Be the Story | Guest Jake Grass Youth for Christ

This week at Rockwell Church, Jake Grass shares his journey from Aldi District Manager for 18 years to full-time ministry with Mesabi Range Youth for Christ. YFC has impacted the Iron Range for over 40 years, helping young people come to know Christ in a real and powerful way. Many in our church have connections to this ministry, including its former director, Ken Davis, now a well-known Christian speaker and author.

Jake will discuss:

• His personal testimony and calling into ministry
• The importance of Acts 1:8—being Christ’s witnesses through the Holy Spirit
• How Youth for Christ is reaching the next generation
• The power of surrender and trusting God’s plan

Scripture Highlights:

• Acts 1:8 – The power of the Holy Spirit to transform lives
• Romans 12:1-2 – Living as a sacrifice for God
• Matthew 28:18-20 – The Great Commission
• Romans 8:1-2 – The assurance of salvation

Key Takeaways:

1. Where is God calling you to be a witness?
2. How can you invest in the next generation?
3. Are you holding onto anything God wants you to surrender?
4. Trust that God will provide when you step out in faith.

Get Involved:

• Learn more about Mesabi Range Youth for Christ at MesabiRangeYFC.org
• Connect with Rockwell Church at rockwell.church
• Listen and subscribe: rockwellchurch218.buzzsprout.com

#RockwellChurch218 #YouthForChrist #FaithInAction #Acts18 #BeTheStory

Helping you apply God's Word and follow Jesus in everyday life. Learn more at ChrisTeien.com and Rockwell.church  Find episode transcripts at Well.faith 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Today's special guest speaker is Jake Grass from Youth for Christ. Well, I'm going to have my two oldest daughters help hand out some information for you that you can kind of take with you today. Some of what I'll go over today will be included in these handouts, but also I've given you some supplemental things if you want to look a little bit deeper in any of the message. And so as I go through the word today, I'm going to be hitting on Acts chapter 1, primarily verse 8. But if you do have your Bibles, we'll end up in Acts 1 as we get into that this morning. But just a brief introduction as the girls are handing out these sheets, and then my wife Lindsay in the back. I'm Jake Grass. I have lived up here on the Iron Range for the last seven years. And there are a couple people that are in your fellowship that got actually placed in my world in two different ways seven years ago. So one of them made sure I knew how to sell groceries. So as you saw maybe on the bio, I worked for Aldi before. I was the district manager, and that's how we moved up here Aldi moved us up here to be uh able to plant and launch the stores across the Iron Range. And so I worked for Aldi, started in Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri, and then opened stores in the Twin Cities. But then the Virginia store is the first one in this community, and they moved us up here seven years ago. Well, Tim Van Suze Sr. made sure I knew how to sell groceries in this Iron Range market, and I heard from him regularly in the store about how we were doing. So it's my privilege to look forward to visits from him in the grocery store. And I'm glad that he didn't treat me like some of the salesmen and the cardboard bailer stories that I remember of his days when he was selling groceries. But so it's fun that I've gotten to know him over the last seven years and through that standpoint of being in the grocery world. And then that same year, that same summer that we moved up here, I had the opportunity to go and serve friends of ours that are full-time missionaries in Papua New Guinea at Groca Baptist Bible College, and they train mission they train uh individuals that come from essentially the bush and those nationals. They train them to be pastors and send them back out. And so seven years ago that summer, as we were moving up here to the Iron Range, Brian, our friend there, asked me to consider going to Papua New Guinea and helping them with building their house. And I did the electrical wiring there, which I don't have to be licensed to do in Papua New Guinea because I'm not an electrician. But that's but the house is still there and everything's working. But in that summer, before going, another person that is in your fellowship, Dan Long, gave me the book When Helping Hurts. And so I had an opportunity to get to know Dan and be encouraged by him before going on that trip and to really see that was a beginning part of my story. And so as I'm going through today, I'm going to talk about three-story lives, and I'll have some graphics up here. And within Youth for Christ, we talk about three-story. And there are three circles on all of our kind of material and our branding. And with those three circles, the first circle is God's story. And so that bigger circle is the story that we get to know about God through his word and through being in relationship with God. The second story is my transform story. And so as you can see, my circle, or you, as I put in there, you mean the church, is where your story overlaps with God's story. And the only way that your story overlaps with God's story is through the cross. And that's where we're actually in God's story. Because as I put others in there, the third circle that's at the bottom, that's before we come to know Christ personally. So we all start outside of God's story, not connected and overlapped prior to accepting Christ. And so part of my story that I'll share today is that transformation. And a big part of my life started seven years ago, so still working for Aldi, but went to Papua New Guinea, went to serve, and Brian, who's our friend that's a missionary there, said, It's not about the work that I'm going to do there, it's not about wiring the house. It's about the work that God's going to do in my life and transform my priorities. And that was a catalytic point that God used in our life to start to think about what is God's calling for me to be a witness for Him. And seven years ago. So at that point, when I went and we also farmed, Brian and I had visited, and I said, Can I keep the cows and can we go be a missionary family in Papua New Guinea? He's like, Well, maybe, but it's pretty tough to be split focused. And so that was one of the things that we, my wife and I, since the age of nine, both have herds of cattle. And a fun story, we just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary a week ago, Wednesday. We came to marriage equally yoked. We each had 20 cows when we got married. God's pretty creative with that. I had Angus cattle, she had Galvey cattle. That breed, when you combine them, is called balancers. And so God also knows that we're different in life, and as in cattle, it creates a more equally yoked opportunity. Well, seven years ago I was not willing to sell the cattle. Seven years ago, the cattle were not on the table. But as God continues to work in our lives and continues to refine us more into the image of Christ, the cattle became on the table. Where uh in the fall of 2020, I officially went through a process with the Lord of just surrendering everything and saying, okay, the cows are now on the table. Well, December 27th, uh a year and a half ago, I sold their cows, and this last May I sold the last of our yearlings, and we're not in the cattle business anymore. And that's something that I never thought would happen, other than Christ is worth it. And so as God called me full-time into ministry a year and a half ago to be the director of Youth for Christ for the Iron Range, I knew that I couldn't do everything. We still have pigs and our kids show at the county and state fairs, but just giving you a bit of an idea of my story as God overlaps my story, that I didn't think cattle coming out of our life would be on the table seven years ago, but it was the beginning of that transformation. And so just kind of giving you a bit of what I'll speak about today as we get in the Word, and just to be allowing God to work in our lives. So if you would, we're gonna pray and then we're gonna get into the Bible and I'll ask you to get to Acts chapter one. If you would bow your heads with me in prayer. Father God, I thank you for today. I thank you for the opportunity to be here at Rockwell. I thank you for every person that you've brought here today, and every person that you'll have listened to this message. I thank you that you speak, and you speak by your word and by your spirit, and that only what you would have to say is brought forth today, and if anything is not of you that it's not remembered. I thank you that we can trust in your word. We can trust that you desired for us to be restored in relationship with you through the power of the Holy Spirit and through the work of the cross. So Jesus, I thank you for the opportunity to proclaim your word today, and that you show us what you'd have us to do and apply it to our lives, and as we grow closer to you in relationship. And I pray this in Jesus' name, amen. All right, we're gonna be in Acts chapter one, and we're gonna start uh at verse four. So if you have your Bibles, you can flip to that. I'll also have it on the screen for you. And beginning with verse four, and while staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said. You heard from me, for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, It's not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. And verse 8, and what we'll really work through today, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. And so as we look at this verse, we could spend weeks in Acts 1.8 alone. There's two parts that I'm just gonna skim over. I've given you a handout if you want to look more in depth to that, and that's the power that's being referred to. So the power of the Holy Spirit, that it is God's power that is doing this, and the promise of the Holy Spirit, the helper, the here, there, and everywhere, and then the be the story, God's witnesses. And the be the story, God's witnesses, the three-story part is what we'll go over more today. And so the promise in Ephesians 3.16, that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being. And the promise in Ephesians 3.20, now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. And as far as the towns and locations, so the Jerusalem, the here or our local town, Judea, the region, including Jerusalem, uh, Samaria, the region north of Judea, and the end of the earth, everywhere. And so from my story standpoint, God has given that opportunity to have this grow and expand. And for each of us, we have different our stories. So whether it's here, right here in Evelith or Midway Virginia area, or the region, the Iron Range area north of Judea, that area, or the end of the earth. So for me, Papua New Guinea seemed like the end of the earth. It was the place where if there was enough of a rainfall, the road would just fall off and you couldn't get back to that community. And so to know that, I didn't quite realize the danger that I was going when I left seven years ago to go to Papua New Guinea and trust that that was going to work out. So at that time we were moving a farm. My wife was pregnant with our youngest, who Lydia is here today, and all of that stuff didn't make sense to leave to go to the end of the earth. Um, but as God gave peace to do that, he supplied much more abundantly all kinds of resources and people to take care of moving the farm and moving all of those things up here to the Iron Range at that time. And so to be his witnesses, and so three parts that I have for us to look at of what that looks like and ways that I can even speak to God working in my life. Conduct that quenches the Holy Spirit, things that actually are challenges for us to be a witness, because God is taking note of our actions and sees us correctly, even though we sometimes don't judge ourselves correctly, he sees us fully, but also people around us see us. And there are things that others may know about us and things that we do need to put off and we need to have. If Jesus is, if the Holy Spirit's bringing it up, Jesus wants to heal it. But there are other things that people may not know about that we have going on behind the scenes that need to be cleansed and healed. And I can testify to a few years ago, God really working in my life and convicting me of areas that I needed to walk more uprightly in. And as the Holy Spirit brings those up, Jesus heals those. And that was a catalytic moment as God's bringing full healing to areas when I finally said, okay, God, the cows are now on the table. And so uh two essentially uh three years ago, this December, everything was put on the table where it was no longer a question. But I I was holding on to those things that I wanted still because I had things that were quenching the Holy Spirit. And but we can put those things off when the Holy Spirit brings them to mind. The other part, though, of the word spoken and our examples, we're to put on these things. So we put on the word of God. We are in the word, and it's the whole the fullness of the Bible, and it's one of the things that I've appreciated of just reading the Bible every year. And by God's uh grace and provision, I had a director at Aldi that actually even suggested reading the whole Bible every year and gave out a Bible reading plan. And our pastor at the time did the same thing. And so my encouragement to everyone here, if you haven't yet read the full word, to go through a Bible in the year plan, whether it's in a year or in two years, but many of you have read through the Bible many more times than I have. Um but for those of you that haven't, to encourage that the Word of God is living and active, and through that it expands. And then to make disciples and walk like Jesus. And so much of what we're called to do is to multiply, and to do so by making disciples that make disciples. And what does that look like? So conducts that can quench the Holy Spirit, and I have it in your handout just to examine ourselves, as it says in Psalms 139. Any ungodly conduct is listed there, or even the example of lying to the Holy Spirit. But if we really look at three story and we look at our story and our transformed story, as we get rid of areas and we put off areas, so if you can see the circles, you see God's circle? There's no sin in God's circle, there's nothing impure in God's circle. The part where the cross is, so if you see God and you see you, meaning those of you that are brothers and sisters in Christ, that have the Holy Spirit in you, the part that the cross is is the part that is in the Spirit, and that is walking by the Spirit. The part that just still says you or me is the part that's not really given over yet to God. And the more that we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, the more that we are in the Word, and we actually are being eclipsed and overlaps by God, the more we look like Jesus. And so the verse that I so greatly appreciate is Romans 8.29, those he predestined for knew to be conformed into the image of his son. The only way that that eclipse can happen, the way we can look more like Jesus, is if we get rid of whatever's not of God, if we get rid of our desires and preferences, if we get rid of the things that we are pursuing for our own interests, and allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and to actually be eclipsed. And that is what's attractive as we live three-story lives, as we are witnesses to others, because our life is going to be overlapped by others. And so if you see those are the common interests and areas that others are in our lives. But if we look a lot like the world, we're not actually pointing them to Christ. We're not actually a witness to Christ. But the more that we are walking like Jesus, the more that that life is overlapped. And so see the story, be the story. And the way that we get to see the story is in the word and being in the word regularly, in life groups, life transformation groups, but then letting ourselves be a witness. And we are all called, this is a command from Jesus to every single one of us to be the story and live three-story lives. So that when anyone in the community outside of this body sees you, they don't, they may know what building we're gathering in today. We have brothers and sisters in Christ gathering all over the world in buildings today. Some in parts of the world that are gathering in places that they can't promote because they are at risk of being drug out because of persecution. Praise God, we live in a country that we can still have this over-the-airways that I am not feeling like I'm at risk of authorities ballsting into that door and dragging me out of here and putting me in prison for three years for proclaiming the name of Christ. But that we get to be a witness in our lives. So when we're in the marketplace, so for me, when I was at Aldi, a simple way that I approached this as I worked there for 18 years, I said, this is Jake talking, not Aldi. And so I was able to just ask people, may I share how I'd handle that situation? And so I encourage you, in your place where you work, to not fear the persecution by simply starting with, this is my perspective, not the work perspective. I was a district manager, I had employees and people that worked for my managers, but that's how I was able to still be a witness there prior to God calling me into full-time ministry. And persecution, as I mentioned, to know that there is persecution and continue to ask, as the word says in 1 Peter. And continuing to strive through persecution, to keep praying like Daniel in the Lion's Den, to worship only God, to have no other gods before him, and to continue to maintain our integrity, no matter what the situation. So as we make disciples that make disciples, again, this is a calling for every one of you in the room. Some of you have many disciples, some of you have walked in the faith for decades. Like Tim. Like at least two, right? Two decades or more, right? And you've made many disciples, and you've impacted many people's lives. But we're all called to make disciples, as it says in Matthew 28, beginning in verse 18. And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. So making disciples. One of the ways within Youth for Christ that we get to make disciples, and you have one of these young people that's in our four-chair life group here this morning, we utilize the four-chair program, and so we are about training people how to walk like Jesus and what that looks like. To be in the Word, to be making disciples by the power of the Holy Spirit, and to not just be consumers of the Word, but to apply what they're learning and go forth into this generation. And every one of you is called to that same thing. I can't tell you how exciting it is for me to see a picture like this, a group of young people that this is a student-led life group. So two young men seated kind of on the couch, uh, Luke and Uriah, asked if they could start this four chair life group and if we'd be able to help them with this. And so within Youth for Christ, we use four chair. And so young people get a chance to learn about what it looks like to walk like Jesus, to apply that. And here's the fun part as you look at that group of young people, many of Jesus' disciples were the exact same age. To think about that. They're teenagers and almost 20-year-olds that Jesus trained. He's 30 when he starts his ministry, but he had people this same age. And so, if we are developing disciples at this age, every one of us in the room, no matter what age, are being trained to make disciples and go and proclaim the gospel by our witness as we're going. And so I'm thankful that this is an avenue that we get to use. Our volunteers and team that are within Youth for Christ just went through the four-chair life group the end of last spring or this past spring and into summer the same way. And it's my desire that every young person that desires to be an ambassador for Christ and be a witness to this generation goes through the four-chair life group or something similar to reach the next generation. Because we have all kinds of young people in our schools that are never stepping foot into a church. They have not come in. This is a barrier to them. And so to invite them to church is possible. It's possible to get young people to come to church, but it's not likely that this is the first place they're going to come. The first place they're going to come is to an authentic Christ-sharing relationship. And so we get a chance to build a relationship wherever we're at. And so young people can do it. The best way that we can reach this generation is through the youth. And so for youth that know Jesus, that are being ambassadors and being disciple makers to proclaim their faith just as they're going, sharing about what God's doing in their life, the next best is the oldest person possible that has wisdom. So this young generation that's in junior high and high school is actually looking for someone with gray hair that has life experience and has wisdom. And so, as my kids said, the picture of me that was up there, I look a lot younger then than I do now. Like my wife is pointing out, I'm starting to get some gray in my beard. Um, but for those of you that are even older than me, like you have great wisdom to apply to this generation to be able to share what you're learning and your witness. And you don't have to talk to a whole bunch of kids at once. It's building authentic Christian relationship with one student. And so I encourage you to consider that as well if you are able or interested in partnering with us for that process. And so to make disciples, what are we making disciples of? And as the word says in Ephesians 2 8 and 9, we get to be reminded of this every day. That as we approach making disciples, we are reminded that for by grace you have been saved through faith and not of your It is a gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. And in Ephesians 2 10, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that meet we would walk in them. Every one of you here has been created on purpose, for a purpose, to be a witness of Christ wherever you're at. And so if you're in the marketplace, to be a witness there. If you're at home, to be a witness there. If you are in your community, to be a witness to your neighbors. And if you're seeing that God's stirring you, he might be doing something in your life similar to he's done in mine, that catalytically seven years ago going to Papua New Guinea, where it seemed ridiculous, frankly, to go to the other end of the earth, halfway around the world. I didn't even know how dangerous it was when I left, but to do those things, to obey the calling of Christ and to see the work that God's going to do in your life. And so if you're asked in the near future to do something like that, I'd ask you to pray about that. If you're asked to step out into something that's uncomfortable and serve and to interact with someone and go to coffee with someone and to just share about what God's doing in your life or whatever those things are, to be a witness, because he has prepared you specifically for this time to be his witness. And to go make disciples. As it says in Romans 1 16, for I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. And for in the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith. And so as we see the story and be the story, we are given that opportunity to see the story, to be in the Word of God, to be in life groups, to encourage one another, to share the story. As we go through this four-chair life group, and as I shared last week with the student the youth, Jesus and most 12-year-old boys, if I understand it correctly, would have had the first five books of the Bible memorized. All five memorized. And that is available to us, and also by the power of the Holy Spirit. So asking God for the ability to memorize the word, but to have the word fitly spoken so that we can apply it to the situation for ourselves or others when we're interacting. And then to be the story, that your life, my life, is a witness. How we respond to situations is the greatest example of the gospel. How we interact when things don't go well is the greatest example of the gospel. One of the greatest opportunities I had when working for Aldi was in 2020, when in March the world kind of turned on its head, and the opportunity that I got a chance to bring peace and to share the gospel with customers and employees. And that I worked there 18 years and that year more than I did the previous 17. But I was able to smile, I was able to bring peace. And so when things don't go well, is the greatest opportunity that each one of us have to proclaim the gospel by how we respond and then to give the hope we have. As I get to interact in Hibbing and Virginia, so we have the student center here in Midway that we're in New Hope, and then we're also right by the Hibbean High School. It's called The Haven. And that alleyway is a thoroughfare of students. It's an open campus, and there's active uh things going on between the garages that aren't so good. But I have a sweatshirt I wear there, says hope dealer, and I'm just walking the alleyways and I'm handing out bottles of water, and they ask me why are you always so happy? And I get to tell them about the hope I have. And for each one of us, our ability to be a bold witness for Christ is how we handle things when it's not going well, how we are handling those situations, and then how we comfort others too. And it doesn't mean that everything always goes great, but that we can confess and repent and be restored quickly. It's one of the things that uh I appreciate. So my wife and I celebrated 20 years of marriage, how much more quickly we can recover when things don't go well. Umest couple in the room? Anyone over 50? Praise the Lord! Three couples over 50 years in here, and so you understand that part of growing into the image of Christ and how as that happens, we get to recover more quickly, how we get to look more like Jesus and in that process. And so it's just celebrating the work of the gospel in our lives. So for those of you young people, don't awake in love until it's time, and so don't um, which is one of the lessons I like sharing from a campus life standpoint, the importance of waiting on the Lord for that. But visit with these couples that have for five decades walked together with the Lord and in marriage. And just recognizing wherever we're going, we have the opportunity to share these three story relationships. And that the more we look like Christ, the more that the cross, the more that our life reflects Christ, the more attractive we are to this generation to be the story. And how just sharing what God's doing in our lives. So part of my opportunity to share with you today is just to share. This has been my walk with the Lord. This is why Jesus is worth it. This is why leaving the corporate um world, which was a very nice pain position. With uh by the end, I was driving a BMW company vehicle, all that to say, Jesus is worth it. I'm gonna go into full-time. Actually, at that point, I didn't even know what I was going into uh fully. I just knew that God was calling me out of Aldi and to see what he was doing. And it was a 20-month wait on the Lord until he showed to go into Youth for Christ full-time, but that Jesus is worth it when he's calling us into his path for our lives. And if he has you in the marketplace to still be the witness and his story there wherever you're at. I've given you the handout of the five R's, and this is one of the approaches. I'm not actually going to go through all of these, but just the concept of it from a relationship with uh God. This is not religion. And so for some of us, our story maybe looked more like religion at one time. Um and my testimony and that the Holy Spirit worked in my life in second grade. I grew up in a Catholic church, went to St. Mary's School, but in second grade I still heard the gospel through the work of the Holy Spirit and accepted Jesus in second grade, but I did learn a lot of um stuff that I had to do as well. And so that it is a based on relationship with Christ, because that summer between second and third grade, I'm talking with Jesus while I'm shoveling out pig pens. And I think that's one of the greatest things to do while you're shoveling out pig pens, to not think about shoveling out pig pens, right? Is just talking with Jesus. And I think there's a prodigal son story too about why he's shoveling out pig pens, but that is a different uh message for another day. But just recognizing it's a relationship, um, the resist that we have a sinful nature that we're resisting. Jesus came to restore our relationship to God, that we get a chance to respond, and it does come with a response, which is an absolute surrender to Christ, that He's transformed our lives, and then to remain and abide, which is in John 15. And so I've given you some of those supplements to look through. But as we're in Christ, and this is a part that for me, and part of my my story and testimony that God has really washed over me to understand when we know these things that are up on the screen here, and so the fall of 2020, when God was really working in my life and the Holy Spirit was just saying, Hey, this area needs to go and be surrendered, and Jesus wants to heal it. I really understood completely and fully to such greater extent, Romans 8, 1 and 2, that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of Life has set us free from the law of sin and death. Zero condemnation, zero shame, zero guilt. Jesus died for all sin, past, present, future. And when we have placed our faith and trust in Him alone, not religion, not works, but in a relationship restored by the power, and as we sang today, that by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony, that we are covered and we are completely forgiven, and there is nothing that the enemy can bring against us when he's trying to attack us and tell us that we're not okay in a situation, or bring shame or guilt, or have us hide our head and walk away from something. We get to remind the enemy by the word and knowing the word that there's no condemnation and shame for those who are in Christ Jesus, and to know we're completely forgiven and to have that assurance. The other part that often some struggle with, and I can remember in 2012, I was wrestling through this and it was like the enemy was trying to attack me. Am I really saved? Am I gonna go to heaven? No, we have eternal life. The enemy cannot snatch us out of our Father's hand. We are set free for all eternity. So at the moment that we accept Christ, it says that we're forgiven and that we have eternity secure with our Heavenly Father, as we are fellow heirs with Christ. So we're forgiven, we have eternal life, we can't be taken. But then so often we know these things, but we give the enemy a foothold and we let him tell us a bunch of lies and garbage that those things aren't true. And as Jesus showed us how to overcome those things by knowing the Word of God, we get to tell the enemy what to do and know that God is stronger, he's already overcome him, and Satan has been disarmed. And so I encourage you these three parts to know them and believe them. And if there's any of these areas that you're struggling with or you don't feel like you're confident in, um would love to visit with you or Pastor Chris here or any of your other elder team, but to know that you have assurance. And if you are struggling with being a bold witness, the enemy doesn't want you to believe these things because he wants you to be on the sideline and not be an ambassador for Christ with the power of the gospel that's transformed your life. And if this isn't something that you believe yet and you're stuck with it, I want you to know you can have assurance of salvation. You can know that you're forgiven. There is nothing that you've done that the blood of the Lamb and the Word of your testimony doesn't overcome. It's such an exciting thing to see that the songs that you guys are singing today and how closely they match. And so praise God, right? As if the Holy Spirit's living and working in your ministry of worship and bringing the message together. And so that place you can be free of any shame, any condemnation. Know you're forgiven for all of eternity of whatever has happened. And when you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart, God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. And so I encourage you to walk out in that insurance, assurance. And many of you have known this and known this for decades. But if there's anything you're stuck on, to know that you can be set free of it for all of eternity. And so as the worship team begins to make their way up front, I think you guys have another song. I would invite you to pray with me and we'll transition. Father God, I thank you for today. I thank you for your word. I thank you for your path. I thank you for your presence. I thank you that we are forgiven of all sin, past, present, and future. I thank you that you have told us that we may have eternal life and enjoy your presence forever, and that we get to enjoy it with brothers and sisters in Christ, that we get to be an encouragement to one another today, all the more as the day draws near, and that we get to know your word to apply it to situations, that we may overcome every attack of the enemy. And I pray this in the name of and by the full authority of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Just a couple of updates for you, as they're looks like they're fast and ready, but uh a couple of updates for you as far as Youth for Christ on the sheet I gave you. We are in uh here in Midway. So if any of you are interested in helping us with that, we serve meals to students every Tuesday night. If you'd like to help with those meals, if you'd like to partner, my information's on there. If you'd like to help us with our peach sales ever, we do that. The next one will be starting in August, and we'll be here in Virginia. And um, or if there are other ways that you would like to support our ministry of serving, we'd love to connect with you. I have my information there. And it is my privilege to be here. Thank you for this opportunity today, and look forward to worshiping some more.