WEBVTT 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:04.091 We're not the church that thinks that we have to come up with it and we don't share it with anybody else. 00:00:04.091 --> 00:00:08.992 I will wear another church's t-shirt and go serve alongside them, just to serve somebody. 00:00:08.992 --> 00:00:18.711 And I've told you this before with your tithes if you don't trust this church, give your tithe somewhere else and watch God work in your life. 00:00:18.711 --> 00:00:23.027 We don't want your money, god wants your heart. 00:00:23.027 --> 00:00:26.835 That was free. 00:00:26.835 --> 00:00:27.737 You guys can have that one. 00:00:29.842 --> 00:00:33.112 I know y'all just sat down, but y'all do this to yourself every time. 00:00:33.112 --> 00:00:34.085 I do the same thing every week. 00:00:34.085 --> 00:00:46.993 So if you'll remain standing, we're going to look in the 14th chapter of Luke today, and so I always try to get my title out Monday or Tuesday. 00:00:46.993 --> 00:00:53.768 And Sister Ashley she's our media coordinator and she always laughs at my titles. 00:00:53.768 --> 00:00:56.293 Today's title I told y'all a couple weeks ago. 00:00:56.293 --> 00:00:57.561 This one's called I Hate you. 00:00:57.561 --> 00:01:08.036 Don't take it personal, but I hate you, baby, I hate you. 00:01:08.036 --> 00:01:13.409 See, when you use the word of God, you can say anything you want, right, and it's fine. 00:01:13.409 --> 00:01:16.625 Don't do it. 00:01:16.625 --> 00:01:23.061 I have to take her to Andy's later just to make up for that display all right. 00:01:25.153 --> 00:01:27.643 It's so important in marriage that you understand each other's love language. 00:01:27.643 --> 00:01:29.727 It matters. 00:01:29.727 --> 00:01:32.173 It heals all wounds, especially Andy's. 00:01:32.173 --> 00:01:33.382 Come on somebody. 00:01:33.382 --> 00:01:37.469 Andy's on Sunday. 00:01:37.469 --> 00:01:44.183 Chick-fil-a on Monday Come on, sorry, felt the spirit on that one. 00:01:44.846 --> 00:01:53.632 So Luke, chapter 14, we're going to be coming from what Jesus said, and he laid this out very specific and very detailed for, I believe, a very deliberate reason. 00:01:53.632 --> 00:01:57.510 You may not know this, but if it's in the Word of God, it wasn't by accident. 00:01:57.510 --> 00:02:02.965 In Luke, chapter 14, verse 25 through 27. 00:02:02.965 --> 00:02:07.855 25 says this a large crowd was following Jesus. 00:02:07.855 --> 00:02:16.538 He turned around and said to them I like to put myself in the middle of the stories. 00:02:16.538 --> 00:02:18.882 Some of you have a gift of doing that with other people's business, but we're not going to go to that. 00:02:18.882 --> 00:02:28.350 So in the middle of this, jesus is being followed by a large group of people and all of a sudden he turns around and he addresses all of them, the people who are following him wherever he is going. 00:02:28.350 --> 00:02:30.272 They're like little puppies. 00:02:30.272 --> 00:02:32.314 They're so hungry for what he's putting out. 00:02:32.314 --> 00:02:45.730 And he turns around and says this to them If you want to be my disciple, if you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else. 00:02:46.692 --> 00:02:48.233 Jesus just said, you need to hate people. 00:02:48.233 --> 00:02:50.716 Somebody's not going to wear that as a badge of honor. 00:02:50.716 --> 00:03:04.835 Y'all are going to take that home with you your father and your mother, your wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even your own life. 00:03:04.835 --> 00:03:06.219 Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 00:03:06.219 --> 00:03:09.123 Your own life, otherwise you cannot be my disciple. 00:03:09.123 --> 00:03:12.072 Verse 27, if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. 00:03:12.973 --> 00:03:13.796 Let's bow our heads and pray. 00:03:13.796 --> 00:03:15.403 Father, we thank you so much for your presence. 00:03:15.403 --> 00:03:17.310 That has already been evident here today. 00:03:17.310 --> 00:03:27.965 We thank you, god, for just who you are and your blessings that you pour out and the people that you have placed here in leadership and in this congregation. 00:03:27.965 --> 00:03:35.527 Father, I thank you and I speak a blessing over their life that they cannot deny that it is directly from God. 00:03:35.527 --> 00:03:45.174 I pray for the rest of this service that your word penetrates our heart, that you put a coal on my lips, that everything that comes out is anointed and touched by you. 00:03:45.174 --> 00:03:46.320 In your name. 00:03:46.320 --> 00:03:47.484 We pray Amen. 00:03:49.167 --> 00:03:51.612 As you are being seated, tell your neighbor I hate you. 00:03:51.612 --> 00:04:04.008 Turn to your second choice and say I hate you too. 00:04:04.008 --> 00:04:12.280 Turn to your second choice and say I hate you too. 00:04:12.280 --> 00:04:17.608 Some of y'all have been waiting to say that and not get in trouble your entire life. 00:04:17.608 --> 00:04:18.110 You're welcome. 00:04:18.110 --> 00:04:20.959 You're welcome. 00:04:22.261 --> 00:04:25.050 So I asked somebody today to share something. 00:04:25.050 --> 00:04:30.692 If you don't know, I have been issuing a challenge for the last couple months. 00:04:30.692 --> 00:04:34.348 It's now up to the 17th. 00:04:34.348 --> 00:04:43.367 So the challenge of 5-5-5, five minutes of prayer, five minutes of worship, five minutes of reading your word, then one more. 00:04:43.367 --> 00:04:44.771 What's the other one Y'all remember? 00:04:44.771 --> 00:04:47.625 Invite one person to church. 00:04:47.625 --> 00:04:49.064 I see some new faces. 00:04:49.084 --> 00:05:04.468 Y'all been doing your job and last week, acting out of stupid faith, getting stupid with some people I said do one small act of faith every single day. 00:05:04.468 --> 00:05:07.062 Some of you, that may be just going back to your job. 00:05:07.062 --> 00:05:12.295 Some of you, let's be real. 00:05:12.295 --> 00:05:15.461 Some of you, it might be telling your spouse you love them and meet it for once. 00:05:15.461 --> 00:05:19.305 Do y'all feel that? 00:05:19.305 --> 00:05:34.956 But these 17 things that you do every single day will radically change your life and it will also change the lives of the people around you. 00:05:34.956 --> 00:05:46.713 Show me where you come up if you don't mind. 00:05:46.713 --> 00:05:48.334 She she promised she's going. 00:05:48.334 --> 00:05:49.755 I got to tell you a story when we're done. 00:05:49.755 --> 00:05:50.641 So we got done with practice. 00:05:50.641 --> 00:05:55.201 She was like guess what happened to me when she started applying the 17? 00:05:55.201 --> 00:06:06.576 , when she started allowing God to work through her and not hold on to what he was getting to her, but allow it to pass through and become a channel instead of a dam. 00:06:06.576 --> 00:06:11.571 God starts to affect the people around you. 00:06:11.571 --> 00:06:14.403 She's going to share her story. 00:06:14.403 --> 00:06:14.824 There you go. 00:06:15.586 --> 00:06:16.247 I'm already crying. 00:06:16.247 --> 00:06:17.791 I get it, I would. 00:06:17.791 --> 00:06:23.269 So the 17 challenge it's been a struggle for me. 00:06:23.269 --> 00:06:24.151 I'll be honest with you. 00:06:24.151 --> 00:06:29.343 I told Steven I needed a text message as a reminder or something. 00:06:29.343 --> 00:06:42.369 So last week I purposely I got up early every day and I started my day with a five, five and five, and then he added, he bought one, and then it was be stupid, be stupid. 00:06:42.389 --> 00:06:58.786 And so so, uh, last this past week, we were working a veterans day event and, uh, my whole office was out there and we were working just thanking the veterans for their service and feeding them Chick-fil-A. 00:06:58.786 --> 00:07:03.833 And, um, my dad stopped by, which y'all know my dad, he can hang out anywhere, y'all know him by now. 00:07:03.833 --> 00:07:24.208 He stopped by to hang out and, uh, the girl I work with she has got a heart of gold and I can't tell you how good of a person she really is and uh, we just both started talking to her at separate times and, uh, before it was all over with, we ended up at my car loading everything up. 00:07:24.208 --> 00:07:37.220 At the end, she started talking to us and telling us how she had been crying all morning and all night the night before because she ended a relationship that she knew she wasn't supposed to be in. 00:07:37.220 --> 00:07:42.673 All of a sudden God started pouring all these things out of my mouth that I didn't even know. 00:07:42.673 --> 00:07:47.509 I didn't even know I could pray for five minutes. 00:07:47.509 --> 00:07:54.413 To be honest with you Last week when Stephen said five minutes won't be enough, I kind of laughed. 00:07:54.413 --> 00:07:57.829 But then I looked up and it was like 15 minutes last week. 00:07:59.675 --> 00:08:08.074 And so we sit there and we started talking to her and we started I could just feel, could feel her heart, how broken it was. 00:08:08.074 --> 00:08:10.668 God just allowed me to just feel that. 00:08:10.668 --> 00:08:23.113 And we just started encouraging her, my dad and I together, and all of a sudden something in my head told me to be stupid. 00:08:23.113 --> 00:08:24.766 And so I told her. 00:08:24.766 --> 00:08:25.026 I said look. 00:08:25.026 --> 00:08:26.211 I said look, my pastor asked us to be stupid. 00:08:26.211 --> 00:08:26.593 And so I told her. 00:08:26.593 --> 00:08:27.115 I said look. 00:08:27.115 --> 00:08:29.704 I said, look, my pastor asked us to be stupid. 00:08:29.704 --> 00:08:33.293 So I need to, I need to be stupid with you for a second. 00:08:33.293 --> 00:08:35.710 And I said so just hold on. 00:08:35.750 --> 00:08:43.303 And we were standing at the Lowe's entrance parking lot and if you know me, you just know this is way out of my comfort zone here and I told her. 00:08:43.303 --> 00:08:44.990 I said I just want to put my hands on you. 00:08:44.990 --> 00:08:46.547 I want to pray for you right here. 00:08:46.547 --> 00:09:10.445 And I just told her that God, that God could fill those places in her life that she was searching for somebody else to, and that when she allowed God to fill those places, that's when he would send somebody to help and not take away from her God and I'd like to tell you that I got to invite her to church that's when he would send somebody to help and not take away from her God. 00:09:10.465 --> 00:09:14.288 I'd like to tell you that I got to invite her to church, so I got my 17, but my dad beat me to it, so he got to count it. 00:09:14.288 --> 00:09:15.730 I just am so thankful. 00:09:15.730 --> 00:09:20.653 I'm thankful for the challenge and I'm so thankful for this church. 00:09:20.653 --> 00:09:30.964 Last Thursday we were at practice and I just couldn't quit crying and him and Aaron were just looking at me and I said I can't quit crying. 00:09:30.964 --> 00:09:35.192 God is changing my life in this church and I just am so thankful to be a part of it. 00:09:44.039 --> 00:09:50.831 There's nothing that strengthens a body of believers more than seeing God's word and faith and action and things happening. 00:09:50.831 --> 00:09:53.134 When we speak, the devil trembles. 00:09:53.134 --> 00:10:02.754 When you get your morning right, when you start your day right with God, nothing can defeat you. 00:10:02.754 --> 00:10:05.784 Everything can come against you. 00:10:05.784 --> 00:10:13.572 But the Bible promises that God will raise the standard and when he raises that standard, the devil cannot penetrate it. 00:10:13.572 --> 00:10:20.982 But this is what happens when you allow the word of God to begin to work and the faith begin to move mountains in your life. 00:10:22.667 --> 00:10:28.765 She didn't know that that 15 was going to challenge someone else and then she got to share it with all of you this morning. 00:10:28.765 --> 00:10:34.610 When you do things and you line them up with the word of God, it doesn't just affect you, it affects everyone around you. 00:10:34.610 --> 00:10:38.147 It doesn't just change some things. 00:10:38.147 --> 00:10:39.730 Prayer changes everything. 00:10:39.730 --> 00:10:43.865 It changes everything. 00:10:43.865 --> 00:10:49.989 Five minutes in prayer, five minutes in reading See, when you start to do this, you become intentional. 00:10:51.274 --> 00:10:58.832 The devil hates intentions because if he can get you distracted and unfocused, you aren't worth nothing. 00:10:58.832 --> 00:11:11.212 If he can get your phone notifying you all the time, if he can get your phone notifying you all the time, I've got to the point to where I get so mad at my phone, I'm like, why do I even have one? 00:11:11.212 --> 00:11:16.624 I have turned off every single notification from YouTube. 00:11:16.624 --> 00:11:19.671 I've stopped playing games because they would tell me that I need to come back and play. 00:11:19.671 --> 00:11:23.404 I said no, I don't, I got things to do. 00:11:23.404 --> 00:11:24.186 I've almost. 00:11:24.186 --> 00:11:27.472 I don't get on Facebook, but business stuff, that's it. 00:11:27.472 --> 00:11:29.094 My photography and apparel store, that's. 00:11:29.094 --> 00:11:30.355 That's pretty much all I get on there. 00:11:30.355 --> 00:11:32.296 For she gets on there, she'll tell me something's going on. 00:11:32.296 --> 00:11:34.919 I'll go in there and look, I'll check church stuff, that's it. 00:11:34.919 --> 00:12:04.620 But other than that, facebook is no use to me, because I am ready for people to get their face in a book that actually matters, that we stop being tethered to the things of this world, to apps, to flesh, to things that are binding us, because we serve a mighty God who is the chain breaker that he did not come for us to stay the same. 00:12:04.620 --> 00:12:09.681 He came to change us and mess your world up and to make you look and sometimes feel stupid. 00:12:09.681 --> 00:12:15.812 But it's in that stupidity that God begins to really do something. 00:12:15.812 --> 00:12:24.802 If she was not willing to put aside pride, which is the killing caller, the calling killer backwards there's C's the calling killer. 00:12:24.802 --> 00:12:29.113 Pride will stop you from doing things if you don't want to look a certain way. 00:12:31.921 --> 00:12:38.870 Five minutes in prayer, five minutes in reading, five minutes in worship Invite one person to church and do one small act of faith every single day. 00:12:38.870 --> 00:12:41.828 These are not things to take home and put on yourself. 00:12:41.828 --> 00:12:43.667 These are things you need to do every single day. 00:12:43.667 --> 00:12:48.128 They need to actively be in your life and up in your face. 00:12:48.128 --> 00:12:55.269 So doing this every day, it will literally change the trajectory of your day. 00:12:55.269 --> 00:13:01.405 It will shift your mind to where the devil cannot come up against you because you've already got victory. 00:13:01.426 --> 00:13:03.972 Have you ever fought a battle and you've already done the groundwork and you knew you were going to victory? 00:13:03.972 --> 00:13:07.850 Have you ever fought a battle and you've already done the groundwork and you knew you were going to win? 00:13:07.850 --> 00:13:10.761 And when you stepped into the battle, there was nothing that could discourage you. 00:13:10.761 --> 00:13:15.308 When you prepare, you will not fail. 00:13:15.308 --> 00:13:22.211 When you prepare, it actually pre-ushers in the presence into the situation that you haven't even faced yet. 00:13:24.760 --> 00:13:28.163 Doing this will change the trajectory of your life and of others. 00:13:28.163 --> 00:13:31.570 It will always do these three things. 00:13:31.570 --> 00:13:32.893 Number one it will transform. 00:13:32.893 --> 00:13:38.071 These things will transform the title of what your day looks like. 00:13:39.921 --> 00:13:45.695 We live in a day full of labels of false identities. 00:13:45.695 --> 00:13:53.432 People want to label themselves by sexuality or by color or by background or heritage or whatever, and it doesn't matter. 00:13:53.432 --> 00:13:58.852 When you come to the feet of Jesus, we're all exactly the same and we all have sinned and need a savior. 00:13:58.852 --> 00:14:09.095 I choose to not let my label be dictated by the culture to tell me who I am, because I get my definition from God, and from God alone. 00:14:09.095 --> 00:14:14.491 Number two it will prepare you for your purpose. 00:14:14.491 --> 00:14:19.731 Every single person in here, under the sound of my voice, has a purpose. 00:14:19.731 --> 00:14:22.566 God designed you. 00:14:22.566 --> 00:14:28.721 He took time to pour into you, to get the people around you and put you into the family. 00:14:28.721 --> 00:14:33.168 You need to give you fuel for your purpose. 00:14:33.168 --> 00:14:34.871 Everyone has a purpose. 00:14:34.871 --> 00:14:39.145 Every single person has a purpose, no matter your age, your color, your gender. 00:14:39.145 --> 00:14:40.089 It does not matter. 00:14:40.089 --> 00:14:49.873 God wants to use every single person and every purpose leads to promise birthed through proclamation. 00:14:49.873 --> 00:15:05.764 I'll say it again Every purpose leads to a promise birthed through proclamation and if you proclaim God's promises from his word and you have been following his will, you will be fulfilled. 00:15:05.764 --> 00:15:13.633 Living in your purpose, if you follow his will, you are diving into his word. 00:15:13.633 --> 00:15:15.967 He will always lead you to a purpose. 00:15:15.967 --> 00:15:25.364 She thought that she was going to serve veterans Got out of the plans. 00:15:25.364 --> 00:15:31.341 She thought she was going for one purpose and God had already prepared her for the other. 00:15:34.187 --> 00:15:38.240 When you start to proclaim things over your life and you start to out loud. 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:43.773 This is why, look in the Bible, when God spoke, he spoke things into existence. 00:15:43.773 --> 00:15:46.826 There is power in spoken word. 00:15:46.826 --> 00:15:52.870 That's why the Bible says that you have to confess your sins, because there is power in words. 00:15:52.870 --> 00:15:56.008 I'll say it again there are power in words. 00:15:56.008 --> 00:15:57.815 They could be life or they can be death. 00:15:57.815 --> 00:16:02.366 So as Christians, we are mandated to speak life and not death. 00:16:02.366 --> 00:16:15.690 In that proclamation you will be living in your purpose and, number three, it will be lasting kingdom effects, not just in your life but in the life of others. 00:16:15.690 --> 00:16:18.268 We are not meant to live for ourselves. 00:16:19.660 --> 00:16:20.903 If you study the gifts of the Spirit. 00:16:20.903 --> 00:16:23.711 The gifts of the Spirit are not meant for you. 00:16:23.711 --> 00:16:25.465 They are meant for the congregation. 00:16:25.465 --> 00:16:33.688 They are meant for the believers to live, to encourage, to inspire, to get that fire burning again, to bring back and rekindle the Spirit of God moving in our midst. 00:16:33.688 --> 00:16:35.312 It is not for you. 00:16:35.312 --> 00:16:40.105 What you go through is not for you. 00:16:40.105 --> 00:16:45.832 What you have went through, fueled a prayer that 10 years ago you could not imagine. 00:16:45.832 --> 00:16:47.134 Today you'd be praying for somebody else. 00:16:47.134 --> 00:16:52.172 I can pray and talk to addicts because I understand where they are. 00:16:52.172 --> 00:17:02.049 I can understand because God allowed me to be stupid in a negative way and now I can use that same stupidity in a positive way. 00:17:02.049 --> 00:17:18.281 Your witness, your testimony, your journey that you have went through, small or big, it is meant for a purpose driven by the Spirit of God, that you are not meant to hold on to what God gives you, that you are supposed to be pouring out what he has poured out on you. 00:17:19.844 --> 00:17:25.454 Do not be selfish with your calling, because in that you will grow complacent every single time. 00:17:25.454 --> 00:17:29.590 Stupid faith will cost you. 00:17:29.590 --> 00:17:35.071 Following Jesus will cost you. 00:17:35.071 --> 00:17:38.105 Nothing is free. 00:17:38.105 --> 00:17:40.330 I don't care. 00:17:40.330 --> 00:17:44.125 Even if the government giving me a check I know they're taking it back at the end of the year. 00:17:44.125 --> 00:17:44.645 I'm stupid. 00:17:44.645 --> 00:17:50.296 Getting married will cost you, you single people out there. 00:17:50.296 --> 00:17:52.414 Getting married will cost you. 00:17:52.414 --> 00:18:03.797 I love the cost, but getting married will cost you you will have to give up your free time. 00:18:03.797 --> 00:18:09.538 It's no longer your bank account, it's no longer your vehicle, it's no longer your apartment or your house. 00:18:09.538 --> 00:18:14.180 Now it becomes ours and mostly hers. 00:18:14.180 --> 00:18:24.198 Y'all got some wisdom. 00:18:24.198 --> 00:18:30.394 Having kids Now that will cost you. 00:18:30.394 --> 00:18:47.809 It will cost you time, it will cost you money, it will cost you energy, it will tax your patience, it will try to rob you of your sanity. 00:18:47.809 --> 00:18:49.471 You're not allowed to be selfish anymore. 00:18:49.490 --> 00:18:50.432 Everything evolves around little Johnny. 00:18:50.432 --> 00:18:52.013 My wife always says that that's why I said it. 00:18:52.013 --> 00:18:56.298 So she always in a future talk she talks about our kids. 00:18:56.298 --> 00:18:58.099 She's like now, little Johnny, you can't do that. 00:18:58.099 --> 00:19:00.442 I said baby, we're not naming our kid Johnny, stop that. 00:19:00.442 --> 00:19:02.403 And now she does it. 00:19:02.403 --> 00:19:09.086 Just because I'm like baby, I'm not naming my kid Johnny, stop. 00:19:09.086 --> 00:19:10.311 You're alone time. 00:19:10.332 --> 00:19:10.972 Anybody ever have kids? 00:19:10.972 --> 00:19:12.275 And you just lost all your alone time. 00:19:12.275 --> 00:19:14.018 Anybody ever have kids? 00:19:14.018 --> 00:19:16.422 And you just lost all your alone time. 00:19:16.422 --> 00:19:26.067 Even when they're growing and out of the house, if you live within a 20 mile radius, your alone time is still not yours and most of your food is still not yours. 00:19:26.067 --> 00:19:31.425 What are you cooking, mama? 00:19:31.425 --> 00:19:41.410 I got six kids, sorry, and these are just a few and not all of the things that marriage and having children will cost you. 00:19:41.410 --> 00:19:47.486 But has anyone lived through this and made it through it? 00:19:47.486 --> 00:19:57.157 And you know that it's worth the cost, following Jesus, killing your flesh every single day will cost you something, but the end result is always worth what it costs you in the journey. 00:19:58.539 --> 00:20:02.605 When we act in faith, it will always cost you something. 00:20:02.605 --> 00:20:07.384 It may cost you your reputation. 00:20:07.384 --> 00:20:12.930 The Bible speaks that when you speak the name of Jesus and when you bear that cross, that people will not want to be around you anymore. 00:20:12.930 --> 00:20:16.715 They don't like that. 00:20:16.715 --> 00:20:21.982 You don't like what they do anymore, and that's okay. 00:20:21.982 --> 00:20:24.653 You don't have to like their sin. 00:20:24.653 --> 00:20:25.156 Matter of fact. 00:20:25.156 --> 00:20:29.374 We're supposed to hate their sin and according to old chapter 14 over here, we're supposed to hate them. 00:20:29.374 --> 00:20:32.020 Not really. 00:20:32.020 --> 00:20:32.181 Don't. 00:20:32.181 --> 00:20:32.622 Don't hate them. 00:20:32.622 --> 00:20:33.490 Pray for them. 00:20:33.490 --> 00:20:40.044 You may lose family, you may lose friends One of the hardest things for me. 00:20:40.190 --> 00:20:41.275 Y'all probably know this by now. 00:20:41.275 --> 00:20:42.339 I'm a people person. 00:20:42.339 --> 00:20:49.221 I get energized when I'm around people and Jesse's like can we please just, can we just be at home and not go anywhere and do anything? 00:20:49.221 --> 00:20:59.895 I'm like, come on, baby, we're trying to rest, let's go. 00:20:59.895 --> 00:21:01.680 And she's the opposite. 00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:02.962 So I'm like, okay, I need to sacrifice mine now. 00:21:02.962 --> 00:21:06.089 This is, or it really will cost me something, and I let her do her thing. 00:21:06.894 --> 00:21:08.269 Acting in faith will cost you your comfort. 00:21:08.269 --> 00:21:13.969 Acting in faith will cost you your comfort. 00:21:13.969 --> 00:21:23.847 Nothing ever happens that is great and brings the most return. 00:21:23.847 --> 00:21:34.690 If you stay comfortable Acting in faith especially stupid faith it will cost you your logic. 00:21:34.690 --> 00:21:39.642 I can outthink myself of a miracle or praying for somebody, because I know this probably looks stupid. 00:21:39.642 --> 00:21:43.339 I don't want them to think I'm looking down on them because I'm praying. 00:21:46.111 --> 00:21:48.038 There's all kinds of things that you could be thinking through your head. 00:21:48.038 --> 00:21:55.715 You can talk yourself out of stepping into the purpose God has for you because you may think from your past that you're too used to be used. 00:21:55.715 --> 00:22:02.616 Can I tell you from somebody who used to smoke meth all day, every day, and live in my car, that you were never too used for God to use you. 00:22:02.616 --> 00:22:11.117 That when you give your life completely over to God, that everything behind you stays behind you and God starts building a brighter future for you. 00:22:11.117 --> 00:22:16.137 That everything that you stays behind you and God starts building a brighter future for you. 00:22:16.137 --> 00:22:19.590 That everything that you have been or that you have done does not define the destiny that God has given you. 00:22:19.590 --> 00:22:26.298 Your problems do not shape your purpose. 00:22:26.298 --> 00:22:30.865 Nothing great ever happens from being comfortable. 00:22:30.865 --> 00:22:38.856 Acting in faith will make you look and feel stupid most of the time, every single time If you read any miracle in the Bible. 00:22:38.856 --> 00:22:48.178 Jesus spit in mud and put it on a man's eyes and they were healed. 00:22:48.178 --> 00:22:48.914 Spit. 00:22:51.521 --> 00:22:54.730 And they were healed, spit, spit. 00:22:59.780 --> 00:23:00.281 Think about it. 00:23:00.281 --> 00:23:01.611 You know why. 00:23:01.611 --> 00:23:03.795 You probably had to do it to a blind guy Because he didn't see it coming. 00:23:03.795 --> 00:23:09.065 Think about it. 00:23:09.065 --> 00:23:10.953 You do it to a deaf person. 00:23:10.953 --> 00:23:12.057 Hey, I see you, bro. 00:23:12.057 --> 00:23:17.336 You didn't get me Sorry, that just came to my mind. 00:23:17.336 --> 00:23:17.959 I apologize. 00:23:21.849 --> 00:23:27.355 Things that do not make sense, they're not logical, we call those miracles. 00:23:27.355 --> 00:23:31.219 The desk is still laughing over here. 00:23:31.219 --> 00:23:32.644 I'm sorry. 00:23:32.644 --> 00:23:35.230 I'm sorry, I'm sorry. 00:23:35.250 --> 00:23:44.055 Things that do not make sense to us, that don't add up to the people around us, grabbing someone's hand in the store and praying, I have thought this what if I embarrass them? 00:23:44.055 --> 00:23:45.557 Who cares? 00:23:45.557 --> 00:23:49.292 They may be healed in the middle of Walmart for God's glory. 00:23:49.292 --> 00:23:53.042 That's the stupid faith God's looking for. 00:23:53.042 --> 00:24:02.817 That's the faith when he told them that if you have the faith of a mustard seed that faith, not the faith where you get in your car and you put it in and you start it, that doesn't cost you anything. 00:24:02.817 --> 00:24:04.304 You just believe it's going to happen. 00:24:04.304 --> 00:24:20.503 But that is a kind of stupid faith that can be in your life, that you know that when you pray you have been in your word and you have been digging and you know, forwards and backwards, his promises and God is not a liar. 00:24:20.503 --> 00:24:32.851 So if I believe and you believe and we bind together and we speak, imagine if all of us got together and started believing in the way that we say we do, this city would not be the same. 00:24:32.851 --> 00:24:38.961 And this is how listen, I'm a big thinker, okay, I'm a huge thinker. 00:24:38.961 --> 00:24:43.470 You ask my wife if we talk about giving someone some money, I'll give them everything in my account and say God will provide. 00:24:43.470 --> 00:24:46.775 I don't care, I've been without nothing and I know that God provides everything. 00:24:46.775 --> 00:24:55.546 So I know that when I say that this church is going to be a catalyst for this world to change and see Jesus Christ, I believe it with all of my heart. 00:24:55.546 --> 00:25:01.321 Because if people in the upper room there was only 120. 00:25:01.321 --> 00:25:05.920 And we're still preaching, teaching and learning from it today. 00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:08.596 What can he do with us here today? 00:25:08.596 --> 00:25:12.440 What can he do if we start having faith bigger than a mustard seed? 00:25:12.440 --> 00:25:16.193 That was the one measurement that he gave. 00:25:16.193 --> 00:25:16.976 That's not that much. 00:25:18.519 --> 00:25:24.915 Imagine, imagine, you see, acting in faith. 00:25:24.915 --> 00:25:33.250 The reason acting in faith is so hard to me personally is because we can't see the end result. 00:25:33.250 --> 00:25:38.078 Right then, like I know? 00:25:38.078 --> 00:25:40.782 Okay, y'all, I've said this before We've. 00:25:40.782 --> 00:25:42.652 We went to last year Dave Ramsey class. 00:25:42.652 --> 00:25:59.497 I know that if I start putting away a certain percentage of our money now or if I use that to pay off a credit card or whatever, I know it can be gone and I can have millions of dollars, you know, years down the road with compounding interest and everything and Roth, 401k and all that stuff. 00:25:59.497 --> 00:26:09.953 You know I really did my research but it's a lot of money you're putting in there and it hurts me now, but I know that one day I would be able to do what I want. 00:26:11.576 --> 00:26:23.621 The stupid faith and the action behind your faith now that will maybe hurt your ego a little bit or step on your pride's toes a little bit, will reap benefits beyond what you can imagine. 00:26:23.621 --> 00:26:26.674 Lives will be changed. 00:26:26.674 --> 00:26:31.494 One act of faith, because I guarantee you that every person here, at some point in your life, there was an act of faith from someone. 00:26:31.494 --> 00:26:34.459 I guarantee you that every person here, at some point in your life, there was an act of faith from someone else that led you to Jesus. 00:26:34.459 --> 00:26:39.140 That act of faith may have been yours I was raised in it. 00:26:39.140 --> 00:27:03.355 The act of faith from my cousin that got me to where I was off the streets and I was fresh out of jail and actually to where I met my wonderful wife at the church that we ended up going to, was that he said, through faith, knowing I was just out of jail, knowing I had issues of addiction smoking cigarettes, whatever drinking I would do it Didn't matter he said, come with us. 00:27:03.355 --> 00:27:09.032 We're moving to White House, an hour away from everywhere I could get anything I wanted, and guess what? 00:27:09.032 --> 00:27:13.686 I didn't move into a luxurious job where it paid $90,000 a year. 00:27:13.686 --> 00:27:21.096 I was doing odd jobs at rental properties just to pay my phone bill and to get gas to go see. 00:27:21.096 --> 00:27:21.940 Harry, come on somebody. 00:27:21.940 --> 00:27:28.521 Because I didn't have a car, because I had to sell my car to the bail bondsman to get out. 00:27:30.151 --> 00:27:43.377 God crippled me so that I couldn't go anywhere and he literally got my mind focused back because my cousin my cousin did the same thing, because his wife worked at a hospital. 00:27:43.377 --> 00:27:46.347 He was doing the same odd jobs I was. 00:27:46.347 --> 00:27:56.657 We were living in a trailer house up in White House over there and I was getting nothing but my cousin pouring out scripture and I was getting counseling. 00:27:56.657 --> 00:28:01.442 While we were working we had this guy that was paying us to dig this hole to put a septic tank in. 00:28:01.442 --> 00:28:02.448 So we were out there with shovels. 00:28:02.448 --> 00:28:04.275 We didn't have machines, we had shovels. 00:28:04.275 --> 00:28:08.590 You want to get clean, you want all the drugs to go out of your system? 00:28:08.590 --> 00:28:09.613 Go out there and sweat. 00:28:11.878 --> 00:28:19.820 God was purifying me physically, spiritually and emotionally, because I didn't go to the drugs necessarily because I wanted drugs. 00:28:19.820 --> 00:28:25.843 It was something that I was doing, that was an effect of what I needed to be filled with. 00:28:25.843 --> 00:28:36.622 And so we do this all the time in our daily actions, our routines and our sins that we actually, when we sin, we're trying to fulfill something that we long for. 00:28:36.622 --> 00:28:41.557 So when you start doing stupid acts of faith, it goes against that. 00:28:41.557 --> 00:28:49.761 Because you want to feel your pride, you want to feel cocky about who you are and what I do for a living. 00:28:49.761 --> 00:28:53.279 God stripped me of every shred of pride. 00:28:53.279 --> 00:28:58.993 Let me tell you how intimate me and God got when I go to Walmart. 00:28:58.993 --> 00:29:10.260 I didn't have the money and I had in my cart maybe 10 things and God would tell me put those two things back, you don't need them. 00:29:10.260 --> 00:29:14.019 I would get up there and check out and it would be the exact dollar amount that I had. 00:29:14.019 --> 00:29:33.041 Because he cared about me that much, because my cousin took an act of faith stupid faith to allow a drug-addicted, alcoholic, pornography-seeking guy into his house with his two children and wife. 00:29:33.041 --> 00:29:37.201 He took an act of faith that changed my life to where I am today. 00:29:45.711 --> 00:29:53.501 You see, when you're acting in faith, especially when it's stupid faith and you don't feel, sometimes y'all, I don't feel like praying. 00:29:53.501 --> 00:29:56.852 Am I the only one Life? 00:29:56.852 --> 00:30:02.980 It will exhaust you, the devil will distract you and you're like I just want to lay here and just think about nothing. 00:30:02.980 --> 00:30:07.234 Just give me some, just nothing. 00:30:07.234 --> 00:30:11.584 Nobody talk to me, nobody come in here, just go outside. 00:30:11.584 --> 00:30:15.611 That may have came from a real personal place. 00:30:15.611 --> 00:30:41.127 I apologize, and there's times where I feel that in my God, that we end up being the blockade, that we hold on to our faith and we're not willing to get stupid for God anymore. 00:30:44.290 --> 00:30:50.604 Your little stupid act of faith may be the very thing that saves someone's soul. 00:30:50.604 --> 00:30:53.634 Is that not the point? 00:30:53.634 --> 00:30:57.137 Is that not the reason that we are here? 00:30:57.137 --> 00:31:07.700 God never says in his word I draw you to me, I find you, I bring you to me, I go and find you, I leave the 99 for one, just so that you can stay and nobody else can come. 00:31:10.431 --> 00:31:13.461 The Bible, christianity, is like the biggest pyramid scheme right. 00:31:13.461 --> 00:31:17.098 It's like, well, you get the money and then I give you some money. 00:31:17.098 --> 00:31:23.823 And it's like when you start giving out faith to other people, it stirs up faith in other people. 00:31:23.823 --> 00:31:30.563 When you start serving other people, other people that you have served, it makes them happy. 00:31:30.563 --> 00:31:33.912 If you're not fulfilled in your life, you're probably not serving enough. 00:31:33.912 --> 00:31:38.739 I felt that one. 00:31:38.739 --> 00:31:48.751 If you, if your life, if you've gotten to a spot in your walk with God or maybe you're here today and you don't know God by the end of the day, you better. 00:31:48.751 --> 00:31:52.261 There will be an opportunity at the end of the service. 00:31:52.261 --> 00:31:55.976 Serve people, serving people. 00:31:55.976 --> 00:31:56.877 Serve people. 00:31:56.877 --> 00:31:58.501 Just like what hurt people? 00:31:58.501 --> 00:31:58.942 Hurt people. 00:32:01.651 --> 00:32:16.054 It's hard, like I think it was this morning or yesterday or something Tristan got on my nerves and it was just like, you know, like a father and a son thing, like he wasn't listening right or maybe he had a little attitude. 00:32:16.054 --> 00:32:17.758 He's about to turn 13, very soon. 00:32:17.758 --> 00:32:23.659 Y'all pray for all of us and and he thinks he knows a lot more than he actually does. 00:32:23.659 --> 00:32:25.903 I mean, we all were there at one point. 00:32:25.903 --> 00:32:27.771 We all thought we knew what we didn't know. 00:32:27.771 --> 00:32:31.175 It was fact and it had not even close Writing checks. 00:32:31.175 --> 00:32:31.856 He can't cash. 00:32:33.940 --> 00:32:38.184 And I was just upset and Jessie's like are you in a mood? 00:32:38.184 --> 00:32:41.653 I said I don't know, maybe. 00:32:41.653 --> 00:32:44.941 And she was like what's wrong? 00:32:44.941 --> 00:32:49.775 I said I have a kid, tristan, getting on my nerves. 00:32:49.775 --> 00:32:56.183 And she was like I'm sorry, baby, I've told y'all this before If someone's in a bad attitude, don't be in a bad one with them. 00:32:58.451 --> 00:32:59.953 It will produce more bad. 00:32:59.953 --> 00:33:02.137 The same goes with stupid faith. 00:33:02.137 --> 00:33:03.641 That's why I wanted her to come. 00:33:03.641 --> 00:33:09.796 Oh hey, y'all see that. 00:33:09.796 --> 00:33:14.962 That's why I apologize. 00:33:14.962 --> 00:33:17.026 Shocked me too. 00:33:19.310 --> 00:33:40.202 That's why stupid faith is so important, because people will be stupid with you and then you're not by yourself anymore, because when you start getting excited, when people start sharing what God's doing in their life, just because they started listening to worship, just because they started digging in the word, just because they gave God 15 minutes of their time, it has changed her entire world. 00:33:40.202 --> 00:33:47.361 Imagine what God can do through you if you gave him everything. 00:33:47.361 --> 00:34:11.222 Everything Small acts start to impact us when we start to do this, and then it starts to ripple and impact others and it fuels the fire of us, because we become overcomers by what? 00:34:11.222 --> 00:34:17.619 There's two things the blood of the lamb, his sacrifice, and the word of our testimony. 00:34:17.619 --> 00:34:20.146 Do not keep your testimony to yourself. 00:34:20.146 --> 00:34:30.476 Do not let the devil shame you into not sharing what God has done for you, because if he can convince you that, someone will think that you are not worthy. 00:34:30.476 --> 00:34:36.612 I'm not, you're right, moron, and I'm also stupid. 00:34:36.612 --> 00:35:09.813 Whatever label you want to put on me is fine with me, because all that concerns me is if God labels me as good and faithful servant, when the people of God start standing for truth and we start sticking with what is right, with sound doctrine, not that crazy clown joke an unwavering faith willing to abandon everything for the sake of the cross Another place. 00:35:09.813 --> 00:35:10.315 Listen to this. 00:35:10.315 --> 00:35:15.231 The sake of the cross, another place. 00:35:15.231 --> 00:35:15.532 Listen to this. 00:35:15.552 --> 00:35:21.090 Now, here, if someone tells you something about you, say my wife comes up to me and she's like baby, you know, you kind of get mad pretty quick. 00:35:21.090 --> 00:35:21.833 No, I don't. 00:35:21.833 --> 00:35:25.710 All right, this is just an example, this has not happened, but listen, okay. 00:35:25.710 --> 00:35:29.561 Now say brother Vernon comes up to me and he says hey, man, I think you kind of. 00:35:29.561 --> 00:35:31.516 I think you get mad a little too quick sometimes. 00:35:31.516 --> 00:35:32.681 No, I don't. 00:35:32.681 --> 00:35:46.820 No, if two people say you have an issue, closely examine, because most likely it's true, one person could just be trying to hurt your feelings or they've had a bad day. 00:35:46.820 --> 00:35:53.202 But if two people or three people or four people say, man, you got an issue, maybe you got an issue. 00:35:53.202 --> 00:35:56.677 Be willing to examine so. 00:35:56.697 --> 00:36:00.731 The bible twice, the reason I brought that up and use that as an example. 00:36:00.731 --> 00:36:01.574 The bible twice. 00:36:01.574 --> 00:36:11.197 In matthew, chapter 10, it says this in 37, jesus says if you love your father or mother more than you love me, y'all. 00:36:11.197 --> 00:36:11.920 I'm a'm a mama's boy. 00:36:11.920 --> 00:36:13.963 I know it, she knows it. 00:36:13.963 --> 00:36:15.554 I know I'm the favorite, she knows I'm the favorite. 00:36:15.554 --> 00:36:20.710 I tell my little brother I'm the favorite, he knows it. 00:36:23.536 --> 00:36:36.851 And it says you are not worthy of being mine, your own father and mother, the people that raised you, that gave birth to you, that gave life to you, that brought you up and gave you things and took care of you, they fed you. 00:36:36.851 --> 00:36:41.615 You're supposed to what, you're supposed to love Jesus more than them. 00:36:41.615 --> 00:36:47.378 Now, some of y'all this is going to get you more than it does a father and parents. 00:36:47.378 --> 00:36:48.635 Some of y'all can care less about your parents. 00:36:48.635 --> 00:36:49.577 This one is different. 00:36:49.577 --> 00:37:00.869