WEBVTT 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:02.799 It's time now for the rope. 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:15.919 So when we speak of being wholehearted disciples, it's coming to God with all of our brokenness, with all of our woundedness. 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:25.199 Men and women, it's getting up in the morning each day and saying, I am enough because Christ is enough. 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:30.480 I am worthy because Christ is worthy. 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:34.399 I am forgiven because Christ is forgiven. 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:40.159 I can be strong today because Christ is strong through me today. 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:44.640 Welcome to another edition of The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:49.119 Steve is the head pastor of the road in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:56.399 It's our vision to make wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ and to see you grow in the grace and knowledge of his love. 00:00:56.640 --> 00:01:02.880 If you're in the area, we welcome you to come out and join us for our Saturday night service beginning at 6 p.m. 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:11.760 We meet at Chapel Hills Church, located at 2025 Harleman Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80920. 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:19.280 On this edition of The Road, Pastor Steve will be sharing about the vision of the church and what the road is all about. 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:24.079 He'll be discussing all of the exciting things that's going on at the church. 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:32.400 We trust that you'll find this message very informative and insightful as you seek to find out more about the ministry of the road. 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:36.640 Here now with today's message is Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:01:39.359 --> 00:01:41.040 So, why the road? 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:51.040 I want to talk about, before we get into the book of Joel and the Book of Revelation, which are coming up, I want to look at this question of why the road. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:56.480 There's about 250 churches, I believe, in Colorado Springs. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:58.879 Why another church? 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:00.879 And I want to take you back a little. 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:02.000 I'm going to give you a little bit of history. 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:13.280 Some of you guys know this story, some of you don't, but I'm going to take you back a little bit in my history to understand a little bit about how we ended up in Colorado Springs. 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:17.599 I met my wife, Liz, in China. 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:24.800 Now she is from California and I'm from Georgia, so the only place we could meet was China. 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:32.319 And then I was a gymnast at Georgia, and she was a sorority girl at UCLA, so the only way we could meet is smuggling Bibles into China. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:38.639 And we uh we fell in love in China, or I should say, if it's if love at first sight, I think it was more on my side. 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:40.240 I don't think she felt that way. 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:44.159 I'm pretty sure she would say that I seemed a little bit strange. 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:46.080 And I did act a little bit strange. 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:47.360 So we met in China. 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:49.039 We had our first date in Hong Kong. 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:52.080 We fell in love in LA and we got married in Tokyo. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:54.960 And then our first two kids were in Japan. 00:02:55.599 --> 00:03:05.680 We were in Okinawa, we had been in Japan about eight years, and God began to work in my heart a passion for the local church. 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:16.159 So before that, both at the University of Georgia and then at UCLA for Liz, we had been working with college students, starting Bible studies, discipleship groups, things like that. 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:24.560 Then in Japan, we did the same thing on the university campus, first in Tokyo and then on three campuses that we started ministries on in Okinawa. 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:39.919 But as I began to look at the fruit or the lack thereof of aspects of our ministry, I began to realize that so much of those who really grew in their faith among the Japanese were those who got involved in a local church. 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:46.800 Not just the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, which we were a part of, but also got involved in a local fellowship. 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:49.919 And I began to see the power of the local fellowship. 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:58.960 And so I just had this kind of birthing, and probably some of you have experienced this, maybe even in how God led you to the jobs you're doing and stuff like that. 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:06.560 But there was this new birthing in me for a love that I'd never had before, and that was for the local church. 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:09.360 So we began to pray, God, what are you doing? 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:14.639 Are you wanting us to stay in Japan and maybe plant a church or do something like that? 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:17.040 And then Liz had a dream. 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:27.120 And in the dream, she was in a room with a large window, and there were these snow-capped mountains, and then there was a rodeo in the backyard. 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:36.240 And in the dream, there was a group of women, it was like a Bible study, all different ages, and the Lord said in the dream, I'm taking you there. 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:37.759 I'm sending you there. 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:38.959 And then she woke up. 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:41.279 So she wakes me up at 3 a.m. 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:43.439 in the morning and tells me the dream. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:45.680 And I'm like, You woke me up for that? 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:47.439 And she said, Yeah, that's God. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:50.160 God's speaking to us about what he's gonna do next. 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:51.839 And I said, That means nothing. 00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:54.639 Snowcapped Mountain Road, that's a dumb dream. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:05:01.120 So about six months later, we get a phone call from, see, he would have been in Colorado. 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:07.839 So it was a call from Colorado, the Athletes in Action Gymnastics team coach for the women's program. 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:12.639 Back then, Athletes in Action had teams that were throughout the year. 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:38.399 And I had trained in the 70s with the Athletes in Action Gymnastics team in Fountain Valley, California, and I'd become real good friends with a guy named Dale Landon, and Dale was uh Long Beach State, um, all-American, and we had trained together, and he was now the coach for AI, and he wanted to come to Okinawa and do have RR because they were going to go to Korea and China to do uh trips in there where they do gymnastics meets and they share the gospel. 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:50.079 So they come into Okinawa, I set up this retreat farm, we're sitting out on a veranda on this beach in Okinawa, and I'm just I haven't seen Dale in years, and so I'm just trying to make conversation. 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:55.759 And so I said, So, Dale, um, what's it like in Colorado Springs? 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:57.759 And he goes, Oh, let's see. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:17.279 Well, if you were sitting in your house pretty much anywhere in the city, and you had a large window, and uh you were looking out that window, um about and you're looking west, about 80% of the year you see these snow-capped mountains called Pike's Peak. 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:24.000 And then he thought for a moment and he said, Oh, and also the Rodeo Hall of Fame is in Colorado Springs. 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:26.720 And I just thought, well, that's interesting. 00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:29.759 But then Liz is like elbowing, she's remember my dream. 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:31.199 And I go, what dream? 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:33.040 Because it's six months later. 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:36.399 And I have about a memory of about three days. 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:50.079 So that began this journey that over the next the next three years, about 27 times God spoke to us to to come to Colorado Springs. 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:57.680 So in 1994, after graduate school, we came to Colorado Springs and we planted Mountain Springs Church. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:02.079 And so for 19 years, I pastored Mountain Springs Church. 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:11.279 Then, about two years ago, about this time, two years ago, Liz goes on a personal retreat. 00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:17.759 And on this personal retreat, Robert Redford speaks to her. 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:24.959 Robert Redford says to my wife, take the road less traveled. 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:27.519 Robert Redford said that. 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:36.879 To clarify, she's in this time of the Lord, and in the process of that, she turned on the TV. 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:51.040 And we normally don't turn on the TV whenever we're on a personal retreat, but she did in this case, and it was an interview by I think it was CNN or MSNBC with Robert Redford about his life, and he mentioned that he had taken the road less traveled. 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:58.079 Then the next day, God spoke another way, the word the phrase, the road less traveled. 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:00.560 And then the next day, the road less traveled. 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:06.800 And over the next four months, we heard the road less traveled seven times. 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:11.439 The best one was the last one when we're in Palm Desert. 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:14.000 So we're in Palm Desert and we're with H.B. 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:14.399 London. 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:15.600 Some of you may know HB. 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:20.160 He was VP, Vice President, Pastoral Ministries for folks in the family, cousin of Dr. 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:23.279 Dobson, and we're real close, and he's always been a mentor of mine. 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:25.439 He's an overseer for the road. 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:27.759 Um, for you that don't know that. 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:44.639 So we're out there seeing him and Bev and spending a week with them, and we're talking about the future, and I haven't resigned yet from Mountain Springs, but I for the first time I'm kind of thinking, you know, what is God doing? 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:47.279 This is just so bizarre, this stuff. 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:48.399 And so I just share with him. 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:55.919 I said, you know, HB, I haven't shared this with many people, but um, we've gotten this word, the road less traveled, six times. 00:08:56.159 --> 00:09:03.360 And um, we explained kind of each one, and he gets this kind of deer in the headlights look. 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:08.159 And um, you gotta remember he's Nazarene, so he's not Pentecostal. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:11.440 And he and he looked at me and he goes, Oh my goodness. 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:13.440 Oh my! And I said, What? 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:24.639 And he he opens up his bag and he pulls out the Robert Frost poem, The Road Not Taken, and says, I'm sharing that tomorrow at church. 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:26.960 And I just happened to have it with me. 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:36.399 And so over the next few weeks, God spoke to us for me to resign that he had something else for us to do. 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:39.039 Would not have been my choice. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:47.840 So some of you are a part of this, but we went into 40 nights of prayer, and so we gathered together first at every home for Christ. 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:49.200 How many were a part of that? 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:50.639 Okay, a lot of you. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:10:08.000 And we gathered, and um, you guys remember how we just struggled to know what God was saying, and we began to just read from and study from the Gospel of Mark, and God began to speak over those 40 nights of prayer about what he had for the future. 00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:13.679 And that birthed what I want to call God's magnum opus. 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:17.600 God's magnum, what is God's magnum opus? 00:10:17.759 --> 00:10:20.720 What do you think God's magnum opus is? 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:25.200 I believe, first of all, it's you. 00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:27.120 It's every one of you in this room. 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:28.720 You're God's magnum opus. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:30.559 You're created in the image of God. 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:35.759 But then he draws us together into a thing called the church. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:41.440 How many of you have had a love-hate relationship with the local church? 00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:45.039 I know I have, even as a pastor of one. 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:48.879 And I want to call it God's magnum opus. 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:54.480 So turn in your Bible to Matthew 16 again that we just read from. 00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:56.559 Matthew 16. 00:10:56.879 --> 00:11:00.720 I believe Jesus is describing his magnum opus. 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:08.960 In other words, in creating each one of you as his as his opus, let me give you a definition of that word. 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:11.600 You might be thinking, what is he talking about? 00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:19.679 Oftentimes an opus is a musical composition or a set of compositions by a composer. 00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:27.600 But I like the second definition given in Webster's any artistic work, work of art or creative work. 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:38.879 Now I'm looking around this room, and you are all kinds of different sizes and colors and looks because you're each God's magnum opus. 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:43.279 And God has created each one of you unique and beautiful. 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:47.279 And each one of you are called to be wholehearted. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:12:02.879 Each one of you are called to find who you are in Christ, discover the creative composition that make up your talents and your unique spiritual gifts, and that's the church. 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:04.159 That's the church. 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:15.679 So so in asking Peter about this question of who do people say that I am, Jesus doesn't leave it just with his identity. 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:17.679 Look at verse 18. 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:21.519 He says, I will build my church. 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:27.039 That's his magnum opus, his his greatest work. 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:32.559 And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:40.480 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:47.679 We just finished a whole series through the summer and into the fall called War on Spiritual Warfare. 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:51.600 We talked about binding and loosening. 00:12:51.919 --> 00:13:04.159 And uh this past week we were at someone's house because they were having demonic activity in that house, and we bound, I believe, several demons, if not more, over that house. 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:09.279 The week before, we were at someone's house and we had to bind and loose. 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:18.320 You've been given, men and women, listen, you've been given anointing and power as a church to bind and loose. 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:28.559 There is a power and a grace given to us as believers by virtue of us being gathered here tonight. 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:39.919 Oh my, if if the body of Christ could only understand the incredible power and anointing that is yours by virtue of gathering together as a church. 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:42.559 We're going to take communion here tonight. 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:44.559 We do it every week. 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:47.120 And there's power in communion. 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:54.159 When we study 1 Corinthians 11, it even speaks of those that have taken communion in the wrong way. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:58.480 And it says some of them are even sick, and some have even died. 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:02.879 That's the power of communion, the power of the sacraments, you guys. 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:19.840 If we could grasp the anointing of the Spirit upon the local church to save our families, to save our country, and to save our city, it'd be remarkable. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:25.519 And so the road was established with this vision. 00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:38.799 This is the vision God gave us as the magnum opus of what he wanted us to do, and as building whole-hearted Jesus disciples, building whole-hearted disciples of Jesus. 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:51.440 I'm going to break that down in a few minutes, but I want to do a quick illustration, and I'm going to ask, um, I'm trying to remember who I asked to do different things, but I'm going to ask you, Sherry, to come up here first. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:56.000 Now, this is the number two pencil. 00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:57.120 That's all it is. 00:14:57.279 --> 00:14:59.440 It's nothing more, and it's nothing less. 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:03.039 And this represents an individual believer. 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:04.559 An individual believer. 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:10.080 So I have asked a woman, yes, a University of Texas former gymnast. 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:11.360 So you're not just any woman. 00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:13.600 You're you're like in the club, right? 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:14.080 Okay. 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:16.480 But can you break this? 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:19.679 Ooh, baby, look at that. 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:20.480 No problem. 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:26.639 That, men and women, is where most Christians are today. 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:28.799 Easily broken. 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:32.080 Easily broken in the hands of the enemy. 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:36.879 Okay, so gosh, it's gotta be better when you get married. 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:40.639 And we still, you still only marry one person in our country. 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:42.879 I don't know if that's gonna change in the years to come. 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:52.799 But uh if if there's no former Mormons or current Mormons, then probably two, um, and you're not from Utah on T on the TV show. 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:54.879 So who did I say could break two? 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:56.720 All right, Rex, come on up. 00:15:56.960 --> 00:15:58.240 So this is a marriage. 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:00.000 So that was easily broken. 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:01.360 Let's see how two do. 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:04.960 Again, number two pencils, nothing strange about it. 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:05.759 Way to go, Rex. 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:09.440 Ooh, baby, nice. 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:10.799 All right. 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:16.799 So, where are most of our marriages today, even among believers? 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:18.080 Not so good. 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:20.559 So, two is easily broken by the enemy. 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:23.759 So, Denny, Denny, where are you? 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:26.480 So, this is a family. 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:28.159 This is a Christian family. 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:29.600 I've got five of them. 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:32.080 Okay, a little pressure there, bro. 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:33.759 Don't don't let me down. 00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:36.080 Don't let me down. 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:39.200 Oh, nice. 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:41.519 All right, broke five. 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:54.960 So we see what we're seeing in our culture today is we're seeing of individuals being broken, we're seeing uh, we're seeing couples being broken, and we're seeing families destroyed because of the power of the enemy. 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:00.240 So now I have about a dozen. 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:02.639 So I'm gonna ask, was it Lee? 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:04.960 Did I were you the one I invited to do that? 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:07.519 You're doing the last one? 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:08.160 Okay. 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:10.400 How about you, Louie? 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:11.039 You come on up. 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:12.079 I am gonna use you. 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:16.000 So there's a dozen here. 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:17.680 Let's see if you can break that. 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:19.440 Nope, you can't do that. 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:21.440 You gotta just do it this way. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:23.519 No break. 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:24.079 Okay. 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:28.400 And then Lee, this is about 75. 00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:33.119 So Lee, for former dentist here. 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:35.279 Let's see, you can't bite it. 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:35.920 Okay. 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:37.680 Nope, can't do it. 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:38.160 All right. 00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:41.039 Oh my! That's okay. 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:45.519 That's about the church is supposed to gather and scatter, right? 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:49.279 Guys, we need each other. 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:54.079 We're not doing so well in our individualistic Christianity. 00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:57.759 We're not doing so well even in our families and our marriages without each other. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:01.039 And so God gave us this vision. 00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:06.720 Our magnum opus to build wholehearted disciples. 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:15.279 To be a disciple is to be in a community, it's to be in relationship, is to is to have each other. 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:18.319 And so we need each other. 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:25.200 And and there is a there is a concerted attack by the enemy on the church. 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:31.119 And so many today are not able to hang on, especially men. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:37.519 The average church is 65% women. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.279 I love women. 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:40.240 I marry to women. 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:41.920 I think women are beautiful. 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:49.119 But God, in his economy, chose to build leadership primarily through men. 00:18:50.000 --> 00:19:02.079 I mean, Jesus had no trouble breaking up culture and traditional values as it related to the Israelite nation, and he chose 12 men to be his disciples. 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:04.960 And so the enemy is after men. 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:07.039 He wants to take out men. 00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:08.799 He wants to take out you women too. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:12.640 But he's primarily focused on men and it's working. 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:14.880 Because we're not relational. 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:27.920 In most of the things that we do, we tend to be driven toward a product or toward success or toward our our our jobs and all that we do in relation to that, and we're not typically relational. 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:32.000 It's interesting, five out of six men in the U.S. 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:34.079 call themselves Christians. 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:39.599 But two out of six go to the church, go to church. 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:44.319 And three out of four married women attend church alone. 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:49.680 So you women that are here with your man, you are so blessed. 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:55.680 And you here, the women here that are here without your man, that's why we're here. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:01.920 Is I pray that as the years go by we might become more and more effective at reaching men. 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:09.920 And so as we started the road, we felt at the foundation that we wanted to build disciples and we wanted to start with men. 00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:18.079 So we have a ministry called Worshiper and Warrior, and we had our first retreat called the Whole Heart Advance in September. 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:22.079 And then we had the armory a couple weeks ago. 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:26.640 And our desire at the road is to build solid men. 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:33.920 And it's not easy, but it's crucial and whole-hearted, whole-hearted men. 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:38.960 Turn in your Bibles, if you would, again, to Mark 12. 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:40.799 Look at Mark 12. 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:45.279 Mark 12, 28. 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:55.759 And one of the scribes came and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that it answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 00:20:56.160 --> 00:21:03.039 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:04.079 Verse 30. 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:12.319 And you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength. 00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:14.160 This is the first commandment. 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:18.880 And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbors yourself. 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:22.000 There's no other commandment greater than these. 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:30.880 So Jesus challenges us to a whole-hearted devotion to Him. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:37.119 And men and women, when we talk about being whole-hearted disciples, it may not be what we think. 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:43.839 It doesn't just mean all in, fully committed. 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:51.119 It actually means being vulnerable with our heart and letting God have everything within us, wholeheartedness. 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:59.759 You guys have heard me quote Brene Brown a lot, and she's kind of one who I think expresses better than anyone else this idea. 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:04.559 Of finding healing in our heart through wholeheartedness. 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:15.200 And so when we speak of being wholehearted disciples, it's coming to God with all of our brokenness, with all of our woundedness. 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:25.039 Men and women, it's getting up in the morning each day and saying, I am enough because Christ is enough. 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:30.240 I am worthy because Christ is worthy. 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:34.160 I am forgiven because Christ is forgiven. 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:39.920 I can be strong today because Christ is strong through me today. 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:45.200 And I am beloved because I'm created in the image of God. 00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:47.359 And I have what it takes. 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:51.519 And I am beautiful because Christ is beautiful. 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:53.680 And He's given me a new heart. 00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:59.359 Isaiah says, church, you've been given a new heart and a new spirit. 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:06.720 We've been taught for years that our heart is sinful and we can't trust our heart. 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:08.079 I want to say something different. 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:12.400 I want to say that we can trust our heart, and our heart is good in Christ. 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:15.680 Because the scriptures say we've been given a new heart. 00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:16.559 We have a good heart. 00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:18.720 Each one of you have a good heart. 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:22.880 And that heart, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can love. 00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:25.759 That heart can forgive. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:28.400 We've been given a new mind. 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:30.319 A new mind. 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:32.880 We've been given the mind of Christ. 00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:36.079 Guys, we can think differently. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:40.000 We can look at life differently. 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:43.119 We can look at our spouse differently. 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:46.319 We can look at our dating life differently. 00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:56.160 We can look with all of the failures of the past into our future in a different way because we have a new heart, a new spirit, and a new mind in Christ. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:57.759 That's what wholehearted means. 00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:03.200 And then we can come to the end of the day, and we can say, I failed today. 00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:13.920 And I tried to love today, and I blew it today, and I said too much in this situation, and I got stomped on in that situation, but I'm still beloved. 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:16.960 And I'm still loved. 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:18.240 And you know what? 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:19.440 I'm brave. 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:22.160 And I'm courageous. 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:25.759 And I will be brave and courageous tomorrow. 00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:31.039 Because courage and bravery, listen, is failing. 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:38.000 You have to dare to fail to truly find wholeheartedness. 00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:46.400 And it's the person who has the wholehearted love for God that's going to fail the most. 00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:51.759 You will be broken, but you will not give up. 00:24:52.319 --> 00:25:07.920 And so one of the great quotes that I have in my office by Theodore Roosevelt in a speech he gave April 23rd, 1910 in Paris, this is an excerpt from it. 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:18.559 It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. 00:25:19.680 --> 00:26:14.799 The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again, because there's no effort without error and shortcoming, and who does actually strive to do the deeds, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:27.839 Pixar, which was the company that Steve Jobs purchased from George Lucas after being fired from Apple. 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:29.920 Guess what he bought it for? 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:31.119 Anyone want to guess? 00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:33.039 He bought Pixar for$5 million. 00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:39.200 He sold it later, I believe it was$500 and was it, what was it? 00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:41.920 700,000 million? 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:45.200 7 billion. 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:47.279 So how would you like that kind of return? 00:26:47.599 --> 00:26:50.319 So 5 million to 7 billion. 00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:53.759 He made all his money on Pixar, not Apple. 00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:55.279 A lot of people don't know that. 00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:57.359 Pixar is interesting. 00:26:57.759 --> 00:27:06.640 They have a way of developing what they would call storytelling, storybooking for all of their animated features. 00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:12.960 So they did this for Toy Story One, Toy Story Two, and all the different movies that they've done. 00:27:13.119 --> 00:27:21.359 And the first, the act one is the adventure in which the protagonist decides to enter into the adventure. 00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:33.920 Act two is where there's a dilemma, some kind of a dilemma where all the resources of the protagonist aren't going to cut it for the problem that he's going to face or she's going to face. 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:43.599 And then Acts three, act three is when the protagonist decides they are going to enter in, they're all in, they dive in, and they have a solution. 00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:47.519 That's the Act One, Act Two, Act Three that Pixar uses. 00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:52.000 Brene Brown says something interesting in one of her books. 00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:55.279 And I think this is really true of the Christian church. 00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:58.160 We like Act One. 00:27:59.119 --> 00:28:01.119 And we like Act Three. 00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:03.599 But we don't like Act Two. 00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:05.039 Right? 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:08.720 And so when you hear a testimony, you're always waiting for Act Three. 00:28:09.359 --> 00:28:17.200 So you hear the person share, and they go, Oh man, I was into drugs and I beat up everybody and then whatever it is. 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:25.359 And then Jesus came and he saved me, and I've never beat anybody up since then. 00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:31.680 We jump from Act 1 to Act Two to Act 3, skipping really quickly through Act Two. 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:40.400 But it's interesting what Theodore Roosevelt says here, because I like this quote, don't you? 00:28:40.559 --> 00:28:55.200 It's a cool quote, because it gets to this idea of valiance and the magnificent victory that we can have, and daring greatly is a good word here, and great devotions is another word here, spins himself in a worthy cause. 00:28:55.440 --> 00:29:02.799 But he says this, like the second sentence down, he says this the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena. 00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:03.839 Okay? 00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:08.160 Whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood. 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:09.200 Stop. 00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:14.000 Church, that's where you learn your greatest lessons. 00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:20.000 Is in the arena face down and broken. 00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:25.039 And when we talk about wholehearted at the road, I want us to grow in that. 00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:33.680 I want us to grow in the vulnerability of our heart to that it's okay to be broken, that it's okay to go through hard times. 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:36.880 And to let God in there. 00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:42.720 Because it's very, very difficult in our lives. 00:29:43.519 --> 00:29:54.319 The group that I am the most fascinated by, and I believe the enemy, besides men, is attacking the most, is our children. 00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:56.880 Our little, little children. 00:29:57.119 --> 00:30:09.200 That's why most of your radical, uh I would call them sort of the radical, whether it be anarchists or social radicals or politicians, are going after the education of our children. 00:30:09.279 --> 00:30:10.880 I want you to look at a pie diagram. 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:11.839 Do we have that? 00:30:13.119 --> 00:30:20.640 This is the age groupings of when people get saved, when they come to know Christ. 00:30:21.920 --> 00:30:33.599 And I'm willing to say that about 90% of the resources are going for about 4%, 14% of the population. 00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:43.920 If you'll note there that those that are of the ages of 30 plus, only 4% get saved if they haven't gotten saved before that. 00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:49.200 Between the ages of 15 and 30, 10% of the people get saved. 00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:51.279 But look at kids. 00:30:52.319 --> 00:30:58.880 Between the ages of 4 and 14, 85% is where people get saved. 00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:02.079 How many of you came to know Christ in that age bracket? 00:31:02.160 --> 00:31:03.759 Between 4 and 14. 00:31:04.559 --> 00:31:05.759 Speaks for itself. 00:31:08.160 --> 00:31:11.200 We love our children at the road. 00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:24.559 We just say I heard a story of a little girl just this week who's been struggling with something in her life, and God spoke to her, and she told us what he said to her. 00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:29.359 The Lord said, Be a warrior, never stop fighting. 00:31:29.680 --> 00:31:31.920 Those aren't even words that this girl would use. 00:31:32.240 --> 00:31:34.079 So she felt like she heard from the Lord. 00:31:34.319 --> 00:31:42.160 Another little eight-year-old boy led his neighbor to the Lord recently, who comes out of an atheistic family. 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:48.480 Another little girl recently had a dream from the Lord that she'd be a missionary in a foreign land. 00:31:48.720 --> 00:31:52.400 She came up in the lobby a couple months ago to tell me that. 00:31:56.720 --> 00:32:05.519 Some Saturday nights we've got as many as 50 kids in Next Gen, and I think about 20 kids in Next Gen Junior. 00:32:05.680 --> 00:32:09.599 And so it's really, really growing and having a significant impact. 00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:21.680 And Amanda Steyer, who is Ryan Steyr's wife, Ryan's our associate pastor, she wanted you to hear this testimony from her, so she recorded it for us. 00:32:22.319 --> 00:32:22.960 So here's Amanda. 00:32:23.359 --> 00:32:24.880 Hi, this is Amanda Steyer. 00:32:25.200 --> 00:32:32.160 I just wanted to tell you guys a little story about the last time I was a volunteer at NextGen Junior. 00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:33.680 It was a few weeks ago. 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:42.640 And I, on my way to church, I found myself feeling a little bummed that I wasn't going to be able to fit in the main service. 00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:45.200 And here passed with Dave. 00:33:04.319 --> 00:33:11.200 So I had this, you know, in that moment, this brilliant idea to make this more enjoyable for myself. 00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:13.599 While God had other plans. 00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:19.440 And so, really quick, I I went to a volunteer. 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:22.799 I was so thrilled to be able to be in there with my daughter. 00:33:22.960 --> 00:33:23.920 It really was fun. 00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:30.319 But what surprised me and humbled me was I got to meet a few new people that I knew. 00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:32.480 One person I didn't know. 00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:37.920 The other couple people I knew, I would consider them acquaintances. 00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:40.880 And didn't really know any of their stories. 00:33:41.039 --> 00:33:50.240 But while we were all playing with the kids, I got to hear some really neat stories from these other people that I worked with. 00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:58.880 And I felt like it was such a unique opportunity to both serve together, pray together, and get to know each other better. 00:33:59.039 --> 00:34:05.039 And I walked away so humbled by God and so grateful to have had that experience. 00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:21.119 And really just told the Lord, I look forward to when I get to serve in there because I felt like I got to be around these little ones, find out what my daughter's learning, and also grow closer to other people at the road. 00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:25.840 So it was a really good experience, and I encourage you all to try this out. 00:34:26.079 --> 00:34:30.800 Get in the cycle of working every it really only is once every few months. 00:34:31.039 --> 00:34:39.039 And if we're all volunteering, it makes it pretty low committal, but it when you do it, I think you'll find you're pretty blessed. 00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:40.079 Thanks. 00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:44.639 How many of you served in Next Gen or Next Gen Junior? 00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:45.440 Would you stand? 00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:46.400 Just stand up. 00:34:46.480 --> 00:34:50.000 If you served in NextGen or Next Gen Junior. 00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:54.000 Alright, I want to say thank you to all of you guys. 00:34:54.320 --> 00:34:57.360 Um hold up your bookmark again. 00:34:57.519 --> 00:34:59.199 Does everybody have a bookmark? 00:34:59.599 --> 00:34:59.920 Okay. 00:35:00.559 --> 00:35:01.119