WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to Gateway Churches Podcast. 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:06.799 Wherever you're tuning in from, we hope you're encouraged by today's message. 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:10.400 Eleven years ago. 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:19.920 Eleven years ago, my dad called a family meeting. 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:32.159 And we were living in Louisiana and I was a teenager and my my dad called a family meeting. 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:37.280 Now I don't know what family meetings meant for your family when you grew up, but this is typically not good news. 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:50.640 We went down to the living room and and my dad said, Hey, I don't know what it is, but I feel like I feel like the Lord is calling our family to move to Texas to be a part of this church called Gateway Church. 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:53.920 We left that family meeting. 00:00:54.079 --> 00:00:55.759 We packed up a U-Haul. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:00.719 True story, we put Gateway Church in a GPS. 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:04.560 We drove down 114, three and a half hours away from our home. 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:05.840 We drove here. 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:08.239 We found the nearest hotel. 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:13.680 My family went and parked a U-Haul outside of the hotel, about five minutes away from here. 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:19.439 I don't remember much about that hotel except the people below us were smoking and we couldn't breathe. 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:23.920 We attended our first service. 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:26.400 We sat up here at Southlake on the wing. 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:35.040 And this place shaped me. 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:40.560 I learned how to worship here. 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:42.719 I learned about the Holy Spirit here. 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:45.920 I when I turned 18, I got my first job. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:51.840 I found out what taxes and tithing was on the same paycheck, and it almost brought me to my knees. 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:58.640 But not just here at Southlake, at all of our campuses. 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:04.079 My family went to NRH and got planted at our NRH campus. 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:07.760 My brother to this day is a deacon at the NRH campus. 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:10.080 My nephew Judah, he's six years old. 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:11.199 He opens the door. 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:14.400 If you ever go to NRH, you see the little blonde boy welcome you in. 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:16.080 That's my nephew Judah. 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:22.240 When I was 21, I almost moved to Florida, and Pastor Ben over at NFW, he stopped me. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:29.120 Pastor Zach Rowe over at the Justin campus is one of my closest friends I've known in my entire life. 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:35.680 I mean, even my sister is dating the guy that led worship at Frisco tonight, and I'm watching you, Will. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:42.639 I mean, when God told the DePrang family to move here and get planted, we got planted. 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:49.439 I proposed to my wife outside of TKU. 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:50.639 I was on a budget. 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:54.879 But not just those places. 00:02:55.039 --> 00:02:57.759 Dallas, Plano, and Grand Prairie, Prosper. 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:00.479 I've got memories everywhere. 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:04.400 Jackson Hole, I don't have a memory with you, and I'd love to make one. 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:10.159 This is my home. 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:19.520 And 11 years ago, when we started going to this church, I'd hear people from this platform use terms like son of the house. 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:21.039 And I always wondered, what does that mean? 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:22.639 What does it mean to be a son of the house? 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.840 And then about six months ago, I started getting called a son of the house. 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:32.719 And in 2024, I learned what it meant. 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:37.599 Because I didn't grieve 2024 as someone on staff. 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:39.759 I grieved 2024 as a son. 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:43.120 My family. 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:57.599 And he he called me, and we were in the height of everything we're we walked through as a church last year. 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:09.919 And he said, Hey Abram, um I'm really struggling right now because I feel like as your father, I need to apologize for getting you into this mess. 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:16.480 And I didn't tell him this on the phone, but I'm gonna tell him this now in front of thousands of people. 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:18.240 I'm sure he prefers that. 00:04:57.519 --> 00:04:59.519 Now I know this is yeah. 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:14.800 Now I want to say this, I've got a little bit of different perspective of these guys than y'all do because I was their kid's youth pastor. 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:19.680 And I don't know if you know this, but if your kids go to youth, they tell on you. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:33.040 And I want to say this to Trey and Kenneth and Dane, if you're in here, I didn't start respecting you six months ago, I started respecting you six years ago. 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:35.279 Because that's when I met your kids. 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:41.600 Jack, Trey's only son, his senior year, was going through a pretty hard time. 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:44.160 He said, Abram, can can we talk? 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:45.680 I said, Yes, of course. 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:47.759 Now, this is probably two or three years ago. 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:49.920 And me and him were talking, we're one-on-one. 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:55.600 And I mean, when I tell you I'm pouring my heart and soul out to Jack, I'm giving him my best material. 00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:59.759 I mean, I am every Bible verse I've ever learned, I am throwing it at Jack. 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:04.800 And towards the end of the conversation, he looked at me and he said, Thanks, man. 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:05.839 My dad told me that. 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:07.680 And I thought, dang it, Trey. 00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:15.759 But what it told me is that you're not just good elders, you're good parents. 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:22.720 And so we can get up here and honor you as elders, and I'm so thankful that you fought for the church that I fell in love with when I was 16. 00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:26.319 But tonight I honor you as parents and the people that you are. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:28.240 So give it up for them. 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:12.160 Hannah, um, we've been married about six years, and she's pregnant right now. 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:23.839 She's about 27 weeks pregnant with a little boy named Samuel, and and because I've got a microphone and a platform right now, um, we need prayers for Samuel. 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:27.680 Um we've had some hard. 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:36.240 We've had a hard couple months, and we need a miracle. 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:44.879 So when you think about us, if you'll pray for our little boy, he's got some some heart problems and we need some prayers. 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:48.160 So when you think about us, his name's Samuel Brave. 00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:53.600 And so if you'll pray for him, now I knew this was the part of the service, I'd be very emotional. 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:57.680 And so I brought a picture of my two-year-old that will stop me from being emotional. 00:07:57.759 --> 00:07:59.120 So this is Everly. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:05.600 We're so tired. 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:08.480 Look. 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:13.199 No, we're families, so I'm gonna tell you this right now. 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:16.079 I'm gonna be honest with you, don't you judge me. 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:19.519 Right now, Everly has a problem with saying the Lord's name in vain. 00:08:21.279 --> 00:08:24.079 I don't say it, Hannah doesn't say it, I promise. 00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:26.319 We are, oh my goodness, oh my gosh, people. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:30.240 But we were walking to the living room one night and I heard, oh my god. 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:34.720 And I looked at Hannah and said, What in the world did that come from? 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:36.720 And so I went up to Everly. 00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:39.279 And she's like me with hair. 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:40.639 So I mean it's like this. 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:45.200 And I bent down to Everly and I said, Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, like affirmation. 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:47.120 We say, Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:52.399 And she looked at me like, I said, What'd you say? 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:57.360 And she goes, Oh my God. 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:05.840 So, when you think about our family, healing for Samuel, salvation for Everly. 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:11.440 Hey, I've got a word tonight. 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:16.799 And I actually feel like the Lord gave me this word at the beginning of 2024. 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:23.120 I was getting ready to preach it last year at our youth conference, and I felt like the Lord stopped me. 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:25.679 And I didn't know why, but he stopped me. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:34.320 And um, when they asked me if I would speak at first conference, I felt like the Lord said, Abram, I stopped you because that wasn't a word for Gateway Youth. 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:36.399 That was a word for Gateway Church. 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:40.320 And so I'm so glad you came here and the youth at every single campus right now. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:45.759 I know that they're at the front and they're so happy, and I love you, but I got good bad news for you. 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:49.919 I don't just have a message just for you, I got a message for all of us. 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:52.480 So we're gonna dive in tonight. 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:56.879 If you're in, if you bring your physical Bible, physical Bible, somebody, come on, somebody. 00:09:57.840 --> 00:09:58.480 Yeah. 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:03.600 We're gonna be in Genesis chapter three. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:07.360 We're kind of gonna live there tonight, and then we'll finish in Matthew chapter six. 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:08.399 Let's pray. 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:11.360 Lord, thank you so much for tonight. 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:13.919 Holy Spirit, we give you glory, honor, and praise. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:16.159 Would you come and move amongst your people? 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:18.399 Thank you for Gateway Church. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:21.279 God, thank you for tonight. 00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:23.679 Would you come and move and speak in Jesus' name? 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:24.720 And everybody said. 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:26.000 Amen. 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:31.120 Me and my wife, um, a couple of months ago we were sitting in our living room. 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:36.799 And we're sitting in our living room, and my little girl Everly, that you saw the picture of, she disappeared. 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:38.080 And she was quiet. 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:43.840 And I'm learning as a parent that when your kids aren't talking, it's a bigger problem. 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:47.919 And so we looked around in the living room, and I can't find Everly. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:50.879 And so I go on a little hunt around our house. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:58.399 And I come around this corner of our house, and this is not a scale replica, by the way, of our house. 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:07.840 Uh she's in this little dark corner around our stairs, and she's cute, you saw that, also a little constipated. 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:14.960 And she was leaning in a dark corner like this, with her legs crossed, very quiet, just kind of grunting. 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:21.039 And I mean, she just went over there by herself and she started doing this thing. 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:27.840 And I walked back to the living room, and I and I felt like the Lord asked me this question: who taught her that? 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:33.600 And I thought, Lord, I'm not sure how the bowel movement system works, but I think that's your job. 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:38.240 And he responded to me and he said, No, Abram, who taught her how to hide? 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:43.039 And I looked at Hannah. 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:54.879 And we started scrolling through YouTube algorithms and what we watch, and we're like, do we watch hide-and-seek shows? 00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:56.799 Are we playing hide and seek? 00:11:56.879 --> 00:11:58.240 She's not old enough for that. 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:10.399 As a father, it scared me that without anybody telling her, my daughter had something innately inside of her that said, When I make a mess, I've got to hide. 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:14.159 In Genesis chapter 3, we're gonna read this together. 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:16.080 I'm gonna set the scene for you. 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:20.320 God has, of course, created Adam, He creates Eve. 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:24.559 They're walking in the cool of the day, they're having good times together. 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:27.759 Genesis chapter 3, verse 1, it says this. 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:30.399 I'm reading out of the New King James Version. 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:33.440 We're gonna go ten verses, so so hang in there with me. 00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:38.240 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. 00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:43.679 And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:54.879 And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:13:00.960 Then the serpent said to the woman, which we know, the serpent, because of Revelation, this is Satan. 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:03.360 No if, ands, or buts in Revelation. 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:04.960 We know this is Satan talking. 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:13.679 The serpent, Satan, said to the woman, You will not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:14.799 Verse six. 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:22.960 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:24.799 She also gave to her husband with her. 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:26.080 And he ate. 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:27.600 Verse 7. 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:35.279 Then the eyes of both of them were open, and they knew that they were naked, and they sowed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:39.120 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:45.600 And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees in the garden. 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:46.720 Verse 9. 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:51.120 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? 00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:57.519 So he said, I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself. 00:13:57.759 --> 00:14:00.799 A couple observations I want to make very quickly about this verse. 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:02.000 Here's number one. 00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:12.320 Sin, death, disease, everything, the praying mamas and grandmamas who got their prayer closet, everything that you're trying to avoid that you're asking God to protect you from in 2025. 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:18.399 Entered the world, not because nobody killed anybody, not because anybody gossiped, nobody backstabbed. 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:26.720 Sin, death, disease, everything you're praying against, entered the world because Adam and Eve tasted and consumed something that they were not designed to digest. 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:33.679 They tasted and consumed something that they were not designed to digest. 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:39.840 Second observation, once this happens, they don't start running, they start hiding. 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:41.600 I grew up a PK. 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:52.399 When you grow up a PK, you hear all the conversations about the people in the church, and you have some people who backslide, and you know, you'll use terms like we got a runner. 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:00.080 We got a runner. 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:02.159 Running from God. 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:03.360 They're just running from God. 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:08.159 But isn't it interesting that that's not the strategy that the enemy used in Genesis chapter 3? 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:12.000 They didn't start running, they started hiding. 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:14.960 Now there's a difference between running and hiding. 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:19.440 And this is what I think the strategy of the enemy is and what he knew. 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:26.799 The enemy knew from the very beginning that you could hide a lot longer than you can run. 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:32.399 If you run from God, he runs the risk of you getting tired. 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:39.440 And if you get tired, then you might actually get so tired that you realize that you can't do this on your own. 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:44.639 So instead, he wanted us to start hiding. 00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:49.200 Here's what I believe happened in Genesis chapter 3. 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:52.720 I think Satan implemented a generational strategy. 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:59.200 Whether you're 6, 16, or 60 in this room, nobody taught you how to hide. 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:02.480 Nobody taught you how to hide. 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:07.200 Not only that, whether you're six, sixteen, or sixty, we're all good at it. 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:10.320 Here's what else happened in Genesis chapter three. 00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:17.360 It wasn't just the first time that creation started hiding, it was the first time creation stopped seeking. 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:22.960 Here's what I don't and I don't know the timeline here. 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:23.360 Dr. 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:25.200 Irene, you can help me out. 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:36.240 I don't know the timeline of what this looks like, but I can I can guess that when Satan is kicked out of heaven and he's on earth and now he's tempting Adam and Eve to get them to hide. 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:40.159 I don't know what the gap was from him being in heaven to him being on the earth. 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:47.919 But here's what I am confident in is that Satan knew if they seek him, they will find him. 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:54.879 So his strategy can't be to run. 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:56.720 It can't be to get us to run. 00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:58.399 It's got to be to get us to hide. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:16:58.799 Why? 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:01.840 Because you can't hide and seek at the same time. 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:07.920 You can't hide and seek at the same time. 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:10.960 I think I think Satan knew Jeremiah 29, 13. 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:15.200 Jesus says this, and you will seek me and find me. 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:20.799 When you search for me with all of your heart, how do we hide? 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:23.839 If it's a generational strategy, how do we do it? 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:27.200 Well, Adam and Eve hid because of shame. 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:32.480 The Bible says they were afraid of their nakedness, and so they went and they hid. 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:41.119 You can look all throughout scripture in the Old Testament, you'll see Jacob hid himself pretending to be in Esau in jealousy and insecurity. 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:44.799 He needed his father to believe that he deserved the blessing. 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:48.960 Here's an interesting one that I think is the most common in the Western church today. 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:52.079 King Saul decided to hide in pride. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:58.480 And he actually took on the embodiment of his hiding place. 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:03.680 He took his power and tried to kill David. 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:11.119 He tried to flex his muscles and his pride when actually it was insecurity, but he just did it out in the open. 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:14.720 I'll tell you what this looks like as a youth pastor. 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:19.279 I've been a youth pastor serving in youth for seven or eight years. 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:26.960 And what this looks like is I've met a lot of fathers who are great at lifting up weights but not lifting up their kids. 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:33.200 I've met a lot of people who are great at work and bad at home. 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:37.680 Here's one to lighten the mood a little bit, because I know that was pretty harsh. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:51.759 Me and Hannah have a friend, she's approaching her 30s, and she's single, and she is taken on the embodiment of I am an independent woman and no one will touch me. 00:18:53.039 --> 00:19:12.480 And I this, and I thought to myself, you wanted to be married 10 years ago, but what's happened is in her insecurity, even though God's got a plan for her and there's nothing wrong with their singleness, in her insecurity, she is now taking on the identity of her hiding place. 00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:16.880 Here's how it can happen to Gateway Church after 2024. 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:20.319 Here's how we could hide and pride. 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:25.039 Tough year 2024, but did you see how many people came to candlelight? 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:26.160 Praise God. 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:35.920 And we can actually take this hiding place and we'll start doing it out in the open in pride. 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:37.680 And here's how he gets us to do this. 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:42.079 When Satan convinces us that meekness is weakness. 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:47.839 I don't know about you, but I felt like at the start of 2024 we were gateway church. 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:52.480 And I felt like at the end of 2024 we were gateway church. 00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:55.039 And here's the deal. 00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:57.680 I would rather be here in pain than here in pride. 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:15.039 And here's what I also know, regardless of however you're struggling to hide today, because it's a generational strategy. 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:20.400 Satan's plan of hiding doesn't discriminate at age. 00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:27.200 My little girl does it, I do it, we do it. 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:30.480 But at some point we have to make a decision. 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:37.920 Because what I know is that Satan implemented this strategy not just to get us to hide, but to get us not to seek. 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:45.279 In 2024, even though there is this thing innately inside of us that when we make a mess, we want to hide. 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:55.680 I know that in 2025, Gateway Church, both as a body and as individuals, we have a decision to make, and it's the title of this message: hide or go seek. 00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:58.880 Hide or go seek. 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:01.200 But Abram, we're church people. 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:04.559 The decision is easy. 00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:06.640 It's not. 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:11.599 And I'm not here to give Satan credit, but I am here to read scripture, and the scripture says that he's cunning. 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:16.480 And God is a creator, and Satan is a counterfeit. 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:26.160 And what I would submit to you today is God's plan to get us to seek is eerily similar to what Satan does to try to get us to hide. 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:28.960 I'll prove it to you. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:31.920 Satan slithered in the garden. 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:33.200 He had a strategy. 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:35.680 I need Eve to taste and see. 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:41.519 Psalm 34 says, God says, taste and see that I am good. 00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:49.519 Actually, even when they went to hide, it's a counterfeit version of who God already is. 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:54.640 Because in Psalm 32, 119, 27, and 32, God calls himself a hiding place. 00:21:54.799 --> 00:21:55.839 So here's what this means. 00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:59.599 In 2025, Satan doesn't have to convince us to hide or seek. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.759 We're designed to do that. 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:09.119 He doesn't have to get us to convince us out of nowhere to taste or convince us out of nowhere to hide. 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:10.559 You're designed to do both. 00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:16.240 So what his strategy is, is I just got to get him to taste the wrong thing and hide in the wrong place. 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:20.319 And I don't know about you. 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:23.599 I got a lot going on at home. 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:25.599 I need a miracle. 00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:29.920 I felt like in 2024, every part of my life was touched. 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:33.519 Went to work, things are hard at work. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:36.240 At home, things are hard at home. 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:38.160 I need a miracle and my little boy. 00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:41.359 Even my fantasy football team was terrible last year. 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:47.359 But at some point we've got to make a decision. 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:49.519 Are we going to hide or are we going to seek? 00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:52.000 Because I'm kind of sick of talking about it. 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:54.319 I'm kind of ready to move forward. 00:22:54.400 --> 00:23:04.480 But here's what we can't do: we can't just sit in this building and beg God, God, please come, because I'm pretty sure God is saying back to us, I came 2,000 years ago. 00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:05.920 I need you to show up. 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:09.359 We've got to show up. 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:16.559 And I think Satan revealed his entire hand in Genesis chapter 3. 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:21.279 I think he revealed his entire hand, his entire strategy. 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:24.000 I think he revealed it in Genesis chapter 3. 00:23:24.319 --> 00:23:28.160 He got Eve to do something that he still tries to get us to do today. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:29.839 Here's point number one. 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:32.480 Give your ears away. 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:34.960 Give your ears away. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:41.119 Long before Satan got Eve to taste, he got her ears. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:47.519 If you look at this scripture, we go back to Genesis chapter 3, verse 1. 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:56.319 Now, when the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made, he said to the woman, he said to the woman, he said to the woman, he didn't walk up and say, Here's the fruit. 00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:58.880 He started a conversation first. 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:02.240 He started the conversation first. 00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:08.640 Okay, this is what I need us to understand because there's this thing fighting against the church called casual Christianity. 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:15.359 And we love to talk about how God is love and how God is grace, but God is also holy. 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:20.079 And I'm not here to preach religion. 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:22.079 I'm here to preach relationship. 00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:30.240 But here's the thing if we're not careful with what we casually allow in our ears, the enemy will get us to hide. 00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:38.799 And there are books, music, TV shows, and all kinds of things that have creeped their way into Christian homes and into the Christian church. 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:47.839 It breaks God's heart because the enemy will not serve us anything that does not result in us hiding. 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:52.640 And if we are hiding, we will not be seeking. 00:24:53.839 --> 00:24:55.519 Romans 10, 17 says this. 00:24:55.680 --> 00:24:57.519 So faith comes from hearing. 00:24:58.880 --> 00:24:59.839 Say that with me. 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:02.799 So faith comes from hearing. 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:05.680 Why does the enemy want your ears? 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:06.880 Because he wants your faith. 00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:12.400 Here's what that's scary, because scripture says that we are saved by grace through. 00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:17.119 I was driving in downtown Dallas. 00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:21.119 Now I need a GPS to go literally everywhere. 00:25:22.559 --> 00:25:23.599 Literally everywhere. 00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:26.319 We're driving in downtown Dallas, me and my wife. 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:36.160 We got our GPS, we've got our destination, and we're just cruising, and we get pretty close to our destination, but we got the music turned up, and I go, hey, babe, I need you to turn the music down. 00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:39.200 I need to be able to see where we're going. 00:25:43.119 --> 00:25:45.279 You've done it, you know you've done it. 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:48.319 But here's the deal. 00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:53.119 The music doesn't physically affect your eyesight, it affects your focus. 00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:58.559 If the enemy can take your focus. 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:05.359 If the enemy can take your ears, point number two, he'll give your eyes away. 00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:12.000 If the enemy can take your ears, he'll take your eyes. 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:14.960 Genesis 3, verse 6. 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:24.079 So that when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes. 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:33.359 Got a little casual about it. 00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:37.519 We've let some things into homes. 00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:40.640 We've let some things into our churches. 00:26:40.880 --> 00:26:45.920 We've let some things in that wasn't designed to be there. 00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:50.480 In Matthew 6, 22, here's why the eye matters. 00:26:50.559 --> 00:26:54.720 It says your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. 00:26:54.880 --> 00:27:00.000 When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 00:27:00.160 --> 00:27:03.200 So the enemy comes into your life and he has a goal. 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:06.400 I want to take their faith and I want to take their light. 00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:12.000 If I can take their faith and take their light, they'll do this. 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:13.039 Point number three. 00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:14.880 Give your life away. 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:19.839 Whatever has your ears and your eyes, you will give your life to. 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:26.640 Whatever has your ears and your eyes, you will give your life to. 00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:28.240 Can I tell you something? 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:32.000 I love 2025 charge messages. 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:33.599 I grew up a pastor's kid. 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:35.119 I've seen them my whole life. 00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:38.240 2025, New Year, New You, baby. 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:41.920 I love it. 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:43.519 I'm for it. 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:50.000 But I know many of you were like me when you woke up on January 1st this year and you saw what happened in New Orleans. 00:27:50.240 --> 00:27:53.440 And you saw what happened in Las Vegas. 00:27:54.880 --> 00:27:58.559 You see news today with wildfires in California. 00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:04.559 And what you realize is that death, destruction, and bad news doesn't care that the year changed. 00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:07.599 I don't care. 00:28:09.440 --> 00:28:19.200 And what I'm scared of is that we could live our lives trying to hide and seek. 00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:26.960 I was in a service here at Gateway. 00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:31.440 Now you're about to think I'm about to roast our own church, but I'm family, so I can kind of do that. 00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:37.680 Someone I love, I'd never call them out, but someone I love, and I don't think it's bad. 00:28:37.920 --> 00:28:45.680 But someone I love, they came up after a worship uh one of the worship songs at one of our campuses. 00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:48.960 And that's a hard thing to do. 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:52.640 Like transitioning from worship to the message is a hard thing to do. 00:28:53.119 --> 00:29:03.599 No ill-intended, there's nothing really wrong with it, but they came up and they said, We're gonna take the next 10 seconds and we're gonna give God all the glory. 00:29:04.319 --> 00:29:07.119 On the count of three, we're gonna take 10 seconds. 00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:11.759 And I felt like the Lord whispered to me and said, The enemy's okay with that. 00:29:17.119 --> 00:29:18.640 The enemy is okay with that. 00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:23.279 Can I tell you that God does not want 10 seconds? 00:29:23.440 --> 00:29:24.480 He wants your life. 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:30.000 He doesn't want 10 seconds, he wants your life. 00:29:31.119 --> 00:29:40.960 In Matthew, in Matthew chapter 13, before you put it up on the screen. 00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:44.240 Matthew chapter 13. 00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:52.559 Jesus is talking in a parable, trying to get some people to understand some particular things that he needs them to understand. 00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:57.119 And the disciples come to Jesus and they say, Hey, why are you talking this way? 00:29:57.359 --> 00:30:00.160 Like, why are you speaking in parables and why are you doing this thing? 00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:05.920 Now we're about to read Jesus' response, but the response is important because here's what Jesus is about to say. 00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:09.440 Jesus is about to describe why he talks the way he talks. 00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:11.359 That's important to us. 00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:19.359 In Matthew 13, verse 15, here's Jesus' response to why he talks the way he talks. 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:36.799 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes, so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand. 00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:38.400 And here's the scariest part. 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:41.519 And they cannot turn to me and let me heal them. 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:49.359 Jesus says, they can't turn to me and let me heal them because they're worshiping me, but they haven't submitted their eyes and their ears. 00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:57.599 Here's the thing: Satan and God want the same thing from you, your life. 00:30:58.400 --> 00:30:59.599 Here's the difference. 00:30:59.920 --> 00:31:04.720 One is death and destruction, and one is life and life more abundantly. 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:09.839 But if we're not careful, here's how we'll live our entire life. 00:31:10.079 --> 00:31:15.519 We will try to hide and seek the same time, and we won't submit our life. 00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:17.359 We'll say we love him. 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:19.680 We'll say we love him. 00:31:20.880 --> 00:31:27.599 But we're still in and we're still out, and we'll sit back here and we'll hide and we're like, I know the lyrics to Waymaker. 00:31:32.240 --> 00:31:36.559 And I'll come to church on Sunday, but I'm not gonna seek him on my own. 00:31:37.920 --> 00:31:40.960 Here's what it looks like to hide and seek in Western church. 00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:45.920 It looks like this we beg for his hand, but will not seek his heart. 00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:53.119 And I refuse to be a part of a church that begs for God's hand but does not seek his heart. 00:31:53.279 --> 00:31:56.079 But here's the problem: there's a cost. 00:31:57.680 --> 00:31:58.799 There's a cost. 00:32:02.240 --> 00:32:07.680 There's a cost to really know him, to really have intimacy with him. 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:11.680 It's not religion, it's relationship, but it is a cost. 00:32:13.200 --> 00:32:16.799 In 2025, I don't just want to love God, I want to fear God. 00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:31.759 Spiritual warfare is not fictional warfare. 00:32:33.599 --> 00:32:36.880 And listen here, my heart, because this is me too. 00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:39.839 The Lord knows I'm not perfect. 00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:48.640 But there are some people here, there are some people in our body, there are people in Christians all over America right now doing 21-day fasts. 00:32:48.799 --> 00:32:49.759 We love it. 00:32:50.480 --> 00:32:57.599 But if we're honest with ourselves, we are fasting things for 21 days that some of us need to give up for the rest of our life. 00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:04.079 You've got to submit your eyes and your ears, and there's a cost. 00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:06.720 And it's so worth it. 00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:09.839 It's so worth it. 00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:13.680 Because if you seek him, he will find him. 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:18.640 And when you find him, you'll have life and life more abundantly. 00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:20.960 But you gotta lay some stuff down. 00:33:21.119 --> 00:33:22.720 You've gotta make a choice. 00:33:22.960 --> 00:33:25.519 Disciples make decisions. 00:33:26.640 --> 00:33:28.640