Welcome And A Family Prayer

Barkef 0:35

Good morning. I'm Bark Effosegan. I'm one of the pastors here, and I'm delighted that you're here, especially if you're our guest. We're so glad that you're here with us this morning. You know, I I have this habit, it's called forgetting. I forget things. Do you know that? I forget stuff. And um I know we just prayed, but in a minute I want to pray for our young families, you know, the ones that have newlyweds, uh, who are newlyweds, and perhaps those who have uh new babies. Um my son came back from the mission field for uh uh recently, and he's been with us for a little over a week, and and his precious bride is with us, they're living in our house. And they have a uh two and a half-year-old, and they have a one and a half-year-old, and they have one that's a little more than six months old. You know, I forget. And um at four o'clock this morning, I remembered. I did, I remembered. I usually get up about five on Sundays, but at four o'clock this morning, I remembered the alarm clock went off, and I'm not talking about my alarm clock. There's an alarm clock that went off. And uh so uh after a while I just said, Well, I'm gonna go ahead and go ahead and get up. So I got up and I started the coffee, and uh I have this little quiet area where I sit and just kind of pray for a few minutes and read my Bible, and uh all of a sudden I heard noise. And in the living room, my daughter, who also has an infant, encouraged us to buy this, what I call it, a baby cage. It's it's about eight by eight, and it's got a real soft uh pad in the middle of it, you know. And I I just heard some noise. I was in my little quiet area, I heard some noise, and I looked and realized my son was in the baby cage with the infant, had fallen asleep. You know what I'm saying? So I'm reminded uh that God has blessed our church. God has blessed this church family with so many wonderful young couples, uh, with newborns, so much so that we have this uh mom, young mom's room that we're expanding because we have so many young moms that need a nursing area. And we're just uh I have to tell you, I personally am overjoyed. Here's the deal if you if you have a church family and you don't have infants in the room, you you ought to start worrying. You ought to start worrying and thinking, no, wait a minute, what happened? By God's grace, we have a whole lot of infants in the room, and it's something something to celebrate. We also have some mature mentors here, by the way. In fact, uh there's a woman here who I want to highlight for you because one of my first mentors was her husband. And uh we used to be at their house and they would just shower us with their love and they put up with me, they

A Mentor’s Memorial And Confidence

Barkef 3:40

put up with a lot with me, I can tell you that. We were in college and uh just post-college. I was still learning how to do ministry. And uh Candy, where are you? Candy, would you stand up? Would y'all give her a hand? Our precious uh husband uh Ronnie went to be with the Lord uh fairly recently, and I think I might have mentioned that if you guys have been here pretty regularly. And uh he was a glorious testimony to God. Uh he came to the point where his health was failing him, and he decided he was going to plan his memorial. That's the kind of guy he was. And someone from the funeral home came to meet with him, and he was in the living room in his nursing bed, the nurse bed, and as they walked in, the guy walks in, and and Ronnie says, Here's I'm the deceased, here I am. Now, why could he do that?

SPEAKER_01 4:48

Because he knew that he knew that he knew where he was going.

Barkef 4:55

And our desire at Copel Bible is that everybody who calls this place to church home knows where they're going. We're going to talk more about that in a minute. But first, I want to pray for these young families. Heavenly Father, we love you, we praise you, we thank you for your love. We thank you for who you are and what it is you have accomplished on our behalf through Christ Jesus our Savior. And Father, we are overwhelmed that you continue to bless this place with young families. That some of us who are a little further down the road walking with you would have an opportunity to have godly influence, encouraging influence. Not perfect, for none of us are perfect in this life, but that we would share the grace that you've given us, that we would extend the grace that you've given us to those who are coming after us. I pray these things in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and our King. Amen.

Walking As A Picture Of Life

Barkef 6:05

Well, if your guests want to know, we have been in the book of Ephesians, and it wouldn't continue today in the book of Ephesians. Uh I was doing a little research this week in medical news today. I want to read something that says about being in good health. Walking fewer than 5,000 steps per day is considered sedentary. And being sedentary is uh linked to various health issues, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some some certain types of cancer. And it encourages us in the effort to maintain general good health. Current guidelines suggest that most adults should aim for 8 to 10,000 steps per day. Now, if you need to lose weight or your health is not what it ought to be, and you're trying to really pick it up, then you need to pick up not only the distance, but uh the intensity with which you walk. Now, Susie and I we walk pretty regularly. In fact, she can walk most of y'all uh into a stupor, I can assure you that. And uh we put in over 10,000 a day. I mean, I have it on my phone if you want to see it, because I have this garment here and it tells me what I'm doing, right? And that's about five miles of walking. Now, I put about four miles of walking right here every day when I get up on this pulpit with you guys. So, but uh this idea of walking and being healthy, there's a spiritual uh connection to this. You know, uh walking in the scripture is not always talking about the physical exercise of putting one foot in front of the other. More often than not, it's a metaphor for how you live your life. Uh in fact, the first time we see the idea of anyone walking, it's the pre-incarnate Christ in Genesis chapter 3. And he's walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and he's looking for his children. And he says, Adam, where are you? We hear in Genesis also about Enoch. Enoch walked with God, and he was no more because God took him to be with him. We read about Noah walking with God. Now, that probably didn't mean literally walking with him in that case. That was using that figure of speech of walking, putting one foot in front of the other spiritually speaking. In fact, one scholar puts it this way: in the Bible, walk or walking is rarely just about physical movement. It is often a metaphor for a person's daily conduct, lifestyle, and manner of habits of behavior rather than physical movement. It represents the general direction of a person's life, implying progress, consistency, and a growing step-by-step relationship with God. Now, I bring this up because in the book of Ephesians we hear the idea of walking seven different times. And it's this metaphorical idea of living in such a way. In fact, it a couple of examples we're told in Ephesians 5.2, walk in love, Ephesians 5.8, walk as children of light, Ephesians 5.15. Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise. Now we're in uh in chapter 4, but in the beginning of chapter 4, just a few weeks ago, Michael was up here and he read the first verse. Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. Look, I want you to live your life in a way that you represent him well. So we've talked about this before. Paul often, when he writes his letters that he expects all the churches to share, the first half of the letter, he'll be talking about the position that you are in through your simple faith in the person and work of Christ. You have been made righteous. In God's eyes, you've been made righteous because it's Jesus' righteousness that you now live in. But he encourages us now, let your practice be equal to your position. Now, when he says, walk worthy, this idea is the idea of balanced out. Now, a few weeks ago, I wasn't here as you know. And Michael got up here and preached, and I always watched the sermons. That's my job, you know what I'm saying? I even watch my stuff and say, ooh, I can't believe I said that. That happens too often. So Michael, I happen to hear, he told a story, Second Service, about how the first service he was bringing a scale up here to talk about that illustration of worthy. And the idea that your position in Christ, which you have been declared through simple faith, and your practice in Christ should on that scale weigh out evenly. The fact of the matter is, it doesn't automatically happen. It's something that we now get to participate in. In Galatians 5, 16 it says, But I say, walk by the spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. The New Century version puts it this way: live by following the Spirit. Walk, walk is to live, to live, to live. Now, the earliest time we see this idea of walking in Ephesians is Ephesians 2.10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we would walk in them. Walk, live, walk, live. This is how you want to live. And so every time you see that old idea of walk, the idea is, hey, putting one foot in front of the other and literally walking with God. Amos asks this question in Amos 3.3. The Lord is actually asking the question: can two walk together? Unless they're in agreement. Got to be in agreement. But we find out the moment we place our faith, our trust in Christ, we're his forevermore, he's ours forevermore, but we haven't yet learned to be in full agreement with him in every area of our lives. And so he's encouraging us to do that very thing. That's why, again, Ephesians 4:1, therefore, I the therefore, because of all this good stuff that's true of you now, you're indwelled by the Holy Spirit, you've been set apart by God, you're considered holy in his eyes. Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. Now, this idea of implore is translated maybe even in your translation that you're looking at right now. It can be translated, urge, I urge you, I exhort you, I beg you, I encourage you, I beseech you, I call upon you to now walk in a way that represents Christ well and who you now are in Christ. That's the whole point he's making.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

See, the idea is we need to grow up.

Barkef 14:21

We belong to God, we're born again by simply placing our faith, our trust in Christ alone as Savior, but now we have the opportunity to grow up in our faith. And that's where Paul's going. In fact, in verse 15 of chapter 4, earlier, last couple of messages, we saw this. Speak the truth in love. Speaking the truth in love, we are believers to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ. The moment you trust Christ, you're not automatically representing him well, but you have an opportunity to do that. 2 Peter 3.18. Grow, believer, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory. That's where Paul's going today. He's saying, all right, I've already laid out for you all the blessings you have in Christ. You've been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

Now let's see about Limit.

Reading Ephesians And The Big Point

Barkef 15:29

So I have a title for this message, and you know, I tickle myself often when I come up with my titles. I just start giggling while I'm writing them. I'm entitled this message, Mind, Your Walk. I thought, uh, let's go ahead and read the passage. We're in Ephesians chapter 4, verses 17 through 24. So this I say and affirm together with the Lord that you walk, live no longer just as the Gentiles also walk. Now, when he says Gentiles, he's talking about those unbelievers who have never had the blessing of hearing about who God truly is and what his character is and how we might represent him well. Why? Because they've never been under the teaching of Scripture, unlike the Jewish nation. And so he says, these Gentiles, these unbelievers, they walk in a certain way. And that's the way you once walked before you trusted Christ. But hey, don't walk that way anymore. So I say and affirm together with the Lord that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk. Implication? You might be. Stop it. In the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart, and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you, you did not learn Christ in this way. If indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him, just as truth as in is in Jesus, that in reference to your former manner of life you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which is in the likeness of God, has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Well, I thought we'd just take these few verses and we'd we'd see if we can't grab some principles out of this. Here's the first thing I want us to grasp. Eternal life is a gift. Maturity in Christ is a calling. Well, we learned this a few weeks ago, Ephesians 2.8 and 9. For by grace you've been saved through faith, and that nod of yourselves. It is a gift from God, not as a result of works that no man should boast. Ah, but verse 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that he prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Well, you receive eternal life as a gift, and now you have this incredible opportunity to become mature in Christ.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

To live up to your calling.

Futility And Moral Blindness Explained

Barkef 18:46

Let's look at these few first few verses, 17 through 19. We'll break them down. So this I say and affirm together with the Lord that you walk no longer, just as the Gentiles also do in the futility of their mind. Now, this word futility, this term that's translated, it means void of useful aim or goal. You have no goal in life. You're just kind of wandering around, going here, there, and everywhere. And now, even much more so. We're constantly distracted. One minute we're on this idea, and the next minute we're on that idea. We want this popular idea to be part of us, and now this popular idea, and we just keep flipping. We're tossed to and fro. I want you to imagine a high school graduate named Joe. And uh you're having a little conversation with Joe, and you'd say, Hey, Joe, congratulations. You made it through high school. Good stuff. What's next? Well, uh I guess I'm gonna go to college. I think my parents want me to go to college. I'm gonna go to college. Oh, that's great. That's great. Uh, do you know what you're gonna study? Yeah, I want to study finances. That's awesome, Joe. So after you graduate with finances, what are you gonna do? Well, actually, I think I'm gonna go for my MBA. I'm gonna go for a master's. Wow, Joe. That's high stakes, man. Good stuff. What are you gonna do after that? Well, I've always wanted to find that girl. And if I don't follow her in college, I'm gonna certainly start looking for her after I get my master's. Oh, that's great, Joe. And what are you gonna do after that? Well, I guess I'll marry her. That's a good plan, Joe. I like that plan. What about after that? Well, probably have a couple of kids. We'll see. Oh, great. And what are you gonna do after that? Well, hopefully I'll have a really good job. That's awesome. What are you gonna do after that? Well, I guess eventually I'll retire. Oh, that's awesome. So, what are you gonna do after that? Well, uh well, if I have grandkids, I guess I'm sorry, having them wake me up at four in the morning. We'll see. So you're retired. You're visiting your grandchildren, that's great. What are you gonna do after that? What do you mean what I'm gonna do after that? What are you gonna do after that?

SPEAKER_01 21:07

Well, I guess I'm gonna die. Joe, that's a good guess.

Barkef 21:15

Because you are. And Joe, I have to tell you this, you're never gonna truly live until you settle what's gonna happen when you die. For by grace you've been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves is a gift from God. Not as a result of works, that no man should boast. Ah, but now it's time to grow up. He also talks about being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God. Because of the ignorance that is in them and the hardness of their heart. Now, this word darkened literally means morally blind. They don't know right from wrong. They don't. They think they do, but they don't. See, the world has imprinted upon us, and we think we know right from wrong, but too often we've got it upside down. The unbeliever, the unbeliever is living in true darkness because of the ignorance that is in them. You live that way long enough and you become truly blind, morally blind. And it goes on. It says hardness, hardness, moral insensitivity, the hardness of their hearts. You go along long enough in this ignorance, and you become hard against truth. This term is the idea of being petrified. Petrified wood? Susie and I, as I told you earlier, we we walked a lot. We walked in the neighborhood, and I was just the other day, I pointed out to you this big chunk of petrified wood, beautiful, beautiful stone in a neighbor's yard. And uh we pass it all the time. And when I was prepared, I thought, oh man, I got a great illustration. I'm gonna get that petrified wood. I'm gonna pick that bad boy up. I'll go ask him if I can borrow it. And then I looked at the size of it. I thought, nah, I'm not picking that up. That baby's hard, heavy, impenetrable. You live in ignorance to the word of God, and eventually your heart will be so hard that the light won't even shine in anymore. He goes on in verse 19, and he really presses it. And they, having become callous, having given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. This idea of sensuality refers to a life of sexual debauchery and excess. But it goes on and he says, Impurity, immorality that leads to unnatural vices. Then he goes on. He says, with greediness refers to evil desire that can never be satisfied. New Century Version translates verse 19 this way: They have lost all feeling of shame. They use their lives for doing evil. They continually want to do all kinds of evil. New Living Translation puts it this way They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

Is that not the world system? Does not the word of God ring true?

Sensuality Culture And Guarding Kids

Barkef 25:23

Max Anders, doctor Max Anders writes this lust is deceitful. It promises pleasures, but it delivers pain. It promises satisfaction, but it delivers sorrow. It promises a bright future, but it delivers a blighted future. Proverbs twenty seventeen puts it this way stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth. You know, I'm not one to pound a pulpit. That's why I don't have one, by the way, in case I get tempted. And I know for the most part I'm preaching to the choir. I'm fully aware of that. But don't we need to be reminded? Don't you know that the evil one is after you? Don't you know that the world system has been orchestrated by the evil one to grab you? Do you not know that? So grab your children, too, by the way. Young parents. Uh our our eldest was about 12 when these things came out. You're thinking, wow, you're old. And we didn't give him one of these right off the bat. We kind of protected him from it for a while. And then our youngest eventually became 10 or 12, and we thought, well, we're not giving you one for sure. And uh we're thinking, you know, we're protecting them by not letting them have one of these. You know what the problem is? All their friends have one. They'll sit right next to them in Sunday school and show them stuff you wish they'd never seen. You can't you can't get away from this thing. So just taking it from it doesn't help. Might help a little bit for a little while, but if they have any friends at all who have one, guess what? They have full access through their friend. What's more important is that you teach them this stuff will hurt you. It'll steal your innocence. It'll take your life. By the way, I don't like talking about this stuff. It breaks my heart. But here it is. And we are copel Bible. We're gonna let the Bible speak for itself. You know, the young people know this. They already know it. In fact, they have a term for some of this called hooking up. You know that, right? Hey, parents, you know that, grandparents, you know that. You know what hooking up is? I'm sad to have to tell you. It means kids just say, I need to satisfy my sexual urges. We don't need to be in a relationship, let's just go hook up. See you later. Next. Guys, we we can, you know, shh.

SPEAKER_01 28:40

We can get real and know what the battle is and who's in the fight.

Barkef 28:50

We can pray for our children and our grandchildren, and in some cases, great grandchildren. And we can talk to them about this stuff. I mean, really talk to him. Somebody's talking to them, and they're probably not saying what you want them to hear. How about you? I say we talk to him. Eternal life is a gift.

SPEAKER_01 29:20

Maturity in Christ is our calling.

Leaving The Old Self Behind

Barkef 29:26

These next few verses, we're gonna learn this. Maturity in Christ means leaving the old corrupt life. Look at verses 20 through 22. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him, just as truth is in Jesus. That in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit. Now he says, if indeed, and some people misunderstand this, and they think, oh, well, he's talking to a mixed audience, and so some have and some haven't. No, no, no, no. No, this is the first class condition. That's the grammar. And it's more probably translated, since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him. That's how the New Century Version translates it. NIV puts it this way: when you heard about Jesus and were taught in him. Look, the moment you place your faith, your trust in Christ, the Holy Spirit indwelt you at that very moment. He's yours forevermore, and he's constantly talking to you. And there's sometimes you feel like, ah, this bothers my conscience. I'm not even sure why. Why? Because you haven't read his word. But he's trying to get your attention. You don't know why it's wrong yet, but I can tell you it's wrong. If you read his word, you're gonna find out why it's wrong. You're gonna be encouraged in your faith. 1 Peter puts it this way in 1 Peter 1 14. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance. What's he saying? Stay ignorant no more.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

Don't don't sit down in your ignorance.

Renewing The Mind With Scripture

Barkef 31:31

God's desire is that we would learn his word, that we would be transformed by the renewing of our minds. That's why in these next few verses, 23-24, we can put it this way: maturity in Christ requires a renewed mind. You can be saved just by John 3.16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that however believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. In fact, Jesus says in John 5, 24, He who hears, truly, truly I say to you, listen up. He who hears my message and believes Heavenly Father who sent me has everlasting life and does not come into judgment, but has already passed from death to life.

SPEAKER_01 32:26

But you can't grow up without the renewing of your mind.

Barkef 32:34

You can stay a baby Christian. That's a possibility. It's a bad choice, but it is a possibility. And so we read, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which is in the likeness of God, has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Here's how the New Living Translation puts 23. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Here's the problem. We think, because we have a brain, we already know how to think well. That's the problem. Thomas Strahern puts it this way as nothing is easier than to think, so nothing is more difficult than to think well. A.E. Mander wrote a wonderful book called Logic for the Millions. Here's what he says. Thinking is skilled work. It's not true that we are naturally endowed with the ability to think clearly and logically without learning how or without practicing. People with untrained minds should no more expect to think clearly than people who have never learned and never practiced can expect to find themselves good carpenters, good golfers, good musicians, good you name it. We don't automatically think logically and well. We don't. Why? We have a fallen nature. And we don't automatically think well. But we can apply ourselves to the truth of the word of God and learn to think well. We can learn what is right and what is wrong and why the scripture says this is right or this is wrong. Here's how Paul puts it in Romans 12, 1 and 2. I urge you therefore, brethren, urge, beseech, beg, implore, encourage, call upon you. I urge you therefore, brethren, believers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Listen, you will never mature in Christ if you don't apply yourself to learning the Word of God and begin to think rightly. In Colossians, Paul puts it this way: if then you've been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God, set your mind on the things above and not on the things that are on earth. Remember, Joe? Hey Joe. If you can't answer the question, where are you going when you die, and you already know you're gonna die? How are you gonna live your life well? Set your mind on the things above. 1 Peter 1:14, as obedient children, do not be conformed to your former lusts, which were yours and your ignorance. He presses forward. In chapter 2, verse 2, Peter says this like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to your salvation. I heard somebody yearning for the pure milk today at about 4 a.m. How about you? That's the illustration he's given. Let me tell you, Violet would not stop until she got some pure milk. She would not be consoled.

SPEAKER_01 37:08

And it took about an hour, by the way. Until she got some pure milk.

Barkef 37:15

Would you be consoled before you've had the opportunity to have the pure milk of the word in your life? Sometimes God just sets you up for a good illustration. Did you know that Jesus is preaching for the disciples and by extension for you and I. John 17, 17, sanctify them in truth. Set them apart in truth, Father, for your word is truth. 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17. All scriptures inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God or the woman of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

SPEAKER_01 38:14

Many of you know one of my favorite verses is Hebrews 4 12.

Barkef 38:19

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing as far as a division of soul and spirit of both joint and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. Lord, would you help me to think rightly? Would you help me to renew my mind that I might represent you well as a thank you offering for who you are and what it is you have accomplished on my behalf? Colossians 3.16 says this: Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. By the way, that's not a singular, that's a southern y'all. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within y'all, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another, with psalms and hymns and spiritual psalms, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Here's how the New Living Translation puts it. Let the message about Christ and all its richness fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thanksgiving

Growth Happens In Community

Barkef 39:45

in your hearts. Listen, the whole idea is that we're doing this together. We're doing this together. And by the way, this doesn't happen. Your mind is not renewed by a 45-minute one-way conversation on a Sunday morning. But perhaps what has happened is you're inspired to say, hey, I want to dig in. And I want to dig in with my brothers and sisters in Christ. The students get together every Wednesday and sometimes on Sunday nights in someone's home and they study the word. The men at 6:30 on Friday mornings meet in room 102 and they study the word together. There are men on Wednesday night that do the same thing in room 102 while the students are doing their ministry. The women meet here on Wednesday mornings and Wednesday nights, and boy, do they study the word. And they're small groups, life groups, where people get together during the week or on Sunday afternoon or Sunday night at someone's home, and some of them they go over the message of the day and they say, Let's talk. You know what? I really wanted to ask a question, but that preacher won't let me talk back to him while he's on the stage. So I want to ask the question now. And real learning happens. Transform, renewing of the mind. I like the way the message puts it. Let the word of God have the run of the house. I'm going to have the run of the house. Now I know I'm preaching to the choir. You know that? I'm also preaching to me.

Breaking Cycles Through Confession And Grace

Barkef 41:33

But I also know that some of the sound of my voice, uh, you've been having a rough time. The world has been playing games with you, and you know it, and you're in a cycle. Right now, you're in a cycle. There's an area of your life that you're in a cycle in, and you're trying to figure out will I ever get out of this thing? I want to tell you, you can get out of it. You can. It's two words put together. Same homo, legeo, say, say the same thing. God has spoken to you and said that's wrong, you say, I agree. That is wrong. I confess to you, Lord, and I need you to give me the strength to move forward out of this cycle. Revelation 3.20 is written to believers. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and I will dine with him and he with me. Now, this idea of dining, this is a fellowship meal. Jesus Christ is knocking on the door of every believer's heart. You feel like you're in this never-ending cycle of sin and you can't get out of it. And he said, Oh, no, I'm here. I'm here. My grace is sufficient for you. I will help you. Will you let me? William Collier wrote a poem about this. Return, O wanderer, now return, and seek thy father's face. Those new desires which in thee burn were kindled by his grace. Return, O wanderer, now return and wipe the falling tear. Thy father calls no longer mourn, 'tis love invites thee near. Here's what King David wrote Create in me a clean. Heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Listen, we don't just preach grace, we actually live it. If you're struggling, you can come and you can be honest about it. Maybe in your small group, maybe in your quarter three strands. If you're new, we have this thing that we call quarter three strands, and we ask that every adult and every teenager have at least two friends that they meet with, believers that they meet with on some regular basis. If you're a guy, two other guys, if you're a gal, two other gals, then you're going to pray for one another. I mean, really pray for one another. I have a chord. And I do pray for them, and they pray for me. And we get together on a certain cycle that we do, and in between, we text each other and say, Hey, I'm praying for you today. I just want you to know that stuff you told me to pray about, I'm praying about for you. We need each other.

SPEAKER_01 45:10

We experience his grace in community.

Closing Prayer Invitation

SPEAKER_01 45:16

Would you stand and pray with me?