REWIND
The podcast "REWIND" features a collection of past sermons from Organic Church. Each episode takes listeners on a journey through the teachings and messages delivered during previous worship services. The content is a retrospective look at the spiritual guidance and insights shared by Pastor Michael and visiting guests!
Listeners can expect to revisit powerful sermons, meaningful scriptures, and impactful messages that have been shared in the past. The podcast aims to provide a convenient and accessible way for the church community and new audiences to engage with the timeless wisdom and spiritual teachings presented during earlier sermons.
Whether it's a reflection on a particular theme, a series of teachings, or a selection of sermons covering various topics, "REWIND" offers an opportunity for individuals to deepen their understanding of the faith and find inspiration in the timeless messages.
The podcast may also include commentary or reflections on the historical context of each sermon and how it continues to resonate with the present-day congregation.
REWIND
Embracing Faith Without Barriers (July 13, 2025)
Ever noticed how chaos seems to follow you everywhere? That's exactly where our journey begins today – amid falling building blocks, scattered Goldfish crackers, and the beautiful chaos of children worshiping in their own uninhibited way.
What happens when we're forced to worship through distraction? When the noise around us compels us to sing louder, pray harder, and focus more intently? This powerful message explores the revolutionary idea that perhaps the chaos isn't hindering our worship – it's refining it.
Drawing from Mark 10:13-16, we confront an uncomfortable truth: like the disciples who tried to prevent children from approaching Jesus, many churches today create subtle barriers that keep children from fully experiencing God's presence. Jesus' response wasn't gentle correction but righteous anger, declaring that not only are children welcome in His presence, but they're the very models of the faith He desires from all of us.
Through personal stories of childlike faith – from a daughter who plays "church" instead of "school," to spontaneous hugs from little ones who approach without agenda – we're challenged to examine our own attitudes. Have we replaced childlike trust with adult skepticism? Have we prioritized order over authentic connection?
This message isn't just for parents but for every believer seeking to build a church where the next generation of disciples can flourish. It's a call to reconsider what truly matters in our worship spaces, and to ensure that the children in our midst aren't just tolerated, but celebrated as full participants in God's kingdom.
What would our faith look like if we stopped forcing children into adult-shaped boxes and instead learned from their unfiltered approach to God? The answer might just transform your church experience forever.
with building for just a little bit, okay, but I promise you're gonna get to come up and build again. But before you go back to your seats, I have something for all of you. Clean it up. No, you don't have to clean it up. Look, easton knows my trick. I've got a surprise. Clean it up, a parody, one Goldfish.
Speaker 2:Goldfish. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you. One for you, one for you. Why do you have two?
Speaker 1:fingers up. Oh, you need one for Liam too. One for you, one for you. One for you, one for you. Baby doesn't need one. Right, there you go. Is that everybody? Dan needs one. No, I'm kidding. Did you get one, noah? Oh, we got goldfish. I got a table. She says I got a table. Did I miss anybody? Finn won't eat them. He won't eat them. Well, that's because you guys were being too good. Is that everybody? I was going to say some of the adults are a little bit disappointed this morning, I know. Well, I have to be honest with you.
Speaker 1:I realized something this morning during worship. What I did to you guys this morning may have felt unfair to some of you Hold on, I can't even get my iPad to work. It may have felt slightly unfair because you felt like you couldn't appreciate music ministry for what it was because of the chaos that was going on. Did anybody feel that way? And it's okay if you felt that way. There is no shame in that. Here's what I realized about me. It made me worship louder Right in that. Here's what I realized about me. It made me worship louder right Because there was chaos going on around me and I was standing in it. I intentionally stood in it so I could hear it, but I had to worship through it. I had to worship louder.
Speaker 1:Guys, life is not quiet. The enemy will never be quiet. He is always going to be pushing and prying and creating chaos in your life. Guess what? You're going to have to worship a little bit louder. You're going to have to worship through it. You are going to have to stand firm on what you know God wants from you. He doesn't want you to give up because there was a kid standing next to you crying.
Speaker 1:How many times did JJ cry this morning? A handful. You know what? We found ways to fix it, didn't we? Didn't we? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with him crying. I'm saying his mom will too. Yeah, and I'm scared of her mom. I ain't scared of his aunt, I'm scared of his mom, though I realized she said she's crazy. We already knew that, but now it's on recording. Well, both of them, but she was talking about mom specifically.
Speaker 1:Here's what I realized when I was standing there worshiping and I had to worship louder I realized that those kids were not hurting anything. Is anybody bleeding? No, is anybody bleeding? Did anybody lose a limb? No, we are all okay, aren't we? We made it through it.
Speaker 1:Congratulations. You survived chaos. Can I tell you that if you are sitting here today, you have a hundred percent success rate of living through chaos? A hundred. If you are sitting here today, you have successfully lived through chaos 100% of the time in your life. Have any of us lived a life that hasn't felt chaotic? Have any of us lived a life that hasn't felt like there's something wrong all the time? I doubt it. I doubt it, but I'm telling you God is doing something through these children. Take these kids out of the sanctuary, we lose half the congregation, right, we lose half the congregation. What is our responsibility as Christians? To build disciples. What are we doing every Sunday? When we walk into this building, we are building disciples, not just with each other, but with the children in our building.
Speaker 1:I have to tell you that Emmett recently has found favor with Pastor Rod over at Denison Foursquare, which is good, because he needs somebody besides his dad who can spiritually lead him. Amen, because dads give advice, but sometimes it's dad advice and not spiritual advice. Is that fair? Amen. And so every year, emmett goes to camp and he goes with the Denison kids, because we don't usually have enough to send them. And, frankly, I ain't camping. If I'm on camp it's going to be in a motel, six right, it's still got to have some level of air conditioning. I don't do tents, I don't even know if I'd do a camper at this point, but Emmett goes to camp every year and every year he gets the top banana award in his bunk. Emmett, you're what? Three for three when you at Three for three, that's okay, three for three. That he has gotten top banana, I love it.
Speaker 1:And what I realized in that time? He was building a relationship with somebody who was going to instill the word of God in his heart Amen. And so Pastor Rod has really taken a liking to him. And at the end of last camp he said to me he's like, hey, do you mind if I pick Emmett up and take him to get a cheeseburger sometime or just take him out? And I said, no, we would love that. Emmett said to me yesterday I've got Pastor Rod on my watch now he's got a kid's watch that only allows him to call people that we've programmed into the phone. I'm not sure how that happened. I assume that my wife did it. But now he can call Pastor Rod anytime he wants. Thank you, jesus, thank you.
Speaker 1:I am thankful to have somebody in my life that's also willing to be in the lives of my children, to raise them up in the way in which they should go, amen. Now, the beauty is, they called at the last minute because they were going on this chocolate factory tour and one of their kids dropped out and they had an extra spot it had already been paid for. They're like does Emmett want to go? Do you know how valuable that is, to be able to know that he is in trusted hands and that he is going to be well taken care of? Listen, it is the responsibility of each and every one. Some of you have already raised your children, amen. How many of you have already raised your children and they're out of the house, right? Okay, that's wonderful, but you see, all of these kids. We need your help. We need your help. There are a lot of them here.
Speaker 1:Listen, we should be raising these children up in the way in which they should go, which means we should be instilling in them biblical truth, right? We should be able to teach them the way that the Lord would have them to go, and then they will never depart from him. Here's the challenge. Each and every one of us know that at some point in most of these kids' lives they will, in fact walk away. It is not because they don't love Jesus, it's not because they don't know who Jesus is. It's because they're trying to navigate a very broken world, amen, a world that doesn't necessarily care about who they know that they are. It's who it wants them to be, amen.
Speaker 1:It is our responsibility as a church to continue to pray them through that we don't give up when we see somebody go to jail, do we? We want to pray them through that we don't give up when we see somebody go to jail, do we? We want to pray them through that we don't give up. When we see somebody going through a hard time in their life, we continue to pray them through it. Why are our children any different? They shouldn't be. But guess what? The disciples thought that, didn't they? Mark chapter 10, verse 13.
Speaker 1:It says one day, some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them, but the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. Hallelujah, hallelujah. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry. Now, this isn't the kind of angry I get when my kids spill grape juice on the carpet, right, this is a righteous anger and he says so. He said to them let the children come to me, don't stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth Anyone who doesn't receive, who doesn't receive the kingdom of God like a child, will never enter it. Then he took the children in his arms and he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them. Now Jesus became angry because the disciples wanted to stop the children for coming to him.
Speaker 1:And I have a question. I have a question are we doing the same thing today? Does the church try to stop the children from coming to Jesus? We like to talk a big game. Right, we'll build all the children's ministry programs. Amen, hallelujah. We won't, because we ain't got nobody to volunteer for them, but we'd love to. Right, we build all of the programs, we can do the lock-ins and we can have all of the fun stuff for the kids to do, like all of these amazing blocks.
Speaker 1:But do we really want the children? Are we encouraging the children to come to Jesus? The answer is simple no. We want to stop them when it's inconvenient for us, because I'm going to tell you, there were some people that didn't raise their hands this morning, that will never step foot back in the church because they're like that guy's crazy, that guy is crazy. There was no way I'm going to go there and try to worship when those kids are acting a fool. I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't experience the presence of the Holy Spirit because those kids were knocking those blocks down. Let spirit. Because those kids were knocking those blocks down.
Speaker 1:Let me tell you something Ain't got nothing to do with them kids. Ain't got nothing to do with them, kids. Let me ask you something. Let me ask you something how many of you sit in your chair every week and sleep? How many of you sit in your chair and don't crack your Bible? How many of you will sit in that chair and complain about my coffee wasn't hot enough or the bathrooms aren't clean enough? Everybody will do it, but these children will walk in this building every Sunday. Liam said it this morning. He walked in and he goes.
Speaker 1:I like coming to church because I have friends here. Let me tell you something Jesus wants us to come to him with childlike faith. This place is not here to entertain you. This place is not here to make you feel good about yourself. This place is designed to tell you the truth. Amen. This place is designed to. I don't care, I will not be a barrier for a child to come to the Lord. I'm not going to stop, I'm not going to stand in their way. I might not like it, it might be uncomfortable, it might feel weird, right, but I'm going to tell you that those children deserve to be in the presence of the Almighty. Those children deserve to be in the presence. Now I'm going to tell you something else. Jamie's here. Oh good, I was oblivious to this conversation.
Speaker 1:The young adults had a cookout at Ashley and Andrew's. Those are always interesting, to say the least. We didn't get all of us in the room. We love it though, right, we love spending time with one another, but there are a lot of kids, right, because half of us have young children. We put up a water slide. It was fun, it was a great time.
Speaker 1:I was sitting there and oblivious to the conversation, and I realized that at one point, I was very intentional about making barriers from children being able to enter into worship. I would actively create barriers so that they couldn't be present at some of the events and it was the worst realization. My wife said to me. She said did you hear what he said? And I said no. He said at one point somebody changed the code on the nursery door and during worship practice they couldn't get in to have the kids.
Speaker 1:Now, at worship practice, it was always my rule that we didn't have children. The reason for that rule was we had work to do and we didn't want to be distracted. Right Now, here's the thing Jamie was coming and taking care of the kids or sleeping. It just depended on the day, right, jamie, I'm trying to point fingers and just, this dude will sleep literally anywhere, in any position. He's out, just out. He's a hard worker, right, but he was still willing to come here and care for the children so that they could be here. And I realized that by stopping that, by creating that barrier now I don't know that I changed the nursery door intentionally or anything like that, but it was very clear that we didn't want children at worship practice. That forced him to say if my children aren't welcome there, then I don't want to be there.
Speaker 1:Church, did you hear me? Are we actively telling people we don't want them here because we don't want to support their children. Is that what we're saying? Listen, this church is built on these kids right now. Right, there are more of them than there are of us. There could be a mutiny right now and we're all in trouble If they decide that they're running this place. We are in trouble, right. But here's the thing we make those choices thinking it's for the good of the kingdom, but the good of the kingdom is for us to embrace their childlike faith.
Speaker 1:Here's what I remember about those worship practices. I'm not saying I was wrong in the moment. There was intention behind it. It was good intention. But when you have that realization, when God stirs you up and makes you realize them, I would be. We would be singing Lion or whatever the song might be, and the kids that were typically a group of two or three girls. They'd be out in the hallway as soon as that song would start. Here they'd come and they wanted to be in here because they wanted to hear that song. Why are we willing to stop that for the benefit of being able to get through practice? Right, we need to work harder. We need to focus better and not worry about somebody else being able to worship.
Speaker 1:Listen, have you ever walked in here and seen somebody laying face down on the floor? Usually it's Holly, my wife and I. We were talking about last year at the Christmas party doing what they call paper plate awards. Has anybody heard of that? You just make awards and you write them on paper plates, and I had one that I had decided was going to be for Pastor Holly most likely to be on her face on the floor in the sanctuary Because it's true, but she knows what it's like to be in the presence of the Lord. Amen, amen. Here's my question for you. If she's willing to do that, does it make you uncomfortable? Listen, I've seen some weird stuff happen in this place. I mean, I have seen some stuff that you can't explain to people, right? Do you guys remember when they cast that demon out of Tina Newman? Holy Lord, have mercy, right? I?
Speaker 2:was crying. I was like I don't know what else to do Like there was.
Speaker 1:It was nerve-wracking, right, but I'm going to tell you something. You can't explain that to somebody, but does that mean that the presence of the Holy Spirit wasn't on this place? He was here, stronger than ever, in that moment. Why do we try to stop our children from being in the presence of God? They're going to learn it. Do you know what they're learning this morning?
Speaker 2:They're learning how to play with one another in a healthy way.
Speaker 1:There are kids of all different ages in here, right, if our goal is to raise up disciples, listen, older people. I feel like I'm beating up this morning. I'm sorry, legacy members, it's not my intention. I understand that we grew up in a church where the kids had to sit. They had to be seen and not heard. Amen, amen.
Speaker 1:How many of you were raised like that? Whoo? I was raised to be seen, not heard. I didn't need to have an opinion, I didn't need to talk loud, talking loud, running up my light bill, right? I ain't trying to. I ain't trying to get myself high five.
Speaker 1:He says no, I'm out the idea that we have to tell people or tell people that their kids can't do this or can't do that. It's the wrong way to live life. I'm telling you we can build programs where the kids can go and worship so that it's not a distraction for adults. But the adults need to understand that the kids should never be a distraction. They should never be a distraction. I watched Tanya and Mike and Chris come up here and worship in the midst of the chaos. In the midst of the chaos, they were willing to give praise to God. The problem we are creating barriers for those children to come to the Lord.
Speaker 1:The disciples had good intentions. They wanted to protect Jesus's time right. They wanted to maintain integrity in ministry. I get it. I get it, but can I tell you that most of the time the adults are worse than the children. It's true, pastor Holly, how many times do you get stopped in or out of the prayer room, somebody wanting to tell you something that you don't need to know? After you're under the presence of God, amen. When the anointing starts to rest, I don't need to know you're out of coffee. When the anointing starts to rest, I don't need to know about your relationship problem. When the anointing starts to rest, I need to focus on one thing, and one thing only, and that is preaching the word of God. That is being able to pray you into service. That is being able to lift you up and preach an anointed word Amen.
Speaker 1:But the problem is listen. Where's she at? Where's she at? Listen, I don't remember names. You guys are no. Where's she at Right here? Christy's daughter? Hey, kinsley, terrible Kinsley, come here.
Speaker 1:What do you do every Sunday? Whenever you see me, hug you, hug me. Thank you. That little girl will run up to me every Sunday and hug me, no matter where I'm at, no matter what I'm doing, and you know what I like that a whole lot better than hearing about your problems, right? She comes at me with she don't know I'm mean yet, she hadn't figured it out, she hadn't figured it out yet. But she comes at me with childlike faith. You guys come at me with your problems, listen, that's my job and I want to support you through it and I want to love you through it. But at the end of the day, at what point do I just get to love you? At what point do I just get to say I support you? I can't, because every time I say it, there's something new, something else piling on top right. When you go to the Lord, when you go to the Father in prayer, is it, lord, let your will be done, or is it Lord, let my will be done? Because I'm going to tell you I guarantee none of these kids in the presence of God telling him what they want right Now. I want to be clear. There are some things that we can't let kids do and we're going to talk about that right. But what's happening right now is not hurting any of us, is it a little bit distracting? I like JJ standing up here clapping Like. I'm going to be honest with you, I'm going to start selling these seats right here. Right, these are premium seats. I'm going to put iPhone chargers up there. You guys are going to have to pay me per charge. Snacks, snacks, beef, jerky, slim jams, roller meat for Marcus.
Speaker 1:Many churches will fall into a similar trap. We say that the children are welcome, but only if they're still and they're quiet. Amen, only if they are still and they are quiet. We don't want them in here if they're going to be loud or destructive. We don't want them in here if they're going to be disruptive. All we want to do is sit and hear worship, listen to the word, do nothing with it and go home. Right, how many of us are taking away from what we've heard? How many of us are going home and studying it out? So few of us.
Speaker 1:Jesus' response was a righteous anger and open arms. Amen, every time you read that story if you don't listen to the word angry and go. Man, he had every right. He had every right. Jesus didn't just correct the disciples. It says that he was angry.
Speaker 1:Jesus was frustrated. Why was he frustrated? Because they still don't get it. He has been trying to get them to understand what the kingdom of heaven is going to be like and how you enter into the kingdom of heaven, and they just couldn't get it. Every turn it was yeah, but Lord, are you sure? I think he would know. I think he knows. I think he's got it figured out. His words were direct Let the children come to me. He didn't want them to be stopped, he wanted them to be able to come to him, just not so that he could bless them, but so that he could be in their presence. Amen.
Speaker 1:He told the disciples that unless you have childlike faith, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. If our programs and our services, our attitudes, if any of those things at any point hinder our children's spiritual growth, we're not doing it right. We're not doing it right. So two things, two things. I will directly apologize to anybody if I have ever put them in a position where they felt like their children weren't welcome here, because I promise you, there is nothing greater to me and my wife than to see this building full of children, because if this building is full of children, it is full of growing families, If it is full of growing families. It is full of the next generation of Jesus Christ. Amen, and that's what we're looking for.
Speaker 1:Listen, some of us might be a hundred years old and go to church every Sunday and do our things just like we're supposed to do, and that is wonderful and I love you just the same. But you have to understand that these children are not inhibiting your ability to worship. If anything, they should be strengthening your ability to worship. They should be driving you deeper. Listen, when you look at one of those children and you say that kid ain't got no shoes. Look around this, bro. How many of these kids ain't got shoes on right now? A bunch of them just walking around in their socks, some of them in their bare feet. Well, actually they're human feet, not bare feet, but regardless, all right, didn't go anywhere. Jesus flips the narrative and he says not only are the children welcome, but they are the models of the kind of faith that God wants all of us to have.
Speaker 1:Children trust easily, love freely. Again, every time she comes and hugs me, she don't know I'm mean. She also don't care, right? You ever had that kid in a restaurant that just stares at you. Jj does it to me on Sunday mornings during worship. I'll be standing back in the booth and he just stares at me. Kid will not give me a high five to save his life, but he'll stare at me. I'm hoping that just someday, without provocation, kid will not give me a high five to save his life, but he'll stare at me. I'm hoping that just someday, without provocation, he'll just give me a high five. We'll see he's like one of those little circus monkeys that walk around and you give him a quarter and he gives you a high five. Send bucks, geez, I don't need a high five that bad.
Speaker 1:So why do we try to force children into an adult-shaped box? Why do we look at children and say they should be mini-adults? When a child raises their hand in worship, even when it's not an appropriate time, they are doing what God has called them to do Amen. When they're making noise, when they're moving around and they're asking questions, god has called them to this place just the same as many of you are called here because of the raising of your children Amen. Some of you have church shopped right and you realize that even with the best kids programs, your kids aren't always welcome.
Speaker 1:Listen, the second promise I want to make you is your children will always be welcome in this building, anytime, anywhere. Now, sometimes that's going to mean you have to bring child care right. Sometimes that means you're going to have to call Jamie and have Jamie come so he can watch it. He's the best babysitter I've ever seen. You drop Jamie in the nursery with all of them kids. They love him. I think it's just because he falls asleep and they draw mustaches on him and whatnot. But I don't know, maybe there's no rules with Jamie. But my point is we will always find a way. We will always find a way because we want to raise the next generation of disciples in this building Amen. We don't want to raise them across the street. We don't want to just raise them in our own homes. We want to, as a community, raise up these children, Amen. Finn, what are you doing? Oh, he didn't want to share. Okay, fair enough. Sometimes I don't like to share either.
Speaker 1:When a child says Jesus loves me, when they write it in crayon, that should warm your heart. When I ask my children, where does Jesus live? And they tell me in their heart, it's the best feeling in the world. It is the best feeling when you find out that your kids have been praying in the car through a storm. Best feeling in the world. Best feeling in the world.
Speaker 1:Now I'm going to brag on my daughter for just a second. There are so many things about her that you can just say so wonderfully. But here's what I've learned she is the softest, gentlest, most loving child you will ever meet. She will hug you at every turn. I tell her I love you and she says I love you more than you love me. And I say I love you the most. And she says no, I love you the most. And we can do that for 45 minutes.
Speaker 1:Now that might be her just trying not to go to bed, I don't know, but she'll fool you with it, right? And how do you tell her? No, she'll come into the kitchen late at night. She should already be asleep and she's got her. Do you have your pretty pink Bible with you? Can I see your pretty pink Bible? She doesn't come to church without it. How many of you adults bring your bible to church? Oh, oh, she comes out with her mom. Can we read my bible?
Speaker 1:The girl can barely read, but she reads the word every day. She doesn't play school, she. She plays church. She has Bible studies. She asks her mom can we start a Bible study together? Guys, my daughter is doing things that us adults should be doing, that we aren't willing to do. Right, she's a child.
Speaker 1:I'm going to tell you that she probably has more faith than many of us grown adults sitting in this building today. Listen, listen, this girl prays like I ain't never heard before. When we pray before dinner, we have family dinner almost every night and one of us say grace, my boys, thank you for this food. Bless the hands that prepared it. Amen, right, not sissy. Bless it to the nourishment of our body. Bless the hands that have prepared it.
Speaker 1:She is sweet and kind and genuine, and I realize that when you see those qualities about her, it is not because she's been taught that through physical teaching. She has seen it in her mother. She has seen it in her mother. She has seen it in her mother. And then I have a realization that sometimes what I see in her is so valuable because the world is not going to afford her that same love. The world is not going to allow her that same love. The world is not going to allow her to be centered on Christ. It is always going to force her to be centered on it. Amen. What does the world want from her? What does the world expect her to look like? How does the world expect her to dress? How does the world expect her to behave? Amen, and I pray every day that the world never gets a grip in her life, because that childlike innocence is exactly what I want to model my life after. When I hear her pray, I think, man, I wish I could pray like that. When I hear her speak to people with listen, this was the moment that I realized how much my daughter actually loves me, not just as her dad, but as her caregiver, as her comfort.
Speaker 1:Her hamster got out of the cage. Sissy got a hamster. Her name is Sophia. She forgot that she had taken one of the stops out of Sophia's cage and Sophia got loose in the house. Of the stops out of Sophia's cage and Sophia got loose in the house, I got a call while I was at work, or a text while I was at work that Sophia was loose. I left work immediately and went home to find Sophia. We looked, couldn't find her. We looked some more, we couldn't find her. We finally said we'll wait till this evening when she starts to move around. Certainly we'll hear her.
Speaker 1:I couldn't stand it it because I could just tell she was brokenhearted that this hamster was gone. They were convinced that she had gone down the register and she was dead and gone forever. They were convinced, so I Googled it. She couldn't fit down the register. So I was slightly more comfortable and while they were doing schoolwork I decided to take a break and I went looking again and I walked into her bedroom and I pulled out one of her bins where her toys are at, and sure enough, there was that hamster. Sure enough, there was that hamster. I went and I picked her up and I dropped her off and I said to him I said we're going to put her back in her cage and we're going to let her rest Because she's scared. She hadn't slept all night. We put her.