's house, so let me do some background for our livestream. Livestream congregation for joining us. Trinity Baptist Community Church. And all the weekly calendar information, all the monthly calendar information. And everything that we have coming up, and along with ministries and sermons and sermon notes and some of those things are available to you. So we're working on it. The QR code is on the back table, but Trinity is located at 5918. And for those who are in driving distance, we pray that you take that moment and come and share in the worship with us. If you indeed not uh in driving distance, and we do uh we do uh record, we live stream and upload our services uh available to you on our website, uh, on uh social media, which is uh Facebook Live and on YouTube Live. And we invite you to come and take advantage of that uh in any way that you can here. Looks like we're gonna be having a short running through our system. We'll figure that out before we get we through this service today. But uh we thank you for the time that you tuned in on some of the weekly calendar just quickly. And I think you will be able to hear me. Some of the weekly calendar. We do have our adult Bible study during the 9.30 hour. We invite you to tune in and then during the weekdays uh again on our campus available for you first and third Wednesdays. We have our prayer time during the 8 o'clock hour, led by our Reverend and Mrs. Jessic. And Thursdays during the 6 o'clock hour, we have our discipleship training led by Reverend Dr. and Mrs. Sarator. And we want you to take advantage of that. It is first Sunday, so our compassion center is open from the 1 to 3 o'clock hour. Uh it's a building on the far east of the campus, it's a free clothing store. We hope that you'll take advantage of that. If you have a need or you know anyone that has a need, we're blessed to be able to serve a lot of families through that ministry. We're thankful for the opportunity to be able to be a part of that. And so, however, the Lord is blessed you to be a part of the ministry or take advantage of those things that we're offering to bring to take that opportunity and uh become a part of that in any way that you can uh while we're doing that. Well, we're gonna get ready and open about that when we might have to power this down. We'll power this down and reset ourselves there, and we'll get ready to get ready to get ourselves done.

SPEAKER_00 8:20

Praise God the word Proverbs chapter two, verses six through eight, and I'll read it for you. If everybody withstand, please. For the Lord giveth wisdom, out of the mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He laid up sound wisdom for the righteous. He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the path of judgment and the preserveth of his way of his saints. Amen. Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you today to say thank you, God. We thank you for all the blessings that you have bestowed upon us and thus far, God. Lord, we thank you for this new day, for the gift of life, for your unfailing love that never quits. We gather in gratitude, recognizing our daily mercy that renews us as the sun shines. Lord, you are the resource of all good things, the hope, the strength, and the peace. Fill our hearts with your presence so that we may overflow in gratitude in all we do. For those who wake with heavy burden, God, may your spirit lift their spirits, renew their strengths, and remind them that they are never alone and that you are near. Help us to trust your plan, God, to walk in your wisdom and to extend grace to one another, Lord God. May the words of our actions reflect your love and your community. God, our steps, Lord God, each and every day, God. And God, we want to be more like you. God, we thank you for every blessing and every opportunity to stand before you to proclaim the good news, God. We thank you for the service today, God. Are you gonna bless our pastor, Lord God? Just continue to lead God and protect them, Lord God. And Lord God, for our first lady, we lift up to you. And for this church family, Lord God, no weapon formed against us shall prosper, dear God. We thank you, Lord God, for every blessing that you've given us. And those that are on the way, and in Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Amen.

unknown 15:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 16:36

In the metal's breast, and he leads me beside the quiet stream. He restores my fail in him and helps me to do what others him most.

SPEAKER_04 17:04

That's why I'm safe.

SPEAKER_05 17:07

That's why I'm safe. That's why I'm failing because the Lord is everything. She lets me rest in the battle's grass. And he lets me rest the quiet street. He restored my faith.

SPEAKER_04 18:09

And how to do a simple shepherd to feed, to guide, and to show me. I shall not walk. He lets me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still and quiet waters. Thank you, Jesus. He refreshes and restores my soul, my life. He leads me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the sunless valley of the shadow of depth, I will fear no evil. For you, God, are with me. Your bride to protect, and your staff to God. God, I thank you. You'll prepare a table before me in the presence of my inner. You have anointed and refresh my head fall. My cup overflows joy goodness and mercy and unfailing love. Shall follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell forever. Dwell my days. In the house and in the presence of the Lord. Church, can I be transparent right now? Safe in God's house. That testimony that has grown and been orchestrated over the years. It just breaks me down to just my inner soul. And I was thinking this morning, I was thinking this morning safe and it's often I remember the time when I just had this cousin from up north who used to come and she would just love to be that mother and just lock me in the closet. Ow. But I had a burning grandmother. And she poured those scriptures in me. And I know who to pray for. And I used to think about those times when it was so hard for me to learn, and I looked at other people. Teach me more. And because of my grandmother. And those scriptures she taught me. She brought me. She taught me over and over and over again that God is safe. That dwelling place. But we can hide in the shelter. We can hide in the shelter of the most high. So all those things that I was thinking about and all those challenges over the years. And I doubt this is the one because there are other people out there struggling too. And I'm not afraid to step up and say, I struggled. And I was ashamed. I said, Lord, what do I have to offer you? That's nothing I can offer you. You don't have to. You are mine. You are mine. You're mine. You're mine, you're mine, you're mine. I said, Lord, where do you want me to go? I will direct your path. I will guide your footsteps. I will make a table before you in the presence of my your enemies fighting right now. And there are so many people out there just struggling. There's so many young people out there struggling, church. There's so many young people out there struggling with their deadly. They don't know why they can't study. And I remember. I remember having to put my dissertation together, and it was so hard for me to even get even two minutes worth of focus. And I had to use the clock and use the tools to get around, to understand. No, if I'm not processing like them, they're so much faster than me. They remember more than me. God hides you in a different place. For his purpose, so that he can be honored. Not that we be honored, but that he will be honored. So when you think about that, just think about being safe in God's honors. Don't think about all that you are contributing, but all that God is doing through you. Through you. Because if it wasn't for him, you would not be here. If it wasn't for him, I would not be here. Because I remember those dark moments, and they were really triggered this morning because I was thinking about that. And when my cousin died, it was very hard for me to go to the daughter to say, I'm really sorry she passed away. I did an out of obedience, but I still remember those dark thoughts. When God gives you the thrift to step outside of yourself, just be obedient to him because it's all about him.

SPEAKER_03 29:11

Thank you, Lord. Safe in his own. Thank you, Lord. So we're doing we're in continuing in our sermon series as we walk through several of the parables of Jesus. And for our time today, I want to direct your attention to Matthew chapter 7. Verses 24 through. Let's close out the chapter through 29. And we'll we're referenceable, but we're holding our attention today on Matthew 7. Verse 24, I think, is our key verse for the morning. As we take a fresh, we set a fresh set of eyes application on this beautiful and powerful verse. A few verses. Verse 24 reads, Therefore, whosoever heareth these things of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. Now for those who are tuning in to the live stream, I'm not sure that they heard you either. So let's try this together one more time. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon Allah. And you take your seat. Let me read this quickly first few verses for you very quickly. Therefore, whosoever heareth these things of mine and do with him, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not. For it was found upon a rock. And everyone that heareth these things of mine and doeth him not shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand, and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell. And great was the fall. And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these things, the people were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority, not as his wife. So let me give you this life lesson real quickly here, and then we'll we'll dive into we'll we'll we'll dig into this a little bit. I got it down these rounds for our time together. The foundation of our faith, obedience, and commitment in Christ. I got it three things. It provides kingdom purpose and perspective for our living. Secondly, it gives godly wisdom for our actions and our choices in life. And third, it protects and provides godly blessings for our needs through our life, walking in wisdom today. I think you see a little bit of the theme of what jumped off the page as I was doing this fresh this fresh study, this focus on faith, obedience, and commitment, this this this foundation of our living and our being, this wisdom for our actions, this impact on our life, that the choices that we make, the impact of the choices that we make have on our lives, and how those choices, as you back into this, reveal to us the very wisdom that we're applying. Is it worldly wisdom, is it kingdom wisdom, is it godly wisdom, and how is that wisdom based on and then the very foundation? And so Jesus, as he closes out uh this powerful sermon on the mountain and discuss so many different topics as he flows to this, comes to this powerful culmination of his teaching. And I as I was reading this, I gotta I gotta admit that as I was reflecting on this today, I thought, well, this feels like this ought to be an architect's sermon. This this is the doctor's thought to our sermon. You need you need to take this and break this down from an architectural standpoint. And it made me feel a little guilty standing up here. So I so I so I Google. I did a little AI search because I know the doctor will be holding me accountable for some of the stuff I might be saying about sexual. So, you know, I just want to know what does Google say about foundation? And I and I jotted down the meaning it gave me. It said it's the lowest structural element that connects a structure to the earth. Safely transferring the building's weight and forces into the ground. Does that sound pretty close? It prevents the structure from sinking, tilting, or collapsing by evenly distributing those uh those loads into the underlying soil or bedrock. Well, you know, this will preach. And then it gave me seven common, it gave me seven common problems. You know, those of us who had to deal with building stuff, you know it's uh this isn't new news at all. We've had the joy of being able to construct a space here, all of this new space here, and our time the Lord has blessed us with. And so it talks about foundational cracks. Uh uneven or sagging floors, seven problems, common problems. Doors or windows that are sticking, uh gaps around those doors or windows that you might see in your house indicating there may be some foundational problems. Water in the basement. Boeing or or or leaning walls is that result is a common problem. And then there's that seismic damage, just overall great seismic damage that can result with your foundation, actually. With some of that in mind, I I went back to the I went back to the text. I went back to the deck. And I began to ask a couple of questions. The first question I was trying to deal with is what is the what is the foundation that Jesus is powerfully proclaiming? What is the difference? Because you got you got two you got two men that are building, two men that are doing a common avenue. He looks out and he's looking out over the countryside, and he's seeing the new landscape being being perhaps littered by new individuals, new families who are starting up new buildings, and he he takes them to something that they can visualize in their thinking, and perhaps even from their experiential base, be able to draw some understanding. He steps into ordinary life and powerfully takes the examples from the stuff that we deal with on the day-to-day issues, and then and then brings them to the foundation of the kingdom, the kingdom messaging. That which you're dealing with on a on a physical realm gives you some spiritual understanding that ought to be upgrading what you mean what you should be thinking about as you live out your life. And then he takes us to the point where now how do you know what's wise and unwise? He classifies, he indicates that there's a foundation that needs to be built, and there's a and the difference in how you handle and the thing that you're building on makes all the difference in the world, but how do you know what you're building on is a wise foundation or not? I like the way Luke did. Luke, in his in the sixth chapter of his sharing of this, just puts a little inf a little point of emphasis on it. He said, the first, the wise builder dug deep. I was like, Matthew didn't mention it, but I love the way Luke did. The wise builder said he dug deep until he hit the rock. I began thinking to myself now, as I apply this to some of our spiritual walk and journey and struggle in life, uh, I begin to think about some of the stories that I've read and perhaps some of the incidents that we dealt with ourselves. And where you've had, you've been in that walk of life and you've tried to figure out the who am I, the questions we talk about, the who am I, the why am I here, and the where am I going, questions of my life journey. And I know I can't get to that till I understand, I can't get to the who am I component unless I understand who the creator says that I am. And I can't get there unless I have a relationship with him through Christ Jesus, and he tells me the who and why of my being here. And my purpose can't be revealed without my understanding of my identity. Can I walk through this just slowly? And and and and if I get the identity component right, then I can step into God's purpose for my life here, my being here, and I've got a foundation for my thinking. It's not based on what the world says I am or what the world says I ought to be doing, and what the world values, or the world now from a rational or relative standpoint, says it's popular today. It's what does God say is truth, and what does God say is important in this journey? And what piece of that do I live to live out? What is my responsibility? Um, what and how have you equipped me? I'm backing the talents almost a little bit. How have you equipped me and prepared me and provided resources for me to do what you have called me to do so that I can feel fulfilled the purpose of your being? If you're giving me this opportunity to walk this life and live this journey out of here. And then how does it impact not only the big picture thing, God, and how you see this whole thing operating out, but how does it impact my legacy and my impact and my journey and the consequences and the results of my actions, which is based on my foundation and the wisdom, the wise choices that I make. How do I get to all of that, Lord, in the midst of this life journey that I'm dealing with here? And then you have the audacity to have me looking out into the landscape and watching all of this building, all of this construction that's taking place. When you drive up out of here now, you just see buildings flying up everywhere. Like there's a shortage of housing out here. And you just gotta think to yourself, now what kind of foundation are they building? Are you building on a landfill? Are you building on a rock? Are you building on sand? Are you building on a rock? And so the right because Jesus, in just a few short sentences, laying out this powerful, powerful powerful for us to consider on this beautiful day. And he invites us to think about the foundation of our life. And he makes it powerfully plain in this in this in this powerful parable that there were two, that there were choices, there were choices. If you're unsure about the the core, the thing that you're rooted in, the foundation that you're living on and standing on, then he gives you the word of God that points you towards Christ Jesus, it can give you hope and assurance. But he also gives you the cautionary. Maybe he's wise because he continued digging until he hit the rock. Maybe he wrestled. Maybe maybe he wrestled with what is it that I've learned? How have I been prepared? What is it that I know that I don't know? What is my experience in telling me? And what is it that I've seen others perhaps do? Uh perhaps other houses have sunk because they were on a landfill or on sandy, on sandy land. And therefore I need to dig. And I'm if I'm digging, I'm still not finding something that's solid enough for me to pull the concrete on, to build a foundation on, then I need to dig further. And if you're wrestling out there, let me help somebody. If you if you're struggling and you think that you can find your spiritual foundation which governs and strengthens your life walking journey, and you're trying to do that in different types of religious, uh religious settings of gurus or philosophers or prophets, so-called prophets, then you're gonna be walking around on sandy paths. And you need to dig a little bit further, the writers. I've heard stories. I mean, I remember sitting across the table from, and they have books I think. I I think about the you probably heard of it, you've probably seen some of Lee Strober's books on on the on his on his case of Christ, his case for faith, his case of number. Well, I remember when Lee Strober was over here associate pastoring at Willow Creek and in the years past. I remember he was a teaching pastor over there, and we and and and we would be in meetings continuously. He would we had a we had a relationship in that sense before he was publishing all of his books. And he would tell his story to us, you know. He would he would share his story about he how he struggled. I didn't mean to bring you into the storyline, Lee, but if you're in here, you're in there now. So the Holy Spirit popped you up, you might as well go on and get a little credit credit for your storyline. But but you if you if you pull up some of his literature, you'll hear his storyline about how he struggled trying to find the answer to the questions of life in the midst of a miss of a wife who was now walking in her faith and trying and and and influencing him and leading him toward her faith in Christ. And he just pushed back against that. He just struggled, and being a lawyer, he thought, I can dig into this and I can prove her wrong. And the more he dug into that, the deeper that he dug, looking for a place to form a foundation in life, the more he realized that he was basically swimming out here in sand, and the stuff that he had based all of his, this is where we all live in breed, the stuff that he was basing all of his other value systems on, uh, levels of acceptability on, measurements of success on, were really transitory, temporary, fleeting, uh secular, social, humanistic type of thinking, and it wasn't solid. And until he met Jesus, anybody related to that at all? Oh, yeah, we probably all had some sense of that. We walked that walk, and some may be walking it today. And and the right and the writer was saying the wise man, the man is was considered wise because he does until he hit the body. But the other wise man. Same beautiful house. Same perhaps, same setting. Different foundation. Didn't continue to dig until he hit the rock. He thought sand was good enough. He thought that if I if my human foundation is built on even a sandy, a sandy structure, then my human foundation of thinking is strong enough to gird me up and keep me safe. Well now we get now I'm about to meddle. Just in case, let me talk to the camera. Just in case you're thinking that your human reasoning, your human abilities, your intellectual elitism, your emotional makeup, your job and your vocation. Just in case you're founding your identity on these things, I always like to ask the question, if your identity is wrapped up in what you do, then what happens when the what you do changes? Are y'all gonna let me preach like I'm a Trinity? Come on here now. If your title is your identity, I'm you said, Pastor, will you get off of that point? If your title is your identity, if your role is your identity, if your job setting is your identity, even if the material things that you surround yourself or your fame or fortune, if any of that is is what you are who you identify yourself as, then who are you when the world takes that from you? The enemy cuts the legs out from one of you. All of a sudden you're not valued. You don't have the, you don't bring the value add to the situation that you thought you did. And they think, well, I can do without you, and I can get a younger, cheaper, maybe even better looking version of you in here. That foundation feels awful sandy. Feels awfully sandy. And if you built your if you built your life, your your your life, your reputation, your you know, all of that on your social makeup, then it's gonna, it's gonna be tested. And then there's that aspect of well, then preacher, how do I get this wisdom? They called right Jesus called him a wise man, and well, first and foremost, you got let me link a few things together. You so you got the you got the writer, you got the writer in Proverbs saying that I jotted a few down here for you. So you got the writing proverbs. I didn't ask you to put these up here. I'm just gonna go old school and leave through the pages. So I got I jotted down Proverbs and writer two. Chapter two, and I'll be as quick as I can be. Thank you, thank you, buddy. Chapter two, verse six is for the Lord giveth wisdom. Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Verse chapter two, verse six. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous, he is a buckle to them that walk unrightly, and he keeps the path of judgment and preserveth the way of his saints. Little Old Testament reference. James comes back in his opening chapter. I'm still flipping. In chapter one. Yeah, old school, yeah. So much easier if I educa. Maybe I do. No, I don't. Okay, give me James chapter one, verse five. You probably get there before I get there. And he says, if any man lack wisdom. Proverbs says, This is what it is, that's how you get it. James says, if any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. Ask for it. Ask of God that giveth to all men, mankind, liberally, and upgradeth not, and shall and shall be given him. But he also says, but don't let it let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. But he that waverth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and toss. But let not that man think that he shall receive any good thing of the Lord, because a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let me get back up to the good news. The good news is if any man lacks wisdom, ask, ask for it. Ask for it. And the Lord will give it to you liberally and upgrade it not, and it shall be given unto him. And then, just just as throwing in a little added caveat, I found myself spending just a moment with the apostle Paul as he's writing to the church in Corinth. And he got to talking about those folk who thought they were wise and their worldliness, and were looking down their elite noses at those who were believers in Christ Jesus and thought that they're philosophical and worldly wisdom, you know, you know, you know, the world like we live in today component. And he takes them in chapter 1, verses 18 to 24, and he says, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. It's foolishness. But unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require signs, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified. Unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. So he says, now your foundation, the source of your source of your wisdom, and the foundation for your wisdom cannot be found in worldliness. If you're doing that, you're building your house on the sand. And it's not wise building. And it's one of those, it's one of those, I would not have you ignorant, brothers and sisters, type of moment that Paul talks about. Because he lays out the importance of the relationship and the importance of spending time with the Lord in his word and letting his word seep into you and build into you and build you up and gird you up. Because you're gonna have, because he has prepared us for an opportunity to do something, to build our life on something that will have impact, that is solid and have impact on not only us but those around us. So it says you got a choice on your foundation. Christ or the world. Christ is a solid rock, the world is sandiness. And when you choose, choose wisely. Choose wisely. Because there is a storm coming. There will be a storm. Am I in that test? The same rain, the same rain descended. The same types of floods came. The same types of winds blew on the house that was founded on the rock. And the house that was founded on the sand. The difference is the outcome. The impact. The lowest structural elements. Safely transferring the building's weight and forces onto the ground. I'm going back to my Google now. Prevents the structure from sinking. Anybody from sinking? Tilting. Or collapsing. By evenly distributing the loads until the underlying soil or bedrock. You don't have to, you don't have to have a little bit of, you don't even have to have these turbulent torrent type. You can visualize what this looks like if you think about stuff that's happening, particularly down on the coastal regions there. And you get down to Florida and you think about these torrential rains and all of that, but you don't have to have a little bit of a little bit of wind and rain to hit you, hit you in a rough way, physically and emotionally and intellectually and spiritually to feel the weight of that kind of thing. You don't have to get to the point where your feelings are leveling up because you don't have an ability to control the things that are happening in your life. You don't have to feel just a little bit of chaos that you're doing, which feels like the stomach circulating and memorializing you, and all of a sudden you can get to a number circulating you. There are going to be storms. The wind's going to blow, the floods are going to come. The question is, how has God prepared you for the storm? What is the teachable moment you're going to take the Lord? You don't have you don't have to teach me by blowing my house away. Can I help somebody? I mean, the Lord is gracious enough, and the Lord willing, he might see you through the lesson and give you a just one more chance for the song when it says just another chance. But that's that's called a grace moment. That's a tremendous grace moment. Because this second house, and and Luke says, he says, and great was the fall of it. And great was the fall of it. It went beyond water seeping through the walls, cracks in the walls, it went beyond unsettled, uneven uh ground underneath, window sticking and that kind of stuff. We we're getting way beyond the little signs of the problems of a crack in your foundation. Although, if you pay attention to the cracks in your foundation. Help me out. If if if if if you if you're in this word, you spend time with the Lord praying and studying, fellowshiping and worship. Let me have some idea. You may have some moments when there when that foundation, you might notice there may be some some weaknesses, some cracks, and the enemy's kind of messing with you here, and the the circumstances around you are kind of challenging you in certain places emotionally, intellectually, even physically, and that tendency to lean into our own understanding rather than leaning on the Lord has a is is a is a uh that's just that's just the kind of thing that in our flesh we do. But the beauty of the grace and mercy and love of God is that He, this indwelling Holy Spirit, has a way of correcting us, of adjusting us, of comforting us, of nurturing us, of guiding us and directing us in the process so that if I see a crack, the Lord says, Well, you need to stick some concrete there. You need to firm that up. Get back in that word that you drifted a little bit here today. If you'd have been in there, if you'd have if you'd have read that verse, I had that verse ready for you. You you ever had one of those moments when you you stepped out in the and the mess was out there waiting for you? You you got back home and you and your Bible fell on a verse and you said, wait a minute. If I had had that verse this morning, I'd have been ready for that battle that I was well, that verse was there for you this morning. Let me help somebody. It was there for you this morning, it was there for us this morning. And now the question is how are you gonna take the teachable moment? Are you gonna crack that book open next morning? Because the wind's still blowing, it didn't stop raining yet. You look out over the landscape, your neighbor's blood, your neighbor's uh basements are flooding all around you because that house is built on sand. You you're you're on a rock. Make sure you dug deep. You dug deep. So let me have my life lessons. I'll get I'll close out my timeline. I think about the beauty and the theology sometimes of some of the stuff that I didn't bring the book up here with me, but those of us who kind of grew up on those old hymns, you know, we we kind of just think, you know, those things are real nice. We used to sing them sitting out there in the audience, you know. Flip open our little choir, but our little uh hymnal books there and start reading some of that stuff. Give this foundation of our faith, obedience. Commitment in Christ provides kingdom, purpose, and perspective to our living. Secondly, gives godly wisdom for our actions and choices in life. Thirdly, protects and provides godly blessings for our needs through our life. Walk in wisdom today. And I can almost visualize you know, this little small town church is still a historic church back in my little low small town. Just a handful of the mothers sitting up there and they're dressed in their white. Help me out, folks. That wasn't just unique to the South, I know. And you think, you know, man, we just sing them hymns over and over and over again. Never really thinking about the theology that undergoes some of the stuff that we sing and we love. Until you start unpacking some of these scriptures. You think about the foundation and it, then it makes a difference when it says my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest friend, but I holy lean on Jesus. And by the time you get to the first, second, and fourth verse, tendency to skip the third. I'm gonna have somebody in the house besides me. You make a segue here. See now, that's why when the Lord started this ministry 35 years ago, He made it up, He made it important for us to keep the hymnals out in front of us so that we could teach the next, we could at least teach the next generation some sense of what each of our generations are going through. You know, it's it's it's the the the new gospel is great, but there's something about the old hymn. So that by the time you get through that first, second, and fourth verse there, and you get to the chorus, you you may not be thinking about this parable. But I tell you, you're thinking about the stuff you're going through. You're thinking about what is my what what have I built my life on? And what am I what am I continuing to support it on on a daily basis? And so when you hear the mama sitting at the table saying, On Christ, the solid rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. Then you know that that's more than just an old hymn. You know some folk have lived that out. They've not only experienced the sinking sand, but they've experienced the glory and the grace and the mercy of being founded on the rock. And they're so thankful, we're so thankful that you not only gave us the support system that these support systems needed not only to anchor ourselves into through Christ Jesus, that not only helps us identify who we are and the purpose that you have us here from your perspective, but it enables us to turn to this word of yours and continually through your infusion of your wisdom into us through your word, be able to walk in this journey, life journey of faith. Knowing that it's not perfect, it's not a perfect walk. We're not perfect individuals, but you know, the Lord is moving us toward the day when we shall see as we are seen. And then to understand, with all that stuff swirling around us, as we, all the stuff we are, all this information age that we are bombarded with, you enable us to be able to turn to the one source that is a source of truth. And say, oh no, no, that looks like that word you just gave me on the news, that looks like sand. That doesn't look like rock. I can lay it, I can put that, I can lay beside what you said, beside what the rock says. And that doesn't square up. So let me continually add my human understanding, looking into your kingdom, wisdom, and word, and therefore walk in closer in truth, more consistently in truth. All other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand. Father God, we thank you. For giving us this time together on this first Sunday, prepare our hearts and minds for our continuing service, giving us this chance to come together, worship and praise and fellowship. And instead, for this family that you've bringed together and the impact you've allowed us to have, continue to pour into us and pour through us so that we can be who you have designed us to be. For this we ask in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Give me all glory, honor, and praise. And all God's people in the house said amen. And amen. Welcome to come down and that's in the tuition.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:35

Amen. Amen. Let's give him a round of applause. Thank you, Lord. I'll next the usage as they come down, please. Serve an awesome God, a God who thinks about us all the time. Let's think about that. He thinks about us all the time. He loves us so much. He loves us how we're here. That's right. Lord, you are our awful God. We honor you and we worship you. And Lord, as we give today, Father, we are reminded, Father, how much you love us. Thank you, Father, for your great love. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to help us to get back to you. Bless your church. Thank you, Lord, for your love for us. The Lord bless them all to give this morning. Bless them with resources. Thank you, Lord, for blessing us all for your day. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:01

It's always such a first question.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:09

We have this rich opportunity to like gratitude. This love for our Lord and love us so much that he can give us only regarding us. That we who believe in him shall carry life of the past. And sharing this moment. Reflection, meditation, appreciation. Reflecting on the scriptures as they share the lesson. Jesus gathered with his closest disciples and upon. The word of God says blessed. Likewise, having blessed it, he said this blood of the new covenant which is shared. Often as you eat of this day, drink of this cup for sure. I guess the like we're privileged and we're blessed to be able to come together on the first Sunday of each month. Share in this interesting moment. So we invite you to join in and be holding your elements into the hall with Father God, we thank you. Once again for this moment in time, this opportunity to come together and praise, worship, fellowship, study, preparation for the service that you have called to do on your behalf. We ask your blessings upon the cup and pray that we got to see. Set it apart for us as you set us apart for Jesus. Bless us as we represent Christ and every moment. All this rock of our service. If you in the area, know someone here, if you know someone that has a need, we'd love to be able to bless them through the blunt abundance of what God has blessed us with. And if you want to volunteer ways to do that also, yeah, Saturday. That's a wonderful time. Next Sunday we are XL Sunday, so we're gonna be recognizing and acknowledging uh college graduates. So that's gonna be a fun time coming together. That's a special time. And I'm praying that this is gonna be a this will be a wonderful thing. I hope the Lord's got something on the place that you already see. If you don't see it, that you'll be able to step into it with assurance of hope. That God's got a blessing with your name. I mean, I got I got a blessing with my name. Come on. Put that foundation, you build on our church, man. Yeah, praise the Lord. So with our heads bowed, our eyes closed, and our hearts humbled before the Living God. As we assume an attitude of prayer and we lift our hands to Him and praise thou unto Him, who is able to keep you and me from all. And present us all first before the presence of His glory, which exceed each other. The only wise God, our Savior, be glory, Majesty, Dominion, power, now and forever. Let all God's people say amen. And amen. As we lift our voices and sing hope.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:13

God in three persons.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:26

God bless you, God keep you. Have a wonderful week. Invite somebody to church next Sunday morning.